Forced Hand

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.


Forced Hand
By 11


Chapter 09


“Brother…?”

Blue eyes shifted back to Sasuke a glower now set into his features along with a stiffness in his body, as if ready for the other man to attack.

“You haven’t been a very well behaved envoy,” the young man ‘tsk’ed at Sasuke in a chiding way. Naruto heard his companion squelch a growl in his throat. Shifting his eyes back at the man though Naruto noted that he in fact looked quite a bit like Sasuke. He had the same dark hair; it longer than Sasuke’s though, and fell behind his shoulders tied back at the nape. Crimson eyes with dark patches, Sasuke’s eyes looked like that sometimes too…

“What are you doing here Itachi? Shouldn’t you be at home? What if that thing found you?” Sasuke asked, trying to keep the edge out of his voice, and partially failing. This wasn’t supposed to happen, what was HE doing here NOW? This shouldn’t be happening.

“Well I didn’t come completely defenseless, that’d be too much like you.” The young man smiled brightly. But somehow despite the implied sincerity it looked like the smile a wolf might give a flock of sheep while assuring them that he’d already eaten that day.

“So Kisame’s around here somewhere?” Sasuke asked. Kisame? Who was that?

“Kisame is right here,” Itachi answered for the man as he stepped away from the shadows; Naruto looked over, he hadn’t even realized there had been someone standing there. But the guy… Kisame, he had blue skin, more like scales really, and dark slanted eyes.

“It’s rude to stare.” Itachi chided gently when Naruto’s eyes didn’t shift from his uniquely colored bodyguard. “He’s half dragon, if you’re wondering.”

“You still didn’t answer my question. What are you doing here?” Sasuke said, stepping in closer to Naruto. Beyond that motion though there was no further body language to indicate that the blonde between them was already taken or otherwise had a prior appointment.

“I decided you were taking too long in bringing my bride to me.” He answered as if it was the most simple and plausible thing in the world. Naruto had to do a double take given the flippant air.

“I’m sorry, ‘your bride’?” He repeated in question glancing briefly at Sasuke before looking back at Itachi uncertainly, then back at Sasuke. He would not meet his eyes.

“Yes. ‘My bride’, the ‘heiress’ of Konoha who it seems my brother has been attempting to steal away from me before we have even become acquainted with one another.” Itachi said still smiling slightly. “And it’s allright, by the way Sasuke, I will forgive your indiscretions of course. That’s what family is for after all; even if you were acting against me.”

So were the brain cells spinning enough? No of course not!! Naruto grimaced slightly, shaking his head to clear it and try to piece together bits of information from the whole conversation. He wasn’t engaged to Sasuke… the heir of Somuhorm. But he was engaged to the older brother who was the actual heir of Somuhorm… Itachi…? Sasuke was the envoy, or person who came to get him for his brother?

“Hold on! What!?!” Naruto hissed out, edging away from both Sasuke and Itachi, “What was this whole thing?! Why didn’t you tell me I was supposed to be… to your brother!!? And what…? Why…? Last night then…!?!”

How could this happen? Just when he was almost getting used to the idea of Sasuke… this happened… and after what had happened; suddenly it meant nothing?

“Oh I’m sure my brother didn’t intend to harm you emotionally or confuse you or otherwise,” Itachi assured Naruto, stepping closer, Naruto in turn backing as far as the street way’s wall allowed him. “And if I am not mistaken you are still a virgin, despite the rash conduct between the two of you last evening.”

Naruto visibly paled. Itachi saw that? Or he knew somehow? But then he also knew his bride was… “You know that I’m…?” and that seriously didn’t bother him either?

“A male? Yes, why should that bother me? It didn’t bother my brother in any case,” Itachi chuckled lightly. Blue eyes scanned back towards Sasuke, he hadn’t moved since Naruto stepped away. Dark eyes would still not meet his, and stared blankly ahead. A vague sort of anger stiffened his jaw, but no further relinquishment of internal feeling was betrayed in him.

“It’s getting later, my lord,” Kisame noted drawing the older youth’s attention momentarily away from Naruto. “We should head to the palace, where I believe that their traveling group is already arranged.”

“It’s at Kodoku’s palace then?” Itachi asked Naruto amiably. Naruto only nodded. “Okay, then shall we?” the heir of Somuhorm suggested, stepping back again to allow Naruto to walk ahead first, Itachi following behind, with Sasuke and Kisame somewhere behind there, possibly walking somewhere to the side as well. However it seemed that Itachi was walking fairly close to the side, just behind Naruto so he just kept walking, hoping he didn’t accidentally turn them down the wrong roadway.

Itachi. It was difficult finding a way to describe him without using something involving incredibly evil synonymously with something friendly and fluffy. He was attractive, that much couldn’t really be denied. Where Neji was beautiful with grace, Itachi was refined with a predatory kind of stride.

If Gaara was cute but occasionally dangerous Itachi seemed feral and friendly. Between him and Sasuke, if Itachi cut his hair it might spring up in that rooster tail like his younger brother’s hair did. Sasuke had dark eyes though, and Itachi had crimson; but Sasuke’d occasionally turned crimson so did that count? Both were pale, and both were beautiful, which one more so was a far more difficult question to pose so Naruto decided not to answer it, and think no more on the matter.

Besides that they had since arrived at Kodoku’s gates, the guards admitting Sasuke and ‘Naruko’ and their ‘guests’ immediately. He hadn’t informed Itachi that not everyone knew… but maybe it wouldn’t come up when everyone else addressed him as a girl…

“Princess Naruko!!”

There it was of course, and now… what?

“Princess, oh, and Prince Sasuke, we’re glad you’re back we’d hoped you’d come by soon,” Lee greeted jovially, bowing to the two he knew to be royalty. “We’re almost all ready to set off, it won’t be a long journey from here.”

“Welcome back Naruko,” Neji greeted as Lee proceeded them back towards the palace entrance where both Neji and Gaara stood nearby to Sakura and Ino, the blonde girl waving slightly to the group and Sakura nodded to them. She looked kind of out of it.

“Are these friends of yours? Princess? Prince?” Neji asked politely his eyes falling on Itachi and Kisame, a small chill reaching along his spine as crystal eyes watched crimson.

“Oh, actually this is Sasuke’s older brother, and his bodyguard,” Naruko said, “This is Kisame, and his Majesty Itachi,” Naruto paused slightly at the last words slid out thickly, it somehow didn’t feel quite right, like this wasn’t truly happening and yet he knew it was. “The heir of Somuhorm.”

Ino’s eyes widened a fraction, Lee started slightly as his eyes went with everyone elses to Itachi. Gaara and Neji must have hid their surprise well, or else this had in no way effected them. Itachi nodded to the group before him.

“I thank the heir of Falcon for accompanying my fiance and younger brother thus far, and I am also grateful to the heir of Kodoku for their hospitality here in the desert kingdom.” Itachi told them graciously.

“We are glad to have met both your brother and your fiance,” Gaara said accepting the thanks for both himself and Neji, “You are a lucky man. I hope you do not mind, but we wish to accompany her to Somuhorm’s capital to see her off safely.”

“Of course, as friends of my bride to be, you are of course my friends as well,” Itachi told them. Seemingly unaware of the pair of green eyes staring intently into his red orbs. “You are all invited to the wedding of course, it would be wonderful if you could all come. I’m sure Naruko would love to have you as well.” Naruto inwardly winced a little when Itachi said his name as a girl, it didn’t sound false, but it somehow felt weird that Itachi was suddenly privy to his secret when he had tried so hard to cover it up.

“Thank you, we accept your invitation of course,” Ino piped up happily, the royals smiling behind her as well. Of course Gaara didn’t smile but he nodded and tried a small one, it didn’t work too well but the message was conveyed and Itachi didn’t seem to mind either Sakura or Gaara’s relatively blank faces.

“Well, the journey really is only a few more days away, and we should be ready to leave soon,” Lee started again, “I’ll have to notify the company to make another palanquin for you, your majesty. It shouldn’t take too long we will send for everyone when it’s ready to go.”

