The Jutsu of Surrender

AN: Gah, finally wrote this all out. Sorry it took so long folks, on Christmas this red light runner plowed into my car, and totaled it. My inspiration all but flew away.
Anyway, extra long chapter, and LeaderxItachi-ness in the next one. Also, I haven’t read one translating circle that has the same thing for Deidara’s speech nuance. Uhnn, yeah, mmm... whatever. ^^; I picked one, since I’m not familiar with the text.
Also, one more note to my reviewers: THANK YOU. *cough* No really, very kind reviews, and I'm very happy to get all of them. BrokenDeathAngel? Love your art. Cutest Uchihacest ever.
Thanks to Keaira, who beta-ed this. ^^ *chuu*

Itachi returned to his room after he had eaten, making sure to bring Sasuke back something. He vaguely remembered that the brat didn’t like sweets, but other than that he had no way of knowing if the food he’d picked would be something Sasuke would eat. Closing the door behind him mutely, the embers of his earlier anger stirred. Why was he born with such a dense, frustrating... and amazingly beautiful brother? It could have been worse, he mused to himself, eyes on anything but Sasuke. He could have been Naruto’s older brother. “Here.” Itachi held out the brown sack of food toward the cute younger Uchiha. Sasuke took it slowly, looking up at him.

“Itachi... I...” He took a breath and swallowed his pride, “..Sorry. For before.”

“Sorry about what?”

“Everything I said... upsetting you... thinking about leaving...”

“Don’t worry about it.”

Sasuke winced and opened the bag, shifting his position. Just one more reason to hate Orochimaru now. His ass was sore beyond belief, and sitting on one cheek only helped for a short while, until said cheek went numb. Itachi sat in front of him on the floor, resting his elbows on his knees. He seemed to still be mad at him, and the notion made Sasuke’s heart sink.

“Are you feeling better?”

“Aa...” Sasuke nodded as he picked up the pastry, shaking it to keep the crumbs neatly in the bag. “Much better.” It hurt, just not as blindly as before. “You can come up here, you know...” He mumbled as he took a bite of the food, having to use all of his strength not to scarf it down. There was a large gap between the last time he’d eaten and the present.

“I’m comfortable here.”

“But...”

A shiver wracked Itachi’s frame and he glanced back at the dresser, contemplating finding a shirt. Mornings during this time of year were rough. While the ground heated them slightly, the stone reverberated the cold more so than any other building material. Extra cold during the winter, and extra hot during the summer. A rustle made his head turn back toward Sasuke, who crawled off of the bed and almost into his lap. “Get back in bed.” Sasuke stubbornly shook his head, eyes not wavering from his brother’s similar coal eyes. Itachi sighed and opened his arms, allowing Sasuke to crawl fully into his lap. “You should be resting in bed,” he said quietly, leaning his cheek against Sasuke’s head.

“I want to be with you.” Sasuke closed his eyes, snuggling more into his arms. No matter how much he tried fighting it, this felt good. He never let himself relax this much around anyone else, or let himself enjoy being close to someone.

“Just remember, it’s okay to do this in here, but not elsewhere unless I say it’s safe.”

Sasuke nodded a little. “Okay.”

Itachi inhaled deeply, closing his eyes as he analyzed his brother’s scent. He wrinkled his nose at what he found; still smelled like the snake. Sure, that would wash away quickly, but the sooner the better.

The younger Uchiha had spent their brief time apart contemplating his change of mood, and his new situation. There were just some things that he had to live with. Before, it was the fact that his brother had killed their family and abandoned him, whispering evil words about being unworthy of death that haunted his nightmares. Now it was clear that Itachi’d had a reason behind his actions. A horrible reason, in his eyes, but still... Having a reason let those past questions that had pawed and tugged at his soul rest and filled him with a semblance of peace. Not complete; Itachi still wanted him to kill him, and he had no doubt that Itachi would trigger the fight. It was only a matter of time. The person he used to be, the young and trusting, possibly naive little boy, wanted him to believe that if he made Itachi happy enough, proud enough, they wouldn’t have to fight. It didn’t matter if Itachi couldn’t love Sasuke at the moment, as long as he didn’t bring it up again. Everything would be okay, as long as he lived in the now, and not the future.

