The Demilitarized Zone

Disclaimer: Not mine. Bummer.
Summary: Itachi Uchiha has always had a sadistic streak when it came to his little brother. Now the perfect opportunity has presented itself and he just can’t let it go by. He does love him after all. (SasuNaru)

Author’s Note: Since in the last chapter I so shamelessly hawked my own work, this time I’d like to shout out someone elses. Two someones in fact.
First: ‘The World Was All Before Him’ by SuishouTenshi.(Can be found on aff and ff net) Brilliant story line with The Fourth still alive and raising Naru-chan with the help of an amazingly written Kakashi. It really is amazing and funny and heartwarming.
Second: ‘Confessions of an Obsessive Heart’ and ‘Confessions of a Resolute Heart’ by Phantomsnow. (On ff net) They are actually companion pieces to one my favorite stories ‘Confessions of a Broken Heart’. Interesting character studies.
And of course, thank you to everyone who reviewed last chapter. I love you guys.

The Demilitarized Zone
Chapter 4

Itachi sat alone in his office. He could hear the hustle and bustle outside of the room and knew that he should be doing something President-y, but right now he had other things on his mind.

Namely his little brother and Naruto Uzumaki.

He chuckled when he recalled their last emails. Even if they hadn’t been signed he would have known immediately who they were from. Naruto’s full of emotion, dramatics and childish flare. Sasuke’s straight to the point and poisonous in its simplicity. He felt a small rush of pride. Damn, that needed to stop.

Sighing, he pushed his chair back and stood to walk toward the bookcase. Moving the plastic award Naruto and his team had gotten him for Bosses Day that read ‘World’s #1 Boss… assuming everyone else is dead’, Itachi popped off the false backing and removed the contents he found.

He walked back to his desk and placed the two files next to each other on his desk and recalled when they had come into his possession.

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Itachi sat quietly looking into the eyes of his father, Fugaku Uchiha. After today he would be on the other side of the desk. His father was retiring from Uchiha Inc. and leaving Itachi as the company’s President. The decision really didn’t come as much of a surprise to anyone. Fugaku had been grooming both of his sons to succeed him from birth.

Today’s chat was in essence a ‘leaving interview’ for Fugaku. Itachi needed to be filled in about everything that could be found in the company’s records and the few things that could not. Things that the incoming President would need to know to avoid future problems, scandals and annoyances. As ominous as it sounded, Fugaku ran a tight, clean ship and there weren’t that many skeletons to air out.

Itachi’s eyes connected with his father’s once again when the older man cleared his throat.

“And that is all that you need to know in regards to the company.”

Itachi nodded.

“But,” Itachi couldn’t stop the dark eyebrow that raised in question, “there are two other things that we need to discuss. Things that will be your top priority.”

Again, curiosity peaked, Itachi nodded.

Fugaku pulled out the middle door of his desk and withdrew two file folders which he tossed across the desk at his son. Only the young man’s quick reflexes stopped them from cascading to the plush carpet.

He looked up to see the smirk on his father’s face. Returning the look, Itachi motioned to the folders. “May I?”

“Of course.” Fugaku said waving a careless hand in the files direction.

Itachi picked up the first folder. Both were of considerable width, packed with information. Turning the folder to the side, Itachi read: Sasuke Uchiha. Casually opening the folder he saw photos and information that chronicled Sasuke’s life from infancy until, Itachi read the date on the last page… yesterday.

He looked to his father. Why would he need a folder of information on his little brother? If he needed information he could just as easily hit speed dial ‘3’ on his cell phone and be connected with the boy immediately.

Setting that folder aside, he pulled the second folder towards him, lifting it up to read the name printed on its side: Naruto Uzumaki.

“Those two boys, along with yourself, Itachi, are the future of this company. I have invested time, personal interest and money into all of you. Now that I am retiring, these boys will be yours to watch and guide.”

Itachi stared at the man. He could understand Sasuke, but who was Naruto that he held such an obviously important place in his father’s life?

As if reading the question directly from his son’s mind, Fugaku answered, “Naruto is the son of Minato Namikaze… he was a friend.”

Itachi sat silently while confusion circled in his head, questions about himself, his brother and this mystery boy that neither of them had ever heard of bouncing around his head. However, Itachi was an Uchiha and starting tomorrow morning at eight the new President of Uchiha Inc. With these factors in mind, Itachi sat back into his chair, crossing his ankle over his knee and met his father’s dark gaze.