“Thank you very much,” Itachi agreed. He glanced surreptitiously at Kisame and the older man barely nodded as well, riding in a palanquin would be a preferred change from the walk/run that Itachi had taken all the way here. Though admittedly it was their advantage when they encountered the rays at the deserts border, the encounter had even been… enjoyable.

A slight tug on Sakura’s arm momentarily drew her attention away from Itachi, to the blonde girl beside her, “I’m going to go help everyone get that next palanquin and everything,” Ino told her. Sakura nodded and she left. Itachi was also heading off, she started after him. There was something that’d been bugging her the moment he walked through the palace gates.

“Yes, little girl?” Itachi asked stopping in the hallway, not yet facing her. Sakura paused behind him, green eyes focusing on the back of his head as if somehow they could bore straight through him and give her the answer she sought without asking him.

“What did you do to me in that hotel room?” she asked straight out. His response wasn’t what she’d first expected, but then what had she expected him to do, or say? She heard him chuckle first as if he found something slightly amusing, not terribly so, but enough to snort at it.

“So you remembered that?” he seemed to muse aloud as he turned around to face her. Green eyes again locked into red, they were the same eyes, she was sure of it then and sure of it now. Those were the eyes that she saw right before she had that killer headache.

“I just sampled a few of your memories.”

“My memories?” Sakura asked hollowly. She waited for him to explain, but he didn’t. “Which ones?”

“That is of no concern to you really,” Itachi told her his honeyed voice bearing a slight edge this time around. “Just some information about what has happened to your merry little group so far.” Sakura didn’t flinch. He was smiling slightly, but the more she studied his smile the more it seemed to be mocking, something more twisted than a smile and possible insidious.

“Ta-ta.” He said before turning and continuing his way down the hall. He seemed to know his way around pretty well for someone who just arrived. That and he seemed like he owned the place rather than was merely visiting. She had thought that the hollow feeling inside of her would go away after this morning after she found out what had happened to her when she’d gotten that headache, but she still felt oddly empty. Perhaps she still wasn’t over Sasuke rejection… but that didn’t feel like it. She’d figure it out… eventually…

`

“I wanted to speak with you about that offer you made previously to me.”

Neji wasn’t really sure how he and Naruto ended up in this conversation, but they had a whole other half an hour to prepare for Itachi, the true heir of Somuhorm’s, palanquin for the rest of their journey, which promised to be very short. It made him feel truly terrible about what he had said to the blonde now. He wanted him to be happy, and he wanted him out of this mess, which suddenly got a lot deeper than they both had originally thought. But then Gaara was back in his life too. How can you choose between the person you’ve cared for ever since you were young and a person you met recently who captivated most all your senses and whose happiness you also wish to see.

“Oh?” Neji nodded to the blonde. He couldn’t retract his statement now, and it was true the moment he was out of the engagement and he could go back to Konoha as a boy, Neji and Gaara might still be able to… if Gaara understood, he probably would. Gaara wasn’t some sort of emotional girl who would grow jealous if he so much as talked to someone else, Gaara would understand.

“I have to say thanks but sorry.” Naruto said. Well that was somewhat surprising, after this turn of events if there was anyway out he himself might’ve taken it. “I appreciate your support in this whole weird deal… but I can’t ask you to do something like that. Things are complicated already, neither of us can rush into something like that.”

“Alright.” Neji agreed, smiling both inwardly and outwardly, “I am still your friend Naruto, and despite this new part of your contract, I will help you in any way I can.”

“Thanks Neji, you’re great,” Naruto nodded as he started off again. They had accidentally met up in the hallway and apparently Naruto wanted to get that idea cleared up before trying to concoct a new one. “By the way, I think you and Gaara would be really great for each other. I’m happy for you guys.”

That one threw Neji momentarily for a loop. Apparently Naruto was also really… really, observant, to have picked up on that. He hadn’t thought they’d done so much to betray that anyway was between them. Little did Neji know that it was more or less due to the demon six sense he shared at all times with the fox a small ways away, but the less anyone knew of that the happier Naruto mostly was. Well as happy as a boy in constant drag can be anyway.

Looking up Neji hadn’t even realized his cousin was only a little ways away. “Hinata?” Neji greeted in question. She had not been there when he and Naruto had been talking he would have seen her…

“This was my room… I was checking up if I left anything by accident before we left… I was leaving to go see Temari, we’re thinking of being on the same palanquin,” Hinata explained for him. “I’m surprised you didn’t pressure him.” She was talking about Naruto of course. “Not even after that weird deal with Itachi… Somuhorm wasn’t very straightforward about just who Naruto was supposed to be engaged to.”

“But now, that would have been the perfect opportunity if you wanted him,” Hinata noted. “Or are you back together with Gaara.”

Of course she analyzed the situation perfectly, but that didn’t mean that those were the only reason’s Neji wasn’t acting as Hinata seemed to perceive him most of the time. Though he did suppose it was a good thing that she was speaking her mind more, even if he didn’t really agree with what she said and thought about him and their family.

“I know I can’t take back how I looked down on you as a child.” He stated simply, “I can’t take back all the times I called you weak for being unable to use your eyes as I did then.”

“Even if you can’t or won’t believe me, I can say it as many times before you can at least acknowledge this,” he continued, she didn’t interrupt but she didn’t move either. “I do love you, you are my sister and all I want is for you to be happy.”

“How can I believe that?” she asked softly, clear eyes watching the same clear colored orbs.

“Up until you came back, everything in my life has centered around myself, before Naruto brought you back to Falcon,” Neji explained. “I know that, but there was no one else in my life. Then I went with you and Naruto and that brought me here to Gaara again.”

Neji’s eyes shifted to the wall over Hinata’s shoulder, he hadn’t even realized before he came back here how much he had missed Gaara. They had separated when he went to oversee some last matters of state before his short absence for the journey to Somuhorm of the wedding. He should be done soon though, he should go see him, he wanted to.

A small glint of recognition seemed to flicker at the corner of Hinata’s own eyes and she turned her face to the wall. “I understand that much.” She nodded, “Gaara’s sister has been really nice to me so far too. But she wasn’t in her room probably seeing to her bike or something before leaving for a while for Somuhorm and the wedding, right? See you, brother.”

Hinata turned and started off down the hall, probably to go and try to find Temari. Neji also had someone he wanted to find, he headed for the states room, and the meeting had ended as he had thought, Gaara was on his way out. He was probably last since the ministers left him to see to the last technicalities as their small form of resistance to having a human bonded to a demon as their ruler.

No words were needed, as Neji fell into step beside him and they retired to an empty room to sit and wait for the entourage to declare themselves fit for departure. Or wait until they thought of something else that needed seeing to here, and then do it and go back to waiting.

For the moment they did think of something to do… even if it could also have been seen to any other time the two were in each other’s presence and mostly alone. Leaning against Neji’s side Gaara glanced up at him, and sitting back more Neji allowed Gaara to move in closer towards him, turning his own body to meet the redhead halfway.

The green eyed youth couldn’t help sighing slightly as his lips again brushed over Neji’s silken mouth, a warm cavern welcoming him kindly, a pair of firm arms pulling him close in a near protective gesture.

Neji pulled back gently, nuzzling against Gaara’s neck lightly. Soft words whispered to him were oddly out of place in the near conversational tone and yet suggestive content still more or less completely unrelated to either of them. “Think my sister likes your sister?”

“Possibly… I don’t know for sure.” Gaara answered, kissing lightly along the Falcon heir’s exposed throat. “It seems you’ve remade your list now that she’s back, is that right?”

“Yes, sort of,” Neji agreed, “It’s not as long as it once was, but at that length it was unrealistic.”

“Who’s first?” Gaara asked leaning forward more to reach Neji’s ear and nip lightly at the end, drawing a small barely audible moan from his partner.

“Me.” Neji answered shortly drawing back to look Gaara in the eyes.

