Succumb To Temptations

A/N: Many thanks for your lovely feedback and to my wonderful betas Bo and Ski. I had been not well enough to update before.


Chapter Two
The following morning, the kyuubi vessel awoke with a groan, snapping sleepy eyes shut once more as the warm sunlight cascading from the open drapes burned his assaulted flesh. Undoubtedly, it was just another one of the Uchiha’s spiteful acts before leaving the sleeping boy’s form that morning. Sasuke, under Orochimaru’s tutelage was never allowed to sleep in, lest his master would wake him in the most unpleasant of ways; so the pale boy simply transferred this practice knowing Naruto was a late riser.

Evidently, the learnt practice worked for the boy jerked forwards on the large bed in a long fit of coughing. Never the less he cursed Sasuke despite his dry throat and the pangs of pain surmounting in his body as a result of past night’s coupling; if he could call it such after judging by the amount of blood splattered on the sheets.

Disgusted by the raw scent of his blood wafting to his nostrils, Naruto pulled back the stained sheets wrapped about his waist, silently hoping the kyuubi had not ignored his pleas; however upon investigation there were no markings on his exposed flesh save his seal causing the blonde to frown until a hint of silver of a familiar object deepened that frown considerably.

Naruto dangled the scratched hitaiate that suspended from his thick fingers and the cerulean blue orbs moved in perfect sync with the cloth’s every sway and to any observer it would seem that his attentions had been fixated there but on the contrary the boy’s thoughts lied in the painful past.

The claw mark on Sasuke’s forehead protector had been his doing, his final move in their battle at the Valley of the End before he succumbed to unconsciousness. The shinobi hung his head low, loosening his grip on the forehead protector as his other hand clutched miserably at his chest in attempts to somehow lull the surging pain that threatened to overwhelm his body. Drowning in this emotional pain in Naruto’s estimation was by far, more agonizing than any flesh wound he had ever sustained, even at the hands of Sasuke because of the underlying principle that made it so.

His spirit was breaking, crumbling under the unpredictable nature of his lover of whom he no longer recognised while his heart refused to lose hope, pounding instead for Itachi, the missing-nin whose secrets he wished desperately to unravel, layer by layer.

Guilt, was ever the boy’s companion whenever he considered the elicit feelings he anchored for Itachi, both brother and mortal enemy of his lover but it was an indulgence the blonde could not help. It was more than lust, not only did Naruto desire that lean body that had brought him sweet rapture, taking him to the highest pinnacle of pleasure time after time in his dreams, but the kyuubi vessel too wanted to know the man’s mind, his likes and dislikes and to discover the innermost facets of this mysterious Uchiha. How could he?

How can I? The boy questioned himself ten days later as beads of sweat aligned on his rounded face as he grasped the rusty bolt of Itachi’s bedroom door. This is my house too I can go anywhere I please, he reasoned logically against rapid heartbeats whilst adding pressure on the base of metallic strip. The blonde cocked his head from side to side nervously, ever mindful that Sasuke could walk in at any given moment, but he had to take this chance. Curiosity may kill the kitten but he was the fox and he was certain he could learn some useful information about his enemy by exploring his old room.

“...Remember this man is dangerous and he is going to return someday in order to take you back to the Akatsuki. I do not need to tell you where this will lead to...”

Swallowing, his former sensei’s words became the tide that came crashing down to fight against his growing conscience about his true motive behind his trespassing into the missing-nin’s room. Naruto ignored that troublesome voice, opting to believe that he was killing two birds with one stone.

Pushing aside all negative thoughts, Naruto shoved the stiff door open with great fervour. He refused to listen to his mind and promptly let his body take control as he entered Itachi’s quarters.

The spacious room was shrouded in darkness and Naruto coughed, breathing in some of the thick layers of dust that had accumulated over time. There was a large bed in the far corner of the bed, next to the tall dresser which was almost bare save a hairbrush, a medium sized jar of lotion and a small bottle of jojoba hair oil that teased Naruto’s nostrils with its fragrant scent.

Curiously, the kyuubi vessel peered into the closest which was filled with the typical Uchiha clothing, ANBU garb and a large box of scrolls on the bottom shelf. Uzumaki Naruto shifted through the assortment of scrolls until a hint of gold caught his eye and a few moments later the kyuubi discovered the golden stack of medals, trophies and wooden plaques lying at the bottom.