“Can I assume there is a file like this about me somewhere?” Itachi said nodding toward the two files.

“Hn.” Damn Uchiha smirks.

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When the phone rang Naruto jerked so violently that he almost knocked himself back out on the headboard. Blinking sleepy eyes Naruto worked hard to make sense of the green numbers staring innocently at him.

A line with a hump on the bottom… nine? No, SIX! Followed by two circles… hmmm… what number… oh, zeros!

“Why the hell is someone calling at six in the morning?!” Naruto whined into the dark room.

“Hell if I know, idiot, but aren’t you glad I wiped down the phone?” Came a mumbled, sleepy reply from across the room.

Naruto rolled his eyes and reached for the ringing annoyance, hissing as the cool air invaded his warm cocoon.

“Yes.” He snapped into the receiver.

“Is this Sunshine?” Asked a cheery voice.

“No, dammit! This is Naruto Uzumaki.” Naruto growled pulling the covers around him, trying to hold onto the precious heat.

“Is this room 13?”

“Yes.” Naruto sighed. Goodbye, sweet sleep…

“Oh, I’m sorry. My note says that this is Sunshine and Sasuke Uchiha’s room… Gai-sensei never makes these mistakes.”

“Well he did today!”

“Well then, Mr. Uzumaki.” Came the somewhat less ‘youthful’ response, although when the speaker stared again the voice was once more at springtime levels of happiness, “Good Morning, Youthful Friend. It is my extreme pleasure to wake you in this your moment of springtime…”

Naruto hit his head with the ear piece several times, “I don’t care.”

“… awakening. May the day shine bright and clear as a rainbow through the…”

“IS there a point!”

“This is your wake-up call. You’re next ‘exercise’ will begin in one hour. Expect someone at your room then.” Naruto wondered if he could fill out a card rating the ‘springtime’ levels of the employees in this place because that response had almost… ALMOST reached Uchiha levels of ‘spring’ which everyone knew were non-existent.

“Damn,” Naruto whispered, “Okay, well, thanks for the call. Oh and good morning.”

“Of course, sunshine.”

Naruto opened his mouth to yell but heard the resounding ‘click’ in his ear that told him it would be pointless.

“Dobe.”

Naruto looked up to see Sasuke sitting on the edge of the bed. His head and shoulders were bent and his hair was all kinds of crazy. Naruto smiled. He had never seen the man look so… human. His sleep pants were wrinkled, his t-shirt twisted around his middle and he was missing one sock. He was in a word… adorable and Naruto had never imagined that ever being possible.

“Teme.” Naruto threw the blankets off and shivered, “Apparently our next exercise begins in one hour. We need to get ready. I call first shower.”

Sasuke waved a lazy hand while using the other to rub his eyes.

“Not a morning person, I see. Can’t say I blame you.” Naruto said, a shiver racking his body making him decide to pull the comforter off the bed for his walk to the bathroom. He opened the door to see the green countertops, towels, floormats and shower curtain. Turning so he could see Sasuke’s back he said, “Hey, bastard. Have you ever wondered if Itachi was the devil?”

“No…” Sasuke grumbled collapsing back onto the bed, “I know it to be a fact.”

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Naruto had just tied his shoe when there was a knock at the door. He looked at Sasuke who was propped up against his headboard reading. At the knock, the bastard just looked over the top of his book, raising a sinfully dark eyebrow that said, ‘Will you be getting that?’

Naruto rolled his eyes and headed toward the door. He opened it and was immediately blinded by the smiling face of Maito Gai. Naruto resisted the urge to puke on him. One shouldn’t become predictable.

“Sunshine! Good morning!”

Naruto almost… just for a moment… thought he heard Sasuke snort from inside the bedroom but dismissed it as him hearing things.

“Good morning, Gai-sensei. Uchiha is just inside. Please, come in.”

Naruto turned and walked in front of the Green Beast, leading him inside. After rounding the corner and seeing Sasuke’s menacing glare, Naruto stuck out his tongue and flopped into a chair in the corner.

“No, no, sunshine! Please stand up! You too, my brooding friend.” Sasuke snapped his book shut and stood. Naruto did the same and couldn’t help but feel like something bad was going to happen.

It didn’t take long to realize he had been right.

