I Don't Know
Orochimaru was enjoying his summer villa, when a letter came for him. He noticed it was adorned with Kabuto's seal. Curious, he opens it and reads it. His good mood suddenly evaporated and was replaced by fury! How could Kabuto have let them escape?!
Dear Emperor Orochimaru,
I have regrettable news to inform you of. It is a long story, but two of your favorite jewels have gone missing. I know not where they have gone. Only that a certain General and I were discussing their value when they left.
I do not think that they will be found at his home. But perhaps a search will be necessary. I doubt they have gotten very far. One is badly cracked.
Your Faithful Servant, Kabuto
It was easy to figure out who the two jewels were. Itachi and Sasuke. His "dear" nephews. Orochimaru knew that he should have killed them when he had he chance. But he couldn't. Throwing Fugaku's sons into slavery after his death, was the ultimate insult the Roman could think of. He enjoyed knowing that every day while he was at the palace, Itachi and Sasuke were acting as nothing more than common servants and now that decision was coming back to haunt him.
"Well he did say one was badly cracked. That means at least one of them is severely injured. They wouldn't abandon each other. So that will surely slow them down. There should still be plenty of time to catch them before they've gone too far." He murmurs to himself.
He had to find them and quickly. If they were Gods and Goddesses forbid, able to make their way to the Senate and expose their birthmarks, it would be all over. Everyone would know what he had done. Orochimaru would not only lose his crown, he would lose his very life. The Emperor could not allow that to come to pass.
"I always knew those boys were going to be nothing but trouble, from the moment they were born." He says.
The palace was abuzz with excitement. The Empress had just given birth to the Royal couple's first child. What's more, it was a boy! A Prince of Rome had been born on this day. Everyone was so excited.
Well everyone was excited, except for Orochimaru. Now that Itachi had been born, instead of being second in line to the throne…he was third. To make matters worse, Mikoto was young and the Emperor was very much in love with his wife. It was almost certain that they would have more children. So his position would only diminish as the years went on.
"I had hoped he would die in battle before they had a child." He growled to himself.
It wasn't fair. Why had the Gods and Goddesses made him the second born child? If he had been born just a few years earlier, he would have been Emperor now. He might very well be celebrating the birth of HIS heir. It was as if the Gods and Goddesses themselves were mocking him as he heard the loud cry of Rome's new prince.
Five years later, the Emperor and Empress had their second child. Another boy. Orochimaru cursed his luck. They had named this one Sasuke.
"Damn it!" He snarled as he poured himself a strong glass of wine.
The princes were adored by all of Rome. Royal, noble, peasant, or slave…it mattered not. Everyone was utterly enchanted.
Orochimaru for the life of him could not see what was so fascinating. They were just children. Certainly no more different than any other two children, other than their impressive linage. The public was smitten though.
"This is Sasuke, your new Prince." Mikoto said, smiling in front of a cheering crowd.
Itachi was standing by his mother and father, smiling proudly. It was clear that the five year old already adored his younger brother. To all of Rome they were the perfect Royal Family. Fugaku was the proud warrior. Mikoto the beautiful Empress. Itachi the handsome first born and Sasuke the adorable baby. It was maddening!
The crowd roared with approval. The applause was positively thunderous and much merriment was had on that day, by all except for Orochimaru.
Orochimaru was at the feast in honor of Sasuke's birth that night. Barely anyone paid him any mind. Itachi, a mere boy of five summers, was getting far more attention than he. This was infuriating!
"He is wondrous, My Dear." Fugaku told his wife and kissed her forehead affectionately, as she held Sasuke in her arms at the table.
Itachi looked at his baby brother curiously. The older prince seemed to delight in trying to play with Sasuke's toe's, holding his tiny hand, or tickling his belly. It was disgusting. Orochimaru wanted to gag at the sappy scene. Those boys were truly the bane of his existence!
He sends a reply to Kabuto. Orochimaru knew that it would take at least two days to reach him, but it mattered not. He assumed that the silver haired man had already sent out trackers, if he valued his life. But it was good to put the fear of the Gods into him anyway.
Meanwhile, Sasuke and Itachi were still in the bathes. They were discussing their next move. They had a rare opportunity here. It did seem they could spend the rest of their lives at the vineyard and it was likely Orochimaru would be none the wiser.
"Do you wish to work in the fields or in the house? The house would be easier work, but it is also higher visibility. We could more easily avoid detection in the fields." Itachi reasons.
