Pairing: Itachi/Naruto

Thank you for all of the support so far! This story will 100% be finished by next April at the very latest, along with my other WIPs!

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If he was completely honest, Itachi wouldn't have given himself a second chance if he'd been in Naruto's shoes. Perhaps he was being too harsh on himself, but he had been horrid. He'd manipulated and lied time and time again, but Naruto had just taken it in stride, even after the devastation Sasuke had wrought upon him.

They didn't make them like Naruto that often, that was for sure.

A breeze picked up, and Itachi burrowed a little deeper into the neck of his coat, wishing he hadn't offered to take this particular outlook venue. It was a simple half-day assignment to a supposed abandoned base of Tobi's, to see if there was anyone they could trap and interrogate, but Itachi had chosen the worst stake out place of the three they'd identified.

He sighed, hunkering down a little lower, eyes raking over the landscape. No one had been in or out all day, and their allotted time was coming to an end. Still, Itachi held out hope they'd be able to pick off someone, and he was rewarded an hour later.

A figure crept into the building, and Itachi instantly tapped the tiny frog summon that had been nestled beside him the entire time. It vanished, and Itachi knew that Naruto and Jiraiya would receive his message and meet him inside the building.

He moved quickly and silently, entering the building with ease. There was no barrier or seal to undo, and Itachi was instantly on full alert. It was unlike Tobi to use somewhere without such measures, and Itachi wondered who else this could belong to if not Tobi.

"Who's there?" the person, a young man with wide eyes and shaking hands, said. Itachi stepped out of the shadows, and the man seemed to relax when he met Itachi's gaze, something that never happened with any sharingan user. Usually, anyway.

"I have what you wanted," the man said, holding out a scroll. Itachi recognised the mark on the seal, and he raised an eyebrow. This information had been stolen from Kumo's grand library, though he had no idea how it had ended up on the outskirts of Ame. The scroll had to contain something important, and Itachi took it, examining the seal closely.

"The seal you wanted me to research was a weird one," the man said, shaking his head and looking down. "There's only been a handful of known cases, and most of those carried the seal until they died."

Itachi's eyes flickered to the man and back down at the scroll. He had an idea what this was all about now, and he quickly tucked the contents of the scroll away.

"I'd advise you to leave quickly," Itachi said firmly. The man looked as if he was about to protest, but thought better of it when Itachi tilted his chin.

"You know where I am if you need more. It's been a pleasure helping you," he said, bowing.

Not a moment later, Naruto and Jiraiya were next to him, Naruto frowning with his arms crossed over his chest.

"You didn't tell us this was your set up," he grumbled, and Itachi passed the sealed scroll to Jiraiya smoothly, shaking his head.

"He saw the sharingan and assumed I was someone else," Itachi informed them, stomach knotting as Jiraiya studied the scroll. "I believe it's information on Sasuke's seal," Itachi said quietly, and two pairs of eyes flickered to him, one steady and one uncertain.

"But they can't do anything with it, right?" Naruto asked, and Itachi nodded slowly, though he looked to Jiraiya for the answer to the question. He might have set the seal and plotted with Nagato to understand it, but Jiraiya was the more experienced one in general.

"Only an Uzumaki clan member can undo the seal, just as they can apply it. Sasuke's seal binds his chakra and stops anyone manipulating him through it, as a sharingan user would. It also has the added benefit of blocking Orochimaru's attempts to take over Sasuke… all in all it's a very neat seal, aside from the huge amount of chakra it needs to be set in the first place." Jiraiya patted Naruto's shoulder. "Thanks to Itachi's brain and your powerhouse chakra supply, that wasn't much of an issue."

Itachi just nodded, and Jiraiya continued.

"In terms of members of the Uzumaki clan? There's a handful, at most. Naruto, obviously, and I believe Orochimaru had a girl under his tutelage. I'm not sure what's happened to her now, though, but she would certainly come to Sasuke's aid." Jiraiya met Itachi's eyes slowly, and he nodded. "And Nagato, who possesses the rinnegan."

Naruto eyed them with caution, question brimming in his eyes.

"Nagato could certainly undo Sasuke's seal, but it would be counterproductive to him, seeing as he helped me set it up," Itachi said slowly, and Naruto nodded sharply, clearly having figured out Nagato's position in the Akatsuki and who he was. His sharpness made Itachi a little proud, and he smiled slightly.