Gai dug into one of his many pockets and retrieved a two foot length of red rope. Naruto could see it was made of a soft, silky looking material and had it been in the hands of Kakashi his ‘perv alert’ would be blaring.

Sasuke looked at the man and back at Naruto who shifted nervously on his feet before looking up and saying, “Gai… what is that?”

“This is today’s exercise, of course! All day today, the teams will be tied together and asked to fulfill several tasks to help you learn from one another and how to overcome obstacles as a team in an ‘out of the box’ manner you might not be forced to do in your day to day lives.”

Naruto blinked and turned to Sasuke, “I must have blacked out after he said we would be tied together… what is going on?”

“Hn. Dobe.”

Naruto paled, “It’s that bad then?”

Sasuke almost… almost smiled. Instead the Uchiha smirk came forth. “Hn.”

Naruto bowed his head, soft spikes seeming to droop with the young man’s mood, “It’s that bad. Shit.”

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Naruto and Sasuke sat side by side on the edge of Sasuke’s bed. Both men stared at the seemingly innocent bit of rope that lashed their wrists together.

“You know,” Naruto said breaking the silence for the first time since the green man had left, “I’m right handed.” He emphasized this by lifting his right hand which in turn lifted Sasuke’s left.

Sasuke’s eyes followed the red rope like a moth to light, “Sucks to be you, dobe.”

“Thanks for the concern, teme.” Naruto stood up and tugged at their combined wrists, “Come on. No use hiding in here all day. Everyone else is in the same boat, right?”

Sasuke stood with a grace that made Naruto want to stomp his feet and pout about the ‘crap shoot’ that was genetics. Sasuke snorted, “They are all idiots.”

Naruto rolled his eyes and walked slightly behind Sasuke as they made their way out of the room.

“Bastard, have you ever met anyone you thought wasn’t an idiot at first sight.” Naruto said closing the door behind and feeling his wrist slightly tugged on in Sasuke’s impatience.

Sasuke stopped and looked intensely at the blond dobe, black pools blank but so deep that Naruto could only imagine what emotions they concealed. The taller man shrugged, “Maybe once or twice. Let’s go.”

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Breakfast went better than Naruto thought it would. Keeping in mind that he would have to use his left hand if he didn’t want Sasuke’s hand brushing his face with every bite, Naruto decided against his usual cereal and had eggs and toast. He drank two glasses of orange juice, a cup of cocoa and then leaning back declared himself finished.

“Thank you so much for sharing, dobe.” Sasuke said finishing up his cup of coffee and standing along with his Siamese twin.

It turned out they had finished right on time because Gai burst into the room and smiled brightly.

“Youthful Companions! I see you are all finished. Today you will all receive a list of tasks to finish while working together as one. The first thing you will do is complete a group of puzzles. If you will head into the Rec Room you will find a table set aside for each group. Good luck my friends. Remember… communication is the key to creating mature and lasting relationships. Both professional and personal.” Naruto looked around wondering why the man said that while staring at him and Sasuke.

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Sasuke thought they were doing pretty well. They had been given a series of five puzzles from 2D jigsaw puzzles to more complicated puzzles similar to those found in IQ tests. And Sasuke was proud to say that not only were they doing well, but they had done it with the least amount of ‘communication’ possible. All in all, Sasuke thought he might make it through the day.

“Hey, teme,” The dobe said shifting by his side. “I have to go to the bathroom.”

Never mind.

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“Take it off!” Sasuke bit out at the receptionist. He was pointedly ignoring the blond idiot next to him who seemed to become more and more uncomfortable with each passing minute.

“Sunshine! Uchiha! Are you finished with your puzzles already? Oh my, the brilliance of youth in its prime!”

“I want you to take this off!” Sasuke said again. He raised his hand to run it through his hair in frustration only to find the tan fingers that followed behind pulled painfully as they snagged on midnight spikes.

“But why, my friend? The day has only begun…”

“Teme! I really have to go now!” Naruto said. And, no, it was not a whine, even if his tone lifted ever so slightly toward the end of the sentence.

“That is why.” The stoic dark haired man said while thrusting out their joined wrists toward their tormentor.

“Oh I see. Well, sadly, this is one of the things the two of you as a group will need to solve on your own and releasing the rope is not an option. In the business place you will find yourselves in situations that require you to overlook individual discomfort for the greater whole. This is an excellent example of that.”

