A Dark Love

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

I would like to thank Sexy Sesshy for another great review, and I have to agree about the ring tone for Itachi...hehehe...Reading your reviews help me continue writing this story, and if ever I stop updating, just send me another review telling me to get my ass in gear and finish writing...XD

On with the story!

Chapter 3

It was about 1 o’clock when Sasuke finally managed to get to Uchiha Corps main office downtown. He had hoped to be there sooner, however, he had to drive a certain blond to the club in order to find him a work uniform that fit him. He was just so skinny that it was hard, but they had managed to find one in the end. The whole ordeal had made Sasuke wonder if the blond health was ok, no one should be that skinny, but then again considering how much the blond had consumed the night before, not to mention the lack of hangover, and he was beginning to think that Naruto drank more then he ate. He would have to keep an eye on him to make sure.

He got off the elevator on the top floor and headed straight for the double doors. There was only one office on this floor, and that’s who he needed to speak with.

“Ah, Mr Uchiha, your brother is currently busy; you won’t be able to see him at the moment.” Responded a small blond woman with long blond hair that was held in a high ponytail.

Sasuke continued on his path to his brother’s office, completely ignoring the blond’s protests.

“Mr Uchiha, I said that you can’t go in there right now.” The blond tried a second time to stop the young man.

“Ino, I understand that it is your job to make sure that my brother is not bothered when he does not wish to be, but as his brother, I am allowed to enter when I choose.” He responded coldly towards the young receptionist. With that said he opened the door to his brother’s office and step inside.

Itachi had kept the office pretty much the same as when they’re father had occupied the space, but he had added a few paintings of his own to the walls, as well as some books to the shelves that covered one inter wall. The room was still furnished in the same old dark leather couches, and armchairs that he remembered. In front of the large windows sat his brother’s desk and the man he sought was seated behind it facing the windows.

“Ino I thought I told you I did not want to be bothered at the moment.” Came a deep male voice.

“She had mentioned something to that effect, but I figured as your baby brother I should be allowed to bother you whenever I wished.” Was Sasuke’s sarcastic reply.

“I guess you do have a point there. Although that still leaves the question, why did you come to see me little brother, that’s very unlike you.” Itachi asked with a raised eyebrow.

“I need you to do a background check on a new employee for me. His name is Uzumaki Naruto.”

“Doesn’t your manager at the club take care of that? Besides normally you would just call me, why come down here?”

“This one is different.”

“”So then you want a full check, something that your manager can’t do for you? Why the interest in this person?”

“I just need to figure a few things out that’s all. Can you do it, or should I ask someone else?”

“I should be able to, but it might take awhile, I’ll call you when I am finished.”

“Thanks” with that Sasuke turned and left his brothers office, it was still early enough in the day, so he figured he would return home and take a nap, seeing as how his sleep was interrupted. He just hoped that Itachi would be able to find whatever it was that Naruto was hiding, so that he could figure out a way to help the blond out, for some reason he just didn’t like seeing him look so sad.

*********

When Sasuke dropped Naruto off at his apartment, the blond was more than grateful to finally be home, where he could be alone. It was hard trying to hide his shame from people. He really didn’t want to start working, especially at a bar, where he would be forced to have to talk to people, but he understood that he needed the money in order to pay his rent.

That didn’t mean he wanted to be around people though, in fact he would much rather be alone, to wallow in his misery. Why did Sasuke have to help him last night? He should have just left him be. Why should a complete stranger care about what happens to him, when his own friends and family didn’t? He understood that he was worthless, heck no one cared what happened to him, so why should he? But then again, Sasuke cared enough to help him out, and he didn’t even know him.

All this ran through Naruto’s mind as he walked up the stairs to his apartment. He wasn’t rich, so his apartment just a small one bedroom place, with a kitchen living room style, and a bathroom at the end of the hall. He had re-painted it, and fixed up what he could. The furniture was old, but comfortable leather in a deep burgundy color, and he had a nice black coffee table to go with it. In all the apartment was simple, but that seemed to suite Naruto just fine.

Once in his apartment, Naruto decided that it would probably be a good idea to take a shower, then to go and lie down for a little while; he did have to start his new job tonight, not to mention that he really wasn’t feeling all that great. Hangovers were a bitch, and lately he found it easier to just start drinking when he came too rather than dealing with the hangover, however, today he couldn’t do that, he had to work, and he really needed this job.

As he was heading towards his bathroom to take the well needed shower, he noticed the light on answering machine blinking with a message. He pushed the button and heard the familiar voice of his step father on the recording.

“Hey Naruto, hope that you are doing good, your father and I haven’t heard from you in awhile and wanted to make sure that everything was alright, and that you were still alive and all. Well please give us a call when you can, and try and stop by when you get a chance, we would like to see you sometime. Bye.”

With that the message ended and Naruto thought for a few moments, than decided that he should probably call his father’s back, and make sure to calm Iruka down. The man had a bad habit of worrying worse than a mother hen when it came to whether or not he was doing ok. He really had meant to call his father’s but he wasn’t exactly sure what to tell them. I’m sure this would go over great: “Hey dad! Everything is great, let’s see, first I almost get arrested, but can’t tell you why, then I get fired for the same reason as almost getting arrested, oh and let’s not forget that I am also bordering on being an alcoholic, but hey everything is going great!” Ya that would go over really great with his father’s, Naruto thought to himself as he made his way into the bathroom and started the water for the shower.

Once dried off, Naruto went back into his living room, and sat down on the couch in his towel, and picked up his phone, and began to dial the number he knew all too well. He let it ring a few times, and just when he thought that he was going to be safe from having to talk to his father’s, Iruka answered the phone.

“Hello!” Came the breathless answer.

“Hey dad.” Was all Naruto could really think to say at the moment. He had been hoping that his father’s would be gone to work, but he had guessed wrong.

“Naruto! It’s great to hear from you, how have you been doing?”

“I’m doing good, I start a new job tonight, and figured I should give you a call and see how you and Kakashi where doing.”
“Where doing just fine, we actually ended up with today off. What do you mean starting a new job? What happened to your old one?” Iruka asked sounding a little worried.

“Oh, I just decided that I wanted to try something different, that’s all, nothing to worry about dad.”

“Well as long as you’re happy. Well I know I asked you to call me, but I was in the middle of making lunch, so I will have to let you go, it was really nice to get to hear from you Naruto. You should come by and visit, I promise I’ll make your favourite for dinner.”

“I will try and come by dad, say hi to Kakashi for me.”

“I will, talk to you again soon.”

With that Naruto said his goodbyes and hung up to phone. He missed his father’s but he was too much of a failure to be able to look them in the eye, he knew that they would be disappointed in him, and he just couldn’t face the rejection from his parents. With that done Naruto stretched out on his couch to take a nap. He hoped that with some sleep he would be able to get his hangover under control before he had to work tonight.

A/N Thanks again to those that have reviewed, and I am sorry that this chapter took so long, but I am really bad for starting a story and not finishing it. Hopefully the more people review, the more I will want to write. XP