Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ The Emerald Key ❯ Chapter 8

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Naruto loved the raven haired CEO with all his heart, but he’d had enough of Itachi’s stalling and evading when he demanded to see Haku. He did understand that the older teen had a job at Itachi’s firm which kept him almost as busy as his lover, but what he couldn’t understand why Haku hadn’t had any time to see him or why his lover kept beating around the bush whenever the other former slave was brought up.
That was why he was in that elevator, on his way up to the floor of Itachi’s apartment that the taller man had made him promise never to set foot on. The blond kitsune was feeling immensely guilty for breaking his promise like this, but he was also feeling annoyed with the CEO and bored – that was a dangerous combination for him to be feeling. If Itachi had known that, he would have taken better measures to make sure his petite lover would keep that promise.
Now Naruto wasn’t exactly the quickest learner. That was why it took him almost a month to finally realize that something was up. Itachi hadn’t said that the angelic teen had moved out, only that he didn’t know where he was staying while being on so many ‘business trips.’ The younger blond had been on every other floor of this vast apartment and hadn’t seen no sign of his former trainer had ever lived on any of them, so his thinking started to lead him to believe that maybe, just maybe Haku lived on the ‘forbidden floor’. But why would his lover forbid him to go anywhere near it? Perhaps he had felt that the hyper ball of fluff would wind up disturbing his latest employee and thus distracting him way too much. But still…
“Haku-sensei sure is busy,” the blond fox boy said quietly as he watched his taller lover type away at his laptop. Naruto no longer complained when he’d wake up to see the raven haired CEO typing instead of paying attention to him like when he had back at the island. He figured it was just the way things were going to be from now on. Itachi did have a business to run after all.
“Hn,” was Itachi’s usual reply while busy with work.
The fox boy pouted. He hated being ignored. “Say Ita-sama, you think Haku-sensei’ll be back soon?”
“We’ve already had this conversation, Naruto,” the CEO replied still not looking at his smaller lover.
“I know, but it’s just that I…”
The fox boy stopped mid-sentence, blinking cutely at the two fingers poking him in the forehead. “He’ll be back soon I think,” Itachi replied, inwardly wincing at lying to his petite blond yet again.
“You always say that,” Naruto murmured under his breath, pouting. This time he wasn’t about to let it drop like he’d been doing ever since he started asking for his former teacher and lover.

Kitsune, by nature were insatiably curious and on many occasions mischievous. When told not do something, they would sneakily go behind your back and do it anyway, especially if it meant getting something good. It was only a matter of time before the blond’s natural instincts overrode his loyalty to the raven haired god that was the love of his life, which is why he was doing this. He’d finally had enough of his raven haired god’s constant evasion and decided to see what was so darned important about the ‘forbidden’ floor.
The ding of the elevator door jerked the petite fox boy out of his wandering thoughts as it stopped on the desired floor. Nervously stepping through the wood covered doors, Naruto looked up and down the hall. It looked just like all the other halls, the same red and black décor and mirrors spaced tastefully at various intervals. ‘I don’t see what the big fuss is,’ he inwardly whined, ‘It’s the same as everywhere else.’
Deciding that he’d better get a move on before Itachi came back from work and caught his little kitsune being naughty, the blond teen started walking in no particular direction. Then after walking a few yards he caught the whiff of a familiar scent, one he would never ever be able to forget. ‘Haku-sensei! I was right! This is his floor after all!’ It was faint but still recognizable under the strong scent of carpet shampoo and wood polish.
With his tail wagging excitedly, Naruto dashed in the direction the lingering scent was coming from. Ten minutes later he’d come to a door and without even thinking about, reached for the knob. “Haku-sensei!” he called, the blond’s fluffy tail still wagging and causing the faint layer of dust to rise up and start tickling his cute little button nose. He then promptly sneezed and shook his head.
Seeing that there had been no answer and the amount of dust gathering on the few pieces of furniture, he realized that his beloved Haku-sensei hadn’t been staying there for quite a while.
“Well, he is pretty busy, working for Ita-sama and all,” the blond said to no one in particular. He left the relatively small room and headed back in the opposite direction. “Might as well see what else is here,” he added, a mischievous vulpine grin growing on his lightly tanned and whiskered face.
Twenty minutes later, he had picked up another trace of the angelic teen’s scent and was now anxiously and curiously following it down the opposite end of the hall. This time it was much stronger and fresher.
‘What gives?’ he wondered, ‘I thought he wasn’t staying here right now?’ Naruto then stopped suddenly at a door to his left.
Not only was the scent the freshest, he could hear voices coming from behind it. He wasn’t able to hear what they were saying, due to that this particular door had been specially treated and reinforced on the other side, but he could pick up that one of the voices had a distinctly feminine tone to it. ‘Is Haku-sensei in here?’ he wondered.
