Surface Flaws Chapter XI
Title: Surface Flaws
Author: xinexpressiblex
Rating: 14A for swearing.
Warnings: Shounen ai, spoilers for anyone not keeping up with the manga, & AUish. Alternate timeline.
Disclaimer: Yeah, I don’t own.
Thank you: goheh_remix & amain
Summary: The invisibility started with one silly wish upon a star. Good thing Sasuke's doormat personality, Sai's attempts at matchmaking, and a mission gone wrong were all quite normal in the life of Naruto Uzumaki... Wait. What? SasuNaru
Chapter I, Chapter II, Chapter III, Chapter IV, Chapter V, Chapter VI, Chapter VII, Chapter VIII, Chapter IX, Chapter X, Chapter XI, Chapter XII, Chapter XIII, Chapter XIV
**Anything involving Akatsuki and bijuus after the Timeskip is completely irrelevent to this story, and as such, never happened.
Previously: (Kind of long because two important things happened in the end)
There was silence, save for the sounds of their heavy breathing, as both boys basked in the feeling of the other, Naruto feeling more alive than he had in a long time.
And then, after what seemed like forever, Naruto said with a tired smile, “Still can’t believe you stuck your fingers up my ass.”
And that was that.
XxXxX
Meanwhile, just a paper thin wall away, Sakura sat on her bed, alone. Her legs were drawn close to her chest and her head rested on her knees as tears fell in fat droplets to her thin pink nightgown.
She wondered how she could be breaking her promise, the one she’d made to herself all those years ago that stated she would never cry for a boy again.
Surface Flaws
Chapter XI
“You called me strong
You called me weak
But still your secrets I will keep
You took for granted
All the times I never let you down
You stumbled in and bumped your head
If not for me then you’d be dead
I picked you up and put you back
On solid ground”
- Kryptonite (Three Doors Down)
When Naruto opened his eyes that morning they didn’t feel heavy, his head didn’t spin, he wasn’t overcome by nausea, there were no trembles throwing themselves through his body, and most disconcerting of all, his ass, of all things, was in pain.
Dread began coiling itself in his stomach and he fought against whatever memory it was his mind was trying to replay for him. The boy had an unnerving feeling that, whatever had happened, he was better off not knowing. Drawing his bottom lip between his teeth and biting nervously, Naruto threw a hand over his face, unable to suppress the uneasy tension that was pulsing through his veins, making his head light with anxiety.
He could hear footsteps outside his room, quick and definite, alongside the light chipper of birds. There was a stutter in the pace of the person's gait, and then a sharp rap on his door. Without thinking, Naruto grumbled, “Hey, asshole, you go open it.”
And…oh fuck.
The blonde pressed the palms of his hands into his eyes and let out a lengthy moan of aggravation.
He remembered.
Naruto peered under his hands at Sasuke’s empty bed then at the bottle of lotion on the nightstand and felt his abdominal muscles cramp uncomfortably. Shit, did he ever remember. “Ewwwww,” he managed to groan as he rolled onto his stomach and buried his head into his pillow. He felt all kinds of dirty.
He had done it with Sasuke.
He had let the bastard touch him in his manly area and in return he’d felt Sasuke up too. Not only that but… Naruto gagged into his pillow and hoped to hell Sasuke had washed his hands this morning, because if he hadn’t then… A shudder quaked through his toned form at the same time the boy realized he was alone in his bed - no Sasuke.
Rap rap rap.
And there was still someone knocking on his door.
“Who is it?” he yelled in a croaked tone. If it was Sasuke he was sure he would die of horror. Bastard. He had known Naruto was too out of it to make any important decisions - and fuck if this didn't count as an important decision - this was his virginity they were talking about. If the blonde shinobi remembered correctly, Sasuke had been the one stressing how “severe” Naruto’s illness was only hours before he successfully seduced his friend.
Besides, who seduced someone that late at night in the first place? It was unfair.
“Naruto, open up. It’s just me,” a feminine voice called at him through the door, reminding him yet again of the presence beyond his door.
Letting - forcing actually - all thoughts of Sasuke and everything Sasuke-related from his mind, Naruto sat up and prepared to make his way to the door. Until he a) realized he was naked, and b) realized just how sore his ass was.
He was going to fucking kill Sasuke next time he saw the bastard.
Cursing sourly under his breath, Naruto reached over the side of his bed and groped around blindly until his hand came in contact with his boxers. “Coming Sakura,” he yelled in a strangled tone as he forced himself to stand and hop into the flimsy material while making his way to the door.
Once there, the boy paused in his haste to take one last glance around the room. On the off chance that Sakura hadn’t heard them, Naruto wanted to make sure there was nothing incriminating laying about on the floor… he had no idea what he was looking for, and before he could even allow his mind to yell, 'A big splooge stain!', he was opening the door and greeting Sakura with a huge Uzumaki Naruto Smile™.
“Ah, good morning Sakura-chan!” he chirped at the sight of his pink-haired companion. “How’s it going?” The boy stepped aside as she entered the room and watched with a smile far too fake as she moved to sit on Sasuke’s bed. The girl didn't notice the way his grip tightened on the doorknob, his knuckles whitening with strain.
“Fine.” Her tone was rather clipped, even bordering on being mean, Naruto observed as he moved to sit across from her on his own bed. She was watching him intently, her eyes narrowed in a calculating way.
“You’re walking funny,” she observed with a knowing look at the lotion bottle.
Naruto refused to acknowledge the blush that slowly crept up his cheeks and to his ears and to his nose and... oh hell, it covered his whole face. “I uh…fell…” he started awkwardly, “out of bed. You know me, always falling out of bed!”
The look that Sakura gave him stopped Naruto mid-pat on the back - it had been a rather good excuse all things considered - and he looked at his feet sheepishly. She was trying to be nice... - he could tell because she hadn't punched his lights out yet.
“I’d appreciate if you didn’t lie to me and insult my intelligence,” she requested in such a formal tone that it caused the blonde to wince.
“Ah, sorry, Sakura-chan," he said, still sheepish.
The blonde raised his gaze without lifting his head, watching as Sakura surveyed him with an awkwardly intense look. He really wished she didn’t know. No one was meant to know that other people went around having sex. It was just gross...
He blushed and dropped his eyes, definitely not wondering if Sakura had ever done it. And then he realized she couldn’t have because she was so faithful to Sasuke, even if she claimed to be over him - even if she kissed Naruto - and he felt his stomach drop to his feet and jump to his throat all at once.
He had promised to never hurt her...
“I should be apologizing to you,” Sakura said after a moment’s consideration, cutting into Naruto‘s thoughts, and the boy found himself staring at her in outright shock. “Do you know where he is?” she asked over his soundless questions, her tone approaching something like soft as she saw the way Naruto’s face fell at the mention of Sasuke.
The boy hesitated, uncertain, and eyed his friend warily, - then finally: “Gonna kill him when I do know,” he muttered dejectedly, balling his hands into fists, because maybe he could concentrate all of his guilt there, where it wouldn't sting so much. Sakura just looked at him and he couldn't help but notice that she had begun to wring the hem of her shirt awkwardly. The boy swallowed.
