Cut Your Eyes

A/N: Okay, this is super long because I couldn't find a place to cut the day in half...so, my very sincere thank-yous to those who commented. This is an extra-long chapter just for you 'cause I coldn't bear to keep you hanging =). Comments make me super motivated, so let me know what you like!

Also, I did a prequel thingie called 'Gate Time' that give a little more insight into the situation. Go read!

Brought to you by Weezer's Red album and procrastination...

CHAPTER FOUR


When Sasuke finally gave up swimming he found that a few opportunistic toddlers had buried his change of clothes. Rather than cover himself in sand-encrusted tank top he was forced to buy something from a nearby tourist stand. He had assumed that at least *one* of the shirts wouldn’t be offensive to taste and was so, so wrong. The worst part was that the stand was closing for the season, and after a rabid sale of seventy-five percent off all items Sasuke almost decided to go naked instead rather than wear any of the atrocities on display.

Finally he relented, but the first thing he did after dressing was find a stand of sunglasses that would at least partly conceal his face.

Walking back to the hotel clothed in an extra large electric blue shirt of Elvis playing the banjo while surfing and a hat that announced, ‘Foxy Lady’ was the single most mortifying experience in his existence. When Sasuke finally entered only Ino noticed him and she was too busy too call out a greeting, occupied with smothering her laughter as her shoulders shook wildly. The elevator door was almost closed when Sasuke heard the echo of hysterical laughter fill the reception room.

A close second in the category of mortified embarrassment began shortly as Sasuke walked into his room.

Itachi took one look at him and made an odd, snorting noise that would stay with Sasuke for the rest of his life.

And then he pulled out a camera.

Sasuke lost about two decades off his age and lunged, pushing Itachi down into the bed as he tried to snatch the camera out of his hands.

“Don’t you *dare*-”

“Or what…”Itachi squirreled out of Sasuke’s grip and blinded him with a flash, “You’ll do the hula?”

“God *damnit*-” Sasuke lunged in again, and between Itachi trying to take pictures, and Sasuke trying to get it away they ended up on the floor, Itachi huffing as Sasuke landed on him, shoulder first.

“Little brother…” Itachi seemed to cut a couple decades off of his own age as the old warning left his mouth. It was phrase said in such a tone that Sasuke used to back down. Used to.

They were the same size now.

Sasuke snatched the camera, but the cord was still caught on Itachi’s wrist. They were helplessly tangled, grappling with absolutely no finesse, pushing each other into the furniture when the pounding started.

“Busy!” Sasuke yelled, getting his face smashed into the dresser. Itachi almost got upright, camera in hand, but Sasuke got a good grip on his belt and yanked him straight back down again. Itachi landed with the sound of something electronic being crushed. They both froze until Itachi turned his head and stared with an expression that promised torture, humiliation, and death.

Itachi always kept his blackberry in his back pocket…

Sasuke realized what had happened and bolted for the door, just barely getting it open before Itachi grabbed him by the hair and proceeded to give a Sasuke a *noogie*.

“You fucking bastard-”

“You little shit-”

Sasuke jerked his elbow up *hard* and Itachi moved in just enough time to keep his balls intact. Itachi got a nice big bruise on his thigh, Sasuke lost a good chunk of hair, and the only reason the fight ended was because Ino opened the door all the way and yelled, “What are you?! Five?!”

Sasuke got the camera while Itachi began to realize just exactly what he’d been doing, grabbed the memory disk, crushed it into tiny little pieces, and threw the shirt off of the balcony while Itachi cleared his throat and tried to straighten his clothes.

The hat went the way of the shirt and Sasuke smirked, bruised and victorious in his swimming trunks.

Ino took a deep breath, smoothed down her clothes and said, calmly, “Your downstairs neighbors were wondering if they should call the police. Luckily, they called me first. Now, do I have to put you on restriction or can you manage to act like adults?”

Itachi cleared his throat, pulling his public persona back on while Sasuke crossed his arms and said, “He started it.”

Itachi turned his head and *glared*.

Ino rolled her eyes and slammed the door closed, yelling, “Keep it down!”

“If we weren’t in a hotel…”Itachi growled, with his long hair in complete disarray and a bruise blooming on his cheek as he stalked forward.

“Whatever.” Sasuke muttered, nodding to his pocket. “Is it ruined?”

Itachi’s anger dissolved as he fished around in his back pocket. The damage wasn’t quite as bad as it had sounded, but the screen was completely destroyed. He fiddled with it for a moment and displayed the whole memory chip with a deep sigh, taking a seat on the bed, regal against the disarray.

“Tch.” Sasuke opened his suitcase and started fumbling through his clothes. He finally found his sleeping t-shirt and pulled it on, adding pajama pants without embarrassment. It wasn’t like Itachi hadn’t seen the show a million times before. Hell, Itachi had wiped his ass when the maids weren’t around to do it.

“You’re getting a little skinny little brother.” Sasuke turned around to see Itachi frowning, a small line between his eyes, “When’s the last time you finished a meal?”

“I eat all the time.” Sasuke muttered, realizing suddenly that he hadn’t actually finished a meal in months, it was always just picking it to pieces…and that was sadly familiar.

“Let me see your fingers.” Itachi murmured, his eyes going hard.

“This is ridiculous, I was fifteen. I’m twenty nine.”

“We both know that age has nothing to do with anything.” Itachi murmured, “Show me your hands, and open your mouth.”

Sasuke did as he was told, not because he was ordered to but because Itachi was worse than a dog with a bone and twice as mean when it came to getting what he wanted. There had been a time when Sasuke would have done anything for the attention and he’d finally gotten what he wanted, even a decade later.

Itachi pulled out a small flashlight and Sasuke said, “You *planned* this.”

“Open and tilt your head back.” Sasuke turned on the light and examined Sasuke’s mouth, the enamel on his teeth, “Did you think I’d see you lose it on national television and not get worried?”

Itachi turned the flashlight on Sasuke’s hand and Sasuke had to say, “I jammed my hand trying to get in the airplane.”

“Hm,” Itachi squeezed the red mark on Sasuke’s middle finger and got a slew of curses for it as the bruise started turning purple again. The flashlight was pulled away.

“If you don’t gain fifteen pounds by April there will be repercussions.” Itachi looked up, “I mean it, Sasuke.”

“I’m not,” Sasuke ruffled a hand through his hair, frustrated. He’d finally figured out how to get his parent’s attention but it was Itachi who harped on him, “I just get busy.”

