Hey, thank you for the votes and comments as usual, and THANK YOU FOR THE 3K+ READS! That's epic! I'm seriously having fun writing this book, and I can't wait to write what I want to and see your lovely reactions to them! I'm glad so many of you are enjoying my content as well.

I hope everyone is doing well, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

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I was basking in his beauty and pleasure, watching his display in full view. I had my hands laying gently on his thighs as his own rested on my chest for support. With each rock of hips, we both moaned in sync as our bodies were locked in a pleasurable dance. His nails dug into my chest with each downward motion, and my hands tightened only slightly to prevent any bruises on his skin. He was a fragile little thing compared to the likes of me, so I wanted to be as gentle with him as possible.

Treat him like glass.

"Uh! Hhh!" Naruto moaned out, trembling from pleasure as he rode me. "I-I c-can't... huh... keep this... Hmnn... up for much longer."

I moaned as he quickened a little, eyes rolling back and my mouth falling open as he moved just right... pleasuring me like there wasn't a tomorrow. I grunted and slid my hands up to his member, gently beginning to rub it up and down as it drooled in ecstasy. His whole body twitched when I began my gentle rubbing, his body heat raising and warming my chilled skin.

"Fuck~." I moaned out, bucking my hips upward as I felt close to my limit, throbbing inside his warm interior with eagerness. "When... did you learn to do this?" I asked, eyes fluttering open and looking him in the eye, our gazes locking in place.

"Th-thought it up. Ugh~!" Naruto shivered again but kept his eyes on mine. "A-Ah~!" Naruto suddenly jolted, and he clenched around me, making me moan louder.

He came then, shooting strings of passion across my chest. I jerked him through the waves, watching as he devolved into jelly, his burning body nearly melting into mine. He panted heavily, shakily looking down at me before beginning to rock again. Making the both of us moan together. My muscles tightened, and my eyes rolled back as I came.

"Ah~!" I moaned out, shuddering as I pulled his hips flat against mine, cumming deep inside his guts. "M-mmm~" I shivered.

It was the lust that enhanced the smell of his blood. It made it irresistibly sweet smelling and tempting. I wanted to bite him then. So much so that I pushed myself up into a sitting position, making Naruto shiver as he followed my movements to create less friction. I was still rock hard, and he was as well, neither of us was sated from our first release. My eyes lingered on his neck before looking deep into his crystal blue eyes.

He met my gaze by leaning his neck to the side, his eyes glimmering with love and need.

"Bite me." He whispered to me.

His words sent a chill through my body, making me feel electric as I leaned forward, licking up his salty skin to his scar, basking in the shivers I gave him. His heart thumped loudly in his chest, rattling his breathing as I fed into his desire for the feeling of being drained, the small prick of pain, and the waves of love I can give him through this, like a desired poison. I drug my fangs across his skin until I felt them line up with the bite scars, perfectly planting themselves where I've bitten time and time again. I waited for a few seconds, listening to his hypnotic heartbeat and singing veins before biting down. The satisfying pop vibrated my teeth and gums, and his warm blood began to pool quickly as I sunk my fangs until I couldn't go any deeper, closing my lips on his skin.

"Mmm~" Naruto whimpered beside me, hands rubbing my back gently.

Lulling me into an almost tired state of relaxation. It was calming for me, what he let me do to him, and the level of trust he had in a monster like myself. Willing to offer his lifeblood to me to keep me healthy. Through this, I could better connect to his emotions. Each time I bit into his neck I could feel only the love he held for me, the obsession he felt about being bitter, and the pleasure it brought him. His taste fueled my energy, replenished my thirst, and filled my head with joy.

I love him, I will always love him... I won't let Danzo steal his mind from me... I won't let Madara get him... I won't let anyone take him away.

Mine forever.

Mine forever...

"I love you," Naruto spoke softly, leaning his head against mine as I drank my fill, his hips beginning to rock, but slowly.

Not as rough as before, it was gentle, loving, and passionate. He kept a steady pace, and I couldn't help my muffled moans from escaping me. His taste, his aura, and his ass all fed me intense pleasure I couldn't describe even if my life depended on it. It was like he possessed me, and kept me in a state of pure bliss. Every nerve in my body sang with pleasure, every negative moment in my life faded and the only thing on my mind was his love, his taste... his everything.