“Sasuke,” Itachi finally whispered, fingers stroking his back. “I’ll be gone tonight.”

He blinked, looking up at Itachi. “Why?”

There was a long pause, then Itachi finally answered. “I have something to take care of.” To be someone’s pet, to take care of the deal he’d struck so he could keep his brother around. It was all worth it...

“Okay,” Sasuke dropped his gaze, staring at Itachi’s lap.

“You really don’t need to know. It’s not worth worrying you over.” Itachi hugged him, kissing his hair. Sasuke hesitated, then nodded, slowly hugging him back. “You should eat more than you did.”

“I’m really not hungry anymore... I’ll eat later.”

“Hn... As you wish.” A sudden stroke of mischief tugged at Itachi. “Lift your head a little.” Confused, Sasuke did as he was told. The older Uchiha lowered his head, mouth latching onto his throat. Sasuke moaned, eyes widening in surprise. Itachi sucked on the spot insistently, hand keeping him still.

“Mmm... aniki... what are you... doing?”

Itachi stopped then inspected his handiwork. “You can’t get away with marking me and not have one yourself.” He nuzzled his brother’s neck, fingers scratching slightly at his back. “Mine.”

Smiling, Sasuke slowly closed his eyes, whispering, “Aa... yours.”

Itachi kissed his neck before he realized he was being a little too loving. He sighed out of annoyance with himself. “Damn.”

“What?” Sasuke opened his eyes again, looking up at his lover.

“What you do to me... I don’t understand it. One moment you make me feel... almost human again... the next I just want to toss you onto the bed and fuck you silly.”

Sasuke smiled a little, “I like both.” He touched his lips to Itachi’s, gently kissing him.

“Mmm..... One month.” One month of not being able to do what they both wanted, all because of that bastard. “If I ever see the snake again, I’m killing him.”

“Well, there are other things we can do... and well...” He hesitated, biting his lip.

“Well?”

“Ah, because I’m injured, you can’t...” Sasuke flushed slightly as he tried to say what was on his mind without actually saying it. Odd, he could have spoken about such things casually before, but now his tongue stumbled over the words. “..but I still could...”

Itachi sniffed. “Make an uke out of me?”

Sasuke’s red cheeks brightened further. “Only if you wanted to.”

The more Itachi thought about it, the less it seemed like a bad idea. He wasn’t pleased, but still, it would be nice to be the willing uke for a change. To want the person you were doing it with, but not hate that they made you want them. “Maybe, I’ll think about it... a lot.”

“Okay.”

Now that he thought about it... “Oi, have you been seme before?”

“Ah...no.”

“Hm... Figured you would have been that one time.” Interesting, so his brother enjoyed his role.

“Erm... I was on top, but he was...ah...”

“I see...” Itachi stroked Sasuke’s shoulder, licking his neck to taste him again. Unsettled so easily, but still adorable. “Who was it with?”

“Naruto.”

He paused for a moment, then went back to laying kisses on his neck. “Oh.”

“What?”

“Did you love him?” He tried to make it sound offhand, as if he didn’t care. Of course he didn’t. What did it matter to him? It would be a plus. Someone for Sasuke to return to, and be happy with when he was dead.

“I thought I did,” Sasuke said quietly. Then it was put before him; his quest for vengeance, or his budding feelings towards Naruto. Revenge came first, it was the only thing he knew well. After that, he’d fought with the intent to kill, knowing that Naruto’s death would earn him the mangekyou. In the end, he was unable to kill him, and left alone in the rain, heading toward the hidden sound village.

Itachi shook his head. “I don’t see why you don’t find killing me then returning to him such a bad option.”

“Because after feeling this for you, I know I didn’t really love him.” It was humiliating, saying things like that to him when he knew Itachi could never love him back.

“You love me that much?” Sasuke glared halfheartedly at the wall, cheeks tinting once more. “Do you?” Itachi was a little surprised. He’d thought this... love... thing... was only a response to his actions in saving his little brother.

Sasuke shrugged to himself. What the hell, he already had no dignity left. “Yeah. I do.”

Itachi took a moment to process that. “So... it isn’t just that I saved you?”