“That’s fine.” Itachi replied, “Get busy, run around, do your job, and eat three square meals a day. If I can do it you can do it.”

Sasuke sighed and then jolted up, eyes wide.

“*National* television?”

Itachi stopped what he was doing and a mocking smile slid over his face.

“You’re FOX’s golden child…didn’t you hear?”

“NO I DID NOT HEAR!” Sasuke undermined himself by losing it again, “FOX?”

“Glenn Beck laughed so hard after the clip they had to air a re-run. Apparently he got a hold of the uncensored un-cut version. Later on in the evening O’Reilly had to assure watchers he still considered you a patriot for all of your peace-keeping efforts and prison reform.” Itachi smiled then, moving with his trademark, silent laughter. “Brit Hume went to father for a comment.”

Sasuke sat down on the floor, put his hands to his head, and intoned, “Oh. My. God.”

“He said, and I quote,” Itachi had to pull himself together and take a deep breath to finish, “’You should see him at Thanksgiving’.”

Sasuke put his head in his hands and groaned, “I’m running for DA.”

Itachi took the revelation in stride, “Where you live it’s only good press. Come home suntanned and happy, make an apology, and they’ll eat you up for breakfast. I’ll even write your apology if you want.”

“That’d be great.” Sasuke knew when to take good advice. “And Senator?”

Itachi perked up, his eyes shining as he leaned over.

“You’ve got someone backing you?”

“Tsunade is going for Mayor, I’ll take her spot this year. Then, the next election year-”

“You can trust this woman?”

“Yes,” Sasuke looked up at him and was proud to see the pride in his brother’s eyes, “She’s sharp and devious, but she’s not a backstabber. She’s liked me ever since the Orochimaru case.”

“That was an exceptional piece of work.” Itachi nodded, his eyes going sly, “You know, father’s not going to head the company forever-”

“I would rather die.” Sasuke enunciated clearly. “I would rather cut off my penis and piss through a straw. I would rather bend over for a-”

Itachi put a hand up, an eyebrow raised. “It was just an idea.”

“Also,” Itachi made a face Sasuke had never seen before. “While hilarious, that sort of language isn’t going to win over the middle-class republicans. Unless-”

“I think I’d do better with the democrats.”

“That’s reasonable,” Itachi’s lips quirked, “Considering the amount of ‘bending over’ you’ve done over the years.”

Sasuke didn’t lean over and punch his brother, but it was close, and from the look on Itachi’s face his brother knew it too.

“You say that like I sleep around. I’m not some kind of slut, Itachi-”

Itachi raised his hands, palms forward.

“It’s not how much little brother, but whom. And you know very well who I’m talking about.”

“Naruto,” Sasuke murmured, the weight of so many months pushing down on his shoulders yet again.

Itachi leaned back on one hand, “Precisely.”

Then, “If you really are planning on doing this you’re going to have to cut your ties with him.”

“My ties?” Sasuke laughed and it sounded bitter, cold, “He’s disappeared. Haku won’t even tell me Naruto’s phone number and I don’t blame him. I helped kill his best friend. I don’t have any ties with Naruto Itachi, he wants nothing to do with me.”

“Those aren’t the sort of ties I mean.” Itachi spoke very clearly, voice raised, earnest as he leaned forward. “You have to stop loving him, Sasuke, or you’ll be weighed down by the addiction and you’ll never go anywhere. You’ll be DA, maybe mayor, but after that-”

Itachi shrugged and Sasuke looked down at the carpet, remembering how his whole life had stopped for a moment at just a glimpse of golden-blonde hair. He felt it was futile to even to try to stop loving Naruto; it was a knee-jerk reaction now. He couldn’t count the times he’d bolted from his seat, pressed his face to a window, listened intently at just the hint that Naruto might be within his range.

“You know the last thing Gaara told me?” Sasuke looked up and Itachi smirked.

“I’m going to kill you?” Itachi sighed, “Really Sasuke, it’s less hazardous in corporate law-”

“He told me that I had to love Naruto because it had to be one of us…and he wasn’t going to be able to any more.”

For the first time Sasuke thought of Gaara and had to fight back tears.

“I went to the execution. I wanted him to know-” Sasuke lost against the tears. It was strange…he’d been completely dry-eyed for nearly two and a half years, but in this place where no one knew him, where no one had any expectations, well, something in Sasuke had decided to stop trying so hard.

“I sat in the front with his sister and I watched him die, aniki, I’ve never seen anyone die before. I’ve seen bodies, mutilations, decomps…I’ve seen people who kill people go free, senseless violence, revenge, rape, abandonment and I hate it, I hate it all.”

Sasuke fisted his hands.

“But I sat there grieving for a sociopath because he wasn’t going to be able to love Naruto any more. I felt guilty for taking Naruto away from him.”

“Little brother-”

Sasuke took a deep tremulous breath, and whispered, “It should have been me. Gaara wouldn’t have fucked it up, Naruto would be loved by someone worth-”

Itachi stood suddenly, pulling Sasuke up with him by the hair. Itachi pushed him towards the bathroom where Sasuke got one shocked look at his own tear-stained, miserable face before Itachi threw him in the shower and turned the water on.

The water was frigid but when Sasuke tried to jump back out Itachi put his shoulder on the shower door and Sasuke was stuck, clothes plastered and wet again, shivering pathetically but much more composed.

“You’ve always been a big crybaby,” Itachi scolded from behind the glass, “Pull yourself together. Get a shrink if you need to, but stop that damn blubbering.”

If he wasn’t to busy shivering Sasuke might have pulled enough energy to tell Itachi to go fuck himself, but he didn’t, so he settled in for the lecture. Itachi glared and didn’t relent even as Sasuke started turning blue.

“Naruto is a capable, grown man.” Itachi continued, “He survived nearly a decade in prison, got out, made himself into a successful businessman and you’re still fucking wallowing. It’s like going through High School again and I’ve seen enough black eyeliner to last me a *lifetime*, Sasuke.”

They stared at each other for a long time and just as always Sasuke gave in. Itachi was a jerk, but a good brother, still Sasuke didn’t have to like it. Itachi opened the door and Sasuke just stood, his arms crossed for warmth.

“You’re an asshole.” Sasuke finally muttered, heat blooming on his cheeks despite the frigid water.

“We have dinner reservations.” Itachi answered coolly, shoving a complimentary gift into Sasuke’s hand, “Wash your hair.”

