? Nushi

A/N: long time comming i know. hope you guys like it at least a little...


===============================================================================

Itachi sighed, not a troubled or frustrated sigh, but the kind that came with a smile attached. He pushed the door to the shower room open, padding with bare feet across the smooth hewn stone tiles of the dressing room. His towel hung low on his hips, and he let his damp hair hang loose down his back, dripping small streams of water around the topography of his skin. He stepped into his slippers at the door, sliding the screen back and passing through it into his room.

His smile grew when he saw Naruto sitting by the window, gazing out at the garden beyond. He glanced at the clock as the boy rose and stood respectfully beside him, waiting for orders. It was perfect really, he knew the early afternoons were the times his little brother sat out in the courtyard and trained, sometimes with Kakashi or Hayate, sometimes by himself, sometimes sparring with one of the other servants, sometimes just meditating. He was sure Sasuke would see the boy and him, with the window open like that. He smirked at the thought, leading the boy over to bed and sitting him down.

He turned to his closet then, slowly picking something out to wear, making sure he was back in front of the window when he slid the soft shirt over his head, and let the towel wrapped around his waist fall to the floor. Naruto was behind him, blushing, following his bare bottom with his eyes, Itachi could feel it. He pulled some sort pants from a drawer, followed by some tight, dark cotton underwear, which he slid up his form right away, before sitting on the bed, next to a wildly blushing Naruto. He smiled, then leaned in and captured Naruto's lips with his own. He let himself relax, get lost in the sensation. He could feel the tension ease from Naruto's frame as well.

He pulled away then, taking a deep breath and letting himself smile, his hand cupping Naruto's cheek softly.

"Why don't you clean yourself up, and then we can go see about getting some food, ok?" Naruto nodded, looking up at his Master with something akin to awe in his eyes. Itachi leaned in again, kissing him hard and deep, sucking the breath from Naruto's lungs until the boy thought he might implode from the force of it. When Itachi pulled away, he stood, sliding his hand over Naruto's cheek once again before withdrawing it to his side.

Naruto looked stunned for a second before nodding again, licking his lips and bowing slightly before he crossed the room and entered the bathroom, out of Itachi's sight around the corner. Once Naruto was gone, and he heard the water, Itachi let himself smirk. He caught the slamming of a sliding screen across the courtyard, which could only mean Sasuke was upset, which could only mean that Sasuke had seen them. Everything was going according to plan.

X

Naruto let himself be led past the kitchen, to the dining room with Itachi, even though he'd asked his Master what he wanted to eat, and offered to bring it up for him. Itachi had just shook his head, saying they couldn't just hang around in his bedroom all day, he had guests after all. Still, he felt awkward following his Master downstairs, fidgeting with the hems of the layered kimonos that Itachi had laid out for him, hand-me-downs from Sasuke that hung over his hands a bit too far, and brushed the floor a little bit.

When they reached the main room, Itachi paused before the screen, and Naruto's eyes went wide as he hurried to kneel and open the screen. He cringed a little as his Master passed, chiding himself for forgetting this, avoiding the stares of the people already in the room. Still, Itachi ruffled his hair affectionately before the man sat, Naruto kneeling beside him, head down.

He tried not to listen to Itachi's conversations with the other men at the table, studying the wood grain pattern of the table in front of him, stained dark and polished to a high shine. Naruto took the opportunity to refocus himself, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. He'd been distracted this morning, and even now he felt self conscious, like everyone in the room was looking at him, but he knew that wasn't true. They were talking quietly amongst themselves.

The slam of the screen at the front door broke his concentration though, and he looked towards the hallway, startled by the fact that the wooden sliding screens could even make that much noise. He heard a familiar voice, muffled as it was, and knew that Sasuke must be back, not that he was aware that the boy had gone out in the first place. He looked up at Itachi questioningly, but the older man just smiled.

"My Otooto seems to be a little grumpy this afternoon, maybe we kept him up too late last night." The other men at the table chuckled lightly at Itachi's jest, and went back to the food in front of him. Naruto relaxed a little. If Itachi wasn't worried then it wasn't his place to be worried either.

