The color of wine and roses

Disclaimer: Naruto's not mine, obviously
Note: Scribbled in Graffiti 2. Big thanks to Xerox and Palm for creating it ^_^


Chapter 1 of ?

They were deadliness personified. They killed. Fast and clean. They fought, with no mercy for the opponent whatsover, and with not even an ounce of it for themselves. They were not honorable. Unlike regular shinobi they would stab the target in the back, if that assured the success of the mission. There was no need for honour among them. Why should there be if they were depraved of their identity anyway ? When you're no one, no more than a tool, a finely sharpened blade, why should anything more than the mission matter ?

ANBU. Masked jounin performing highest class missions in four-men team, or, sometimes, just in pairs. Their teamwork had to always be flawless, even though they weren't allowed even as much as to see each others' faces before the mission started. Emotions and humanity had to be put aside. Or rather, restrained from showing in their actions. For what an ANBU was thinking behind the mask was his alone and no one's concern.

Itachi, for instance, while having ANBU mask on, felt free for the very first time in his life. He'd never known such freedom before. Freedom to kill the opponent you'd defeated, freedom to leave Konoha regularly on missions, freedom of not being himself - Uchiha Itachi, the prodigy, and his clan's greatest pride. He enjoyed being no one for once, having his miracoulous eyes hidden and the responsibility of being himself lifted from his shoulders. For maybe it was too heavy all along for a kid he still was.

In ANBU only the mission mattered and as long as you were efficient no questions were being asked about who you were and how you were managing that. And neither about how you coped with all the killing, ruthelesness and being surrounded only by foes and fellow merciless masked assasins for weeks at a time.
Itachi liked it in ANBU.

His team treated him the same as any other member, his age not being an issue anymore. When once, on a particularly long and draining mission, they took off the masks in the absolute darkness of a moonless night in the middle of nowhere to share some sake they just gave him some, without as much as a single word of explanation. The sensation burning in his throat after he swallowed the liquid down in one gulp, the way he could hear them doing in the darkness, made him shed quite a few tears, but it still felt great. Liberating.

If he was allowed to kill because such were the mission's objectives then he should be allowed to drink as well. It was only logical, even though that kind of logic was inacceptable for his parents. His mother, mostly.

And yet, when he came back from that mission drunk and unconscious, dropped in a hapless pile of limbs on the porch of his house by one of his teammates, she said nothing.
He was disappointed. He was thirteen and eager to test the limits of what he could do, of when they would just say no. But no such thing occured. Even his father ignored the incident completely. Only Sasuke, who padded into his bedroom early in the morning, told him he smelled funny.

But whatever he'd told his teammates in a haze of that night, it changed the way they treated him. He felt observed by them ever since and assessed in everything he was doing. It didn't bother him all that much though, for their teamwork remained flawless and the efficiency of the team reached its peak. While out on missions with them he still felt wonderfully free.

At nights on those missions, spent in complete darkness, for ANBU weren't allowed to use fire in their camps, they would talk about their girlfriends or lovers and share stupid jokes. Itachi remained quiet, choosing to just listen in as those matters were still pretty foreign for him. One single time when he'd attempted to kiss a girl thus far had proved to be a disaster. He just couldn't get it right and then the moment was over and she said she had to go already with a badly concealed frown.. And that was a year ago. Not that Itachi had much time for girls.

"Why are you always so quiet when it comes to discussing ladies ?"

One of those nights one of his teammates asked him. The other two were gone to patrol around the camp before they would retire for the night.

"One of them hurt you ?"

"Not exactly." Itachi felt obliged to answer.

"But you had a girlfriend already, hadn't you ? With how you keep so silent about them one starts to wonder if you really know what we're talking about." Itachi could hear a note of disdain in his voice. He didn't like the direction it was going, for in fact, he only knew as much as he'd heard from them, from Shisui and from his heavily blushing mother who'd decided to enlighten him one day some two years ago. It wasn't much, even for a thirteen year old. And his experience was just non-existant.

