If ANY fucked up little chicken steals this work I'll rip out your intestines and feed them to a hungry Kyuubi! I promise! - Xiah-sensei XD
Chapter 1
Naruto sat on his bed, his head in his hands, and hummed softly to himself. It was somewhat calming and he didn't stop.
He sighed when his stomach growled uncontrollably. He stood in nothing but his forest green ANBU trousers and walked to his kitchen.
The towel around his shoulders was thrown onto the nearest chair and he reached up to his cupboard for some instant ramen. It was quick and tasty.
He poured the mix into a bowl poured some water into it and popped it into the microwave, licking his fingers clean of the tasty and unhealthy meal.
"Meow," Came a call from his window. Naruto turned to the noise and saw an orange and white cat perched on his window sill watching him intently. Naruto frowned at the creature and made a dismissive gesture with his hand.
"I'm not interested right now, kitty. Come back another time." He said absent minded prodding the microwave ovens door.
He felt soft fur against his bare arm and he turned his head toward the orange and white cat that had jumped through his window.
Naruto sighed and let the cat scramble and claw up his body until it was comfortably lying around his shoulders. Naruto noticed the slight red marks that were now appearing all up his tanned torso but didn't make any move to cover them. He didn't really care. He'd gone through a lot worse than cats' claws.
The microwave oven dinged happily and Naruto removed the steaming hot bowl of ramen. He took the bowl and cat, which was still happily lying around his shoulders, to the table, unstuck his chopsticks and began to eat contently.
The cat boldly jumped down from his shoulders, probably leaving a few more scratched up there, and began to lap up some of the tasty water in his bowl. Naruto scowled at the cat but the cat didn't seem to be fazed by it. Naruto pushed his now mostly empty bowl toward the cat and it happily sat there lapping up the remaining liquid.
Naruto turned eighteen tomorrow. He wasn't exactly looking forward to it though. He didn't make a show of his birthday. His birthday was the anniversary of the Kyuubi almost destroying the village, the anniversary of the Fourth Hokage trapping the demon fox into Naruto's infant body. He wasn't going to celebrate that.
As Naruto watched the small animal licking its ramen soaked paws he wondered what the Kyuubi did inside of him. Not having anything to destroy must be frustrating for an evil creature like the demon.
Naruto glanced at the clock on the far wall of his kitchen and his eyes widened in slight shock. It was early, very early, 3am to be precise. The clock in his kitchen was the only one in the whole apartment and Naruto's inner clock wasn't really anything to go by. All Ninja had screwed up inner clocks.
Naruto sighed and stood from his barely standing table. He walked into his living room and spread out his bamboo mat across the floor.
He laid out his scroll across the floor in front of the mat and sat down, cross legged.
He closed his eyes and pictured all of the Jutsu he could perform and that he knew. He imagined becoming Hokage and all of the things he was going to do, going to improve about the village.
He felt the soft brush of fur against his bare stomach and smiled slightly as the small bundle of fur curled up in his lap.
Naruto began to stroke the animal's fur and the cat began to purr contently. The purring was soothing against his bare stomach and it was very calming to stroke the cat whilst meditating. Who needs a mantra when you have a cat, eh?
Naruto's ear twitched slightly when he heard an almost silent thump come from just beyond the wall in front of him. The cats' ears pricked up and it raised its head at the sound.
Hmm, so I didn't imagine that sound, Naruto thought, maybe someone's outside my apartment.
Naruto opened his eyes and gently lifted the cat onto his shoulders again. The cat didn't protest but its claws did dig into his flesh when he began walking toward the door. He tensed at the cats fear. It could be sensing danger.
When he reached the door a strange chill could be felt through the air. Confused, Naruto stood close to the door and pressed his ear to it.
If it were anyone he knew then the person would know Naruto thought it was an enemy and not answer the door and they would make Naruto aware of their identity. There came a sigh from the other side of the door. Naruto knew that sigh. The slightly superior irritation that was common from his team mate. He'd heard it so many times when they were on missions together, Sasuke.
Naruto cautiously opened the door and stood back to examine his visitor. Naruto blinked, his eyes wide when he saw Iruka standing just out side his door.
He wore a very serious expression as he studied Naruto. He could've sworn he'd seen the other man blush slightly whilst noticing his bare chest but Naruto wasn't sure anymore. In fact, he was questioning he knew the man before him at all. Could Iruka have been spending more time with the young Uchiha than Naruto had realised? Could Sasuke have rubbed off on Iruka to make him sigh in exactly the same way? No. That was impossible.
Naruto narrowed his eyes at 'Iruka'. "Yes?"
Iruka smiled at Naruto but he could tell that the smile was off for Iruka. Normally, Iruka would smile at him with the affection of a father. This smile was completely different and just made Naruto more and more confused as to why Sasuke would want to look like Iruka in front of him.
"I came to see if you were alright Naruto. There's been some news about Sasuke's brother, Itachi."