My face cooled into a minty feeling, stronger than I've ever felt it, as he rocked his hips, pleasuring me and himself. I continuously moaned against his neck, unable to hold them back, unable to get enough of him. My arms tightened around him, but I tried to restrain myself as much as possible to prevent hurting him since it wouldn't take me much effort at all to put a bruise on his body.

We stayed in this intimate position, both Naruto and I moaning softly as we gently loved one another. My stomach became full, and I soon pulled my fangs from his neck, watching it close and heal. After we both came again we cleaned each other off and slept the day away until around sunset, when I was woken by someone calling our names from outside the tent.

I stirred first at the sound of our names, waking up to it with a groan since I had been so comfortable and warm under the sheets with Naruto.

"Itachi, Naruto are you both decent?" I heard Tsunade's voice call, making me perk up and turn to Naruto.

He was butt-ass naked under the covers, as was I. I smiled softly to myself as I also realized he didn't wake up during our rest from ant nightmare. I rushed around and pulled my boxers and pants up and went to the tent flaps, pausing once I realized I could see through the tent that there was still sunlight.

"Don't open the tent. What do you need?" I asked at a normal volume.

"Is he asleep?" Tsunade asked me.

"Yep. He hasn't been sleeping well so I want to let him rest a while longer. What can I do for you, Lord Hokage?" I asked, eyes looking to Naruto's sleeping figure tangled in the heap of black and white sheets, making me smile at the sight.

"I have a mission for the two of you. I want you both accompanied by Yamato and Iruka on this mission. It's top secret, S-Ranked. I need to come inside to speak about this with you. Now." She stated.

"Can I get dressed first?" I asked with a soft sigh, looking go my uniform on the ground, scattered around.

"You can." She huffed.

I quickly and very quietly got dressed, pulling my socks up and into my pant legs as they closed off the ability for light to come up, and slid my sandals on. I then pulled my shirt on and tucked it beneath the waistline and threw the vest on over the shirt, zipping it up into place. I pulled my gloves out of a pocket in the vest and slid those on as well. I didn't bother with the mask or hat and stepped away from the entrance to the tent.

"Come in," I instructed.

The flap of the tent opened and let light inside, making the skin on my face tingle a little. After she came inside the flap was closed and the sensation went away quickly. She held in her hand a scroll, and she had a semi-serious look on her face. Her eyes moved to Naruto and her gaze softened up.

"How is he?" She asked.

I moved to his side and pulled the blankets up from his lower back to his shoulders, tucking it underneath his weight a bit to keep it from moving off of his body. He curled into the warmth more and hummed as he slept, looking peacefully asleep, making me want to pinch his cheek due to how cute he was when he slept.

"He's better. Naruto got worn out while Sasuke Naruto and I were training together where the debris was dumped and set to be destroyed. He had an episode, a bad one, but I don't know if it's related to him being tired or not." I explained, stepping between her and him to give him better privacy as he slept. "Let him sleep, he's exhausted." I pleaded, frowning at the idea of him waking up.

"Of course." She nodded, stress lining her features before shaking it off. "Where you will be going, you have time to explore this and more. I've gotten permission from Rikage to send him with some others to a hidden island that belongs to the hidden cloud. He and the cloud's Jinchuriki will be held here to better protect them from the war that's going to break soon. I'm part of the military leading force with the Rikage, so I'll be too busy from here on out to do much more for him."

"Hidden? How can a land mass be hidden?" I narrowed my eyes.

"It moves." She hummed and handed me the scroll. "Knowing Naruto, he'd never agree to stay out of the war. So we designed this to keep him sated. He is to round up the animals on the island to see if they are strong enough to use for our use and to train and become stronger with the help of the other Jinchuriki who The Rikage said was able to control his tailed beast perfectly. It could be an opportunity to help Naruto in many ways." She gently held my arms, looking at me intently. "He can't figure out that it's for his protection... once you get there you cannot leave. You can go along and bring Sasuke with you if you wish."