“You know, it wasn’t supposed to happen,” he started, trying to find a way to amend for what he’d done, “I’ve honestly never even thought about it happening." He dropped his head into his hands and croaked out, "Shit, I am so fucking sorry.”
The silence that followed this statement left Naruto's heart pounding in his throat, each beat pushing him closer to saying something more. But he couldn't. It wasn't as if he deserved her forgiveness, not really.
He could hear her steady breathing, quiet and comforting. Soft like her and still hitching every few breaths, so subtly he almost missed the pattern.
Finally she said, "I know you are," and it came out sounding like a revelation, as if she hadn't really expected him to be sorry - and her breathing quickened in agitation. "But..." she paused and he lifted his head, meeting the muted green of her eyes - green like mint. "Are you sorry because you hurt me, or are you sorry because you trusted him and he left?"
The room went stiff with surprise and both Sakura and Naruto stared at each other, unable to move, to blink, to breathe under the accusation that hung in the air between them.
"What?" Naruto eventually gasped, eyes finally widening in shock at the suggestion that he wasn't truly sorry that he had hurt her. He leaned forward, searching her face as he nearly pleaded with her. "Sakura, you know the answer to that question."
Silence so quiet he could hear her trust in him falling away piece by piece engulfed them. He felt overwhelmed as he tried to scoop everything up and push - force - it back into her - tried to put everything back together.
"Don't you?"
He was grasping for something he couldn't see - trying to pick up the fragile pieces of her faith in him. And it wasn't working. He knew it wasn't when she dropped her gaze to the floor, her expression apologetic. As he let his hope slip uselessly from his grip, Naruto had to wonder just when this had happened - when she had lost her conviction in his loyalty to her. "You're my best friend," he whispered, somehow thinking the sound wouldn't cross the gap between them. "You, not Sasuke, not... I don't know, Sai. Not anyone. Just you."
He wasn't quite sure why he was telling her this, because all this time he had thought she had known. "Don't you know that?" he found himself asking in a voice that wouldn't quite work.
Sakura swallowed, he could see the rise and fall in her small throat, and drew a deep breath. When she raised her eyes they were sparkling... not quite with tears . The only thing Naruto could see there was a self-deprecating humour. "Sometimes I imagine things differently," she said in a darkly wary tone, "And when reality is less than fantasy, I guess I get disappointed."
And that's when Naruto finally realized. His mouth rounded into a silent 'o' and he stared at her openly, wondering when this had happened. His shoulders shook in tiny trembles and still he stared at her, horrified wonderment drawn over his face in a messy scrawl.
"But you love Sasuke..." he told her after a moment's thought, his voice tentative and thick with denial.
"I told you I didn't love him anymore, Naruto. You remember that, I know you do." Sakura shook her head and ran her fingers through her hair, frowning at the floor. "I meant it," she said, her tone firm - brooking no room for argument.
"But you don't love me do you?" His voice quivered and Naruto cursed himself for being so weak. If she loved Sasuke then it was kind of okay what had happened, at least he hadn't been the one to choose someone else. But if she loved him...
Then every time he'd turned her down and accepted Sasuke...
Naruto wiped the sweat from his brow and tried to contain the terror in his eyes so she wouldn't be able to see it. And were the walls collapsing inward or was that just his imagination? The room was suddenly feeling very confined.
"Naruto, I..."
He needed to run. She was trying to calm him down, he could tell. But, hell, he felt like the room was going to squish them both.
"I don't love you."
His thoughts halted and Naruto couldn't help but clench the blankets of his bed tight in his fists. So tight that when he released them, his body would sag with relief.
Was he going to accept her lie for his own sake?
Without even thinking, he knew the answer to that question, because he needed this to be his own little truth. And she had given it to him. Maybe even to herself. What would she have done if she had admitted to loving him only to be rejected?
He wanted to smack himself for trying to make this justifiable...
And then Sakura said, "Still friends?" and he couldn't help but nod.
"Yeah," he agreed, his eyes still worried as he focused his attention on his knees. The girl stood and he wondered how he had just let her lie to him like that. Naruto could hear Sakura’s footsteps as they fell on the floor - came closer. A part of him hoped she was coming over to slap him because he really did deserve it. She stepped close enough for her feet to be in his sight, then she stopped and seemed to hesitate.
“Well, just so you know I’d thank Sasuke before killing him if I were you.” Sakura finally said, sitting beside him - the mattress dipped under her weight in a comforting way - and gently patting his cheek. He glanced up at her with a wry expression and tapped her jaw with his fist, hitting so lightly neither of them really felt the contact, and smiled at her. He could almost convince himself that the smile didn't feel strained.
“And why’s that?” he inquired, trying to understand why she was being nice to him after what he had done.
Bringing her fists up in front of her, Sakura feigned a few quick jabs in Naruto’s direction as she said, “Do you know a common reason intercourse is practiced among teammates in dire situations?”
The blonde felt the words, 'because they think it's fun' on his lips but refrained from saying them as he dodged to the left and right, avoiding Sakura's mock punches. Reaching with one hand to grab for her hair, he said, “No idea,” just as his other hand went up to flick her square in the nose. Of course, Sakura wasn’t stupid enough to fall for such a trick, and she batted his hand away easily with a gentle laugh.
"It’s the most effective way to transfer large amounts of chakra from one shinobi to another.” The fake battle stopped as Naruto realized where this was going, his hands dropping to his lap limply. “Providing they know what to say and what seals to make, anyone could do it,” she told him.
He felt Sasuke’s arms move in his hold, saw the movements of a seal from the corner of his eye, and heard a gentle sound that had to be his lover’s voice.
Naruto went stiff with outrage and was about to rip the fucking hotel room to shreds in his fury when Sakura piped up in an almost smug - no it couldn’t be - tone, “Do you mind if I check your chakra levels?”
So that was why.
Naruto clenched his jaw and let his hands stiffen into fists in his lap. Sakura could be as fucking smug as she wanted. She had a right to be, he reminded himself as he shrugged nonchalantly, steeling his jaw and trying to reason himself out of his anger. Water on his back... this was all water on his back...
“Sure, why not?” he said in something like a growl and lifted his head to stare Sakura in the eye as he pulled up his shirt to reveal his stomach.
He continued to watch her as her hands moved to his stomach, her soft fingers gently coming in contact with his abdomen. Well, it looked like his little romp in the sheets with Sasuke hadn’t hurt anyone after all. Sakura wasn’t betrayed, not really. It had been a 'medicinal romp in the sheets’ and who would understand such a thing better than the team medic.
It hadn't hurt anyone. Sasuke was... well who the fuck knew, but he wasn't hurt by what had happened. And Naruto, well he’d gotten the best end of this deal.
It hadn't hurt anyone. Naruto was pumped up with someone else’s chakra.
He wanted to punch something really really bad, if only to get rid of the sense of betrayal that was pulling his normally constant smile into an increasingly present frown.
Sakura’s cool fingers left his skin and Naruto let his shirt drop. “I’m good to go then?” he asked, trying to keep from sounding too gruff. This was all water on his back - just let it slide away.
