Chapter 26

A month has passed since the terrible Sentouki Tournament and everyone was starting to come back to school once more, although some other students were still having a longer vacation than most. It took me a few days to recover but aniki didn't allow me to return to school until after a week. I was one of those fortunate ones.

Shikamaru and the others were really worried about me the entire time. Kiba even smacked me on the head, that punk, the moment he saw me. Chouji cried rivers of tears while giving me the most suffocating hug I've ever received in my entire life… aside from my mother's.

Anyway, the whole school had undergone a renovation process. Plenty of the destroyed classrooms were repaired and some of the damaged properties were replaced with new ones. The whole stadium had been closed since that day and all fights had been ceased, with only the medics still being active. It's like the whole Konoha Gakuen transformed into a normal school, which was actually what it should be right from the start.

It was surprising that the person whom we hadn't even thought of was the person capable of rescuing us from the hands of the Akatsuki.

And yet, that person had so easily left us again. He was so busy with the whole ordeal that he had only a few minutes of spare time that day to finally talk with everyone and apologize before he was back to his work once more. Aniki and Sasuke had yet to accept his apology but I could see that they had finally realized he was telling the truth. Still, it was a little annoying how he didn't seem to have enough spare time to visit us once more afterwards. I didn't know if he was really just too busy with the Akatsuki ordeal or if he was actually avoiding any more contact with the rest of us. Either way, we haven't seen much of him in that span of one week while the IPF members were here in town. The only person we would constantly see was Sai and his annoying smiles.

And to think I would like to kill this Itachi Uchiha if I were to see him again. Ugh… Just thinking about that incident was already enough to mortify me.

He did save me and all but all of those things were plainly covered by the fact that I accidentally saw him later that day talking to someone on the phone. Of course I didn't care who it was even until he hanged up the call. The thing that had my eyes widening was actually the fact that his wallpaper seemed familiar somehow.

I even quietly walked nearer to make sure just in case I was wrong. And as if it wasn't enough of an embarrassment, Itachi saw me at that moment and realized where I was looking. He looked at his phone too and simply blinked at it.

"Sai gave it to me." It was his reason. It was his fucked up reason. Not to mention he said the words in such a seriously bored expression too.

I didn't know what's wrong with him or what's wrong with Sai either. Heck, I didn't even know why there was a picture of it but I was pretty sure I would want to kill Sai too.

To think he would dare take a picture of me and Sasuke kissing! Not to mention give it to Itachi of all people! Not to mention, yet again, Itachi making it his cell phone wallpaper of all things!

My whole body was turning red from both anger and embarrassment every time I would remember it. I initially wanted to hide it from Sasuke since the two of them had not yet entirely made up but I changed my mind at the last minute. I just couldn't take it!

I told Sasuke about the picture and he actually looked even more mortified about it than I was. That's probably the only silver-lining of this whole situation. Or rather, he was more than just upset because he thought Itachi was planning to court me too, just like what he did to Sasuke's previous lover. It seemed Sasuke was still traumatized about it.

However, Itachi was really being very elusive. Sasuke finally had a valid reason to seek him out but he was almost always nowhere to be found. Even aniki had swallowed his pride and stopped pretending he didn't care. The two of them even went to the IPF's temporary headquarter in the city but Itachi wasn't staying there either.

After a whole month of pretending to be really busy, however, Aniki and Sasuke had managed to locate where he stayed at. Yes, I knew it was surprising. Even I was surprised when I heard that the two of them were really working together just to smack some sense into Sasuke's idiot older brother. Of course, there's no need to doubt the fact that I joined them afterwards. It was mainly to help them find Itachi but it was also to make sure they wouldn't kill one another before they found the idiot.

They cornered him in his small temporary apartment and I actually watched in morbid fascination as Itachi tried to weigh his options on how to escape, only to realize how futile it was.

"You've been hiding from us ever since the day of the Sentouki Tournament." Sasuke voiced as an introduction, his glare prevalent in his feature. "It's already been a month, nii-san."