He heard the same voice again though, elevated in argument with another voice that Naruto recognized but couldn't quite place. Then the sound of stomping footsteps on the tatami outside passed by the room. He heard Itachi sigh lightly, and turned to his master once more. The man met his eyes and gave him a little smile.

"Naruto-kun, would you be so kind as to see what is making my otooto so upset. He seems to be disturbing our guests, and that isn't very convenient for me at the moment. Be back at lunchtime though, I have a meeting after this, but this afternoon we're all going out for some sight seeing, and I'd like you to accompany us." Naruto nodded quickly, before bowing his head.

"Yes, Itachi-danna." He rose silently then, turning to bow his head at the room once again before turning and sliding the screen open silently, stepping out into the hallway and heading in the direction the younger Uchiha had stomped by in before.

X

Sasuke slammed open the screen to the dojo. He'd gone outside to the woods to spar with Kakashi, after this morning, and it had dulled the edge of the hurt and anger boiling up inside of his stomach. He knew Itachi had lovers, even some male lovers, but his brother had never brought one home like this. He'd never watched anyone kiss his brother, at least not like that, and it had twisted something inside of him. He felt he was vindicated in his hatred of Itachi's hussies up until now, because he treated them all like dirt, they didn't matter to him at all and they still stayed there, proving they were complete idiots, not deserving of his brother's attentions.

This new boy though, Itachi seemed to treat him so gently, as if he really did like this one. And the blond was nothing if not damn near perfect, always polite and deferential. It was a little bit scary, his brother seeming this tender with someone. Itachi had acted like that with him, a long time ago, and Sasuke wanted it back. He knew he couldn't get it though. He flopped to the thick mats of the dojo floor, grabbing a meditation cushion before burying his face in it and screaming. He hated this.

Mostly, his emotions were distancing themselves now though, their flames burning low and cool, leaving him with a sense of exhaustion. He knew it was stupid to hope for Itachi to stay here with him forever, but he just didn't want anything else to change, for his brother to drift further and further away until Sasuke just lost touch.

He inhaled sharply as he heard the screen slide softly in it's track, opening the doorway. He didn't look up though, afraid that whoever it was would see the shimmering beginnings of tears in his eyes. He guessed it was probably Kakashi and scowled into the fabric before him. Kakashi would smirk at him, and tell him he was being stupid. He was, and he knew it, but he didn't care right now. He was startled by the quiet, unsure voice that came then, after what seemed like hours of silence.

"Sasuke-san, what's wrong? Can I help in some way?" He swore silently. It was Naruto, the blond boy, Itachi's new toy. Well, he seemed to be more than a toy really, and Sasuke resented that more than anything at this point. Still, he knew it wasn't Naruto's fault really, and the boy would probably just go to Itachi when this was over and tell him everything. Sasuke arranged his face into a passive mask, damned if he was going to let Itachi know how much this affected him.

"There's nothing wrong, I'm just in a bad mood. Go back to Itachi and leave me the hell alone, slut." Sasuke hissed the words in his carefully crafted signature monotone. He didn't bother to look at the blond again, rolling into a sitting position and proceeding to start stretching his tired muscles. He glared up at Naruto when he realized the boy hadn't moved at all, still standing by the door nervously shifting. It was kind of cute, when he thought about it, but the thought of that made him scowl. He refused to think Itachi's new bitch was cute.

"Itachi-danna requested that I find out what was bothering you and fix it. I'd really like to know myself though, if there was some way I could make things better." Sasuke switched his position smoothly, turning his scowl on Naruto again, making the boy flinch slightly.

"Why? You're Itachi's bitch, not mine. I have no interest in, nor any need of, your help." He was tense, he could feel the boy's eyes on him, but he tried to shake it off, tried to ready himself for what, given his mood, would probably be a very punishing training session. Then that gaze left him, and he relaxed a little, but there was no indication the boy was leaving, just standing there, still and silent. The blond let out a small sigh.