The girl nodded and glanced around the room, all smugness gone. Well, good to know she had gotten her little moment of 'I told you so' over and done with. “Your chakra levels are fine for the time being," she told him, and then she sobered and Naruto knew what was coming next. “Do you have any idea where he might have gone?”
That was obvious, Naruto thought as he released his hold on the sheets and wiped his sweaty palms on the front of his shirt. “To find Itachi.” He eyed the pack Sakura was carrying on her back and figured he had better get his ready.
Standing, the boy moved to grab the few things he'd removed from his bag. He paused at his water flask. "Did you refill yours?" he called to Sakura as he stepped into the bathroom. The girl nodded and stood, coming up behind him as he turned on the tap, which was old and rusted.
"You'll be okay?" she asked him quietly and Naruto found that they were staring at each other in the mirror's reflection. He vaguely noticed how nice they looked together and thought that under different circumstances it might have worked, but...
But Naruto Uzumaki wasn't looking for nice. He never had been. Grinning at her, Naruto piped up, "What, you think this is gonna set me back? Ha!"
A smile crossed Sakura's features, visibly relaxing her tensed form and she ruffled his hair fondly, saying, "Never would have imagined it would," before turning to leave the bathroom. Her gait was lighter and Naruto couldn't help but feel his own body release some of it's tension because everything would work out. It always had.
Twisting the cap back on his flask and turning off the sink, Naruto followed her out of the washroom and grabbed his sack, throwing it over his shoulder. “Well, it looks like it's just you and me hunting Sasuke down again,” he said with a smirk.
Sakura broke into a grin as well and they shared a brief moment of silence where they just stared at each other. And when he opened the door to leave, Naruto knew that both of them would be fine. They always had been.
XxXxX
The burst of Sasuke's chakra was sudden. It coursed through Naruto's body, quaking within him and gripping him into stillness. Just as he felt his feet stumbling forward - out of his control - Sakura's arms were around him, holding him upright.
The pink-haired female met his curious gaze evenly. "Remember whose chakra is in your body," she said and helped to steady the boy before rushing forward - to the line where the forest edged off into a wide clearing of coarse yellowed grass.
Shaking his head to dispel the strange sensation of Sasuke's chakra actively working though his body, Naruto stepped up beside his teammate and stared out over the field. More accurately, he stared at the two figures centered in the middle of the abrupt plain. An unnatural wind whipped through the blades of grass and Naruto hesitated in taking a step forward - through the barrier that divided him from them.
Both Uchiha men were staring at each other. Even from the distance he was at, Naruto could see the trembles rolling through Sasuke's body - could see the anger casting his face alight with passion.
"Why are you here?" Sasuke demanded, his tight voice carrying easily over the flatness of the clearing. His chakra was beginning to buzz around him, focusing on his hand. The blonde could feel the chakra in his own body humming and intensifying as if it were still under Sasuke's ever vigilant control.
Taking a step forward, Naruto broke through the barrier of green that had held him separated from the scene unfolding before him. He was staring at Sasuke's back - at the red and white of the Uchiha fan - while his mind kept screaming at him 'It was always worth it'.
Itachi's eyes drolly rolled away from Sasuke and Naruto knew that the Akatsuki member had never been unaware of his presence. He swallowed roughly. This was the great Uchiha Itachi. The blonde figured it was all right to be slightly terrified of the man.
Then, like the hard slap of waves against rock, Itachi spoke, his focus returning to his brother. "To take that which is precious to you."
The chidori suddenly became palpable around Sasuke's hand and Naruto felt his body pulse with everything Sasuke. He tried to yell for the brunette to stop as the boy charged at his brother, but his voice failed him. The attack was easily dodged, even with Sasuke's inhuman speed, and that boy was swiftly thrown to the ground, which quaked terribly at the impact.
There was blood. Naruto could see it on Sasuke's face as the boy raised his head... and he felt like a child again - watching as Sasuke fought the battle for him. Only this time Sasuke wasn't winning.
And it hadn't even begun.
He tried to run forward but Sakura grabbed his hand and pulled him tight against her chest, whispering, "Don't you dare."
"Don't you dare go over there. I will not lose you too."
The heat of her tears falling on his neck almost deterred him, but then Sasuke's hands were flying through a series of seals and the young Uchiha didn't even get the time to finish because Itachi was landing a kick to his ribs.
And Naruto could feel them crack as they splintered loud enough for the world to hear - could almost feel the spray of blood that flew from Sasuke's mouth on his face - because no human could take that hard of a blow and not bleed. Not even Sasuke - invincible, unshakable Sasuke.
"Let go," the blonde growled and began to viciously pull away from Sakura's arms. His elbow impacted painfully against her chest and he vaguely remembered being told that being hit in the breasts was a fucking painful experience.
But then Sasuke was raising from the ground, that stupid fucking stubborn gleam in his eyes and Naruto pushed away from her so hard he probably threw her flying. He wouldn't let Sasuke kill himself, not for him. Not for anyone.
Red unfocused eyes, bright and blinding with suppressed pain turned to him and Naruto shook his head as he continued running forward.
"Get out of here," Sasuke said in so many tones of impersonal that Naruto thought he could hear his own heart break. The blonde was in front of him now, his expression mirroring the stubborn frown that Sasuke bore.
"No," Naruto said, reaching out to the other boy and wiping some of the blood from his chin. And fuck if he didn't love this stupid stupid bastard. "I'm not going to let you kill yourself." The power in his voice sounded so convincing that Naruto nearly believed himself.
But deep down he knew that not even he could stop Sasuke from fighting this battle. No love, especially one as weak and new as his was, could stop this battle.
"You don't get a say," Sasuke retorted, pushing Naruto's hand away and swiping his own over his mouth, doing nothing more than staining his cheek the same vivid crimson of his blood. He was glaring. And that Naruto could take. He could deal with Sasuke's anger.
"So what? Letting him kill you is going to accomplish something?" Naruto demanded in a strangled yell as he wished he could just kick Sasuke for being such an idiot. His eyes strayed to Itachi and he felt his muscles tense defensively at the amused expression he saw on the man's face.
"He won't kill me," Sasuke snarled, pushing Naruto aside as roughly as his injured body would allow.
"Who are you kidding?" the blonde almost shouted - almost laughed - as he grabbed Sasuke's shoulder and spun the boy around, demanding his attention. "This fight has barely started and you're fighting worse than you did three years ago when you left! What, you didn't learn anything more impressive than your stupid chidori when you were with that snake bastard? At least you could have learned something while you were in Sound being Orochimaru's lapdog!"
Sasuke's eyes hardened and he stepped back from Naruto. He looked as if he wanted to say something, as if he wanted to smack Naruto harder than was physically possible, but this little interlude was already becoming too lengthy. "I won't let him hurt you," Sasuke said viciously quiet and turned away, looking back to his brother, his face set.
Why had his legs stopped working, Naruto wondered as he fought to focus his eyes on Sasuke. But all he could see was Itachi and that stupid hint of laughter glimmering in his eyes. The older Uchiha smirked at his younger brother then at Naruto.