Itachi visibly gulped, obviously not expecting to be assaulted by the three of us so early in the morning. "Sasuke… Nagato, and even Naruto-kun is here." He chuckled, looking at anywhere but us. "I was actually quite busy there past few weeks so–"

"Your apology is meaningless if you can't back it up with your action." Aniki's words sounded very accusing, his amethyst-colored eyes flashing in both anger and pain. "You said you didn't mean to hurt us. So what the hell is this all about?"

Itachi sighed at that, before his eyes then turned to aniki. "Nagato… I… It's better for the both of you if you're not involved with me anymore. I'm not… who I used to be."

Sasuke looked dangerously close to exploding in anger. However, it was aniki who closed the distance in that few seconds – being the red flash that he was – and smacked some sense into Itachi's stubborn face, literally. All of our eyes widened as Itachi was thrown some meters away, being unguarded and all and not totally expecting such action from Nagato. Even Sasuke looked at aniki with barely concealed fear and admiration, mirroring my expression very well.

"Don't give us that crap, Itachi." Nagato voiced quite coldly. "You don't deserve to say such things. Do you really think everything will be fine if you stay away from us? Do you really think what you did could be forgotten if we don't we see you anymore?! You're just a fucking coward, Itachi! What you're doing now is nothing but shameful cowardice and nothing else!" He then briskly left the apartment, leaving both Sasuke and I together with the older Uchiha.

I was going to follow aniki when I heard Sasuke's unmistakably defeated voice, as if he was in so much pain and he was trying his best to get over it without breaking. "He's right. What you're doing now… is not for me or Nagato-san. You're doing it for yourself, to make you feel good. In the end… you never really changed, nii-san. You're still the same person who hurt us and felt good about it because you thought it was the right thing to do…" He then looked at me and ushered me to leave the apartment with him before he too left the front door with brisk steps.

I was going to follow Sasuke too but then I looked at Itachi's stormy eyes as he sat there with a swollen cheek and knew that he was also in so much pain. This pathetic bastard… I couldn't help but voice out, "If you still feel even a little bit of affection for the both of them," He looked up at me when he heard me. "…you would do everything in your power to make sure you of all people will not cause them anymore pain. And I don't think you can achieve that by running away."

Itachi opened his mouth to counter me, maybe, but he closed them again and gave me a pained smile. "It's too late for me to do that."

This idiot. I really wanted to smack him too. "What you're doing now… is just hurting all of you all over again." I then walked towards the front door too. "You should think about it more, Itachi-san… because I don't want to see Sasuke and aniki lonely anymore due to your absence…"

Itachi's eyes widened at that.

I then walked towards the corridor, feeling quite worried both for aniki and Sasuke. I saw the younger Uchiha waiting for me just outside the apartment's main gate, looking really dark. He seemed to have those annoying dark eyes again…

"Sasuke." I greeted him with a small smile when I approached him.

He simply looked at me before his eyes turned to the apartment where he knew his brother was. "It took you quite a while to see the door."

I almost sweatdropped at that. I chuckled sheepishly as I scratched the back of my neck. "…I just gave him something to think about."

"Hn. Whatever. Let's go." Sasuke started walking on his own and I couldn't help but sigh as I followed him.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Tch…" I glared at several unconscious bodies scattered all throughout the ground. "You guys really never learn, don't you?"

My violet magatama dangled dangerously on my left ear as I wiped away the trail of blood on my temple. It only been a few days since Konoha Gakuen removed the fighting ban and yet I felt like I had been fighting for eternity. I thought Sasuke said that people would leave me alone now that I was part of his group. He couldn't be more wrong.

I sighed as I stretched and yawned. These people would come at me with the intention of taking my place in Sasuke's side. They were, so to speak, jealous of my sudden position and they wanted nothing but to see me crawling on the ground while begging them to just kill me. Nah, just kidding. They were just bullies who were quite envious of the fact that Sasuke and I had become rather close these past few weeks.