"This is my fault, isn't it? I'm sorry if I came between you and your brother. I can tell you two are close, and Itachi-san hasn't been very caring, at least from what I've seen. I'm sorry though, I really really am, and if I could fix things I could. I don't want you to be upset or sad. Please let me help you somehow, I don't know if I can, but I want to so much." Sasuke tensed again at the honest and penitent tone, the words sounded so sad to him, and something inside him really didn't like that. He scowled, this was entirely too complicated for him right now. He didn't want to feel sorry for Naruto, but he did now. Still, he couldn't help the angry jealousy twisting in his gut.

"You can't help me, not while you're still fucking here. He doesn't have time for me, even when it was just us he didn't, but now there's even less. Just go back to him and tell him nothing's wrong, that everything is fine, because there isn't a way to make this better. Just leave me the fuck alone." He spat the words like they were curses, like he wanted them to embed in the blond's flesh and hurt him.

He did want them to, and a satisfied warmth bloomed in his gut when he heard the boy's breath hitch, and he turned just in time to see the tears in those eyes before the boy spun around, shutting the screen behind him. The quick footfalls in the hallway, and the image of those eyes wet as they had been didn't let it last long though. With a sigh he pushed it away, focusing himself entirely on stretching his tired muscles.

X

Itachi was surprised when Naruto came back, the boy's attitude was subdued, and his eyes were red, like he'd been crying. Itachi felt irritation with his brother bubble up in his gut. He didn't think Sasuke was emotionally weak enough to take all of this out on a slave like Naruto, especially when the boy had been nothing but deferent and warm his whole time here. He laid a hand in Naruto's messy hair when the boy knelt beside him once again, smoothing it reassuringly, rearranging his face into his normal calm mask. He met Naruto's eyes with a smile, which faltered slightly as the boy looked away much too quickly, studying the thick weave of the tatami beneath them like it was the most interesting thing he'd even seen. Itachi sighed.

"You can wait until later to tell me what my foolish brother said. For now, why don't you go relax for awhile, and come back when lunch is ready." Naruto met his eyes again, nodding and managing a small smile. He bowed his head again before rising smoothly to his feet.

"Yes, Nushi." His voice was calmer than Itachi had expected, and he found that this pleased him. Still, as he watched Naruto leave he couldn't help but think of ways to punish his brother later. Whatever he had done was uncalled for. He clenched his teeth, knowing that it would distract him through the entire meeting, and not liking that one bit. Sasuke would definitely be in a whole lot of trouble come tonight.

X

Naruto had spent his time before lunch helping Raidou in the kitchen. He had tried to just sit there and watch the man work at first, but that just left him mind to wander back to Sasuke's words, so he'd joined in to keep himself busy. The meal wasn't an elaborate one, simple really. There was miso soup and a light salad, which had been the simplest, followed by broiled eel and rice, assorted cuts of sashimi, and a seaweed and grated radish dish on the side. Still, helping Raidou with the preparations gave him something to do, and they talked throughout the process, which relaxed Naruto a lot.

Time flew by for him, and it seemed like it couldn't have been long enough at all before Sakura came to tell them that the meeting was over and the party had retired to the dining room, ready for lunch. Naruto smiled as he helped Raidou load the dishes onto a rolling cart, setting the tea set on the top rack. He volunteered to bring everything in, and Raidou had excepted with a smile.

Still, he felt a bit self conscious pulling open the screen quietly and pushing the cart inside, stopping to unload the dishes onto the table with Sakura's help, placing a bowl of soup and a plate of salad in front of each guest before pushing the main dishes to the center of the table. When everything was situated, Naruto knelt beside Itachi's chair again, and lowered his forehead to touch his Master's lap lightly before rising, giving Itachi a small smile.

For his part, the man was glad to see Naruto seemed to have cheered up considerably. That would make the afternoon's sightseeing trip much more pleasant, and it gave Itachi less to worry about. Still, he ached to beat some sense into his brother. The boy had obviously been harsh and rude with Naruto, who was only trying to help in the end, and obeying commands given to him.

Itachi let his hand tousle Naruto's messy blond hair again, feeling the boy's frame relax even more at the small show of affection. Itachi smiled, his eyes meeting Naruto's as he offered the boy a bite of eel from his chopsticks. The blond blushed a little, but leaned forwards to receive the morsel, thanking Itachi for it afterwards.

