The Future
Sasuke was idly picking some fruits and place them in baskets. It felt good to be doing something productive, while his heart was heavy. Naruto might not realize it, but he had raised some valid points.
If Sasuke ever became the Prince of Rome again, he'd be expected to take a wife. So would Itachi. Heirs would be mandatory, if they were physically capable of siring them. Naruto had given his blessing in a way. Still doing so in theory, was different in reality.
"Do you like this sort of work?" Naruto asks curiously as he makes sure to catch the falling fruit in the basket.
"I like it better than the baths. It keeps me busy." Sasuke replies with a small shrug of his shoulders.
Would he even be ABLE to sire children? Sasuke doubted that he was sterile, but whether or not he was able to get aroused by a woman enough to father children was questionable.
Naruto was the only one so far who had ever been able to elicit desire from him. So Sasuke assumed he was just attracted to men in general. Though he had heard of some men that were attracted to both sexes. Maybe that was the case with him?
"Well I'm glad you like it better. Maybe one day, when this is all settled…you could come and live with me. You could find something that you like doing, better still." He says.
"You just want me to live with you, so it will be easier for us to share a bed." Sasuke says with amusement and chucks an apple at Naruto's head playfully.
Naruto owes and rubs his head. He knew that Sasuke was only playing though. If he had wanted to hurt him, he would have dropped the apple a lot harder than that.
"Well I can't deny that. But it's still true either way. Would you come back with me, if you could?" Naruto asks and looks up at Sasuke.
Don't look down. Don't look down, Sasuke thought to himself. Then he made the mistake of looking down. He knew he was doomed the second he saw those beautiful pleading blue eyes. Damn it.
"Would I still be able to see Itachi?" He asks softly.
"Of course. I'd say Itachi could come with us. But I imagine that Gaara would want to take him back to his home, if things were different. I don't think he's cruel enough to keep you two apart. He'd do anything for Itachi." Naruto answers.
"Then yes, if things were different. But they aren't." Sasuke says as he climbs down the tree.
"They could be though." Naruto says and pulls the dark haired man into his arms, kissing him.
Sasuke sighs in pleasure and runs his fingers through the golden locks. He wished things were different. But if he went to Naruto's home, it would likely be searched. He wasn't going to endanger the blonde and he had a crown to get back.
It was just really hard to remember that. Every time he looked into those blue eyes, he forgot for a few moments. Sasuke knew that he shouldn't get so attached. But it was too late. He wondered if it was the same for Itachi with Senator Sabaku.
"Maybe. But they aren't now." Sasuke says, breaking the kiss.
"Orochimaru's old. He could die any day now. Once he's dead, maybe?" Naruto asks.
"Naruto, you are a General in the Roman Army. You should know that it's treason to speak that way." Sasuke warns him.
It wasn't as though Sasuke himself hadn't thought that a hundred times a day,but it was still treason to speak it out loud. He wouldn't let Naruto get executed for him.
"I know. Sasuke, you've probably spent most of your life in the baths. So you likely haven't seen much of the Empire. It's not your fault. You couldn't possibly know how much the people suffer under his rule. Believe me, no one is going to shed a tear when he dies, except for a small group of people who have made it into his inner circle. And even then, I'm sure they will be relieved, as long as they can find a way to hold onto power." He says.
"Naruto, I was a slave. I wasn't stupid. I know what was going on. I know what kind of man Orochimaru is, but I don't want you to get killed because you spoke the truth about him." Sasuke says.
Naruto embraces Sasuke tightly. His Nymph was worried about him. That had to be a good sign, right? He'd be upset if he died, that was a start.
"Nothing's going to happen to me or you. I promise." The blue eyed Roman replies.
"Naruto, you really shouldn't make promises like that. You don't know if you can keep them." Sasuke says with a sigh.
"Yes, I do. I can keep this one. Just trust me. I know I handled the Kabuto situation poorly, but that's in the past now. I'm going to do better. I'm going to keep us both safe." He vows and holds onto his Nymph.
Sasuke sighs. He wanted to believe that. He really did. But he knew the truth. He was a crowned prince of Rome. That meant either Orochimaru had to die or he had to die. There was no way of getting around that and right now, the Emperor held all the cards.
For now though, he would just enjoy the moment. There was really nothing better than being held by his lovable, very dumb blonde. He smiles at the thought. Sasuke really wished the way worked the way Naruto thought it did.
Meanwhile Sai was being given a tour of the grounds. The gladiator couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched. But every time he looked, he saw nothing. Only shadows.
"My Lord? Is all well? You seem a bit anxious." The maid who was giving Sai the tour asks tentatively.
He had been a trained fighter for years. His battle reflexes and instincts had been honed to near perfection. Sai knew enough by now to realize that if his gut was telling someone was watching him, someone probably was. But who?
"Oh yes. All is well. I just never thought that I would actually be inside the palace." He says with a far too cheerful smile.
