I don't own Naruto nor do I make money from it.

Midnight Memories: The Circle Completed

AN: Normally I like doing the AN at the end of the chapter but I though this seemed appropriate for the beginning. This is the final chapter. It focuses on Pein and Itachi so you don't have to read this chapter if you don't care for the pairing. Officially the story is complete except for this small side story.

Warnings: adult situations, supernatural beings, cursing

Naruto lounged in a plush chair staring at his lover and his former guardian. To look at Itachi, he wouldn't have any idea he was any different now than he was before all the drama their lives recently revolved around.

Though Sasuke had shown the council his sanity, they had forced him to continue his official seclusion with an added month tacked onto the end for disobeying a council order. He'd snarled and snapped but in the end had relented to their command.

But it wasn't Sasuke that worried Naruto. Since his last encounter with Pein, Itachi had made a point to not be around when Pein came to collect Naruto for training. At first he'd just played it off to chance but as the months passed, it became obvious Itachi was avoiding Pein.

Now that Naruto was more able in his abilities, Pein stopped coming to assist him in traveling to the Watcher home. It left Naruto noticing how much paler Itachi was becoming. He would assume he was feeding, but as his cheeks began to sink in, he knew he wasn't.

He also noticed Pein was growing thinner as well and it bothered him. He looked on Itachi as a father figure and Pein as an older brother. When both were suffering because they were stubborn, he would step in and set things right.

"Sasuke!" Naruto latched onto Sasuke's arm as he moved to leave the library. "I have to talk to you."

"Not now," mumbled Sasuke as he tugged his arm.

Naruto, not one to be ignored, growled low in his throat before wrapping his arms around Sasuke and taking them from the house and towards the a secluded area of the nearby forest. This needed being said before something bad happened to Itachi.

"No! You're going to listen to me. Has Itachi been feeding?" asked Naruto with a growl.

Sasuke froze in the process of speaking, the wheels in his head turning round and round as he considered the question. "I'm not sure."

"What do you mean? Don't you know?" asked Naruto loudly.

Sasuke shook his head. "I feed from you now. Not to mention I was just released from my fucking seclusion. If he's been feeding, it hasn't been while I'm around."

Naruto frowned, dropping to the ground and setting his chin on his fist. "Pein is the same. He's looking pretty damn weak. I think an intervention is in order."

"A what?"

Naruto grinned at Sasuke. "Itachi wants Pein. Pein wants Itachi. All we have to do is put them together. They are obviously not going to do it on their own and their souls are calling to each other, wasting away."

"They've lived centuries…millennia without each other. Why is now so important?" asked Sasuke.

Naruto nibbled on his lower lip. "I think it's kinda like…they never had the chance to really bond until I came around. So, now that they have bonded, they are having trouble separating themselves. I'm not sure…I think Pein is like me now. I think he has to suction off energy from Itachi. I don't think the earth is giving him what he needs."

"Why now? I know Itachi is Pein's other, but why has his body reverted from the way he'd been for so long?" asked Sasuke as he sank to the ground beside Naruto.

Naruto shoved a fist into Sasuke's shoulder, resulting in a loud grunt from his lover. "Bastard. Do you think I know everything? I'm only twenty-three."

Sasuke snorted. "I beg to differ."

"Semantics," grumbled Naruto with a wave of his hand. "So…are you going to help me? They need each other or Itachi might decide he's had enough and go to sleep forever."

Sasuke stiffened beside Naruto. "Itachi wouldn't…"

"Wouldn't he? We need to do something." Naruto stood in a rush of movement. "Intervention!"

"You're an idiot," mumbled Sasuke, though he didn't disagree.

"So?"

Sasuke threw up his hands. "What do you want me to do? He's my brother and my king. I can't very well force feed him."

Naruto thought for a minute. "Well…we can let him feed from me at first."

"No!" snarled Sasuke, his eyes bleeding red as he shot to his feet and pressed Naruto against the nearby tree.

His lips ran over the bare, tan neck, followed by a grazing of his teeth that had Naruto hissing faintly under his breath. "This is mine…only mine."

"Possessive bastard," grumbled Naruto, all the while his arms lifted to wrap around Sasuke's chest. "What do you suggest then?"

Sasuke cocked his head, his eyes fading back to their natural near black color. "We could confront him about it."

Naruto shook his head emphatically. "He can't know. He'll go all defensive or something. Remember, I lived with him for like all my life."

"And I've lived with him for centuries."

Naruto rolled his eyes and pulled away, moving to pace beside Sasuke. "What if we put Pein and Itachi together? They have avoided each other like the plague. I bet they would latch on like a cop in a donut shop."