The meal continued like that for awhile, Itachi feeding Naruto little bits from his plate every once and awhile, noting the interested gazes of his colleagues around him. None of them let their eyes linger too long though, turning back to the polite conversations around the table. Most of the people here had never been to this part of the country before, and it was clear that they were looking forwards to the day of getting out and seeing the sights.

When the dishes were empty and the teapot was drained, Itachi stood, the others around his following suit, and Naruto bent to pick up the dirty dishes in front of his Master. Itachi stopped him though, a cool hand squeezing his shoulder lightly. He shook his head and smiled.

"Let the other servants take care of it, Naruto-kun. You are to accompany us out, and I'd like us to get going, so that we can make it in time for the Maiko dances later." One of the men smiled, and began talking to the man next to him about how he'd never seen a Maiko performance before. Itachi just smiled and led Naruto out of the room, towards the front door, calling for cars to be readied for their departure.

There were only 7 men, besides Itachi and Naruto, but there were still three cars waiting for them outside when Naruto pulled open the screen. He couldn't help the small gasp that escaped his mouth at the sight of the long black cars, each identical and shining. He slipped quickly into the wooden sandals Itachi had instructed him to take when they had left his old house, and shuffled forwards after Itachi, watching as the man moved to the first car in line.

There were three drivers, one standing at each car, dressed in identical uniforms, which looked soft and deep blue to Naruto, and he only paused for a second, making eye contact with one of the drivers and smiling, before following Itachi into one of the cars. Two more men climbed in before the doctor shut the door, one of which Naruto recognized from the night Itachi had taken him. The other looked similar to Itachi and the other man, Shisui was it?, only shorted, his face a little rounder, though no less pale, his hair no less dark.

Naruto took his place, seated on the limo's floor next to Itachi's knee, his head leaning over on his Master's leg. Itachi's hand tangled in his hair again, absently, and Naruto felt his eyes sliding closed. His Master seemed to like running his fingers through Naruto's hair, and the blond had no complaints about that. It was soothing, comforting, not to mention that it just felt good.

He'd forgotten about the other men in the car until one of them spoke, causing him to jump a little, startling him from the pleasant stupor he'd been in. He blushed a little, turning his face to hide it against Itachi's thigh. He ignored the conversation going on above him, focusing instead on the way his Master's dark pants felt smooth against his skin, they had probably been more expensive than anything Naruto could ever hope to own.

The ride, though rather long, was shorter than Naruto had expected and he felt himself startle as the car pulled to a stop, the driver moving around the car to open the door. Naruto crawled out first, and waited by the door for Itachi to pass him. He followed close behind his Master then, his wooden sandals uncertain against the uneven cobblestone of the street.

X

Naruto's legs were getting tired, he wasn't used to this much walking. In his old household he never even went outside, mostly he just sat around and looked pretty, helping with chores when it was needed. It had been boring and unpleasant at times, but this was quite a different kind of discomfort. Still, he struggled not to let it show, hurrying after Itachi whenever the man moved away.

The group had split up for a short while, to allow the business men an opportunity to pick up gifts to return home with. Itachi, however, had gone the other way, to a quiet, peaceful little street lined with expensively simple little shops. Naruto saw him pause in front of a window and gladly took a moment to lean against the smooth stone of the wall. He looked over, across the street to the beautifully trimmed trees he could see poking from behind a little alley between two of the shops. He was mesmerized by the motion of the leaves in the slight breeze, and the soft whispering noise they made was soothing to his tired ears.

He realized with a start then that Itachi was walking away without him, and he cursed his inattention, turning to hurry after his Master. He was far from well balanced on the wooden geta he wore though, and the uneven paving stones that certainly looked quite charming did nothing to help. He felt his sandal catch on one, and he braced himself, the ground hitting him squarely in the face.

He could tell from the stinging across one cheek that he had probably gotten at least one scrape from the fall, and he felt tears welling up behind his eyes. He could feel a tear in the kimono he wore as well, and his knees felt halfway between scraped and bruised. This was supposed to have been a good day, it started off so well and now he was ruining it with stupid lapses in attention.

