Play Thing

 

At The front of the group, Kakashi and Sasuke were having a discussion of their own, while Sakura held back behind them.

"Sasuke, there's every possibility that Itachi WAS behind this, so I want you to liste carefully to what I say" Sasuke nodded as the Jounin continued.

"If you let your emotions get the better of you like I know you've done before, all you will be doing is putting Naruto at more risk. The Akatsuki knows that we will protect him and will use our weaknesses to their advantage, you need to stay calm when we see them" Kakashi said with a serious look.

"Yeah, but...ok" Sasuke said solemly as the rage boiled inside..his brother, of all the people in Akatsuki it had to be him. He didn't need Naruto dead on his account, Orochimaru's mission still firmly planted in his mind. Pakkun trailed behind the group...Kakashi had summoned him again to help with the search.

"Kakashi" He said with urgency, immediatly straying from the path the group were on and turning right. "I can smell the boy's blood" Sasuke stopped dead in his tracks and raced after the dog, coming to a halt behind where the pug had stopped. Naruto's blood, if only a little had fallen to the floor in drops where it had stained the ground.

"He's still with the scents from before, and if its only a little blood we know he's still alive" Pakkun said in an effort to calm Sasuke, who had begun to fume with rage.

"Sasuke" Kakashi warned as the Uchiha's curse mark flared. Steadying himself, Sasuke kept himself under control as the group left the scene, only Pakkun knowing what had actually transpired in the woods they now left with heavy hearts.

Naruto was still asleep as Itachi and Kisame made camp. It was another 3 days until the small group reached the new Akatsuki base and as Itachi placed Naruto on the ground carefully he glanced at Kisame who had sat down and was beginning to unwrap a very crumpled looking dried squid. Itachi, deciding to ignore the fact that Kisame had been carrying food without sharing, sat down beside the jinchuriki, his eyes never leaving the boy's sleeping face. The kid was cute, he could see why Sasuke had screwed him but it was more than his life was worth to admit that he liked him.

"Kisame...the kid should be ok for another leeching session of yours" Itachi called to the blue shinobi, noticing the wounds on Naruto's shoulder had all but vanished. Kisame promptly unwrapped Samehada who grinned creepily as it ran it's tongue across it's lips in greedy expectation.

"Not all of it now" Kisame said to the sword, "Just enough to keep him from protecting himself at least" Samehada seemed to understand as it's smile dimmed a little and disappointment showed along its entire length. Itachi stood up and watched as the huge sword feasted on the boy's chakra, growing bigger and bigger in size. The sword, slightly satisfied, stopped of it's own will and settled into a lazy stupor, allowing Kisame to cover it again. Itachi wandered around for a while, his train of thought constantly disrupted by flashbacks of the previous hours. He wouldnt let Sasuke have the kid. Perhaps he could get Naruto to join the Akatsuki...then at least he wouldnt have to die...or he could convince Madara to let him stay as a pet of sorts, just until the other jinchuriki were gathered...leave his until last, so to speak.

"What the hell's the deal with me, it wasn't even my first goddamn it!" Itachi raged much to the amusement of Kisame.

"Hung up on a girl now...when was this eh?" He asked, daring himself to taunt his partner. He expected at the very least a thump but no such thing came his way.

"Something like that, Kisame" Itachi answered.

He slept close to Naruto that night, the soft sounds of his breathing felt soothing, his sleeping face just begging to be looked at.

"S-Saasuke...Sasuke..nng, no...n-no. Stop...NO!" Naruto sat up abruptly, a cold sweat breaking out over his whole body. He became vaguely aware that his entire body hurt as he looked around.

Fear took hold of his mind as he remembered the cold touch of Itachi's hands and he stood up shakily, wobbling slightly as he walked to the trees, aiming to run again.

"Where are you going Naruto?" A cold hand clamped over his mouth as Naruto was bodily dragged back to camp. Itachi sat him down in the space he had previously occupied and pinned the blond to the floor.

"Mmph" Naruto muffled through cloth and Itachi's hand as the cloak Itachi had given him was lifted and Itachi ran his tongue across his chest, sending shivers of unwanted pleasure coursing through his spine. As Itachi looked up at Naruto's face, he saw the fear stricken tears stream down his cheeks and into the jinchuriki's hair, leaving it matting at the side of his face.

Itachi couldn't help but feel slightly hurt as he lay down, releasing Naruto and turned his back to the sobbing boy.

"Go back to sleep" He growled as Naruto lay still, confused and terrified. What reason did Itachi have to stop, he'd raped him once before...why was it different. Naruto felt soiled and he cried himself to sleep, his sobs soft, quiet and full of confusion.

 

Kakashi, Sasuke and Sakura were closing in fast on Naruto's kidknappers, and Sasuke silently thanked Naruto for slowing down the Akatsuki this much, it would make his job so much easier if there were no complications. Sakura came up to Sasuke.

"You miss him, right?" she said sullenly.

"Yeah...I want him here with me...I need him" Sasuke said honestly.

"They're up ahead, look!" Kakashi shouted from the head of the group as the two shinobi behind him sped to catch up. The three entered a clearing, dismayed to find only Kisame on his own.