I was thankful anyway. I thought my days in Konoha Gakuen would become rather boring since I became part of Sasuke's group. But it was the opposite. I even felt like those upperclassmen had become even more enthusiastic to beat me up. Some of them were even saying some crap like wanting to test their strength against one of the strongest first years.

Now, I didn't want to feel so self-important about that but it still made me grin every time. One of the strongest first years huh… That had a nice ring to it.

And thus, I was thankful to those students because they actually made me reach B Class in just a few days of fighting.

"I knew I'd find you here." It was Kiba's voice. I looked behind my shoulder to grin at him, making him roll his eyes. "Are you going to eat lunch with us today?"

"Yeah, sure." I immediately answered.

Kiba made a face at that as he started walking. I quickly followed him. "I wonder if your boyfriend will try to take you away again in the middle of lunch."

I laughed out loud at that. Sasuke would almost always find ways to make sure we're together one way or another, whether it's just eating lunch or walking the pathway towards the classroom. It was quite endearing.

"Gah, don't even dare blush on me now, Naruto." Kiba made a disgusting face, making me want to smack him.

"You're just jealous." I let out my tongue at him and the guy actually had the nerve to shudder right in front of me.

"As if..!" He shouted, still shuddering for some unknown reason. "And don't just throw those words to anyone! You have no idea how scary the SasuNaru fans are!"

Now he lost me. "The what?"

"The SasuNaru fans, Naruto. You and Sasuke's fans." He looked at me with an incredulous expression, as if he couldn't believe I didn't know anything about it until now.

"I…" I looked at him, waiting for him to tell me it was all a joke. "…didn't know about that."

It seemed he wasn't joking. "Sakura and Ino are the presidents. Heck, even the shy Hinata is a member. Those two really are too much."

I pinched the bridge of my nose at that. It felt like a huge headache was coming. "Why the hell did they make such a fan group anyway..?"

"How would I know?" Kiba shrugged. "But it seems most of the girls are supporting your relationship with the Black Knight. It seems they are also expecting you to be one of the next Knights after all the third years graduate."

"Supporting the relationship and making a fan club about it are too different things…" I muttered darkly. "Not to mention a Knight… Ugh… No wonder so many people are trying to fight me these past few days… I haven't even thought of becoming a Knight…"

Before Kiba could answer me again, we already reached the cafeteria where Shikamaru and Chouji were waiting for us. Our conversation was then forgotten when I finally saw Shikamaru's new magatama – the dark blue color of C Class dangling on his left ear proudly. Not to mention Chouji already had a red magatama, meaning he was already D Class together with Kiba.

"Wow, you guys…" I blinked at them, not really knowing what to say.

Shikamaru shrugged. "Let's just say some people are not that very happy that we're hanging out with one of the strongest first years." He smirked when I looked at him in worry. "Don't worry. We made sure to show them just what kind of first years we are."

"Yeah, you don't have to worry, Naruto." Chouji gave me a grin and a thumbs-up. "We can just always show them that we're not as much of a loser as they all thought."

I still felt quite guilty for making them fight but it seemed my worry was all for naught. After all, Shikamaru seemed to be strong enough to become a C Class despite being so lazy. Chouji could also become a D Class even though all I saw him doing was eating. Even Kiba who didn't look that strong was actually one of those whom I fought and survived without getting knocked out. Well, not that I would complain. I grinned at them. "It's good that you showed them just what kind of people they are trying to fight."

"Of course, just have some faith in us!" Kiba chuckled as he put his shoulder on mine. "Let's go have lunch and celebrate!" I couldn't help but laugh at that.

Right. What was I too worried about anyway? They had the right to enjoy the fights as much as I did.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"…What?" I could only look at Sasuke with wide eyes. The raven was sitting beside me on the soft carpeted floor while he leaned his head on the foot of his bed.