Naruto tensed at the mention of Sasuke's brother. The last time they had met he'd tried to capture Naruto and kill him to get the Nine Tail's power. But Naruto noticed that when 'Iruka' said 'Itachi' it sounded as though he loathed the other man. Now, Naruto was certain that this was not Iruka.
Naruto crossed his arms over his bare chest. "What do you really want…Sasuke?"
'Iruka' narrowed his eyes at Naruto and then grabbed his bare forearms. The cat screeched loudly, jumped down from Naruto's shoulders and ran off into the apartment block's fourth floor corridor. Naruto gasped in shock as 'Iruka' pushed him back into his apartment and shut and locked the door. 'Iruka' disappeared in a puff of smoke and there, right in front of him, stood the Uchiha himself. He wore a deadly scowl on his face but his hair covered most of it. He wore the typical ANBU uniform but without the cloak and mask. Naruto and Sasuke had signed up for the ANBU black ops together and were accepted together, Sakura stayed a Jonin medical ninja but Naruto hoped that becoming an ANBU would give him a higher ranking in other ninja's eyes. That perhaps working for the ANBU would make the Council members view on him would become better than it currently was. That would mean he was one step closer to becoming Hokage.
Sasuke had grown, along with Naruto, since they were thirteen. Sasuke, however, was still taller.
"You're getting better, Naruto. I underestimated you…again." He muttered darkly.
Naruto scowled at his friend, drew a fist back behind his shoulder and punched Sasuke in the mouth.
Sasuke stumbled back a few steps and hit the door. He groaned and rubbed his jaw gently all the while glaring daggers at Naruto.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Naruto exclaimed and Sasuke winced at how loud he spoke. "Don't you dare impersonate Iruka just to get in my apartment, and why the hell did you lock the door?"
Sasuke grabbed Naruto by the arm and slammed him into the wall whilst covering his mouth with his other a hand. Sasuke brought Naruto's other arm around to his back and wrapped a hand around the blonde's wrists, sealing them with chakra. He pressed himself up against Naruto's chest so he could hardly move.
Naruto struggled against Sasuke's grip but chakra could not be broken and he couldn't get Sasuke's hand off his mouth without his fists.
Naruto wanted to spit on his friend's hand. What the hell was he doing? Why had he come? And this early in the morning?
"Naruto, there is news about Itachi." Sasuke murmured quietly.
Naruto tensed again but refused to believe anything Sasuke said. For all he knew, it could be Itachi impersonating Sasuke who had been impersonating Iruka.
Naruto groaned as his brain began to throb from too much thinking. The plot seemed to thicken, in his mind at least.
"Naruto," Sasuke began in a firm voice filled with superiority. "I need you to be quiet because people are sleeping in this apartment block and we don't want to attract any unnecessary attention, do we Naruto?"
Naruto didn't respond and Sasuke pressed him further against the wall. Naruto growled against his best friend's hand but refused to acknowledge he'd spoken. Sasuke took his hand away from his mouth, but the action was so quick that Naruto hardly felt that his head and neck area was not being invaded by one of Sasuke's hands, because the moment Naruto had sucked in air through his mouth a kunai's tip was placed at his throat. Naruto tilted his head up, attempting to get as far away from the tip of the blade as possible.
"Do we, Naruto?" Sasuke murmured again his voice deathly quiet. He pressed the knife harder against the blonde's neck.
"No." Naruto croaked out quietly.
Sasuke smirked in satisfaction and released Naruto. He slumped against the wall in his apartment's entrance hall while Sasuke walked into his living room.
Naruto clenched his fists in anger. He was confused and being confused made him angry. He just didn't understand his friend's motives for wanting to restrain him. Sure, loads of people had wanted to shut him up in the past, but none had done that before.
Naruto followed the way Sasuke had gone and stood in the doorway of his living room as he watched Sasuke play with some of his cat ornaments on a shelf. He picked one up, a black cat, and toyed with it in his hands.
"You need to explain yourself." Naruto began, his voice trembling with rage.
Sasuke put the small cat back onto its shelf and turned to his blond friend.
Sasuke turned his eyes to lock with Naruto's but quickly turned them away.
"We should discuss it over some tea. It might get us both worked up."
Naruto was about to protest loudly but Sasuke lifted the kunai in front of his face and his eyes conveyed his silent message, 'I'd like to see you try'. Naruto clenched his teeth. He'd have to do what Sasuke wanted; after all, he was unarmed and half naked so he really didn't stand much of a chance of beating him anyway. Thank Kami he was always more reasonable and compliant in the mornings.
He set about the kitchen preparing the tea as Sasuke took a seat at his dining table.
All the time he poured the boiling water into the pot he could feel Sasuke's gaze on his back, which he remembered was still bare. Naruto blushed softly but continued to prepare the tea. He brought two china cups to the table and set one in front of Sasuke. He took the steaming pot of tea to the table and suddenly remembered he'd forgotten the sugar.