Sasuke considers this. What Itachi said was certainly true. It would be much easier to work in house. Though working in the fields was certainly the smarter choice. It was always possible that Temari and Shikamaru would have an important guest who might recognize them. They simply couldn't take that chance.
"The fields it is." Sasuke mutters and Itachi nods.
"You still wish to try to reclaim our birthright, don't you?" Itachi asks and Sasuke nods.
How could he not? The more he thought about it, the more enraged he became. How dare that murderer sit upon their parents' throne. That was rightfully Itachi's throne and Sasuke should be helping his brother rule. They shouldn't be discussing whether or not they would prefer to work in the house or the fields.
"It's not right. He killed them and stole our inheritance. Orochimaru deserves to pay, not live in luxury. He is not fit to be the Emperor of Rome." Sasuke says.
"You'll hear no argument from me on this matter. Still, there is the issue of proving who we are, without being killed. When you come up with a solution to that, I am more than willing to reclaim our crowns." Itachi replies.
Sasuke rubs the back of his head sheepishly. Yes, that part was a little trickier. He just knew he wanted to see Orochimaru suffer for what he had down to their family and for Itachi to rule Rome, not their treacherous uncle. He hadn't really figured out HOW to make that happen yet.
"That's what I thought. Foolish little brother, we need a plan." The elder prince pokes Sasuke on the forehead affectionately.
"We'll come up with something." Sasuke says.
"Sasuke, Orochimaru has the Elite Royal Guard to protect him and the Senate is just as well protected. If we go anywhere near it, we will be put down like dogs." Itachi tells him.
"I know that. But we can't let him win. He's already ruled Rome for ten long, miserable years. The people need us. They need you." Sasuke pleads with him.
Itachi sighs. He pulls his brother in for an embrace. He wasn't saying anything that Itachi hadn't thought himself thousands of times. But they still needed an actual plan. Rushing in without one, would only result in their deaths and would help no one.
Sasuke sighs and returns his brother's hug. He knew that Itachi was right. But it was just so damn frustrating. They were free, yet they were not where they truly belonged.
"Do you still miss your General?" Itachi inquires curiously.
"Why would you ask that?! He wanted me to be his love slave." Sasuke turns away from his brother.
"As I said, there is no shame in responding to kindness because we have seen precious little of it until recently." His brother reassures him.
Sasuke didn't know how to explain his feelings towards the blonde at the moment. Anger, there was definitely anger. He could have gotten Sasuke and Itachi killed, but he had done it out of concern for him. There was also desire. A lot of desire. Mixed in with both emotions was fear. Fear for what it meant to still be thinking about the blue eyed Roman so much after he was free.
"I'm conflicted. My heart is troubled, that much I'll admit freely." Sasuke says with a sigh and allows the hot water to soothe him somewhat.
"I am truly sorry, but pay it no mind. It is likely you will never see him again. You'll find love. We both will." Itachi promises him.
Sasuke didn't have the heart to tell his brother that he doubted that. He had stopped believing in fairy tales at the age of seven. That was when his childhood had been brutally ripped away from him.
He didn't know how Itachi did it. He had been 12 when Orochimaru had murdered their parents. Itachi had been almost a man. How could he go from being the High Prince to a common slave with such seeming ease? His brother was remarkable in his ability to adapt.
"Perhaps you are right. For now, I would just be happy with finding some more wine." Sasuke smiles.
Elsewhere in the Villa, Temari and Shikamaru were checking on their laborers and on the harvest. As they were walking, they discussed the matters of the day. The topic of the brothers naturally came up.
"They speak far more elegantly than I would expect from runaway slaves." Shikamaru observes.
Temari couldn't help but agree with this assessment. It was something she had wondered about as well. Perhaps they had served royals or nobles.
"It's likely they served someone highborn. You know that most highborn nobles are extremely cruel to their slaves. It's not surprising that they would run away." The blonde muses.
"It's possible. I wonder what the younger one did to get that beating. I'm surprised they made it here, honestly." Shikamaru replies.
"There is something else that is odd. I heard Sasuke talking to himself as he was heading to the bath with Itachi." She whispers.
Shikamaru raises an eyebrow. It was a common practice for slaves to talk to themselves. Sometimes they would work alone in complete solitude and the sound of their own voice was the only thing that kept them from going mad. Some slaves didn't even realize when they were doing it.
"What did he say?" Her husband asks.
"He said something about Naruto not being dull." She answers.
