Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. I don't own Naruto.

Warnings: MPREG, underage sexual situations, D/M, A/B/O relationships, & a feminized Naruto (he's still male!)…If any of these things bother you then please don't read & if they don't then please enjoy!

The day Itachi Uchiha was born the bells in the town high tower rang for twelve hours straight. The bells ringing announced the birth of the sacred king of the future, the sole heir to the Uchiha clan.

The Uchiha clan was a prestigious clan in Fire Country. They were considered to be one of the most feared and most powerful clans. They were known for their visual powers and ability to breathe fire, these abilities earned them the nickname the dragons of the north. It was said that an Uchiha didn't have to lay a single finger on you to end your life; with a single look they could kill you. They were the epitome of nobility and everyone wanted to be a part of their powerful clan. But it wasn't that easy. The customs in Fire Country were set in stone. A person could only be a part of the clan they were born into. This was to keep the bloodlines of each clan as pure as possible. The only way for someone to become part of another clan was by an approved marriage by the emperor himself and if the intended was from a completely different country, then both the emperors of the two different countries had to approve the union. This was how arranged marriages became such a popular practice. When a child with exceptional beauty and power was born their parents immediately put in a bid to the emperor to seek permission to marry their child into the Uchiha clan. More than half of these bids usually were declined but a very small percentage of them were occasionally passed. It was like wining the lottery; a child married into the Uchiha clan would be set for life. They would spend the rest of their days protected by some of the strongest warriors in the world and in addition to that they would also give birth to Uchiha babies, making their offspring superior in every single way.

Itachi Uchiha had been born into this twisted world, the heir to one of the most powerful clans to ever exist. He was the future ruler of the Uchiha clan and everyone wanted a piece of him, no matter the price they had to pay. But all of their plotting, bidding, and scamming was utterly useless-for there was only one person Itachi Uchiha would marry-and he was all the way on the other side of world-not even born yet-just a twinkling spec in his fathers eye.

Fifteen years later

Sasuke walked through the crowded street village with his head held high. He was an Uchiha and Uchiha's always walked with their shoulders pulled back and their heads held high. It was to show confidence is what his father had told him. Even though Sasuke was only nine, he walked with all the grace and pride of his father. With his big brother at his side, Sasuke felt invincible, like there was nothing anyone could say or do to him that would bother, he was untouchable.

"Chi-chi?" Sasuke called his elder brother by the nickname he had appointed him ever since he had been able to talk,

"What is it?" The older Uchiha asked gently.

"I heard father would be returning later on today, do you want to come with me to welcome him?" Sasuke asked his brother excitedly. His brother made everything fun, even mundane things like welcoming their father home.

"I'm sorry Sasuke but I have a lesson with Rembu-san that I can't miss, and after that I promised Shisui that I'd accompany him on a hunt to find a silver kunai he dropped on a mission last week."

"You're always busy!" Sasuke pouted. He hated when his brother didn't put him first. He wanted to be Itachi's number one priority at all times. "Cancel on them and come with me!"

"You know I'd love to but I can't little brother, there's some responsibilities that I can't drop-even for you." Itachi smiled and kneeled down so that he was face level with Sasuke, "But if you're not too mad at me, later on tonight we can practice together, I'll even show you this new jutsu Rembu-san showed me a few weeks ago." Itachi poked his brothers forehead, "Come on, stop pouting, I know you want to say yes." Itachi drew closer then quickly picked his brother up, he threw Sasuke up into the air then caught him. It was a habit they had with one another ever since Sasuke was a baby.

Sasuke's anger slowly melted away. He let out a delighted giggle and nodded eagerly. "Fine but it better be a super cool jutsu okay!"

"Of course, only the best for my beloved little brother." Itachi smiled.

Later on that day Sasuke found himself roaming aimlessly around the palace. He was beyond bored and was contemplating whether or not he should go outside and look for something fun to do or if he should just wait a little longer until his father arrived so he could welcome him home. Sasuke sighed as he trudged up the marble steps. The palace was so big and yet there was nothing fun to do. Without Itachi here everything seemed useless and mundane, there was no color in Sasuke's world if his brother wasn't around.

Everyone in the Uchiha palace knew of the young princes strange affixation with the elder heir. It was also well know in the Uchiha clan that the youngest prince dearly loved his elder brother. Sasuke loved that everyone knew, it meant that no one would ever get the dumb idea to try and become Itachi's best friend because they would know that Itachi already had one and that was him!

Sasuke internally cheered for himself when he finally made it up the multiple marble steps. He looked up and greeted the towering, floor length portrait of his father that hung on the wall right in the center of the double staircase.

"Hello, father." Sasuke greeted playfully. "Hello, mother." Sasuke bowed to the equally large portrait of his mother that hung right beside the portrait of his father.

"How has your day been, mines been long, I miss my Chi-chi." Sasuke confessed. He bowed to the portraits then skipped along.

'What should I do?' Sasuke asked himself as he walked down the long expanse of the hallway, his father's office was right at the end of the hallway but he was a whole hour early from when his father was supposed to arrive. He couldn't spend an entire hour just waiting for his father because that would be beyond pathetic. But, even as Sasuke thought this, his legs still carried him forward to the gleaming double doors of his father's study. He was about to knock on the wooden surface when he realized that the door was slightly pushed open. Curiosity got the better of Sasuke and he quickly ducked so he so he peek his eye into the study without being seen just in case someone was actually in there. Sasuke scrunched one eye closed and tried to see who was in the room, he wished he had the sharingan like his brother so he could activate it and properly see but this would have to do for now until he actually developed his families genetic power. Sasuke suddenly heard a very deep-very familiar voice. It was his father and as Sasuke craned his head higher he could make out a figure of another man seated across from his father.

"Are you sure about this Fugaku? I've heard some crazy things about the Uzumaki clan."

"Yes, I'm absolutely certain, their as powerful as us, they sealed a nine tailed wild beast within one of their woman, they control wind in the palm of their hands as if it is nothing-I'm absolutely sure that they are worthy."

"I know-I know I've heard the stories, their king can teleport in a blink of an eye and all of their women bear sons and daughters who excel in some sort of jutsu, their outstanding…but are you sure that you want to unite our clans this way?"

Sasuke was unsure what his father was talking about, he had never heard about these Uzumaki people before. Sasuke strained his ear closer so he could hear more clearly.

"Yes, Itachi is of age now, and I'm exhausted of receiving and rejecting all of the marriage bids he receives, the council has also begun to urge Mikoto and I to accept a bid so Itachi can produce an heir-it's time and this clan is the one."

"I don't know…there's so many to choose from, I heard the Hyūga clan submitted their precious heiress, do you know how many clans would kill to have her as their sons wife? Maybe you should explore more options?"

"No, it has to be them, they didn't even put in a bid-"

"-Didn't even put in a bid?! Then why did you ask for consent from the emperor if you don't even know if they want to marry off their daughter to you?"

"Because I know they will accept, they're just like any other clan in regards to that they want the best for their daughter and we are the best."

"Why go through so much just for them? There are plenty other strong clans!"

"There's no one else like them, you see, the Uzumaki clan is a Senju clan, they are the only clan in the world who can compete with us, if we get their daughter and she has Itachi's child then that child will be Uchiha and Senju, it will be the most powerful child in the world and since it is their daughter who will bore that child, the child will be an Uchiha and not an Uzumaki-it'll be absolutely perfect. The next heir of the Uchiha clan will be the most powerful child in existence. It has to be them, other clans are strong but they don't posses the Senju blood we need to make my plan work."

"You're a sneaky old man, but I cant complain, this sounds like a good plan-so it's settled then Itachi will finally be getting married –eh?"

"Yes, in a few months time, Itachi's betrothed will show up and everything will go according to plan."

"Does Itachi know?"

"Of course he does-I told months ago."

Sasuke couldn't listen to anymore, he ran away, down the long, corridor, down the endless marble steps, and out into the open air.

Sasuke walked through the dry flowerbed by the palaces upper north wing. He had come here because it was somewhere he knew no one in his family would be at. He needed to be alone. His mind was racing a mile a minute. As he stalked across the garden, his black outdoor boots stomped on the red roses his mother so adored. He paid no mind to the defenseless flowers or the devastation he was havocking on the well-tended garden. His head was hung low, something that rarely happened since he knew Uchiha's were supposed to always walk with their shoulders back and their head held up high. Sasuke had always taken this rule to heart, ever since the age of three when his father had first taught the rule to him, he had made sure to walk in the correct manner but at this particular moment he simply couldn't. He couldn't focus on anything because his mind was plagued with only one thing-Itachi was betrothed and his future bride was supposed to be arriving in a few months time.

Sasuke didn't know why his brother marrying some stranger bothered him so much but it did. Sasuke was angry and also worried but most of all he was a little nervous about what would happen when this mystery girl arrived. Would Itachi stop playing with him altogether just so he could be with his new wife? Or what if this girl was mean? Sasuke knew many girls who wanted to marry his big brother and have his babies but Itachi had never paid attention to any of them, he never thought he'd have to share his big brother with anyone. Sasuke frowned. He didn't want that. His big brother was the only person who actually paid attention to him in the whole palace.

As Sasuke thought of his brother being taken away from him an immense feeling of sadness overcame him. He wasn't used to this feeling so he didn't understand why there was water trickling down his cheek until a few seconds later when he realized they were tears.

"What are you doing out here all alone?" An annoying voice chimed from behind him.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. He held back the urge to hiss. He knew exactly who had spoken just from the voice alone. He wasn't in the mood to entertain any type of guests, especially not his annoying cousin.

