The Art of Patience

The Art of Patience Ch. 40
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next morning Naruto woke up stiff and in a bed that was bigger than he was used to and utterly alone. The night had been unnaturally long and he thought he'd never get to sleep as the hours dragged on. The last time he'd looked at the little clock in the room it was some time after three AM, now it was only seven and he couldn't tell that he'd slept at all even if he'd somehow managed to get four hours of down time.

The blond sighed and stared at the ceiling. He'd promised to see Sasuke and Itachi in the morning but he felt so washed out he didn’t know if he could even get up knowing what he was going to have to go through with Sasuke to help him recover.

Didn’t matter, Sasuke needed help and as his Master and lover he had an obligation to be there no matter what. He just needed to get a shower first before he went back to the hospital.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Itachi looked up with tired eyes as he heard the door open. He really hoped it was the doctor, wanting to know any updates about Sasuke. He did smile just a bit at seeing his master walk in and stood up to embrace the man. It had indeed been a long night for him as well; Sasuke never getting more than ten to twenty minutes of sleep before waking up whimpering from a nightmare. It was expected and Itachi was always there whenever Sasuke woke. Now though, the younger raven was fast asleep thanks to sedatives a nurse had given him after his fifth nightmare. Even then Itachi still didn’t sleep.

The long haired man rested his head on Naruto’s shoulder, needing the man in his arms to anchor him, it was hard enough having to be strong for Sasuke, he needed someone else to lean on eventually. He had no words for the blonde, not really knowing what he could really say at that time, he just needed physical contact.

Naruto stood and held Itachi tightly; they both needed a quiet moment together before Sasuke woke up. The man looked exactly how the blond had felt before his shower, worse actually; Itachi looked like he'd been crying all night.

He stood there quietly with his sub for a moment before pulling away and looking at Sasuke, he looked so fragile even in his sleep. "Did you two get any sleep last night?"

Itachi let a few tears escape as Naruto held him and it was almost painful when the man pulled away. He shook his head at the blonde’s question. “Sasuke was given a sedative about two hours ago… he kept having nightmares. I haven’t slept at all.”

The raven ran a hand across his eyes to get rid of the moisture before looking around Naruto toward the door. “Fuck when is the doctor going to get here?” he asked more to himself than Naruto as he let out an exasperated breath and began to pace, he wanted Sasuke to be able to leave this hell hole called a hospital.

The blond watched Itachi pace and sighed. Itachi probably needed a little break from waiting and worrying but he wasn't going to just accept one because it was good for him. "Hey Itachi, could you go get me some coffee? I came here so fast I forgot to get one and you know how I get when I don’t have coffee. Don’t worry; if the doctor comes by I’ll make them stay until you get here."

Itachi stopped pacing and looked at his master before looking back at his sleeping brother and then back to Naruto. He sighed and merely nodded before passing by his blonde lover and Master. He really wanted to stay but he knew that Naruto was making him leave for his own good, it wouldn’t be too becoming of him if he attacked the doctor when they did show up.

Naruto watched until Itachi had left the room and took the man’s place next to Sasuke and gently took the boys hand in his own. At least with Sasuke asleep the blue eyed man could do this, otherwise Sasuke would likely freak out and whimper until either a nurse came in or Itachi returned.

"Hey Kitty; I know what you're going through ‘cause I went through the same thing a long time ago. It's not your fault this happened but no matter what comes next I love you and I always will. Your brother and I will take care of everything so don’t worry we'll get you out of this place as soon as we can."

Sasuke didn't flinch as Naruto grabbed his hand. Unknown to the blonde man Sasuke's sedatives had worn off just when the blue eyed man had arrived. Sasuke had no problem with Naruto taking his hand; in a way, it was very comforting to him. The raven almost teared up at the words his master spoke to him and gently tightened his hand to let the blonde know he was heard. Then he decided to slowly open his eyes, not liking how dark it was with them closed.

Dark eyes met blue and Sasuke actually felt safe this time. He couldn’t explain the change but it was there and he gave a slight smile before tightening his grip on Naruto's hand a bit more. He would try, he really would. Naruto's heart was in the right place and Sasuke knew it was wrong to take out his turmoil on the people who love him. He still knew that Naruto was disappointed in him but he would strive to make it up to the blonde, no matter what it took; he would be worthy of his master eventually...

Naruto smiled at Sasuke and rubbed his kitty’s fingers with his thumb. Well now at least they'd be able to talk until Itachi or a doctor showed up. "Morning Sasuke; I asked your brother to get some coffee so he should be back really soon. How are you feeling?"

Sasuke felt a bit uncomfortable laying there with Naruto hovering over him and the knowledge that his brother was out of the room. He decided to sit up and slowly did so, leaning back against the pillows. As uncomfortable as he was, he never let go of the blonde’s hand. “I’m still in a bit of pain and I’m tired. I just really want to go home.”

"We can’t wait to take you home either, Sasuke.” The blond bit his lip to hold back tears seeing his poor Kitty looking like he'd been through a blender. Not only that but he couldn’t help but notice that Sasuke had looked around for his brother for the briefest moment.

Sasuke almost chuckled at Naruto’s words, almost. He wasn’t sure he would ever be able to do something like that again; laugh with meaning. He did smile slightly though and tightened his grip just a bit.

Naruto squeezed Sasuke’s hand reassuringly, Itachi should be back soon with his coffee and to talk with Sasuke and luckily the doctor hadn’t walked in yet so all of them would get to hear when Sasuke would be coming home.

Just at that moment Itachi stepped back into the room with a cup holder which consisted of three cups. He noticed that Sasuke was awake and smiled as he saw his brother holding Naruto’s hand. The older raven had to give Sasuke props for at least trying to be comfortable with the blonde. He knew Sasuke’s feelings for the man hadn’t changed but the circumstances still made him a bit standoffish.