Shikamaru frowns as he considers this. Was it possible he was referring to the same blonde they knew? Naruto surely wasn't the only Roman with that name. It could just be a coincidence. But somehow he doubted it.
"If we ask him directly about this matter, he would probably lie or bolt." He reasons.
"Do you think he meant our Naruto?" She inquires.
"It's not as if he is the only man in the world with that name. You might have even misheard him, but we'll likely find out one way or another. In any event, I doubt they pose a threat to us. Might as well get a couple able bodied labors out of this strange situation." Shikamaru shrugs.
Temari nods. She couldn't really argue with his reasoning. It was possible she had misheard him. It wasn't as if he was speaking very loudly and he had been half mumbling. Yes, that was likely the case.
She looks around and smiles. The harvest was going to be quiet good this year. The Gods and Goddesses must be in a good mood lately for some reason. Perhaps it had to do with the latest victory over Gaul?
Speaking of Naruto, she wondered how the blue eyed Roman was doing. He must be feeling rather pleased with himself. No one had thought anyone could defeat a force that large. But the blonde had a way of accomplishing the impossible. She swore sometimes he must have been descended from the God of War himself to keep overcoming such seemingly insurmountable odds.
"You're right. We should net quite a good profit this year." She says.
"Yes, we should. It's going to be quite exhausting to find even more laborers though." He says with a yawn.
Temari smiles. She loved her husband deeply. Truly, she did. But he had to be the laziest man in all of Rome. She had no idea how someone with such little energy was able to manage so many vineyards. She supposed it had something to do with the fact he was so intelligent.
"We'll manage. Oh look the flowers have bloomed." She says with a smile noticing the burst of color besides them.
"Indeed they have. I still have never understood what fascination flowers hold over women." He says with a chuckle.
Well actually, he understood precious little about women. He supposed it was the same way for most men. He got the impression women liked to confuse men on purpose. Oh well that was a mystery to be solved on another day, by a man far smarter than he would ever be.
"Men. Why is it so impossible for you to just admire something for its beauty and not have an ulterior motive?" She asks.
"I don't know. I suspect it is the same reason why women appreciate things that hold no value other than their beauty." He chuckles.
She shakes her head in amusement and places a kiss on his cheek. Her husband did enjoy their verbal spars. Temari was positive he would have been bored to tears if he had married a typical noblewoman. Thankfully, her father had arranged a good match. Not all women were so lucky.
"Gaara is going to be visiting soon. I just received his letter today." She muses.
"Oh that will be good. It's good for him to get out and about. Poor man is completely smitten by some slave that Kabuto won't sell him for Gods and Goddesses knows what reason." Shikamaru comments and Temari nods.
Temari nods. She sighs. Poor Gaara. He had finally fallen in love, but it was with a slave. A slave that he apparently wasn't going to own anytime soon. Her brother had entered a state of melancholy upon discovering this news.
Naruto was the only person she knew that could drag him out of it, even if briefly. She thanked the Gods and Goddesses for that small miracle. No one else was able to reach the red head at all, so great was his sadness and longing over this slave who he refused to even name.
A few days later, Gaara arrives to visit his sister. He had brought Naruto with him. Fortunately, for Sasuke he had woken up early that morning and was able to overhear Naruto speaking with Shikamaru. His eyes widen it couldn't be.
"My lady? I am feeling much better today and would like to begin working in the fields, if that is agreeable?" He asks.
"Are you sure? You took quite the beating." Temari says.
"I am sure. I want to earn my keep. You and your husband have been so generous towards us, it seems only fitting that we repay you in whatever way we can." Sasuke murmurs and fights to keep his voice even.
Itachi hears Naruto's voice and suddenly realizes why Sasuke was acting this way. He wanted to avoid the blonde. What were the chances that the blue eyed Roman would show up to this vineyard when there were thousands of them scattered across all of Rome?
"Alright. Don't overexert yourself. Itachi, are you going with him? I would feel much better if you did." She says.
"I shall of course go with him. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if something happened to my brother." Itachi replies with a smile and they dart out the door, heading to the fields.
Temari blinks. Well no one could fault their work ethic. She shrugs at seeing them practically race off to the fields. They were such a strange set of brothers. But they were polite, eager to work, and very handsome. She could overlook their eccentricities. Besides, she had guests to attend to.
"Gaara, it is good to see you out and about and you as well, Naruto." Shikamaru says with a smile.
"I am happy to be here." The red head says as he was led into the dining hall to have breakfast with his sister, her husband, and Naruto.
"This place is amazing." Naruto says with a smile.
