Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Brother's Can't Be Trusted ❯ Letting Go And Breaking Free ( Chapter 25 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Although Itachi was relieved to find out Naruto had not become another victim of Sasuke's rage, he couldn't take comfort in Naruto's eagerness to solve his family's problems. This wasn't something Naruto should be getting involved with. "Look Naruto, I think it's best you leave all this mess to me and Sasuke." Itachi advised, lightly pushing the blond inside so he could also enter the room. It would be unfortunate if a teacher caught him speaking with Naruto after their warning.

Naruto looked surprised and disappointed after Itachi's suggestion. "But I want to help Itachi. I know it’s my fault Sasuke hates you more. I just don't think it's fair to leave things as they are," he confessed.

Itachi sighed; it was inevitable that Naruto would help even after being told not to. Itachi almost regretted targeting such a gullible , trusting, unselfish, and ambitious boy. Never in his life had he met someone even remotely similar to Naruto. Despite himself, Itachi would not force him to obey, at least not any more. He glanced around the room, noticing Sasuke wasn't there. Had he abandoned Naruto already? If that was the case, Itachi planned to punish his brother severely. "Where is Sasuke anyway?" Itachi tried to ask nonchalantly. That was hard enough because he was so furious with the teen already.

Naruto looked almost hurt by the question. He was suddenly reminded that Sasuke was indeed gone. He didn't no where the teen had gone off to or why. But that didn't keep Naruto from thinking it was all because of himself that Sasuke ran off. What if Sasuke was still mad at him and couldn't even stand to sleep in the same room with him. Though Naruto was sure Sasuke had calmed down some when he had told him that story, so why would Sasuke run off. Then again, it would only make Naruto a fool to believe Sasuke would forgive him just like that. Of course the Uchiha was still upset with him.

That thought didn't help Naruto cheer up in the least bit. He bowed his head with sorrow and kept himself from making himself look more like a fool with his baby tears. "I don't know exactly. I just woke up and he was gone." Naruto closed the door behind Itachi and stepped back near his mat before falling down onto it. "You think he will come back before morning?" The blond asked with a melancholy look in his eyes.

Itachi never did find depression flattering on Naruto, so he didn't think any different this time. It rather hurt to see the blond like this. And yet it al angered Itachi more. To think Sasuke had such an impact on Naruto's life, the simplest thought of him could affect the blonde's mood. Itachi wanted to have that affect on Naruto, but the only emotion he could induce was fear.

"Who knows? Maybe he just went out for some fresh air," Itachi attempted to say kindly. But whenever talking about Sasuke, his voice sounded harsh and cold with envy and hatred. He kneeled down by Naruto's laying form and gently treaded his fingers through the golden mane of hair. "Naruto..." he began. He just had a burning question he was dying to ask the blond since he first had doubts about them. "Do you like my brother?" Itachi asked. It sounded stupid to be asking this when he already knew the answer.

Naruto lifted up and turned on his side to stare at Itachi. He blinked dumbfounded at the male before answering. "Of course I like him, he's the first friend I made here." Naruto gave a distant smile as if he were currently thinking of their first meeting. "I thought he was going to be one of the punks I would hate for the rest of the school year, but he really turned out to be a great guy." Naruto half chuckled. He settled back down, laying his head on Itachi's thigh and slowly closed his eyes. "Though he always finds a way to make me angry or sad, I still like him."

Who did Naruto take Itachi for?! Some idiot? Itachi knew very well from the simple tone in Naruto's voice was more used for a lover than when you spoke of just a good friend. Though Itachi never wanted to admit it, Naruto liked Sasuke a whole lot more than he liked him. "I know all that, but I mean...do you like him like him? Something more than friends." Itachi felt like some stupid kid again trying to get his best friend too tell him in he had a crush on a classmate or something. Though Itachi never personally was in that position, but he was sure this is how it felt.

Naruto was quite for a long while. He was trying to sort through his own feelings and thoughts for he could give Itachi a good enough answer, but that was hard considering he didn't know much about this feeling. "I don't know..." He finally admitted. "I don't think I've ever been in love before, so I don't know if I like him more or less than that. I do feel happy whenever I'm around him, and I always want to stay that way. But then when he is a jerk, it hurts so much. I've been hurt before, like when I have to move away from close friends. But this is different...my heart just feels weird after it."