"What are you doing here, Gaara? Mother didn't inform me of your arrival." Sasuke sneered. He quickly wiped the lone tear under his eye away then turned around to face the red head.

His cousin was the prince and appointed heir of Sunagakure, the capital of sand country. Gaara had suffered from a disease as a child, which had left him frail and had also stunted his growth. He was older than Sasuke by four years but was still the same height. Before Gaara's tenth birthday everyone had thought with out a doubt that he would be a submissive but to everyone's amazement Gaara had developed the half moon mark on the inside of his palm that declared his dominant status. To make up for his small stature, Gaara's father always made him dress up in extremely extravagant garments so no one would undermine him. That's why Sasuke wasn't surprised by the long maroon silk blouse trimmed in gold that Garra was wearing or the multiple gold bangles he wore around his pale arms and ankles. Even in this insufferable summer heat Gaara was dressed in gold. As always Sasuke thought the clothes were over the top, none of it was necessary. Even with Gaara's short stature it was obvious that he was royalty. His teal eyes and flaming red hair were quintessential marks of royal blood in Sand Country. Anyone with eyes could see that Gaara was of nobility, it didn't matter that he looked like a submissive.

"I'm in no mood to play with you today so go away." Sasuke said coldly.

"Awe, why? I came all the way from Suna just to see you." Gaara whined in a high pitch childish tone. His bangles glittered in the sunlight as he stomped his foot and folded his small arms over his chest. "I just spent three weeks on the road in a stuffy carriage, the least you can do is play with me!" Gaara pouted, his cheeks puffed out making him look even younger.

"I didn't ask you to do that nor did I invite you so don't expect me to care. Now leave me alone!" Sasuke shouted heatedly.

"Actually dear little cousin," Gaara's voice dropped a few octaves, the childish voice he reserved for when he was trying to act cute completely disappeared. He kept the same posture but his entire demeanor changed, his new attitude made him look sinister, like he was plotting all the ways in which to murder you in his mind. This was the Garra that Sasuke was used to, not that fragile whining one from seconds ago. "Your parents invited me, well actually Itachi unofficially invited me six months ago when he came to visit with your father, but your parents officially invited me along with the rest of my family two months ago."

"Invited you for what?" Sasuke knew the answer deep down but he didn't want to believe it because if it was true then that meant Gaara had known about Itachi's betrothal before him.

"Duh, you dimwit, they invited me to Itachi's betrothal ceremony." Gaara's face split into a teasing grin, his teal eyes narrowed in amusement. "So, yes, you should care because I am your guest and also your cousin so you should entertain me by playing with me!" Gaara smirked. Sasuke knew by the slight crazed look in Gaara's eyes that it wasn't really a request but a demand. Gaara could be lethal when angered. His small and delicate appearance was so misleading it was comical. But Sasuke wasn't afraid of Gaara so he didn't care.

"I don't care if Itachi invited you or if my parents did! I didn't know about his betrothal until only a few minutes ago so you can go have him entertain you if you're so bored!" Sasuke shouted. He couldn't believe his fear had been confirmed. Itachi really had told Garra first. This day couldn't get any worse. Not only was he going to lose his brother to some girl but his brother had also kept this a secret from him and told someone else first. Sasuke withheld the urge to pout. Did this mean that Itachi and Gaara were close? No, if they were he would've have noticed by now!

"Oh, you barely found out?" Gaara laughed. "That's strange, I thought you and Itachi were suuuuper close."

"Yeah, well, I thought so too but I guess not." This time Sasuke couldn't hold back his pout. He was just so devastated. If he didn't have Itachi then what did he have? A stuffy old palace filled with boring maids and butlers?!

"Don't pout cousin, you still have me." Gaara pinched Sasuke's cheek, "I'll be your new big brother don't you worry!" Gaara said animatedly. His words were sweet but his eyes were glazed over as if he were imagining all of the evil things he could accomplish by becoming Sasuke's new brother. Being the heir to Sunagakure was nice but if he were to become the heir to the Uchiha clan the possibilities would be endless-the worlds greatest army would be at his disposal.

"Don't put your filthy hands on me!" Sasuke hissed. He slapped Gaara's hand away. "You can fantasize all you want but it'll never happen!"

"Ow, that hurt!" Gaara cried. He clutched his hand to his chest as if Sasuke had burned him, "there's no need to assault me, I was just trying to cheer you up."

"Yeah, right. You probably love this. You were always jealous of Itachi."

"Correction, I was jealous of your relationship with Itachi. "

Sasuke knew this. It was a well-known fact that Gaara had two siblings but was treated as an only child. Gaara's sister was mothered by a lowly concubine who had committed suicide after giving birth to her. Gaara's brother was of legitimate birth but had been born with brown hair and brown eyes, which in sand country meant that he wasn't a true royal and was unworthy to become an heir to the throne. Because of this Gaara's siblings were treated as nothing more than extra weight, in Gaara's fathers eyes he only had one true child and that child was Gaara. Gaara had always been jealous of Itachi's relationship with Sasuke because it was something he could never have, a normal loving sibling relationship. Sasuke would've pitied Gaara over this but Gaara was not someone who could be easily pitied. He was too annoying for that.

"Whatever, and I would never want you for a brother, a commoner would make a better brother over you!" Sasuke stuck out his tongue.

"Take that back you little imp!" Gaara bellowed.

Sasuke smirked. He knew the commoner remark would anger Gaara. The royalty complex Gaara's father had grounded into him had made Gaara extremely delicate to topics like it.

"Never! I'll even say it again, a commoner would be a much, much, muuuuuuch brother than you!"

"Yeah, well Itachi likes me more than you!" Gaara retaliated. A vicious grin bloomed across his face. "After he gets married and I get married we'll become even closer and you'll have to spend time all alone because we'll be too busy with our wives together!"

Sasuke saw red. He hurled his body at Gaara and tackled him to the floor. He straddled his cousins lap and started punching before Gaara could realize what had happened and gain the upper hand.

"Don't" –punch- "you" –punch- "ever" –punch- "say" –punch- "that" –punch-"again!" Sasuke heaved. He laughed as he saw blood erupt from Gaara's nose, it was as red as his hair. However His mirth quickly drained and turned into dread when he saw a familiar figure looming over him. He slowly looked up and gulped.

"What is the meaning of this?"

Damn. Sasuke internally cursed. What was his mother doing here?

He quickly hopped off of Gaara body and bowed to his mother. "I'm sorry mother, this isn't what it seems, we were playing and things got out of control."

"Gaara is this true? If my son is lying please tell me so I can appropriately punish him. This isn't how a guest of an Uchiha should be treated."

Sasuke anxiously watched as Gaara hobbled up into a sitting position. His red hair was caked in dirt and sticking up in random directions. There was a red bump that would most likely turn into a bruise tomorrow morning underneath Gaara's left eye and his nose was gushing out blood. Sasuke winced; he hadn't realized he had been hitting Gaara that hard. He kind of felt a little bad now, Gaara's body was naturally weak but Gaara knew how to fight. If Sasuke hadn't attacked so quickly then Gaara could've easily gained the upper hand. Garra had every right to sell him out to his mother but he was silently hoping that his cousin would keep his mouth shut. Sasuke sent a prayer up to Kaguya, if Gaara said nothing then he'd somehow make it up to his cousin later.

Gaara slowly stood up. He brushed down his hair with his hand and dusted off his silk robe, then looked up to Mikoto while smirking. "No, your highness, Sasuke is telling the truth, we were only playing."

Sasuke mouth popped open in shock. He quickly shut it closed before his mother could catch him. He couldn't believe Gaara had just done that.

"Oh," Mikoto's eyes widened slightly, she clearly hadn't expected that answer either. "Very well then," she snapped her fingers and a maid appeared at her side, "Gaara, this maid will escort you to the infirmary, after the doctor is done tending to your wounds please take it easy for the rest of the day, I don't want your father to worry about you if you fall ill."

"Thank you." Gaara bowed then followed the maid out of the garden but not before shooting Sasuke an amused look, which Sasuke interpreted as Gaara telling him that this wasn't over.

"And you!" the Uchiha matriarch turned to her youngest son as soon as Gaara was gone, "you know of your cousins delicate condition, I don't want you playing those type of games with him again do you understand?"

"Yes, mom." Sasuke sighed.

"I've been looking for you," Mikoto admitted, her anger left her small body in a single exhale. Her painted red lips tugged down into a frown. She looked worried or anxious, Sasuke couldn't decide which applied better. "I have something I want to discuss with you."

Sasuke's ears perked up at this.

"But not here, somewhere more private. Follow me."

Sasuke nodded and wordlessly followed his mother like a little duckling following its mommy.

::::*::::

Sasuke's mother had led him to one of the many tearooms in the palace. There was so many that there were some tearooms that Sasuke had never even seen with his own eyes before. The one he and his mother were currently seated in was scarcely decorated, there was a single Uchiha flag hanging on the painted red wall along with a portrait of his father, in the middle of the room was one low black lacquered oval table with an untouched tea set in the middle. The door was slid shut. As Sasuke looked around he was absolutely certain that this was one of the tearooms he hadn't been in. It was so underwhelmingly decorated, maybe this was an unfinished room that had been abandoned midway or maybe this was the maids own personal tearoom? Either way the severe secrecy of where his mother had led him made Sasuke very, very nervous.