"Well put," he said, addressing the pair, still highly amused. "However, I have business to attend to that does not involve listening to your heartfelt bickering..." Itachi tilted his head to the side, eyes still locked on Naruto and the world lurched. It picked itself up and replaced itself under his feet. The blonde's eyes burned and a sudden searing pain latched onto his stomach like a parasite.
He bit back a whimper of pain and stumbled away from the pair, falling ungracefully to the ground. He could hear Sasuke's voice distantly, could even see the boy backtracking and staring at him, then the brunette's head whipped toward Itachi... and Naruto couldn't help but curse the world's absolutely bang on brilliant timing before everything flashed red then faded into nothing.
XxXxX
When consciousness finally called upon Naruto, dragging his reluctant mind back to the small clearing to which he had fallen victim, the boy found himself seated in a tree, high above the battle that had begun to rage below. He could hear Sakura's thoughts shouting above Sasuke's panic, though he could hardly discern any of either of their words through the jumble of anxiety.
There was the slight shuffling of cloth and Naruto glanced up to see Itachi standing beside him, observing through dispassionate eyes as a double of himself fought Sasuke in the clearing below. Or perhaps this was the double...
"It feels as if he has become weaker. Or perhaps he is still staggering from the after-effects of wasting most of his chakra on keeping you alive," Itachi commented casually, his eyes lowering to gauge Naruto's reaction as the boy realized why Sasuke was fighting so horribly. He felt the familiar tang of guilt in his mouth and tried to will Sasuke his chakra back. Above him, Itachi shifted and his ice cold leg brushed against Naruto's shoulder.
The blonde shuddered - was wrenched from his guilt - and pulled away, sneering at Itachi as he said, "What are you doing to me?"
Because it had to be Itachi behind all of this... The burst of chakra by the West Wall... the photo of Itachi appearing in Sasuke's home... the random flickers of black... Kyuubi's unease... the unnatural red he saw whenever he was invisible - that he could see now...
The blonde shot up, standing nearly eye to eye with Itachi and glared for all he was worth, only to have the eldest of the Uchiha brothers smirk, obviously amused, and shrug his shoulders. His deep red eyes glanced off Naruto and returned to the fight below, where Sasuke was pushing himself off the ground and onto all fours. One of his arms was bent at a sickening angle - Naruto winced - and blood gushed forcefully from a gash across his stomach.
And he was still standing... still fighting.
"He will never take someone from me again. I'll die before that happens... Stand up! Why are you being so weak? I said, "Stand up!"...' Sasuke's thoughts toppled into Naruto's mind and the blonde felt himself staggering at the tone - the insistently furious pitch that was purely Sasuke.
"Stop it," Naruto ordered - pleaded - turning to the Itachi beside him. He reached out desperately, trying to grab Itachi by the cloak and pull him down - throw him out of the tree. But the man stepped away, shaking his head and smiling.
"I had hoped that by now you would be nearly dead..." Itachi said, his tone bland as he observed Naruto with a frighteningly sinister twinkle in his eye. "I didn't realize Sasuke would share his chakra with you so...willingly..." The man chuckled - a sound like glass crushing on stone - and suddenly drew himself toward Naruto again, whispering, "I dare venture to say that this love affair is going to end as a tragedy..."
And just as he said that the tree shook violently. Almost losing his footing, Naruto spun around and wrapped his arms around the thick trunk, looking down to see Sasuke's body slinking along the length of the tree, shuriken protruding from his form like nettles on a cactus. The Uchiha chocked out a cough filled with blood and Naruto had to look away...
His eyes fell on the Itachi beside him, standing there so calmly and he rushed forward, prepared to throw the man from the tree with his body weight. If they fell together, Naruto was sure every bone in his body would break - it was inevitable from such a height - but he needed to stop Itachi...
And then there was a pulse in the red haze surrounding him, strong like a heartbeat, and Itachi's form became smoky and Naruto was coming through the other side of the man, stopping his momentum just short of plummeting from the branch on which he stood.
"You bastard," the blonde growled, turning back to Itachi.
"You cannot hurt me," Both forms of the Akatsuki member said, and Naruto found himself glancing down at the Itachi fighting Sasuke. The double grinned up at him, then back at his nearly unconscious brother.
"Not worth my time," the Itachi on the ground murmured, indicating Sasuke. He stepped away from his brother and with the grace of a cat, leapt the six or so stories to the tree branch where Naruto stood.
Below, Sakura glanced upward, saying a silent prayer for Naruto and rushed forward to begin attending to Sasuke's wounds.
She couldn't help someone she couldn't see...
XxXxX
"Kyuubi will be mine." The sentence came out simultaneously from different mouths in the same tone as both Itachis approached Naruto from either side. The sharingan of the two men flared brightly and Naruto felt a slight pull on his stomach.
"Get off it. I'll die before I let you have control of Kyuubi," Naruto snarled, wrapping his arms around his stomach protectively. He held tight, staring at the Itachi that he assumed to be the real one and was about to say more when he felt a pressure against his arm from the inside of his stomach... like a baby kicking. Itachi murmured something and formed a quick series of seals, his face blank and concentrated.
Jerking his arms away from the sensation, Naruto lifted his shirt and stared at the seal. It was divided into sixteen separate symbols - like bars - in a square around his belly button. "What the hell," he started, and then there was a ripping feeling, pulling itself from his hand. He bit back a scream at the pain and watched in horror as a large bar, formed on the ground, reaching upward to the sky. The first bar on the seal disappeared and when Naruto went to touch it in horrified wonderment, he realized that he had lost all control of his hand.
Lifting his arm to stare at the limp appendage, Naruto realized it was a sickening shade of purple, like a massive bruise. His whole body trembled at the loss and he tried to feel the pain, but there was nothing. He touched his hand and still there was nothing. The boy's face paled, all colour draining away as he turned to stare at the Itachi to his left. He suddenly felt like a small useless child being presented with a dark secret that was far above his head.
"Why?" he whispered.
"To see if I can," Itachi remarked as an unnatural wind engulfed Naruto, inciting the same agonizing pain of his life force ripping away from his body in his other hand.
He choked back his scream by biting his lip and clenching his eyes shut. The world swam this time before settling back, leaving him feeling nothing in his other hand, which was that same sickly shade of purple.
"No..." he managed to whisper in terrified wonderment as another bar disappeared from his stomach and appeared on the ground. "You can't..."
But as another bar appeared on the ground and his entire right arm dropped limply at his side, Naruto realized that Itachi could do anything he desired...
XxXxX
A/N - So yeah...sorry for the cliffy ehehe ::blush:: I'm pretty sure I explain everything next chapter, and if I don't, I for sure do by the one after. Anyways, thanks for reading lovelies and sorry for the late update!!! Being bedridden for a week on doctor's orders is a valid excuse right? Right?
OOOH AND(!) oh my eff! Surface Flaws!!! HAPPY 1 YEAR ANNIVERSARY!!! <333 I feel so close with you my love. [/sap]
(Reviews? Why, yes plz! I love them ;)
kthnxbai!)
