The Demilitarized Zone

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

Author’s Note: At the end of “For the Love of His Son” I was given a dragon egg by the lovely ‘trulywicked’. The idea was so that one, she could have Fang back and two, so that later in my writing career when people might want to come after me with let’s say… pitch forks and angry mobs, I’d have my own built in defense. I’m proud to say that “Fluffy” has hatched and is on alert. I just might need her soon.
Happy reading.


The Demilitarized Zone
Chapter 6

Consciousness came knocking entirely too early in Naruto’s opinion. The first things to register were that his wrist hurt and he might never be able to move his neck again.

“Oh dear god… Oooooouch!” Naruto moaned softy against the overly starched sheets. Where the hell am I? he wondered.

“Good Morning, Dobe.”

Naruto turned his head, never lifting it from the sheets until he was facing the amused voice, one blue eye winching at the stiffness in his muscles.

“Teme.”

Sasuke smirked down at the blonde and tried to tell himself that the dobe looked stupid, not adorable. Yesterday’s bump to the head was obviously much more serious than the doctor had said and he would need to schedule an MRI at his earliest conv…

“I said, HOW ARE YOU FEELING?” Naruto sat up, concern overshadowing the inability to move his stiff neck, “Can you even hear me? Do you know who I am? Oh my god… DOCTOR?!”

A pale hand shot out and slapped against Naruto’s mouth so hard that tears came to his wide blue eyes.

“Fuck, dobe. Yes, I can hear you. Yes, I know who you are. I don’t go around calling everyone ‘dobe’. There’s only one ‘dobe’ in my life… the biggest dobe of them all.”

Naruto nodded, Sasuke’s hand still on his mouth. He reached up and gently pulled Sasuke’s fingers from his face. Blue eyes shifted conspiratorially back and forth before landing on midnight black, “Does Itachi know you think that way about him?”

“Dobe!”

“Ah! My youthful companions! You are awake and once again relishing in your springtime youthfulness with one another.” Gai clutched his green covered heart, “Beautiful… so beautiful!”

Sasuke couldn’t help noticing that as Gai neared the bed, the dobe leaned further into his side. What could the ‘Green Beast’ possibly have done to the blonde?

“Well, I was just coming to wake you because I received a phone call from Itachi Uchiha this morning. He requested that you both be available for an emergency conference call with him and your teams in one hour.”

“Emergency? Both of us?” Naruto asked pulling away from Sasuke to stand up. No, he did NOT feel colder.

“Apparently so and only your youthful influence will remedy the situation. Broody One, you have been released from the infirmary. Both of you will use my office. See you in an hour.”

Naruto nodded and turned to Sasuke. “I wonder what this is about.”

Sasuke moved until his legs hung over the side of the bed. He was still in his workout clothes from yesterday and he wasn’t sure if he was happy not to be naked or disgusted he’d been in these clothes all night.

“Hn.”

Naruto rolled his eyes and followed the wrinkled older man out of the room, “Teme, do you think it’s possible to smell Armageddon coming? You know, like the first snow?”

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“What’s this?” Itachi said strolling confidently into the room and taking a seat at the end of the long conference table. His long hair was pulled lazily into a low pony tail and his dress shirt was unbuttoned three buttons down, the pristine white sleeves rolled up to his elbows. “My minions’ little duckies are speechless? Be still my beating heart.”

The Uchiha smirk made Hinata whimper.

“Now, now… I only want to help. You see, I can smell a conspiracy a thousand miles away.” Itachi gently turned his chair back and forth while tapping long fingers against the arm rest waiting to be filled in. “Especially when it deals with my two favorite boys.”

Shikamaru leaned forward, placing his hands on the table, fingers in the shape of a diamond, “We need a reason to talk to Naruto. You obviously have been apprised of his wish to be transferred.”

“Ah yes. Uzumaki… always good for a laugh.” Itachi quit turning the chair and looked at Naruto’s team. Three… two… one…

Kiba growled, “Funny how none of us think so.”

“Of course you don’t. I doubt Sasuke’s little duckies think it’s funny either. That’s why you are duckies and not minions… too soft. You’re lacking in the area of sadistic humor that my minions provide.”

At the wide eyed faces of the others in the room, Itachi smirked, “I can get you a reason to talk to them, but I don’t want them leaving until the retreat is over. They stay unless one of them dies.”

“Why do you care?” Gaara said making eye contact with the eldest Uchiha and holding it.