"Or kill each other," muttered Sasuke.

"No bad thoughts," said Naruto with a small shove to Sasuke's shoulder. "How do we get them together?"

Sasuke arched his brow. "This isn't some sting. Just bring Pein to the house."

"He wouldn't come. As soon as I was able to move about without him to guide me, he stopped coming there like the place was infected with the plague. We need them to meet somewhere." Naruto's eyes scanned the small clearing. "I know…here."

"And just how do you expect to get them here?"

Naruto grinned. "Well…it is April first tomorrow."

Sasuke visibly paled. "I am not lying to Itachi. He'll geld me."

"Come on…he'll expect it."

"No…he won't," denied Sasuke.

"We have to get them together. So…one little white lie. It won't hurt them. Please…Sasuke. I'll make it worth your wild," purred Naruto as he pressed against his lover.

Sasuke gave a full body shudder before reluctantly nodding his head. "If this backfires…"

"It won't…trust me."

oOo

Itachi ignored the hunger gnawing at his insides like the fires of hell. He would have to feed soon but since reuniting with Pein, he'd found it difficult to feed at all. He could still taste the flavor of Pein's blood on his tongue. The spicy, metallic flavor seemed to perpetually coat his mouth in the memory.

He set aside the book he'd been attempting to read for the past hour. It was no use. His mind couldn't focus on the words long enough for them to make any sense in his brain.

He knew the cure for his ailment…and also that it would be denied him. Who was to blame for his lot? True, Danzou and his father were particularly vicious in their removal of Pein from his life but were they completely to blame? Should he have felt something?

Those days were so long ago, the memories were nothing but a haze of events. He recalled very little of those early years with his father. Most of it had been replaced with his time with Sasuke and Naruto…still he wondered what could have been. If things had gone perfectly…

"Itachi!"

Itachi glanced up to see Sasuke showing more animated emotion than he was prone to express. The sight made his brows come together in a slight furrow. This was unlike Sasuke.

"What is it?" Itachi stood immediately upon Sasuke's approach.

"Naruto found something odd in the forest. I came back because I could move faster. You're the king. You should be the first to see it," explained Sasuke with an odd look on his face.

"Sasuke…?" Itachi frowned.

The look on Sasuke's face was a strange one. He'd never seen such an expression crossing his face. It made him worried.

"Has something happened to Naruto?"

Sasuke looked surprised before shaking his head. "No. He's waiting for us in the forest. I've never seen a creature such as this. If it belongs to another race…you should be the one to see it and find where it belongs."

Itachi nodded though he couldn't dispel the feeling of not being fully aware of every aspect. Sasuke was hiding something, perhaps unintentionally. It bothered Itachi but he allowed his brother to lead him quickly through the thick forest beginning at the edge of his land.

Just as they reached the small clearing, Itachi saw Naruto become tangible. He wobbled slightly, still not having complete control over his phasing as Naruto called it. He blinked several times before waving to the two Uchiha and giving Sasuke a thumbs up.

Itachi glanced around the moon lit clearing, searching for this mysterious being that he'd been pulled outside to see when an all too familiar head of ginger hair became visible. Pein.

He looked different–paler. Dark circles seemed to have taken up residence beneath his deep gray eyes. His sunken cheeks seemed to create deep shadows, making him the very image of a ghoul or ghost. He didn't look well and while Itachi only showed small signs of his malnutrition, Pein looked as Itachi felt. Even his piercings seemed dull against his sallow skin.

He watched as the redhead stumbled lightly over a root, seeming all the more weak. He was so different than the larger than life creature he'd met several months prior. This man looked on the point of death.

"What is this, Naruto?" asked Pein in a slightly raspy voice.

"An intervention. You're both too stubborn to admit there's something between you," answered Naruto firmly.

Pein chuckled dryly. "I never denied there was something between us. I simply don't want it."

Itachi crossed his arms across his chest, his eyes gleaming red beneath the black. He wouldn't admit to being stung by the comment. He would feed tonight and dispel the taste of Pein from his tongue once and for all.

"Well you're staying here until you two come to some sort of a truce. Because you're both wasting away. Pein, you look like death warmed over and Itachi, you look like you're going to go feral at any moment. I've had enough. You're going to talk things out or you're not leaving this place."

To put emphasis on his statement, Naruto crossed his arms and widened his stance. In his healthy situation, he could probably take on Pein easily and Sasuke would most likely have the power to prevent Itachi from leaving. It presented them with a deadlock.

"If we talk, will you two leave?" asked Itachi reluctantly.