"Don't look so disappointed, Itachi may have gone ahead with the Jinchuriki brat but we can have fun too" he grinned, unwinding the bindings of the sword on his back.

"Not today, Sasuke, go, me and Sakura will slow Kisame down" kakashi shouted as he dodged a swing from Kisame, his face inches from Samehada's teeth. Sasuke didn't argue and left immediately.

"Oh no you don't" Kisame growled as he jumped in front of him, only to be launched into by Sakura with a well aimed punch to the face.

"GO" she panted as Kisame made to get up again. Sasuke didn't wait for her to say it again and shot into the trees.

Itachi was once again carrying the boy clad in orange. It was cute how his head just and so fit into the grove of his neck. This time though, Naruto was not asleep, instead he clung to Itachi for some form of comfort and warmth, which he found to be just what he was given. Naruto was seriously confused at this point: he loved and felt a deep bond of friendship with Sasuke, but he felt a familiar warmth from Itachi that soothed his nerves and made him just that little bit happier. he tried to reason with himself and the conflicting emotions in his head, Sasuke had moved on to Sakura now, hadn't he? naruto buried his head deeper into the folds of Itachi's shirt and cried, knowing that Konohagakure was a distant memory for him without Sasuke.

"Huh...?" Itachi was startled as he heard the ragged breath of the blond, and knowing he was crying, held him closer instinctively to comfort him. All sense of reason snapped for Naruto at that point. Dazed, low on chakra and upset, he needed the warmth that Itachi gave him. Still crying, he lifted up his head, wrapped his arms around Itachi's neck and kissed him hard. Itachi, shocked, lost his balance and the two fell to the floor, only just managing to scrape a landing. Naruto clung to Itachi tightly.

"What was that?" Itachi asked. Naruto just looked away sheepishly, his face red, but Itachi wouldn't allow it. He pulled Naruto towards him and kissed him deeply. As the two stood there entwined, Naruto licked Itachi's lip coyly, asking for entrance. Itachi complied, but as soon as Naruto's tongue entered his mouth, the kiss was dominated completely by Itachi.

When Sasuke finally managed to find Naruto, he entered a scene which shocked him. Naruto, clothed in the Akatsuki cloak, was asleep in Itachi's lap, and Itachi semi-naked with only plain black jeans on. It looked nothing less than confusing and wierd. Itachi looked at him with a coy innocence, then at Naruto, who stirred at his sudden movement and woke.

"Nng...Itachi?" he yawned as he stretched like a cat and smiled slightly. It made Sasuke sick to look at.

"Naruto" he said softly. The blond followed his voice and saw him standing before them, yet made no effort to move towards Sasuke, nor speak a word to him. Instead, he and Itachi stood to face Sasuke, Naruto's hand clutched to Itachi's.

"Sasuke" Naruto said finally with no attempt to hide the blank coldness in his voice. Despite himself, Sasuke was hurt by the hate in Naruto's voice, and found himself almost sinking to his knees with the pain which erupted in his chest.

"Itachi, give Naruto back to me" Sasuke snarled. Itachi looked at the boy beside him, noticing the look of pained anger on his face. Grinning, Itachi wrapped his arm around the blond and pulled him closer.

"Nuh-uh, Sasuke will have to play a game first, if you can kill me, I'll give the boy back"

Naruto looked confusedly at Itachi, following his gaze to Sasuke who tightened his stance and smiled feraly.

"Gladly" he snarled, leaping forward, only to miss Itachi by inches as he pulled Naruto onto a branch of the tree above.

"Sasuke! Stop, just go. I don't want you to get hurt, just go back to Sakura"

"Sakura?" Sasuke was confused as he aimed a bladed chidori at Itachi, causing the two to change position again. "You left before I could explain, I only fell on top of her"

"Yeah? Is that the best excuse you could find or did you just pull it out of your ass, coz it sounds like shit?" Naruto growled, hiding behind Itachi as Sasuke made a move to seize his arm. Itachi grinned.

"Just go, Sasuke. The boy wishes to stay"

"Naruto, I'm not leaving here without you. I need you"

Naruto stepped out from behind Itachi, swayed by Sasuke's words.

"Aww, kiss and make up? Well too bad, I've already had blondie here twice." Sasuke stepped backwards and tears spilled down Naruto's cheeks.

"It's not...that's...Naruto?" Sasuke looked genuinely hurt, which came as a shock to him as well as Itachi.

"N-Not by choice Sasuke..." Naruto pleaded.

"What the hell? And here I thought we'd just bonded and all that" Itachi sighed. Sasuke forced back bile as he looked at the pathetic Jinchuriki before him, reduced to begging for his forgiveness after doing something incomprehensible. The task ahead of him, still fresh in his mind, forced him to extend his hand and as the nin to take it. Naruto looked at Sasuke with shocked wonder as he took said hand and was pulled to his feet. Spite and hatered clouded Sasuke's mind as he embraced Naruto. Itachi stepped backwards.

"You can keep the kid for now, Sasuke...but I will be back for him. One way or another, Naruto is Akatsuki property" he growled as Kisame emerged from the trees, slightly bruised and swordless. Samehada soon emerged, whistling through the air as Sakura hurled it at the blue nin.

"Let's go" Sasuke muttered.