Sasuke timidly glanced at his mother. A portion of her long black hair was pinned in an intricate braided bun on the top of her head while the rest of it fell down her back, in the center of the bun was a gold dragon comb that had two rubies for eyes. It was the sacred animal of the Uchiha clan; it breathed fire just like the Uchiha people. The comb was a sacred family heirloom that his mother always wore. Sasuke could recall his mother once telling him that the comb was passed down to every Uchiha kings submissive after they gave birth to their first son. Sasuke knew his mother cherished it more than anything. His mother was wearing a plain summer kimono, with only three layers. The bottom layer was a deep midnight black, the second layer was a light gray color and had a simple flower pattern on it and the top layer was the standard color of the Uchiha clan, blood red. There were jewels on her hands and around her neck. And on her pale forehead was the tattooed insignia that every Uchiha kings bride bore, three blood red dots going down at an angle, the middle one being the lowest and the other two being slightly raised. It wasn't until now, as he sat there observing her that Sasuke realized that his mother looked uncharacteristically apprehensive.

"There's no easy way for me to say this." Mikoto began in a grave voice. Her black eyes were settled straight ahead into her sons. "You're young and I know how much you love your brother but things are going to change around here, Sasuke."

So this was the reason for her hesitancy? Sasuke should've known. He had thought Itachi would be the one to tell him about the betrothal but no, it was his mother. He couldn't help but be a little disappointed at it. Itachi had told Gaara so why couldn't he tell him as well?

"What do you mean?" Sasuke pretended to be surprised. His mother couldn't know he had been eavesdropping. Eavesdropping wasn't something Uchiha's did, if they wanted to know something then they didn't hide it.

"Your father has finally found a bride for your brother, Itachi is going to be married soon and when his betrothed comes I want you to be on your best behavior, you're going to have to share your brother and I don't want you clinging to him when his bride arrives." The matriarch ordered. She was sweet and caring like every other mother but she was also an Uchiha and she didn't ask for things, she's demanded for them. Sasuke wasn't being given an option; his mother's words were law. "His future bride will be arriving from Whirlpool Country in two weeks."

"Two weeks?!" Sasuke nearly screamed. His heart lurched in his chest. He had thought the girl would be arriving in a few months not weeks! He needed more time so he could properly spend his last days with his brother before everything changed! Sasuke hadn't thought today could get any worse but he was dead wrong. Apparently it could and it just did. He swallowed away his surprise and plastered an indifferent expression on his face. "Why so soon?"

"Your brothers age has begun to concern the council, he's fifteen, almost sixteen. If we wait any longer with the ceremony Itachi won't be married until he's twenty. We need an heir long before then." The matriarch glared ahead. There was still so much that had to be done.

Sasuke felt like he was going to vomit. The thought of his brother and this mystery girl doing that was too much to bear. He didn't want Itachi to marry anyone and he sure as hell didn't want Itachi to do that with anyone else either! But his mother was right. As their fathers successor it was Itachi's birthright and duty to continue the royal Uchiha bloodline.

"You're so young so I don't expect you to understand. All I want from you is for you to behave yourself."

"Mom, I'm always on my best behavior, I'm practically as boring as that boring pervert sensei of mine." Sasuke tried to smile but it wobbled away before he could even pull his lips into any direction. His heart was sinking. He had known that someday his brother would get married but he hadn't expected it to hurt this much.

"I know but I just want you to behave like the young prince I've raised you to be. We need to make a lasting impression and solidify this betrothal, you're too young to understand what's at stake here but it's extremely important for everything to go perfect, okay."

"Mom, my nanny raised me not you," Sasuke corrected. The Uchiha matriarch gave a surprised look at this but said nothing for they both knew Sasuke's words rung true, "and besides I'm nine mom, not five. I perfectly understand that we have to be good so that these princesses' parents will like us enough to entrust their daughter to our family so that Itachi can impregnate her and continue on our family name. I'm not an idiot mother, or a dumb little boy who knows nothing. I know more than you think. In a few years time I will also have a bride of my own so don't treat me like a child."

Mikoto gaped at her little son. He was barely tall enough to stand underneath her breast and yet he had all the wit and fire in him as his father. He was the embodiment of what an Uchiha man should be. It filled her with pride that Sasuke was her son. She hoped with all her heart that her son would develop into a strong dominant. If Sasuke turned into a submissive it'd break her heart. He was too strong willed to be one.

"Yes, you too will have a betrothed just like your brother but until then," Mikoto reached across the small expanse of the tea table, the long sleeves of her blood red kimono fanned around Sasuke, engulfing the little prince. "I am still your mother and you are still my child." She ran her pale hand through her sons raven locks; it was still as soft as a baby's. She smiled wistfully at this revelation, her son could spout off like a grown up all he wanted but he was still a child, just for a little while longer. He was still a child.

"Now let's get going, we have to get lots of things ready before they arrive!" Mikoto sang excitedly. "We have to make everything look its best! The palace must be prepared!" Mikoto dragged her son along as she listed all the things that still had to be done before Itachi's future bride came.

:::*:::

"I don't see how this is supposed to be fun." Sasuke growled. He was knee deep in the garden pond. There were pink lotuses floating on top of the water and little frogs and koi fish swam underneath and all around him. It would've been nice if it wasn't for the fact that he was being forced to be here.

"It's a game. Whoever catches a frog first is the winner. What's not fun about that?" Gaara replied unbothered. He was sitting chest deep in the water. He lounged back with his face pointed up to the sun, enjoying the warm weather paired with the cooling water. He was in his own personal heaven.

"It's not fun because you're not even trying, I've already caught six!" Sasuke yelled. They had been outside for nearly a whole hour now. Gaara was used to the intense heat of the sun due to him being from Sunagakure where everyday of the year was like a hot summer day but Sasuke wasn't used to it. His pale skin was sensitive to the heat; he was steadily turning red and the longer he stayed out, the redder his skin turned.

"Stop complaining, you were the one who said you wanted to make it up to me for giving me this remember?" Gaara pointed with his eyes still closed at the black ring around his left eye. The bruise was a deep purple and red. Even though four days had passed since their fight, Gaara's black eye wasn't showing any signs of healing anytime soon. Sasuke frowned, Gaara was right; he did promise to make it up to him.

"Fine." Sasuke sighed as he plopped down into the shallow water and took a seat next to Gaara.

"Cheer up cousin, considering how hard you hit me I'm letting you off easy. Enjoy the sun, smell the fresh air, be happy!" Gaara smiled lazily. "Not everyone has the luxury of sitting around on a sunny afternoon like we do. Some kids actually have to work for a living."

"I know. It's just hard to be happy lately." Sasuke admitted. In the last four days Sasuke hadn't talked to his brother once. It was the longest period of time Sasuke had went without conversing with Itachi in awhile. He was ignoring his brother though so there was nothing he could do about it. His stubbornness ultimately stopped him from ending the silence between his brother and himself.

"Are you still sulking about Itachi's betrothal?" Gaara laughed. "Why? It was bound to happen eventually."

"Shut up! You don't get it! He's my brother! Not some dumb girls!" Sasuke hissed. Gaara would never be able to understand, his nonexistent relationship with his siblings disallowed him from being able to grasp how Sasuke was feeling.

"You sound jealous." Gaara laughed, his eyes were still blissfully closed as he soaked up the sun. "You shouldn't be, this is an arranged marriage. In most arranged marriages the two people don't even love each other. Just like my mom and dad, so don't worry about it. Your precious brother will still be yours."

Sasuke blushed. He hadn't thought about it like that. It was moments like these when Gaara was uncharacteristically smart that Sasuke remembered that Gaara was actually older than him and as a result knew much more things compared to him.

"D-do you really think so?" Sasuke asked in a quiet hopeful voice.

"Mhmm, my dad was so unhappy in his first arranged marriage that he ended up cheating on her with a concubine and whoops Temari was born!" Gaara said in a displeased tone. He rolled his shoulders forward and slowly opened up his eyes. He dragged his teal eyes away from the sky and down towards Sasuke, "this girl that Itachi is going to marry is from a totally different country and probably doesn't even have the same customs or beliefs as him! She probably doesn't even speak the same language! How does anyone expect to fall in love with someone if they don't even speak the same language!" Gaara sighed, "you shouldn't be jealous, if anything you should be happy because now your brother is probably nervous and will want to hang out with you even more to ease his nerves."

Sasuke felt like he was going to explode with happiness. Gaara's words all made sense. He had been so stupid to act the way he had been! Of course he was angry with Itachi for not telling him and for telling Gaara first but at least now he wasn't suffering from the horrendous anxiousness he had been plagued with ever since he overheard his father talking about Itachi's betrothal. He bolted up, the water sloshed around him as he jumped up excitedly.

"I'll be back, I'm going to go talk my brother." Sasuke didn't wait for Gaara's reply. He ran out the water and made a beeline for where he knew his brother would be. The dojo practice room.

Sasuke ran as fast as he could. His wet feet beating down on the palace's slippery floor slowed him down a little but he pushed on until he made it to the familiar door of the dojo. He knocked once then entered.

"Young lord, what are you doing here?" Itachi's fighting instructor, Rembu, a graying old man who had been a war hero back in the day, greeted Sasuke with a bow.

"Where's my brother?" Sasuke asked quickly. He scanned his eyes across the dojo and frowned when he didn't see his brother. It was three-o-clock and Itachi always practiced during the afternoon.

"He hasn't been here all week, his highness has been studying every day instead of practicing." Rembu explained as if it was common knowledge that Sasuke should've known.