“I suppose all of us could ask that couldn’t we?” Itachi looked around the room, “Fortunately, I don’t have to explain myself to any of you.” Itachi watched as several ‘eye ticks’ developed around the room. Perhaps not as ‘soft’ as he thought, but still, little duckies. “I can get you a conference call, but I will sit in on it as well.”

“A conference about what?” Sakura said.

“Not my problem, duckie. But, you had better come up with something besides ‘feelings’ and wanting to make sure the poor little blonde boy is okay because I can tell you neither minion will react well to those motives.”

“Schedule it for the morning. We will all be here.” Neji said.

Itachi smiled and it turned eight hearts to ice, “I’m looking forward to it.”

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To: My Two Dads
From: You Highly Embarrassed Son
Subject: Thank you for not eating me as a baby

Dad and Papa,

So after waking you up to listen to my pintsized baby breakdown, it turns out I just needed some forced corporate rock climbing, a sprained wrist and a little ‘motivational support’ from the Dark Lord to make everything work out.

I won’t be leaving Konoha. I’d like to say that I came up with that on my own, but it turns out the Uchihas can be scary. Shocker that.

Sasuke yelled at me! He yelled! He said that he wouldn’t let Itachi let me go. Now I know that you haven’t met him, but unless he’s beating the shit out of someone (most notably me) he doesn’t raise his voice and he doesn’t speak in multiple syllables. Then the teme went and ‘saved’ my life. Now, Papa, take a breath. I wasn’t actually going to die, but it would have hurt and the bastard’s damn body ‘moved on its own’ and took the hit for me. I… well, truthfully, I have nothing else to say about that. And Dad… SHUT UP! PERV ALERT! PERV ALERT!

Then, as if that wasn’t enough, the devil fucking denied my request. Just as pleasant as you please. Then he had the audacity to reprimand me for bothering him with my insecurities. He’s been around the bastard his whole life… you’d think he’d understand my pain. Prince of Darkness and Malice, indeed.

So, in short, whatever ‘intervention’ you had planned you can put on the back burner until my next ‘drama queen’ episode. (As if you haven’t been whispering that into Papa’s ear this whole time, Dad.)

Well, I need to go. Apparently an emergency has arisen at work that will require both Sasuke and I to sit in on a phone conference with the teams and Lucifer this morning. After that, today is our last day and I will be home!

Free at last! God Almighty… free at last.

Naruto
Personal Account

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“Are we all here?” Itachi asked looking down at his nails.

“Ah, yeah, I guess. The bastard and I are. How about you kids? You all there?” Naruto’s voice floated up from the intercom positioned in the middle of the conference table.

“Yeah boss!” Kiba said smiling at the sound of his best friend’s voice. “How have you been?”

“Hn.”

“Right, the teme thinks we should get to the emergency. And guys, I’m fine. Everything is fine. No worries… okay?”

The four smartly dressed people on the right of the conference table breathed out a sigh of relief.

“That’s good to hear, Naruto.” Gaara said.

“Sasuke, we called this meeting because a new client that was brought in by Team Uzumaki isn’t adhering to the guidelines set forth by Uchiha Inc. All attempts to rectify the situation have failed. We are hoping that maybe bringing in the other team, who the client obviously feels more comfortable with, will make the transition easier.”

“…”

“I agree with Uchiha.” Naruto said. “I don’t understand why this warranted an ‘emergency’ call. I was under the assumption that you were all big boys and girls. Well, that at least my kids were.”

“Naruto, of course we are, we just…”

“Dobe.” Eight sets of eyes focused on the intercom. Sasuke tone was clipped and impossible to read.

“I know, bastard!” Okay, maybe not so impossible.

Eight sets of eyes listened quietly to the interactions of their bosses.

“I sent them my request.” Naruto’s voice sounded defiant and apologetic all at once.

“…” Hinata, Sakura and Kiba swallowed at the dark aura. Itachi smirked and Kiba, Shino, Gaara and Neji just waited. What else could they do?

“I believed that they deserved to know.” Defiance reigned the day.

“Really, dobe. And what about me?” The VP’s tone was cold, calculating and cruel. Itachi smirked… he adored alliteration.

“What the hell are you talking about, teme? It was BECAUSE of you!” Naruto’s team relaxed slightly… that they understood.

“Hn.”

“Bastard.” An explosive sigh was heard over the intercom in the conference room, “Is there really an emergency?” Naruto sounded tired, like he’d just fought the mental battle of a life time. Hell, for all any of the people around the table knew, perhaps he had.