He simply shrugged as he sighed, eyes not leaving the monitor while his hands were gripping the game console tightly. "He told me he's leaving the country again. There's nothing I can do about that…"

That fucker… He really didn't know anything about affection. And I even gave him so many hints. "When is he leaving?" I cursed when my character was killed while I was distracted. Sasuke's character did his best to revive me.

"The day after tomorrow." Sasuke voiced, eyes way too dark for my liking again.

"That stupid fucker…" I glared at the monitor as I made sure to kill the boss together with Sasuke's character.

Sasuke chuckled at that before he let go of the console, the monitor was paused on the Next Level screen. "He's a stupid fucker alright…"

I let go of the console too. I felt Sasuke lean his head on my shoulder before I looked at him. "Are you alright..?" And then I sighed. "Of course, you're not alright. Why am I even asking..?" Sasuke chuckled again at that.

The raven cupped my cheek before he looked up and gave me a quick peck on the lips, making me blush up to the tips of my ears. However, it seemed he wasn't entirely convinced it was enough since he closed the distance between us again and kissed me properly. He licked my lower lip, asking for entrance, before he shoved his tongue in my mouth when I let him. I groaned at the pleasure he was making me feel. He mapped out my mouth thoroughly with his tongue before he was satisfied. He then bit my lower lip lightly before his lips went to my earlobe, giving me furtive kisses here and there, before sucking on the skin underneath my ear. It made me moan despite myself.

Before I knew what's happening, Sasuke actually managed to push me down the carpeted floor as he towered over me, still licking and sucking my neck. I couldn't help but circle my arms over his shoulder to pull him closer.

I felt his right hand reach from underneath my shirt while his left hand circled behind my back. He then gave me another torrid kiss. I couldn't help but respond to his lips with the same intensity. He tasted so good that I wanted nothing but to taste all of him too. I used my hands to feel out his abdominal muscles while I let out a soft moan when his right hand pinched my nipple.

We parted for the much needed air before he pulled my shirt up and licked my nipple, much to my surprise. I mewled when he bit and sucked it. "Sasuke…" My voice sounded so sensual even to my ears as I ran my hand on his soft raven hair.

I felt him smile just as he continued his ministrations down to my abdomen, leaving trails of kisses and bite marks in his wake. He suddenly bit my side, which made me yelp, before he chuckled. "You're annoying…" I mumbled as I glared at him.

"I can't help it. You taste so good, Naruto…" That was actually his response.

I blushed in a deep shade of red again at that. "Idiot…"

He tugged at the hem of my pants, making me feel even more flushed, before he slowly pulled himself away. That was surprising. I blinked at him just as he gave me another one of those seldom smiles which I so loved.

"I want to meet your parents first." He voiced all of a sudden as he sat up before he helped me sit up too.

"Huh?" That confused me. After all, he already met my parents.

"I want to get their approval… properly." His eyes were too damn serious it was kind of scary. "I want to tell them… that I am dating their son."

Those words made me gulp in nervousness. Telling aniki about our relationship was a different thing from telling Minato and Kushina. "Are you sure?"

He nodded as he gave me another peck on the lips. "I feel like I shouldn't touch you until after we're legal in your parents' eyes."

Oh, Sasuke. You're making me fall in love with you more and more. I couldn't help but grin at him. "…Your choice, bastard. Not mine."

He smirked at that. "Just make sure to keep your front door open at that time in case I need a quick escape route." I laughed out loud at that before I gave him a bear hug, something I learned from my haha-ue. He was just being too cute right now that I wanted to squeeze him and make him mine.

"What was that for, dobe?" He looked at me with barely concealed surprise, his cheeks with a light blush, when I let go.

I wanted to tell him that he was being too cute for my liking but that would most likely offend him. So instead, I just gave him a peck on the lips before I whispered, "…Because you're too damn handsome for your own good, bastard. It makes me fall in love with you more and more."

And my eyes widened when he actually blushed a deep shade of scarlet at those words. I just meant it as a passing thought. I didn't think it would affect him that much. Now the whole room felt really awkward as I cleared my throat to stop my own blush.