"So that just leaves any unknowns and Orochimaru's underling as potential candidates to undo the seal then," Naruto mused, scuffing his foot against the muddy floorboard. "Provided he knows that it's just an Uzumaki who can undo the seal. I'm guessing he doesn't know that much if he's getting randomers to dig up information for him."

There was a murmur of consensus around the group, and Itachi glanced at Naruto, wondering what he was thinking. He closed his eyes, shifted as if he was uncomfortable, and Itachi looked away, noticing the slight smile on Jiraiya's face.

"Well, I'm going underground for a while then. I'm going to pay a visit to Orochimaru and see if anyone has noted Tobi's plans. Don't try to get in contact unless it's urgent," Jiraiya said, and Naruto's eyes snapped open.

"Just be careful Ero-sennin," he muttered, though they'd parted a few times over the last couple of months. Jiraiya had been trying to dig up whatever he could, but he'd so far been unsuccessful. Just as Naruto and Itachi had been.

"I'm always careful," Jiraiya said with a huge grin, and he turned then, vanishing into the trees.

Itachi sighed, he had planned an afternoon of strategy with Jiraiya, but whatever he'd been smiling about earlier evidently took precedence. And Itachi thought he had a good idea of what was running through Jiraiya's mind.

"Well," Naruto said, tapping his thigh with the palm of his hand. "I suppose we should return to Ame then."

Nodding, Itachi let Naruto lead them out of the base, alert and ready to counter any danger lurking. There was none, however, but the on-edge feeling flowing through Itachi didn't lessen any.

"I hate this," Naruto muttered, a mirror of Itachi's own feelings.

"Perseverance is the key to being a good ninja," Itachi replied, though the words were bitter in his mouth. How long did they have to wait before Tobi brought the world crashing down on them? Most likely around four months, if Itachi was honest, when Naruto was giving birth.

Naruto scoffed, and Itachi nodded.

"I hate it too," he said gently, nodding as Naruto looked at him with wide eyes, as if he couldn't believe Itachi had actually said that. "If I had my way, we'd just have it all out now and get it over with. The waiting is the worst."

Nodding, Naruto moved off in the direction of Ame, setting a fast pace. They'd be back in no time at this pace, but it wouldn't allow for any conversation. Itachi understood – Naruto had already gone above and beyond what Itachi could have hoped for, but he didn't know how he could mend the bond between them if all of his opportunities were taken away.

When they reached the Akatsuki base, Naruto went to his room right away, claiming he was tired. Itachi watched him go, deciding to head for the kitchen instead, mind far away.

"You know," Kisame said, fixing him with a stare as he stood by the counter. "You've been there for a good ten minutes now. I came in about five minutes ago and it didn't even register, did it?"

Itachi glanced at him, shaking his head. He could be honest with Kisame, they'd known each other for so long and, despite their differences, worked well together. Kisame was strangely loyal to him, and not even Itachi understood why.

"You need to sort yourself out." Kisame said, voice low as he stepped closer. Itachi stiffened; this wasn't the kind of conversation he was happy to share with Kisame. They were business partners, and whenever Kisame had tried to offer advice before, Itachi had always remained silent. He'd been allowed that luxury then, but looking at Kisame now, it was easy to see that he wasn't going to let Itachi get away with it this time.

"You're fucking miserable, don't think I can't see it. And so is the brat, no matter what you both say." Kisame ran a hand through his hair, shaking his head. "I have no idea what weird relationship you have or whatever happened between the moment he first came here and now. Everything's changed so much and we're preparing for a war with a former member… I don't have time to care about the specifics."

Itachi nodded, still looking away.

"Get yourself and the brat sorted. Do whatever it is that's stopping you and say fuck it. You've carried around too many regrets now, don't let this be another one." Itachi looked up, and Kisame held his gaze, nodding firmly after a moment, as if he'd seen what he wanted to. He turned, leaving Itachi as if it was simply as easy as that.

Was it? Could it really be that easy? Could he really recover what he'd fucked up that simply?

There was really only one way to find out, and Itachi had never been a coward. He moved up the staircase, ghosting the steps Naruto had taken earlier, until he was standing outside of Naruto's door. He knocked once, steeling himself for when Naruto opened it.

"Took you long enough," Naruto said, crossing his arms over his chest after he opened the door. It wasn't what Itachi had been expecting, and he waited for Naruto to continue. "You know, for someone so smart, you really are dense, aren't you?" Naruto continued, though he was smiling, the words softened by his expression.