Eight sets of eyes looked down at the table. But not the ninth set of eyes, no, those eyes shone with unrestrained glee, “No, minions, there’s not. It’s just that the duckies were up all night worried about the state of your relationship. I couldn’t handle them whining about coming from a broken home and so I made the call.”

“Well…” Naruto began, “I, ah… Guys.” They couldn’t see it, but every person in the conference room knew Naruto ran a hand through disheveled golden spikes. “I’m sorry. I overreacted.”

“Hn.”

“Uchiha, I’m going to have to ask you to shut the fuck up because I’m trying on my big boy corporate panties… you should look into some of those. Now, as I was saying, the ‘situation’ has been handled. I’m not going anywhere. Okay?”

“Hn, dobe. You coddle them too much. One sign of change and your whole team pressed the panic button.”

Before Naruto could comment, Kiba yelled, “What? It wasn’t us who had their uncle report back information on the two of you.”

“…” The phone line was silent. Shino’s eyes widen… was it possible to see murderous auras through intercoms?

“Excuse me?” Sasuke said venom lacing his words like a Vera Wang wedding dress.

“Sasuke! My friend.”

“Shut up, Lee. What is he talking about… Hyuuga!”

Neji ran a hand through his straight hair glaring at the shaggy haired man across the table. “Lee’s uncle is Maito Gai.”

“Oh my god! You poor soul!” Naruto screamed causing several of the group to jump in their chairs.

“Now is not the time, dumbass.” The youngest Uchiha clipped at Naruto.

Kiba growled, “You know, Uchiha, I think we are all getting tired of your shit.”

“Kiba…” Naruto warned through the intercom.

“No, Naruto. What the hell is his problem? He’s treated you like a second class citizen since you walked in this building. You can’t deny the numbers, bastard! Naruto is good for this company and because of some fucking idiotic move on your part, you almost lost him.”

Shino stood from his chair. “Kiba, don’t go accusing people of things you have no idea are true or not. Perhaps your ‘boy’ just couldn’t cut it.”

“Shino…” Sasuke voice warned.

“What? Are you implying that Naruto was afraid? Scared? Naruto has more b-balls than any of you in this room. He takes risks and loves his job and this company.” Hinata said, placing her hands on the table glaring at the dark haired man.

“Oh dear, Shino… You’ve angered the mouse… what will you do?” Sakura said sarcasm slicing through each word.

“I would watch what you say.” Gaara said coldly his face emotionless as he stared out the window.

“Is that a threat, my friend?” Lee said also standing.

“I’m going with fuck yes, my ‘friend’.” Kiba said, smirk firmly in place.

“Ah, guys… everybody…” Naruto’s dismembered voice went unnoticed as the tension continued to rise.

“Troublesome.”

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Naruto and Sasuke stared at the intercom as words turned to loud thuds, sharp crashes, pained grunts and heated shouts.

“What the fuck! Who the fuck threw this goddamn shoe!”

Naruto and Sasuke swallowed at the angered bellow of one Itachi Uchiha.

“Say goodbye to your duckies, my little minions.”

The line went dead.

Sasuke sat back in his chair running a pale hand through dark spikes and across his tired eyes, “Turns out you can smell Armageddon, dobe.”

Naruto closed his mouth and hung up the phone. “Yeah, and when did we get duckies?”

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“I trust everything is well, sunshine?” Gai said as Sasuke and Naruto exited his office.

“That’s kind of a tricky question, Gai-sensei. Short answer, the bastard and I are fine and for now I guess that’s all that matters.”

“Dobe.”

“Teme.” Naruto nudged the taller man and smiled brilliantly at Gai. “So, what do you have for us today, youthful springtime instructor?!”

Sasuke glared down at the bouncing blonde. What could possibly have made the little idiot so happy? Did he think Itachi was joking? Sasuke already had a headache just thinking about hiring a new team…

“Come on, teme. This is the last day!” Leaning into the man’s space he hissed, “Our last damn day in this hellhole.” Stepping back, “Show a little enthusiasm for the program, why don’t you?”

Sasuke sighed, the idiot had a point. After this if he ever saw the color green again…

“Well, we planned a scavenger hunt in the woods today. The other teams have already departed. The doctor didn’t think it was wise for either of you to participate. I argued that you were both full of spring-y motivation and youthful joy, but doctors are doctors.” Gai shrugged sadly.

“Well, thank you for that Gai. I’m sure that you tried your best.” Naruto said his face the picture of sincere sadness, but his eyes. Sasuke couldn’t stop the smirk at seeing so much restrained amusement.