Sasuke opened his mouth to comment about paying someone else to handle the discomfort or firing the person responsible for the discomfort but instead found himself wrenched down the hallway.

Naruto was on a mission and his own embarrassment or Sasuke’s sensibilities no longer mattered.

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To: My Dear Older Brother
From: Your Precious Little Brother
Subject: Just a suggestion

Itachi,

Eat shit and die, asshole.

Sasuke
Personal Account

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They had finished their puzzles and were now attempting to cook their own lunch while connected. So far the only ‘situation’ they encountered had nothing to do with being tied together but rather a disagreement over what one man considered lunch and what the other considered toxic waste. The conclusion… homemade chicken noodle soup. Hold the ship load of sodium and preservatives, please.

“Hey, Uchiha?”

“Hn.”

“Hey, I’m not happy either, but we just need to make it through the day, okay?”

Sasuke closed his eyes and imagined Itachi being drawn and quartered. Achieving his inner Zen at the image, he opened his eyes and nodded, one raised eyebrow encouraging his partner in this hell to continue.

“Is your hand going numb?” Naruto asked turning completely from his preparations. Sasuke flexed his left hand and found that indeed it was.

“Yes.”

Naruto lifted their hands until they rested on the counter top. “I think the problem is that we have the backs of our hands against each other, the rope is pressing on our inner wrists and cutting off circulation.”

“Hn.” Sasuke agreed.

Naruto rolled his eyes, “So if we twist our hands so that our inner wrists are touching then the rope will press against the bones of our outer wrists instead of the nerves and vessels of our inner wrists.”

Naruto concluded smiling. Sasuke stared for a moment. His mind completely blanked of everything but the smiling dobe and his twinkling eyes waiting for Sasuke’s opinion.

Clearing his throat, the dark haired man nodded, “Okay, let’s try.”

Naruto twisted his wrist so that he could slide it to the other side of Sasuke’s hand. He could immediately feel the blood flowing more freely and smiled. The smile faded when he realized a fatal error in his plan.

Sasuke smirked when Naruto realized the situation. With their wrists in this position the only natural way to place their hands and fingers was to all out ‘hold’ hands.

“Oh…” Naruto said still looking at his hand as it floated less than half an inch for the larger pale one beneath it. He worried his bottom lip with his teeth before turning his head slightly to look at Sasuke.

“Dobe, we are both grown men. It’s not even lunch yet and your hand was turning blue. Just do it.”

Naruto nodded and allowed his tan to clasp and curl around Sasuke’s fingers. He’d be lying if he didn’t feel something hitch in his breath, but instead of thinking on it, Naruto laughed and said, “Okay, let’s finish. I’m starving!”

Sasuke nodded and as Naruto turned back to his vegetables the older man smirked, “So sunshine, are we boyfriends now?”

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Sasuke could feel his hand just fine… his calf was a different story.

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At lunch Naruto conversed freely with the other men at the retreat. After finishing a lengthy story that included himself, Kiba and Gaara mistaking a car for an elephant, Naruto raised his water glass to his lips.

The entire room gasped when the glass was knocked out of his hand and across the room.

“Bastard!” Naruto yelled.

“Not on my watch, dobe. Not on my watch.”

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Naruto stood in the bathroom, his free hand covering his eyes, “Not on my watch” he mocked before squeezing the teme’s fingers in his own, “At least you still get to use your right hand, bastard!”

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To: Iruka Umino
From: Your Adorable Son
Subject: Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen

Iruka,

Today the Green Beast tied the bastard and me together. The reason? Honestly, I don’t fucking know. How is it that this ‘corporate’ training feels more like ‘couples’ therapy?

So far we have done okay. Yesterday was… trying, to say the least, but it ended… better.

I wish I could write more, (I could use more of that parental advice, sans the horrific hangover) but the bastard has finished his email. Apparently he uses as many words in ‘virtual’ communication as he does in real life. Bastard.

All my love to you and my former father.

Oh and Iruka… it’s not punishment if you sleep on the couch with him.

Naruto
Personal Account

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When they entered the Rec Room after lunch they found their tables cleared of the previous puzzles and in their places were boxes containing model airplanes.

“I hope that you are satisfied from lunch. This activity will take us throughout the afternoon and when you are finished the rope exercise will be at an end.” Gai explained, “You will find everything you need at your tables. You may begin.”