Sasuke looked up as his brother stepped back into the room and a glimmer of a genuine smile graced the man’s features. Itachi always brought out the good and safe feelings within him. The spiky haired man watched as his older brother handed a cup to Naruto and then took the one offered to himself and tentatively took a sip. Tea was something that was always a comfort to the younger Uchiha when he was feeling off; trust his brother to remember that fact.

Itachi smiled at the appreciative look Sasuke sent his way and took a sip of his own tea before sitting next to the blonde. “Did the doctor show up yet?”

Naruto took a deep appreciative gulp of his coffee and smiled at Itachi. It was just the way he liked it. And even better it tasted fresh, something he hadn’t expected from a hospital.

"The doctor hasn't come in yet, there hasn't even been a nurse what kind of hospital is this anyway?" Naruto shook his head and took a sip of his coffee. He really wanted to know when he could take Sasuke home.

As if on cue a woman in a white coat confidently strode into the room. She had bright orange hair that was obviously dyed that was cut short and layered. Itachi thought she looked a bit too young to be a doctor but he figured she was one of the geniuses…

The woman smiled gently at Sasuke and held out her hand to him. “We haven’t been properly introduced yet. The name’s Misha. Oh and don’t worry about the doctor prefix, personally I like first name basis. Although if you rather me call you Mr. Uchiha…”

Sasuke shook the woman’s hand after a moment of stunned silence. He had never had a doctor be so… familiar with him like that. He had to admit it did make him feel a little better about his situation. “No… Sasuke is fine.” he said quietly.

Misha nodded and sat on a stool with wheels and proceeded to roll over to Sasuke’s other side, opposite of Naruto and Itachi. “So, feeling any better today? I know you weren’t in the mood to talk much yesterday…”

Naruto frowned into his coffee and looked the doctor up and down. She was nice enough but she was so happy and casual that she seemed like she should be dealing with kids rather than adults. Not that he should judge; Sasuke wasn't freaking out around her so maybe she was the perfect person to oversee his Kitty.

Itachi sat down next to Naruto and gave the blonde a look that clearly said he knew what the man was thinking. While Itachi liked the woman’s methods of approaching torture victims, it almost seemed demeaning in a way to talk to the person as if they were child. He chalked it up to being overprotective, knowing in the back of his mind that she wasn’t being that way at all.

Sasuke looked away at the woman’s question. “I don’t know. I guess my head is a bit clearer; but that just means I can remember more….”

Misha smiled in understanding and opened the file she had brought with her. “Well, the good news is you can go home soon. We just need to do a few evaluations if you’re up to them. But we can’t release you until you do that first.” Her voice became serious but not unkind. “Also… we need to do a rape kit. It will help for evidence against the person who hurt you.”

Itachi wanted to jump up and tell the woman to leave. She had no right to make Sasuke do all those things right then and there; it would be too much for his brother. But he held back and instead looked to his master for reassurance.

Naruto finished his coffee and sighed. As much as Itachi wouldn’t like it, the rape kit was necessary to prove that Madara had hurt Sasuke and the longer the evidence went unprocessed the more likely the disgusting old man would be able to walk free on lack of evidence. "Sasuke you know what they're going to get with the rape kit right?"

Sasuke nodded in response to both questions asked of him. “I just want to get it over with so I can go home. Can Naruto and my brother stay?” He really didn’t want to have to be alone for either precautious measure.

The doctor nodded again with a smile. “Of course they can stay. Once we’re done with everything we need I’ll be happy to sign you out of here and you can go home; sound good?”

Sasuke just nodded and looked toward Itachi and Naruto. “You’re going to stay… right?”

Itachi just nodded; words unable to escape him now. How could Sasuke ask such a thing; of course he was going to stay.

Naruto nodded and put an arm around Itachi for moral support. This was going to be hard on all of them. "Of course we're staying with you Sasuke.”

Misha stood up and began to leave the room. "I'll just be a moment while I grab the investigator."

Sasuke looked confused at Itachi. "Investigator?" he asked a bit warily.

Itachi took Sasuke's hand and was about to explain when Naruto spoke up first.

"Kakashi's been investigating Madara for a while but he hasn’t had enough to nab him yet. Since Sasuke was abducted he could finally arrest him." Naruto only knew a little bit more than Itachi and Sasuke but it was time to tell them what little he knew.

Itachi’s eyebrow raised a fraction as he looked at his master. “Why didn’t he say anything? All of this could have probably been avoided!” He shut his mouth just after his brain told him to… How could he have said something so inconsiderate in front of the person who has been the victim of Madara?

Sasuke jumped a little at his brother’s outburst but otherwise didn’t show any outward signs of distress. “It’s ok Aniki… I’m sure it would have happened whether you knew or not…”

"I asked him the same things. Kakashi said he wasn't allowed to tell me anything because Madara might have found out and somehow gotten away before he was arrested." Naruto shook his head and tried to remember exactly what he'd been told less than twelve hours ago. He hadn't been in the best frame of mind to remember much.

At that moment said police agent stepped into the room and surveyed the scene. Sasuke seemed to be a bit more coherent than he was the previous night and of course Itachi and Naruto looked as worried as ever. “Sorry about this… I’ll try to be a quick as possible. Sasuke I need you to answer a few questions alright? If you can’t remember something don’t worry about it.”

Sasuke nodded and looked down, he knew the police wanted him to tell them what happened and he knew it would help the police but he really didn’t want to remember at all. If he went back to the memories it would be like it was happening all over again.

Itachi stood up from his seat and gently sat himself on the edge of the bed after pushing the railing down. He carefully wrapped his arms around his younger brother and pulled the man back against his chest. He hoped it would help a little.

Kakashi let Itachi hold Sasuke, it would be better for the younger man, a bit of comfort never hurt. “Alright Sasuke, do you know the reason why your uncle had you kidnapped?”

Naruto moved to Sasuke's other side and held his poor kitty's hand. For a first question that one would be like a slap in the face.

Sasuke looked at Naruto before answering Kakashi. With his Aniki and Naruto there he would be safe. "He didn’t tell my why."

