Here I am! I know it's been a while for those on fanfiction, sorry bout that. I'll get right to the fic.
WARNING: A man checking out and lusting after another man.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto nor any characters thereof.

'thoughts'
emphasis

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Halfway to Konoha, they reached a small civilain village and Naruto suggested that they rest at an inn for a couple of days before continuing. Unfortunately for Itachi's sanity and self-control, all the inn had available was a single room with two twin beds. Naruto stuffed his pack under one of the beds and went around the room inspecting it and setting traps wherever he felt one to be necessary.

Itachi dropped his duffel bag on the other bed and watched Naruto out of the corner of his eye. Each time the blond crouched or bent over to adjust a trap Itachi nearly groaned. The Uzumaki finished setting the traps and looked over at Itachi, niticing his slight tense posture and Naruto, being the extremely naive person he could occasionally be, assumed that Itachi was stiff from the journey and made a suggestion that had the older man mentally praying for deliverance, "Hey it's been a long day and they've supposedly got a great onsen here so lets go for a soak."

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Itachi was certain the gods were mocking him as he eyed the incredibly gorgeous torment soaking next to him. Occasionally Naruto would rise to his knees and stretch, rivulets of water running down the tanned, toned expanse of his chest. Had Itachi not been an Uchiha he would have passed out with a nosebleed long ago.

Naruto sighed, "Ah! This is a nice onsen. I haven't been in one this nice for a while."

Itachi raised an eyebrow, "Isn't that sannin you trained under rather infamous for his peeping into women's onsens?"

Naruto chuckled, "Yeah but he tends to stick to the cheaper ones because they have less security."

"It's a miracle that his perversion didn't rub off on you."

"According to Sakura-chan I'm enough of a pervert on my own that there wasn't much to rub off."

"You a pervert?"

Naruto gave Itachi a speaking look, "Three words, Orioke no Jutsu."

The sharingan master couldn't help it, he chuckled. Naruto gaped at him, "My gods could it be that the impassive Uchiha Itachi actually laughed?!"

"Kisame's reaction when you performed that jutsu after we cornered you was rather funny."

Naruto laughed outright, "I didn't expect him to pass out with a nosebleed; I just thought it might surprise you two enough that I'd be able to get away."
Itachi shook his head at the memory, "So when was the last time you were at an onsen like this one?"

Naruto's face clouded, "It was the first mission with Sai and Yamato-taichou, when we tried to bring Sasuke back. Yamato treated us to a resort's onsen."

Itachi studied Naruto's slightly pained expression, "Why do you try so hard?"

"Wha?"

"Why do you try so hard to bring Sasuke back? You would have been better off if you had left him to his fate."

Naruto tensed and opened his mouth to slice at Itachi with a vicious tongue but then, he leaned back and closed his eyes accepting the truth in Itachi's words.

"I know but I couldn't do that. I couldn't take losing him completely."

"Why?"

Naruto looked into Itachi's eyes, his own seeming to glow intensely, "Because I love him."

Itachi's eyes widened momentarily as he read the honesty in the blue eyes. 'Damn.' Now Itachi knew that he had no chance with Naruto whatsoever. The love he saw in those oceanic eyes was too profound. Itachi looked away from Naruto's eyes and leaned back thinking of a pair of eyes that had once held that kind of love for him.

"Itachi?"

"Hn?"

"Does it bother you that I love Sasuke?"

"No it bothers me that my brother is too blined by hated and rage to see the gift that's right in front of him."

Naruto blinked, "He probably thinks I'm dead. I haven't seen him since our last fight."

Itachi had heard about that fight, mainly because Pain had been angry that someone had almost killed the Kyuubi vessel. Apparently Naruto had managed to knock Sasuke unconscious and had been carrying him back to KOnoha on his back while Naruto's teammates had guarded the rear. They'd reached the Valley of the End when Sasuke had woken up. Itachi didn't know the details of the fight but he'd heard that Naruto's heart had stopped momentarily before the pink haired kunoichi had stopped the critical bleeding. Naruto's voice caught Itachi's attention again, "That was the second fight we'd had at the Valley of the End."

"The second?"

"Mmhmm, the first was when he left. He could have killed me then but...he didn't, I still don't know why."

Itachi studied Naruto's expression. It spoke of confusion, pain, and hope. Naruto shook his head, "Ah, it doesn't matter right now. Right now what's most important is keeping your ass intact."

The blond stood up and got out of the onsen looking over his shoulder at Itachi, "Coming?"

The Uchiha tore his gaze away from Naruto's exceptionally sexy body and hauled his own out of the onsen, "Hn."

On the way back to the room, Itachi was struck by a twinge of jealousy that his idiot baby brother had the love of someone like Naruto, someone so warm and compassionate. He found himself wishing he was in his brother's shoes for once in his life.

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Yes I know it's short and hardly worth the wait but I like the short chapters for this one. I hope you enjoyed it in all it's shortness. Please review?