He smiled at that. "I think I've fallen in love with you too."

And I looked at him at that. "What?" Did I hear that right? I knew we're going out and all but he had never really told me he loved me yet.

"Tch. You really are a dobe." He scowled as he looked at the monitor again before he picked up his console. "Let's just continue playing the game."

"Come on, Sasuke!" I insisted, wanting to hear it again. "Tell me again!" I almost whined since I wanted to hear it so badly but he was already scowling about it. It seemed he was quite upset and embarrassed that I didn't understand what he just said. But I did. I just wanted to confirm it. I hugged him tight and rested my head on the crook of his neck. "Tell me again…"

I felt him sigh at that. "I said… I'm also in love with you…" His voice was so quiet I thought I was just hearing things. However, the loud and fast beating of his heart made me realize that I wasn't the only one.

So Sasuke loved me too.

I hugged him tighter at that.

I wanted to tell him that it would probably be okay even if we were to tell my parents about our relationship. After all, it's not the first time I told them I was having a relationship with another male. However, giving that sort of example to Sasuke might just make things awkward and I seriously didn't want to think about Yahiko now anyways.

"He actually talked to me." Sasuke voiced after a while.

I looked up at him when I heard him speak, blinking at him in confusion.

"Itachi talked to me… yesterday." He voiced. I was surprised at that. I thought his brother simply told him that the older Uchiha would be leaving the day after tomorrow. He sneered as he retold me exactly what happened. It seemed Itachi tried to apologize to Sasuke more formally about what happened in the past. He also assured Sasuke that he would never try to court me too and take me away from his younger brother. He also said that the cell phone wallpaper would only remain there until he finds a nice picture of aniki which he could use. That part made me growl and Sasuke chuckled at my so-called 'brother complex' which I greatly denied.

He then proceeded to tell me that Itachi wished for Sasuke and I to be happy and that to tell me that he's sorry he couldn't thank me in person for everything that I told him. Sasuke looked bored as he was telling me his story but I knew better than to believe that façade. I knew he was more shaken about the whole ordeal than he was letting on. I knew that because it took him quite a while to finally open up to me about it. I was actually more surprised that he did.

At the very least, Sasuke trusted me enough to finally share his heart with me.

"I wonder if he talked to aniki too." I voiced afterwards, wondering if it was wise to ask aniki.

"I'm sure he did." Sasuke answered thoughtfully before the two of us started playing the game again.

Yeah, I was sure that Itachi would have talked to aniki too. There's no way he wouldn't… since aniki was probably the only person he had ever loved too. It would be really selfish of Itachi to not even say goodbye.

"So… when are we going to talk to my parents?" I grinned when he looked too grim about the sudden question.

"I'll… go with you tonight." He sounded like he was about to be executed and I actually laughed at him.

"I surely hope they won't be too bitchy about it like aniki was." I voiced as I nodded. "Tonight it is then."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

~~OMAKE~~

One year later…

Inside the IPF Anbu Root Main Headquarters in Italy, the main conference room was filled with IPF members but the silence was quite palpable.

"As you all know, there's a new criminal group which is wreaking havoc in the Southern Pacific region. The group's name is Hebi and I assure you that they are on an entirely different league than Akatsuki. They do not care whether they need to involve innocent people. They are terrorists who don't have any qualms about human life." The IPF Chief then slowly gave out the assignments to each member before he proceeded to Itachi and Sai's chairs. "The two of you will each have new recruits as partners and I am expecting you to train them while on this mission."

Both Itachi and Sai blinked at that before they both saluted the Chief without another word. They were so used to working alone that it actually surprised them to suddenly have partners, and new recruits at that.

"Uchiha, Sai, I want you to meet your partners. You haven't had one yet since you were both still newbie." Another senior member of the IPF entered the hall and spoke. "But now that you've proven your worth, I believe it is time for you to become mentors and inspirations for future IPF members."

