Full Circle

Full Circle

chapter 3

Two whole days went by without either of his parents mentioning anything about Sasuke's situation and he was beginning to think that his brother was just trying to psyche him out, which was a distinct possibility.

He scoffed into the mirror just before he made his way out of the bathroom on the third morning. He had actually been kind of stressing about it too. That little speech had sounded so suspicious that it had sent him off racking his brain for something that Itachi was aware of that he might have missed, but he hadn't been able to come up with anything.

Of course, it was possible that Itachi knew all kinds of things that he didn't, since Sasuke tended to keep to himself and had never paid much attention to other people's chit-chat even when he was forced to endure their company. Still, the fundamentals never seemed to change.

Sluggishly, he wandered into the dining room and slumped down into a chair across from his mother who appeared to have finished her croissant and half grapefruit and was sipping away at a cup of tea. A maid appeared to ask what he would like for breakfast and he quietly ordered eggs benedict and coffee.

As he was waiting for his meal, Mikoto set her teacup down on the saucer with exaggerated care that had him lifting a brow in her direction. After a bit of a pause, she finally looked up and pinned him with her gaze. Crap, was it getting hot in here?

"Darling, I have something to tell you," she said in a soothing tone.

Oh God, what the hell? Was she trying to lull him into a false sense of security?!

"I've been thinking about what you said and I can't help but feel a certain remorse for having allowed you to deprive yourself of companionship all this time, knowing now that you did so because you thought you had to."

"No no, that's... quite alright Mother. Don't feel badly on my account."

"No Darling, it's not alright. You deserve the same chances in life as anybody else. Thankfully that really won't be such an issue now as it might have been years ago."

Uh oh!

"I know that you haven't exactly gotten a head start when it comes to relationships but I have some wonderful news for you."

Oh sweet Lord no!

"Your father and I have been talking to Mr. Uzumaki, you know the one dear."

Who?

"Well I have always admired his son's courage for coming right out and being who he is, as well as his father's dedication for standing behind him one hundred percent. With their incredible status in our community they have managed to pave the way for other young people like him.

Why, whatever the Uzumaki's are doing is always guaranteed to become accepted practice, if not the 'in fashion'. It's thanks to them that you don't have to worry so much about people's reactions to your orientation... That's why we thought that Uzumaki's son would be the perfect spouse for you."

"Spouse?!"

"That's right Darling. As I said, we've been in contact with his father and he seems quite amenable to the idea. They're going to have to have a little talk first of course. But it looks like you'll be able to have a family of your own one day after all. Isn't that wonderful?"

No no NO NO NO!!!! Not a sound came out of Sasuke's mouth. He sat frozen in his seat, his mind working on overdrive, trying to figure out just how this had come about.

"Oh, you're speechless! I knew you'd be happy. You must have been craving a mate all this time. My poor baby. I told you I'd take care of things though, didn't I.

I'm so glad you approve! I'll go tell your father so that the final agreement can be reached as soon as possible." She got up from her seat, forgetting the tea entirely and hugged her motionless son.

"I'll see you this afternoon Darling."

And with that she swept from the room, her little motherly heart all a-flutter, leaving Sasuke still staring blankly across the table. A few moments later the maid brought in his breakfast and sat it down in front of him, effectively rousing him from his trance.

He stared down at his meal and thought he might need to go back to bed.

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A young man with bright blond hair and even brighter blue eyes was walking along the sidewalk on a street that was solely populated by large mansions with sprawling, green lawns and gated driveways. He had a cheerful smile on his face that seemed very much at home there and he moved with an energetic bounce in his step that had his companions double-timing it to keep up.

At his side was another young man; taller and paler with long dark brown hair and oddly pale eyes. A few paces behind them both trailed a third young man with a terribly unfashionable bowl cut and extremely round eyes. His expression was determinedly vigilant and his gaze swept their perimeter periodically before settling back on the pair that he followed like a faithful watchdog.

"So, Naruto sama," said the long haired one.

"Neji how many times have I told you now?" the blond cut in. "Just call me Naruto. There's no need to be formal. It makes me feel snobby, and we're friends right?"