"Come on," Naruto said, stepping to the side, jerking his head, signalling that Itachi should come in. He did, walking slowly, and wondered how he'd missed whatever signals Naruto had been sending out. Or perhaps this was an elaborate genjutsu. Except no, Itachi would know if it was.

"I'm guessing Kisame talked to you? He caught me moaning about how you couldn't catch a hint," Naruto said, giving a small huff of laughter and sitting down on the bed. Itachi hovered in the middle of the room, unsure if he should sit on the sofa or if he'd be kicked out soon. "I've been trying to get you to come up here for ages, I just figured you didn't want to."

Itachi raised an eyebrow, mouth opening slightly to reply.

"Kisame said it was probably because you didn't get the hint at all, not that you didn't want to." Naruto pressed his lips together and looked down. He shrugged and then looked up, "I guess he was right then."

"I had no idea," Itachi said slowly, pathetically. "Give me hints on a battlefield and I'll get them, but anything else… it goes right over my head." He smiled, sitting down on the sofa and sighing.

"I was too caught up in worrying about myself," Itachi admitted, and Naruto tilted his head to the side.

"In that case, I was too busy being self-conscious. I'm overthinking a lot of things lately, but I missed you. Even if it's just to sit here in silence, you reading and me just… staring at the wall or whatever. I feel," Naruto paused, eyes darting around the room, "calmer when you're with me. More myself."

He smiled, and Itachi felt his chest jerk in response. There was a challenge in that smile, and Itachi leant forward, knowing Naruto was about to do something most people would think insane.

"I think it's about time you meet someone," Naruto said, and Itachi felt an unfamiliar chakra press against him, swallowing him. He felt boneless and heavy at the same time, as if he was burning up and the world was spinning, and then…

"You actually did it," a deep voice said, and Itachi felt goose pimples break out over his flesh. He was in a dark room, lit with a weak yellow lighting, the floor covered in water. Before him, free of any binding, was the Kyūbi no Kitsune.

He was an impressive sight, Itachi had to admit, and he fought down the urge to activate the sharingan. It would do him no good, especially here on the Kyūbi's own turf. This was something Naruto had clearly planned, so Itachi would just have to trust him.

"Oh," the Kyūbi mused, grinning and looking to the side slightly, "this one has manners. I remember a few Uchihas who came barrelling in here with their eyes but this one seems to have a brain on him."

And there was Naruto, sitting beside the Kyūbi's side, looking for all the world as if he belonged there. Itachi was impressed; he'd only ever heard how malicious and evil the Kyūbi was, and had never expected anyone to truly be able to use its power and befriend it at the same time. Now, looking at Naruto, it was clear he had managed to do just that.

"And?" the Kyūbi said, shifting until he was lying on his side, resting his cheek on the knuckles of one hand. He'd arranged himself almost around Naruto and Itachi, as if he was shielding them. Itachi remained silent, the question directed towards Naruto and not him.

"And nothing. I just wanted you two to meet each other," Naruto said, shrugging. "You're both important to me," he finished, and Itachi glanced at the Kyūbi, startled. He saw his own look mirrored back, and couldn't help but smile, just as the Kyūbi did.

"He's something alright," Itachi said, and the Kyūbi nodded slowly, lifting his head up and closing his eyes.

"I know what you want Naruto," the Kyūbi said, and his gaze was back on Itachi, as if he was inspecting his very soul. It was a chilling gaze, one Itachi had no doubt many mortals had seen before they perished, but he stood firm. He'd done worse than face the Kyūbi, and Naruto wouldn't allow any harm to come to him.

"Fine," the Kyūbi said, drumming his free fingers against the ground, pointedly not looking at Naruto. They were eerily similar, when it came down to it, and Itachi thought he could stay here for years, trying to figure out the pair.

"I wanted to talk about the other bijū," the Kyūbi said. "And because Naruto is an idiot who knows nothing about going sniffing around the base to get this information-" they both ignored Naruto's indignant huff, "-I've had to ask you."

It was true that the Akatsuki's past goals had included collecting the nine bijū. They'd halted with seven capture, the war in Ame taking all their focus from them on. No one had ever really discussed what would happen with the bijū from then on, and all Itachi knew was that Nagato still had the sealing statue hidden somewhere in their base. When he explained this to the Kyūbi, he received a curt nod, then silence.