He then ushered the two new IPF recruits into the hall.

Itachi's eyes widened when he saw the two new members of IPF. The first person had an expression of boredom but Itachi knew better than to believe that. He felt like his chest was suddenly constricted and there's a lump down his throat which he couldn't seem to remove. That bright crimson hair looked a lot longer than when he saw it last, not to mention silkier too. And those eyes, those beautiful mauve eyes which he would recognize anywhere, felt like they were sucking him in. He hadn't seen that person for only a year and yet Itachi felt like he hadn't seen him in forever.

"This is Nagato Namikaze." Their Chief introduced the new recruit to everyone while Nagato simply gave a small bow while wearing an unreadable expression. "He's one of our new recruits and is actually one of the two people who aced all the exams given by the IPF. In a way, he's a true prodigy just like you, Uchiha. I hope you get along well because you will be doing missions as partners from now on." He seemed proud to have both of them in his team.

Itachi could only gape at the sudden turn of events, the warmth at the pit of his stomach was becoming too hard to ignore.

He heard Sai snicker in the background before he heard the other raven's voice. "I believe you two were from the same place too, right, Itachi? Isn't that nice? You two can surely get along well~!"

Itachi couldn't help but growl at Sai and glared at the other raven, though his ears were definitely too red to make any kind of retort. That made Sai smirk even more before he mumbled, "You Uchiha brothers really are too easy to read, especially when it comes to the Namikaze brothers."

Nagato, on the other hand, simply had a bored expression the whole time but the corner of his lips actually upwards at hearing Sai's words.

The Chief then proceeded to naming the second recruit who was to be Sai's partner from then on, much to Itachi's chagrin. He couldn't help but glare at the male, knowing full well why he was there in the first place. That annoying silver hair and pale complexion was still the same as ever just as those annoying emerald eyes were still looking bored. That person also didn't change. He still had those two red dots on top of his eyebrows too.

"This is Kimimarou Kaguya." The Chief introduced the second recruit then. "He is also a prodigy who aced all the exams and trainings of the IPF and has been of great help during the fight against the Akatsuki in their own country, much like Namikaze was. I hope that Sai will teach him a lot of things and will become his mentor while being his partner."

"Sure." Sai simply let out his usual fake smile. "I already partnered with him during the Sentouki Tournament of Konoha Gakuen anyway." He smiled as he remembered those days when he was still attending that school for the sake of keeping an eye on the Akatsuki's movements and also to keep an eye on Itachi's younger brother Sasuke.

Itachi, on the other hand, had yet to cease his glare. He knew very well why Kimimarou joined IPF too. He then looked at Nagato and immediately felt irked at the fact that the silver-haired male was willing to work just about anywhere if it meant he could be close to Nagato too.

Nagato, noticing the glare, couldn't help but smirk again. Since Itachi couldn't possibly leave IPF anymore, there was only one way to be with him at this point. That's why he had decided to join the IPF too. Aside from the fact that the salary was quite high since IPF was supported by so many countries in order to get rid of all those international level criminals, it was also a worthy career for someone like him who liked violence only way too much. Not to mention having Itachi as a partner was surely a bonus. Or rather, the raven was the main prize and Nagato just got him for free.

He also remembered how Naruto and Sasuke gave their approval of him following Itachi and even hinted that they would follow soon afterwards. He could already feel Minato's headache over the fact that nobody wanted to take over the company from his hands. No matter, their chichi-ue still had so much time ahead of him anyway. He could still be the head of the company up until he and Naruto decided to settle down.

But for now, "Let's start the killing." He muttered under his breath.

.

.END.

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Ren-sama's Note:

OMG, finally! It's finally done after more than a year of long wait! I know I didn't reveal everything in the end but I'm sure I still put so many hints on what will possibly happen in their future so I hope you enjoyed reading it! Anyway, thank you so much for bearing with me on this fict! And also, I'm glad you read and waited for it up until the very end!

Thanks a lot, guys~! ᶺoᶺ