“That figures.” Gaara snorted, but was quickly cut off from saying anything further when Neji’s mouth descended on his, hips lips moving over Gaara’s own, the same taste filling the redhead’s senses that was Neji. Drawing back Neji spoke again briefly.

“Hinata’s second, sorry.” The apology wasn’t genuine really, but Gaara knew that the boy’s sister would always have to be second if she was there, but still pouted slightly as if annoyed. “But you come right after her.” Neji assured him leaning down nudging Gaara’s head to the side gently so he could trail his lips against the redhead’s throat, just as Gaara had teased Neji, not too long before.

“Aren’t I lucky.” It came out in the sarcastic tone that Gaara meant for the conversation but the moan right after from Neji’s light nip sort of ruined the effect. Oh well.

“Then Naruko… poor girl, she’s really been put through the ringer now.” Neji noted, pausing slightly in his ministrations for thought, “I didn’t even know Somuhorm had two sons.”

“Neither did I,” Gaara agreed trying to shove out the part of his mind labeled Libido that was crying something along the lines of ‘forget Naruto! Bring back the pleasureness! I was happy!!’. Neji raised his head and Gaara pulled himself onto the brunette’s lap, straddling him slightly, his hips pressing down just enough to feel Neji’s growing hardness and so that Neji could feel his own growing arousal. “But, for right now, does it matter?”

“No.” Neji said smirking slightly, (and Libido cried: Yes! Naruto is forgotten! Pleasure mode is back!) “I guess not.” Neji leaned forward and Gaara met him half way moving their mouths together as their hips mimicked their lips movements onto each other.

Until the palanquin and entire entourage was ready they could do this.

Libido was happy.

`

She knocked on the door first, that should have notified Temari if she was in there. When there was no answer, Hinata called out for her, still no answer. Turning the door handle and easing the door open she opened it fully and stepped in. It was Temari’s room, and the dresser was somewhat a mess, but the bed was made, and there were a few articles of clothes tossed on the floor, but the room was vacant of it’s owner.

Hm, where could she be. Hinata frowned lightly, wondering where else Temari might have gone to wait other than her room or her bike…

The creak of the door behind her was the reason she turned, but she probably should have thought wiser of it before she did so, at least that’s what half of her thought. The other half was very glad she’d turned, otherwise she may not have ever seen…

“Uh…” were the much applauded words of one shocked and embarrassed Hinata and one shocked and slightly confused Temari… who was also completely naked after coming out from a bath or shower in her bathroom.

For the first few seconds Hinata couldn’t seem to make her body function to turn her eyes away and start apologizing, perhaps she was still in too much shock. Though in retrospect, it was Hinata’s own fault for not realizing that Temari must have been in the restroom and left or done something else for the moment until the Kodoku princess was decent.

“Didn’t hear you knock,” Temari said offering a small grin before leaning over to her dresser for a towel. It was around then that Hinata finally managed to turn around quickly fighting down the furious blush on her face and started garbling away apologies for her rudeness. Also somewhere in the mess was her saying she hadn’t meant to enter her room when Temari was in such attire and that she had only wanted to speak to her for a while before they started out. But it was difficult to decipher with how fast she was speaking plus the apology in every other sentence.

Temari was wearing a robe when she managed to finally silence poor apologizing/blushing Hinata with an embrace from behind. Her head resting on the dark-haired girl’s shoulder. Hinata’s body stiffened slightly, though her flush remained. At least Temari wasn’t mad, that was good.

“It’s okay, Hinata. Deep breaths now.” Temari told her gently. Hinata breathed shakily, the redness from her cheeks fading slightly as her body adjusted itself to Temari’s close proximity. It was fine, really, it didn’t matter that the other girl was so close she could smell the sweet strawberry from the blonde’s hair and the soapy scent from her skin, both newly groomed from her shower.

It wasn’t AS fine when the girl’s cheek grazed hers lightly before resting closer to her neck, her lips hovering just above her throat. A shudder ran down her spine, but she didn’t move, she felt the heat in her face flare again with the realization that she was being… nuzzled! By Temari!

Then as soon as she was there she withdrew. Not here… “So did you see the guy whose palanquin we’re supposed to be waiting on now?”

“Oh yes!” Hinata nodded, not yet turning but already the flush receded with the return to normalcy.

“Okay, cause I haven’t seen him yet,” Temari noted as she slid a robe on, “So he’s Sasuke’s older brother is that it?”

“Yes, that is correct,” Hinata nodded, venturing a glance and, seeing it was safe, turned to face the person she was speaking to. Temari had this easy way of going one thing to another and changing topic so easily, not that nuzzling had been a topic but the places where Temari’s warm skin had brushed her own was burning and it wouldn’t go away. It would have been extremely embarrassing if it weren’t for the girl’s conversation over Itachi’s appearance. It made everything more even, as if nothing had happened; indeed that might have been what Hinata may have dismissed it as, a thought, but for the burning against her throat where the other girl’s touch lingered.

`

He’d been trying to pinpoint the fox’s location for some time now, but he couldn’t pinpoint it, and it seemed to keep moving as well. But when he tried to call out of him mentally he got no answer, the silence wasn’t really ignoring him for anger, more like he already knew what was going on and found it amusing enough that he’d leave Naruto to figure it out for himself. The blonde never appreciated that from the fox, it usually resulted in an event that was humiliating or embarrassing for him.

Turning the corner he paused when he saw Gaara exiting one of the many rooms, shutting the door behind him. He looked oddly happy, and the look didn’t quite fade when he noticed Naruto though it did seem to dim a bit. “Hello Naruto, you made it back safely, I heard. You’re night went well also I hope?”

“Uh… yeah…” Naruto agreed a muscle in his back twitched slightly with the second intonation and explanation his mind immediately offered up in place of his response to the question. “I was trying to find Kyuubi, have you seen him?”

Gaara shook his head, green eyes leaving Naruto’s in favor of the wall next to him, “I haven’t seen him. Ichibi’s been out for a while too, but that’s not so unusual for him.”

“Okay, well thank you anyway,” Naruto nodded continuing down the hall but paused again as he was passing Gaara. The boy hadn’t moved, and he looked a little blanker, the almost happy look now completely gone. What had he done? Was something wrong? Without thinking really Naruto voiced his concern.

“Nothing really,” Gaara shook his head.

“But you won’t look at me in the eyes when you talk to me anymore?” Naruto asked puzzled slightly. Gaara hesitated but slowly looked up at Naruto’s face, green eyes searching blue for a moment.

“So you’re not mad at me anymore?” Gaara asked. “Or did you just forget over the festival?”

“Forget? Are you talking about the fight yesterday morning?” Naruto asked. Yesterday morning, was it really that short a time ago? “Of course I’m not mad at you! I never was.”

“We’re friends after all,” Naruto assured him with a grin, “I told you so.” Did something smell funny about Gaara?

“Yeah you did,” Gaara nodded allowing the corners of his mouth to curve up slightly.

“Also you and your siblings are all coming with us the rest of the way to Somuhorm, that’s really great, it’s not much of a journey now but it’s still nice that you’re all coming along with us for the remainder of the trip.” Naruto noted absently. Yes Gaara did smell funny, it took him a moment but he figured it out easily enough, it was a bit surprising but nonetheless a good thing by the smell of things. It would also explain why Gaara looked so vaguely happy when he left the room behind him.

“Well I have to go find Kyuubi, I’ll see you later Gaara,” Naruto said as he started off again, then before he left the hallway with a turn, “Gaara! I hope it works out between you and Neji!”

“What…?” Gaara said starting slightly and turning to ask after the blonde but he was gone. He could smell Neji on him? Well he wasn’t unhappy about it, and he wished them luck. A bit out of place, but it was a nice gesture he supposed shaking his head. Neji would wake up in a bit, an by then it would probably be time to leave.