"Studying? Studying what? Itachi's a genius he doesn't study!" Sasuke growled. He didn't like not knowing things about his brother.

"Ah, forgive me I thought his highness told you," Rembu bowed in apology, "he has been studying with a tutor the language of his betrotheds mother country. He explained to me that he didn't want his bride to feel alone here when she came."

Sasuke slammed his fist against the wall. It hurt so much but the pain was nothing compared to the anger coursing through his body.

"Young lord, what's wro-"

Sasuke bolted out the dojo, he wanted to be alone. Completely alone. He ran until he was in the north garden.

Gaara had been wrong. He was so dumb to listen to that stupid cousin of his! He wiped furiously at the tears sliding down his face. He wanted to hit something! Anything! He ran to the bed of red roses he had stomped on a couple of days earlier and began to tear them out of the ground.

"Stupid, Chi-chi!" Sasuke cried as he ripped the flowers from the dirt. "Stupid, stupid, stupid!"

"What are you doing little brother?"

Sasuke froze. His heart felt like an icicle in his chest. He didn't even want to turn around. He didn't have to because in the next second his brother had walked over and knelt down beside him.

"Look at me." Itachi ordered quietly. He grabbed Sasuke's chin and forced his head up so that their eyes met. "Why are you crying? Did someone hurt you?" Itachi asked heatedly. His eyes turned blood red as he used his sharingan to rove his eyes over Sasuke's small body to check for any wounds. Seconds later his eyes bled back into black when he found nothing.

"Answer me, what's wrong."

Sasuke held his breath. He wanted to hit his brother in his perfect face. He was so angry but another part of him wanted to hug his brother and never let him go. He wanted to take Itachi in his arms and hold him until all of this talk of betrothals and girls from other countries was done with and never brought up again.

"Sasuke, whatever it is that's wrong you can tell me. I've noticed you've been ignoring me, talk to me, what's bothering you?" Itachi leaned closer and Sasuke couldn't take it anymore, his lips loosened and he let out everything.

"I don't want you to get married! You're my brother, I don't want a girl to take you away!" Sasuke cried. He felt so weak, he knew Uchiha's shouldn't cry shamelessly like this but he couldn't hold it in any longer. He wrapped his arms around his brother and clung to him as he let all the emotions he had been hoarding inside him self.

"Ah," Itachi said, finally understanding why his little brother had been acting so weird over the last four days." There's no need for tears, little brother."

"There's not?" Sasuke sniffled confused.

"Yes," Itachi pried Sasuke's body away and sat him down on his knee so he could look at Sasuke's face. He took the sleeve of his haori and wiped Sasuke's tears away. "Even if I get married I'll still be your big brother."

"No you won't! You'll spend all your time with her and forget all about me!" Sasuke cried with renewed vigor.

"Stop crying, little brother, it saddens me greatly to see you like this." Itachi hugged his brother close, "I could never forget about you I promise nothing will change, I'll still spend time with you."

"You promise." Sasuke looked up imploringly into his brother's eyes.

"Yes, I promise." Itachi chuckled.

"You swear it on Kaguya?"

"Yes, I swear it on the sacred mother herself, I will always make time for you." Itachi kissed his brothers cheek. "Now, is that why you were tearing mother's poor garden apart?"

"Yes! I was angry at you and I still am angry at you!" Sasuke crossed his arms and looked away from his brother.

"Why are you still angry at me?" Itachi prodded gently. Amusement colored his deep voice.

"Because you told Gaara first! When were you planning on telling me! Why did mom tell me and Gaara got a personal invitation first!? Hmm?"

Itachi laughed merrily, his little brother was so adorably clingy he never wanted him to grow up. He poked his brother's forehead then stood up, pulling his brother up with him. "I never invited Gaara, father did and I was going to tell you this weekend when we went into town to check out the new weapons on display in the market."

"Oh." Sasuke blushed. He suddenly felt stupid, like he had made a big deal out of nothing. "I'm still mad, no matter what you say I still don't want you to get married, I won't like her! She won't be good enough for you! Why do you need a bride? Why can't we just be together for a little longer!"

"Hush little brother, no matter what happens you will always be my favorite person, I won't ask you to like her but please can you promise me to at least try?"

"No!" Sasuke snapped. How could his brother ask him that? There was no way he could ever like this mystery girl!

"Please Sasuke, for me?"

"No!"

"Your resistance makes me very sad little brother, but, very well," Sasuke frowned; he hadn't meant to make his brother sad! "Can you at least promise me that you'll be nice to her?"

Sasuke begrudgingly nodded his head. He'd do it for his brother.

"Thank you." Itachi smiled, "now let's go get you cleaned up, if mother sees you wet and covered in dirt like this she'll never let you play outside again."

Sasuke nodded excitedly. He tightly held onto his brother's hand. He only had a few days left with his brother until Itachi's future bride arrived and took Itachi away from him and Sasuke was going to spend every second until then with his most favorite person in the world.

::::*::::

The day had finally come. Itachi's betrothed would be arriving today. Sasuke had been dreading this day for the past two weeks. He had promised his brother that he'd be on his best behavior and that he'd be nice to the mystery girl but that had been a week ago and now Sasuke wasn't so sure how well he'd be able to keep that promise.

Sasuke had woken up early that day. He had to dress up in nice clothes and partake in the pre-ceremony where a priest would come to their home and bless Itachi and his family with good fortune so that the betrothal would go well. After that Sasuke and the rest of the Uchiha royal family along with Gaara and the other royals who had made the long journey for this momentous day stood outside the palace front doors to await the carriage that would bring Itachi's future bride and her family. It was incredibly hot outside and Sasuke was getting angrier and angrier by the second. He was dressed in all black and the summer sun was boiling him alive. Every time he'd sneak a glance at his brother he noticed a small smile on his brothers lips. It angered Sasuke even more. Gaara noticed his irritation and nudged him.

"Itachi looks excited to meet his new bride, maybe you should get that stick out of your ass and be excited too." Gaara whispered teasingly.

"Shut up before I give you another black eye, Sabaku." Sasuke hissed back. He crossed his arms over his chest and looked off into the horizon. Any second now Itachi's bride would arrive.

Sasuke didn't know much about Itachi's bride other than that she was from the Uzumaki clan in Whirlpool Country. He had learned from his sensei that Whirlpool Country was on the other side of the world in the far west. His mother had told him that the Uzumaki's were the Uchiha's of the west. They were incredibly strong and known for their sealing jutsus and wind power techniques. When Sasuke had eavesdropped on his father's conversation a couple weeks ago he had said nothing but good things, which Sasuke assumed, meant that they must've been an extremely powerful clan to garner his fathers respect. Sasuke didn't care though, this girl could've been the emperor's daughter and she still wouldn't have been good enough for his big brother!

Ten minutes later a white carriage along with two other carriages that had whirlpool flags hanging from them rolled to a stop in front of them. Everyone leaned forward, anticipating who would come out of the carriage first.

"She's late." Sasuke growled. He couldn't believe this stupid mystery girl had the audacity to make them wait; it just furthered Sasuke's dislike for her. Be calm, Sasuke reminded him self. For his brothers sake he had to at least try to be positive and like this girl. But she was making it difficult for him, who shows up to their own betrothal ceremony late! She might've been a princess but she had the manners of a commoner.

From the corner of his eye Sasuke saw his father nod to a group of servants who immediately ran up to the carriage to assist the royal family seated inside. But before the servants could open the carriage door a red headed little girl bursted out of it.

"Wah, it feels so good to be out of that stuffy carriage." The little girl stretched her arms up over her head. She was dressed in a short, light blue, haori that was trimmed with brilliant gold fabric. The sleeves were long and went far past her hands. Sasuke found the black hakama she was wearing extremely odd. Most girls of royal blood he knew were forbidden to wear such things unless they were riding horses or doing other physical strenuous things but then again most royal submissive girls never partook in such dangerous things for fear that they'd get in an accident and damage their wombs.

The odd girls red hair was cut short and was tied up into a bun, her messy bangs framed her face and she had a small golden crown with a single blue sapphire in the middle on the top of her head. Sasuke was stunned. Was this Itachi's betrothed? This was the famed mystery girl he had been so worried about? Sasuke scoffed. Itachi deserved much better.

"Karin, I told you not to exit first!" A woman dressed in the most beautiful pale blue kimono Sasuke had ever seen said as she slowly climbed out of the carriage. Her heart shaped face was framed by long red hair that was adorned with two strings of pearls and blue silk roses. Her waist was bound with a golden sash that had dozens of sewed in rising suns on it. The sash was long and went past the length of her kimono; it trailed behind her like a glorious shining train. Her eyes were a dull blue, which fascinated Sasuke because he had never seen such a vivid color before. Even Gaara's teal eyes didn't compare. There was a small blue circle that looked like a whirlpool on her kimono sleeve, which Sasuke guessed was the Uzumaki clan symbol.

"Awe, come on mom, I was cramped! I needed to stretch!" The girl, now known as Karin, whined. Her crimson eyes reminded Sasuke of the sharingan but less impressive. They were like a watered down version.

"I'm extremely sorry about this," the beautiful woman bowed partially, her bound waist disallowed her from bending down anymore than only a few centimeters, "I am Kushina Uzumaki, the queen of the Uzumaki clan and daughter of the emperor of Whirlpool Country, this is my daughter, Karin."

"Bow," Kushina ordered her daughter.

Karin rolled her eyes but nevertheless bowed.

"It is a pleasure to meet you all." Karin recited in a diplomatic tone. As if she had practiced saying the short sentence for hours.