Itachi knew why… “He wanted me… He thought if he could take Sasuke that I’d come to him willingly.”

Kakashi raised an eyebrow and looked at the older Uchiha. “I see.” He said solemnly as he wrote the information down on some paper. “Sasuke, do you remember anything that Madara said to you; anything at all.”


Sasuke swallowed past the tightness in his throat and closed his eyes. He knew Madara wouldn't be able to reach him here with Itachi and Naruto holding him but he could still feel the man’s hands on his body. He could hear Madara talking to him after the other man had gone. It felt like he was still tied down. He was still tied down!

Naruto's eyes widened as Sasuke seemed to choke and struggle in his brother’s arms. It looked like another panic attack only this one had to be worse with the memories Kakashi was dredging up.

Itachi immediately let go of Sasuke and instead started talking to him quietly; whispering soothing words to the younger man, trying to get through to him. “It’s alright Sasuke, you’re safe with me and Naruto; no one will hurt you.”

Kakashi felt horrible, he shouldn’t have used Madara’s name, but what else could he have said? He stood up and put his notepad away. “I’ll come back another time. I’m sorry about this, I really am.” was all he said before heading out the door.

Naruto grabbed Kakashi's arm before he left and shook with anger. it wasn't Kakashi’s fault he needed to ask these questions but if just remembering what had happened was making Sasuke have an attack then there was no way he could handle seeing his uncle again. "Promise me he won’t see his uncle ever again."

Sasuke's struggles gradually quieted down to short frantic bursts and small whimpers as his brother continued to talk to him.

Itachi felt Sasuke’s grip tighten on him and knew that the younger man was back to the here and now. He gathered his brother into his arms and let the man cry. He felt the tears on his shirt and didn’t bother to do anything about it. Just needing to comfort Sasuke was the most important thing to him at the moment.

Kakashi shook his head sadly. “I can’t promise that Naruto. If we don’t get enough evidence from Sasuke’s statement alone, he may need to come and testify in court. If he doesn’t Madara may get the charges dropped for Sasuke’s kidnapping and torture.”

"But don’t you have him on other things too? I don’t want Sasuke to ever have to see that freak again."

Sasuke sobbed quietly in his brother’s arms and shook with the force of his crying he didn't want to remember anymore, he just wanted to forget it all.

Kakashi sighed. “We do have him on other things. But he’ll be put away for life without parole most likely if we get an accurate statement or testimony from Sasuke… Otherwise he’ll eventually get out with the charges he has without Sasuke’s charges.”

Itachi looked up. He tried not to let his anger hit him full force, this man was trying to put Madara away for good. “I don’t think he’s really feeling up to it right now.” He said before putting his full attention back to Sasuke. Despite the words seeming to be aimed at Kakashi, Itachi’s main target was Naruto. The man wasn’t letting Kakashi go which is who was probably triggering Sasuke’s attack along with Madara. He knew he’d probably get in trouble for speaking that way to his master, but when it was his brother at risk, he had no choice in his mind.

Naruto let go of Kakashi and scowled at him. Kakashi was just trying to help but right now Sasuke didn’t need this kind of stress so soon after being rescued. "I get it, I don’t like it but I get it. I want Sasuke to have some time to recover from this before you come back. I don’t want him to have a panic attack until we get him home where he can feel a hell of a lot safer than he does here."

Kakashi sighed and leaned against the doorframe. “I understand that, Naruto. But you also have to understand my position. The sooner we can get Madara into trial the better for all of us. If we can’t get anything on him for Sasuke’s kidnapping and torture, it could be too late. There are time limits on these things. It pisses me off to no end but it’s true.”

The silver haired man placed a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “I know how painful this is for you. Trust me I’ve seen a lot of things I’d rather have not in the army, some I’ve experienced myself. I know how Sasuke’s feeling. But… it’s very important we get his statement. Just give me a call when he’s ready.” With that Kakashi made his way down the hall and out of the hospital.

Itachi relaxed once the trigger of Sasuke’s attack had left and ran his fingers through his brother’s hair. “It’s alright Sasuke, Kakashi left. You don’t have to talk to him anymore.” He looked up at his master uncertainly. He knew that the whole ordeal would put his lover in a bad mood, and he had already disobeyed his master once today…

Naruto growled after Kakashi left and turned his back on the door and his two subs. He was so mad right now he just wanted to break something so he could fell like he was doing something to protect Sasuke. Of course Kakashi would be back sooner than they liked, Sasuke had the experience needed to put Madara away for good but he still didn’t like what was going to happen to his kitty. "That bastard, wanting to make Sasuke have an attack by asking him questions. I don’t want to have him anywhere near us until I'm sure he won’t make Sasuke any worse!"

Sasuke heard the tone Naruto was using and tightened his grip a bit more on his brother’s shirt. Naruto used that tone only once in a while, when he was genuinely mad about something. Usually it resulted in the breaking of some type of object or the punishment of one of his subs… Sasuke did not want that… “I’m sorry I couldn’t answer… I really tried; please… I’m sorry.” His tears started fresh once more and he never looked up from his brother’s chest as he spoke.

Itachi gave Naruto a pointed look that clearly told the man to calm down. Sasuke didn’t need anything else triggering an attack.

Naruto turned around and cringed apologetically at Itachi's look, he wasn’t making things any better being mad about things he couldn’t change. "I'm not mad at you Sasuke. I should have made Kakashi wait until you at least had some time to eat and talk with us before he just started asking you questions. It’s my fault for letting him come in." It took a lot of effort but the blond was managing to keep the anger out of his voice even if he shook a bit with suppressed rage at what had happened.

Sasuke just nodded, not really believing the man. He didn’t look at Naruto, knowing that despite the fact that the blonde was trying to hide his anger, Sasuke would still be able to see it in his eyes if he looked up at his master. “Aniki… I want to get the other thing over with.”

Itachi knew that Sasuke meant the rape kit and he didn’t blame his brother for not wanting to say the words out loud. “Sure, we’ll get the doctor back in here.”