As Naruto continued on his way he couldn’t help the grin on his face, Neji and Gaara, they would be good for each other he figured. Kyuubi was around this part of the palace somewhere, one floor up. Heading for the stairs he climbed them three at a time launching himself up into the next hallway, the fox’s presence was stronger and something else, but he sensed that too late; he had been too busy focusing on Kyuubi to realize he barrelled right into a person. With the impact he knocked himself backwards slightly, but a hand caught his shoulder.

“Ah… sorry about that, I didn’t mean to run into you!” He quickly apologized to the person, before he looked up and realized who it was.

“Itachi… oh hey!” Naruto greeted, as jovially as he possibly could in the boy’s presence. He wasn’t unattractive, that wasn’t it, far from it, Itachi was gorgeous, that wasn’t the problem. The problem was that he couldn’t seem to relax around him. Something about him always made him want to stay guarded.

“You really shouldn’t run so recklessly in the halls,” Itachi chided softly, a smile gracing his lips, though it did not quite reach his eyes, something else shone in them.

“Yeah,” Naruto nodded minutely in agreement, he thought he knew that look from somewhere but before he could place it a pair of lips covered his own.

It was too fast, nothing seemed to register until a whole thirty seconds after the fact. That Itachi’s lips were moving against his own and that he moaned against the motion. It felt good, that registered, that Itachi was holding him, and that he was allowing him into his mouth. Intense, Naruto heard himself whimper against Itachi as the other’s tongue dueled momentarily against his own. A heat was starting to pool through him starting with his lips, where they were starting to shudder slightly sending a buzzing shivery sensation through him to his spine. The heat pooled through his chest and core till it reached the pit of his stomach. He was burning up beneath Itachi.

He was vaguely aware that Itachi’s hand had moved from his shoulder to the back of his neck, his touch felt soft and… hot. Searing through his skin to his throat and then downwards. His body was also pressed against Itachi’s. It was firm and strong, somehow there was friction, maybe they were moving against one another in the same way that Itachi was now driving his tongue in and out of his mouth. Why did it feel so good, how could it. He could barely do anything, part of him said to push him away but that part was so small while the other just wanted more of the burning heat coiling through him.

He felt a sudden burst of anger, but it wasn’t his own, perhaps the Kyuubi had been sifting his thoughts and found out what was happening, was he on his way to help now? As soon as it was there it was gone and all Naruto could focus on was Itachi’s firm length against him, his tongue in his mouth and the firey taste that brought. The iron hold of either Itachi or Naruto’s own unwillingness to move kept his body still, or was he pressed against the wall now? Either way he couldn’t move and all he could do was focus on the burning touch that Itachi’s hands and tongue left on his throat and lips. There was something metallic in Itachi’s taste…

The sound was heard first, then he could smell it, the smell of fresh blood with the sound of skin breaking. Blue eyes remained shut before the heated mouth withdrew as quickly as it had come, the firm body against his leaving only a second later. Naruto opened his eyes, breathing heavily, he had barely noticed the burn of his lungs for lack of air. He was pressed against the wall, and Itachi was standing nearby now, with Kyuubi’s jaws sunk firmly into his arm.

Red eyes met red, crimson burning into rusty fire. Naruto glanced toward the stairwell where the racoon, Ichibi, appeared seconds later. Neither the fox nor the man backed down from the exchange of glare. The hammering footsteps at the stairs managed to draw attention though.

“The palanquin for Somuhorm’s heir is all set, we’re calling everyone downstairs for departure,” Kiba was near shouting as he ascended the stairwell. In his own mind the brunette thinking something along the lines of ‘took ‘em long enough’! But he stopped dead silent when his eyes fell on Itachi, standing still very close to ‘Naruko’ who was slightly flushed and leaning back against the wall and Itachi’s bloody arm and the all but snarling fox bristled nearby, it didn’t take a genius to figure it out. Kiba wasn’t a genius, he dismissed it immediately; the instance itself however seemed to call for silence as he was addressing royalty.

“My apologies, your majesties, everyone is to report to the courtyard, with your highness Itachi’s approval of the prepared palanquin we will depart shortly,” Kiba announced, bowing slightly to the royals. And Itachi had better approve of it, it was fast becoming noon, they definitely wouldn’t make it to Somuhorm this very day. That much was sure already from the current delays.

“Yes, we will be right down,” Naruko nodded, agreeing for both of them and managed a small smile to Kiba who nodded then and started back down the way he came. No more words were said, there were really none to be said, Naruto picked up the angry fox and hurried downstairs towards the courtyard. Itachi behind him and also Ichibi who caught up to walk at Naruto’s heels until they reached downstairs where the raccoon decided to run ahead and greet its human.

Everyone was down and some people were already climbing into their carriers, eager to set out, and considering the late hour of the morning it was no great wonder. Kisame who had been lingering somewhere in the halls exited and stood behind Itachi for the time being. Naruto spotted Sasuke near to the wall a short ways away, and he watched Naruto but lingered far from him, probably for his brother’s presence.

The blonde wasn’t sure what to think anymore, and currently the fox’s mind was too filled with ‘stinking human’ and ‘I’ll rip his throat out’ for him to even try to think to the fox his concerns over all that had happened in these short hours. He’d try later when they were underway.

First Sasuke and he… well not exacty slept together persay, but they might’ve if they hadn’t been so exhausted. Then he found out about Itachi, and he hadn’t had a chance to speak with Sasuke, and the younger brother avoided him when Itachi was near as well.

That first feeling of disgust, apprehension, and fear were starting to surface again, the same feelings he’d experienced at the start of this excursion, the feeling that had prompted him to attempt escape twice. This was different though, this way felt too closed in. And Itachi’s kiss… it had completely overwhelmed him, and he couldn’t seem to be able to do anything! To touch back or to push him away, anything! He’d just stood there unable to even cry out. A spiral of sickness wound itself around his stomach and clenched tightly. He gripped Kyuubi in his arms slightly. He’d talk to the fox in just a bit alone when they started journeying again, and then… the fox would know what to do… he’d know… something!

“Your Majesty Itachi!” Lee hailed bowing as he rushed over to the dark-haired heir and his bodyguard, “Your palanquin should be all prepared, if you would care to inspect it and make sure it’s to your liking we can set out as soon as it is approved!”

Itachi nodded, crimson eyes gliding momentarily over to Naruto’s arms and the fox contained in them, the beast met his eyes evenly, before Itachi moved away with the green knight, Kisame following just behind him. As Itachi moved away Sasuke moved nearer to Naruto. The blonde felt his body loose a bit of it’s stiffness at the familiar presence, but he still felt wary of everything. Thankfully the worry didn’t seem to reach his face, the slight imprint of a smile was easy to keep in place after these many years of practice and having to look happy wearing a dress. Though at this moment that was the least of his troubles.

Glancing over at Itachi he could still see the slight stain of red on the cloth at Itachi’s arm where Kyuubi had sunk his fangs into the young man. There were other ways that Kyuubi could have saved him, what brought on that violence? Mentally he voiced this query and the foxes reply came back volatile and strong. He was touching you, and you are mine. Naruto nodded to himself slightly, the fox had his quirks sometimes, and it really was pointless to try and get inside it’s head about these sort of things. Come to think of the Kyuubi, Kyuubi had known his true name. Sasuke had known about the fox. And Naruto had yet to find out how had Sasuke figured out his name…

Sasuke had stayed silent even after he stood beside Naruto, it would have been pointless to ask if he was allright, but at this point… with Itachi, he couldn’t think of anything he could do to comfort the other boy. He couldn’t think of anything, he was angry he knew that much. Itachi wasn’t even supposed to be here, but he was, and that was a complication he had yet to find a way to deal with.

“Sasuke?” Naruto asked.

“Hn?” Sasuke answered, dark eyes given an excuse to linger over the blonde beside him.

“Did Kyuubi tell you my name?”