“Well, I’d like to walk around anyway. It’s not often I get up into the mountains like this.”

“Sunshine, the forest is thick and with only one arm your balance will be off. You’ll have to stay near the building so that…”

Sasuke felt his breathing hitch as the light drained from blue eyes. No, not so soon. “I’ll go with him. The dobe will be fine. I have to catch him when we are walking down flat indoor hallways, this shouldn’t be much different.”

Naruto turned and looked at the dark haired man. Part of him wanted to yell at the insult but a bigger part was happy Sasuke had offered to go. Bright blue eyes shown with eagerness and appreciation, “Teme.” The blonde started walking toward the front doors.

Sasuke registered the ever familiar insult but couldn’t bring himself to care. The light was back in sky blue eyes. How had he survived all yesterday without it?

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To: Itachi Uchiha
From: Sasuke Uchiha
Subjects: I mean it

Stay away from my goddamn duckies.

Sasuke
Personal Account

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To: The Great Diablo
From: Irritated Minion
Subject: This year’s Bosses Day Gift

Satan,

I had always thought that you were an asshole. Of course I did. Who doesn’t right? But, recent situations have shown me the error of my ways, O’ Dark and Evil One. Your patience, understanding and the overall respect you show to each of us… minions and duckies alike… knows no bounds. How could we have ever imagined that you where human enough to be an asshole? I believe, My Slimy Evilness, that you have the World’s Number One Boss Award in the bag again this year.

Keep showing us your true self and I believe you can consider that genuine simulated aluminum (foil) pocket watch you’ve had your swirling-red-eyes-of-evil on yours.

Oh yes, I formally retract my request for transfer. Better to serve in hell… You can check in but you can never leave… Or perhaps you’d rather pick your own damn hell related cliché.

My personal favorite? Hope to see you there.

Naruto Uzumaki
Vice President, Underworld Inc.
Watching my Soul die piece by piece

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Eight Uchiha Inc. employees ‘bellied’ up to the bar. The bartender watched them carefully. It was always the dark, quiet ones that caused the most trouble.

“What the fucking hell was that? Did he not take his medication? Is he on medication? Do any of us really know anything about Itachi Uchiha?!”

“Kiba, calm down.” Sakura said her voice implying that she thought Kiba was overreacting… too bad her hands were shaking so hard she almost couldn’t get the glass to her lips.

“How do Sasuke and Naruto handle him one on one? It’s like Uzumaki doesn’t even care the President is evil incarnate and well, Sasuke doesn’t care.” Lee said ordering them all another round.

“I d-don’t know, but remind me never to be alone with that man again. How does he yell without shouting? Why do my ears hurt when I’m sure he whispered through most of the ‘lecture’?”

Shikamaru shrugged to cover the shiver that ran down his spine, “Troublesome. I’m glad Naruto has decided to stay. I wouldn’t stay without him.”

“Amen to that.” Kiba said throwing back his drink. Turning to the red head next to him his eyebrow raised, “Hey, Gaara, while we were getting our asses analyzed and handed back with revision notes, where the fuck were you?”

Gaara turned and without blinking said, “Right there.”

“No, you weren’t. Itachi kept saying the ‘six’ of us. Wait… who else was missing?” Kiba said looking down the bar.

“I think I know…” Sakura sing-songed.

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Sasuke and Naruto had been walking through the nearby forest for about an hour. They talked about where they went to college, how Itachi was the devil, their favorite foods and how Itachi was the devil.

Sasuke stepped up on a fallen tree and reached a hand down to his one armed companion. Latching onto the offered tan wrist, he pulled the dobe up onto the log. Just as Naruto stabilized, Sasuke’s left foot slipped on wet moss and he reached out to balance himself by grabbing a hold of Naruto. The startled blonde waivered, but after a quick shift, they stabilized.

With their lips pressed against each other.

Huge blue eyes connected to shocked midnight ones. Heads snapped back and they continued to stare at each other. Naruto would never know if he meant to do it… but, he licked his lips and without even thinking about it, closed his eyes to ‘savor’ the taste.

Sasuke reached forward and yanked Naruto’s white shirt, pulling the blonde toward him. How could he say ‘no’ to that?! Naruto standing there, face flushed, breathing irregular while he licked his lips like a kitten and practically purred at the taste.

“Wha…” Naruto said eyes snapping open only to slide close as the taller man claimed his lips once again. Oh god, he’s good at this, Naruto thought. Really good at this.