Sasuke was slightly amazed. Kushina was the daughter of the emperor of Whirlpool. He didn't know how things were ranked in Whirlpool Country, but in Fire Country the emperor was considered a king amongst kings. Which meant Kushina was of pure royal blood. Sasuke sneered; this meant that Itachi's bride was even more royal than he had thought.

"It's fine, we understand, our Sasuke can be a little troublesome occasionally as well." Mikoto giggled. She was dressed in all red, the color of their clan. Her black hair was done up in a braided style and was decorated with the golden dragon hair comb she always wore. This time, however, her hairstylist had added strings of rubies to her braids so that her hair sparkled underneath the summer sun rays. Her red lips were stretched into a pleasant smile.

Sasuke rolled his eyes at his mothers lie. He was never "troublesome."

"If I may ask, is this the young princess you intend to marry to my eldest son?" Mikoto smiled down at Karin. He could see the displeasure hidden deep within his mothers coal black eyes. Good, Sasuke thought excitedly, if his mother was displeased then maybe she'd call off this whole thing and he wouldn't have to share his brother after all!

"Ah, no," Kushina laughed amused, Sasuke internally cursed. He hoped whoever the other girl was, would also displease his mother as well.

"My daughter Karin is a dominant," Kushina explained. She nudged her daughter who then raised her hand and pulled back her long sleeves. There in the middle of Karin's palm was the half moon mark that signified her dominant status. "She is the future heir to the Uzumaki clan, she will never be married into another clan."

This explained Karin's boyish hairstyle and attire. Now that Sasuke looked more closely at her, her build was semi muscular. In a few years he could imagine her on a throne ruling a kingdom. She was the granddaughter of an emperor, which meant she had genetically inherited the wit and wisdom of a ruler. Sasuke grimaced; he couldn't believe that one day this girl would have a higher title than him.

"Itachi's intended will come out in a few seconds, his father wanted to have a few last words with him before stepping out." Kushina explained apologetically. She smiled sweetly to the crowd. They all nodded in understanding. Most of them were distracted by the sheer beauty of her entire appearance. It was clear that she was foreign. Not only was her appearance different but the way she talked, the way both she and her daughter spoke, was different as well. It was like they had a slight accent and everyone just wanted to rush to the woman and ask her to speak her true language so they could hear it.

Sasuke gaped. "His father" did that mean...Itachi's betrothed was a boy!? Had no one else heard that!? Everyone was so entranced by this woman that they weren't even listening to her words!

"It's no problem, we completely understand." Fugaku said stoically.

Sasuke didn't understand why no one was freaking out. Had no one really not heard what that woman had just said? He shot a glance at Itachi to see if his brother was also freaking out. Nope, to his extreme displeasure, Itachi looked just as eager as earlier. His eyes were glued to the carriage door, as if any second his future bride would step out and he didn't want to miss it when she did.

"Did you hear what she just said or am I going crazy?" Sasuke murmured urgently to Gaara.

"What are you referring to?" Gaara smirked, "the part about Itachi's bride being a boy or the part about her daughter being a dominant, both were surprising."

"Obviously Itachi's bride!" Sasuke whispered back.

Before Gaara could answer the carriage door swung open again. Sasuke snapped his eyes up, ready to see the face of his brothers future bride but instead out stepped a blonde headed man. It was obvious that he was a king by the grand gold crown on his head. He was dressed simple for someone with such a high status; a royal blue haori and a simple pair of black hakama.

"Good afternoon, I am Minato, the king of the Uzumaki clan." As he introduced himself a slew of what Sasuke presumed to be servants along with a few guards stepped out of the two carriages behind the white one that Karin and Kushina and Minato had exited out of. Four servants and guards kneeled at the feet of their king while two other servants stood at either end of the white carriage door.

"I am finally ready to present to you my son."

The two servants located on the sides of the carriage door immediately opened it. There was a moment of silence as everyone waited expectantly. The tension was palpable; everyone wanted to see this mysterious person who would become Itachi's bride. After declining so many marriage bids their sacred heir was finally going to have a bride. This person would become the new queen and future mother of the next heir...Sasuke held his breath.

It was like everything was happening in slow motion. Sasuke didn't know what he expected but he certainly wasn't expecting this type of...beauty? The boy, Sasuke wasn't even sure if it was a boy, was too beautiful for words. He had bright blue eyes, even brighter than Kushina's. The color didn't even look real, it was like someone had taken a piece of the sky and had liquefied it down and then poured it into the boys eyes, like two sapphire stones. The boys face was heart shaped just like his mothers and his lips were plump and pink. His pink cheeks were slightly chubby and had three marks going across each of them. The boy had a blinding head of bright blonde hair, his hair hung loose down his back, like spun gold glittering in the sunlight. Half of his hair was tied up into a bun, which had a jade comb in it; the comb had a string of pearls and flowers dangling from it along with a single sapphire in the center of it. The boy was also wearing a pale blue kimono like his mother except this one wasn't bound at the waist but instead was tight at the chest area then billowed out stiffly underneath him. The kimono was also much shorter and the sleeves were also long like Karin's.

"May I present to you, my son, Naruto Uzumaki, Itachi Uchiha's betrothed."

No one said anything for a few seconds, they were too enchanted by the sheer beauty of the little sun god standing before them, but then suddenly Itachi bowed. Sasuke was stunned speechless. It wasn't a normal bow that he usually saw his brother giving his father, this bow was one Sasuke had never seen his brother do. Itachi had dropped to the ground on both his knees and bowed his head until his lips were centimeters above the ground. Immediately the rest of the crowd followed along, Sasuke reluctantly bowed as well. However, Sasuke noticed that no one had bowed lower than Itachi.

When they all raised their heads Sasuke turned to his cousin.

"Why did Itachi bow like that?" Sasuke whispered.

"Are you an idiot?" Gaara said in amazement, "He bowed like that because he's showing the ultimate sign of respect to the future mother of his children. Haven't you ever gone to a betrothal before? Your family must get invited to like a billion of them!"

Sasuke's heart dropped. He should've never asked. He glanced back at his brother who was looking at Naruto as if Naruto was the sun it self, like he was his whole world. Sasuke felt a pinprick of a tear at the corner of his eye but he refused to let it fall. Itachi had promised-nothing would change.

Minato grabbed his son's hand. "Let's move this party inside shall we, we have much to discuss."

Sasuke's fathers nodded in approval and everyone shuffled into the grand Uchiha palace, eager to be in the Uzumaki's warm presence.

:::*:::

Sasuke couldn't take his eyes off of Naruto and neither could anyone else. They were seated around the dinning table. All the guests had left a few hours ago and now it was just the Uchiha and Uzumaki family. The betrothal contract had been signed and everyone had celebrated, many of the guests had been reluctant to leave, they wanted to know more about the Uzumaki family and the strange country they had come from but Mikoto had convinced them to leave by reminding them that they'd get another chance to speak to the Uzumaki's when the actual wedding took place. Now it was time for the two joining families to get to know each other better. Fugaku had ordered a grand feast in celebration of the betrothal contract being signed and now they were all seated, enjoying a dinner that Sasuke wanted very much to not be a part of.

Sasuke had thought that after the signing of the contract the Uzumaki's would leave but no, they were still here making his life miserable. Sasuke glanced across the table where Itachi was seated next to Naruto. He wanted to take his fork and jam it through Naruto's pretty blue eyes. He couldn't stand another second of having to look at Naruto's face or the way his brother kept looking at Naruto. Sasuke understood why his brother kept looking at Naruto the way he was, Naruto was the definition of beautiful, his eyes froze you ever time he looked at you and his smile made you feel warm inside-but still, Sasuke hated it.

"How old are you again Naruto?" Mikoto asked curiously as she eyed the boys chubby cheeks and childish features. She had noticed how small he was when he had taken off his vinyl zori; he was even smaller than his sister who stood a whole head taller than him.

"Ah," Naruto froze. His blue eyes widened as if he didn't know how to reply. He looked down at his hands as he tried to think.

"She asked how old you are." Itachi translated into Naruto's language. Sasuke fumed. He had no idea what his brother just said but he assumed it was a translation of what his mother had said. His brother really had been studying Naruto's language. For some reason it irked Sasuke.

"Oh," Naruto smiled then thanked Itachi by bowing, his plump-scarred cheeks colored to a rosy red. "I'm ten." Naruto answered with a thick accent. His accent was more prominent than his sisters. Sasuke attributed it to Karin being older.

"Oh, that's lovely, you're only a year older than my Sasuke." Mikoto gushed. "Maybe you two can be good friends!"

'Yeah in your dreams, mom, I'd rather die than be friends with him.' Sasuke thought bitterly. His mother was stupid if she thought he'd ever be friends with Naruto. That was like asking him to befriend someone from the Haruno clan, they were mortal enemies, it was never going to happen.

Naruto blushed then inclined his head towards Itachi. Itachi chuckled; he instantly understood what Naruto wanted. He translated what his mother had said with a smile. Sasuke frowned as he watched the interaction between his brother and the annoying blond. He had noticed two things about Naruto, one, Naruto hadn't looked his brother in the eyes once since he had been here, and two, Naruto blushed ridiculously easily. It sickened him. He knew Naruto was a submissive but he had never actually met someone who acted so...submissive before. Even his mother occasionally acted borderline dominant. He had learned from his sensei that submissives only displayed dominant tendencies when they bore children or felt territorial but Sasuke didn't care. He hated Naruto's entire existence.