<3333 TJ
Next Chapter
Author: xinexpressiblex
Rating: 14A for swearing.
Warnings: Shounen ai, spoilers for anyone not keeping up with the manga, & AUish. Alternate timeline.
Disclaimer: Yeah, I don’t own.
Thank you: goheh_remix & amain
Summary: The invisibility started with one silly wish upon a star. Good thing Sasuke's doormat personality, Sai's attempts at matchmaking, and a mission gone wrong were all quite normal in the life of Naruto Uzumaki... Wait. What? SasuNaru
Chapter I, Chapter II, Chapter III, Chapter IV, Chapter V, Chapter VI, Chapter VII, Chapter VIII, Chapter IX, Chapter X, Chapter XI, Chapter XII, Chapter XIII, Chapter XIV
**Anything involving Akatsuki and bijuus after the Timeskip is completely irrelevent to this story, and as such, never happened.
Previously: (Kind of long because two important things happened in the end)
There was silence, save for the sounds of their heavy breathing, as both boys basked in the feeling of the other, Naruto feeling more alive than he had in a long time.
And then, after what seemed like forever, Naruto said with a tired smile, “Still can’t believe you stuck your fingers up my ass.”
And that was that.
XxXxX
Meanwhile, just a paper thin wall away, Sakura sat on her bed, alone. Her legs were drawn close to her chest and her head rested on her knees as tears fell in fat droplets to her thin pink nightgown.
She wondered how she could be breaking her promise, the one she’d made to herself all those years ago that stated she would never cry for a boy again.
Surface Flaws
Chapter XI
“You called me strong
You called me weak
But still your secrets I will keep
You took for granted
All the times I never let you down
You stumbled in and bumped your head
If not for me then you’d be dead
I picked you up and put you back
On solid ground”
- Kryptonite (Three Doors Down)
When Naruto opened his eyes that morning they didn’t feel heavy, his head didn’t spin, he wasn’t overcome by nausea, there were no trembles throwing themselves through his body, and most disconcerting of all, his ass, of all things, was in pain.
Dread began coiling itself in his stomach and he fought against whatever memory it was his mind was trying to replay for him. The boy had an unnerving feeling that, whatever had happened, he was better off not knowing. Drawing his bottom lip between his teeth and biting nervously, Naruto threw a hand over his face, unable to suppress the uneasy tension that was pulsing through his veins, making his head light with anxiety.
He could hear footsteps outside his room, quick and definite, alongside the light chipper of birds. There was a stutter in the pace of the person's gait, and then a sharp rap on his door. Without thinking, Naruto grumbled, “Hey, asshole, you go open it.”
And…oh fuck.
The blonde pressed the palms of his hands into his eyes and let out a lengthy moan of aggravation.
He remembered.
Naruto peered under his hands at Sasuke’s empty bed then at the bottle of lotion on the nightstand and felt his abdominal muscles cramp uncomfortably. Shit, did he ever remember. “Ewwwww,” he managed to groan as he rolled onto his stomach and buried his head into his pillow. He felt all kinds of dirty.
He had done it with Sasuke.
He had let the bastard touch him in his manly area and in return he’d felt Sasuke up too. Not only that but… Naruto gagged into his pillow and hoped to hell Sasuke had washed his hands this morning, because if he hadn’t then… A shudder quaked through his toned form at the same time the boy realized he was alone in his bed - no Sasuke.
Rap rap rap.
And there was still someone knocking on his door.
“Who is it?” he yelled in a croaked tone. If it was Sasuke he was sure he would die of horror. Bastard. He had known Naruto was too out of it to make any important decisions - and fuck if this didn't count as an important decision - this was his virginity they were talking about. If the blonde shinobi remembered correctly, Sasuke had been the one stressing how “severe” Naruto’s illness was only hours before he successfully seduced his friend.
Besides, who seduced someone that late at night in the first place? It was unfair.
“Naruto, open up. It’s just me,” a feminine voice called at him through the door, reminding him yet again of the presence beyond his door.
Letting - forcing actually - all thoughts of Sasuke and everything Sasuke-related from his mind, Naruto sat up and prepared to make his way to the door. Until he a) realized he was naked, and b) realized just how sore his ass was.
He was going to fucking kill Sasuke next time he saw the bastard.
Cursing sourly under his breath, Naruto reached over the side of his bed and groped around blindly until his hand came in contact with his boxers. “Coming Sakura,” he yelled in a strangled tone as he forced himself to stand and hop into the flimsy material while making his way to the door.
Once there, the boy paused in his haste to take one last glance around the room. On the off chance that Sakura hadn’t heard them, Naruto wanted to make sure there was nothing incriminating laying about on the floor… he had no idea what he was looking for, and before he could even allow his mind to yell, 'A big splooge stain!', he was opening the door and greeting Sakura with a huge Uzumaki Naruto Smile™.
“Ah, good morning Sakura-chan!” he chirped at the sight of his pink-haired companion. “How’s it going?” The boy stepped aside as she entered the room and watched with a smile far too fake as she moved to sit on Sasuke’s bed. The girl didn't notice the way his grip tightened on the doorknob, his knuckles whitening with strain.
“Fine.” Her tone was rather clipped, even bordering on being mean, Naruto observed as he moved to sit across from her on his own bed. She was watching him intently, her eyes narrowed in a calculating way.
“You’re walking funny,” she observed with a knowing look at the lotion bottle.
Naruto refused to acknowledge the blush that slowly crept up his cheeks and to his ears and to his nose and... oh hell, it covered his whole face. “I uh…fell…” he started awkwardly, “out of bed. You know me, always falling out of bed!”
The look that Sakura gave him stopped Naruto mid-pat on the back - it had been a rather good excuse all things considered - and he looked at his feet sheepishly. She was trying to be nice... - he could tell because she hadn't punched his lights out yet.
“I’d appreciate if you didn’t lie to me and insult my intelligence,” she requested in such a formal tone that it caused the blonde to wince.
“Ah, sorry, Sakura-chan," he said, still sheepish.
The blonde raised his gaze without lifting his head, watching as Sakura surveyed him with an awkwardly intense look. He really wished she didn’t know. No one was meant to know that other people went around having sex. It was just gross...
He blushed and dropped his eyes, definitely not wondering if Sakura had ever done it. And then he realized she couldn’t have because she was so faithful to Sasuke, even if she claimed to be over him - even if she kissed Naruto - and he felt his stomach drop to his feet and jump to his throat all at once.
He had promised to never hurt her...
“I should be apologizing to you,” Sakura said after a moment’s consideration, cutting into Naruto‘s thoughts, and the boy found himself staring at her in outright shock. “Do you know where he is?” she asked over his soundless questions, her tone approaching something like soft as she saw the way Naruto’s face fell at the mention of Sasuke.
The boy hesitated, uncertain, and eyed his friend warily, - then finally: “Gonna kill him when I do know,” he muttered dejectedly, balling his hands into fists, because maybe he could concentrate all of his guilt there, where it wouldn't sting so much. Sakura just looked at him and he couldn't help but notice that she had begun to wring the hem of her shirt awkwardly. The boy swallowed.