Naruto's eyes narrowed, his fiery blue gaze zeroing in on Itachi. "Only if you promise not to just leave after we do. You both have to promise to talk it out. I get the feeling there is a lot left to be said between you and I'm tired of waiting. Sasuke kept saying…let them work it out between themselves. Well I let you and you didn't do anything but weaken yourselves. So…if you don't talk, I'm going to tie you both up in a warded room. Not even Pein could escape that."

Pein's eyes narrowed though he remained silent. His body shifted ever so slightly, making Naruto glare menacingly at him.

"I want your promise."

Pein remained in his stiff position. "What makes you think a vow from me is binding?"

"Pein…"

"Fine. I won't leave until Uchiha does," answered Pein.

Naruto nodded and looked to Itachi. "You're turn, Tachi."

"What do you hope to accomplish with this, Naruto?" asked Itachi.

"I'll know it when I see it. Now…your promise."

Itachi nodded, knowing his promise was law. He couldn't break it no matter how much he struggled to do so. "As you wish."

Satisfied, Naruto grinned at Sasuke who was trying to edge away from Itachi in fear of being struck down for his insubordination. "Let's go, Sasuke. They need time to talk."

Itachi watched as the two disappeared, leaving them as if they'd never been there. His eyes shifted to Pein who was standing uncomfortably beneath a nearby tree. He watched as the other placed a hand upon the bark, his eyes closed as if in prayer.

"What are you doing?" asked Itachi, finally breaking the silence between them.

Pein's eyes fluttered open, his skin looking paler than before. "Pleading for strength from nature."

"You don't look as if you received it," commented Itachi.

The redhead glared from his place near the tree. "I was denied anything because you're here."

Itachi cocked his head. "And why would that have anything to do with you taking in energy."

Pein seemed to shudder, for the first time in their encounters, backing away from Itachi as he approached. His body nearly doubled over as he stepped away, his skin going from pale translucent to a near pasty white.

"Stay back," he hissed as his arms wrapped around his waist.

"Answer me," snarled Itachi as he moved forward.

Nightwalkers didn't grow weaker in a traditional sense. Their minds grew foggy and became fixated on feeding. Physically they remained at nearly the same strength until they reached a dire point at which time they usually went into a deep slumber to recoup enough lost energy to rise and hunt again.

Itachi could feel his hunger beating at him, fangs elongating with the knowledge of Pein's warm blood pouring down his throat. He was practically salivating at the memory.

"My body has changed. It's come to the point that I can barely survive on the earth. It only feeds me enough energy to survive."

Pein stumbled back as he spoke, tripping over the high grass and tree roots. He never reached the ground. Cool hands caught him before he crumbled to the forest floor in exhaustion.

Itachi hissed slightly at the slight feel of his body against him as he pulled him into his arms. "You and I are in similar predicaments."

Pein gave a shudder as he fought the urge to take the practically offered energy beating at his senses. "How so?"

Itachi's eyes dilated, the pupil nearly encompassing his iris. His hand ran up the lean body until he reached the warm skin of Pein's neck. His fangs throbbed painfully in his mouth, wanting desperately to sink into the warm skin and feast on the essence lying beneath.

"Because I haven't been able to feed on anyone since you left. We're the same. We're both starving when we don't have to," purred Itachi as his lips lowered to brush against Pein's jaw.

"What…do you propose?" asked Pein as he released another full body shudder.

"A truce," slurred Itachi around his fully extended incisors. "You may feed upon me whenever you need, and I will feed upon you. It doesn't have to be anything more than a mutual gratification."

Pein's hands lifted to clench at Itachi's jacket with such force, the leather ripped beneath his fingers. "No strings…?"

Itachi snarled under his breath, shoving Pein backwards until his back was pressed against the trunk of the large tree. "None…"

Pein released a moan filled with such need, Itachi couldn't fight any longer. His eyes bled to their fully crimson tone moments before his teeth sunk into the warm neck, instantly feeling the blood pour into his mouth. It was even better than before.

All of his needing and wanting was being satisfied in one hard bite. His hands gripped Pein's slender hips, tugging him forward and plowing his hips into him. For nightwalkers, feeding such as this was very nearly sexual. Bloodlust and physical lust became so intertwined that it was difficult to determine which was which.

The instant his body lunged into Pein, he felt the latching on sensation that was as if part of his soul was being extracted from him. Feeling it, he knew Pein was also taking in the much needed sustenance. It was a strange feeling, feeding while being fed on.

He'd never allowed another nightwalker the pleasure. It was considered an intimate act and not one that he would willingly share with anyone, yet here he was. Though it wasn't exactly the same, he could feel his energy being suctioned out just as he drew in mouthfuls of blood. It was as close as he could ever imagine it.