Sasuke and Naruto walked over to the table and Naruto pulled Sasuke’s hand along as he opened the box. They looked inside to see at least 150 small pieces.

“Okay.” Naruto sighed, “Let’s start.”

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“Damn it, Uchiha! I need my hand!”

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“Is it that you won’t hold still, dumbass, or that are you physically handicapped in some way that I am unaware of?!”

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“That’s nice…. That’s fucking nice. Now our fingers are GLUED together too!”

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The only thing that made Sasuke and Naruto feel somewhat better about the situation was that obviously the other teams were struggling just as much. In fact, one team actually got in a fight. When the green clad cult members… uh hum, retreat workers… came in the room to break it up they did a double take when it wasn’t Sunshine and the Uchiha rolling around on the floor.

Sasuke’s eyebrows furrowed and his shoulders tensed as he tried to insert tab A.32 with tab C.32. When it slipped he opened his mouth to yell but stopped as Naruto turned to him, gently squeezing their intertwined fingers.

“Sasuke.” The young man whispered and looked up into black eyes, “We need to think this through. You’re a genius right? That’s what Sakura yelled at Kiba one day… was she right?”

Sasuke used his free hand to run fingers through tussled spikes, but stopped when he remembered the glue.

“Yes. I guess so.”

“Okay, and whether you believe it or not, I’m not an idiot, dobe or dumbass. We are grown men in charge of a company bigger and better than all of these idiots.” Sasuke smirked and Naruto gave a teasing smile, “So let’s figure out this shit ass ‘exercise’ and then drown ourselves in the bathtub. Or better yet, plan our minion mutiny and oust that asshole of a brother you have. Okay?”

Sasuke looked closer at the blonde and noticed that he looked tired, drawn and about to fall down where he stood.

Sasuke sighed, leaning a hip against the table, “Okay. What do you think?”

“We are tied together in an attempt to make us work together. But it’s more than that. They want us to be ‘one’.”

Sasuke nodded, “If we were ‘one’ person, we would only have two arms, not three.”

“Exactly. I think we need to work in a way where I am the left hand and you are the right and this joined arm,” Naruto squeeze pale fingers, “doesn’t exist. What do you think?”

Sasuke nodded, his shoulders relaxing, “I think you should let Kiba yell at Sakura that you are a genius as well.”

Naruto couldn’t stop the blush but smiled up at his partner, “Let’s do it then!”

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Gai entered the conference room to see Sasuke and Naruto sitting side by side in an over-stuffed loveseat.

Sasuke had a book in his right hand and Naruto was curled against his side fast asleep.

“Sasuke?”

His hand shifted and he laid the book against the arm of the chair. He looked at Gai who looked at Naruto.

“He fell asleep while we were waiting for you to ‘release’ us.” Sasuke explained his voice totally devoid of any emotion.

Gai nodded and leaned forward to untie the boys, “You know that you could have done that, my youthful companion.”

“Hn. Trying to play by the rules.” Sasuke shrugged and rubbed his freed wrist. He flexed his fingers and noticed they felt lighter and… colder.

“This came for you tonight.” Gai held out a manila folder to the Uchiha who took it and looked up at the Green Beast.

“Today, you and Naruto were the only ones who ‘learned’ the lesson. You worked together and I don’t think it’s misplaced of me to say that when you are together you are a sight to behold.”

Sasuke’s eyes widened and then narrowed into a glare. “Hn.”

“Have a nice night, youthful one.” Gai smiled brightly and walked out of the room, whistling a vaguely familiar tune.

Sasuke looked down at the folder and then over at the golden mop that pressed against his shoulder. Careful not to jostle the sleeping man, Sasuke slipped the first page of the folder’s contents out and read.

The note was from Neji and explained that this was what he could come up with on Uzumaki in such short notice.

“Hey, teme. What’s that?”

Sasuke barely contained the urge to scream and instead turned slowly to look at the dobe. His blues eyes looked up at him, swirling with sleep and curiosity.

“Nothing important. Just information that needed my immediate attention. Hyuga had them sent.”

Naruto yawned and pushed himself up, “I can’t believe we are still tied together. What the hell is that?”

This time Sasuke’s breath caught, he looked down and noticed for the first time that at some point after Gai left he had slipped his fingers back around the sleeping man’s hand.

“Actually, dobe, we’re not. You just wouldn’t let me go.”