"I can feel them," the Kyūbi said after a while, though his tone was one of discomfort, and he shifted slightly, uneasily. "They are restless."

"How so?" Naruto asked, peering up at the Kyūbi. "I thought they were in some sort of stasis state when sealed?"

The Kyūbi shook his head and laughed, red eyes looking down at Itachi, summoning him to answer.

"They are fully functional mind-wise inside the statue," Itachi supplied, and he felt a sudden stab of guilt pass through him. His mind ran through what the Kyūbi could be thinking right now, and he narrowed his eyes, looking up. The Kyūbi grinned, and Itachi knew he had hit the nail head on.

"You want Naruto to bond with them," Itachi said, and while it was a ludicrous idea, it also made perfect sense. Perhaps Itachi's brain had been messed with while Nagato had been fixing his blood, that was the only explanation.

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked, and the Kyūbi just laughed, a pointed claw tapping Naruto lightly on the head.

"Itachi will tell you on the other side," the Kyūbi said, a manic look in his eyes as he focused back to Itachi. "And you may call me Kurama."

The world shifted again, and Itachi returned back to Naruto's room. He blinked slowly, the change disorienting him for a moment, despite the amount of time he spent in false worlds.

"Kurama?" he asked, and Naruto hummed to himself, moving to join Itachi on the sofa. He sat near Itachi, closer than he'd been in weeks, and memories flowed through him, of a time, months ago, that he'd be able to read over and pull Naruto close.

He'd lost that opportunity though, Itachi knew, and his chest tightened with the loss. Perhaps one day he'd be allowed the privilege once more, but there were more questions that needed answering right now.

"That's his name. I'm surprised he told you himself, he likes you." Naruto nodded to himself, a hand stroking his stomach gently. "Did I tell you he gave me a name for the baby too?"

Itachi had guessed as much, but Naruto hadn't told him outright. Unable to speak, he simply shook his head.

"Natsuki was the name he gave me," Naruto said, looking up. He jolted slightly, and Itachi realised he'd been doing it again, using his sharingan to track the chakra of the baby.

"Why do you do that?" Naruto asked, and Itachi let his eyes fade, slight embarrassment rising inside of him.

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Naruto watched as Itachi's eyes faded from the sharingan, and he seemed somewhat abashed. He was sure that Itachi hadn't been aware he was using his sharingan, and here was his proof – so why had it been activated?

"I don't mean to," Itachi began, and Naruto let his hand rest on his bump, eyeing Itachi curiously. "With my sharingan, I can see him. He's not a person yet, but he is at the same time. I can see his chakra, see his soul, see who he will be."

A sudden realisation niggled at Naruto, and he chuckled.

"You knew he was a boy all along, didn't you?" he said, and Itachi nodded slowly. "It's no wonder Kurama likes you."

Naruto felt nerves twitch in the pit of his stomach, and he bit the inside of his cheek. When Kurama had said he wanted to meet Itachi, Naruto hadn't thought much of it. It was about time, really, and they were all on the same side. He'd never thought that Kurama had been thinking about the other bijū, that he'd had plans, and Naruto didn't know how he should feel.

He'd been able to forget there was a war coming, truth be told. He'd been able to focus on Itachi and their whatever-relationship, think about betrayal and Natsuki and everything apart from the war. True he'd been preparing for it on small missions, but he could convince himself that meant nothing. Kurama wanting him to meet the other bijū and form a bond was something serious, something that would be a direct consequence on the war.

"I can take you to the sealing statue," Itachi offered, though there was hesitance in his words. Naruto shrugged, remaining silent. "I can't say what will happen if I do though."

"All I want is for my child to be safe," Naruto confessed, his good mood slipping from his shoulders. He felt irritable and cold, unnerved by Kurama's planning and Tobi's stupid war. "I want him to be born safe and have no worries. I want him to grow up loved with a family who care about him."

"I know," Itachi said softly, and Naruto glanced sideways at him, the pain clear in his expression. It was such an honest look, one Itachi probably wasn't aware he was showing, and it was somewhat comforting.

"Neither of us were destined for a normal life, were we?" Naruto mused, and Itachi gave a humourless laugh.

"Maybe in the next lifetime. We'll be born to rich families and sold off in arranged marriages. We'll do our duty and have children and sort of love our partners, and it'll all be extremely mediocre." Itachi nodded slowly, and Naruto thought about either of them settling into a life like that.