The blond felt the slight tension of his subs like a chain around his neck. Sasuke was so fragile right now he really shouldn't be put through his master’s angry outbursts and Itachi was so concerned about Sasuke that he had spoken out against the blond’s decisions. And they were both right.

Now wasn’t the time to be impotently frustrated and if his subs wanted him to go away for a little bit so they could be together then that's what he'd do. For their sakes he needed the break anyway. "I'm going to go out for a bit, cool down and get my head clear. If you need anything just call me."

Sasuke did look up then. He felt instantly guilty for acting like he didn’t want Naruto with him. “No… Please stay, I need you here too… please?”

Itachi felt a pang of guilt as well. He didn’t mean to seem like Naruto should leave. It wasn’t fair to anyone to get over emotional and touchy. “Please, I don’t want you to go… I need you too.”

Naruto stopped at the door and looked over his shoulder at Sasuke. He’d practically scared Sasuke with his fruitless anger and the young man was still asking him to stay while the doctor or a nurse got the stuff for the kit. "If you’re sure you want me to stay Sasuke then I will."

Sasuke just nodded and relaxed a bit more once the blonde made his way back to his side. It was true that Naruto’s temper did scare Sasuke a bit, but he knew that his master would never hurt him on purpose.

Itachi looked over at his master and just smiled, somewhat in apology for his previous disrespect and in a way to show that he was glad the blonde stayed as well. It was getting harder for him to hold up and support Sasuke all by himself.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After an excruciating and uncomfortable hour had passed and another panic attack hit, Sasuke was finally able to relax just a bit. The rape-kit wasn’t an easy thing to endure and Sasuke knew that he would eventually have to talk to Kakashi again… It was a really hard decision for him to make, whether or not to talk to the man now or later. He knew that the information needed to be stated immediately and Sasuke felt like he was just slowing everyone down.

Looking up at Naruto after the doctor had left once more he finally spoke. “I think… I can talk to Kakashi now… I want to get it over with but…” he stopped and looked at his brother uncertainly.

Itachi just sighed and tightened his hold on Sasuke. “Don’t force yourself Sasuke, if you’re not ready then Kakashi will just have to wait until you are.”

Naruto nodded in agreement and squeezed Sasuke’s hand. He agreed that Sasuke needed to be ready to face Kakashi and right now seemed too soon. "Just make sure you're ready to talk with him. I don’t want the nurses kicking us out because he upsets you."

Sasuke nodded. He knew that he would talk to Kakashi regardless if he was ready or not. He wanted his uncle to be put away forever and never be able to come near him or anyone else he cared about.

The rest of the day was spent with the psychiatrics department making sure the young Uchiha was alright mentally to go home. They determined rather quickly that Sasuke was not a threat to himself or others and was signed off in their department that he was fit to leave the hospital. They gave the three men a few suggestions for therapists that specialized in Sasuke’s situation and also suggested support groups if Sasuke were to need more than just Itachi and Naruto.

Sasuke knew therapy was inevitable. He was not looking forward to having to live through it all again but he knew the importance of it and that it would help him immensely in his recovery. He also knew that a long discussion would have to take place between his brother, himself and Naruto in how things were going to work once the hospital officially released Sasuke. Obviously life wouldn’t be the same for a long time and Sasuke wanted Naruto for the most part to understand this.

That night Misha officially signed Sasuke out of the hospital and he was free to leave whenever he wanted. Itachi was relieved to say the least and he knew that Sasuke and Naruto were probably grateful as well. He helped Sasuke pack up what items he had brought to the hospital for him and they headed home.

Once they all arrived at the condo, Itachi helped a very exhausted Sasuke into the house and set his brother up on the couch before paying his other lover any mind. While he wasn’t mad at Naruto, he did feel that the blonde could have handled the whole situation a little more tactfully.

Once he made sure that Sasuke had everything he needed or wanted, he approached the blonde. “Could I talk to you for a minute?” he asked with all the seriousness he could muster.

Naruto cringed at the inevitable conversation about how things were going to change. It was better to get it over with now instead of putting it off until later. "Sure thing; let’s go to the kitchen unless you want to go somewhere a little farther from Sasuke?"

Itachi looked over at his brother who was now fast asleep on the couch. “We should stay close by in case he has a nightmare…” He gently guided his master to the smaller couch not too far away from Sasuke and waited for the blonde to sit before he sat himself. He was silent for a moment and then suddenly felt everything catch up to him all at once. He felt the tears before he could even register that he had started to cry and quickly wiped them away. It wasn’t the time to be weak…

Despite his efforts the raven couldn’t stop them and he leaned into his lover, finally letting out all the pent up anxiety, anguish, anger… He let himself fall apart in Naruto’s arms and for the life of him couldn’t stop.

Naruto held his sub close and stroked the man’s back to help him calm down. With Sasuke like this they were going to have more than one of these little breakdowns while the younger raven was asleep. "It’s okay, just let it all out. I'm here for you."

The older raven clung fiercely to his master. It took him a while to calm down; needless to say their conversation never happened that night.

The rest of the night was spent that way. Luckily Sasuke only woke twice due to nightmares and when he did, Itachi had sucked up his emotions once more to be the strong brother.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next morning Sasuke woke on his own without any help from a nightmare which he was grateful for. He knew it wasn’t over, he figured he was just a bit more relaxed because he was in such a comforting and familiar place.

The young raven looked around the living room and immediately spotted his brother and Naruto cuddled together, and asleep, on the other smaller couch. Guilt instantly took over and Sasuke just wanted to punch himself. Why did he have to be so selfish? First he gets himself kidnapped, then he doesn’t even make sure the two that have been supporting him the most are comfortable.

Sasuke lay down again, feeling a headache coming on, among other things. It seemed the stress of the last few days were finally catching up and he was finally able to really think; something that usually didn’t end too well with him.

Itachi’s eyes opened quickly and he sat up just as fast, almost knocking Naruto off the couch. He gave the man an apologetic look before frantically looking around and stopped once he saw Sasuke awake. He smiled as he stood up to head over to his brother.