I looked down at the scroll, narrowing my eyes at the idea of lying to him, but as she said he wouldn't stay away while his friends fought for his life and the sake of the world while he sat back and did nothing and I believed her words. If this island does move as she says then it could be the best place for us to have seclusion. It would be our best opportunity to deal with the issues at hand.

I could find his triggers and help him fight them, I could help his tolerance build up under pressure, even in a combat situation. We could get his tailed beast under control so the risk of him losing his mind to his anger is slim. We could refine his fighting abilities and get him battle ready. I could get back into the swing of things, and get battle-ready, and Sasuke can deal with any leftover issues, and train to get stronger as well.

We won't get a chance like this again.

"Right, thank you for bringing this to me first." I smiled faintly at Lady Tsunade. "And thank you, for letting him sleep."

"Just know that if you break his heart I will break you," Tsunade smirked at me with a promise in her eyes, making me feel warmer inside.

"Understood!" I grinned widely, chuckling as quietly as I could.

She left soon after, leaving me by myself with a lightly snoring Naruto. Once she was gone I set the scroll down beside Naruto's sleeping figure and left him alone. I finished gathering my outfit, pulling the mask over my head and my straw hat in place before leaving, entering the sunset air with full protection from the light. I gazed about our surroundings, seeing many people walking up and down roads, the sounds of distant construction and murmuring filling my ears. I made sure my outfit was okay before moving to where Sasuke's tent should be, which wouldn't be that far from ours.

As I walked I received many sideways glares but chose to ignore them in favor of simply enjoying my walk by myself, needing the time alone to think over everything that's been happening recently.

Outside of the Naruto business, this war could prove to be a good thing in the long run. If the Shinobi world was banning together against a common enemy then maybe some good could come out of it, like alliances that could stretch many years after the war is won, if it's won. This alliance could help Naruto's goals in the long run if he still planned on being the next Hokage. He'd get high in the ranks of our government and become a political figure, spreading his ideology of peace to the neighboring Nations and bringing about a period of peace.

A world without war... a war to end them all, it's funny. The Akatsuki's goals could still come to fruition, but differently than they intend to. If I could bask in the joy of never fighting again then I'd do it in a heartbeat. Hopefully, this war is the answer to that dream. I could live with Naruto, cook all the foods I wish, go on missions, help the community with chores and errands, and help the Hokage with anything they wish.

Then there is Sasuke. He was greatly troubled. Any time I'm around him I can sense his unease and divided mind. He still loathes this village for everything we've suffered and his anger, albeit justifiable is misplaced. The person who caused our suffering is long dead but he doesn't see it as just his fault. He blames the people, he blames our society, he blames everything that isn't him. He's still out for blood, I can smell in the air he travels through, an anger that can't be sated by just one man's life.

He wants more vengeance, even with me alive and well, even with Danzo dead. He'd burn the village to the ground if it were still here, and this scared me a little. My little brother is balancing on a thin line, tipping in the wrong direction, ready to fall into the deep end willingly.

His heart is full of hatred, something I'm unable to mend apparently.

"Itachi." I voice called, making me pause and search for the source.

Kakashi was lazily waving his hand my way as he rushed to catch up. His eye smiled at him since he covered his face, making a U-shape as he greeted me.

"Hello, Hatake." I bobbed my head in greeting.

"Welcome back, are you well protected under all those layers?" Kakashi asked, looking me over.

"Mostly, the sun still tingles at my skin but it's bearable, better than burning to death." I shrugged a shoulder. "How have you been all this time?"

"Oh, you know, raising a handful of goofball kids, bright, but silly nonetheless," Kakashi spoke as we began walking again, reading a book he had in his hand.

"What are you reading?" I asked curiously.

"A book," Kakashi responded without feeding me much information about its contents at all. "So, did she tell you?"

"About the mission? If so then yes, Naruto's asleep but he will get a different version of it when he wakes up. Poor thing is exhausted from training and from all the stress he's been under. A rare night without nightmares, too." I explained, scratching the back of my clothed neck.

"That's good to hear. Sasuke sleeps in a tent two rows ahead of this one, if that's who you're looking for." Kakashi pointed the tip of the book forward, not taking his eye off its pages.

"Thank you, that's exactly who I was wanting to speak with. Hopefully, he agrees to come along." I grinned shakily.