Instead of just opening the door like he usually would – a habit that annoyed much of Itachi’s staff and amused the CEO to no end – the petite blond knocked, hoping that whoever inside had heard him and wouldn’t be too angry at him being here.
A few moments after hearing the voices stop, the speakers probably shocked at his unexpected knocking, the door opened slowly. Those chocolate orbs peeking at him were unforgettable!
“Haku-sensei!!!” Naruto cried, overjoyed at finally being able to see his beloved former trainer in all this time. He then launched himself at the slightly taller boy, causing the door to swing open and banging against the wall and the angelic teen to stumble backwards due to the sudden load of an ecstatic blond in his slender uncovered arms.
“N-Naruto-kun?!” Haku sputtered, having steadied himself.
A tall blond, some of his long hair in a ponytail to one side and some hanging over his left eye, stood off to the side watching the scene unfolding before him in a mixture of shock, amusement, and apprehension.
“I’ve missed you sooooo much, Haku-sensei!!” the smaller blond beamed, hugging the winged teen tightly and nuzzling one smooth, pale cheek.
‘Kawaii!!!’ Deidara found himself saying at the fox boy’s affectionate greeting. ‘No wonder that bastard Uchiha wants him all to himself. He’s utterly adorable, un!!!’
“W-What are you doing here, Naruto-kun?” the raven haired angel asked, closing the ‘office’ door, lest anyone – meaning Kisame – happened by and spotted the blond.
“You’ve been so busy so I decided to come see you since you couldn’t,” he replied. “And you haven’t even written or anything,” he added, his ears and tail drooping slightly. “I thought you didn’t want to see me anymore.”
Haku blanched. He should have known the raven haired CEO would have told the naïve blond something like that. “Of course I’d want to see you Naruto, and I am glad to see you little kitsune, but you really shouldn’t be here,” Haku said, smiling slightly. He truly was happy that his former student had come for a visit, but what if certain raven haired CEO were to return and find them together like this?
The angelic boy nervously glanced over at Deidara, unsure of how to handle this. The taller blond just smirked. “Aw, let the chibi stay Haku-chan, un,” the taller blond piped up, never one to let a chance to annoy Itachi pass him by. “Besides, he’s gone out of his way to see you, un. Right, kid?”
“I really don’t wanna be in the way,” Naruto started, the guilt returning once more.
“Nah, you’re not bothering anyone, un,” Deidara said, ushering the shortest of the blonds toward a stool – there weren’t any real chairs in the ‘artist’s’ ‘office’. “Besides, un, we won’t tell,” he added with an impish glint in his darker blue eyes. Deidara’s smaller lover gave him a worried, but grateful look.
“So, um… you’re working here now?” the fox boy asked.
“Hai,” Haku replied, still worried in spite of the older blond’s reassurance.
“He’s gonna be working with me from now on,” interrupted the arsonist as he grinned maniacally and lay a comforting hand on the brunet’s shoulder, having sensed his angelic koi’s unease about how to explain the situation to his former lover.
“Really?!” Naruto all but squealed, “That’s awesome!! Now we’ll be able to see each other more often.”
The raven haired angel once again shot his taller love a shocked, yet grateful glance. He was now able to talk with his friend and not worry about hurting the sensitive blond with the truth. Naruto saw the glance and inwardly smiled, guessing at what was really going on between the two. ‘Good for you, Haku-sensei!’ he silently cheered, glad that his first love had finally found someone who’d care for him like his Ita-sama did for him.
“Hai,” Haku said again, “But I really don’t think Itachi-sama would like it if you came here, though.”
“Why?” the fox boy whined, pouting. “I won’t get in the way, believe it!”
The brunet smiled, “I know you won’t but, Deidara-san’s ‘work’ isn’t exactly safe if you don’t know what you’re doing,” he explained.
“Really?” the petite kitsune chirped, “Then why do it if it’s not safe?”
“It’s only dangerous if you’re a naughty little kitsune who doesn’t listen to orders, un,” teased Haku’s taller lover, grinning predatorily.
The smaller blond let out a frightened squeak, thinking that the older man would go back on his word and snitch to his raven haired lover. “Deidara-san!” the younger brunet scolded, his smile once again reflected in the warm chocolate depths of his eyes.
“Only kidding, un. It’s just that he’s soooooo kawaii, un!” the taller blond offered in apology, making the shorter blond blush. “But it is dangerous for you to be here, little kitsune, un. I keep a lot of explosive stuff around here, un.”
“Oh,” Naruto muttered forlornly, “Then I guess I really can’t come visit you, can I?”
“Um… Deidara-san?” the raven haired angel asked, silently asking his taller lover for help with this.