"Training and missions sure are important, but ANBU's life is way too short to let any occasions pass, kid. And don't tell me girls don't hit at you. You're an Uchiha, after all. And you're all lucky bastards when it comes to ladies."

"How do you know who I am ?" Itachi asked stoically.

"I'm not sure if you realize that, but it's our fifth mission together. It's quite enough time to guess you're using the Sharingan. And there's only one Weasel in your family. Unless you're not Itachi..."

Under the searching gaze, Itachi felt obliged to comply.

"I am, but it's not something we should discuss here."

"Right. Just let those girls get to you every once in a while or you'll regret it if ever something happens to you... And do tell us how you're doing. First love is kind of fun to listen about."

Itachi looked at the man critically. It wasn't very ANBU thing to say.

"I'm marrying off soon, so it's quite some distance behind me already. Maybe that's why I'm so interested..." He remarked wistfully...

By the sunrise, he was already dead. Him and another one were taken out by the enemy when their camp got ambushed in the middle of the night by the enemy's massive forces. Only Itachi got through the attack unscathed. As his single companion left alive had gotten gravely wounded, he had to leave him behind and complete the mission on his own. He did. And it was quite enough to make the team captain's rank avalaible to him.

The next mission was assigned only few weeks later, after Itachi had been officially promoted and instructed on the ways of leadership in the ANBU. The other survivor of his old team was assigned to his new one, while the other new teammates he'd never met before. They departed from Konoha early in the morning, hostility thick in the air around them. Itachi could sense it. They didn't think it was right for such a kid like him to be their leader. But Itachi could care less.

Though as a leader, he didn't feel so wonderfully free anymore. And he liked it less and less in ANBU with every single passing second.

At night, him and the other survivor of his old team got the chance to go to sleep first, side by side in a single tent they had. Itachi closed his eyes, ready to fall asleep the moment his head touched the pillow, but his companion stopped him with a steady hand laid down on his shoulder. Itachi was immediately alert, with eight kunai tucked between his fingers, ready to strike at any given moment.

"That's not it, kid. I want to talk."

Itachi didn't relax.

"If the authorities think what you had done on that last mission was enough to promote you, then most likely they are right. And it's not like we have any say in the matter anyway. But..."

Itachi sat up, his armed hands posed on his knees.

"I know you are thirteen. It's not something one can exactly hide behind a mask."

Itachi remained silent.

"Don't be so grave. It's not like we will try to take you out just because of that. As long as you're efficient, it doesn't matter that much."

"Why the talk, then ?" Itachi asked.

"Still, it always bothers a man when a mere boy gets to be his superior. " The other ANBU seethed.

"So ?"

"How far exactly have you gone with the girls you dated ?"

"I don't see how that is of any relevance." Itachi retorted formally.

"You know, you're an ANBU - a proffessional assassin. You kill people for a living. That's not something mere boys do. It's only fair for you to profit from benefits of being adult as well. Because it bothers us how you don't know so many things. It is what makes you still just a kid. And it's hard to accept a kid as your leader. "

"I don't see how sex would be so great. And I don't have time for your petty doubts."

"So... You've really never gotten any..." Disdain in his voice again. While Itachi hated to be perceived as weak or incompetent in any given matter...

"Does it make me a worse team captain ?"

"And what if it does ?" The other ANBU asked defiantly.

"If it really bothers the lot of you that much..." He hesitated for the shortest while... "...then fuck me and let's get it out of the way." He finished quietly.

Itachi allowed himself for a small smile under his mask, not hearing any answer to that for a long while. So, it really was all talk.

"All right, I swing both ways anyway." The other ANBU actually agreed. Itachi didn't exactly expect it, but he didn't weaver anyway. "But... It's not right for me to do this to you if you really like girls better..."

"I don't care whatsover."

"You really don't know what you're talking about... Be loud then, let those guys out there hear you scream. They think you're a mere kid who'd gotten so far in ANBU only thanks to his family's influence. Prove them otherwise."