Why did Itachi-san hide his achievements in such an obscure place, was he not at all proud of his accomplishments? Naruto questioned, feeling baffled, proud and a bit jealous all at once. The missing-nin was blatantly the genius the kyuubi vessel expected him to be but albeit not a proud one and Naruto could not help the growing suspicion that arose as he pondered the matter.

The blonde, a former dropout had earned no medals when he was a student at the academy and if only, had one medal been accredited to his name then it would sit proudly on his mantle adjacent team seven’s framed picture and not concealed like Itachi-san’s. The man must have had his reasons, Naruto’s mind supplied.

Speaking of pictures, the young man gravitated almost instantly towards the single picture frame propped on the centre of the round pine finish table below the closed window.

Entranced, the young man held the picture frame closer to his face, committing every detail to memory. Itachi was beautiful and he looked no younger than twelve; idly Naruto wondered if the missing-nin ever smiled and from there his mind drifted into the world where only Itachi and he resided.

“Na-Naruto...what are you doing in here?” Sasuke asked coldly, from behind the taller boy’s shoulder.

The kyuubi vessel gasped, dropping the picture frame to the floor; he had forgotten to close the door in his excitement and now the worse case scenario was coming to past; he had to think quickly!

“I thought ... I’d find out more about Itachi by exploring his room, you know with the three year period coming to and end and I didn’t want to upset you by coming to you?”

The kyuubi container finished his sentence with a silent pray to the gods, hoping upon hope that Sasuke would somehow believe his partial bluff.

Naruto’s response sounded reasonable, even logical to the sharingan wielder; however it did very little to qualm the raw anger boiling inside the pale boy upon seeing his lover in his brother’s room. Why, that traitorous sight only served to remind Sasuke of all the things that Itachi had taken away from him in the past and now the bastard had his sight set on his Naruto, his future and it sickened him.

Images of a cackling Orochimaru and a smirking Itachi standing side by side filled the pale boy’s mind. They began to taunt and tease Sasuke endlessly about his weak nature.

“Why is he weak?” Itachi clothed in the red clouded garb of Akatsuki turned to face Orochimaru awaiting his reply.

“Because he lacks hatred,” Orochimaru cackled diabolically, before licking the corner of his lips with his forked tongue.

“My hate is strong enough!” Sasuke yelled, feeling insulted to have those two talk about him as if he was not present in the room.

“Uh, Sasuke?”

Azure orbs widened in surprise following Sasuke’s outburst, those were not the words Naruto had been expecting. A curse or an accusation of falsehood would have been more like it, but those words were off and seemed somehow familiar to the flummoxed blonde.

Meanwhile Itachi inclined his head, agreeing with Orochimaru before turning his blood red eyes to the pitiful sight of his little brother. The elder Uchiha smirked, whipping out a pair of shuriken without faltering his gaze on the younger boy.

“Sasuke, why don’t you ask father to help with your shuriken practice? I have no time for you now.”

Fuelled by rage, Sasuke pivoted in lightening speed, grabbing a rusty windmill of shadows shuriken from the pile of weapons Itachi had left behind on that accursed day. He had asked his brother that morning to help him with his shuriken training, knowing he was much better at it than their father. Itachi had brushed him off with his usual apology and sent him in search of his father who was too busy to help him. They were always too busy and now every one of them were dead except the one he hated the most.

“Shut up! It is training, not practice! I don’t need your help anymore!” Sasuke had uttered similar words to his mother and it ailed him to remember how much they had underestimated him.

Sasuke released the windmill shuriken with the intent of embedding it in his brother’s throat in order to stop that annoyingly condescending voice. However, Itachi had caught the shuriken with ease and Sasuke did not anticipate Orochimaru being the one to the sink to the floor in agony, cursing the Uchiha name as he fell forward shrivelling in pain.

“Foolish little brother, I merely did to him what you planned on doing as soon as you received that power. Now who is going to give you the power to defeat me now?”

The elder Uchiha flipped over the lifeless sannin’s body with his foot as Sasuke looked on, trembling in sheer horror.

“Sasuke...what’s wrong with you?” Naruto gaped at the shaking boy that stared intensely at the embedded shuriken on the wall. The blonde thought for sure Sasuke had aiming at him but evidently that was not the case and suddenly the Uzumaki was regretting ever trespassing into Itachi’s room.

The Uchiha had yet to respond to his question and judging by the way his face contorted in pain, Naruto doubted Sasuke had heard him and that worried him. He had never seen his lover act this strange before. Sasuke had appeared to be conversing with someone else since Naruto had the sinking feeling those words were not directed at him. Perhaps the pale boy was merely reliving a bad memory, the kyuubi vessel decided, inwardly shuddering at the thought of him being the one to cause this repressed memory to arise.