“Yes.” Sasuke answered. In Naruto’s arms he felt the fox twitch slightly at the admission. But Naruto didn’t feel mad. It was difficult to really even be irritated about much for the moment. Now he was just waiting for his mind to fully catch up with all that had happened. He so far was trying to take the whole Itachi thing maturely, but it was a difficulty not to start screaming, and then maybe run off somewhere and never come back. Strange, he hadn’t had this much trouble when it was Sasuke; it was like this but not to such a degree. But it was confusing to think about that as well.

Sasuke frowned as he studied the subtle shifting in Naruto’s face and eyes, he was thinking over this and he was troubled; of course who wouldn’t be. He wanted to touch him, hold him, and pull him close. Try and comfort him and if not that, at least let him know he was there to help in any way he could. His hand flexed and he fisted his hand shut tightly to keep it from moving toward the blonde. He was so close, but he couldn’t reach out to him. It hurt now, and the Konoha heir wasn’t even yet married to his brother. Would he even be able to stand for this?

Within moments Itachi’s approval of his palanquin was given and all passengers, servants, laborers, and guards took up their places as they set out of the city and headed across the desert. Back into the forest now on the other side of the demon filled mountains that the group had forgone crossing in favor of a less dangerous detour.

Thanks to the Kodoku charms and techniques for keeping the sand rays away they made it across the desert without interruption of any kind. Time was being made quite well as they neared closer to the Somuhorm border, however there were several people who weren’t so delighted at that prospect.

Naruto had been planning to talk to Kyuubi once they were underway when they could. But instead the blonde sat alone in his palanquin, glaring into empty place. He had reached out to Kyuubi with his mind and the fox was around but he was choosing to ignore him for the moment.

Both the fox and his new, friend as it would seem, the raccoon Ichibi had taken off once they were into the forest a ways in order to wander around the palanquin’s during this section of their journey. Naruto wasn’t particularly thrilled but it didn’t mean that he was completely unable to try and figure a way out himself. He would have preferred the fox’s council but for the moment he would have to do without.

Dark golden eyes glared ahead at the flurry of red just ahead of him. No, he wasn’t really glaring, but he was slightly irritated ever since the fox told him which palanquin they were going to get on next. Ichibi had quickly come to the conclusion he would never quite understand the fox, he had been hanging around the red-furred beast since the festival though and still hadn’t made any progress.

Now it was almost like they were friends, at least as long as Ichibi didn’t try and fight Kyuubi. He’d tried that in the morning as soon as he woke up… it didn’t work too well but the fox was rather magnanimously forgiving then. But of course he could afford that when he had as much strength as he did. What really was getting to him was this current obsession the fox had managed to concoct within the last couple of hours…

The two demons hopped aboard the steppe next to the targeted palanquin before hopping onto the carrier itself through the light curtain provided for privacy should the occupant wish to sleep or engage in an otherwise activity that they preferred not to be disturbed while doing. The sound of a steel sword being drawn was the first thing Ichibi heard upon entering, golden eyes flashing towards the oddly colored half-dragon bodyguard of the Somuhorm heir. Kisame sat with his sword half drawn from the hilt, eyeing both furry intruders with a critical eye.

“Should I kill them for disturbing us, my lord?” Kisame questioned quietly of his lord. The pale youth shook his head, his eyes glancing over either furred beast as he did so.

“No it’s fine,” he answered, and Kisame’s sword slowly slid back into its sheath clicking shut. Both pairs of red eyes again locked on each other. Yes this was what bothered Ichibi, he wasn’t sure why but it did. Ever since that first instant when Kyuubi bit him he his mind had constantly been raging about Itachi in one form or another, it was a growing obsession that bothered the raccoon for some reason. Probably because he himself rather disliked the human. Mentally he voiced his thoughts to the fox.

Oh is Ichibi jealous…? The fox crooned back the beginnings a small smirk quirking the sides of his mouth upwards, though his eyes did not stray from Itachi’s.

No! Ichibi denied vehemently. But it’s weird! And to the raccoon it truly was as he explained. That human stinks of blood!

That’s what’s so exciting to me… the fox drawled back. Ichibi inwardly frowned, gold eyes brushing over Itachi and then back at the bodyguard, still watching both the fox and raccoon with a mild distrust. The one-tailed demon shook his head slightly, he never would understand Kyuubi, he’d already established that. So why even try?

Inwardly the Kyuubi was mostly seething for the moment, red rusting eyes bored against crimson in anger; how dare this stinking human touch HIS Naruto as he did? True enough that the fox hadn’t made as big a fuss over things when this human’s younger brother touched his human, but then he had also pre-approved Sasuke as well. Itachi had had no such consent from the nine-tailed demon.

Unconsciously the fox’s head lowered his tongue snaking out across his mouth, red eyes drifting momentarily to the youth’s arm, the cloth of his covering had been taken away and a white bandage adorned his wound. He now wore a sleeveless netted top, probably what was under that covering to begin with. He wore all black and with his dark hair and pale skin, the red of his eyes stood out in stark contrast and clarity. The fox’s mouth grew wet, oh how he wished to stain that human’s arm red once more. The human’s blood had been sweet to the taste, and he could remember it far too clearly. How his jaws ached for it, to sink once more into this man’s flesh.

The raccoon started, as Kyuubi lunged forward his fangs tearings once more into Itachi’s arm past the bandage a new flow of bright red stemming from the wound as the teeth sunk deeper. Kisame drew his sword instantly with the intent to kill the offending creature.

“Still yourself Kisame!”

The half-dragon paused his body and blade a foot away from the fox and his master, angry eyes still rooted on the beast that dared bite his lord Itachi. Dark eyes went to his master’s for instruction. Itachi did not meet Kisame’s eyes and instead watched as the Kyuubi loosened its jaw enough to clench only on the poor bandaged job on the youth’s arm and pull it away leaving the milky flesh marred by red bare.

The fox’s rough tongue slid across the wounds, Kisame winced slightly, was the thing trying to apologize now with this action? No, Itachi knew as much as the fox did that the licks were no apology, they were for the blood. When the flow started to ebb and die, the fox again sunk his teeth against the human’s arm just enough to the wound kept flowing red. Kisame’s hand twitched on the hilt of his blade. More than anything he wanted to cast that vile beast out and away from his lord Itachi. But for the moment his lord refused him that choice.

The Kyuubi could sense that he was starting to purr and that Ichibi’s golden eyes must now be watching him with horror but none of this mattered next to the taste of the blood he was currently allowed to sample. It was a sweet taste, Itachi smelt of blood as well, Ichibi had not been wrong about that. After licking away the last bit of the red treat from the milky skinned arm the fox did not again sink his fangs again, choosing instead to look again into crimson eyes just above him. Itachi was still watching him, and the fox smirked inwardly. He was still irritated imensely by the human and what he had done to his human, but he was also intrigued by this human.

The fox would not lose to this stinking human, he would not lose his Naruto to this sweet blooded human, with a beautiful face and blood colored eyes.

Itachi did not smile, but he watched the fox sitting before him, previously feasting itself on his blood. Something about it did not seem quite like a fox. It took him only a moment before the thought of the creature’s true nature came to mind, an interesting choice of pet for his new bride.

‘I want you’

`

It was already late. It would take 12 more hours of travel before the group would reach Somuhorm’s capital and the heir’s palace. It might not have been any trouble to keep going even though it was getting close to after dusk, if the roads thus far had not been so difficult to navigate. If they kept going they might lose their way and elongate their journey to three or four more days rather than just the two that would have been easily enough accomplished.

As the circumstances were it was a more favorable decision to stop and set up camp for one last night in the wilderness before continuing on and reaching Somuhorm’s capital by tomorrow afternoon. Kiba was with the group who spread the news to the palanquins when they were stopping to set up camp and then reported back to Lee for instructions to set back up so everything worked just right for the travelers and without a hitch.

“Shino, Shikamaru, you both should go and direct the tent set up with the palanquins so everyone has a comfortable place to stay. Ino, would you, Sakura and Tenten consent to help set up the cooking ingredients?” Lee started organization immediately, “And Kida, please go and get some water for the cooking process, we need two buckets. There’s a stream a ways off the road that way according to the map, please don’t take too long.”