"They don't need to hear me scream to be proven otherwise. All they need is to see me fight."

"You're one heck of an arrogant kid, you know..."

"It's not arrogance, it's realism."

"And you actually talk when someone listens."

They faced each other. Two impassionate masks staring numbly at each other. Itachi's kunai got removed from between his fingers by skillful hands and put some safe distance away. Then those hands, sure and heavy, landed on his shoulders. He didn't even feel nervous. After all, how bad could it be ? He had certainly lived through worse.

"It's not like we can afford much foreplay in those conditions... I'll just try to make it right..."

Next thing Itachi knew his pants were being removed.

"Lay down and spread your legs. And don't do anything drastic when it starts to hurt."

Itachi did as he was told. The vulnerability felt alien and strange, but it was not an unpleasant feeling altogether. His pants and underwear got removed all the way and then those heavy hands pushed his legs way more apart and up to his chest, exposing his rear. He was only semi-erect, but that soon changed as skillful hands began to pump his member. Itachi had had only minimal experience with masturbation, relieving sexual tension up till now mostly in bloody sparrings with Shisui, but still he could tell his own hands had never felt quite that good. Still, the sensation wasn't quite enough to make him utter more than a few semi-audible mewls. Somehow, he didn't want to give that man the satisfaction of having him moaning at his mere touch.

"Tough one, are you ? But I'll have you scream anyway in no time." The other whispered from behind his mask.

His hand moved lower, cupping Itachi's still small balls and lower still, spreading the cheeks and finding the dry entrance, puckered tightly. Simply touching it with his fingertips, not daring to probe quite yet, was almost enough to send the man over the edge.

"So you've really never..." He managed out.

Itachi reached up to the restrained bulge at the front of the other ANBU's pants with his hand.

"Can I see it ?" He asked with almost childlike curiosity.

The other ANBU complied and freed his erection. Itachi posed his hand on it briefly, memorizing the size and the texture. If he had a chance to grow up fully, he would be just like that... It was an outrageously erotic sight - a full-grown man getting that aroused because of him. It made him feel giddy, like on those times when Sasuke sneaked into his bed in the middle of the night and maneuvred himself right into his arms.

Itachi's hand slid off the man's erect penis at this thought. His partner didn't seem to mind.

He bent down to reach for his pouch and took out a small container of burns' oil. Having sgueezed out a generous amount, he lavished three of his fingers in the oil. Itachi observed him closely through half-lidded eyes from behind the mask. The man's fingers glistened even in the nearly complete darkness of the tent.

The hand left dry pushed his legs up to his chest yet again, granting easier access to his entrance to the other one. The puckered hole resisted even just one finger. Therefore it had to hurt, but Itachi remained perfectly silent as one and then two fingers were forcibly pushed inside him.

"You're awfully tight... But - in fact, I've never fucked a thirteen year old before..."

"You do realize it makes you a pedophile ?" Itachi uttered through clenched teeth, as the third finger penetrated him deeply.

"I don't particularly care. If I'm doing something bad then what have they done ? Those who made you an ANBU captain at thirteen ?"

Itachi didn't manage to stifle a moan as something sensitive was stroked deep within him. He just didn't except the sensation.

"That's right. Now I'm going to show you what's so great about sex."

Itachi swallowed audibly as the fingers were removed from inside him and his body was pulled up, flush against the other man's. He felt obliged to wrap his arms and legs around him. The weapons hidden under both their shirts clanked against each other. The other ANBU maneuvred his hand between their bodies. His fingertips brushed Itachi's entrance again, and then guided his erection inside him. The tiny hole couldn't accomodate much more than the tip. But as he pushed Itachi down, forcing him to lay down on his back again and covering him closely with his body the momentum made him penetrate deeply.

Itachi felt as if all the air he'd had in his lungs was knocked out of him. The man stilled deep inside him, panting heavily behind his mask.