"If that happens, please come find me and rescue me, okay?" Naruto leant back against the sofa, letting his legs stretch out. His thigh came to rest against Itachi's, and while Itachi gave the tiniest jerk, he didn't move away. It warmed Naruto, and he was glad Itachi had finally realised he was trying to mend the bond between them.

"It'll be my top priority," Itachi replied dryly, and Naruto nudged him gently, smiling to himself.

"If I can get to the sealing statue, Kurama believes I can connect with the other biju," Naruto said softly, returning to business. "Even if it's just to talk to them… he thinks it could help us win against Tobi."

Itachi nodded, silent, no doubt thinking up hundreds of plans and strategies, the likes of which Naruto would never be able to come up with.

"I can ask Nagato tomorrow," Itachi offered, and they both knew that's when it would happen. Naruto nodded stiffly, and they lapsed into silence.

It was a while before either of them moved, let alone spoke, and they both watched the sun slowly creep its way down out of Naruto's window. It was peaceful, cathartic even, and Naruto felt replenished somehow. He'd never realised he'd missed Itachi this much, but just being in his presence like this made a startling difference.

"I should go," Itachi said suddenly, though he made no move to stand, and his tone was unsure. Naruto turned to him slowly, eyes landing on the line of his collarbones and the swell of his neck.

"You could stay," Naruto offered, eyes moving slowly over Itachi's skin, and it had been so long since someone had made him feel this way, and a thrill ran through him. If Itachi said yes, if he stayed…

"I should go," Itachi repeated, but there was a glint in his eye, something that screamed that he wanted to stay, and Naruto licked his lips slowly, fingers itching to reach out and grab Itachi.

"It's not just me though," Naruto said, the barest shake of Itachi's head all the confirmation he needed. Whatever they had been through before, it had been nothing like this. There had been no secret lingering looks, no wondering where they stood, no real connection in this way. Before their relationship had been based on comfort, but now it was something solid, something real that was just for them and not for making up past mistakes.

"If you'll have me," Itachi said, voice low. It sent a jolt of electricity through Naruto's core, and his breath caught in his throat. "Then I'll gladly stay."

Naruto was in his lap in an instant, pressing Itachi back hard against the sofa. He kissed him hard, almost moaning as Itachi's hands grazed his sides, tempting and promising of what was to come.

This was nothing like their previous kisses. This was full of fire, full of passion, equal parts Naruto and Itachi. This was something that had a future, something that had enough fuel to survive the war, and it was, for one of the first times in his life, something Naruto wanted to cling onto just for himself, no matter the consequence.

They broke apart slowly, smaller kisses littering their separation. Naruto opened his eyes slowly, watching Itachi with a smile. His eyes were still closed, lips parted and pink, fingertips still pressed against Naruto's skin.

"You are more than I deserve," Itachi mumbled, opening his eyes. He looked so humble and defeated, and Naruto cupped his face with a hand, stroking along his jaw gently.

"You're going to be dragged into a war because of me, I don't think either of us deserve whatever," Naruto said, and Itachi smiled. In one smooth move, he stood, spun Naruto around and picked him up, striding to the bed.

"I'm not going to do anything to you tonight," he whispered, and Naruto felt a slight twinge of disappointment flow through him. He could admit he wanted Itachi (Shizune had mentioned the possibility of an enhanced sex drive, after all, so perhaps that explained that particular want), but the more rational part of him knew it was better to take this slowly.

"Stay then," Naruto asked. "I have some spare stuff you can wear to bed – I promise no night cap, though you'd look great with one – and you can just use my toothbrush."

Itachi raised an eyebrow, but he seemed to think better of commenting on that. Yes it was a bit gross, but at some point in the near future, Naruto had decided, he was definitely going to get Itachi's mouth in worse places, so a toothbrush was really nothing.

"Okay," Itachi agreed with a smile, and Naruto wondered if decisions between them would be much easier now they'd pushed past their hurdle.

These were early days still, and maybe someone else would have waited longer, but Naruto was Naruto. He wanted what he wanted, and if he could weather what Sasuke and Sakura had done to him, he could choose to like who he wanted whenever he wanted

Except, Naruto thought, sinking back into Itachi's embrace that night, warmth flowing through him as a strong hand stroked his belly gently, breath coasting his shoulder, what he was feeling wasn't like anything he'd felt before.

And it scared Naruto, though not as much as it excited him.

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