“Yes sir,” everyone’s affirmative came before their group was dismissed and Lee would go on the conduct the rest to make sure everything was being done correctly and on time. Kiba was secretly grateful that he was allowed a job that the majority of the time consisted of being away from camp. Thus far through the morning and afternoon he had managed to safely avoid Kankuro, but when they had stopped to set up camp, he had been wondering just what to do then.

“Oh come on Lee, how about you let me go help the girls sort veggies, it’d be way easier,” Kiba complained half-heartedly. Lee gave him a stern look and said no more, so Kiba shook his head and started off, bucket in hand, towards where the map said a stream could be found. This had worked out better than he’d thought, this way he could avoid Kankuro further without looking like he was.

The stream wasn’t difficult to find but it was a bit of a walk away from camp, that was okay though, as long as no one wanted a glass of water in the middle of the night or something. Thinking on the matter further though more likely than not, Kankuro probably forgot and wasn’t even looking for him.

Kiba winced slightly as the thought seemed to trigger a muscle spasm or something, either way it hurt. But it wasn’t so much physical so much as something that settled in his stomach like a small but heavy stone. Probably from the walk, he must have been saddle sore or something. Actually if Kankuro wasn’t looking for him that would be a good thing, Kiba wouldn’t care if that was the case. It likely was the truth of the matter. It had been one weird night, and they both had bee drunk, so it really was of no consequence to either of them.

Filling the bucket Kiba stood and started back to camp, pouring the bucket into the pot the girls had prepared for it, giving a ‘hello’ and ‘how is the meal coming’ to the girls who shooed him away to get more water he left again for the stream. This job would be over fairly soon and then the slave driver Lee would give him another job more than likely, the lanky boy was a real stickler when it came to work. Oh well, one of them had to be or nothing would have ever gotten done between him and Shikamaru and Shino.

A bit boring really, he probably should have tried to complain more and gotten a better job to handle; helping the girls cook would have been great; free samples before anyone else ruled. It also meant snacking before actually eating, that was always fun.

He scooped the bucket through the water filling the second bucketful, before turning to head back to the camp, but paused when he spotted a familiar person standing nearby. He really shouldn’t have been there anyway… but somehow Kiba didn’t feel sick or wanting to run. He did set the bucket down though.

“Kankuro, what are you doing here?” he asked as he straightened back up again. Since he wasn’t answering right away, Kiba couldn’t resist a snort, “so you are stalking me?”

“No, but you’ve been avoiding me,” Kankuro noted, “I was curious why. Are you pregnant or something?”

“Pregnant?!” Kiba cried indignantly, “Gods! Yeah fucking right!!”

“Okay then why?” the boy questioned the brunette calmly.

“Geez,” Kiba sighed shaking his head, “why are all the Kodoku siblings so nutzo? Gaara only isn’t right some of the time, but you and your sister!”

“What about my sister?” Kankuro asked, his voice still irritatingly calm, though his eyes had hardened somewhat in response to whatever attack Kiba was planning on his siblings.

“Well in case you haven’t noticed she’s been all over Hinata since she arrived,” Kiba pointed out, “And you don’t leave me alone!”

A lie.

“You think my sister and Hinata have something?” the younger desert heir asked as if vaguely amused by this information.

“Yeah, and Hinata’s gonna die from a heated face one of these hours too!” Kiba expanded.

“Oh? But maybe Hinata wants it.” Kankuro suggested as he started walking towards Kiba. The advance wasn’t menacing or too fast, but it still made the brunette’s body tense.

“Wants it? Yeah right! She’s embarrassed and wondering how much longer before she can get away!” Kiba told him pointedly. He didn’t know that for sure, but somehow in the way they were speaking it didn’t feel like they were really talking about Temari and Hinata it was more like…

“Then why doesn’t she tell her to stop? Or push her away?” Kankuro asked knowingly as he closed the last distance between him and Kiba so they were standing nose to nose, their bodies bare millimeters apart, and somehow it felt like even that small space was slowly closing. “Why don’t you…”

Kiba had been fighting the impending heat from his face, but it was seeping through anyway. Why the fuck was Kankuro standing so close!! Did the sun get hotter or something? And truthfully, why didn’t he tell Kankuro to stop? Or push him away? He could… but he never did…

“…get that water back to camp.”

“Huh?” Kiba asked intelligently. Kankuro withdrew slightly and pointed to the bucket standing still where Kiba had set it.

“I was just saying you should get that water back to camp.” Kankuro told him matter of factly, the whole last few minutes pretty much discarded it seemed. “Or do you need my help, puppy?”

Again with the dog jokes!! He’d thought those stopped somewhere along the lines! Guess not.

With a ‘hmph’ the brunette picked up the bucket and stalked off, and Kankuro walked beside him back to camp, his dark eyes occasionally glancing over at the other. Kiba tried to ignore it.

Stupid Kankuro, don’t tease me…

But there was no way to reinforce that, no real way to get out of it without losing the other completely, and somehow that was a tie the brunette was unwilling to sever. When they reached camp the meals were starting up and with the rest of the water they were completed in a matter of minutes taken to boil and cook the meat. Watching Hinata and Temari by their palanquin Kiba couldn’t help noting that despite the teasing Temari constantly poked toward the dark-haired girl Hinata did seem like she didn’t actually mind it.

Kiba scowled slightly and turned his eyes away to focus on his own food. His eyes drifted over to the new palanquin addition where Itachi and his bodyguard Kisame sat, both Naruko and Gaara’s pets nearby. That was slightly odd, but then it was also odd to note that Ino and Tenten were doing most of the cooking and since Kodoku Sakura had been oddly quiet, and even now she only spoke when spoken to. Odd, but he wasn’t curious enough to start trying to dig up anything. Where was there to dig anyway?

“So where’s Gaara?” Kankuro asked after a moment. Looking around Kiba didn’t see him either, come to think of it, Hinata’s brother Neji was also missing.

“He’s with Neji,” Ino answered.

“What are they doing?” Kankuro asked, not really puzzled, just mildly curious.

“Who knows,” Ino shrugged as she took a seat with her own plate of food and started eating after handing Sakura a plate as well, and pretty much ordering her to eat it when she didn’t raise a single utensil to eat with. Maybe Sakura wasn’t feeling well, did she get sick?

Naruko was probably eating in her palanquin, poor girl probably still trying to sort out everything in her head. Kiba knew he would be. He was still trying to sort things out for himself and he hadn’t gone through anything close to what she had. He’d gone through something he considered pretty traumatizing, but Naruko definitely had it rougher with this whole engagement thing.

Sasuke was outside, but he didn’t join any particular group, he was on the far side of camp, as far away from his brother as possible, the brunette noted absently. Eh, siblings didn’t always like each other, it differed depending on the nation and the siblings history together.

A flailing figure drew everyone’s attention as Lee rushed over in a panic, and reached the circle where Kiba, and a couple of the other guards and some other people, including Kankuro, who really shouldn’t have been there, sat. “Her highness Princess Naruko is missing!!”

“What?” Shikamaru all but whined. “Again?”

“We have to go looking for her! It’s almost nightfall, it’ll be completely dark in a half hour!! We have to find her!!” Lee cried hysterically. Tenten rose to try and calm him as the guards stood setting aside their half finished dinners for the moment to assemble a search party for the Konoha heiress.

Everyone in the camp of course overheard what happened, and Itachi nodded to Kisame who stood and left as well as the Somuhorm heir also set off towards the wood. Sasuke turning towards the wood as well. Kyuubi trailed after Itachi.

Ichibi stayed at the camp, his fur ruffling slightly in irritation. Let that dumb fox do whatever it wanted; the raccoon would have no part in it.

`

Naruto grunted slightly as he had to catch his balance again after slipping along a slick part of the forest path he currently paved with the dying light from the setting sun. Truthfully he wasn’t all that sure why he ran; all he knew was that he had to. He felt suffocated back there, and fenced in, in truth he knew he was as well. He wanted to go home, this whole thing was getting to be too much. Even it if he was engaged only to Sasuke he wasn’t sure he’d even want to be married like that, as a girl?