“You know, it wasn’t supposed to happen,” he started, trying to find a way to amend for what he’d done, “I’ve honestly never even thought about it happening." He dropped his head into his hands and croaked out, "Shit, I am so fucking sorry.”
The silence that followed this statement left Naruto's heart pounding in his throat, each beat pushing him closer to saying something more. But he couldn't. It wasn't as if he deserved her forgiveness, not really.
He could hear her steady breathing, quiet and comforting. Soft like her and still hitching every few breaths, so subtly he almost missed the pattern.
Finally she said, "I know you are," and it came out sounding like a revelation, as if she hadn't really expected him to be sorry - and her breathing quickened in agitation. "But..." she paused and he lifted his head, meeting the muted green of her eyes - green like mint. "Are you sorry because you hurt me, or are you sorry because you trusted him and he left?"
The room went stiff with surprise and both Sakura and Naruto stared at each other, unable to move, to blink, to breathe under the accusation that hung in the air between them.
"What?" Naruto eventually gasped, eyes finally widening in shock at the suggestion that he wasn't truly sorry that he had hurt her. He leaned forward, searching her face as he nearly pleaded with her. "Sakura, you know the answer to that question."
Silence so quiet he could hear her trust in him falling away piece by piece engulfed them. He felt overwhelmed as he tried to scoop everything up and push - force - it back into her - tried to put everything back together.
"Don't you?"
He was grasping for something he couldn't see - trying to pick up the fragile pieces of her faith in him. And it wasn't working. He knew it wasn't when she dropped her gaze to the floor, her expression apologetic. As he let his hope slip uselessly from his grip, Naruto had to wonder just when this had happened - when she had lost her conviction in his loyalty to her. "You're my best friend," he whispered, somehow thinking the sound wouldn't cross the gap between them. "You, not Sasuke, not... I don't know, Sai. Not anyone. Just you."
He wasn't quite sure why he was telling her this, because all this time he had thought she had known. "Don't you know that?" he found himself asking in a voice that wouldn't quite work.
Sakura swallowed, he could see the rise and fall in her small throat, and drew a deep breath. When she raised her eyes they were sparkling... not quite with tears . The only thing Naruto could see there was a self-deprecating humour. "Sometimes I imagine things differently," she said in a darkly wary tone, "And when reality is less than fantasy, I guess I get disappointed."
And that's when Naruto finally realized. His mouth rounded into a silent 'o' and he stared at her openly, wondering when this had happened. His shoulders shook in tiny trembles and still he stared at her, horrified wonderment drawn over his face in a messy scrawl.
"But you love Sasuke..." he told her after a moment's thought, his voice tentative and thick with denial.
"I told you I didn't love him anymore, Naruto. You remember that, I know you do." Sakura shook her head and ran her fingers through her hair, frowning at the floor. "I meant it," she said, her tone firm - brooking no room for argument.
"But you don't love me do you?" His voice quivered and Naruto cursed himself for being so weak. If she loved Sasuke then it was kind of okay what had happened, at least he hadn't been the one to choose someone else. But if she loved him...
Then every time he'd turned her down and accepted Sasuke...
Naruto wiped the sweat from his brow and tried to contain the terror in his eyes so she wouldn't be able to see it. And were the walls collapsing inward or was that just his imagination? The room was suddenly feeling very confined.
"Naruto, I..."
He needed to run. She was trying to calm him down, he could tell. But, hell, he felt like the room was going to squish them both.
"I don't love you."
His thoughts halted and Naruto couldn't help but clench the blankets of his bed tight in his fists. So tight that when he released them, his body would sag with relief.
Was he going to accept her lie for his own sake?
Without even thinking, he knew the answer to that question, because he needed this to be his own little truth. And she had given it to him. Maybe even to herself. What would she have done if she had admitted to loving him only to be rejected?
He wanted to smack himself for trying to make this justifiable...
And then Sakura said, "Still friends?" and he couldn't help but nod.
"Yeah," he agreed, his eyes still worried as he focused his attention on his knees. The girl stood and he wondered how he had just let her lie to him like that. Naruto could hear Sakura’s footsteps as they fell on the floor - came closer. A part of him hoped she was coming over to slap him because he really did deserve it. She stepped close enough for her feet to be in his sight, then she stopped and seemed to hesitate.
“Well, just so you know I’d thank Sasuke before killing him if I were you.” Sakura finally said, sitting beside him - the mattress dipped under her weight in a comforting way - and gently patting his cheek. He glanced up at her with a wry expression and tapped her jaw with his fist, hitting so lightly neither of them really felt the contact, and smiled at her. He could almost convince himself that the smile didn't feel strained.
“And why’s that?” he inquired, trying to understand why she was being nice to him after what he had done.
Bringing her fists up in front of her, Sakura feigned a few quick jabs in Naruto’s direction as she said, “Do you know a common reason intercourse is practiced among teammates in dire situations?”
The blonde felt the words, 'because they think it's fun' on his lips but refrained from saying them as he dodged to the left and right, avoiding Sakura's mock punches. Reaching with one hand to grab for her hair, he said, “No idea,” just as his other hand went up to flick her square in the nose. Of course, Sakura wasn’t stupid enough to fall for such a trick, and she batted his hand away easily with a gentle laugh.
"It’s the most effective way to transfer large amounts of chakra from one shinobi to another.” The fake battle stopped as Naruto realized where this was going, his hands dropping to his lap limply. “Providing they know what to say and what seals to make, anyone could do it,” she told him.
He felt Sasuke’s arms move in his hold, saw the movements of a seal from the corner of his eye, and heard a gentle sound that had to be his lover’s voice.
Naruto went stiff with outrage and was about to rip the fucking hotel room to shreds in his fury when Sakura piped up in an almost smug - no it couldn’t be - tone, “Do you mind if I check your chakra levels?”
So that was why.
Naruto clenched his jaw and let his hands stiffen into fists in his lap. Sakura could be as fucking smug as she wanted. She had a right to be, he reminded himself as he shrugged nonchalantly, steeling his jaw and trying to reason himself out of his anger. Water on his back... this was all water on his back...
“Sure, why not?” he said in something like a growl and lifted his head to stare Sakura in the eye as he pulled up his shirt to reveal his stomach.
He continued to watch her as her hands moved to his stomach, her soft fingers gently coming in contact with his abdomen. Well, it looked like his little romp in the sheets with Sasuke hadn’t hurt anyone after all. Sakura wasn’t betrayed, not really. It had been a 'medicinal romp in the sheets’ and who would understand such a thing better than the team medic.
It hadn't hurt anyone. Sasuke was... well who the fuck knew, but he wasn't hurt by what had happened. And Naruto, well he’d gotten the best end of this deal.
It hadn't hurt anyone. Naruto was pumped up with someone else’s chakra.
He wanted to punch something really really bad, if only to get rid of the sense of betrayal that was pulling his normally constant smile into an increasingly present frown.
Sakura’s cool fingers left his skin and Naruto let his shirt drop. “I’m good to go then?” he asked, trying to keep from sounding too gruff. This was all water on his back - just let it slide away.