Crap! Itachi was roughly biting his bottom lip to muffle the words he wanted to yell. Hell yes that was love you idiot! Even Itachi, one who had never really fallen in love with anyone, knew that just feelings were more than plan infatuation. Well at least Itachi thought he had never been in love before. Until now, he had no clue what it felt like to really care about someone. But after spending so much time with Naruto, he couldn't help but think that maybe this was love for him as well. But man would he be a laughing stock. The Uchiha Itachi, number one man whore and player in all of Japan, was smitten with the most unlikely person, but not any person, a teen who was practically a kid in mind.

Maybe he was really getting in too deep with this game. He never meant to develop feelings for his target. And he couldn't very well break Naruto's heart now, when it didn't even belong to him. Who was he suppose to know if breaking Naruto's heart wouldn't be the destruction of his own anyway. It seemed pretty clear that he was losing this battle and his tactics had changed greatly. If it was true Naruto loved Sasuke, than maybe he was playing on the wrong team. Playing against his brother would never work. He would probably have better luck encouraging Naruto to be with Sasuke. After all that worked the first time he tried it, and that’s how he got Naruto to be his boyfriend. And knowing Sasuke, he would probably screw up enough times to send Naruto running back to Itachi.

The older Uchiha smirked at the thought. "Then maybe you should find out for yourself Naruto." He stated solemnly. "Find out if you really do like Sasuke like that." He suggested with a kind smile.

"But Itachi, what about us? I can't do that if we are still-"

"Then we aren't." Itachi quickly interrupted. Naruto's eyes went big. Was Itachi actually breaking up with him?! "Titles just puts a limit on our relationship anyway." Itachi chuckled. He would much rather be able to call Naruto his lover, but for now he would wait. "So if you find out you don't like Sasuke like that, then I'll still be here, okay?" Itachi asked with a reassuring grin.

Naruto grinned widely, shooting up form his seat and hugging Itachi's tightly. "You're the best Itachi!" He squealed, wrapping his arms relentlessly around the other's neck. Maybe Sasuke wouldn't be so mad with him any more. Plus now he didn't have to worry about hurting Itachi or Sasuke. This was great.

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"Hey kid, you alright in there?" Jiraiya huffed, leaning against the bathroom door heavily. He stiffened and sneered when only the sound of Sasuke violently spewing his brains out filled the air. The teen had been in there the past ten minutes. Jiraiya was sure he hadn't even eaten that much in a week, but he wasn't about to scold the boy for loosing his lunch.

Even though Jiraiya was a world class pervert, it didn't mean he favored rape, especially that between two males, with one happening to be many years older than the other. Nor did he favor the act being committed against his own fledgling. Naruto was his responsibility and he wasn't about to let the ass who did that to him get away.

Jiraiya was simply surprised that he wasn't the one throwing up, then again Itachi wasn't his brother and Naruto wasn't his crush, so his reasons were hardly relatable. However, he did hold the same disgust when he saw how mercilessly the male tried to force himself upon the boy. Even if Itachi didn't fully go through with it, it didn't change the fact that he had tried to do it in the first place.

"I'll kill that punk." Jiraiya hissed. "And I thought I was a bad guardian. Sasuke you better not turn up anything like your brother." He warned. "If you do, I won’t hesitate in killing you to. Even if Naruto isn't my kid, that doesn't make me care for him any less."

Sasuke couldn't give a care about what Jiraiya said. His mind was presently engulfed with the terrible situation he was in. If seeing your brother attack someone you care about wasn't traumatizing enough, hearing his troubling past would certainly do it. Sasuke didn't want to believe anything Itachi told Naruto after what he had done to the blond. And frankly, Sasuke couldn't figure out why Naruto would believe all that crap about their father.

Sure Sasuke had noticed their father's over affection for his older son and how he normally spent more time with Itachi, but he simply thought it was because Itachi was smarter and better than him. At least everyone else seemed to think so. As far as Sasuke could see, Itachi was the one to seduce their father just like he is trying to seduce Naruto.

Wiping his mouth with his arm, Sasuke painfully stood on his feet. He wasn't up to having to see his brother in the morning or any other time in his life for that matter. After seeing what he did to Naruto, who could blame him? He would never look at Itachi the same again. To think he had grown so use to just seeing his brother screw everyone else, but when he tried to rape someone it wasn't just a stupid game a foreplay. It was filled with real pain and fear, none of that acting crap.