"I'd like that very much." Naruto replied cheerfully. He locked his blue eyes directly on Sasuke's black ones, "I'd like to be friends with everyone Itachi-san holds dear." Naruto smiled until his eyes formed identical twin crescents. His heavy accent made his words sound like a six-year-old child speaking.

Sasuke didn't know why but he blushed. Naruto was just too much. Was it an act? There was no way anyone could be this sweet and cheerful. It was borderline idiotic! But a small part of Sasuke liked it. Naruto was like a child and something foreign inside of him was telling him to take care of Naruto. Protect him, and make sure he's safe. That was the feeling he kept getting. But he didn't know why he got that feeling because he hated Naruto!

"That's lovely, Sasuke is such a mischievous boy he could use another big brother around here!" Mikoto gushed.

"I'll be ten next month mom. And besides, I don't need another older brother, one is enough." Sasuke growled. He was trying to remain calm but he knew he had failed when he saw the warning look to 'behave himself' in his mother's eyes.

The atmosphere quickly turned tense. Naruto looked back and forth between Sasuke and his mother unaware of what was happening.

Sensing the silent tension, Kushina decided to change the topic. "I was told by an old friend of mine that when a royal Uchiha is born a bell could be heard ringing for hours, is this true?" She clasped her hands delightfully as she glanced expectantly at Mikoto.

"Ah, yes! It's true." Mikoto dragged her eyes away from her son and looked at Kushina cheerfully. "The bell rings for twelve straight hours to signify every single month of the year. This only happens if the Uchiha is a royal male, if it's a female then the bell rings for nine hours to signify the nine months of pregnancy she will have to endure in the future for the sake of the clan."

"What if the male turns out to be a submissive or if the girl is a dominant?" Karin interjected suddenly. Her demeanor was demanding, like the dominant that she was, she didn't hide the fact that she had just been offended.

"This custom is centuries old, no one thought of such things back then, my dear, but you're right!" Mikoto laughed. "But to be honest, if a royal male Uchiha turns out to be a submissive he's forbidden to ever bear children and if it's a female and if she turns out to be dominant then she's obligated to bear children for our clan."

"What a sickening custom." Karin snarled. Her crimson eyes seemed to turn into a bloody red color as she slowly rose from her seat.

"Karin, enough!" Minato commanded. It was like he had said this exact sentence thousands of times before. Karin growled. She said something heatedly to her father in her mother language. They exchanged a few more foreign heated words before finally Karin grudgingly sat back down.

"I apologize for my rude outburst, I will reflect on my actions, please look kindly upon me for I am only learning and growing." Karin said in a bitter tone. Her apology was very obviously forced.

Sasuke watched the exchange in amazement. He had never seen a girl act like this before, mainly because dominant females were all but mythical in the Uchiha clan, most were forced to be submissive while others hid away their true status in fear of being ostracized. But seeing Karin mouth off to her dominant father the way she was, then totally be unapologetic about it afterwards... Sasuke only had one thought; dominant females were a sight to behold. Terrifying was probably the best word to describe it, he didn't know how Karin and Naruto were related when she was so ferocious and Naruto was so timid. Sasuke quickly glanced at Naruto to see his reaction and was surprised to see that there was a ghost of a smile flirting across his plump lips. Had Naruto understood what his mother had just said? Or was Naruto just amused by Karin's behavior? Once again he found him self wondering if Naruto was just putting on an act. Sasuke vowed to himself that by the end of the night he would find out if Naruto was acting or not.

"It's fine, my dear, you're just lucky you were speaking to me and not my husband." Mikoto laughed. No one else joined her, it was clear that it was a warning.

"Either way, the bell ringing is a delightful custom," the red head queen clasped her hands as she smiled brightly. Sasuke was beginning to understand that Kushina didn't like confrontation or was it that she was just above it and didn't pay it any mind. The longer Sasuke observed the Uzumaki's the more interesting he found them. They were all so different than what he was used to.

"Yes, it is." Mikoto smiled back. "If Naru-chan fulfills our wishes and gives our son an heir then we will also ring the bells for his child as well!"

Sasuke's mood instantly soured. Why did his mother have to remind him of that! He didn't want to think about that-ever! Just when he was starting to calm down he was back to being angry again.

"Please, lets not speak of children bearing so soon, I don't want to think of such a thing when my little princess is still only a child." Minato interjected with a grimace.

Sasuke could've kissed the man. It was like he had read his thoughts.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Mikoto bowed apologetically, "you're right, I got too excited and forgot that Naru-chan is only ten," Mikoto smiled sadly, "I just can't wait for my Itachi to finally be a father." Mikoto confessed weakly. She smiled wistfully at her son. Mikoto had grown tired of seeing her husband reject marriage bid after marriage bid after marriage bid. Finally her son was going to be able to have a happy family of his own.

"It's fine, my husband is a bit sensitive over all of this, he's especially close to Naruto and dotes on him, so I hope you understand how hard all of this is for him." Kushina confessed as well.

"Enough with this," Fugaku suddenly bellowed. From the look in his eyes Sasuke could tell his father was annoyed. "Let us retire for the night, I'm sure you're exhausted from your journey lord Uzumaki, let's continue this conversation when the sun is new and we have fresh minds to think properly."

"Very, well." Minato agreed.

After that a maid came and cleared the table and a butler escorted the Uzumaki family to their rooms.

::::*::::

Later that night Sasuke couldn't sleep. He tossed and turned with thoughts that were centered solely on Naruto. It annoyed him greatly that he couldn't get the blond bimbo out of his head. He decided that the only way he'd be able to calm his restless mind was to go to the source of his problems directly and confront him. Now, Sasuke knew sneaking out of his bedroom this late into the night was a very, very naughty and dumb thing to do. If any of the maids or butlers saw him they could report him to his parents who would immediately hand him some form of punishment-but it was worth it. So with a quick prayer to Kaguya, Sasuke sneaked out of his room and tiptoed into the hallway. He didn't really know where Naruto was staying at, there were so many rooms in the palace that there were many that Sasuke had never been inside of, but he was fiercely determined to find the blond idiot, so Sasuke set his negativity aside and began his search.

He first checked the north wing. That's where most of the maid's chambers were, that was also where his favorite garden was at, the one he had destroyed in his hour of anger a few weeks ago. When he found nothing in the north wing, Sasuke checked the east wing. The east wing was mostly tearooms but these tea rooms were the extravagant ones where his mother entertained her friends on Friday nights and where his father brought his buddies and courtesans to so they could drink soju and laugh together. Sasuke usually wasn't allowed in them unless he was with Itachi. After checking all of the tearooms Sasuke made his way to the south wing. The south wing was different than every other part of the palace because it was where the kitchen and dining room was located. Most of the rooms around the south wing were used for food storage and other boring things that Sasuke had never bothered to wonder about. It took Sasuke a very long time to check every room in the south wing. It seemed these rooms were bigger than all the others he had checked so far; Sasuke blamed it on all the furniture and appliances that he had to check behind. There were so many and the rooms were so endless that by the time he was done checking all the rooms Sasuke was exhausted. He had never stayed up this late before. He still had the east wing to check which he really didn't want too but Sasuke forced him self to, he had already come this far and he wasn't going to give up now when he only had one section of the palace to check left. He started in one of his mother's upstairs powder rooms. There were gold mirrors and satin everywhere, his mother liked to get ready here. She had silk cushions all along the floor so she could lay wherever her heart desired and a silver bathtub so she could bathe before she got ready. The multitude of pillows called to Sasuke, they looked so plump and inviting that Sasuke just wanted to lay his head upon one and close his eyes and go to sleep. He slapped his cheek and continued his search. He could sleep later; right now he had to find that blond idiot! There were jewels scattered across one of the golden vanity tops. Sasuke shook his head in disbelief; did his mother really just leave priceless items like this out in the open all the time? As Sasuke walked deeper into the room the red billowy curtains at the end of the stuffy room caught his attention. As far as he knew all of the palaces windows were supposed to be shut by the time his father retired to bed. It was an unspoken rule. So then why was this particular window open? Sasuke's heart hammered in his chest as he tiptoed closer. What if the widow was open not because of Naruto but because of some thief that had snuck in? What if Sasuke pulled back the curtain and a robber was waiting there and snatched him away? He was a prince; a robber could probably get a pretty hefty ransom out of him. Sasuke pushed his fear aside; he couldn't think weakly like that, he wasn't a submissive! He took a deep breath then pulled the curtain back. There was no one. He looked around as the moonlight shone through. The summer night air felt good on his cheeks. He wished it could be this cool in the daytime as well. As Sasuke basked in the summer night wind the sound of water splashing caught his interest. He immediately looked down to locate where the splash had come from. He held his breath as he located exactly what had made the noise.

Down in the pond Naruto and Karin were splashing around. Naruto's bright blond hair and Karin's head of fiery red hair were easy to identify. Sasuke crouched down and hid himself so he wouldn't be seen. What were they doing outside this late at night? Sasuke was burning with curiosity. Before Sasuke realized what was happening he found himself outside, crouched behind a bush, spying on Naruto and Karin. He watched Karin lay on her back as she floated in the pond, her short red hair pooled around her like a floating halo. Just as he had thought, she was muscular. He looked over to Naruto and immediately looked away. Naruto was dressed in a simple white juban, as he stood up from the water the delicate material had clung to his body, thankfully Naruto's long hair had covered anything that Sasuke shouldn't have seen. Since Naruto was Itachi's bride he wasn't allowed to see any part of Naruto that his brother hadn't allowed him to see. Even though he hated Naruto, tradition was still tradition. Sasuke's heart was beating so fast he felt like he was going to throw up. Maybe this hadn't been such a good idea; he should just go back to bed and confront the blond annoyance tomorrow when Naruto was fully dressed. Sasuke began to rise so he could scurry back to bed but then Naruto suddenly screamed. Sasuke whipped his head around, that feeling that told him to protect Naruto was back again. It felt like an instinct and once again it baffled Sasuke. He looked over to where Naruto was and saw Naruto on his butt sitting in the water and Karin looking over him with a wicked grin on her face.