"...Right." Answered Neji with a tiny sigh. "Well I happen to have tickets to a play for this Saturday evening, and I was wondering if you would like to accompany me."

The blond looked over at him and gave a slow grin that had his heart trip-hammering.

"Oh Neji! That's really thoughtful of you. I'd love to go with you of course but I'm afraid I can't commit to anything before I look at my schedule. There's always so much going on and I can be so scattered you know?"

"Ahem, that's fine Naruto. I can wait."

"Your such a great guy Neji!" He patted the long haired boy on the back as he beamed up at him. "I'll get right back to you ok? I'll call you in a bit."

He seemed to completely miss the little dusting of red that covered Neji's cheeks and pulled away as they came to a wrought iron gate with a spiral symbol worked into the top. The long driveway led up to the biggest house on the street, which somehow still managed to look kind of homey and inviting.

Naruto waved to the security camera at the left corner and the gate automatically began to swing open for him.

He made to step through the gate but the young man with the bad haircut who'd been following them stopped him, jumping ahead to peek warily past the gate in either direction. He spun through, dropping into a dramatic fighting stance as he continued to visually scan the area, sending an extra suspicious glance up into the branches of the tree nearby.

Finally he spun back around came to a halt standing at attention at the edge of the driveway and waved the small blond through.

"The area is fully secure Uzumaki san! It is safe to proceed!" he called out, loudly. Naruto shook his head as he walked past the ramrod straight form of his personal bodyguard.

"Lee, we're coming home. Home is supposed to be secure. Maybe you could save the concern for when we're leaving?"

"Your safety is my personal responsibility Uzumaki san!" he exclaimed passionately. "I have been entrusted with your protection and I am duty bound to take every possible measure..."

"There, there Lee," Naruto cut in quickly. "You're doing a fantastic job! I've never felt so safe!"

"Thank you so much Uzumaki san!" The boy's big round eyes looked like they might actually be tearing up. Naruto leaned in close to Neji.

"He's just a little over-enthusiastic," he said quietly. Neji nodded with a small smile and that mysterious red tint back in his cheeks. "Well goodbye Neji! I'll see you later."

Neji continued to stand there on the sidewalk as the gate closed and watch the blond boy walk up the long driveway until he reached the house.

Naruto walked into the huge house and headed straight up the stairs and down a long hallway to his rooms, cheerfully greeting any staff that he met along the way, addressing each one by name.

He let out a sigh as he flopped down in the chair in front of his desk and turned on his computer. Quickly he brought up his schedule which was admittedly rather packed. There was something marked there on every single day for at least the next three weeks.

"Now let's see... Saturday I have... ah but that's in the afternoon. Neji wants to go out for the evening." he murmured quietly to himself. "I think I can swing that if it's after supper."

Thus he made a quick note, leaving a question mark beside it to remind himself that it hadn't been confirmed and went on to check his email. He had forty nine new messages.

As he began to organize them he pulled out his cell to see if he could catch Neji to ask exactly what time his play was. There were some messages on the phone to and when he decided to check them first, he heard the automated voice saying 'you have, twenty two, new messages, zero, skipped messages..."

He gave a little sigh as he pressed one. The first message was from somebody he wasn't sure he knew. This was a recurring problem for Naruto. He had many, many friends and countless acquaintances. Sometimes he couldn't place people, but then sometimes people he really didn't know somehow got a hold of his number.

It was easier to keep track of it with the emails. People that weren't on his list went to a different folder. After a few times when he'd opened up emails from this folder that were...um... really sexually oriented (sometimes with pictures attached even!) he had decided to have someone else go through those for him.

He'd gotten a few dirty phone messages too and at this point he was thinking of just changing his number and only giving out the new one to a very select few. Everyone else would just have to use email.

As he went on to the second message, having ignored the first, there was a brief knock at the door and an older blond man came in.

"Hey Dad, whats going on today?" asked Naruto, flipping his phone shut and standing to greet his father.