"That idiot." Sasuke hissed as he headed for the door. Naruto was stupid enough to let this happen and then he didn't do a damn thing after ward. He let Itachi get away with it and he even forgave him. Sasuke cursed it all; Naruto's naive mind, Itachi's sick nature, his own inability to protect those he cared about.

"Sasuke." Jiraiya called out just before the teen could leave the room. "You have my permission to have Naruto, but I don't want you to hurt him." The older male explained with a serious glare. Everything before this had just been fun and games; inspiration for his perverted novels. But now it was a real test, to win Naruto's heart.

Sasuke shook his head in objection. "It's not your choice, it's Naruto's. And if he truly wants to be with Itachi, I will have to accept that." But if Itachi so much as took advantage of Naruto's decision, Sasuke would not hesitate to kill that bastard.

He waved good bye to Jiraiya before heading back to his own room. Luckily, Naruto would still be sleep. Then again, Sasuke did remember Naruto had a habit of waking up when he wasn't around and going to Itachi for comfort. With that thought in mind the Uchiha hurriedly opened the door, though managing to be quite so not to wake the blond if he were still there.

Naruto was there, and still asleep, much to Sasuke's relief. But something more disappointing caught the teens eye. Sasuke glowered at the lean figure hovering by his sleeping friend. "What the hell are you doing here?" Sasuke snarled at his brother. He watched maliciously as his brother tenderly petted down the messy blond locks as Naruto rested in his lap. The scene irritated Sasuke more and more, especially after having just saw what Itachi was up to before.

Itachi only smirked in the darkness, his hand coming to a halt in the middle of Naruto's hair. "Well I first wanted to make sure your short temper wasn't also taken out on Naruto." Itachi admitted truthfully. On instinct, he lifted his other hand to caress the sore cheek Sasuke had so recklessly punched repeatedly. "You have one hell of a punch when you're provoked," Itachi chuckled.

"You see he is alright, now get out of here," Sasuke demanded. "Have you forgotten already? You are forbidden from touching him like that ever again." Sasuke smirked to himself when he noticed Itachi stiffen.

"Nosey, aren't we Sasuke." Itachi mumbled. "Then I suppose you also found out about mom and dad?" Itachi questioned. If Sasuke some how found out what happened when he was gone, Itachi didn't have to worry much about how to bring up the truth. "I wasn't lying to him, you know?"

"Bull crap!" Sasuke snapped, slamming the door behind him. "I know good and well our folks are alive. So you were lying when you told us both that they were dead." His onyx eyes narrowed as Itachi finally stood up and faced him. He knew he had pushed some buttons, since Itachi rarely ever looked this serious and menacing.

"Yes I lied, but would it be any better to tell you father is in jail and mother is being a fucking coward and running away from home?" Itachi approached Sasuke, a calm and dominant aroma surrounding him. "Yeah I've been lying to you for years, but only because I didn't want you know the sucky family you came from."

"It would have been better!" Sasuke yelled out. "Maybe I would have believed you if you told me in the beginning. But how do you expect me to believe you now? You have no fucking proof anything you've said is the truth." The young Uchiha stepped back, avoiding be in the range of fire if Itachi suddenly turned on him. Which had never happened before, but he was prepared anyway.

"I would think everything was proof enough. Even mother was smart enough to figure it out. That's why she was fighting with our father the night before they left. She knew he was doing all that and she turned him in. But hell, I could have accepted if she told me she ran away from home because she was afraid father would eventually come after her for he betrayal. That would have been better than knowing she left home because she didn't want to stay with the son that turned out to be just like his father." Itachi informed, looming over Sasuke with fearsome, hurt eyes.

"Who the hell's fault is it? You're the slut around here. She left home because of you!" Sasuke pointed out.

"I guess you are right. I drove her away because she couldn't handle knowing I couldn't live a day without our father's sick hands on me!" Itachi shouted, leaning closer to Sasuke. "When I turned to others, she turned and ran. So you go ahead and blame me on our mother's absence. But hell will freeze over before I let you blame what happened to our father on me." Itachi threatened, his voice laced with a dangerous cold that Sasuke had never known before. "Because I had no part in what he decided to do to me, I wasn't even the one pressing charges against him."