“Hey… How are you feeling?” he asked as he sat down on the edge of the couch next to his baby brother.

Naruto sat up quickly and rubbed his eyes to get the nasty crusts out of them, he felt like he hadn’t slept at all but the clock told him he'd had a good hour or so of sleep. It was going to be like this for a while and Sasuke was going to need all the support he could get.

Sasuke immediately leaned against Itachi burying his head in the man’s neck. “My head hurts.” was all he said in response to Itachi’s question. It was true that his head did indeed hurt which usually signified the oncoming of a panic attack. He clung to his brother, hoping that the man’s presence would make it go away.

Itachi wrapped his arms around Sasuke and ran his fingers through dark spikes unmindful of how dirty the kid’s hair was since he hadn’t showered in a couple days. He kissed his brother’s forehead gently and maneuvered both of them so Sasuke was reclining against him. “Do you want something for it?”

Sasuke nodded. “Just don’t give me something that will make me sleep… I don’t want to sleep anymore.”

Itachi looked to Naruto and silently asked the blonde if he would get the meds.

Naruto nodded and went to the bathroom to get Sasuke some non drowse pain meds and a glass of water. He had never had panic attacks after his situation but he understood never wanting to sleep again. The next few nights were going to be long as he and Itachi adjusted to Sasuke's new sleeping patterns.

Naruto left the bathroom with pills and glass in hand and walked around the couch so he wouldn’t startle the troubled young man by being right behind him. "Here you go."

Sasuke took the pills and water with a slight smile before gratefully downing them and cuddling against his brother once more. He knew it was going to be a long time until anything was back to the way it was before, if it ever did… After what happened, Sasuke knew that sex was going to be a touchy subject for a long time and he really did hope Naruto understood that.

Itachi looked at Naruto after Sasuke was settled back against him. “Do you have to work today?” he asked, really hoping the blonde said no.
"I did but I can call in sick or something. Sasuke needs me more than they do."

Naruto got his phone out form his pants and looked at Itachi, all he had to do was call his clients and reschedule them and he'd have a day with his two subs.

“Thank you.” Itachi said gratefully as he stood up, knowing that Sasuke was feeling a bit better. “Sasuke, are you hungry?”

The younger raven thought about it for a moment and decided that he was hungry but he had no desire to eat. Of course he would to appease his brother and Naruto so he just nodded. “Maybe just some toast.”

Itachi nodded and headed off into the kitchen to make them all breakfast.

Sasuke turned to look at Naruto who was busy rescheduling his appointments. Something nagged at him… It was something that Naruto said at the hospital when the blonde thought Sasuke was asleep. He had said that he knew what Sasuke was going through… But how could-

He decided to ask Naruto about it. Maybe knowing something like this will help him feel better? When he saw the blonde hang up his phone he cleared his throat to get the man’s attention. “Um… can I ask you something?” His voice was quiet and he probably felt more awkward than he looked.

Naruto sat down next to Sasuke and nodded. "Sure, ask me anything you like."

The raven looked down at his lap before he looked up again into the blonde's eyes. "Does it get easier?" He let his head drop again. "You know... being able to sleep?"

He had remembered Naruto telling him again at the hospital about his past... When Naruto had told him the first time, it seemed so long ago. He remembered it was the night of his Uncle's party... He should have seen it then, but how could he have?

Naruto nodded and held Sasuke closer. He wouldn't sugar coat anything because Sasuke would know he was trying to hide things from him. "Yea it does after a while but the nightmares take longer to go away than anything. You have us to tell you everything is alright when those haunt you."

Sasuke stiffened for a moment at the contact but then relaxed. Naruto wouldn’t hurt him. He looked up at the blonde again. “Did you know… that… he was there…? Orochimaru?” Sasuke was hesitant in saying it, not knowing how the man would react.

Naruto stiffened both at the name and the memories it provoked and had to force himself to let Sasuke go, he didn't want to hurt the man when it was obvious the poor sub hadn't wanted to ask to begin with.

"No I didn't know. What did..."

Sasuke hurried to interrupt. “It wasn’t nearly as bad as…” he couldn’t say the name. His uncle’s sneering grin flashed in his mind every time he thought of him. Sasuke looked to his bandaged arm where the doctor had begun to cut him. “It could have been worse…” he said quietly, obviously trying to make Naruto feel better.

Naruto couldn't talk past the sudden knot in his throat and merely nodded. He couldn't believe that his old master would want anything to do with Sasuke, it made no sense! But as much as he wanted to know WHY Orochimaru was there he didn't dare ask Sasuke. He might bring on a panic attack and Itachi wouldn't thank him for that.

At that moment Itachi stepped out of the kitchen and looked from his brother to his master and back again. “Is everything alright?” he asked to both parties. Seeing Sasuke and Naruto nod he felt himself relax a little. “I made some soup if either of you want any.”

Sasuke’s appetite was for the most part nonexistent but he knew it was important to keep up a routine. “I just want a little.” He knew that would at least appease his brother.

Naruto didn't feel like eating either but he had to eat otherwise Sasuke wouldn't eat at all. if he showed weakness in the face of what he imagined Sasuke going through at his old masters hands his sub’s recovery might take much longer than it should.

Itachi nodded and left the room once more to grab some bowls and a tray. Lord knew none of them were hungry, but Sasuke needed his strength and Naruto did as well. Itachi just ate for the mere fact that he would be given shit for it later if he didn’t.

Sasuke waited until Itachi was out of the room again before he leaned just a bit closer to Naruto. “They arrested him too you know.” he said quietly before gingerly resting his head on Naruto’s shoulder.

“I hope that makes you sleep better at night… knowing that he’s going to be in jail…Not able to hurt anyone else ever again.” He looked up at the blonde then. If he couldn’t be strong for himself then he’d rather focus his mind on someone else; his master, who had done nothing but love and take care of him for all of two years.