The taller boy took small tentative steps over the broken glass as he made his way to the sharingan wielder’s side. Although he did not love Sasuke as strongly as he did before, he still cared for him as his friend.

Naruto extended his arms towards Sasuke, intending to break the boy free of his trance like state.

Unseeing, the sharingan wielder retaliated, reaching for another of Itachi’s weapons to finish off his murderous brother that was slowly walking towards him. There would be no greater insult to Itachi in Sasuke’s estimation than to be mutilated to death by his own weapons.

“Arh,” Naruto bellowed in anguish, staring down in disbelief at the copper liquid gushing from his hand. Sasuke had sunk that rusty kunai in the back of his hand just as he was about to embrace the bastard.

“Are you trying to poison me teme?!” Naruto exclaimed between the wrenching aches in his hand as he removed the kunai lodged there. This had been the same hand that suffered a similar wound as a result of Sasuke’s malicious behaviour. There was not going to be a third time.


Ferociously, the blonde rolled back his hand, pummelling his bloodied fist into the Uchiha’s stomach. All of his anger, disappointment and heartache were concentrated into that one blow and he was most certain he had awoken Sasuke now.

Satisfied, Naruto left Itachi’s room, leaving behind the stirring figure, lying pitifully in a confused heap.



Naruto frowned, holding his smarting hand as he hustled through the lively streets on his way to the hokage tower. Hopefully the godaime or Shizune would heal his hand before the poison of the metallic rust travelled to far into his bloody stream.

“Baka, you’ve gone and hurt yourself again,” the godaime scolded her favourite villager for this new wound he had apparently sustained. The boy should really be more careful especially since he was going to become Konoha’s future hokage.
Naruto blinked, surprised to see the godaime standing outside the entrance of the sake store, actually he was more surprised of the fact that he had not checked there first.

“Ah Tsunade-baachan, I was fooling around with some rusty kitchen tools; you know how clumsy I am sometimes.”

The hokage flashed Naruto a knowing look and examined the boy’s wounded hand. Shaking her head, the godaime knew she should not expect anything less of Konoha’s number ninja at surprising people.

Fascinated, Naruto watched Tsunade place her palm over his aching hand and all ready he could feel the lingering pain dissipate as his broken skin regenerated, the older woman then lightly kneaded the underside of the boy’s palm in circular motions with the tip of her fingers.

“Uh?”

“Tsunade-baachan that actually felt pretty good!”

Naruto teased the fifth hokage with a bright smile, noting how much gentler this massage to his hand was in comparison to the less than savoury ones he had received in the past. Perhaps Shizune amiable nature was finally rubbing off on the old hag, after all the two seemed pretty close.

“Be more careful Naruto or next time I won’t be so easy on you” the hokage chuckled while ruffling the boy’s golden tresses before tucking her precious bottle of sake under her arm.

“Hai I will be!” Naruto waved at the departing figure, musing on how much he liked the old woman and his good fortune of having found her so quickly there in the busy streets of Konoha of all places...

Meanwhile, a wary Itachi slumped against the tree bark in exhaustion; his slim hands rested on either of his dangling legs as he closed his eyes, allowing the fresh breeze to revive his body. He had arrived in Konoha three days ago and all ready he had expended vast amounts of chakra, masking his chakra signature as he observed the daily routine of the kyuubi container.

This past time had been indeed interesting though it displeased the Uchiha to see how unstable his foolish little brother had become. Apparently, some of Orochimaru’s less than favourable characteristics lived on in Sasuke and it was slowly driving his dobe away, though the boy hid it well.

Today, the sharingan wielder had done something completely out of character as he watched the curious blonde probe his room. The man was not annoyed but instead slightly intrigued by the blonde’s daring courage and for some ungodly reason, Itachi created that illusionary jutsu in order to avert Sasuke from gravely harming the Uzumaki.

Itachi chose not to ponder his actions, accepting that he had merely prevented the nine tails premature death. Luckily, the medical jutsu he had learnt as ANBU captain had been enough to heal Naruto, though it left him somewhat drained. Never the less he was going to take care of Sasuke by all means. Come what may he had to regain his chakra first.

TBC



A/N: Want to see Naruto avenged? This story shall soon take its path of the ItaNaru I intended it to be. Thanks for reading this far.