"Has he shown any signs of noncompliance?" Kakashi asked then.

Although his eye never left his book, it held a danger to them, something serious and it held a complete lack of trust. I felt a weird tingle up my neck before looking ahead, shaking my noggin and response.

"So far so good," I replied. "He's been cooperating with me and Naruto and agreed to come back here, knowing he could have been killed. I think he means well." I spoke, however, I was doubting my own words as my anxieties over his intentions bubbled into my gut.

"Good. He's being watched very closely." Kakashi finished before smiling with his eye, his posture changing from hostile to relaxed. "Now if you excuse me, I'm going to go help some old folk."

He veered off the dirt road, head in his book as he walked away. I watched after him with narrowed eyes, knowing deep down that he didn't believe a single word out of my mouth. He could probably tell that I wasn't truthful, or at the very least, confident in my answers.

That's because I wasn't, but still, a man can try.

I approached the tent and stood outside, listening for any movement or voices but heard nothing. So I decided to clear my throat loudly to gain his attention.

"Sasuke?" I spoke up, letting my hands relax at my side.

"What?" Sasuke's short response met my ears.

I listened in, hearing his slow breathing, steady pulse, and feet shifting ever so slightly just inside the flap of the tent. I tilted my head closer to it more but heard no one else in there with him.

"Can we talk?" I asked quieter, eyes turning to random shinobi who quickly walked away the moment I made eye contact with them.

"Speak, then," Sasuke demanded, but I only frowned and folded my arms.

"Someplace other than this spot? It's not a conversation to be had in a public place. How about the top of the Hokage Heads?" I offered, raising a brow.

"..." I was answered through silence, and his feet shifted away from the entrance to his tent.

I moved back a few steps and waited patiently for him to leave his temporary home, since I heard him gathering some of his things, like his clothing and weapons. Once he was finished he moved to the opening and exited, however the moment the sunlight hit his face my world bled red, and I grabbed his shoulders as rage boiled through me, making my mind shatter under its weight.

His face had more bruises than just the one from the Rikage's punch.

"Sasuke! Who the hell-!" I began but he swatted my hands off him.

"It's fine." Sasuke hissed.

"NO, IT ISN'T! The most you've done against this village was leave it behind! You didn't actively commit any crimes against this place!" I growled. "Fuck, you're coming with me."

"Where?" Sasuke grunted as I pulled him along, steering him away from the roads and into the tree line.

"Over here to have a private and much-needed conversation." I sourly stated as I held him by his wrist.

We walked for about ten minutes in complete silence, getting far from any listeners. Once I was satisfied, I paused our walk into the woods after finding a scarred tree from blade slashes. I leaned my back against it and forced myself to calm down, adjusting my hat slightly to keep it from getting knocked off.

I don't want a toasty scalp.

"What?" Sasuke asked. "Where would we be going now?"

"Our first mission since coming back home," I spoke with a hum, keeping myself calm. "It's a top-secret mission, and a brilliant opportunity for training and figuring things out."

"Top-Secret?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "She trusts us with something like that?"

"Yes, because it's us, Naruto, and others. Possibly Yamato and someone else." I explained. "We are traveling for a long while to escort Naruto to a safe place far from the battle about to break out. He can't know the actual meaning of this mission, but it's a protection thing, and a great chance to get his powers under control and his issues solved. A great opportunity for us to train and ready ourselves for battle."

"..." Sasuke looked down and away, deep in thought as he digested the information. "So... you want us to act as guards?"

"We will be going together. Not just as his guards, Sasuke. He doesn't need much of that. He's strong and can hold his own." I huffed, folding my arms at the comment.

"Please, if you so much as look at him wrong he either glows red or freaks out," Sasuke argued. "So what, we are being herded up because they don't trust us to fight? Bullshit."

"That's not what she's doing. The Rikage and her have an-"

"Ah! The Rikage wants to trap us." Sasuke interrupted me, making me stare sourly through my mask at him, upset that he couldn't see the look of unamusement. "They're caging us away."

"He is a liability to the war. It's not just us that's going to be there. The Jinchuriki you tried to off is going to be there as well, training Naruto to control his beast." I added before he got the chance to rant.

His eyes bugged for a moment before scowling at me. "So I'm supposed to be around the man I tried to kill? That's not smart of them."