Now he found out about Itachi… and the guy kissed him! Too much had been happening, and it didn’t help his confusion over the younger as well as the older brother…

He had needed space, and to clear his head to figure out a way out of all of it. He knew what would be ideal, to disappear, there had to be another way though. Disappearing was a good plan, but he’d have to keep moving. Before long everyone would notice he was missing and probably come looking for him. Before that happened he had to get out of this area, as far away as he could. If he could get away and live, eventually he could return to Konoha and at age eighteen he would take back his right as a prince then as a king. It could work…

That was his plan for the moment anyway.

Continuing to trundle along his way, it wasn’t an uncommon occurrence to hear a twig snap under your feet. But it was entirely another when after your own body had stilled that you heard another twig snap somewhere in the forest around you. Unless a sound comes twice it is also impossible to track which direction it came from. The sound didn’t come again until Naruto continued to walk. When he stopped the second sound stopped; there were stories where a scared man only heard his own shoes clicking then. But the sound wasn’t from behind, it was almost all around. It could have been wild animals but then why the erratic pacing to match his own?

There hadn’t been any wind previously but as a breeze wafted by an indistinct scent caught easily to the boy’s senses; it was foreign and alive, and so he started at a run. Perhaps there was a clearing up ahead where he could lure it out, or perhaps he had a chance of losing the specter in the woods if he kept going.

Slippery slopes in this wood were also common, but Naruto had failed to register the frequency of these slopes upon his first encounter, as his foot skidded forward down the stoop. This hill was steeper than the other and mid-fall Naruto’s body twisted so he landed in a semi sprawl on the ground. But the boy barely had time to register any bruises before he focused upwards where the sound suddenly concentrated; whoever or whatever it was that was chasing him stilled at the top of the small hill above him. His body froze momentarily just before blue eyes locked onto…

`

This was such trash.

The fox glared, it had been following Itachi out this way for a while; and oddly enough the heir seemed to know his way around, and apparently Kisame trusted his lord well enough because he was currently unaccompanied by that annoying half-dragon man. Perhaps instead of waiting for something eventful to happen, he should make the event take place instead. Red eyes shifted to blue as fun thinned away from a soft-featured face kissed with sun.

Itachi turned with the sound of a rustled leaf, red eyes blinking oddly at the figure standing a short ways away. “Naruto?” he questioned. The blonde youth stepped from the brush, stumbled forward slightly on the uneven dirt and stones, nearly straight into Itachi, but that the older youth caught the boy’s hand and steadied him.

Crimson eyes did not stray from the boy’s face but still seemed to study the whole of him; blue eyes stayed steady on blue and the boy resisted the urge of his lips to curl upwards in a would be smirk. “Are you all right? Your clothes are missing, did something happen after you left?”

“Yeah…” the boy started, his nose wrinkling slightly at the whole akward factor. Needless to say, the fact he was nude in body, had not originally occurred as a complication before he had stepped from behind the brush. “I went through a briar, it got all torn off.”

That was plausible, briars had plenty of thorns. “But you are not scratched at all?” Itachi noted in question. The fox resisted a twitch, he hadn’t thought about the loopholes in his idea. Maybe there was a way to divert Itachi’s attention from that…

“Yeah I was really lucky, my clothes in exchange for not a scratch on myself,” he said grinning slightly, “Kinda funny, huh?” Yes, that sounded like one of Naruto’s lame excuses didn’t it? “So do you like me?”

Itachi’s eyes shifted slightly, but in what and how the fox could not quite tell. “Do you really have to ask?” he returned easily.

“Doesn’t it bother you that I’m a guy?” ‘Naruto’ asked his posture drawing back slightly in an almost coy way. Itachi’s mouth curved slightly in a small smile as he leaned towards the blonde.

“Not at all.” The fox didn’t have to initiate the contact, he had had almost nothing to do with it really. But nonetheless Itachi’s lips covered his own, or rather ‘Naruto’s lips, moving slightly to provoke his partner into action. The demon responded gladly reaching back into the heated touch, his tongue resting briefly against Itachi’s lip before being drawn into the other’s cavern.

The fox nearly mewled happily into the kiss. Itachi tasted of fine wine, thick and almost bitter with something faintly metallic and a deeper undertone; some taste not quite describable. He was warm too. The demon felt a slow buzz enter into his head at the feel, the whole rest of the outside world easily melting away as he allowed his every sense to focus in on Itachi’s taste.

From his blood to his kiss it was sweet and thick and utterly filling. Everything about this man tasted delicious, what would he be like to eat for real?

Suddenly a harsh hand pressed at his chest tossing him backwards. His back hit against a tree and the sharp bite of steel grew taught drawn at his throat. Blue eyes met crimson; he didn’t look angry or worried though; just calm, that agonizing calm that the fox wished dearly to rip away and replace with a look akin to agony, or perhaps to pleasure; was there a way he could have both?

“You are not Naruto.” Itachi stated.

The fox could not keep back his smirk this time, nor did he attempt to stem the flow of red into blue irises dying them into their true color. “Gee, you and your brother…” the fox snickered, “both of you can tell with just a kiss?”

“Really though, how does that work?” he queried.

“Naruto tastes like miso,” Itachi replied, “you taste of honey and of metal.”

“What a coincidence, you also taste somewhat metallic… but that taste, like your scent, is much akin to blood.” the fox mused. Itachi didn’t move but his calm face twisted slightly in what might have been amusement.

“Keen senses, you’re a demon aren’t you?” the heir deduced after a moment. The fox was pleased that the human had figured it out so soon, of course like his brother he wasn’t too behind in the logical deduction. The demon allowed the red to fully seep into Naruto’s blue eyes staining them the bright rusty red of the Kyuubi.

“So you are the fox that trails Naruto around.” Itachi noted.

“You catch on quickly, don’t you?” the fox commented idly. It was an idle comment as if bored, and perhaps Itachi himself had heard the boredom in his voice for he did not immediately resist when Kyuubi’s hand flew up to grip his wrist, twisting the human’s knife away from his throat. He turned the man’s body and trapping his arms briefly, the fox holding him from behind to keep him still.

Itachi however did not remain sill, the moment he was in the demon’s hold he broke from it before the fox could strengthen the hold to a suitable degree to cage him. Twisting away from the being Itachi flung himself opposite the side of the being before him. Red eyes locked once more on one another, Itachi armed with a knife; and though the fox held no weapon of his own, a demon’s power is formidable enough.

“Show me your true form.” Unconsciously, perhaps, Itachi licked his lips before he spoke. It wasn’t a demand but nor was it a request; but just because it didn’t impose didn’t mean that the fox was inclined to allow the human that privilege.

“No I don’t think I will,” Kyuubi told him. Delighting as crimson eyes narrowed at him. He stepped towards the human again. Red never left red as the demon’s lips brushed over the human’s closing the distance between them briefly.

It was not a possessive kiss nor was it a demanding kiss. But it was hardly kind; but it wasn’t rough or needy; just a taste it seemed. A brush and flick of the tongue over his own lip, just barely against the skin. There was as of yet no reason to do anything really; the sensation wasn’t unpleasant and the fox didn’t seem to wish to try and attack him right now, so the heir really didn’t feel inclined to do anything.

When the fox pulled away the demon’s eyes hardened suddenly flashing with anger. “Stay away from Naruto.” The order was clear in the being’s voice before he turned and walked away into the woods. Itachi’s eyes followed the demon as long as they could before he completely vanished to somewhere in the dense foliage. He stood still for a moment contemplating, his lips felt cool now with the absence of the demon’s close heat. However, the faint buzzing sensation there was not the immediate focus of his mind’s thought, though a hand did lift to his chin, one lazy finger tracing over his mouth briefly in a wistful way.

Interesting…

`

“Sasuke!”