“Oi! I know, un! Why don’t we have the little guy visit us during our lunch break, un?”
“That’s a wonderful idea, Deidara-san!” Haku beamed, “And it’s much more comfortable at your suite as well.”
Deidara grinned. “You mean ‘our’ suite, don’t you, little bird?” he purred and wrapping a possessive arm around the younger former slave’s waist, making Haku’s pale face turn bright crimson.
“Congratulations, Haku-sensei!!” Naruto shouted, more than pleased to see his suspicions were confirmed. The angelic teen blushed even more profusely than anyone could have ever thought possible. “So how long have you two been together?” the smaller blond asked, going into curious fox mode.
“Um… can we move this to the suite?” Haku asked, suddenly feeling a tad uncomfortable with all the explosive chemicals scattered about.
“Sure!” piped up Naruto, eager to see his former lover’s new home.
As they started out of Deidara’s ‘office’, the youngest of them pulled the much taller blond aside, his normally bright sapphires darkened to hard chips of blue ice. “Hurt him and I’ll gut you alive,” he growled lowly in warning, making sure the older man got a good view of the well manicured sharp claws on one petite, tanned hand.
“Kid, I’d die before I’d ever hurt, my little bird,” Deidara retorted, not even batting an eyelash. He was used to death threats all the time from other members of Itachi’s staff, those being most from the CEO himself, Kisame, Kakuzu – their accountant, and Sasori – head of company’s PR division. “He’s been through too much already, un.”
“Good,” Naruto said, his concerns appeased for now.
“Naruto-kun?” Haku called, from further down the hall.
“I’m coming, Haku-sensei!” the shorter blond sent back, his mile wide smile plastered back onto his whiskered face and dashed after the brunet.
“I swear that damned prick’s rubbing off on him,” muttered Deidara, following the other two, “and I don’t mean in a good way either, un.”

“Care to tell me how you’ve been spending your lunchtime, Naruto?” Itachi asked; his usually gentle crimson eyes now an angry fiery red.
“W-What do you mean, Ita-sama?” the petite kitsune queried nervously. ‘Don’t tell me he found out about my going to Haku’s floor!’ he inwardly prayed.
So far, he had been extremely careful these past couple weeks, leaving his and Itachi’s floor only when most of the staff was away on lunch to visit with Deidara and Haku, leaving just before the lunch break ended as not to run the risk of getting spotted.
“Naruto,” he started again, the raven haired CEO’s tone filled with warning, “I’m in no mood for games, my little kitsune. You well know what I mean.”
‘Oh no! He did!’ Fear ran rampant through the little one’s mind. ‘He’s gonna punish Haku-sensei because of me, I know it!’
“Answer me,” Itachi ground out.
Gulping at the man’s deadly glare, Naruto licked his suddenly dry lips. “I-I was j-just bored and l-lonely,” the fox boy stammered, “Y-You’re always gone all day.”
“You disobeyed me and went to that floor after I expressively told you not to because you got lonely?”
“I-I’m sorry Ita-sama!”
The raven haired man now had the blond’s arm in a vice like grip. Naruto yelped in pain as he was forcefully shoved against the wall of their living room. “You will never go to that floor again, you will not go near Haku, and you will not leave this suite unless I say you can. Is that clear?!”
The younger blond was shaking with fear and righteous fury, tears leaving salty streaks as they flowed freely from the boy’s cerulean depths. He could not believe what he had just heard. Itachi had sworn he’d be free from that hell he’d been in on that island! He promised! And now he was going to lock him away, just because the raven haired man couldn’t control his jealousy?!
Before either of them knew what had happened, Naruto’s free hand flew on its own and crash landed against the irately jealous CEO’s chiseled face. “Damn it, Ita-sama!” the blond spat, somewhat shocked at what he’d done. “Haku-sensei’s just my friend! You don’t have to worry about him taking me away! It’s you I love! And besides, he’s in love with Dei-Dei-chan!!”
Shocked rubies stared at the blond Fury before him. Naruto had struck him! His sweet, docile and loving kitsune had dared to lay a hand on him in defiance. No one since the last time he and Shisui had argued had ever hit him. Normally he would have severely punished anyone who’d commit such a heinous act against his person, but he just couldn’t. He loved Naruto way too much to ever truly strike him. He’d lost his heart and soul to the beauty before him the moment he’d first laid eyes on him.
“Naruto,” Itachi offered in apology, releasing the smaller teen and turning away, unable to face him, “I… I love you too much. That is why I’m so scared of losing you, my little kitsune. If you wish it, I’ll send you to stay with Jiraya-san. He did seem to take a liking to you.”