Naruto turned to the cupboards and searched for the sugar. He made a little triumphant noise when he'd found it and he turned back to Sasuke to place it on the table. To Naruto's surprise Sasuke had already poured out the tea.
Naruto sat down at one end of the table while Sasuke was sitting to his right.
Sasuke held his cup in his hands and lifted it to his lips to take a sip. It was still very hot and he put the cup down straight away.
Naruto smirked when Sasuke touched his burnt tongue in disgust. Naruto sipped his tea for longer and Sasuke glanced at him.
Their eyes locked again and Naruto almost thought he saw guilt in his onyx eyes. Naruto shook his head. That was stupid. Why would Sasuke feel guilty?
"So," Naruto began sipping his tea once again. It was calming and luckily for Sasuke, Naruto didn't feel all that angry anymore. Perhaps, frustrated for being kept in the dark, but not angry. "When did you decide to lock me in my own apartment and terrorise me?"
Sasuke rolled his eyes at him. "I didn't terrorise you, you wouldn't shut up, dobe."
Naruto seethed at the insult but calmed down quickly after a sip of his tea. Damn, that was good stuff.
"So, what about Itachi? Is he here?" Naruto inquired taking another sip of his tea.
Sasuke almost visibly winced. "No, he's not here. But he's sent a message to the Hokage. I overheard some of the Chunin talking about it earlier today."
Ah, so that was why Sasuke came as Iruka, he probably didn't want anyone to get suspicious.
Naruto blinked his wide, blue eyes. "A message? What do you think that could be about?"
Sasuke locked eyes with Naruto. "I think I might have an idea." He murmured softly.
Naruto looked stunned. He couldn't possibly mean…? "No. That can't be right. Itachi can't still be in the Akatsuki, can he? They haven't made a move in so long."
Sasuke's eyes darkened with hatred and bloodlust. "Itachi's only goal has been to become more powerful and he believes that you will be the key to him getting that far."
Naruto shuddered at the thought. People have hated him all his life but the Akatsuki were the only ones that wanted to kill him and harness the power of the Kyuubi. That was very bad, very bad indeed.
Sasuke sighed. "You probably don't know this, but the Hokage is going to suspend you from duty for a while."
Naruto froze. "Why would the old lady do that?"
Sasuke stared intently at Naruto. He winced slightly at the gaze. "The Hokage got the letter, Naruto. That's why I think Itachi's after you. She probably wants you somewhere where she can keep an eye on you."
"Pfft, I don't need to be looked after! I can take care of myself!" Naruto exclaimed crossing his arms and scowling at the pot of tea in the middle of the table.
Whilst Naruto stared at the pot of tea it seemed to ripple slightly. Naruto's wide, blue eyes blinked at it but the tea pot still seemed to be moving of its own accord. Naruto sat up straighter in his chair and closed his eyes tightly.
"So, it's working." Sasuke's velvet voice sounded from somewhere close behind him.
"What are you talking about?" Naruto slurred. He opened his eyes only to find that almost the whole room was moving now. Swirling and twirling, a mixture of colours and textures. It made him sick. "Sasuke what's going on?"
"I put some drugs in your tea while you were getting the sugar." Sasuke murmured quietly. He put a hand on Naruto's shoulder to steady him in case he fell off the chair.
"D-drugs?" Naruto stuttered. He clamped his hands onto the table in a vain attempt to steady himself. He stood and the whole world seemed to topple upside down. Sasuke was there, behind him. He stood with his chest pressed against the blonde's back and his hands gripping the table beside Naruto's.
"D-don't touch me." Naruto stuttered trying to push back on Sasuke but the he was already losing his strength and he felt weak and his limbs felt useless.
"I don't understand, Sasuke." Naruto admitted slumping against Sasuke's sturdy form.
"My brother wants you. And if my brother wants you that means he's going to find you, and when he does he'll find me waiting for him." Sasuke muttered icily.
Naruto shuddered at the determined voice at his ear. He didn't understand how Sasuke could do this to him. How could he? Naruto thought they were friends, best friends, and now he was just going to offer him up as bait for his brother? That's just sick.
"You used to be my friend, Naruto," Sasuke murmured quietly ripping Naruto's hands from the table and curling them around his own body to steady him, and look as though they were in a strange sort of embrace. "I won't let him hurt you. I promise."
"Why should your promises mean anything to me?" Naruto spat. "You just drugged me; plan to use me as bait and you expect me to trust you? No chance."
"Regardless," Sasuke said tightening his hold on his captive making the boy whimper almost inaudibly. "I won't let him hurt you. And that's a promise, whether you are willing to accept it or not."
Hope you like it! I enjoyed writing it so I hope people enjoy reading it... :)
It's always nice to hear that people want me to continue... If I get enough reviews that WANT me to continue then I'll put up the next chapter... I've already complete 3 so they'll be up quick if you want them! Just say the word!
- Xiah-sensei XD