Naruto shook himself slightly in his enraged state and looked at Sasuke, he'd nearly forgotten he was there. The blond carefully held his Kitty close and squeezed him a bit. He felt better knowing his old master was being served justice for his crimes. "Thanks for letting me know Sasuke I feel much better knowing he's never going to get his hands on anyone ever again."

Itachi made his way back into the living room, bowls on a tray, and he set them down on the coffee table. He noticed the embrace right away and was proud of Sasuke for giving Naruto a chance.

The long haired Uchiha handed a bowl to Sasuke and Naruto before taking his own and sitting on the other side of his master. With the way things were happening so far, Itachi hoped that Sasuke’s recovery wouldn’t be too difficult.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

One month passed since Sasuke was brought home from the hospital. He had to admit that he was greatly improving already although the occasional nightmare still hit and his anxiety had worsened after the kidnapping. He had to admit that therapy was really helping him cope with his fears.

Sasuke nervously waited in the waiting room of his therapist’s office for Naruto to pick him up. Since he came home he was strongly urged against driving and he had to agree with the decision no matter how much he hated feeling like he was being a burden to everyone.

Today would be the first time his master picked him up from therapy; usually Itachi was the one to do it but since his brother had a meeting, Naruto was the one put to the task. Sasuke wasn’t scared of his master in the least. He still had a problem with thoughts of sex and Naruto definitely brought those thoughts to the surface. Not negative thoughts by any means, but any sexual situation to Sasuke always ended up turning dangerous and horrifying.

Naruto entered the therapist’s office with keys in hand and looked around for a moment to find Sasuke. He’d made a wrong turn somewhere and ended up a couple of streets away from there despite Itachi’s excellent driving instructions. Well at least he was only a few minutes late. "Sorry to make you wait for me to show up, I had a little problem getting here. How was it?"

Sasuke stood up and walked over to the blonde before speaking. “It was ok. It’s gotten a little easier to think about…” He hesitated as they walked to the car. The trial for Madara was going to take place in one week and Sasuke’s statement during the trial was recommended since it would reinforce the case.

The raven slid into the passenger’s seat and turned to Naruto before the car started. “I still don’t know if I can do it…” he said quietly, referring to testifying at the trial. “I’m just scared of seeing him again.”

Naruto reached over the gearshift and put his hand on Sasuke’s just like he'd seen Itachi do on several occasions. "I’d be scared too Sasuke but your brother and I will be there for you and there’s gonna be cops to keep him from even taking a step towards you. He can’t hurt you anymore."

“I know that…. But It doesn’t mean that my mind believes me.” He turned away from the blonde and looked out the window. He would have given anything at that moment to have stayed home that day last month like his master had told him.

With his depression setting in again, Sasuke leaned back against the seat and let go of Naruto’s hand. “Let’s just go home.”

Naruto nodded and smiled at Sasuke. He was doing a lot better since they'd gotten him back from the hospital but this trial would probably set him back a bit with Madara in the same room. "Yeah, Do you want to stop anywhere before we get home? I know that one place you like going to lunch at is having some kind of event today."

Sasuke smiled slightly. He had to give Naruto credit for trying his hardest. “I’m not too hungry. But I should probably eat anyway. Maybe if we get it to go?” Sasuke knew that his brother would undoubtedly kill him if he didn’t eat all day.

The blond nodded and coaxed his car to life. It made him feel good to see that Sasuke could smile a little bit and he knew Itachi loved knowing his brother could still smile.

"Anything you like, I'll get something for all of us." The blond pulled out of the little parking lot and merged with traffic on his way to the little family owned deli he'd learned about form Sasuke soon after they met.

They pulled into the parking lot of Sasuke’s condo not long after with food in hand. Sasuke had felt a bit nervous being around so many people, but it had always been that way ever since he was able to go home. His therapist said it would happen less and less as Sasuke became a bit less anxious and stressed. While that was true, it still wasn’t gone completely.

The raven had felt embarrassment the entire time with the way he had to cling to Naruto’s arm just to walk into the damn place. The owners knew Sasuke well and could immediately tell something was up with him but luckily for Sasuke they didn’t pry.

Stepping out of the car, Sasuke carried one of the bags of food and looked around. Itachi’s car wasn’t there yet and the raven felt his heart rate speed up just a bit at the knowledge that his brother wasn’t going to be with him for an unknown period of time.

Since Sasuke had come home from the hospital, Itachi had been doing all his boss-like duties at home from his home office, which had suited Sasuke just fine. But today, his brother had a meeting that the man could not miss for anything… To say Sasuke had been a bit put off would have been an understatement.

The raven walked up next to Naruto as they ascended the short flight of stairs. “Do you know when Itachi’s coming home?” He really didn’t mean for it to sound like he didn’t want to be alone with Naruto… but…

Naruto chuckled and unlocked the door to the apartment He understood why Sasuke was asking about his brother and it really didn’t bother him as much as it used to. Sasuke knew what made him feel safe and it wasn’t his place to say yes or no about it. "He said he'd be home just a bit before dinner so I'd imagine we wouldn’t have to wait long. Wanna wait until he gets home so we can all eat together?"

Sasuke nodded as they stepped through the threshold and into the house. It was a bit chilly that night so Sasuke went to the central heating unit and turned it on to a comfortable temperature before setting his bag down on the coffee table in the living room.

The raven sat down on the couch and watched Naruto take his jacket off and put the rest of the food down. Sasuke had to admit that he had been thinking about his relationship with Naruto recently due to the fact that it was the main topic of interest in therapy. He thought about how much he really did miss being as close as he once was to Naruto and for a few days now, had been wishing to get some of that back. Of course he wasn’t ready for sex yet, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t show how much he loved Naruto in other ways.

Naruto stopped what he was doing and looked at Sasuke with keys in hand with a brief smile. Sasuke had been quiet ever since they'd picked up dinner and he knew something was on his subs mind. "What's up Sasuke?"