Itachi really didn’t want to, but if that was his lover’s wish he would break up with him without a fight and let him go. The adult fiction writer did express a fatherly concern toward the petite blond’s lack of a proper education when they’d met at one of the CEO’s many, many business meetings. As perverted Jiraya was reported to be, he was trustworthy enough not to lay a hand on Naruto in any way that one would deem inappropriate.
“I-I just want you to stop being jealous, Ita-sama,” Naruto whispered forlornly, his heart pained at having been forced to strike the one person who meant the entire universe to him.
“How can you forgive me so easily, little one?” he asked, still facing away from the sniffling blond.
“B-Because I love you, you big dummy,” Naruto sniffled, tears flowing in full force again. He crossed the distance – that seemed like miles to the petite fox boy – between them and wrapped his arms around his god’s perfectly slim waist, resting his head against the CEO’s well toned back.
Itachi timidly placed his own pale hands on top of the fox boy’s lightly tanned ones, grateful for the small comfort Naruto’s embrace had offered. “P-Please Ita-sama, d-don’t you leave me too,” he begged.
Formerly angry red eyes were now softened by the immense remorse and self loathing he was now feeling. ‘I am truly unworthy of such a gentle soul,’ he inwardly murmured as he gently turned around, still being embraced by the smaller blond.
“Do you truly wish for me to remain at your side, Naruto, after all I that I’ve done?”
“Don’t you dare run out on me now, you idiot Uchiha!” the smaller blond scolded, using one of Deidara’s tamer ‘pet names’ for the CEO.
The raven haired god chuckled. “Just don’t let that blond fool rub off on you too much, my kitsune. One Deidara is more than enough, thank you very much.”
“You stay and I won’t,” said kitsune vowed.
“You have yourself a deal,” Itachi said smiling and thanking every deity he could think of for allowing him to remain by this angelic fox’s side.
Naruto returned that gentle and apologetic smile with one of his room brightening ones. “My Ita-sama,” he crooned, nuzzling against the taller brunet’s wounded cheek and licking at the scratches his claws had left in their wake.
Itachi cupped the back of the shorter blond’s head, his slender sculpted fingers entwining into the sun silk spikes. “Aishiteru, my little kitsune,” he purred in return before passionately pressing his lips against Naruto’s rose petal soft ones.
Very few kisses have ever made it onto the list of ‘World’s Greatest Kisses.’ This one left them all in the dust. No other kiss was so full of passion, mind numbing desire or soul stirring devotion. It was a silent melding of two souls that desperately needed each other. The both poured their very essence into the other as they took no heed of the growing need to breathe as the supply of oxygen continued to dwindle. So wrapped up in their own little world were they.
Minutes later, much too soon for either of them, they were forced to break apart, leaving the smaller blond heavily panting for breath. “Tired, little one?” the raven haired god teased, smirking smugly at his ability to leave his beloved kitsune utterly breathless with just one kiss.
“N-No… f-freaking… way!” came the blond’s wheezed reply.
“I assume you have no desire to go to bed then?” Itachi teased.
“What makes you… think that?” Naruto shot back with a smirk of his own.
Lust filled rubies regarded the still somewhat breathless blond before him for a few more moments, letting the fox boy squirm impatiently. Once the raven haired god had determined that his petite lover had been ‘tortured’ enough, Itachi swooped down on his ‘prey’ and within seconds had the blond slung over one perfectly sculpted shoulder.
Naruto didn’t say a word as he was then promptly carried into their bedroom. ‘Why complain if the view was so damned good?’ was the blond’s motto.

Later that night, one raven haired god in the form of the world’s most richest CEO lay quietly in his bed of black silk and red velvet sheets, happily sated and content as his blond lover lay slumbering by his side, his sunshine colored head resting on the man’s absolutely perfect chest.
Itachi Uchiha continued to smile as he placed the crystal box he’d been holding and staring at for almost half an hour back onto the nightstand. Inside was a simple yet elegantly carved key made of a single emerald of deepest green.

Sakura: Hooboy!! Eight chapters!! Can you believe it took me this long to finish this thing?!
Sasuke: I believe you, but what I can’t believe is that you actually went through with it to the end!
Sakura: Hey! Don’t blame me! L-sama was the one calling the shots on this one! You got a problem Uchiha, take it up with her!
Sasuke: I’d rather not, thanks.
Sakura: Anyhoo, see ppl, I told you every one’s fave knuckleheaded blond and bad boy ninja would be back this chapter.
Itachi: And about time too, onna. I’d hate have to use the Tsukuyomi on you if you didn’t put us back in.
Naruto: Bad Ita!! I said not to sick the Sharingan on her!!!
Sakura: I do hope you remember to give Sanzo his fan back. Anyway, lemme know what you think, minna, ‘k?