The blush flew across tan cheeks and Naruto bit his bottom lip again, “Damn, Uchiha, I’m sorry. My bad.” Using his newly freed right hand, Naruto rubbed the back of his neck and stood up. “I’m going to head back. You coming?”

“Hn.”

“Good, cause I don’t have a key.”

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Naruto was brushing his teeth, humming lightly to himself when his foot hit something under the sink. Looking down he saw Sasuke’s suitcase and hanging out was the folder he had received from Neji.

The toothbrush hung loosely out of his mouth while he stared at the folder. What could be so important. Itachi had transferred ALL transactions for the week that they were going to be gone. Nothing was to interrupt his ‘minions’ bonding.

Naruto removed the toothbrush and spit, leaving the water on, he reached down and pulled the folder onto the counter. He looked at the door, then his reflection, then the folder and then at himself again.

“Come on… whatever it is you’ll be briefed at the next meeting anyway so why not take a peek.” Naruto nodded and turned the folder until the contents fell into his waiting hands.

Naruto gasp and pictures of himself fell to the floor. He looked around as the pages floated silently to the floor. He saw pictures of Minato, his mother and his two fathers. He knelt down and picked up a picture of as extremely young looking Kakashi carrying a bundled baby out of the hospital as reporters swarmed around him

Pushing several sheets of information aside he picked up a Christmas picture of himself at age six. He sat on his Dad’s lap and his Papa held his chibi hand from the side. This picture had been blown up and now held on honored position over the fireplace of his parents’ home.

Shaking, he reached out and grabbed what could only be the cover letter.

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Sasuke,

Per your request here is all the information I could find on Naruto Uzumaki. Kakashi Hatake and Iruka Umino kept Naruto out of the lime light for most of his life after they gained complete custody. These pictures were all I could find. Of course, I did only look for one day. Included are his school records, health records and any newspaper articles that were tripped in the search.

I hope you know what you are doing… and what could I possibly ‘think’ of your request?

Neji Hyuga
Uchiha Inc.

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Naruto stood up, only to sit back down on his bottom when he saw a picture he had never seen before. It was of a smiling blonde haired man and a radiant red haired woman. They weren’t looking at the camera; instead their faces were turned to look at the sleeping chibi the man held. Fuzzy tuffs of blonde hair contrasted against the blue blanket and Naruto run a trembling hand over his smooth, unblemished baby cheeks.

He picked the picture off the floor and pushed himself up. He held onto the sink for a moment before turning off the water. Still clutching the picture, Naruto opened the door and went to find himself a punching bag.

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Sasuke heard Naruto leave the bathroom but didn’t look up from his book. Suddenly the book was ripped from his grasp and he looked up, anger flashing in midnight eyes.

All anger melted away when he met blue eyes that crackled with anger and hurt. “Uzumaki?”

“Don’t talk.” Naruto said. Anger hardened his voice, but the blonde’s volume stayed low and uncharacteristically controlled, “I never want you to talk to me again.” Naruto threw the picture at Sasuke, “In what world would it be okay to have me researched instead of just asking me? I was tied to you all fucking day. Like a goddamn Naruto Uzumaki encyclopedia at your disposal. Have I ever given you the impression that I was a secretive person? So I didn’t tell you about my fucking birth father the first time you asked. I don’t know him! I know nothing about him. In fact, I think I should go back in the fucking bathroom and brush up on my Dead Daddy 101. Take that picture for example… they are my parents and that’s the first time I’ve ever seen it. What other ‘wonders’ do you have, Uchiha?”

Naruto’s hands clenched and unclenched at his side. He wanted to hurt the pale man. Hurt him so that he could stop hurting.

“I thought we had made progress. I thought maybe you didn’t hate me. But now, bastard, I don’t care if you do. Because I hate you. I hate you and that will never change. We will get through the next three days and then you stay on your half of the fucking building because if I see you… if I see you…”

Naruto bowed his head. “It doesn’t matter.” Naruto moved toward his bed and pulled back the covers. He crawled in the bed after turning off his lamp and proceeded to cocoon himself in.

Sasuke swallowed and looked down at the picture Naruto had thrown at him. He turned his head towards the blonde, “Naruto.”

He heard a hiss and then, “Don’t.”

Sasuke leaned back against the headboard, allowing his head to bang back against the wall and thought of all the ways he could call himself a fucking jerk.

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