Surprised, Sasuke looked up at him sharply. “Of course not.”

“You changed your mind quickly. I was pretty sure through most of our first time together you were hating me.”

“I wanted to hate you. I hated that you were forcing me.”

Itachi snorted. “I tried to do it nicely, but you were being an asshole about it.”

Narrowing his eyes, Sasuke’s tone dripped with sarcasm. “Ah yes... It was all my fault.”

“It was my fault for wanting you, ne?”

“I want you to want me.”

“It’s too late now if you didn’t want me to.” Itachi smirked a little, patting Sasuke’s ass. The younger Uchiha nodded a little, leaning heavily against him. After a moment of silence, Itachi leaned forward, grabbing the bag of food off the bed. He put it in Sasuke’s lap, silently urging him to eat. “Do you regret it?”

Almost pushing the whole pastry into his mouth, Sasuke chewed quickly then swallowed. “Regret what?”

“Leaving Konoha, accepting that bastard’s deal... having me touch you?”

Sasuke stared off to the side. Those were things he’d rolled over in his head many times. Life, as short as his had been so far, had taught him to never regret, and to do what he knew wouldn’t make him think twice later. “I don’t know... I regret everything with Orochimaru, but you..” He hesitated. “...I just wish you could...” Sasuke let his voice trail off, then he shook his head. “No. I don’t regret it. Not at all.” Even if he burned down Konoha, killed everyone he cared for back then... it would still be worth it. No matter how little Itachi cared for him. His brother sighed, and he assumed it was from his words. “Sorry.” Sasuke moved away from him, only to be pulled back by strong arms.

“Stop that.”

“Why?”

“Don’t assume you know what I’m thinking, or how I feel. You’re usually wrong, anyway.” Itachi shook his head. “Honestly, I don’t know where you got your negativity from.”

“You told me how you feel.”

“I said that I can’t...” It didn’t mean that he didn’t, it meant that he had to keep smothering the embers of those feelings. That wasn’t his goal, and it would only get in his way to feel anything other than the normal amount of tenderness toward Sasuke. “If it were years before, I would...”

“Yeah.”

Itachi frowned, annoyed at his brother’s tone. Why did he have to be so dense? “You make it hard on me, Sasuke... to keep that up...”

“To keep what up?”

“Not loving you. It’s hard not to.” Itachi inwardly scowled. If Sasuke didn’t get it now, he wouldn’t ever get it.

Sasuke perked up a little. That was something, at least. “Thank you, aniki...”

“Then you understand?” He nuzzled Sasuke’s neck, enjoying his scent.

“Aa,” Sasuke murmured quietly, lifting his head.

“Good.” Itachi smiled a little against his neck, somewhat relieved by his words. “Don’t be so sad.” It made him uncomfortable, and a little annoyed. Here he was giving his bratty brother information about himself that he hadn’t shared with anyone, and all Sasuke did with it was sulk.

“I’m fine,” he whispered.

The smile faded slightly from Itachi’s lips. “You don’t sound it.”

Sasuke slid his arms around Itachi’s neck, fingers curling and scratching lightly at his shoulders. “Well... I am.” He just needed more time to deal with things.

“I don’t believe you... but I’ll let it go.” All Sasuke had to do was get stronger. Then he would realize that this wasn’t love to him, that he was a better person, as horribly cliche as that sounded, and he would willingly return to Konoha. Probably find someone real to love.

“Good. That’s for the best.”

Itachi couldn’t help but twitch at that. “Why do you say it like that?”

“Say it like what?”

Taking in a deep breath, he fought to stay calm. Stubborn. That ran in the family, obviously. “Let’s talk about something else.”

Sasuke lowered his head. “Sorry...” Couldn’t he do anything right? Even though he was trying to act the way he thought Itachi wanted, it wasn’t enough.

“We’ll burn it today.”

“What?” He blinked in surprise.

“Your collar and leash, as well as his and your blood on my clothes.”

“...Okay.”

“You were looking forward to it last night.” At least, that’s what he thought. Besides, burning his blood-soaked cloak would be close to burning the source himself. Annoying man that he was. Maybe that’s where Sasuke got it from.