He started once again when he felt a cool hand resting on his shoulder, and he looked up shyly to see Itachi gazing down at him, concern written in his eyes. Something in Naruto's chest fluttered lightly then, and he managed a small smile.

"I am sorry, Itachi-danna. I was careless and I tore the kimono. Please do not punish me too harshly." Itachi's face melted to a smile then, a real one. He reached down and helped Naruto to his feet. The boy winced when he tried to put weight on his ankle though, and stumbled a little. Itachi shook his head.

"Don't hurt yourself, Naruto-kun. It's okay, don't worry about anything. There's a store down here I want to take you into, we're almost there anyways." Itachi moved beside the boy, bending slightly so that Naruto could use his bent arm like a crutch, leaning into his. Naruto's steps were unsure then, and he winced in pain as he tried to put some weight onto his injured leg again. There were tears gathering in his eyes, from pain, embarrassment, disappointment, self-loathing.

The journey to the shop lasted only a minute or two longer, but it felt like forever to Naruto, the time passing in tense silence as he split his focus between thinking about how he had embarrassed his Master, about how he could make it up to the man, and trying to figure out how to take each step carefully so as not to fall down again.

The shop was small, blending nicely into the architectural integrity of the surrounding land, like something that had stepped from some golden age of craftsmanship long in the past. Itachi opened the door, and Naruto couldn't help but blush, tears of frustration welling in his eyes. He was supposed to be the one to open the door for his Master, to hold it while the man past, not the other way around. He felt useless and broken then, and let himself be led into the warmly lit inside silently.

A bell tinkled as they stepped in, and an old man stepped from a back room. Naruto caught a brief glimpse of him before casting his eyes down in respect. Itachi allowed the boy to lean against the counter, and turned to smile at the man, who smiled warmly back.

"Ah, Itachi-sama. I was expecting you. I was going to close up soon but I got your call earlier and didn't want to miss you. It's rare for you to come out anymore, I know you're very busy and am honored that you would make the time." The man bowed slightly, and Itachi returned the gesture.

"Yes, well things have been busy, but with the new addition to our household I thought it best to come in and take some measurements. I found myself in the area anyways, entertaining some colleagues, and though it a crime not to come visit. Besides, Naruto-kun needs some nice things, for when we have company, and you are the best." The man bowed again, still smiling.

"Nonsense, Itachi-sama. I am flattered that you think so highly of me, but with your money I'm sure you could find better, in the city maybe. Still, lets have a look at the boy."

The man came around the edge of the counter, sizing Naruto up from all angles. Naruto blushed again, feeling awkward at the close attention. He stayed still though, his Master wished him to do this so he would. He would be perfect for Itachi from here on out, no more mistakes. He couldn't bare it if Itachi found fault and sent him away, he'd have nowhere to go from there.

He caught the tail end of a second conversation before the man led him carefully to the back room, through an empty door frame behind the counter. Naruto moved awkwardly, limping along with a tight hold on the man's offered shoulder. He was a good deal shorter than Itachi, and stooped with age, so leaning on him for support was quite convenient.

Still, he stood awkwardly when helped onto the low platform in the middle of the room, unbalanced even though his precarious wooden sandals had been left on the ground by the edge. The man pulled out a cloth tape, taking measurements of Naruto's body and scribbling them onto a yellowed pad of paper in some indecipherable shorthand. Naruto wasn't sure how to act, trying to be as cooperative as possible though he felt mortified and anxious on that stage. He could feel his Master's eyes on him, but he didn't dare look up to meet them, keeping his head reverently bowed.

Soon it was over though, and Itachi was helping him down, and navigating him to a plush chair in the corner. Naruto sat nervously, fidgeting with his fingers and the raw edges of the kimono where he had ripped it in his fall. Itachi and the man went back to the front of the store, talking quietly about fabric choices and coordinating colors. Naruto sat back, staring at the richly colored fabrics draped across the tables across from him and over a small selection of adjustable dress forms. It didn't take long for him to feel his eyes drooping, he head lolling forwards slightly. He tried to fight sleep, his ankle still pulsing dully with pain, but it was too much, and he found himself dozing off anyways. That was how Itachi found him when he returned and the man almost didn't have the heart to wake the blond boy.