Naruto’s cry came in both shock and something akin to happiness as the blonde stood from his fall to greet his… what? His friend? That would probably be a more appropriate term as the boy was not, and never really was, his intended fiance.

The dark-haired boy slid down the slope, though he did not fall as Naruto did, his arms suddenly around the blonde’s shoulders and holding onto him tight, his lips against Naruto’s as close as his body. Naruto felt his body relax against the other’s settling comfortably against him. His lips moved of their own accord against Sasuke’s.

He’d missed the other’s touch. That much was evident in the way his body responded to the boy without the brains’ direction. It didn’t need it either. He wanted this; he’d felt cold without it. His arms lifting as well to return the embrace that the dark-haired youth held him in.

“Fool!” Sasuke chided as he broke the kiss, still holding tightly to the Konoha heir, “running off like that! What were you thinking? Everyone’s looking for you! My brother included!”

“I wasn’t sure what to do,” Naruto told him truthfully, his arms tightening just a bit on his partner. “I just… had to get away though.”

Sasuke shook his head at his shoulder but said nothing, for the moment silent as he held the other boy to him. “Sasuke,” Naruto started again, “Why didn’t you tell me that I was engaged to your brother?” and not you, what what he wanted to add but that might have sounded too accusing. It did hurt, and that part of him felt and knew that in truth Sasuke was partly to blame for his shock over the morning; heck Sasuke was almost completely to blame for this, but another part of Naruto wanted to spare him. He didn’t think he had too much energy to be angry with him.

“Because I didn’t think Itachi would come to us in Kodoku.” He said, “I thought…” he paused again and Naruto waited. “I wanted to take you for myself ever since we left Konoha. Itachi was right about me, I did intend to steal my brother’s bride. That was selfish for me, I admit that. But Itachi, why doesn’t he marry some other princess?”

Naruto pulled back slightly, Sasuke’s grip had loosened, and his dark eyes stayed focused near the ground. Sasuke snorted then, “Of course my brother just has to be so incredibly bisexual that you being a guy doesn’t bother him at all. If it did, I might have had a chance in persuading him to not take you.”

“I’m not something to be taken. Contract or none, there is always a way to get out if you have yet to be backed into a corner completely,” Naruto told him managing a small grin.

“That’s actually what I was thinking about all the way here, since Kyuubi wasn’t there to help me, that stupid fox. I figured that if I could get out of here and survive for a time then eventually I can go back to Konoha and take back my kingdom once I’m eighteen, and it’ll all work out.” Naruto reasoned “I just have to manage to run away from here and this deal.”

“That could work, pretty simple, but you’re right. The contract is void anyway if there’s no Naruko.” Sasuke nodded. Then he hesitated a moment, before he asked, “Can I come with you?”

Of course Naruto would have had every right to refuse. Sasuke had withheld information about Itachi and he had pretty much seduced him the other night, and the list went on from the boy’s birthday to the incident at the onsen. “Of course you can,” Naruto agreed. The answer surprised Sasuke somewhat, but it also made him happy, and not just as the surface meaning, but in that Naruto had also said that he forgave all the things up till now that he had done. From now on he would be completely candid.

“But we’re still going to have to work out some things, cause there’s a few things that have been bothering me, but they can wait until we’re ten to twelve miles away from here. Okay?” Naruto mentioned before he turned back towards the path he had chosen away from camp to start again, this time with Sasuke at his side.

Something in the air made him pause.

“Naruto, what is it?” Was he having second thoughts?

Blue eyes darkened. It was still there, he could smell it. Whoever or whatever it was that he had run from before, it hadn’t been Sasuke. It was still out there and he could smell it. The same indistinct scent, and then the faint rusting smell of copper hit him from the right.

“Sasuke!” the blonde cried turning and pushing the boy backward to the ground, taking them both down before a shining brown slice of metal dove through the air striking the ground just behind them. If they had still been standing the metal would have hit into Sasuke’s leg, possibly maiming him.

Dark eyes went to the slice of metal, it was a knife with a unique design at the hilt. Carved differently from other regions and fashioned in a style that the Somuhorm boy recognized instantly. “Snakes!” he all but hissed as he and Naruto got their feet under them again.

“Snakes?” Naruto questioned puzzled by the admission. Sasuke’s eyes focused somewhere among the brush and Naruto’s gaze followed the other boy’s to a dense spot within the trees. A man stood there on the branch of the tree, the smell that Naruto had scented did indeed come from this man.

He was pale, sickly so as if he were dead; deep purple marks scarred beneath his eyes with dark hair that fell limply against his face; golden eyes watching the two boys in the way a child with a torch might eye a pile of ants.

“It is good to see you again, child of Somuhorm.” The man spoke. His voice was both gnarled and scratchy, and at the same time it was languid and flowing. Sasuke’s eyes burned with the red as it seeped into black and he hunched forward as that burn spread to his neck, the mark he knew to be there spreading it’s dark disease over his back and throat.

Naruto’s eyes flew to Sasuke when the boy cried out, as he fell forward his hand clutching at the side of his neck where the mark was surging to life with the presence of it’s maker. It almost slipped past Naruto’s vision when the snake dashed forward toward Sasuke; Naruto’s open hand struck out at the man as he attempted to swoop in. The curled fingers acting as claws sent the snake leaping back to dodge the blow.

The blonde stepped in front of the writhing boy glaring at the man, snake, whatever it was. All he did know was that he was responsible for Sasuke’s pain; and he had to stop that. Leaning down for just a moment, his eyes not leaving the evil being before him, Naruto’s hand closed on a thick stick taking it up to use as a makeshift weapon to further damage this creature should it attempt to swoop in again.

“Orochimaru…” Sasuke wheezed, still gripping his shoulder, “You’re after Itachi, but now!!”

Orochimaru? That must be this beasts name, and he was after Itachi? Seemed more like he wanted Sasuke dead. The man’s mouth curved upwards slightly in a smirk before he lunged again trying to take advantage of Naruto’s momentary distraction of Sasuke’s words. It didn’t work, and with a swift blow from the stick Naruto struck at the snake’s shoulder. The man hissed as he withdrew momentarily.

Sasuke’s shoulder stiffened and it burned as if the skin was being torn away by the mark, and he cried out from it, trying to muffle his cries against the earth but it was still enough for Naruto to hear the anguish in the sound. He turned towards the boy this time kneeling down beside him, and pulling away the boy’s hand to look at the mark.

What he saw was that the mark had shifted completely. It had been spinning the first time he saw it, but now it had elongated into several worm like slivers and now they slithered all along his skin spreading and getting larger. They were even starting to change their color from the dark black of a tattoo to the shimmering purple of a toxic poison.

Naruto’s hand abandoned the makeshift weapon in favor of holding both of Sasuke’s hands at bay a moment while he put his own hand against the mark’s epicenter drawing his own energy to his hand and forcing it through to Sasuke fighting to try and contain the mark once more. Sasuke groaned and growled as his hands contracted with the agony, his body hated the invading energy, it burnt worse that the snake’s and though it was not painful it was foreign and as it’s first invasion his body reacted violently to the two warring energies across his body.

“Fools,” came the hiss, and Naruto turned to see that the snake was again upon them. Naruto did not release Sasuke’s hands, nor did he release his other hand from its battle against the mark at Sasuke’s throat. Instead a third arm made entirely of his energy shot out towards Orochimaru repelling him back against the nearby trees.

Naruto’s life force was materializing around his body and was concentrated at Sasuke’s neck, the boy still howling with the pain. The snake blinked at the spectacle, was it possible for a mere human to do such a thing from sheer will and anger? It was physically impossible. Wasn’t it? But then all other sounds seemed to fade from the snake’s ears as the human spoke.

“Don’t touch him!” he spat. The words clear as if they were spoken directly into and through the snake’s mind, the power around the human still growing.

Suddenly the idea clicked, he could not confirm it, but if it was the case…

Orochimaru’s lips parted in a wide smile, golden eyes glittering. If that were the case, then this would be one hell of a party.

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