“I still am.” Sasuke took Itachi’s hand then stood shakily. His wounds had probably been aggravated by his actions earlier, but it no longer mattered. They would heal, and the sooner the better. All he wanted was to have himself back to the way he was before Orochimaru had tarnished his body.

Itachi frowned at the obvious instability in his brother. “I can carry you outside. You’re supposed to be resting in bed.”

“No... I want to walk...”

“As you wish.” Dumb ass was what would have liked to have added, but he kept silent. Stubbornness definitely ran in the family. Itachi stood, padding over to the bin he had thrown the clothing and other items into. It was a sturdy enough metal, and shouldn’t melt under heat. “You might want to tie your robe a bit tighter, it’ll get colder as we go.” Sasuke nodded in response, carefully closing his robe. “Maybe I need a shirt,” Itachi mumbled, glancing at the dresser in thought.

“I like you like that.”

Itachi smirked. “Of course you do.” He should have been annoyed at how much the comment pleased him, but he brushed it aside, watching the way Sasuke limped slowly behind him. The older Uchiha opened the door and stepped out, keeping his pace slow so his brother could follow. “Are you sure you want to walk? What if you rip again?”

“I’ll be alright.”

Itachi frowned. “If you’re sure.” Sasuke nodded and limped out into the hallway, trying to keep from wincing. Itachi didn’t bother closing the door behind them, doubling back the way he had come earlier. “We’ll take some short cuts... Just ignore what you may see or hear.” Orochimaru wasn’t the only one that experimented with human subjects. Sasuke remained quiet, blinking in surprise at his brother’s words. He’d find out soon enough what the older Uchiha meant. “Most of the complex is underground,” Itachi explained, shivering as they passed under a vent.

“I see...” The younger Uchiha limped along behind, trying to straighten and hide his limp as much as possible. It was ungainly, not to mention embarrassing, to hobble along like a gimp.

Itachi was quiet for a moment then spoke, choosing his words carefully. “There are experiments that need certain conditions, so they’re kept near an exit.” He turned right as the hallway met with another, walking up the slightly inclining path. “Still okay?” Sasuke’s light panting had caught his attention. The younger of the two nodded, face paler than usual. Snorting, Itachi kept walking. “On the way back, I’m carrying you.”

Sasuke shook his head, unwilling to be carried when other people could see. “I’m not a child.”

“I never said you were, stupid.”

Sasuke’s fists clenched, pain forgotten for the moment. “Don’t call me stupid.”

“Then don’t act stupid.”

Hissing, he glared at Itachi’s back. “I’m not acting stupid. You would never permit me to carry you anywhere.”

Itachi smirked. “You couldn’t lift me.”

“Yes,” Sasuke twitched, teeth clenching, “I could.”

“We’ll see when you’re healed , ne?”

“Aa,” he replied tartly, glaring at the floor.

Itachi couldn’t hold back a chuckle. “You’re pretty easy to piss off.” Fun, too. He should try it more often. Wasn’t there something about make up sex? He thought he remembered Kisame snickering to Deidara about it at one point. Of course, that time, like other times that Kisame had insisted they spend time together, liquor had been broken out, which had resulted in a very quiet and sullen drunk Itachi. That’s when he hung back with Sasori, who wouldn’t drink, but would visibly twitch at the way his own partner would sing loudly with Kisame. Itachi glanced back at Sasuke, smirking at the scowl on his face. He might have the opportunity to test that out later, if Sasuke was always this easy to annoy.

A scream tore down the hall, echoing slightly off the barren walls. Itachi was used to it, but Sasuke blinked slightly. “What was that?” Another sprang up, only to be cut off abruptly.

“Probably one of the experiments.”

“I see,” Sasuke murmured. It was a little disturbing, but then... He’d basically sold his soul to gain power from Orochimaru, so he wasn’t much better. Whatever person had been unlucky enough to become an experiment wasn’t his concern.

“They’re usually not people... usually.” Itachi paused long enough for Sasuke to catch up to him, then put his arm comfortingly around Sasuke’s shoulders. It was a little awkward, Itachi not yet used to giving such kind gestures. His brother leaned against him a little in response. A devious feeling welled up in him and Itachi shifted his eyes around the hallway, mostly sure they weren’t being watched. He leaned down and licked Sasuke’s ear.