Then he shut the door again.

“You know what?!” Sasuke’s voice echoed through the room, “Fuck you!”

“Freshman year all over again.” Itachi called back, “I thought you’d picked up some better repartee, Senator -”

Sasuke squirted shampoo all over himself and let Itachi know exactly what he could do with his ‘repartee’.

Itachi laughed for a long, long time and about five minutes later Ino knocked on their door again.

****

Dinner reservations turned out to be a twenty minute walk out of the tourist section down to a beach that only the locals really knew of, owned by the people who used to own the islands, Itachi said. Sasuke started to look for some large mansion, shining windows, manservants waiting at the door…and found himself next to a bonfire and some of the most enormous people he had ever seen. The man who greeted them gave Sasuke a hug that crushed some bone somewhere, Sasuke was sure. Itachi dragged him into the maw, telling him to stop staring. But how could Sasuke not stare at a whole pig being turned on a spit.

A *whole* pig.

They got passed through a number of hearty embraces by strangers who obviously didn’t know them in any way at all, and hearty greetings that Sasuke thought resembled English in some mystical dream world. After about an hour of being welcomed to the party Itachi guided them to a man that had happiness just emanating from him, like some Hawaiian Buddha. Sasuke bowed out of reflex, like he had been forced to in too many visits to Japan, inspiring laughter throughout the beach.

It was dark but Sasuke was pretty sure they could see his blush.

“Itachi! What have you been doing to your brother!?” The man he had bowed to stood and, without warning, picked Sasuke up and slung him over his shoulder. “He’s all bones!”

Sasuke was deposited at what looked to be some kind of banquet table, too shocked to ask what the hell was going on. Itachi sat next to him and shed his coat and shirt, left in a tank top as he made sure his ponytail was firmly in place. Sasuke stared at him mouth open wide as he tried to remember the last time he’d seen his brother’s forearms, while Itachi started shoving food in his mouth with his fingers.

After a small smirk Itachi leaned forward and poked him in the forehead, leaving a greasy fingerprint behind.

“Don’t be rude little brother.” Itachi shoved a chunk of meat in his mouth, “Eat up.”

It was hard to curse through a mouthful of meat so Sasuke chewed and swallowed, but after he’d done that…well, why waste he energy on Itachi when he could shove food into his mouth instead? Sasuke started inhaling food and the large buddah-man nodded, slamming his hand against Sasuke’s back with enthusiasm.

Then he winked at Itachi, nodding to a plump woman who happily filled Sasuke’s plate right as Sasuke thought he might be glimpsing the end.

Together on the beach under the moon they started eating.

And they never stopped.

***

“I’m going to be sick,” Sasuke warned, slumping to his back, uncaring of what he might be lying in. It felt like someone had shoved a rock in his stomach, shaken him a few times, and added a couple more.

“No you aren’t,” Itachi was still picking at what was left, watching the dancing that was happening in front of them.

Sasuke felt himself get picked up again and was presented with a fruit dish that…looked really good.

“You have to eat it,” A voice to his left insisted, “Mother made it just for the Uchihas.”

Sasuke turned to face one of the most handsome human beings he’d ever seen. He was one of the enormous families that had welcomed with open arms and no questions, and had a smile that made Sasuke melt a little, feeling very suddenly shy. Sasuke knew suits and jeans and people who ate at home with utensils and napkins, what he didn’t know was dark brown eyes against brown-sugar skin, and a long muscled body revealed by everything but what looked to be some blue fabric wrapped around his hips.

He had a necklace of some kind of weird long grass, and something similar around his ankles, but it was the eyes and white grin that *really* got Sasuke, not just the perfect blemishless-

The man picked up a piece of fruit and shoved it into Sasuke’s half-opened mouth. It was good; a sweet taste with a bite of alcohol and Sasuke made a helpless surprised sound, swallowed, and said, “It’s excellent.”

“Samoans don’t make bad food,” The man mock-chastised, “I’m Elijah.”

Sasuke stared for a moment before Itachi elbowed him in the side and muttered, “Manners Sasuke, do I have to tell you *every*-“

“I’m Sasuke,” Sasuke held out a hand only to find it was greasy, he looked at it and then back up to Elijah who laughed and shook his hand anyways, apparently taking the opportunity to turn it into a quick embrace, and a slap on the back.

Sasuke tried to remember the last time he let himself be touched voluntarily and blushed.

“Nice to meet you, Sasuke, have some more.” Sasuke was eternally grateful that the man didn’t try to hand feed him again. Sort of. He ate while Itachi said hello’s, reaching over for a familiar handshake and some shop talk.

Sasuke blinked for a moment before saying, “Wait. You’re a lawyer too?”

“Well, I know the grass skirt kinda-”

“No,” Sasuke froze up, pulling on his public persona in his confusion, “I mean, well…I’m a lawyer.”

“You are?”

Itachi chuckled and went back to his food as Sasuke found out that Elijah was the ‘then a lawyer will be provided for you’ the Miranda so happily ensured. For a moment Sasuke didn’t know whether to apologize or not, he generally ripped the shit out of the freebies, but Elijah saw the look on his face and laughed.

“Let me guess: DA?” Elijah slapped his nearly bare thighs and grinned again, sending an odd giggling thrill down Sasuke’s spine.

“Uh, no ADA. ADA Uch-”

Elijah gave him a stunned, wide-eyed look and then burst out laughing. A few people looked their way in interest.

“You’re the guy from FOX, oh god, I’ve never laughed so hard in my laugh,” Sasuke blushed, pressing his lips together but Elijah nudged him with a shoulder, “You’re the hero of every civil servant in the country, you know. You can’t believe how many times I’ve wanted to” He made a strangling motion, “the press. I mean, give a guy some room, right?”

Sasuke nodded sharply embarrassed and got nudged again, “C’mon, eat up, stomach hasn’t touched the table yet.”

Elijah’s eyes were teasing, and his voice was- but Sasuke sighed.

“I can’t possibly eat one more thing I feel like I’m going to explo-”

Elijah leaned over and without any warning unbelted and unzipped his pants.

Sasuke was fully prepared for his skin to start sloughing off his face at any moment.

“Now you have more room,” Elijah murmured, holding up another piece of alcohol soaked mango.

Sasuke found that he did, in fact, have more room.