The maid shivers. He was a handsome youth, but there was something eerie about his smile. Something about it that made her blood run cold. This was a killer, pure and simple.
She like most of the lower classes, saw Emperor Orochimaru for what he was. He was a vicious snake that would sooner bite you than look at you. Ino knew that. So why she had expected his successor to be any different, she didn't know. Still it was a pity. He really did have such a handsome face, when he wasn't smiling like that.
"I thought the same thing once. You do get used to it. Don't worry about getting lost. There's usually someone close, who can help you find where you need to be." The blonde replies and smiles nervously.
"Oh. That's good." The new successor says.
It was strange. He'd never had this feeling before. Truly, it was hard to articulate. Still, he knew that it gave him pleasure to look at her. So he decided to indulge in this strange whim.
Sai wasn't an idiot. Though his emotions had been largely beaten out of him as a small child, his powers of observation were perfectly intact. He understood that most men admired beautiful women and she certainly was that. He had just never really done it himself before.
"Yes. This is your room, My Lord. I hope you like it." She says and opens the door.
"I quite like it. Thank you. You are dismissed." Sai says with that same smile and Ino walks off at a brisk pace.
He knew he was being watched. Sai was aware that he was being watched by someone that meant him ill will. He wanted to get the pretty little maid out of there. The gladiator wasn't certain why that mattered to him, he just knew that it did.
"Come out and show yourself. I know you have been following me." He says and unsheathes the blade that was at his side.
"There is no need for that. I merely wanted to greet you and congratulate you on becoming Emperor Orochimaru's heir." He hears a smooth voice say.
Sai decides he didn't care for that voice. It was a honeyed voice. The voice that he would use on Royals and other Nobles, when he was trying to flatter them to get what he wanted. Instantly, he was on guard.
"I have trouble trusting a man who is too afraid to show his face." Sai states.
"That is a valid point. Please do forgive my lack of manners." Kabuto says as he walks into Sai's bedchambers.
Sai assessed his potential opponent. He was still young. Certainly, he was younger than thirty summers, but older than twenty. He had fairly long silver hair and wore glasses. His build was too large to be exclusively a scholar, but too small to be a fighter. Strange. He didn't know how to classify him.
"Who are you?" Sai demands.
"I am Kabuto. I serve Emperor Orochimaru." He states.
"I see." Sai says and glances at the man again, still trying to figure him out.
His clothing indicated that Kabuto was someone of importance. Perhaps he was jealous that Sai had been chosen instead of him to be Orochimaru's heir. If so, he knew he would have to tread lightly.
Assassination was a common fate for those who ruled or were in line to do so. Sai did not spend years fighting for his life in the Arena, only to be killed in the palace by some petty nobleman. No, that wouldn't do at all. He would have to watch Kabuto closely.
"If there is anything I can do to make your adjustment easier, please do not hesitate to ask." He says.
"Of course. For now, I think I should like to rest. It was a pleasure to meet you. Good night, Kabuto." He says and the silver haired man leaves.
Sai sighs. Nothing could ever be easy in Rome, it seemed. The smartest thing to do would be to kill Kabuto. He would have to find a way to make it look like an accident of course. It wouldn't do to be accused of murder, while he was in line for the throne.
Back in the vineyard, Itachi was in one of the bed chambers. He was in one of the bedchambers with Gaara. At the moment, he was content to kiss his red head and to be caressed. The Senator did not seem to be in a hurry to push him further than that at the moment.
This patience surprised Itachi. He had not asked for this consideration. If anything, he was the one who made advances at Gaara first. So why the wealthy Roman was being so patient, was a bit of a mystery.
"As much as I enjoy your kisses, I can not help but feel that they are little desperate tonight. You seem…uneasy about something. Tell me what troubles you?" Itachi asks, after breaking the kiss.
"You are very perceptive." Gaara muses and Itachi nods.
"Will you tell me?" The elder Uchiha brother asks softly and runs his fingers through the Senator's blood red locks of hair.
Gaara sighs. He couldn't tell Itachi the truth yet, could he? He hated hiding things from him. But if the red head told him that he knew Itachi was the rightful Emperor, he'd probably run off. The wealthy Roman knew that it was selfish, but he didn't want to risk losing him.
"I know how I feel about you, but not how you feel about me." He says.
It was the truth. Was it the only thing on his mind, at the moment? No, but it was at least honest. He couldn't find it in himself to actually lie to the man who had captured his heart.
Itachi tilts his head to the side in confusion. Gaara didn't know how he felt about him? Had he not willingly sat in his lap and returned his kisses? Wasn't how he felt about the red head obvious?
"What do you mean? I thought I was making myself rather clear when I returned your kisses." Itachi replies, not sure if he liked the direction this conversation was going.