"I said go find me something to eat." Karin hissed down at her baby brother. Her crimson eyes were that same color of watery red like they were at the dining table earlier that night when she had gotten angry.

"B-but it's late, you said if we got caught we'd get in trouble, I didn't even want to swim with you!" Naruto blubbered.

"I don't care, I said I'm hungry so go get me something to eat before I lose my patience!" Karin crouched down and pulled Naruto up by the chest fabric of his juban. "Or do I have to repeat my self?"

Sasuke had no idea what Karin or what Naruto was saying since they were speaking their mother language but by their body language Sasuke knew without a shadow of a doubt that Karin was bullying her baby brother. Was this the reason Naruto had smiled at dinner earlier when Karin had been scolded by her father? Did Naruto and Karin not get along? Yes, it was clear that they didn't as he watched Karin terrorize her brother.

Karin held Naruto up high, his little feet dangled in the air. Her muscles strained in the silver moonlight as she held Naruto up higher and then threw him into the water. Naruto cried out in pain and tried to scurry away from his sister but she grabbed his leg and dragged him back.

"Don't act like such a damn princess! You're a boy aren't you! Fight back! Daddies not here to protect you!" Karin hissed. She grabbed Naruto by his long hair and dragged him down into the water and then back up. "If you don't do as I say I'll drown you!"

"No, please, stop I can't breathe!" Naruto cried. There were tears rolling down his red cheeks, and he looked like he'd pass out at any second. Sasuke knew he should've loved this. How many times had he said he hated Naruto? How much had he wished to harm Naruto himself? But this…seeing it with own eyes, Sasuke realized he didn't want that at all. That feeling was ringing in his ears now; it rang over and over again, urging him to go protect Naruto. Sasuke didn't know what to do. There was an intense desire inside him that wanted nothing more than to protect Naruto but there was also the mental rational part that was telling him that it was impossible. Karin was much stronger than him. She was the embodiment of strength as she flung her brother around. How could Sasuke beat a beast like her? A light bulb went off in Sasuke's head. There was one way he could beat Karin but it all depended on how gullible Karin was and if he could tell a lie with a straight face.

He stepped out from behind the bush and revealed himself. He cleared his throat loudly and waited for Karin to notice his presence.

"Oh, if it isn't the baby prince." Karin sneered, "what are you doing out of bed this late at night? Did someone have a nightmare?" Karin teased.

Sasuke refused to react. He had to play this right if he was going to win.

"No, I heard some yelling so I came to see what all the fuss was, I didn't expect it to be you."

"Well, surprise," Karin laughed then suddenly turned serious, "now that you know it's us, scram! As you can see I'm busy." Karin pulled harder on Naruto's hair, which made Naruto whine loudly. Sasuke refused to look at Naruto. He told himself it was because he had no permission to look at Naruto in his current state of dress without his brothers permission but he knew it was actually because he couldn't stand seeing Naruto in so much pain. He took a steady breath and took a step closer.

"Yes, I see that but I must ask you to break up this little party." Sasuke reminded himself to be confident, that was the only way his plan would work.

"And why would I ever do that?" Karin pulled Naruto's head up so that she could press her cheek against her brothers. "Me and Naru-chan are having lots of fun out here!"

"Well, if you insist but don't say I didn't warn you, the leeches in the pond are poisonous so if you both die don't blame me." Sasuke tsked then slowly began to walk away. Just as he had hoped he heard Karin scream then hop out of the water.

"Leeches!" Karin yelled. She looked frantically all over her body then ran into the palace like a monstrous animal was chasing her. Sasuke laughed. He couldn't believe that had actually worked. He knew Karin would runaway and abandon her brother because she clearly didn't care about his well being and he knew Naruto wouldn't run way because he wouldn't understand a word he said. Sasuke felt like a mastermind. He had never had a plan actually work out that well. His celebratory mood faded away when he saw Naruto wobble out of the pond. He quickly averted his eyes and looked down. Naruto's juban was wet and white and thus completely see through. But even as Sasuke looked down he could still see Naruto's chubby thighs and legs as his juban clung to them. He blushed and silently took off his silk night robe and wordlessly handed it to Naruto who thankfully took it and covered his wet body with it.

"Thank you, Sasuke-san." Naruto said in a teary voice. His accent was even heavier than it was at dinner but Sasuke could still decipher what Naruto had said.

"You shouldn't let her pick on you like that." Sasuke replied back. He didn't know why he felt so awkward but he did. He hated Naruto but he also found Naruto somewhat precious. He was so innocent. Sasuke found it endearing. He looked up and admired how Naruto's golden wet hair looked in the moonlight. It was long but not as long as Kushina's. It lay to the middle of his arms and was silky straight. Sasuke had the urge to run his fingers through it just to see if it felt like the spun gold that it resembled.

"Please, don't tell Itachi-san." Naruto said shakily. His shoulders trembled as a chilly gust of wind passed by. "I don't want Itachi-san to know."

Just like that the spell was broken. Sasuke felt the anger reignite in his stomach. Just the mention of his brother's name coming from Naruto's lips irritated him. He wanted to push Naruto back into the water and let him drown but that annoying feeling wouldn't let him. So instead he decided to verbally hurt Naruto.

"Don't talk about my brother in front of me! You understand! He's my brother! He will never love you how he loves me! You will never be my family! You're so annoying! I hate you! Just go back to your country already!" Sasuke hissed then walked away. He didn't know if Naruto understood anything he had said but he didn't care, he set out earlier that night with one mission and that was to tell Naruto how he felt and now that he had achieved that he was going to bed. As Sasuke stomped angrily up the stairs to his bedroom he felt like the worst person in the entire world. This night had been a total bust; he should've just stayed in bed and slept the night away. Now he was feeling guilty and more confused than ever.

At least Sasuke was certain about one thing, Naruto's kindness was 100% genuine and that killed him.

:::*:::

The following morning Sasuke didn't want to get out of bed. He felt like dying. He didn't want to deal with Naruto or any of the emotions that came along with dealing with Naruto. He felt horrible about what had happened last night but he couldn't tell anyone about it because he wasn't supposed to be out that late at night and especially not out with his brother's future bride, so, sadly Sasuke had to suffer in silence.

After he had been dressed by a maid, eaten a quick breakfast, prayed at the shrine, and suffered through a lesson with his perverted sensei, Sasuke had been escorted to one of the many tearooms in the palace. He had a inkling about why he had been summoned there but he didn't want to dwell on it so with a brave face he silently followed the butler to the tearoom.

The moment he walked into the tearoom Sasuke's suspicions were confirmed. His father, mother, and brother were all seated inside. The sight of all three of them looking at him made Sasuke nervous. He quickened his step and took a seat next to his brother as he always did.

"No, sweetie, that's where Naru-chan will be sitting, come have a seat next to mommy." Mikoto patted the empty satin cushion next to her. Sasuke frowned but did as he was told. If this had happened yesterday Sasuke would've been furious over the fact that Naruto was literally taking his place next to Itachi-but after last night Sasuke just wanted to not think about anything. He got up and silently took a seat next to his mother.

"You need to stop babying him like that, Mikoto. He's a man! Not a child, you sound just as bad a that Uzumaki-calling his son a princess!"

"Oh, but darling, Sasuke is my baby, I only have one more month to call him that before he turns on me so let me have this fun before it ends." Mikoto had no intention of listening to her husband. She knew her husband well and knew he was only complaining because he was frustrated about being kept waiting.

"Where are they? I told them to meet us in the tearoom at exactly one in the afternoon." Fugaku growled. He was a man of very little patience. "It's nearly fifteen after!"

Sasuke ignored his parents and looked around the room. He had been in this tearoom before; it was a year ago in the winter when Itachi had brought him here so they could eat cherry dango while they slurped on tea. This was Itachi's favorite tearoom. He remembered because the walls were a pitch black instead of red. There was also no portrait of their father hung in here, only an Uchiha flag along with other painted works of art.

Compared to some of the tea rooms Sasuke had searched through yesterday this one was less extravagant, he knew without a doubt that Itachi had chosen this location to meet. That's what Sasuke loved about his brother, Itachi was simple and loving. He didn't like to flaunt his wealth or knowledge. He was silent about everything. Even the outfit his brother was wearing right now was underwhelming; a simple black hakama and matching black haori. His brothers long black hair was tied in its signature low ponytail and his eyes were closed as he waited patiently. Sasuke loved everything about his brother. He was the polar opposite of their father. Sasuke often thought that his father was blessed to have a son like Itachi, he had told his perverted sensei once that his father didn't deserve a son like Itachi but his sensei had made him promise to never say it ever again. Sasuke had promised but he still often times thought it.

The black door suddenly slid open and Sasuke's thoughts scattered. He looked up but then immediately looked back down as he saw the familiar faces of the Uzumaki family. He wasn't ready to face Naruto just yet.