****** A/N: Before you go any further go see-(http://www.polynesia.com/index.html). Wait a few seconds and the ‘experience Polynesia’ at the top of the page will turn into a sort of scrolling options graphic. Move your mouse to the right and click on ‘Samoan Fire Knife Dancer’ to see an example of what I’m trying to describe. It rocks, I swear.******

It was a long flat sort of knife with a wicked looking hook on the end that they gave Elijah on the makeshift stage…a large circle of packed dirt…and Sasuke actually gasped when they lit the ends on fire.

“He’s not actually going to-”

Itachi put a hand on his chest and pointed to where Elijah was starting his dance. Sasuke watched, entranced, as the baton-like knife started to whirl through the air slow, fast, slow…and when Elijah opened his mouth and licked the flame, fire curling off of his tongue and lips even as the knife was pulled away, Sasuke made a noise that he was dreadfully grateful couldn’t be heard by the cheering crowd.

And on it went, faster, faster, spinning around more rapidly than Sasuke could catch with his eyes and Elijah moved with every step with deliberate poses and graceful turns that made the moves more fluid, more dangerous. Sasuke found himself riveted, holding his breath as Elijah passed a *burning knife* under his legs and to his arms again switching them in a dance Sasuke couldn’t even pretend not to worship. He was gasping and cheering with crowd before he knew it, a little liquor and a family feeling that Sasuke certainly had never felt at the Uchiha Family dinner table. Someone doused the lights.

It was just golden circles now in the dark, and the barest hint of sweating skin with the constant ‘whoosh’ ‘whoosh’ as fire parted the air, illuminating the grass ornamentations at Elijah’s neck and feet. The blue fabric on his hips disappeared in the dark, creating the illusion that Elijah was something other than human. That feeling of otherness crept into Sasuke too as he tried to memorize the sound of Elijah’s feet padding on the ground, how his face was briefly illuminated by the light.

Sasuke began to sway a little to the pattern gasping along as the knife twirled in the air and was effortlessly caught again, spinning spinning spinning… until it was finally over and Elijah was being praised by his enormous effusive family, stuffed with some more fruit as he smiled and laughed. He showed the backs of his hands and the crowd cheered, seeing that it was free of burns.

And in all this, this mass of adoring family, Elijah turned a glance to Sasuke and smiled the sort of scorching smile that meant so much more than friendship. Sasuke stood in his surprise, brushing sand off of his shorts. After a long moment of waiting he felt a presence sidle up close.

“Wobble a little,” Elijah whispered, making Sasuke’s hair stand on end from the sudden heat, “Your brother is gone and you’re too drunk to get back to the hotel alone.”

Sasuke did as he was told, leaning into Elijah, a hand on his head as he let his joints loosen. He swayed to the side and Elijah grabbed him by the waist with a loud, “Woah, there, you alright?”

“Uh-” Sasuke peered around to see that Itachi was in fact gone, “I think my brother-”

The man from before, still emanating cheer yelled, “Take him home, Elijah. Let him sleep it off. We take care of our guests!”

“’Kay Dad!,” Elijah sighed, looking reluctant enough that even Sasuke was a little worried, had he been imagining the whole thing? It had been so long since he wanted someone…they walked through the trees, moving much faster now that Sasuke was walking straight. Elijah stopped quickly enough that Sasuke walked straight into his back and nearly fell on his ass. His skin had been soft, a little sweaty, and Elijah turned around with a smile that put all of Sasuke’s misgivings back at the campfire.

“You,” Elijah whispered, “Look at you, I can’t-“

Sasuke reached up, pleased that he had to and let Elijah pull his head back, his broad, hot hand weaved into Sasuke’s hair as he started to kiss and kiss and push Sasuke up against a tree. Elijah bit his neck with those white teeth, claimed Sasuke’s mouth with the tongue that still felt like fire, that was making Sasuke’s body just- He wrapped his legs and let Elijah hold them both as he pulled his own shirt off his chest so that he could feel it against Elijah’s, slick with sweat. Sasuke pressed them together and Elijah bit gently at his lips, thrusting hard against Sasuke’s crotch.

Taking a good handful of hair Sasuke welcomed that thrust and the one that followed by arching back and making noises that seemed far, far to loud in the still forest, but Elijah said nothing, too busy biting the flesh under Sasuke’s chin and digging his fingers into Sasuke’s ass.

Sasuke made another pathetic sound and answered a thrust with his own, groaning and wanting their cocks free to get some real friction.

“You’re so fucking beautiful,” Elijah whispered into his ear, “I could see this, all that restrained energy in your eyes, the corner of your mouth…I didn’t know if you were going to curse me or-”

“Fuck me.” Sasuke ordered, taking two handfuls of hair to make Elijah look him in the eyes then, letting that restraint fall away, “Do it-”

Everything, at that moment Elijah was *everything* and Sasuke felt like a great pressure had lifted. He was free, too free, “Hold me down, you want to?”

Elijah cupped his face with broad, broad hands and whispered, “God, yes. How could I not?”

“Because I’m beautiful,” Sasuke whispered, hearing the disappointed tremor in his voice and Elijah stopped, stopped everything and jest held Sasuke close in an unrelenting embrace.

“Because I want to wake you up again,” Elijah put a hand over his heart and eyes were so soft, so adoring, “Will you let me? Can I give that to you, Sasuke?”

Sasuke sighed, reaching up for an open-mouthed kiss, as he whispered, “Yes.”

Elijah kissed him again, grinned against Sasuke’s skin, and decided that it was worth the walk to get to a real bed.

****

The real bed wasn’t the sort of bed Sasuke’s mother would call a bed, but it was more than adequate for their purposes. A couple seconds and the mattress was dragged down to the floor, blankets and all. Then Sasuke was dragged to the bed, stripped in a few economic moments, while saying, “It’s been a long time since-” Elijah dropped down to his knees and made all of Sasuke’s words dry right up. He gasped and grabbed a handful of Elijah’s hair, more for support than anything, and allowed himself one loud, heartfelt moan as the man’s head began to move, licking and sucking in a way that made Sasuke forget about *allowing* himself to do anything. His energy was redirecting to not coming, it couldn’t have been more than a moment but he was helpless .

Finally Sasuke had to tug on Elijah’s head and gasp a warning, but Elijah only chuckled and swallowed, catching Sasuke’s thighs and pulling away just in time for Sasuke to make one humiliating noise and let go. When he blinked back to life he saw Elijah’s grinning face as he laid Sasuke down to the bed.