"It's an opportunity to apologize." I hissed.

"Why is everything an 'opportunity' to you? Are you incapable of seeing how fucked up this is?" Sasuke hollered as he threw his arms out at his sides in bafflement. "How are you this calm!?"

"Because unlike you, I'm able to rationally think about the benefits of this situation. It's a necessity, with the war coming up the most dangerous place for us to be, is on the front lines. This island is well concealed and guarded. There is no better place for us to be. And it's where we are going. That's the end of that." I stood off of the tree, glaring him down through the tinted eye holes embedded in the mask.

"I'm not a little kid anymore." Sasuke glared at me.

"You still act like it. You carry too much anger and hate for this place to be left to your own devices, Sasuke. I'm sorry, but this is final. You're coming with us." I stated, tapping his forehead roughly, with my two fingers, making him grunt and stumble back from the force I used.

It doesn't take much to make people fumble.

We walked back to the bulk of the bustle in silence after that, since the conversation was over. I walked him to his tent and watched him enter it begrudgingly. I left him alone and sighed with annoyance at his childish behavior, expecting more from him than that.

I entered my shared tent in time to catch Naruto pulling his boxers up. He of course had no idea it was me at first, and leaped about five feet with a loud yell of surprise. He fell over the bed and scrambled underneath the blanket before realizing it was me who stepped inside. I couldn't help myself and began to laugh my ass off.

"Ahahahahaha!" I wheezed, slapping my knee as his face turned bright red.

"Hey! Jesus Itachi announce you're coming in! ASSHOLE!" He shouted and threw a pillow at me.

It knocked my hat off my head but I didn't care, I only continued to laugh at his misery. He stood and got himself dressed after this hilarious moment and we were outside heading into town after I placed my hat back over my head.

It was bustling with people at the sunset time of day, the sounds of construction and good fun sounding the evening air, people relaxing and making good memories before the war. There were many crates of supplies that had just come in from multiple villages, us aiding each other in the upcoming war. It was unfortunate that we couldn't actively help, but it was needed to help everyone stand a chance.

The further we were with Naruto's current issues, the better off we'd be. We need the time and space to solve his issues. After that, after it's resolved then maybe we can help everyone else.

"Wow. It's looking better by the day!" Naruto chirped beside me, grinning happily at the sight of hard work. "Too bad we're leaving soon to round up some animals."

"So you read the scroll?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Yup! The first thing I did when I woke up, I opened it up since my name was on it." Naruto smiled. "I haven't been on a mission with Sasuke in forever. Yamato and Guy are coming along too!"

I nodded with a casual semi-interested smile despite my face being covered up with a mask. I was annoyed that I had to keep my face covered during the day, It would make our upcoming trip a pain in my side. But I had to deal with it. I can't change what I am, so I can't complain.

We grabbed supplies from various stores, stocking up for the mission ahead of us, counting our weapons, and storing scrolls of them in case we run into any trouble along the way. Many Shinobi were talking about battle strategy, ways they could win, and the many many ways they could lose. I also disliked the whispers about hating the other villages, and about dead families due to past wars with them.

I sighed heavily and rubbed a hand over my ears, the many hammering sounds, the bustle of people, and the shuffling of feet were starting to make my head throb. I flinched at the sound of wood pillars collapsing in the next street, making me growl in anger.

"It's very lively," I commented, watching Naruto look at me with a nod, smiling at me.

"Very! Isn't it awesome! This place should be back up in no time, yeah?" He asked, staring at me Hopefully.

I caved under that smile and ruffled his hair. He chuckled and rushed off after spotting one of his friends. I watched him run off and jogged to keep up, not taking any energy at all to keep pace with him. I didn't want him to go too far from me in a crowded space like this. I glared at the one he ran up to, seeing that it was his friend with the wolf.

What was his name again?

"Kiba!" Naruto greeted. "Getting ready too?"

"Yeah, just busy with this list! It's as long as my arm, but I was told I need all of this for when we depart to the Sand." Kiba explained to him.

"How soon are you all leaving?" Naruto frowned in confusion.

Kiba tensed, his eyes shining with the realization the moment I walked up to his side, before quickly laughing off his words.