Pale lips moved tenderly but with purpose against his own, rubbing and pushing. Naruto leaned against Sasuke’s chest and used his only good hand to hold onto the fabric of Sasuke’s shirt like a life line.

Suddenly he felt Sasuke’s tongue lick warmly against the line of his lips asking for entrance. What to do? What to do?

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Let me in. Let me in. Let me in.

It wasn’t elegant, but Gai-sensei would be proud that Sasuke had come up with his own ‘personal mantra’.

Naruto moaned and parted his sweet lips. Oh god. Oh god. Oh god.

Hn, bonus points. He had TWO mantras.

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Sasuke tilted his head to the side and nibbled on Naruto’s bottom lip. He pulled the shorter boy tightly against him but eased up when Naruto whimpered his protest as his wrist was pressed between them. The blonde didn’t stop the kiss and so Sasuke took that as a good sign and mapped out Naruto’s teeth and tongue drawing forth delicious moans and sighs in the process.

Naruto pulled against Sasuke’s shirt… maybe because he wanted more… maybe because he needed air, but the movement unbalanced them and soon they were falling sideways off the log. Sasuke wrapped his arms around the blonde and they landed with Naruto on top of a winded Sasuke.

Naruto rested his forehead against the prone black haired man, “Teme, you have to stop doing that.”

“Hn. Dobe.”

Naruto lifted his head and he smiled down at the man beneath him. Sasuke felt his heart stutter before speeding up.

“But, you did save me.” Naruto nodded and Sasuke lay fascinated as mischief made blue eyes sparkle, “I suppose you’ll be wanting a reward?”

Naruto leaned down and brought his lips over the older man’s pale ones, “Hmmm… what could you want?”

“Dobe.”

Naruto pushed his lips against Sasuke’s and plundered the pale pink mouth for everything he could. Sasuke’s hand reached up and held tight on Naruto’s shoulders, keeping the man’s weight from hurting his wrist while Naruto’s free hand found purchase in black locks.

When air became an issue, Naruto broke the connection between their mouths and latched his lips against the side of Sasuke’s pale neck.

Unable to stop himself, Sasuke’s hips arched off the ground, “Naruto!”

Immediately everything stopped. Naruto pulled his lips away from the forming red mark and lay his blonde head gently against Sasuke’s heaving chest.

“What are we doing, teme?” Naruto whispered a shiver racing through his body. Before Sasuke could say a word, Naruto used his right hand to push himself up and off of Sasuke. Sasuke slowly sat up and took in the sad smile that Naruto sent him.

“Dobe, whatever you’re thinking…”

“I know. Come on, teme, let’s go.”

Sasuke did get up and jogged a few steps to catch up with the idiot. “I don’t think you do know, dobe. Maybe you should tell me.”

Naruto ran a tan hand over the back of his head, “What’s there to tell? That was nothing right? You don’t want me to think too much into it and I’m not going to. I guess it is natural right. All that hate has to go somewhere? But, there, it’s over. And I’m glad. I’m glad it’s over.” Naruto smiled again. Sasuke wondered if anyone would be fooled by such a fake smile, but in the next instance knew that perhaps everyone else was.

“Don’t lie, Naruto.”

Naruto tripped and Sasuke pulled the trembling blonde against him, “See, I knew you didn’t know. You have no idea…”

Naruto’s eyes slid closed and he hated himself but he knew what was coming and whimpered in anticipation.

“Oh… excuse me!”

Two sets of lust filled eyes landed on a green clad resort worker. “What!?” Sasuke snapped.

“Mr. Uzumaki, Gai-sensei needs to see you in his office immediately. There is an emergency.”

Naruto pulled himself gently from Sasuke’s arms, “Yes, of course.” The worker nodded and ran off.

“Teme.” The blush the brushed tan cheeks was breathtakingly beautiful, “I have to go.”

“I swear if this is the fucking duckies…”

Naruto smiled and it was real. Blue eyes widened comically when Sasuke returned the favor. “I’ll talk to you later.” Sasuke quietly cursed while he watched Naruto walk away.

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It had been a half hour and Naruto still didn’t come back out, so Sasuke headed inside to wait for the blonde in their room.

He wasn’t expecting Naruto to be throwing his clothes into suitcases with tears streaming down his face.

“Shit,” Sasuke was across the room in three strides. He gathered the blonde against his chest and caressed blonde spikes, “What happened, dobe?”

“My parents… Sasuke… my parents.”

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