X

Naruto yawned, his eyes closing as he stretched out the stiffness in his muscles. Itachi had called the car to come get them, and Naruto had waited in it until Itachi had gathered his associates together. They had headed home then, and they had immediately retired to the nicer sitting room, the one that looked out onto the burbling fountain in the courtyard. That hadn't been that long ago really, and Naruto knew his Master would be in there for awhile yet, but that didn't stop him from waiting outside, where he was close enough to hear when Itachi left the meeting.

He rolled his ankle experimentally from his spot on one of the few western style chairs in the house. Itachi had told him to stay there, and Naruto was glad, feeling like he might not be able to get back up off of the floor cushions and chairs scattered through the rest of the house. His ankle still hurt, but Kakashi had looked at it after Itachi had sat down to his meeting, and said it was fine. The man had wrapped it carefully in a tight elastic bandage to immobilize it as much as possible for the time being.

Naruto remembered Sasuke, standing behind Kakashi the whole time, looking quite put out that his training had been interrupted for something like this. The younger Uchiha had proceeded to yell at him quietly for a minute, after Kakashi had left, complaining that Naruto had been careless and hurt himself. Naruto couldn't help the small smile that twitched to life on his tired face at the memory of the slight concern that tinged the boy's words.

So Sasuke didn't hate him as much as he thought, or as much as the boy claimed. That made Naruto relax a little. He didn't want anyone to hate him really, but he found that the younger Uchiha was high on the list of people he really, almost desperately, wanted to like him. That made sense of course, Sasuke was his Master's brother of course, and probably able to control him just as much as Itachi did. That wasn't the only reason though, but Naruto hadn't really figured the rest out yet.

He was still thinking idly about it when he heard the screen slide back down the hall, and he made to jump to his feet, forgetting that his ankle was injured in his haste. He stumbled forwards with a whimper, only to be caught in pale arms, almost familiar. He blushed as the man helped him back upright, muttering apologetically, the heat coming off his face in waves.

He looked up then to see Itachi coming around the corner, smirking at the sight of him. His eyes snapped back to the floor then, his blush only growing hotter as he struggled to right himself, and stand under his own power, which proved more difficult then he's anticipated, sending him stumbling again before he caught himself against the wall.

"Naruto-kun, I may be mistaken, but I believe you were supposed to stay seated until I returned, ne?" Naruto's mouth worked on air, trying to explain that he'd forgotten his injury and just wanted to great his Master as he was supposed to without making it sound like he'd forgotten or disregarded the man's command. He was startled by a low rumbling laughter then, joined by several other chuckles, and he ventured a look. Itachi was laughing, shaking his head a little, as were the other men, gathered in the hallway around them then. The one who had caught him spoke next, reaching an arm over to make sure he didn't fall over again.

"That was a touching display of devotion, Naruto-kun." He let his head slump a little at the comment, but tried to push a smile onto his face anyway. Itachi was at his elbow then, leading him to the more informal sitting room, and pushed a small button on a wall panel, right inside the screen. It lit green for a moment before he started speaking.

"Genma-san, would you bring a tall chair to the front sitting room please. And see if Kakashi-san has found those crutches yet." The panel beeped softly as Itachi let the button go, before an unfamiliar voice came through, promising to be there shortly. Naruto barely had time to wonder who that had been before the screen slid open and Sakura stepped in with a chair. She set it by the screen and smiled softly at Naruto, taking his arm from Itachi and seating him carefully.

"Genma-san went to go see Kakashi-san about those crutches, he seems to be at the back training grounds right now. He should be back shortly though." Itachi nodded his thanks and Sakura smiled, bowing deeply before currying out of the room. Naruto watched her go, confusion shimmering in his eyes. Itachi just smiled at him though.