Sasuke looked up as his master spoke. “I was just thinking that it’s been a while since we were alone together.” He paused and tried to sum up his courage. “I do miss being alone with you… even if it doesn’t seem like it.”

" I miss having alone time with you too Sasuke." Naruto smiled warmly at his sub and sat down next to him. The youngest Uchiha had that look he got whenever he was saying something really important

Sasuke took a deep breath before he scooted a bit closer to the blonde and leaned against the strong side. Instant familiarity came to him and it was a very comforting feeling. It was exactly what he had been looking for and wondered how on earth he could have forgotten what it felt like.

The younger man looked up at Naruto before speaking once more. “Would it be ok… if I kissed you?” He knew it was probably too fast on his part, but in all honesty, he needed to do it; needed to feel Naruto’s lips against his again. It was something that he felt would alleviate some of his fears; make him feel just a tiny bit better.


"Of course you can Sasuke. When have I ever said you can’t kiss me?" With that the blond twisted to face Sasuke and threw an arm over the back of the couch for balance. So far he'd been asking if he could kiss Sasuke and t was nice to be asked instead.

Sasuke scooted a bit closer, his heart racing in nervousness and anticipation. Lately their kisses were strictly forehead and cheek, but Sasuke felt it was time o take it just that small step further.

Raising his head up just a bit, the raven tentatively pressed his lips against Naruto’s soft ones and stayed there for a moment before pulling away. It had felt amazingly good and Sasuke found himself wanting to do it again. He was too embarrassed at his shy demeanor however to ask for another. He looked away with red staining his cheeks, just knowing that Naruto probably thought he was the lamest person ever to walk the earth.

Naruto's eyes shone with amused satisfaction. The kiss had been so cute and Sasuke’s little blush was too adorable to stand but the blond knew better than to say so or Sasuke might get mad.

"That was really sweet Sasuke, thank you. You know if you want more you don’t even have to ask. We have plenty of time before your brother gets home"

Sasuke’s blush deepened if it was possible but he looked up at his master nonetheless. This time, he didn’t ask, knowing that Naruto wanted it just as much as he did and pressed his lips a bit more firmly to the blonde’s lips. The smaller man scooted a bit closer before wrapping an arm around the man’s waist. It was a lot easier like that, to feel as if he was in some kind of control and not being forced. Sasuke still wanted to be a submissive to Naruto, but he knew it would take a while to work his way back up to where he had been, but he was slowly getting there.

The blond closed his eyes and relaxed into Sasuke’s grasp and kiss. He wanted to kiss Sasuke passionately and explore the subs mouth with his tongue in mounting passion but as much as he wanted more this was the farthest Sasuke had ever wanted to go.

Sasuke pressed himself a bit closer and felt Naruto’s body underneath him. It was amazing and it felt so good… maybe just a bit too much. He pulled back slowly, breaking the kiss; not wanting the blonde to suspect that he was a bit uncomfortable. He smiled nonetheless at the man and leaned against him once more.

“I liked that…” was all he said before descending into silence again.

Naruto leaned into Sasuke just a bit and sighed happily. Damn Sasuke knew how to kiss like a freaking sex god if he wanted to and this tame kiss was no exception. Sasuke was definitely getting better a lot faster than his master had. "I loved it, You’re gonna be better than me one of these days."

Sasuke threw a playful glare at the blonde and looked away. “But can you say I’m better than Itachi?” he smirked a bit to show he was joking before standing up. “It’s not like I hate kissing you.” He left the room then, needing to change his clothing. Jeans really did become uncomfortable after a while.

Naruto chuckled at Sasuke’s quick response and reined in his raging hormones that demanded that the blonde follow Sasuke to the bedroom. No one could deny that Sasuke was recovering beautifully and much quicker then he or Itachi had hoped after all the young Uchiha had been through. That didn’t mean that one careless action wouldn’t send him backwards a few steps.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Itachi pulled into his parking space finally. He was extremely tired and all he wanted to do was relax with Sasuke and Naruto.

He had to admit that Sasuke was progressing extremely quickly with his recovery; although he expected nothing less of his brother. The boy always was able to bounce back easily from anything. It was difficult in the beginning but all three have managed to make everything work.

Pulling out his keys, Itachi unlocked the door to his condo and entered. The first thing he saw was Naruto relaxing on the couch and Sasuke nowhere in sight. He knew his brother was there though, judging from the opening and closing of drawers coming from the bedroom.

The dark haired man smiled as he approached the blonde and sat next to him before leaning into the strong body. “I missed you Master.” he said in an almost whisper as he took in the scent of his lover.

Naruto smiled and put an arm around Itachi to bring him in closer. "I missed you too, Sasuke missed you too once we got home so he'll be really happy you're back."

Naruto leaned over and rested his head on Itachi’s before a thought struck him and he chuckled, his Princess wasn't gonna have to cook. "We brought dinner home with us."

Itachi glanced up at the blonde before smirking slightly. “I always knew you could read minds. I’m just so tired; I probably wouldn’t have been able to cook tonight anyway.”

The long haired man snuggled against his master for a few moments longer just content with being in the man’s arms.

Sasuke stepped out of the bedroom wearing comfortable lounge pants and a plain black tee-shirt. It was a bit cold still in the house so he had also put on a simple cotton hoodie to be just a bit warmer.

He made his way to the couch and smiled upon seeing his brother was finally home and immediately sat down next to the other raven. “How was your meeting?”

Itachi smiled at his brother and sat up from Naruto’s side so he could wrap his arms around Sasuke. “Boring as hell. How did the therapy session go?”

Sasuke frowned but hugged his brother nonetheless. “Alright I guess. I don’t really want to talk about it though.”

Itachi nodded. “That’s ok, you don’t have to.”

Naruto decided it was probably best to get dinner set up to avoid any awkwardness surrounding Sasuke’s therapy. It was usually a touchy subject with the small raven and the blonde knew well not to push the man. “Well, I think it’s time we ate something…”

With his trademark grin the blue eyed Dom stood up before grabbing the bags from the coffee table and made his retreat into the kitchen.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A week passed and it was finally time for Sasuke to testify. He stood outside the courthouse in a suit as was natural for anyone going to court. On the outside he looked calm and collected but he was anything but. He was not looking forward to seeing his uncle again.