Sasuke cupped his jaw and whispered, “Sorry, sorry,” and started licking his come off of Elijah’s cheekbones, lathing in between long, searching kisses as Elijah palmed the back of Sasuke’s neck with pleased hums. When he was finally done with Elijah’s face he twisted them both, fully enjoying Elijah's surprise grunt as Sasuke straddled him, pulled his head back and started working on the man’s neck.

When Sasuke started undulating over the bulge under the thin blue fabric, Elijah groaned, “You can come on me anytime you want, Sasuke…god damn, yeah, right-”

Sasuke rubbed his cheek against Elijah’s cheek, feeling himself start to go hard again as he whispered and mouthed Elijah’s ear, nibbling and sucking as the man trembled. Elijah rocked his hips upward as he tried to get himself naked, with small swears, babbled exhortations, and Sasuke started to remember why he liked sex so much.

He got rolled on his back again, wrapping a leg around Elijah’s waist as Elijah managed to get naked, both of them gasping as the rough cotton pulled across their dicks.

The sudden rub of bare skin against bare skin…it felt like the first time, a new sensation that made Sasuke react without thought. He made a small, agonized, almost animal noise and wrapped both legs around Elijah's middle, throwing his head back as he started rubbing again. Pinned by Elijah’s weight it was impossible for him to thrust and, god, that made it seem so much better.

“Don’t worry,” Elijah whispered, “I’ve got you.”

And he proved it.

****

Sasuke woke up sprawled against another body, a little sticky and aching, but warm. He pushed his nose against Elijah’s side and sighed, smiling a little when that early morning tension never surfaced. Sasuke had nowhere to be, no one to see, and a man who was delighted to let himself get bossed around as long as Sasuke took the same.

Elijah’s hand came to curl around Sasuke’s shoulder and Sasuke vividly remembered getting dragged closer on the bed, claiming inability, and how with just a grin, Elijah had proceeded to prove other wise.

“g’morning.” Elijah yawned and stretched his unoccupied arm, “y’alright?”

Sasuke moved a little and frowned as his body complained from tip to toe about what constituted light exercise and fucking in general.

“Hot shower, I think.” Sasuke winced a little as he sat up, a little embarrassed by his nakedness in the sunlight.

Elijah blinked at the wall, yawning, “We’ve got about half an hour ‘till your brother shows up.”

Sasuke’s embarrassment dissolved into indignation.

“My brother?!”

It was the classic ‘hand caught in the cookie jar’ expression. Elijah put his hands up, to deflect Sasuke’s determination to give him a good smack. Finally after a lot of wincing and dodging Elijah caught Sasuke’s wrists, saying, “You don’t think I would ask permission first? Itachi likes me, but if I’d just suddenly abducted you he would have broken my legs.”

“My *brother*?!”

“You’re not really catching my-,” Sasuke straddled him to get some leverage, angry and heading towards furious.

“*I’m* going to break your leg!” Sasuke got a good hit in and Elijah winced.

They were like that, naked and struggling on each other, when Sasuke noticed how much more striking Elijah was in the daylight. His eyes were even darker, his defined bone structure more visible, his muscles…Elijah noticed that Sasuke was noticing him and grinned mischievously.

“Has anyone ever told you how stunning you are when you’re pissed?”

He loosened his grip on Sasuke’s wrist and Sasuke slowed his assault enough to realize that Elijah was already hard and Sasuke was certainly on his way.

“Thirty minutes?” Sasuke was more embarrassed about his breathlessness than his nakedness. Elijah grinned again and moved his hips a little.

“Twenty-five now.”

“Then we better get started,” Sasuke murmured, his eyes narrowing. Elijah’s grip on his wrists tightened and his eyes went very wide as Sasuke leaned in slowly, teeth bared in a wicked smile.

****

When Itachi finally honked the car horn Sasuke was just barely out of the shower, dripping wet, and in his confusion he gabbed his pants but not his shirt. He ended up with one of Elijah’s white tank tops, with his hair going in all directions as Elijah took a towel to it. When he finally made it out the door it was disheveled, flushed, barefoot and mostly wet. The look on his brother’s face was absolutely worth the whole frantic show.

He only got about halfway out the door before Elijah pulled him back again, giving one last long, searching kiss

Elijah’s expression was a little sad as he whispered, “I wish I could keep you.”

Sasuke grabbed Elijah’s face and kissed him again, trying to put in all the things he’d have to be a different person to actually say. He made it out the door and down the stairs after another five minutes, feeling and looking like he’d just had some of the best sex in his life.

Sasuke looked back again to Elijah who was watching from the doorway and Itachi rolled his window down.

“Don’t you dare! I’m late for an appointment!”

Sasuke scowled at him but finally got into the car with Elijah’s soft smile following him the entire way.

He sighed once, deeply in disappointment, and then remembered that he was supposed to be angry.

“Since when do you vet who I sleep with?!” Sasuke reached over and smacked Itachi in the head, and would have gladly continued except they were driving far too fast for Itachi to give his attention to anything else.

Itachi turned his head briefly, looking like he wanted to give a good smack back.

“Since when do you complain about getting fucked by gorgeous, hung, fire-eating men?!”

Sasuke lost the argument.

***

“This was your appointment?” Sasuke couldn’t sneer, he was far too busy yawning. They were in the hotel lobby standing in front of Hinata and Neji who were dressed conservatively in a sundress and a light two-piece ensemble, respectively. Compared to them it was painfully obvious that Sasuke’d been thoroughly ridden and put away wet.

Hinata glanced at a red bruise on his shoulder and giggled. Sasuke yawned again.
Itachi, looking entirely amused, asked, “How much sleep did you actually get, little brother?”

Sasuke blinked blurrily. Without the prospect of another round of sex his body had started complaining about fatigue again.

“Uh,” He rubbed sleep out of his eyes and tried to remember, finally ending with “Three?”

“Hours?” Neji added a look of complete disgust.

“Jealous?”

The day Sasuke was tired enough to not give Neji Hyuuga shit would be the day Sasuke checked himself into a nursing home.

“Of mindless debauchery,” Neji looked down his nose, “Never.”

Sasuke snorted, “It would be impossible for you anyways. That enormous stick up you ass has to have grown roots by now.”

Neji’s face turned red, jaw clenching, and Itachi reached over to Sasuke’s shoulder and squeezed right where the hickey was.

“Shit-”

“We’re all going to lunch.” Itachi murmured quietly, “and we’re *all* going to like it.”