“Mm.” Surprised after Itachi’s earlier cautions, Sasuke’s eyes widened a little. “I thought we couldn’t do that in public...”

“Molesting is fine. None of that... lovey crap.”

“Oh... Alright.” That lovey crap... Sasuke kind of liked it, but firmly suppressed his slight sadness at the reference. He was going to get stronger, and not only that, but his brother was, for once, going to take the time to train him. It was sort of a dream he’d had as a kid, only to be ripped apart when Itachi had murdered their fallen clansmen. At least that was something to be grateful for.

“Other than that.” Itachi nibbled on his ear. “We can do as we please.” For the most part. Itachi’s eyes darkened and he lifted his head, but kept his arm around him. Sasuke and his temper might get them into more trouble. Leader might confront Sasuke, and any smart remarks from his brother would result in punishment for Itachi himself, or more time spent in bed with the other man. “Just... don’t do or say anything to Leader that will piss him off.”

“What would piss him off?”

Itachi shrugged. “Being disrespectful... I wouldn’t know beyond that, I’ve tried to keep from getting on his bad side, as do most here.” Orochimaru was the exception, but then he wasn’t around to share what he’d held over their Leader to get away with such antics.

“Okay. I’ll be careful.” Light shone through the cracks on the door at the end of the hall. Finally. Sasuke didn’t count himself as claustrophobic, but it felt like the air down here was thicker than what he was used to.

“Good,” Itachi said as he pushed open the door, leaves shifting in front of them at the sudden gust caused by the door. He squinted at the bright light, raising his hand to shield his eyes from the rays. There was a place above them that would take even more time to get to, given Sasuke’s current ability. “Fuck this.” Sweeping him into his arms, Itachi hopped across the small boulders, making his way to the top of the rock outcropping they had just exited from. Sasuke scowled and held on to him, nails biting into his shoulders. The elder Uchiha put him down carefully then handed him the bin. “Start wherever you like. There’s nothing but rock to burn up here.”

Nodding, Sasuke took the metal in his hands, the scent of blood still heavy. His blood... he knew Orochimaru could be cruel, but to strike out at him like that... He wondered what he had managed to accomplish while in Sound, other than burning his bridges. Had he been nothing more than a toy to be broken and discarded when another wanted to play with it? There was nothing to regret, really. If any of it had been different, he wouldn’t have had this chance with Itachi.

“Do you not want to do it anymore?”

Brought out of his thoughts, Sasuke looked up. “No, I want to do it... I’m just trying to decide how to go about it.” Burn what was left of his past with Orochimaru; it seemed too little, not good enough. He wanted to annihilate those memories.

“Need a light?” Itachi smirked, knowing full well that Sasuke could do it.

“No, I can do it myself.” He returned the smirk and set the trash bin down, stepping back. His brother also retreated a considerable amount away, respecting the jutsu he had yet to see his brother perform. Itachi hadn’t had the chance to see the small boy practice it, in those old days. Not that it mattered; all Uchiha learned how to do the jutsu, no doubt it was a matter of pride that his father had attempted to teach Sasuke to do it as well. Itachi scowled at the memory of the man, crossing his arms over his chest. Bastard.

Sasuke straightened and glared at the bin. He preformed the horse and tiger seals then took a deep breath. “Katon goukakyuu no jutsu!” True, he could hold back and make the flame tighter, more contained... but that wouldn’t have been as enjoyable. Fire erupted from him and engulfed the bin, catching the few combustible items. Flames licked at the sky, rumbling while it died down.

“Wish I brought something to cook.” Itachi wrinkled his nose. “Though it’d taste bad, from those fumes.”

Chuckling, Sasuke smirked at the fire. “I wouldn’t want to eat anything cooked over that fire.”

Itachi slid behind him, wrapping his arms around Sasuke’s chest and lowering his lips to his neck. “It’s done.” His brother nodded, leaning against him. The elder Uchiha lifted his gaze to the fire. “You can’t go back there now... I wouldn’t let you, even if you tried. You know that, right? Now that I have you, I’m not letting go.”