Itachi couldn't breathe. The air just wouldn't enter his wide open mouth. With a sloppy movement of his hand, he removed the ANBU mask. Only without it he was able to draw in a few shaky breathes.

The other ANBU, still masked, stared at him for a few seconds. Then the mask's cold lips pressed to his heated forehead.

"You're really pretty." The soothing voice whispered from behind the mask.

Deft fingers traced the swell under his eyes, supposedly coming from the overuse of the Sharingan.

"An Uchiha, are you ?"

"You didn't know who I were ?" Itachi muttered inaudibly.

It felt overly strange to be joined that intimately with another man. To feel another's movements from deep within himself. He was already getting lost as to where he ended and the other started.

"Our late companion... told me... that you were thirteen and most likely stronger than the rest of our team put together. No less and no more."

"Move..."

Itachi's request got granted right away. A forcible thrust caused him too much pleasure for the pain to even register. He fought against the waves of blinding pleasure trying to control himself, to stay silent and collected, but soon enough he wasn't able to keep the scream inside anymore. It burnt his lungs like a liquid fire. It only got delayed as his brain searched frantically for a word, a name to put on that sensation overwhelming his body and he could only think of one.

His partner came first, coating his insides in his creamy essence, and right after withdrew swiftly. His large hand covered Itachi's member and that was quite enough to send him over the edge. Itachi came, with an appreciative grunt and a flare of the Sharingan in his eyes. His mask was put back on his face by the other's hands as soon as his breathes became less ragged.

"How was it, then ?"

"Fine." It was all Itachi was willing to say about what had just transpired and what he couldn't wrap his mind around at all quite yet.

"I'll clean that mess. And, by the way, who's Shisui ? You screamed his name. It doesn't bother me. Just... If you want to be with him, go for it. ANBU's life is way too short for waiting."

--------

Itachi limped through that mission and came back still limping and not quite able to sit still. Fortunately, this time his team made it intact.

He came back home early in the morning, after having reported at the Hokage's office. He tried to sneak into his bedroom right away, but his mother spotted him from the kitchen and Sasuke padded along right behind her.

"What's wrong, Itachi ? You're limping." His mother asked with concern.

For the shortest while, he reflected upon telling her the truth, screaming it right into her face. But, of course, that wasn't really an option.

"A minor injury. I'll be fine by tomorrow."

Sasuke padded closer to him and wrinkled his nose.

"You smell funny, Aniki."

"I do not."

"But you do." Sasuke insisted, nodding to himself. "You smell of..."

"You don't really want to know what it was, Otouto. Go play."

"But..."

"Don't bother Niisan." Their mother grabbed Sasuke by the collar and held him close in a forcible hug. "Itachi is going to sleep now."

"But I'm sleepy, too." Sasuke announced right away, yawning.

Soon enough, right after Itachi had showered and was about to get into his bed, Sasuke padded into his bedroom, a large teddy bear in tow. The way his brother moved around pained Itachi's ears and he truly had no idea at moments like this how Sasuke was supposed to become a great shinobi everyone expected him to be.

"You still smell funny." His Otouto stated, after sniffing the air around him. "You smell of..." He hesistated, the tiny face all wrinkled up in thought "...someone else."

Sasuke sniffed him directly now, having come closer. "I don't like it."

"You're jeaulous, Otouto ?"

"No. Why ? You don't have any other brothers."

"Right." Then... At least Sasuke was too dense to figure anything out.

Someone knocked on the door.

"Itachi, you're asleep already ? Shisui-kun came over. Can he come in ?" His mother asked from the other side of the door.

"Yeah..."

"I don't like Shisui-san." Sasuke stated, clearly expecting him to do something about it.

"Your bad, Otouto." Itachi retorted mindlessly, his mind occupied by something else.

Shisui came over. Damn.


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And that's it.

Unfortunately, English is not my first language, so it can`t be perfect. But native English speakers probably didn't even get here. Not that I blame them.

Review if you liked, or else I`ll go on a rewriting spree instead of continuing.