Even through the pain Sasuke yawned again, he wasn’t as much tired as worn out and was grateful when Itachi loosened his grip long enough for Sasuke to lean against him.
Itachi said something and Sasuke mumbled, “What?”

“Did you bring an extra pair of shoes?”

After another shower, cold this time, and a red bull later Sasuke felt a little more composed. He decided to continue with the, uh, casual motif and left Elijah’s shirt on beneath a decent Hawaii-themed shirt that had been left on his bed. There was a note pinned on the chest.

-Management assures you that the gardeners are well-paid and need no donations of clothing of any kind. However, your graciousness has been noted and one of our other customers has left this gift for you.-

Ino added in tidy scrawl: He’s cute, too =).

It was kind of a weird shirt, an orangeish sort of mango colored thing, but the designs of it, in various shades of light lavender and blue made it oddly attractive. Just the way the fabric was spilled on the bed Sasuke knew it was expensive, silk, and for a Hawaiian shirt, thoroughly wearable. Sasuke put it on, smiling at the slight shimmer in the sunlight, and unbuttoned it until Elijah’s shirt peeked through. Sasuke’s good linen pants matched perfectly into quite a decent outfit, but just to fuck with Neji he slipped his beach sandals on and slipped his new shades up his nose.

He was halfway to his group, who hadn’t even noticed him, when Ino hissed and gestured him forward.

“What?”

“There was a little problem with your neighbor last night.”

Sasuke’s eyebrows rose, “The adjoining?”

“Yup,” Ino nodded, “It turned out to be just a very loud, very *heated* argument. When I asked him to keep it down he apologized, and there hasn’t been a peep since. Just thought you should know.”

“Well, I’ve got no room to complain,” Sasuke scowled over at his brother, “As long he stays quiet, I’m fine.”

“That’s what I thought.” Ino nodded happily and then pointed to the small group, “Can’t leave your fans waiting, Uchiha.”

Sasuke could only sigh and walk towards them, finally smiling when they didn’t recognize him as he walked right by.

***

“I can’t believe you’re eating that.” Sasuke stared at Itachi’s hamburger, “I mean, really.”

They were at a seaside restaurant, a place that served some of the freshest fish in the world, and Itachi had a sudden, unquenchable urge for meat. Itachi just shrugged.

Sasuke’s rolled eyes got a small giggle from Hinata who was happily sharing an enormous shrimp cocktail. The taste was exquisite and fresh, the sauce tangy, and every time Sasuke offered a taste to Itachi his brother slathered a little more ketchup on his French fries. If what Sasuke had heard on the way to bathroom was true the chef had apparently wept as they searched the kitchen for a potato.

Sasuke was the troublemaker of the family. Itachi was its *freak*.

“So, not that it’s not a treat to eat with Hinata,” Hinata giggled again, “but why the hell is Neji here?”

“Manners, little brother,” Itachi said through a mouth of meat.

“I’m here because Hyuuga Inc. wants to business with the Uchiha’s and, generally, the Uchihas only exist to upset the general order of things.”

“Again, why am I here?” Sasuke took a last sip of what was left of a colorful cocktail, making sure that the slurp could be heard with a fifteen-foot radius. Neji scowled at him, the look of disgust on his face not waning in the least. “I’m a civil servant, not a heartless bloodsucker.”

“The Hyuugas,” Itachi took another huge bite of his hamburger, “Want to join forces to rip apart and cannibalize an up and coming corporation into little pieces.”

Itachi’s eyes narrowed and Sasuke turned to look at Neji, feeling suddenly sharp and angry. Neji’s disgust was nothing against the brothers’ twin glare of pure disdain.

Sasuke took a new drink from the waiter and sipped a little, letting that anger and contempt soak in and enter his eyes. One Uchiha was bad enough, but when they joined forces for a similar cause…well, it was humanity’s good luck that Sasuke had given up corporate law.

In front of them, so full of himself only moments before, Neji paled.

“Did you honestly believe that the Uchiha would help the *Hyuuga*?” Sasuke pushed his drink forward.

Itachi did the silent intimidation act to perfection, but it was Sasuke that the family looked to when in need of a blunt, cutting edge. Apparently his father didn’t want to give the Hyuugas a clean dismissal, he wanted them to *bleed*.

“You think we’d help a group of uncultured *upstarts* in any venture? Your recent drop in stock must have made you mad…Hiashi, Hizashi, Neji…the leaders trip and the followers quail. You’d come to the Uchiha with dirt on your knees?”

Neji opened his mouth and Sasuke slammed his fist into the table, standing up to tower over the man.

That one moment of wide-eyed pale shock was why the family wanted Sasuke, a mere civil servant, to be part of a decisive corporate meeting. It was why Itachi had flown all the way to Hawaii to see him, dragging the Hyuugas behind.

Sasuke had never really agreed with the ideals of his Japanese father, or his father’s father, or any relatives from their home country, but he had taken something with him after a long stay with his great-grandfather. The idea of honor, for Sasuke, had been melded with his American lifestyle and turned into a ferocity that Sasuke never had to fake. It was this ferocity that had put Orochimaru in jail, the same ferocity that took criminal after criminal and drowned them in their own lies.

“And for the purpose of preying on a newborn?” Sasuke clenched his jaw, “Neji Hyuuga you are unclean and *unworthy* of even a moment of consideration. The Uchiha have no need to prey on the weak, and no desire to deal with those infected with greed.”

Finally, sitting with that cool anger still boiling up in him, Sasuke added, “In the old days your family would have slit their bellies rather than beg for power. Feel free to do so now.”

If the Hyuugas had sent Hinata along to soften Sasuke’s tongue with her presence they had made a poor move. Hinata knew that Sasuke’s words were never for her, never for a woman of gentleness and poise. She looked down at her hands with a small smile. Neji was still sitting, his mouth open in surprise.

Itachi put his food down, wiped his hands clean and said, “And that is the Uchiha Corporation’s official reply. You may relay it to your CEO.”

Neji stood without another word and walked out of the restaurant, all of the diners watching him go with wide shocked eyes or angry, flushed faces.

Sasuke accepted a piece of shrimp from Hinata’s fork and took another sip of his drink.

***

The night ended with the three of them enjoying the hotel’s pool and hot tub. It was an elaborate display with waterfalls, secluded areas made to look like caves, and a long line where the pool seemed to drop straight off the side, giving a view of the setting sun that was not offset by anything but the reflective water. Sasuke and Hinata swam together, getting to know each other again after so many years apart. There had been a time once when their fathers had expected them to marry, but once Hiashi had tried to use inside information that he had learned in their own house to try to bring down Uchiha Corp. down, well, that idea had been nixed.