"We were starting to think you got lost." Mikoto joked cheerfully as she bowed in greeting.

"Ah, forgive us we had a little incident." Kushina apologized as she glared at her stone-faced daughter then sat down. Her husband sat on the other end of the table across from Fugaku. Naruto slid into the empty cushion beside Itachi and Karin sat next to Sasuke. Sasuke involuntarily shivered as he recalled the events of last night. The way Karin's muscle glistened in the moonlight as she lifted Naruto up was a sight he'd never forget. Sasuke shuddered; Karin was too strong for her own good.

"Well, I'm happy it's settled, Itachi was eager to see Naruto." Mikoto chorused as she snapped her fingers at a maid who quickly filled her empty teacup.

Sasuke reluctantly glanced up, he couldn't help it, there was that urge ringing inside of him again, he had to look at Naruto, just to see if he was okay. He was stunned by how beautiful Naruto looked.

Naruto was dressed in a black silk komon kimono that had little white and grey koi fishes patterned all over it. The obi was a deep red and was tied around with a golden yellow threaded rope and the juban collar underneath was starch white. This time, Naruto's long hair was all completely swept up into a high ponytail that fell loosely down his back, a single jade hairpin that had a black flower diamond in the center of it held his bangs back. Naruto was simply adorable.

"Naruto was also eager to see you Itachi, he heard black was your favorite color so he requested to wear black today just for you." Kushina explained for her son. Naruto's cheeks blazed red as everyone's eyes suddenly landed on him. Sasuke didn't know why but he felt jealous but not over his brother but over Naruto? He had been the one to save Naruto last night so shouldn't have Naruto wore his favorite color as a thanks instead and not Itachi's? Sasuke pouted, then again he had said all those horrible things to Naruto. Naruto didn't owe him anything…

"You look beautiful." Itachi said quietly to Naruto who immediately blushed at the compliment. He kept his eyes lowered but bowed in thanks.

"Thank you Itachi-san, I'll wear black everyday if it pleases you."

Sasuke didn't know what the hell Naruto and Itachi were saying to each other but Naruto was blushing and his brother looked oddly pleased. He glanced at Kushina and saw an adoring smile on her face; Sasuke then glanced at Minato and had to take a second look. Minato was glaring at Itachi. Sasuke stifled a laugh, poor Minato. His "princess" was interacting with his future husband right before his eyes and he could do nothing about it.

"You can wear any color you want, with eyes as blue as yours and hair as gold, anything you wear will be beautiful."

This time when Itachi had finished speaking Naruto's entire face had turned a deadly shade of red. Sasuke couldn't hold it back this time, whatever Itachi had said must've been too much for Naruto to handle. He laughed loudly.

"Sasuke mind your manners!" Mikoto commanded her son.

"Sorry," Sasuke grinned. He looked on and admired Naruto's nervousness. It was disgustingly adorable. 'Wait-adorable?' Sasuke couldn't believe he had just called Naruto-the source of all his problems-adorable, again! Sasuke sighed. That was the second time today he had called Naruto adorable. He was only nine, why did he have so many conflicting emotions. He was too young to be dealing with all of them.

"Now that you've arrived perhaps we can talk about what's really important-the future." Fugaku spoke dryly, breaking up Itachi and Naruto's little love fest.

"Yes, perhaps we should." Minato seconded, he smiled in relief as he saw Itachi back away from his baby.

"Very well then, I think it's obvious that Itachi and Naruto are a good match for each other, and I would love nothing more than for this wedding to happen already so we can be done with this all but-" Fugaku glanced pointedly at Naruto's small form. Even dressed in his silk komon kimono, Naruto was still very much a child. "Naruto is much too young for marriage and the duties it entails, it saddens me greatly to say this because I didn't want my son to be twenty when he gave us an heir but I think it'll be in everyone's best interest if we wait five years so that Naruto can mature a bit more."

"Thank you." Minato sighed gratefully. He had come to the Uchiha clan thinking that Naruto would be a child bride, he was grateful that the Uchiha king had not forced his son into that at such a young age. It had been his greatest fear.

"But, darling! In five years Itachi will be twenty! You said-"

"I know what I said Mikoto!" Fugaku shouted back, cutting his wife off, "but look at that child and tell me honestly-do you think he's physically and mentally ready for marriage?"

Mikoto looked at Naruto's chubby cheeks and large blue eyes; even while he just sat there he looked like a child. Mikoto wilted. Her red lips dragged down into a sad frown. "No." She replied weakly. "He's not ready."

"I am only giving you five years, lord Uzumaki, my wife greatly desires an heir, you can take your son back to Whirlpool Country for those five years but after they are up I will expect you to hand Naruto over without complaint. As per the deal of the contract during that time Naruto is to remain pure, if Naruto happens to change his mind due to some fleeting romance the contract will become void and you will be required by law to give the Uchiha clan Naruto as well as any future child he shall have. But of course I don't want that to happen since that would also mean you losing your son and war between our two clans." Fugaku explained stoically, it was as if he were taking about a prized racing horse and not about a little boy's life and the future of two clans.

"I completely understand." Minato said through clenched teeth. He had been against this marriage from the very beginning, the Uchiha clan were known as the dragons of the north but they were also known as snakes who'd slither underneath you and poison you in a blink of an eye by all who hated them. They were a clan that only cared about their own strength and Minato was certain that Fugaku had ulterior motives for this marriage. He had thought so ever since he had read the letter Fugaku had sent him where he had expressed his desire to join their two clans but only on the condition that Naruto marry Itachi. He was sure Fugaku was getting something out of this but he couldn't quite pinpoint what it was just yet. Minato should've never let Kushina talk him into this but Naruto had wanted it and that was the only thing that kept him from attacking the graying Uchiha king at this moment.

"Very well then, I believe we are done here."

"I believe we are."

After that Sasuke's father had left. He was a man of very little patience and much less words. He had no time for goodbyes.

"I guess we'll be leaving today." Kushina said sadly. Her silver kimono shined as she slowly stood up. "Mikoto, it was an honor to meet you." Kushina said somberly.

Mikoto rose up from her seated position and shuffled over so she could hug Kushina. "As well as you my dear new friend, I will never forget this red hair of yours."

Kushina laughed shyly. "Nor will I forget your humble hospitality. I will see you in five years time."

"Lord Uzumaki, it was a pleasure to meet you as well, please take good care of Naru-chan, he's precious to us." Minato sighed at this but nodded.

"Sasuke come say good bye!" Mikoto ordered.

Sasuke quickly scrambled up. He bowed to lord and lady Uzumaki and wished them a safe journey. He also reluctantly said goodbye to the she-beast, Karin, who gave him a viciously tight hug, which took the breath out of Sasuke's lungs. She was trying to kill him, he was sure of it.

All that was left was for him to say goodbye to Naruto. Sasuke looked back over to the tea table where Naruto and Itachi were still seated silently talking to each other. Sasuke didn't have to understand what they were saying, it was clear that Itachi was trying to cheer Naruto up who was silently crying. He watched as Naruto sniffled, his bottom lip trembled slightly as he tried to hold back his tears. Itachi whispered something to Naruto then gently wiped his tears away. Itachi rubbed Naruto's pink cheeks then brought Naruto's hand up and laid a single kiss on it. It was too intimate for Sasuke to handle. He had never seen that look in his brother's eyes before. It was like Naruto was actually his brothers possession and he owned all of Naruto's entirety. Sasuke blushed. He didn't know his brother was capable of being so dominant.

"Okay, that's enough." Minato said quickly as he scooped Naruto up and away from Itachi's hold. "We need to leave before the sun rises any higher."

"You're right, those carriages can get awfully humid." Mikoto said sadly. "I'll escort you guys down to the entrance."

As they walked to the entrance Sasuke chose to stay behind and watch everyone. He mostly wanted to look at Naruto. The way his little tabi covered feet shuffled across the floor as he walked as close as he possibly could next to Itachi was adorable and also annoying. And the way Itachi hovered closely to Naruto as if he'd be ready to catch Naruto should he happen to fall was also adorable and annoying.

They finally arrived at the palace entrance where the carriages were waiting. Sasuke was internally battling with himself if he should or shouldn't say goodbye to Naruto. If he did what would he say? And if he didn't, would Naruto think he hated him? His chance was quickly winding away. Either he'd tell Naruto bye or he wouldn't. At the end Sasuke's conscience won out. He shyly tapped Naruto on the shoulder. He almost lost his nerve when Naruto turned around and looked at him with those big blue eyes of his but Sasuke told himself to be strong.

"I know you don't understand but I just wanted to say sorry about what happened yesterday, I didn't mean any of it. I was childish and jealous of you taking my brother away but now I'm trying to get over it. I should've never yelled at you." Sasuke bowed. He hoped someday that Naruto would he able to understand his apology. He rose and meekly met Naruto's gaze. Sasuke all but melted; Naruto was looking at him with the most heartwarming expression.

"I forgive you, Sasuke-san, after what you did for me I will always forgive you." Naruto smiled warmly then tiptoed and gave Sasuke a hug. "You will grow into a worthy alpha, I hope whoever you choose knows how lucky they are to have you."

Sasuke was frozen in place. Naruto's small body in his felt so...right. So warm, and pleasing, like he and just woken up from a long nap and was finally well rested. That instinct was now fluttering inside him like a millions butterflies trying to escape out of him. In that moment Sasuke swore he'd make Naruto his. No matter what he had to do…Naruto would be his.

I hope this wasn't too terrible! The next chapter will take place five years later!