"I don't know, later on, not for a good while. You have your thing to do after all!" He laughed awkwardly, scratching his head.

His dog barked in confirmation, licking Naruto's hand before the blonde could pet his head, scratching behind his ear. I glared at the mutt with distaste before moving Naruto away from them silently, eye twitching as a foreign feeling of possessiveness took over me. I didn't want anything licking him, and gaining a response from it.

"H-Hey! Itachi what-" Naruto began, confused, but I only pulled him along, eyes narrowing as a weird tingle itched my brain, making me scowl under the mask, feeling my eyes throb.

"I don't like the idea of something else licking you. It's disgusting." I growled, noticing all animals keeping their distance from me, hearing that dog's whining and whimpering. "Sorry."

Naruto stared at me with surprise and confusion. He blinked rapidly and shivered before looking forward.

"It was just a dog, Itachi." Naruto poked my side.

Ah... physical attention... poke me more.

And he did, he kept poking me when I didn't respond to his words. I sighed softly as my nerves relaxed, his arms wrapping around me and shaking me as I let him go. I looked down at him and he puffed his cheeks out.

"Oi! Are you in there?" Naruto huffed, frowning. "Why are you acting weird all of the sudden?"

"Moment of possessiveness," I answered honestly, shrugging a shoulder.

"It was only Kiba." Naruto chuckled at my response. "I'm okay."

"Hmph." I huffed and wrapped an arm around him, the tingling not going away as my eyes flashed down at his neck.

They then traveled to the sky, it darkening but not enough to remove the mask and hat. I licked my fangs as the taste of his blood surfaces, nearly tasting it at the memories of biting him. His heart was loud in his chest, fluttering differently depending on his mood. It was humming at me, craving my bite...

I was drinking from him earlier, but I suddenly felt very hungry for him then, hungrier and hungrier by the second. It was beginning to drive me mad with how much I suddenly wanted to bite into that scar.

I faced forwards and touched the mask covering my face, the only barrier keeping him from my fangs, half a mind to rip it off with the risk of a sunburn to bite him. I pressed firmly against it to keep it in place, resisting the urge to remove it.

This.... this is new.

Naruto was talking but his words were drowned out by his heart beating. My eyes flicked down to his moving lips as a weird wave of bloodlust surfaces, and the moment it did his face fell still. He could probably see the intense stare I gave him, feeling my Sharingan eyes pulse as I stared into his eyes. He stared right back with confusion and tilted his head at me.

"Itachi?" He whispered out, hand coming up to my mask as we both stopped in front of a dark alleyway.

My eyes widened and looked up at the space, then back down at him. I slowly walked past him and ripped my mask off. I panted heavily as my throat began to dry out quickly, making me growl.

"Hey-!"

"Stand there! Not an inch closer!" I shot a pointed hand at him, baring my fangs at him. "I'm having a moment."

"Of what!?" Naruto raised his voice. "Are you okay!? Did I do something!?"

"N-No, j-just my mind... stress most likely." I rasped out as I concentrated on breathing rather than listening to his beating heart.

The blood coursing through his veins...calling m-

Breathe... that's all I have to do. His heart faded away from my earshot. I had to look over at him to make sure he was still standing there, and sure enough, he was. He watched me with intense worry, helplessly watching me calm down. I soothed my nerves enough to feel confident about lowering my hand, and the moment I did he ran to my side.

"What happened? Seriously that was kind of scary." Naruto admitted, cupping my face to look at him.

"Again, I think it was just stress. I got possessive and it was like a nail in a coffin. I've been under a lot of stress about everything that's been happening recently." I replied, shaking my head. "I'm angry about a lot, and Sasuke's stressing me out, and this situation with you is stressing me out. The fact war is about to happen is stressing me out and opening old wounds." I gripped my vest tightly.

"I'm here." He reminded, pulling me into a hug, and putting my head by his neck.

His trust in me is overwhelmingly strong. I relaxed into his hug and wrapped my arms around him. I looked forward at the end of the hallway, seeing the shadows being pulled toward us unnaturally. I ignored them in favor of looking down at him, giving his head a gentle peck.

"Better?" Naruto asked me after the gesture of affection.

I nodded in reply. "Better."