Itachi spent most of his night on his cell phone, reclined in the hot tub as he discussed with his father ways to take over Hyuuga Corp.

Sasuke had never said it was shameful to pick on the strong already made weak, only that attacking companies just barely blossoming into being. Hinata could hear everything Itachi was saying, but neither of them seemed to mind. In fact, if the way Itachi was glancing at her out of the corner of his eyes meant anything-

“You two are fucking,” Sasuke hissed, half surprised, half scandalized. Hinata blushed brightly enough that Sasuke could see it in the dusk. She splashed him and Sasuke laughed, inadvertently getting water up his nose. Hinata splashed him again, and Sasuke amended, “Sorry, sorry, you’re making love.”

Hinata stopped and gave him a look, “I wouldn’t quite call it that either.”

Sasuke chuckled again and followed as Hinata found a shelf to sit on.

“You mustn’t tell anyone,” She scolded, “It just started, who knows what might happen?”

“I won’t tell anyone,” Sasuke sighed, “He’s been alone for a long time.”

There had been a brief affair with a secretary but that had ended in tears and a lawsuit.

“And what about you?” Hinata smiled, “From the information Itachi has given me-”

“Pillow talk.” Sasuke inserted wryly. Hinata splashed him again.

“-it seemed as if last night was rain after a considerable dry spell.”

Hinata’s euphemisms were as poetic and politic as they usually were. Sasuke could only raise his shoulders, agreeing with a low, “Yes.”

“That’s not very healthy, Sasuke.” Hinata whispered quietly, brushing a wet length of hair off of his face, “Has something been troubling you?”

*That* was a little too intimate for comfort.

“It must be pretty serious if Itachi’s already sharing secrets.” Sasuke frowned at her, “Where’s the engagement ring?”

Hinata smiled contentedly, and said, “Tucked away in the hotel’s safe.”

“Congratulations,” Sasuke sighed, there was no getting out of it now. Hinata was Sasuke’s counterpart in the Hyuuga household; too useful to disown, too unpredictable to keep close. Sasuke could practically hear the babies wailing already.

“So,” Hinata smiled, “Now that I’m free of politeness’ sake…who is this young man Itachi has hinted about and how has he kept you celibate for three years?”

Sasuke rolled his head back and looked up to the stars, glowing brightly with the new moon. Sighing as the familiar weight settled on his chest.

“Oh, dear,” Hinata’s voice was a whisper, “It’s really that bad?”

“Sometimes even I don’t believe what happened,” Sasuke sighed again, frowning up at the stars. “Usually, I attribute the whole ordeal to fate.”

“And when it’s not fate?”

Sasuke couldn’t answer that, but he knew Hinata understood the silence when she whispered, “Oh, dear. You never do the easy thing, do you Sasuke?”

“It’s just,” Sasuke let the frustrated anger linger in his belly. It had survived so many years of being smothered that Sasuke felt he was justified to let out every once in a while.

“Every time I go over the whole thing in my head there isn’t anything I would have done differently.”

“Not one thing?”

Sasuke closed his eyes, and whispered, “Not one thing.”

“And that’s the worst part, isn’t it?” Hinata touched his shoulder.

“I could have changed everything,” Sasuke looked over to her, “by mastering myself at the very beginning, and I should have. I had sworn that I would, but I didn’t.”

“Sasuke, what are you talking around? Have you done something so horrible that you can’t tell me? I don’t believe it, Sasuke. Not you.”

Sasuke tried to prove otherwise, but at the end of his calm confession Hinata only held Sasuke tightly, tears shining in her pale eyes.

“The only comfort I can give you,” She whispered, “Is that I would have done the same. I would have fallen in love.”

“Do you regret it now? Falling in love?” She asked after a long time. Hinata looked over to Itachi when she said it, worry and hesitancy making her body tremble.

“Not once.” Sasuke kissed her temple, “Not one single moment.”

When Itachi finally walked to where they were, dripping wet, he frowned, watching the embrace carefully until Hinata looked up and smiled at him. Sasuke watched Itachi’s face soften, and was amazed that he would allow his brother to see him dip down and chastely kiss hiss fiancée, leaning into Hinata’s cupped hand.

Sasuke looked away from the kiss just in time to see a young man pull himself out of the pool, hair plastered to a head that was hung low. The man paused briefly, just standing quiet and alone under the moonlight before picking up his towel and slinging it over his shoulders. Sasuke wondered if that was how he looked… as if he wished the world would just open up and swallow him whole.

“Father says that he will support you financially in any political venture you might undertake.” Itachi’s voice pulled Sasuke’s attention away from that lone figure, “Though he would prefer that you run as a Republican rather than a,” Itachi looked up as if he was trying to remember, “Oh, yes, I believe his exact words were ‘a hash-smoking tree-fucking commie”.

Sasuke snorted, “Now I *have* to run as a Democrat.”

“I keep telling him,” Itachi helped Hinata out of pool, “’Reverse-psychology, father. Tell Sasuke to play safe and he’ll go dance on the train tracks’.”

Sasuke froze, remembering one particularly drunken evening spent down at the train station. His brother saw the look on his face and rolled his eyes. Itachi leaned over to help Sasuke out of the pool too, but just happened to let go when Sasuke was halfway up. Sasuke finally spluttered up to the surface to catch-

“-kill me off someday, I swear.”

***

After a long and very satisfying meal at the hotel restaurant the group parted ways. Hinata and Itachi were taking over the executive suite and though they offered a room to Sasuke he was pretty sure he’d get more sleep on a twin next to the kitchens rather than a queen next door to the lovebirds. His own place was quiet, comfortable (not counting fights with older brothers, or irate neighbors) and after swimming and eating all Sasuke wanted to do was take a shower and go to sleep.

He closed the door behind himself, immediately pulling his new shirt off as he made his way to the bathroom, leaving his clothes where they fell. He was contemplating the size of Hinata’s engagement ring and brushing his teeth when his brain reminded his eyes that not everything in the room was as he had left it. Sasuke spit into the sink, dropped his brush, and carefully looked around the corner.

Then he grabbed the complimentary phone on the night stand, sat at the end of his bed, and called his brother.

“This better be important,” Itachi growled. Sasuke ignored the surprised giggle in the background.