Although the spiky haired man was sure it wouldn’t be as bad now as it would have been a month ago. He had a lot more confidence in himself and knew that the man couldn’t hurt him anymore. The lawyers assured Sasuke that there was no way Madara would be able to walk away from the charges.

Itachi stood next to Sasuke, coffee in hand and looking a bit nervous. He didn’t know what to feel at the moment. Sasuke really needed support from him but at the same time he was also being affected by the man who was supposed to be family.

The long haired raven took a hold of Sasuke’s hand as a small comfort as they waited for Naruto to park the car. Hopefully the blonde found a space soon, it was getting rather cold just standing outside.

Less than a minute later Naruto jogged up to the brothers while his breath fogged up the air in front of him. It had taken a couple of passes around the courthouse to find a free parking space and he'd had to haul ass to get back to the courthouse where he'd dropped off Itachi and Sasuke. "God damn it that took forever! Hope you didn’t have to wait that long."

Sasuke said nothing and just shook his head. He really didn’t feel like talking at the moment, his nerves starting to overpower him now that Naruto was there. Now they’d have to go inside.

Itachi kept his grip on Sasuke’s hand but spoke for the both of them. “It’s ok. But we should probably go in anyway. The lawyers are meeting us here right?”

Naruto nodded and looked at Sasuke carefully. “Are you ready?” he asked quietly to the obviously stressed man.

“Not really, but I have to.” Sasuke knew it was time to confront this, time to finally put everything behind him. He followed his brother and Naruto through the doors after receiving a welcomed hug from both of his lovers. Hopefully this will end it, his turmoil, inner pain, and fear.

Hopefully after today, the nightmares would finally end and he’d get to be perfect once again in his Master’s eyes. That’s all Sasuke had ever wanted in the first place, to be everything the blonde wanted and needed. He’d strived to be a good sub and so far he had been… until he was kidnapped, then everything changed.

Itachi saw the emotions Sasuke was struggling with and he took the smaller hand in his once more as they walked. He glanced at their master walking ahead of them, strong and collected as always, a perfect leader. Itachi knew that Naruto was the perfect man to help Sasuke through his time of turmoil. Naruto would give Sasuke everything he ever needed in support and love. That’s what a Master/slave relationship was all about after all; give and take. And even after Sasuke had taken so much already, Itachi knew that Naruto wouldn’t mind one bit because there was also trust, another integral part of their unique relationship.

Naruto stopped at the door to the room where they would be entering for Sasuke to give his statement. He listened idly while the lawyer talked to Sasuke, preparing his lover for what he was going to do and say. The blonde felt an overwhelming sense of protection surge through him and it wasn’t until that very moment that he realized he would never be able to live without either Sasuke or Itachi. Never would he think of being with another, his boys were perfect and no matter what happened, they would always be that way.

All three entered the court room and sat near the back so that no one would really pay mind to their entrance. The proceedings hadn’t started yet but Sasuke could clearly see his Uncle in the front and his hand gripped Itachi’s harder than was probably necessary. Taking a deep breath, Sasuke tried to calm himself the best he could. He couldn’t hurt him anymore, he was safe.

Itachi glance over at Sasuke and ran his thumb over the top of Sasuke’s hand. He knew it was hard but he tried to pour all his support into that one gesture.

Naruto sat on Sasuke’s other side and just glanced at him before speaking. “I know you know this already but all the same, your brother and I love you more than anything and you know we’d do anything to protect you.”He smiled then before wrapping an arm around the smaller male for a quick hug.

“You’ll be fine up there. And after this shit’s done we’ll do whatever you want ok?” He knew his words probably wouldn’t make a difference in how nervous Sasuke was, but he hoped they would at least help a little.

Before Sasuke could respond he was called up to the stand. Naruto frowned and removed his arm from Sasuke so the dark haired man could get up.

Sasuke made his way up to the front, now and then glanced back at his brother and Master. Every time Sasuke looked their way, Naruto made sure to give him a small smile of encouragement and Itachi just locked his gaze onto Sasuke’s. Looking forward once more, he summed up his resolve and miraculously made it to the bench.

Maybe once this was all over, he’d be able to just enjoy life again; be with his lovers fully without fears, be able to sleep at night without nightmares.

Maybe finally, he can love Naruto like he’d always wanted, without any concerns or anxiety. Maybe he would be able to deal with things on his own and not have to put so much stress on Itachi… All these things were what he thought about as he was sworn in. And as he sat once more only one thought ran through his mind as the first question was asked of him.

He would not disappoint Naruto or his brother. Nothing could ever make him want to succeed more than this moment. Naruto and Itachi, those two men were his life, his anchors…

Everything.

THE END~!!!!!!
OH LORDY!!!! God damn that was a LOOOOONG chapter. But I told you I’d get it done in 40 Chapters XD

WELL!!!! What did you guys think?????? Don’t worry, there will be a small epilogue but then it may be a long while before the sequel comes out.

~Almost crying cause I have to end this~ It was SO amazing writing this story that I’m seriously almost in tears for having to end it!

But please! Feedback on overall story and/or last chapter if you’d like to talk about that as well!

SUPER SPECIAL THANK YOU TO ALL WHO STUCK THROUGH THIS STORY TIL THE END! Seriously you guys rock! All you people who’ve left constant feedback and have been following this story have been amazing and so supportive! THANK YOU!!!!

Well, I guess that’s it for me. Look for the epilogue, it should be coming out in a couple weeks or so. It won’t be that long mind you, but it’ll tie up some small loose ends that may not have been in this chapter. But this one was getting so long that Naru and I pretty much decided to finish it up and just do an epilogue to REALLY finish it. So yes, done for now. Hope EVERYONE enjoyed!!!

~Sasu