"Well, I've had quite the morning." Uzumaki Arashi walked further into the room, past his son and into the next room, where he sat down on the bed. He beckoned Naruto over to sit beside him.

"I got a very interesting call yesterday from the Uchihas," he continued when the boy was settled in next to him. "They wanted to know if I would consider consenting to a marriage between you and their youngest son."

"A marriage?!"

Arashi valiantly tried to keep from wincing as he looked into wide, innocent blue eyes.

"They want me to marry their son? Have I met him? Have they even met me?"

"Well everyone knows 'of' you Naruto. You're hardly low profile. The thing is, their son is gay and they want to make sure that he marries well. Their first son married a woman who didn't turn out to be quite what she seemed and so they wanted to be extra careful with the second son's partner. Something I can easily sympathize with."

"They want to be extra careful by having him marry a stranger?" asked Naruto with a bit of confusion.

"Not just any old stranger would do. They are simply looking for someone with a particular background and a particular reputation. Having met someone, doesn't necessarily mean that you know them. People can misrepresent themselves Naruto.

The Uchihas thought of you for several reasons. You're an Uzumaki firstly, which means that they know that you come from a good family with a good history and secondly, Mrs. Uchiha said that she was impressed with the strength of character that you've shown in the past when your sexual preference was made known. It showed honesty, courage, determination and several other good things about who you are. The fact that I stood by you showed that we as a family are close, caring, loving, faithful, dependable. Do you understand?"

"I suppose so... but what did you tell her?" Arashi took a deep breath.

"I told her that I would have to talk to you about it, but that I myself would welcome the idea."

"You would?" Naruto looked up at him with wide eyes.

"Yes Naruto, I would. I want what's best for my only son. I want, as much as they do, to ensure that my boy ends up with a good, decent, upstanding person.

The Uchiha family also has a good history and Sasuke himself has no violent or dangerous tendencies, no bad habits. He's definitely not promiscuous, hasn't even been on an actual date as I understand. I looked into it myself of course. He's reputed to be very shy and quiet and he's very smart, excellent grades. He's taking a double major..."

"Dad, do you really want me to marry this guy?"

Arashi looked at his son, his baby boy. Naruto was all the family that he had. His wife had died when Naruto was a small child and now the two of them were very close.

Naruto was every parent's dream. He was bright, intelligent, sweet and carefree. He was naturally sensitive and charismatic. He was a good boy who would do anything to make his father happy, and he was the apple of Arashi's eye.

But Naruto could be almost too naive and trusting and ever since he'd come out and let it be known that he was gay, he'd developed an incredible number of... of 'fan boys'!

The bloody vultures followed him around everywhere, to the point where Arashi hadn't felt safe letting him go off alone with anyone and had hired a personal bodyguard to accompany him all the time. (Admittedly, Lee was an oddball but nothing would get past him.) It was a damn certainty that most of them were either after money or sex, or both.

Arashi suspected every last one of them on principle, but Naruto often didn't even seem to realize he was been ogled or hit on. How could he trust his son's future to one of these idiots?

Uchiha Sasuke, on the other hand obviously wasn't the type to be motivated by sex and the Uchiha family were quite wealthy and were in fact worried about the possibility of their son being taken advantage of financially themselves. It really was a win-win situation.

"I wish you could just stay my baby boy forever. If I could keep you all to myself, I would, but I'll have to give you up someday, and soon. If I must give you away, then yes, I would very much like for it be to a fine boy like Uchiha Sasuke. It would ease my worry."

After a speech like that, there was no way he could refuse. Naruto was well aware of the fact that his father worried excessively about him when it came to this issue. He had a bodyguard as proof. He really couldn't stand to see him all stressed out and upset.

"Ok," he said quietly. "I'll do it." His father pulled him into a big bear hug and he hugged back and sighed.

It's not as if he'd had anyone else in mind and he always got along with practically everyone anyway. It couldn't be that bad, right?


(A/N; Intro Naruto! And Sasuke has himself a nifty new problem. How's he going to deal with 'this'? Well that's the next chapter's issue isn't it? XD)