Despite how angry Sasuke wanted to be with Itachi, his ears were stinging and burning. He clapped his hands over his ears in attempt to drown out the horrible truth he had been avoiding for years now. A truth he had been too afraid to notice. A truth he already knew but denied every day of his life.

No matter how much he knew it wasn't Itachi's fault, he always convinced himself to hate Itachi. To hate him for stealing daddy's affection. It was okay to hate him for letting everyone praise and adore him. He could even hate him for tarring apart everything Sasuke ever knew. But when it all came down to it in the end, he couldn't hate him for anything. The only thing Itachi was held accountable for, was not telling him when it all went down. And maybe, just maybe, he could have saved the time Sasuke spent...hating him.

Itachi's eyes softened and he watched sadly as his brother kneeled to the floor, shaking his head in denial. Though Itachi was no expert in comfort and love, he could at least act like he knew a thing or two about it. So far it worked with Naruto. The older Uchiha slowly kneeled down in front of his brother, taking the shivering teen in his arms. He held Sasuke against his chest for a long moment. Of course there was still a disgust he had held for the naive teen that made Itachi not completely fall into the moment. But for the most part, he was there for his brother.

"You can still hate me," Itachi whispered lightly. "I not some mental sex addict you know where it is a necessity for life. I can stop any time I want. And I'm not someone stuck in the past with a helpless child syndrome. I can care for myself, I can work and I can watch over others. I just chose not to. And I did not try to rape Naruto because of what our father did to me. I did it because I wanted to, and I knew very well what the hell I was doing." Sasuke didn't find much comfort in Itachi's speech. So far the idiot was just naming all the bad things about him. "So if you want to hate me, you can. Because I do the things I do on purpose and don't care for how they affect you or any one else."

Sasuke waited awhile longer before deciding to move again. He stared up at Itachi, uncapping his ears. "You know...you really, really suck at comforting others." Sasuke confessed. But he managed to smile a little. "But at least you know how to tell the truth. So...uh...thanks. I guess." Sasuke found it to be the hardest appreciate he had ever had to say. But it needed to be said.

Itachi chuckled and ruffled the teen's hair. "I know. I just thought, what the hell, it worked with Naruto maybe it could work with you." He smiled back at his brother. It was the first time in a long time he ever really spoke with Sasuke, much less actually smiled for him.

"Well I'm not Naruto. But since you brought him up, I just want to warn you. If you ever try that stunt again, and you will be six feet under." Sasuke laughed heartily.

"Oh you don't have to worry about that." Itachi stood up, letting go of Sasuke. "I think we both thought it would be better for us to be unattached by titles. So as far as we all are concerned, we are just friends. But if he so much as has a doubt about it, you better believe I will be there to work my magic again." Itachi smirked. "So I guess this means we are both back at square one. We've both been asses to him, so let's try this over with a clean slate." Itachi held out his hand, offering it to Sasuke. "From now on, Naruto is up for grabs. Whoever gets into his heart and/or pants is the official winner. No tricks." Itachi winked subtly before chuckling softly.

Sasuke nodded and stood up, shaking his brother's hand. "Alright, you're on. But I hope you know, I'm already in the lead since you are going to have our teachers and Jiraiya on your tail." Sasuke teased.

"Yeah, yeah. Now get so sleep baby brother." Itachi picked, heading for the door. "Tomorrow brings a new day and a new rivalry." With that said, Itachi let himself out. As soon as the door closed, Itachi sighed loudly. "Though I think it's hardly fair when I've already lost." But at least he could give it a shot. Who knows? Maybe Naruto would change his mind and want Itachi. Only time would tell.

To Be Continued...

A/N: *sniffle* I'm so happy the two are finally over their past troubles. Itachi really isn't such a bad guy after all. Though he is still a sex-obsessed, lazy-assed, Naruto-raping, Sasuke-taunting, sadistic-loving bastard with drop dead gorgeous looks. I so love Itachi anyway!^_- So you know how it goes, the more reviews the quicker I update! And I can't believe this story is going so far, and it doesn't look like its coming to the end any time soon, lol. Do you guys think I should be developing the falling action by this point or working near the end?

Next Chapter: The Uchiha hating is finally over, but a new rivalry between the brothers has begun. Naruto's virginity isn't the only prize to be won, but his heart for keeps is on the line. With the field trip ending, Sasuke decides to up his efforts and take Naruto out on a real date. Will this lead to disaster or give Sasuke another few points over Itachi?