Nodding, Sasuke whispered, “Thank you.” There wasn’t anything to go back to, anyway.

Itachi licked Sasuke’s throat, hands carefully slipping up his chest, soft enough not to disturb the cuts that were still painful. “Nothing to thank, I’m being selfish.”

“Mm... So am I...”

“How are you being selfish?” He nuzzled the juncture where neck met shoulder, loving the soft scent of sex and himself that mixed with his brother’s smell. It made Sasuke his even more than a few mumbled words could.

“I want to keep you, even though you’re not mine.”

Itachi blinked, pausing for a moment. It was silly, really. They both wanted to claim the other, but there wasn’t really anything to it but a few words. A few powerful words. They weren’t ones uttered in a jutsu, so why should they hold any power? Why did they matter? Still, it mattered to Sasuke, and it didn’t seem fair for him to keep the boy to himself. “I’m yours,” he whispered faintly. It was the truth, for the most part. No one else drew his attention, made him want to touch them. Sasuke’s eyes widened slightly, tensing for a moment before turning in his arms and kissing him. Itachi returned the kiss eagerly, tilting his head as the younger Uchiha touched his cheek. Was this what his otouto really wanted?

Breaking the kiss, Sasuke panted for breath, laying his head on Itachi’s chest, nuzzling it lovingly. It wasn’t an ‘I love you,’ but it was good enough. He felt a pressure on his head, Itachi laying his chin there.

The fire, all but forgotten, was nearly out. The songs of the bugs returned as the fire’s roar died, sun warming Itachi’s back. If Sasuke had been up to it, the clear day would have been perfect to train in. Train, rest, swim in the river close by, then lay out on the rocks and soak in the heat to dry himself. Glancing back at the fire, Itachi frowned. “Hmm... I should have asked Deidara for one of his exploding... art... bird... things.”

“Aa.” Sasuke chuckled softly, content.

Itachi’s belly did a flop, reminding him that he hadn’t eaten enough while annoyed at Sasuke. His brother was probably in the same state, only a few nibbles on a pastry. “Shit, now I’m hungry.” Probably the talk of food earlier.

“Let’s get something to eat, then...”

“Bah... We have to go back to my room first. There are probably more people in the mess hall now, and we’re under dressed.” Sasuke mumbled an acceptance, but Itachi was slowly changing his mind. It was a long walk for Sasuke, and the damn boy wouldn’t want to be carried in front of the others. “But then, fuck what they think... Although...” Itachi put his hands on Sasuke’s shoulders, pushing him away as his eyes roamed over his body. The robe exposed most of Sasuke’s chest as well as lots of his long, well toned legs. Pulling him back, Itachi frowned. No, they were getting dressed first. This was his to see.

“What?”

“They don’t get to ogle you. I do.” His; his skin to touch, his mouth to kiss, his body to explore... “Besides Sasori is a pervert.” Well, the whole lot of them, he guessed. Sleeping with his brother would be considered perverted.

“I see.” Well, that made him want to meet the rest of the Akatsuki. Perverts, torturers, and just all around weirdoes. This was what he was going to live with.

Raising his hands, Itachi formed a few seals, using a jutsu he’d stolen from Kisame to put out the fire. It was a smaller version, since dousing them both as well would have been pointless. “Let’s get out of here.” Sasuke nodded and began to head toward the edge of the rock. “Nope.” He turned and knelt, shaking his head. “I’m not letting you walk all the way back.”

“You’re not carrying me.” Sasuke glared at him, summoning the darkest look he knew.

Itachi returned it equally. “You’re not walking back.”

“Yes, I am.”

“Get on my back.”

“No.”

Itachi rolled his eyes. “Just do it.”

“I’m not going to be carried in front of people like a child.”

“If you reopen your wounds, the wait to have sex will be even longer.” That made Sasuke hesitate, obviously weighing his options. “The medical nin might insist on complete bed rest this time, and keep you in one of the recovery rooms.”