The girl nodded and glanced around the room, all smugness gone. Well, good to know she had gotten her little moment of 'I told you so' over and done with. “Your chakra levels are fine for the time being," she told him, and then she sobered and Naruto knew what was coming next. “Do you have any idea where he might have gone?”
That was obvious, Naruto thought as he released his hold on the sheets and wiped his sweaty palms on the front of his shirt. “To find Itachi.” He eyed the pack Sakura was carrying on her back and figured he had better get his ready.
Standing, the boy moved to grab the few things he'd removed from his bag. He paused at his water flask. "Did you refill yours?" he called to Sakura as he stepped into the bathroom. The girl nodded and stood, coming up behind him as he turned on the tap, which was old and rusted.
"You'll be okay?" she asked him quietly and Naruto found that they were staring at each other in the mirror's reflection. He vaguely noticed how nice they looked together and thought that under different circumstances it might have worked, but...
But Naruto Uzumaki wasn't looking for nice. He never had been. Grinning at her, Naruto piped up, "What, you think this is gonna set me back? Ha!"
A smile crossed Sakura's features, visibly relaxing her tensed form and she ruffled his hair fondly, saying, "Never would have imagined it would," before turning to leave the bathroom. Her gait was lighter and Naruto couldn't help but feel his own body release some of it's tension because everything would work out. It always had.
Twisting the cap back on his flask and turning off the sink, Naruto followed her out of the washroom and grabbed his sack, throwing it over his shoulder. “Well, it looks like it's just you and me hunting Sasuke down again,” he said with a smirk.
Sakura broke into a grin as well and they shared a brief moment of silence where they just stared at each other. And when he opened the door to leave, Naruto knew that both of them would be fine. They always had been.
XxXxX
The burst of Sasuke's chakra was sudden. It coursed through Naruto's body, quaking within him and gripping him into stillness. Just as he felt his feet stumbling forward - out of his control - Sakura's arms were around him, holding him upright.
The pink-haired female met his curious gaze evenly. "Remember whose chakra is in your body," she said and helped to steady the boy before rushing forward - to the line where the forest edged off into a wide clearing of coarse yellowed grass.
Shaking his head to dispel the strange sensation of Sasuke's chakra actively working though his body, Naruto stepped up beside his teammate and stared out over the field. More accurately, he stared at the two figures centered in the middle of the abrupt plain. An unnatural wind whipped through the blades of grass and Naruto hesitated in taking a step forward - through the barrier that divided him from them.
Both Uchiha men were staring at each other. Even from the distance he was at, Naruto could see the trembles rolling through Sasuke's body - could see the anger casting his face alight with passion.
"Why are you here?" Sasuke demanded, his tight voice carrying easily over the flatness of the clearing. His chakra was beginning to buzz around him, focusing on his hand. The blonde could feel the chakra in his own body humming and intensifying as if it were still under Sasuke's ever vigilant control.
Taking a step forward, Naruto broke through the barrier of green that had held him separated from the scene unfolding before him. He was staring at Sasuke's back - at the red and white of the Uchiha fan - while his mind kept screaming at him 'It was always worth it'.
Itachi's eyes drolly rolled away from Sasuke and Naruto knew that the Akatsuki member had never been unaware of his presence. He swallowed roughly. This was the great Uchiha Itachi. The blonde figured it was all right to be slightly terrified of the man.
Then, like the hard slap of waves against rock, Itachi spoke, his focus returning to his brother. "To take that which is precious to you."
The chidori suddenly became palpable around Sasuke's hand and Naruto felt his body pulse with everything Sasuke. He tried to yell for the brunette to stop as the boy charged at his brother, but his voice failed him. The attack was easily dodged, even with Sasuke's inhuman speed, and that boy was swiftly thrown to the ground, which quaked terribly at the impact.
There was blood. Naruto could see it on Sasuke's face as the boy raised his head... and he felt like a child again - watching as Sasuke fought the battle for him. Only this time Sasuke wasn't winning.
And it hadn't even begun.
He tried to run forward but Sakura grabbed his hand and pulled him tight against her chest, whispering, "Don't you dare."
"Don't you dare go over there. I will not lose you too."
The heat of her tears falling on his neck almost deterred him, but then Sasuke's hands were flying through a series of seals and the young Uchiha didn't even get the time to finish because Itachi was landing a kick to his ribs.
And Naruto could feel them crack as they splintered loud enough for the world to hear - could almost feel the spray of blood that flew from Sasuke's mouth on his face - because no human could take that hard of a blow and not bleed. Not even Sasuke - invincible, unshakable Sasuke.
"Let go," the blonde growled and began to viciously pull away from Sakura's arms. His elbow impacted painfully against her chest and he vaguely remembered being told that being hit in the breasts was a fucking painful experience.
But then Sasuke was raising from the ground, that stupid fucking stubborn gleam in his eyes and Naruto pushed away from her so hard he probably threw her flying. He wouldn't let Sasuke kill himself, not for him. Not for anyone.
Red unfocused eyes, bright and blinding with suppressed pain turned to him and Naruto shook his head as he continued running forward.
"Get out of here," Sasuke said in so many tones of impersonal that Naruto thought he could hear his own heart break. The blonde was in front of him now, his expression mirroring the stubborn frown that Sasuke bore.
"No," Naruto said, reaching out to the other boy and wiping some of the blood from his chin. And fuck if he didn't love this stupid stupid bastard. "I'm not going to let you kill yourself." The power in his voice sounded so convincing that Naruto nearly believed himself.
But deep down he knew that not even he could stop Sasuke from fighting this battle. No love, especially one as weak and new as his was, could stop this battle.
"You don't get a say," Sasuke retorted, pushing Naruto's hand away and swiping his own over his mouth, doing nothing more than staining his cheek the same vivid crimson of his blood. He was glaring. And that Naruto could take. He could deal with Sasuke's anger.
"So what? Letting him kill you is going to accomplish something?" Naruto demanded in a strangled yell as he wished he could just kick Sasuke for being such an idiot. His eyes strayed to Itachi and he felt his muscles tense defensively at the amused expression he saw on the man's face.
"He won't kill me," Sasuke snarled, pushing Naruto aside as roughly as his injured body would allow.
"Who are you kidding?" the blonde almost shouted - almost laughed - as he grabbed Sasuke's shoulder and spun the boy around, demanding his attention. "This fight has barely started and you're fighting worse than you did three years ago when you left! What, you didn't learn anything more impressive than your stupid chidori when you were with that snake bastard? At least you could have learned something while you were in Sound being Orochimaru's lapdog!"
Sasuke's eyes hardened and he stepped back from Naruto. He looked as if he wanted to say something, as if he wanted to smack Naruto harder than was physically possible, but this little interlude was already becoming too lengthy. "I won't let him hurt you," Sasuke said viciously quiet and turned away, looking back to his brother, his face set.
Why had his legs stopped working, Naruto wondered as he fought to focus his eyes on Sasuke. But all he could see was Itachi and that stupid hint of laughter glimmering in his eyes. The older Uchiha smirked at his younger brother then at Naruto.