"Just sit tight, Naruto-kun. I'm sure that we can get you mobile again in no time, alright?" Naruto just nodded, eyes a little wide. He hated it when others had to trouble themselves for his sake. He let it go though, watching the men in front of him as they talked quietly, looking over sheaves of paper thoroughly before passing them off. It was boring for Naruto, who had no idea what was going on. Still, this time he kept himself awake.

X

The next day, the last before Itachi left, past in a whirl. Naruto's ankle felt a bit better, but he was still ordered by Itachi to keep off of it until Kakashi told him it was okay. Naruto had slept beside Itachi, and he reveled in the warmth. Still, the next morning Itachi and the rest of his colleagues headed back to the city, though Itachi said that he would return shortly. Naruto couldn't help but look forwards to that, hoping his ankle would be better by then.

Itachi had also left instructions that Naruto should see Kakashi for some tutoring, since Naruto had never entered a grade about elementary level. His old master hadn't seen fit to educate him for very long, but Itachi told him that it was quite important, something that would only help Naruto, and make him a more useful and capable servant. He also told Naruto that, when his injury was fully healed, that he would join Sasuke in his physical training, thinking that his little brother needed someone to spar with besides Kakashi, especially when Itachi was gone.

That was why, the next morning, after awaking quite late in Itachi's giant bed, he took the crutches Kakashi had brought him yesterday morning, and headed to the library. He'd never actually been inside of it before, and he couldn't hold back the slight amazement he felt when he hobbled inside. That amazement died when he came face to face with a rather grumpy looking Sasuke. He put a smile on his face anyways.

"Good morning, Sasuke-sama. Are you here for your lessons?" The boy just grunted, and turned back to the book open in front of him. Naruto looked over at it, but it seemed cryptic to him, so many words he didn't know scattered across the page. It made him feel a little dumb, but he knew Sasuke was also a veritable genius.

The silence in the room was uncomfortable, and Naruto couldn't help his eyes darting back to Sasuke as he seated himself at the table beside the boy, wincing slightly as he sat, pulling his hurt leg to one side so that he could reach the table. Sasuke just kept on reading though, his eyes moving across the page in measured, concentrated strokes, every so often breaking the quiet with the rustle of a turning page.

It seemed like it took forever for Kakashi to slide the door open, and he greeted both of them, Sasuke merely grunting in response and Naruto smiling brightly up at him. Kakashi bent to look at the blond's leg first, unwrapping the bandage and feeling around the joint a little, testing the flesh under his fingers making Naruto wince in slight pain each time.

Naruto was too busy dealing with the awkward pain in his leg to notice Sasuke looking over at him, eyeing the bruised flesh of his leg and foot in ill disguised worry. Kakashi didn't fail to notice this though, and the man smirked underneath the mask he wore, filing that fact away in his mind for later.He finished quickly, the wound was healing fast and Naruto would be ready to start his physical training before the week was out.

That had been Kakashi's idea, to give Sasuke a new sparring partner and keep the blond busy when Itachi left without him. Besides, having someone to vent his frustrations with when his brother was gone would be good for Sasuke as well. It would help him to feel less lonely, abandoned. And this new concern he'd seen in Sasuke's eyes was intriguing.

Sasuke didn't care for other people often, almost no one outside of Itachi. This could be a breakthrough for Sasuke, the spark needed to push the brooding, socially awkward boy into some sort of personal relationship. Kakashi had a few theories about life, and his favorite belief was that teamwork and the bonds you build around you help to anchor you, keep you sane, and grow to heights you couldn't achieve on your own. His own sensei had taught him that when he was younger. He saw a lot of his old sensei in this new blond boy, and he supposed that was why he was so thrilled to teach him along side Sasuke.

Kakashi was pulled from his reverie by the screen sliding open and shut once again. He smiled at the man who walked through the door, brown hair pulled up in a ponytail on top of his head, the scar across his nose marking his face distinctively.

"Iruka-sensei. How good of you to come over for us. Itachi-sama has told you the situation I presume." Iruka just nodded, setting his armload of books down carefully and smiling to the blond.

"Hi, You must be Naruto-kun. My Name is Iruka, and I'll be taking care of the majority of your education, at least while Itachi-sama is gone. Shall we begin?"

===============================================================================