Sasuke sighed, relenting. “Fine, fine, I get it.” He climbed onto Itachi’s back, draping his arms over his brother’s shoulders loosely. Itachi lifted them both easily, reaching back to support Sasuke from behind. The drop down to the forest floor made Sasuke’s stomach lurch. He frowned, vowing to train more later to make it go away. Could he have gotten that far out of training? Or was it because this jump wasn’t under his own control? Either way, he was still annoyed that he had to be carted about on his brother’s back like a child.

Pulling the door open, Itachi walked into the dimmer hall, pausing near the door to let his eyes adjust. “It’s faster this way... and besides,” his hands shifted under Sasuke, cupping both cheeks. The boy yelped in surprise then chuckled, resting his chin on Itachi’s shoulder. Itachi continued walking, smirking to himself. “Just like when we were younger... minus the groping. Well... I groped then too, but you didn’t seem to notice.”

Sasuke blinked, lifting his head to stare at Itachi before laughing. “You did?”

“Yeah... You were really cute back then, I couldn’t help it. Shisui would notice and laugh...” The name made him twitch, annoyingly painful memories welling to the surface. Instead he concentrated on the now, giving Sasuke’s cheeks a squeeze.

Sasuke kissed his shoulder, not minding the ride as much. “I’m not cute now?”

“No. You’re beautiful now. Well... you have cute moments. Back then you were cute all the time, now you just have random moments.”

He relaxed a little, having tensed when Itachi said no. “Thank you.”

“Hn.” Itachi noticed the changes, and held back a smile. Sasuke was sensitive, like a girl... that was almost cute. Frowning, he wiped that from his mind. Gah, annoying brat, made his mind think weird things. They walked on in silence, Itachi’s hands never straying from their comfortable grope. Itachi picked up the pace, rounding the turn toward his room and almost running into Deidara.

The blonde blinked, stepping back. “Itachi.... that’s where you were.” He tilted his head. “What’s the lump on your back?”

Sasuke twitched, poking his head up a bit more to look at Deidara. The man, well, he thought it was a man at least, didn’t look very threatening. Actually, there was something about him that reminded Sasuke of Kakashi. They both had that lazy, stoned look.

“The lump’s name is Sasuke.”

“Didn’t Kisame say that was your brother’s name?”

“Yes,” Sasuke added before Itachi could, “that’s his brother’s name.”

“Pretty thing... yeah... Does Leader know he’s here?” He ignored the calculating glare the Uchiha brat shot him.

“He does. Were you looking for me for a reason?”

Deidara shrugged lazily. “Leader told me to find you, he said you have some deal to keep up... yeah...”

Sasuke glanced at Itachi, noticing the way his brother’s lips tugged downward in a slight frown, body tensing beneath him. Itachi knelt, letting go of Sasuke’s backside. “Do you remember which room was mine, otouto?”

“Yes.” He stepped back from Itachi, giving him room to rise. “But...”

“The breakfast I brought you is still in the room, ne? Have that... Shit, I didn’t show you where to eat, and I’ll be gone for awhile.” Itachi frowned. He also disliked walking to Leader’s office with no shirt. Perhaps he could lift one from the few staff members on the way. Cheating, using the sharingan for such things, but it was better than nothing.

Deidara yawned. “I’ll show him, I’ve nothing better to do.” He eyed Sasuke now that there was more of him to see.

Sasuke nodded to Deidara and looked up at Itachi. “Are you alright?” There was something different about his brother now, after hearing this deal being evoked.

“Pick something out to wear in my room, I’ll buy you something later.” He didn’t want to answer Sasuke’s questions, and didn’t feel like making up a story.

“Okay, but... what is your deal, Itachi?”

Itachi ignored him once again, touching his hand to the top of his head. “Be good while I’m gone. Kisame’s room number is eleven, if you need him.”

Nodding a little, he tried to ask again. “But...” Sasuke jerked his head away as Itachi messed up his hair, frowning at the evasion.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said, turning the opposite direction from his room.

Deidara watched with a somewhat bored expression, Itachi’s brother watching him with worry filled eyes. Without saying a word, Sasuke began to hobble back to Itachi’s room. Deidara followed, watching the way the boy limped, and wondering just what Itachi had done to him to make him do so. “You should use a crutch, if you’re hurt enough to limp... yeah...”

“I don’t need one. I’m fine.” Sasuke tried to stop limping and walk normally, which he mostly pulled off, despite the sharp pain each step brought him.