"Well put," he said, addressing the pair, still highly amused. "However, I have business to attend to that does not involve listening to your heartfelt bickering..." Itachi tilted his head to the side, eyes still locked on Naruto and the world lurched. It picked itself up and replaced itself under his feet. The blonde's eyes burned and a sudden searing pain latched onto his stomach like a parasite.
He bit back a whimper of pain and stumbled away from the pair, falling ungracefully to the ground. He could hear Sasuke's voice distantly, could even see the boy backtracking and staring at him, then the brunette's head whipped toward Itachi... and Naruto couldn't help but curse the world's absolutely bang on brilliant timing before everything flashed red then faded into nothing.
XxXxX
When consciousness finally called upon Naruto, dragging his reluctant mind back to the small clearing to which he had fallen victim, the boy found himself seated in a tree, high above the battle that had begun to rage below. He could hear Sakura's thoughts shouting above Sasuke's panic, though he could hardly discern any of either of their words through the jumble of anxiety.
There was the slight shuffling of cloth and Naruto glanced up to see Itachi standing beside him, observing through dispassionate eyes as a double of himself fought Sasuke in the clearing below. Or perhaps this was the double...
"It feels as if he has become weaker. Or perhaps he is still staggering from the after-effects of wasting most of his chakra on keeping you alive," Itachi commented casually, his eyes lowering to gauge Naruto's reaction as the boy realized why Sasuke was fighting so horribly. He felt the familiar tang of guilt in his mouth and tried to will Sasuke his chakra back. Above him, Itachi shifted and his ice cold leg brushed against Naruto's shoulder.
The blonde shuddered - was wrenched from his guilt - and pulled away, sneering at Itachi as he said, "What are you doing to me?"
Because it had to be Itachi behind all of this... The burst of chakra by the West Wall... the photo of Itachi appearing in Sasuke's home... the random flickers of black... Kyuubi's unease... the unnatural red he saw whenever he was invisible - that he could see now...
The blonde shot up, standing nearly eye to eye with Itachi and glared for all he was worth, only to have the eldest of the Uchiha brothers smirk, obviously amused, and shrug his shoulders. His deep red eyes glanced off Naruto and returned to the fight below, where Sasuke was pushing himself off the ground and onto all fours. One of his arms was bent at a sickening angle - Naruto winced - and blood gushed forcefully from a gash across his stomach.
And he was still standing... still fighting.
"He will never take someone from me again. I'll die before that happens... Stand up! Why are you being so weak? I said, "Stand up!"...' Sasuke's thoughts toppled into Naruto's mind and the blonde felt himself staggering at the tone - the insistently furious pitch that was purely Sasuke.
"Stop it," Naruto ordered - pleaded - turning to the Itachi beside him. He reached out desperately, trying to grab Itachi by the cloak and pull him down - throw him out of the tree. But the man stepped away, shaking his head and smiling.
"I had hoped that by now you would be nearly dead..." Itachi said, his tone bland as he observed Naruto with a frighteningly sinister twinkle in his eye. "I didn't realize Sasuke would share his chakra with you so...willingly..." The man chuckled - a sound like glass crushing on stone - and suddenly drew himself toward Naruto again, whispering, "I dare venture to say that this love affair is going to end as a tragedy..."
And just as he said that the tree shook violently. Almost losing his footing, Naruto spun around and wrapped his arms around the thick trunk, looking down to see Sasuke's body slinking along the length of the tree, shuriken protruding from his form like nettles on a cactus. The Uchiha chocked out a cough filled with blood and Naruto had to look away...
His eyes fell on the Itachi beside him, standing there so calmly and he rushed forward, prepared to throw the man from the tree with his body weight. If they fell together, Naruto was sure every bone in his body would break - it was inevitable from such a height - but he needed to stop Itachi...
And then there was a pulse in the red haze surrounding him, strong like a heartbeat, and Itachi's form became smoky and Naruto was coming through the other side of the man, stopping his momentum just short of plummeting from the branch on which he stood.
"You bastard," the blonde growled, turning back to Itachi.
"You cannot hurt me," Both forms of the Akatsuki member said, and Naruto found himself glancing down at the Itachi fighting Sasuke. The double grinned up at him, then back at his nearly unconscious brother.
"Not worth my time," the Itachi on the ground murmured, indicating Sasuke. He stepped away from his brother and with the grace of a cat, leapt the six or so stories to the tree branch where Naruto stood.
Below, Sakura glanced upward, saying a silent prayer for Naruto and rushed forward to begin attending to Sasuke's wounds.
She couldn't help someone she couldn't see...
XxXxX
"Kyuubi will be mine." The sentence came out simultaneously from different mouths in the same tone as both Itachis approached Naruto from either side. The sharingan of the two men flared brightly and Naruto felt a slight pull on his stomach.
"Get off it. I'll die before I let you have control of Kyuubi," Naruto snarled, wrapping his arms around his stomach protectively. He held tight, staring at the Itachi that he assumed to be the real one and was about to say more when he felt a pressure against his arm from the inside of his stomach... like a baby kicking. Itachi murmured something and formed a quick series of seals, his face blank and concentrated.
Jerking his arms away from the sensation, Naruto lifted his shirt and stared at the seal. It was divided into sixteen separate symbols - like bars - in a square around his belly button. "What the hell," he started, and then there was a ripping feeling, pulling itself from his hand. He bit back a scream at the pain and watched in horror as a large bar, formed on the ground, reaching upward to the sky. The first bar on the seal disappeared and when Naruto went to touch it in horrified wonderment, he realized that he had lost all control of his hand.
Lifting his arm to stare at the limp appendage, Naruto realized it was a sickening shade of purple, like a massive bruise. His whole body trembled at the loss and he tried to feel the pain, but there was nothing. He touched his hand and still there was nothing. The boy's face paled, all colour draining away as he turned to stare at the Itachi to his left. He suddenly felt like a small useless child being presented with a dark secret that was far above his head.
"Why?" he whispered.
"To see if I can," Itachi remarked as an unnatural wind engulfed Naruto, inciting the same agonizing pain of his life force ripping away from his body in his other hand.
He choked back his scream by biting his lip and clenching his eyes shut. The world swam this time before settling back, leaving him feeling nothing in his other hand, which was that same sickly shade of purple.
"No..." he managed to whisper in terrified wonderment as another bar disappeared from his stomach and appeared on the ground. "You can't..."
But as another bar appeared on the ground and his entire right arm dropped limply at his side, Naruto realized that Itachi could do anything he desired...
XxXxX
A/N - So yeah...sorry for the cliffy ehehe ::blush:: I'm pretty sure I explain everything next chapter, and if I don't, I for sure do by the one after. Anyways, thanks for reading lovelies and sorry for the late update!!! Being bedridden for a week on doctor's orders is a valid excuse right? Right?
OOOH AND(!) oh my eff! Surface Flaws!!! HAPPY 1 YEAR ANNIVERSARY!!! <333 I feel so close with you my love. [/sap]
(Reviews? Why, yes plz! I love them ;)
kthnxbai!)
<3333 TJ
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