The act sent spirals of heat through his loins, forcing him sink his teeth in the flesh of Pein's neck again as his palms clenched so tightly in the tight pants that he was sure bruises would be left that even Pein's healing ability wouldn't be able to fully remove. It sent another wash of heat through him.

He wanted to mark this body. He wanted to mark him in such a way that he could never heal. The thought caused him to growl angrily before shoving himself between Pein's sprawled thighs, lifting the muscles and forcing them around his hips.

Pein through back his head and moaned, a shudder working through his body. "Stop…Oh gods…"

Itachi ignored him; his hips and teeth pinned Pein to the tree while his hands easily unfastened the buttons on the trousers. The only thing he could think of was freeing their bodies.

"We…need…" Pein's words melted into a moan as Itachi slid his slender, pale hand around the thick hardness.

"No," snarled Itachi.

His hips pressed against Pein one final time before his mouth left the tender flesh at Pein's neck. The flesh almost immediately closed, leaving not a single mark. It sent a rabid force through him. If he couldn't physically mark him, he was going to mark himself on soul.

Itachi's claws ripped at the other's trousers until they hung in tatters. Pein had stopped fighting completely. It was obvious that while the intake of energy didn't come through his mouth, he was too focused on sensations to bother posing any sort of barrier for what Itachi wanted.

His eyes flared red as he felt Pein still drawing in energy from him. It was so erotic; his knees lost all strength and gave way so that he was kneeling before him.

When presented with the arousal at eye level, Itachi groaned at the feel of his fangs pressing into his lower lip. He could smell the scent of musk and blood coursing through the erect flesh bobbing before him. His tongue darted out to swipe at his lips before he cupped a hand around the thickness and tasted the fluid leaking from the tip.

It amazed him that despite what Pein was, he still produced blood and semen. Technically, he was nothing but a soul that was able to achieve physical form. Whatever flick of fate allowed this, he was grateful.

Pein's body jerked as lips covered the tip, sucking and drawing in the flavor before working down the shaft. His mouth opened in a soundless cry as his body arched off the tree, wanting a deeper feel.

Itachi smirked faintly before running his teeth along the thick veins climbing from the root. A long, leisurely lick was the only warning he gave before his fangs sank into the larger of veins pulsing along Pein's length.

Pein wasn't silent now, his scream echoing in the forest around them. There wasn't pain expressed in the sound, but absolute pleasure. Nothing could compare to such a sensual act of feeding and pleasure.

"Itachi…" whined Pein, his hands lowering to sift through the long unbound hair pooling around broad shoulders.

"Yes…" hissed Itachi as he withdrew his teeth and fastened his mouth on the delicate skin.

Heat seemed to erupt from Pein, his hips jutting forward with each suck of Itachi's mouth. Cries came, one after another. They pleaded for him to stop and continue.

And continue he did. His fingers teased over the tightly drawn balls before moving upward to stroke over the flaring red tip. The very tip of one nail inserted itself in the small opening at the end of the sensitized head.

Pein screamed again, this time cum shooting from the tip to mix in the escaped blood before flowing over Itachi's hand and dripping to the lush grass and leaf covered ground. His body continued to quake, spurting more and more thick jets of creamy semen. His body didn't relax until Itachi's swiped the bite with his tongue as the marks sealed themselves.

Only then did his body go completely limp, tumbling to the forest floor and into Itachi's arms. He panted, his breath coming and going as his heart pumped loudly in his ears.

"Itachi…" Pein lowered his head to rest on the grass, while his body was held aloft by Itachi's strong arms. "I can not do this…I can't…I can't be fixed. I'm ruined."

"I will help you. I refuse to see you starve yourself to the point of death. You will take what you need from me, whenever you need it," insisted Itachi.

He wrapped his arms around Pein, feeling warmth trickle into his cold heart. Where before only Naruto and Sasuke resided, now he found it expanding exponentially to be encompassed by Pein. He couldn't let him go. Not after this.

Though his body screamed at him to take his denied pleasure on the obviously willing body, he simply head Pein until his shaking stopped. There was nothing else he could do. They were joined on some primitive level. He could not give him up. They would need to find a way to co-exist.

He knew without even speaking it that he would never be able to feed from another in any case other than a dire emergency. Just as Naruto was to Sasuke, Pein was to him. Even if he needed to spend an eternity making him realize it, it would be worth it.

So they remained there, the barely there bond strengthening to such a degree that Itachi could literally feel it pulsing between them. He could feel Pein's satiation as well as his confusion and worry. The past was just that. There was the future to look forward to and for the first time in his extremely long life, Itachi found himself truly looking forward to the next sunset because it was the beginning of his new life with his other.

The End