“As you say.” Deidara watched him with amusement. The Uchiha brothers really did resemble each other, though this one was more... pretty. Feminine, but not horribly so.

Sasuke turned a sharp glare on Deidara. “Was there something you wanted?”

“Didn’t you want to know where you can eat? I don’t mind letting you sit in your room and starve... yeah...”

“I’ll have to change clothes first.” He was uncomfortably aware of just how revealing the robe was. Being in real clothes again would be a nice change and... they might smell like Itachi. “You don’t mind waiting?”

Deidara shrugged. “Like I said, nothing else to do.” He waited outside for the brat to change, leaning against the wall beside Itachi’s room.

Sasuke walked in, looking through Itachi’s clothes. Eventually he found something that would fit. He wasn’t a clothes whore, but Itachi seemed to have very few selections that differed from one another. Probably something Itachi didn’t think about. Hell, it should have been something Sasuke didn’t think about, either. Now that his goals had changed, his attention seemed to be falling on the smaller details in life. At least, that’s what he thought it was.

Dressing in a pair of long shorts and a mesh shirt, he took out a pair of Itachi’s shoes. It hurt when he bent over, so he stayed down to put them on, smirking at the way his toes hung over the rubber sole. Itachi had smaller feet, ne? Well that was something to snicker over later. He hobbled out of the room, then nodded to Deidara.

The blonde man smiled at him from over the rim of his cloak, then jerked his head in the direction from which they’d come. “It’s this way.” They walked quietly the rest of the way, Sasuke committing to memory the turns they took. There weren’t any more blood curdling screams, the compound remaining eerily silent minus the sounds their footfalls made. Sasuke wasn’t interested in small talk, and Deidara didn’t seem to mind.

As they grew closer, a din of voices echoed in the halls. The smell of lunch carried to them, and Sasuke’s stomach grumbled in response. Rice and curry, at least that’s what he guessed from the scents.

“You don’t have much choice for lunch. At dinner and breakfast, more varied foods are set out,” Deidara explained, reaching up to scratch at the bridge of his nose. He hated curry. “Think you can handle it from here, or would you rather I wait to show you back to Itachi’s room?”

“I can find my way back, thank you.”

“No problem... yeah.” He quickly turned and retreated from the strong smelling lunch he loathed. Sasori might have something better to snack on in his room, he’d bug his partner.

Sasuke walked slowly toward the counter, ignoring the way all eyes turned to him. He had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from grimacing, but he made it without limping. Two styrofoam bowls with lids were handed to him, the tops smudged with the steam they kept at bay. The kitchen worker pointed further down, where various cans and bottles were on ice, mumbling about taking a drink. It reminded Sasuke of school lunches in Konoha, and made him wonder if he had to pay for the meal. He hesitated in taking it, having no money on him, and no way of contacting Itachi to ask for some.

“It’s free, kid. Just take it and sit down.” Kisame slid next to him, obtaining his own lunch from the kitchen worker. “You looked sort of lost,” he replied to Sasuke’s questioning look. The brothers were too much alike, choosing stares and looks over words. Thankfully, after being Itachi’s partner for so long, he was well versed in Uchiha.

“Aa, thanks.” Sasuke took a can of oolong tea, stacking the other bowls in one hand to juggle it all.

“Where’s Itachi?”

Sasuke frowned. “He had some sort of deal that Leader called him away for. Would it be a mission?”

Kisame was all too familiar with the interest their leader had in Itachi, and from that could assume what sort of deal might have been struck. Glancing at the worried look on Sasuke’s face, he decided to keep quiet on it. The kid didn’t need to worry about Itachi, if his partner wanted to tell Sasuke what was going on, that was his business, not Kisame’s. “Possibly,” he smiled, picking up his own drink. “You look like you’re doing well.”

“Mm... Slowly but surely,” Sasuke mumbled, lost in thought. Something wasn’t right. What sort of deal would Itachi have made? If he did whatever he could to make sure Leader wasn’t annoyed with him, then what further would he have to do?

“Oi, let’s sit and eat. I can show you around when we’re done, if you’d like.”

“Sure.”