"Thank you. Yes, we quite like it." Temari agrees as she walks over to greet their guests.
Naruto and Gaara nod. They sit down and begin to enjoy breakfast with their friends and relatives. Neither suspecting that their beloved was currently racing as far into the fields as they possibly could.
"Do you mind if I take over your beekeeping duties for the day? Lady Temari suggested that I learn the trade." Sasuke asks one of the workers.
"Of course. Come with me and I'll give you your uniform. It will protect you from getting stung." He says and leads Sasuke off.
Itachi chuckles. Sasuke could be quite clever. As long as he had that beekeeper mask on his face, even if Naruto was standing right next to him, he wouldn't know it was Sasuke. Still he supposed he should also take counter measures and decides to follow them.a
"I would also like to try may hand at this trade. Is there a second uniform?" Itachi inquires and the man nods.
The two brothers quickly change and get to work collecting the honey. Sasuke was suddenly rather grateful for the protective clothing. He didn't fancy getting stung a thousand or more times.
"Honestly, the things I do for you brother." Itachi muses.
"I'm just not ready to see him yet. I don't know if I'll ever be." Sasuke says.
"It's alright. You don't have to be. I doubt he'll be staying very long. If you aren't ready to face him, you can avoid him with ease. This vineyard is truly enormous. The odds of you running into him again in the fields are almost zero. I doubt he's going to be walking around in the fields. He'll likely stay inside the household." Itachi replies reassuringly.
Little did Itachi realize that he had just jinxed them. Naruto and Gaara finish eating. They decide to explore the vineyard and the married couple show them around.
"And this is where we keep our bees. Their honey fetches a fair price at the market." Shikamaru says.
"I imagine so. Do you mind if we try some of the honey?" Naruto asks.
"Not at all." Shikamaru says and calls out to Sasuke, not realizing it was him.
"Would you fetch him a jar of honey?" He asks and Sasuke nods.
On the inside, Sasuke was panicking. It was Naruto! The Gods and Goddesses must be mocking him he decided.
He takes a deep breath. Sasuke told himself that he could do this. After all, it's not as though Naruto could see through the mask. There was no way that he would be able to tell who he was. He quickly grabs a jar of honey and hands it to him.
"Thank you." Naruto says and offers Sasuke a smile as he takes the jar and samples the honey.
"Sasuke. I like it. It rolls of the tongue like a honeyed wine." He remembers the man before him saying.
Damn him. Damn Naruto for making him feel this way. He should be HAPPY to be free. He shouldn't feel this way about a slave owner when he had been a slave for the ten long years. It was madness. Were the Gods and Goddesses playing some kind of cruel joke on him, he wondered.
"You okay? You seem a little…out of sorts." Naruto asks.
Sasuke nods his head. It was a lie. He wasn't okay. He was sick. His heart still raced around the blonde as if they had been actual lovers and Sasuke just hadn't been some slave that Naruto took a liking to. This was not right, he decided.
"You're a quiet one." The blonde muses.
Sasuke nods his head again. He wonders if he could get away with leaving or at least pretending to be focused on collecting honey? His heart was racing so fast, he thought it would burst.
"He's just being quiet because he knows his voice would be muffled by the mask." Shikamaru says.
"Oh yeah. Right! Of course. I should have realized that." Naruto says sheepishly.
Itachi watches nervously. Would Naruto realize who Sasuke was? His mask should keep him from being discovered. But that was by no means a sure thing.
"Well let's let them get back to work. There's still so much to show you." Temari says, smiling.
"Of course. I am eager to see the rest of the vineyard. It's so beautiful." Gaara says.
Itachi looks to see who spoke. The man in question had hair red as blood and aqua eyes framed by black markings that gave him a feral appearance. His build was lean and muscular, which was unusual for a member of the ruling class, outside of the military. Most enjoyed a leisurely lifestyle and tended to be softer in form.
It was rare for Itachi to actually be attracted to anyone. Survival is was the first, second, and third consideration in his life. He had to survive to protect Sasuke. Perhaps one day he'd take back his crown and rule Rome as he rightfully should. But as for things like lust, he frankly didn't have the luxury to indulge in such things.
"Come, I'll show you the orchards. They are beautiful this time of year." Temari says and leads the two Senators off, along with her husband.
"That was close." Sasuke says, sighing with relief when they were gone.
"Too close. He almost found you brother. What will you do, if he does find out you are here?" Itachi asks curiously.
"I don't know." Sasuke replies and truer words had never been spoken.