Hello people! Well I said I'd write an ItaSai and so here it is. I give you fair warning I'm pretty sure that the characters are out of character so I'm apologizing in advance for that.

Sai: Just how much out of character?

T.W.: (shrugs) Not really sure. By the way shouldn't you be at "Why Orange?" with Itachi?

Sai: I'm not going back until I heal from his last molestation.

T.W.: So you're leaving me with a sex deprived Itachi?

Sai:Yes.

T.W.: Fine but I give you fair warning, anything I do to keep him from killing me is your own fault.

Sai: I doubt you could do anything that would upset me.

T.W.:(mutters Don't bet on it) Well anyway Sai doesn't show up in this fic until a little later cause Itachi has to be escorted from Iwa no Kuni to Konoha. Now on to the warning for the whole flipping fic.

WARNING: This fanfiction contains a romantic relationship between two men so if you don't like gay love hit the back button now. If you read anyway please don't flame the pairing.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto nor do I make any money from this fic.

'thoughts'

Chapter 1 Itachi Is Innocent

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"Eh? I'm sorry Baa-chan, I thought you said that Itachi is innocent of his clan's massacre."

"I did," Tsunade mentally counted down from five. 'Five...four...three...two...one...'

"WHAT!"

'And there it is.'

"Sit down and listen brat because I'm not going to repeat myself."

She waited until Naruto sat down then began her explaination," Itachi was not the one who killed the Uchiha clan, he was actually on a top secret ANBU mission when it happened. Sasuke was placed under a genjutsu to make him believe that his brother had killed the clan. When Itachi returned it was decided by the council that they would use the perception that he had murdered his family as a cover so that he could inflitrate the Akatsuki. He was partnered with a Kirigakure spy who was recently killed by Yakushi Kabuto. Because his partner is dead, it is safer for Itachi to return to Konoha than it is for him to remain in the Akatsuki. You will escort him from a small village in the far Northwest of Iwa no Kuni to Konoha."

Naruto stared at Tsunade incredulously, "Tell me you're joking."

"I'm not."

"You want me to escort Itachi to Konoha. For the last several years He's been trying to kidnap me or, at least according to what you just told me, pretending to. He's put me under some very nasty genjutsus and you think I can just calmly escort him for god only knows how many days until we get here?"

"Calmly no, but you are the best ninja I've got and since the Akatsuki will be after him the best is what is required."

Naruto pinched the bridge of his nose, "Alright but only if you swear that your paperwork won't pile up while I'm gone, since I'm the one who has to deal with the paperwork."

Tsunade smiled, "It's the least I can do brat. Here are the details, good luck."

Naruto took the mission scroll and left the office. 'This is not going to go well.'

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early morning before dawn

Itachi stood at the crossroads where he was to meet the Konoha ninja who would escort him back to Konoha. 'I wonder who the Godaime sent. Hopefully not Hatake-san.' Itachi broke out of his thoughts when he heard someone approaching. He watched a man appear out of the darkness. His long blond hair shone in the moonlight and his blue eyes seemed to glow iridescently. If Itachi had been anyone else he would have shouted in disbelief, however being who he was, he merely raised his eyebrows. 'She sent him?'

Naruto scowled at the former Akatsuki member in front of him, "If you're done gawking at me Itachi, we need to get going."

"I don't gawk Naruto-kun."

Naruto grabbed Itachi's shirt, yanked him forward and growled in his face, "Do not call me that. You can call me just Naruto or Uzumaki but you haven't earned the right to call me Naruto-kun. Do you understand me Uchiha?"

Itachi just nodded, having been shocked speechless by the icy venom in Naruto's voice. Naruto released him and started walking away, "Good. Now let's go."

Itachi got his belongings and followed Naruto.

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They stopped to eat lunch at noon. Naruto stared at Itachi, "Why did you agree to spy on the Akatsuki?"

Itachi blinked, the question had come out of nowhere and was the first thing Naruto had said since that morning.

"Does it matter?"

"Let's see, if you had stayed and let Sasuke know that what he'd seen had been genjutsu, he wouldn't have been so obsessed with vengence, he'd never have gone to Orochimaru for power, and he never would have tried to kill me, so yes it matters."

Itachi raised an eyebrow at the derision that was practically dripping off of Naruto's words. He sighed knowing that if he didn't explain everything now Naruto would be asking questions about the events of twelve years ago the entire way to Konoha, and Itachi would prefer to travel in silence.

"I was trying to protect Sasuke. It was Orochimaru who slaughtered the clan and I didn't want Sasuke to go after him in the impulsive, hot-headed way he always did things. If he had then Orochimaru would have killed him. It never occured to me that Sasuke would be stupid enough to actually join Orochimaru."

Naruto had a major 'what the fuck' look on his face, "It was Orochimaru who murdered the Uchiha clan?"

Itachi nodded and watched as Naruto's expression clouded with a fury that was frightening in its intensity. Naruto closed his eyes and suppressed his anger. When he opened them his expression had cleared. Itachi was facinated by the change in Naruto. Naruto frowned at Itachi, "Why are you staring at me?"

"You've changed, matured."

"No! Really? I had to grow up with you and the rest of the Akatsuki after Kyuubi."

"Hn."

Itachi finished his lunch and they got underway again.

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Itachi was irritated by the one thing he'd never believed could irritate him, silence. since the conversation about why Itachi had agreed to spy on the Akatsuki, Naruto hadn't said a single word. For two weeks Itachi had traveled with the Kyuubi vessel, and delt with hostile silence. It was becoming intolerable so Itachi did something completely out of character, he tried to start a conversation.

"Uzumaki."

Naruto just turned towards him and raised an eyebrow in inquiry.

"Why are you being so silent?"

"Because I don't have anything to say to you, " Naruto faced forward and started walking once again.

Itachi nearly grabbed Naruto's shoulder and spun him around to yell at him but, with a huge amount of selfcontrol, he managed to continue walking impasively.

Suddenly Naruto spun around and ran at Itachi, knocking the older shinobi on his ass six feet away from his previous position.

"What the hell!"

Naruto stood with his back to Itachi, a kunai in each hand, and a triple bladed scythe quivering in front of him, right where Itachi had been standing. 'That is Hidan's weapon. So they've finally made a move.' Itachi activated the Mangekyou Sharingan and saw three chakra signatures hidden in the trees. Just as he was about to tell Naruto their locations, the blond launched a kunai at each one of the hidden Akatsuki members, surprising Itachi in the process. 'How did he know where they were?'

Deidara, Hidan, and Kakuzu lept out of the forest, "Itachi-kun we will kill you and capture the jinchirukii to extract the biju. Un."

Naruto smirked at Deidara's statement, "Unfortunately for you, both of those things are impossible now. Kyuubi and I have merged, he's a part of me now, not simply a biju sealed within me. And with me here you won't be able to kill Itachi."

All three nuke-nin and Itachi stared at Naruto in shock at his casual announcement of the merge with Kyuubi.

Itachi got to his feet, "Uzumaki-san do not let Hidan taste any of your blood, it would enable him to put under his jashin curse."

"First, I already knew that, courtesy of Shikamaru and second, he won't even be able to bruise me much less get me to bleed. Now shall we begin?"

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There's a cliffe for a reason(squirms uncomfortably) I sort of forgot to bring the fight scene with me. I type this at school cause I don't have my own computer with internet access.

Sai: How did you manage to forget it? You literally wrote yourself a note on your forehead.

T.W.: I'm moron, it's just that simple. Well what do you guys think? Like it? Hate it? Got any questions? The title is just a working title since I couldn't figure out a good title. Please review and feel free to flame me if you want. Ja ne!