“There’s a tree in my bedroom.”

There was a pause followed by a long sigh as Itachi groaned, “Sasuke, what the fuck-”

“It’s about the size of my television,” Sasuke glared at it, “It’s still a real tree though, just smaller…and in a pot.”

Sasuke heard a light inquiry, and the sound of Itachi muffling the receiver as he said, “President Uchiha has lost his *mind*.”

“It’s purple.” Sasuke added once he was sure Itachi was listening. “Well, the flower part is purple, the trunk is trunk colored-”

Sasuke was answered by the monotone voice of the operator kindly suggesting that he should try calling back again at another time.

Sasuke was debating hitting redial just for the hell of it when he finally noticed something hidden up in one of the boughs of the tree. The paper was rough like parchment and looked as if it had been a real ink brush that had gracefully run across the small card.

‘Wisteria’

He turned it over and his eyes widened, reading it a few times just to make sure.

‘From the ‘Newborn’ with deepest thanks- Namikaze Inc.’

Sasuke reached out for the room’s phone, asking for Ino and getting her, despite the late hour.

“Someone left a tree in my room.” Sasuke said.

When met by silence he added, “It’s about the sized of my television.”

Ino gasped, and yelled, “Oh, thank god. I thought you were talking about a real tree and I swear my heart just-”

“Yes, yes,” Sasuke looked down at the card again, “But how did it get into my room?”

“Just a sec.” There was the sound of furious typing, “I don’t see any flower orders, and no requests to enter your room. You’ve had your do not disturb sign on, so-”

“Then how the hell did it ge-” Sasuke cut off sharply as his brain took the problem, processed it, and gave him the easiest, and most disturbing answer available. He had learned in both of his jobs that the least convoluted explanation was almost always believable and correct. He knew, looking at the door next to him, that the current situation was no exception.

“Sasuke? Sasuke? Are you alright?”

“Fine, fine.” Sasuke made sure to sound fine, fine, “I just remembered I gave my key to my brother. He must be pulling some kind of pr-”

And the mistake Sasuke had made was speaking too clearly, too loudly in order to ensure Ino’s cooperation.

Next to Sasuke the adjoining door locked, solidly, and Sasuke heard a chair being dragged and propped up under the doorknob. The front door would certainly be locked as well.

“Prank?” Ino sounded very relieved, laughing nervously but relieved, “Well call down if you have any more problems, alright?”

“Of course I will, thank-you, Ino.”

Sasuke hung up the phone and looked at the blonde-wood monstrosity of a door. There was nothing interesting, nothing that made it stand out. It was just a hotel door.

A door with about an inch and a half of free space at the bottom. Enough free space to hear Sasuke on the phone on the opposite side of the room then certainly enough to hear him speak with his brother, enough to hear the short discussion with Ino, and enough to hear him cry on that first night, drunk and miserable in the undertow of memory.

Whoever was on the side of that door had heard Sasuke’s whole life in bite-sized pieces, and that person engaged the deadbolt when Sasuke realized that someone was listening behind that stupid, blonde, hotel door that cut one room in two.

The person behind the door knew about his performance at the seaside restaurant, knew that he would appreciate a solid, growing thing, rather than quick-wilting flowers, was someone who had gotten into a vicious verbal fight the night he had spent with Elijah. Sasuke could only assume that the same person behind the door had very probably manipulated the hotel so that their rooms were so close together.

The person behind the hotel door was a capable young entrepreneur and a successful businessman if the card was to be believed.

And little things began to be seen in a new light as Sasuke’s head kept stacking up evidence to go along with a theory; a single laugh in the baggage terminal, waking up under an extra beach towel, another echoing laugh when Ino was too busy keeping her mouth shut, a shock of identical gold in a restaurant that had two levels, so easy to watch his reaction from the balcony.

Admiration from afar.

A single body slipping out of the water, probably starting from one of the nearby secluded caves, and how…how Itachi had made Sasuke turn his head away.

Someone who knew Itachi well enough to get him to deceive his younger brother.

With all this on his mind Sasuke was the most disturbed by the instant twist of a locked door and its swift reinforcement. Sasuke had done the same thing once, frantic, and it was a move to vehemently keep the rest of the world *out*, to keep the person behind the door…to keep Naruto safe.

Sasuke sat on the edge of his bed and put his head in his hands. It was some sort of torture to have this statement rubbed in again. That one sliding lock was the same as hearing Naruto swear at him, hating him with those beautiful blue eyes again, and an echo of Naruto hissing as Sasuke pulled himself up off the prison floor.

A reminder of how it had felt to pull himself up off the ground something breaking in him as he walked down the stairs with his arm cradled and his eyes burning.

He had thrown away his ripped and bloodied clothes and never wore a similar outfit since.

Naruto had killed that Sasuke Uchiha.

And now he was sitting behind another locked door.

“So, what? This was some kind of test?” Sasuke leaned forward, his forearms on his legs and tried to think calmly through the sudden surge of grief and confusion that made his hands tremble.

“No,” Sasuke shook his head, the ugly carpet a blur to his eyes, “I was a secondary concern. The meeting today is why you came to Hawaii. You just didn’t understand that Itachi was coming to Hawaii for *me*.”

It made a terrible sort of sense. Sasuke carefully set that revelation aside and let ADA Uchiha take over the situation with careful, measured words.

“My family and I live in separate worlds, but they *are* my family. Father looks to me for theatrics, he always has.” Sasuke’s voice was cold and clear, even as he wished he could laugh bitterly, “I’m proud of it, too. That they come to me for their dirty work.”

There was nothing from behind the door, but there had been sliding lock or moving chair either. For all Sasuke knew Naruto was in the bathroom taking a shower. He could just be talking to air.

That was fine, too. Some things needed to be said aloud.

“I can understand your curiosity when you discovered that I was here. Still, you have no obligation towards me and no concern is needed. I did what I did with you for my own pleasure and yesterday for my family’s continued regard.” Sasuke took a breath and continued, “I have been playacting to appease my brother and his fiancé. I have been lying to garner sympathy, nothing else.”

Sasuke sat and watched for a long time as he waited for a whisper of a response but finally around two in the morning the light went off in the other room, Sasuke’s own light illuminating the other through the crack. He waited another hour to make sure it wouldn’t come on again.

After that Sasuke walked over, shut off the bedside light, and silently started to pack.


Next up...how Naruto destroyed the person Sasuke used to be...
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