"But why do you return them? Is it because you want to, you are afraid of my reaction if you don't, or because you don't mind my affection in exchange for protection?" He asks.
Itachi blinks. Well Gaara wasn't an idiot. He probably should have expected the thought would occur to him at some point. Still it was uncomfortable to say the least.
"I have no fear of you." He says gently.
"That still leaves the other two options. One of them means you are not doing this because you want me, but only what I can provide for you. I won't be angry. I would just prefer to know what goes on inside that beautiful head of yours now. I don't want to live under a delusion." He states.
"I admit that the protection you can offer is appealing and that does play a role in it, but I would still return your kisses if you were another laborer or slave." Itachi tells him.
Gaara smiles. Perhaps it was wishful thinking. But he decided to take Itachi at his word. He playfully pins the other man to the bed and kisses him heatedly.
"I love you. I always have. Since the day that I first laid eyes on you." Gaara whispers after breaking the kiss.
"I love you, but it isn't fair to you that I do." Itachi replies and sighs, leaning into the other man.
"Why not?" Gaara asks, wondering if Itachi would tell him the truth about his heritage.
Itachi looks at the red head. It wasn't fair. But it wasn't just his life he was gambling with. If he told the Senator who he was, he knew that Gaara was smart enough to realize who Sasuke was.
"It's complicated." The eldest Uchiha brother replies, honestly.
How Itachi wished things were simpler. If his parents were still alive, he wouldn't hesitate in the slightest. There was nothing odd about a man who held a powerful position in Roman Society, taking a male lover. As long as he produced an heir, no one would do more than whisper about it. He smiles as he imagines how life would have been different.
He would finish his lessons with father about how to rule. After that he would go out hunting with Sasuke. Then he would sneak off to the Senate and find Gaara.
Itachi would take great pleasure in surprising his lover by pinning him against the wall. Here Itachi would grow indecisive. Once the power dynamics were relatively equal between them, he wasn't entirely certain if he would prefer to be the more dominant or submissive lover.
"Hello, my love." Itachi whispers as he pins him against the wall.
His imagination thankfully had no problem displaying both options. Yes, it displayed them in vivid detail. After spending the afternoon with his gorgeous red headed lover, he would return to the palace, to his children.
"You scared me. But it's good to see you, my heart." Gaara replies and kisses him.
Somehow in this little fantasy, Gaara was able to visit with them as well. After ensuring that a wife, who he couldn't see clearly was fine…he would slip off with Gaara and sleep beside his love. Everything would have been perfect. But that where the fantasy ended and reality came in.
"Itachi?" Gaara calls out uncertainly.
"Oh I apologize. My mind drifted away from me for a few moments." He says and Gaara shakes his head, snuggling into his love.
"It's alright. You don't have to apologize for anything." The red head assures him.
Meanwhile back at the Palace, Orochimaru was sitting down to dinner. He was dinning with Danzo. They had much to discuss after all.
"Sai does seem like a suitable choice. I am having a servant give him a tour of the palace. Though I imagine by now, he's in his bedchamber. Tell me, where did you find the boy?" He asks.
"He is the son of a noble family, but he was their youngest. While they were wealthy, by the time he was born, all of their wealth had been evenly divided amongst their other children. So they sold him. I bought him because the boy is bright." Danzo says simply.
Orochimaru raises an eyebrow. It was extremely rare for a noble family to sell a child of their own, unless that child was illegitimate. Even then, they usually made more savory arrangements.
"His mother went mad and his father was a drunk. By the time Sai was born, his other siblings had already been married off or were training for their trades. There was no one to care for him other than the servants. I suppose in one of her more lucid moments, his mother realized he would have a better chance for survival in the Arena." He states.
"If she thought he'd have a better chance in the Arena, I assume his father was a violent drunk." Orochimaru replies and Danzo nods.
"He was one of the worst that I ever encountered. The boy was fearless and bright. All the fear had been beaten out of him, by the time I took him under my care. From there, it was a simple matter to help him bury his other emotions. That is what makes him so dangerous. He feels nothing or very little. The perfect fighter, able to keep his composure in any situation." Danzo explains.
Orochimaru considers this. It almost sounded like Danzo was proud of Sai. But he knew the other man. He didn't form emotional attachments. He was much like Orochimaru in that way. Other than Kabuto, Orochimaru used people and threw them aside.
It was only his affection for Kabuto, that saved his life. If anyone else had done what the silver haired man did, he wouldn't have hesitated to have them killed. But not Kabuto. No, Kabuto was a special case. Perhaps Sai, was Danzo's Kabuto?
"I see. Well that is good to know. What about his choice in lovers?" He asks.
"He has never taken a lover that I am aware of. I'm not certain if the sexual desire was beaten out of him or if he is just discrete. Perhaps he just doesn't trust anyone to be around him when he is naked and vulnerable. I don't care. He is a good man. He does what I tell him to. That's what matters to me." Danzo says simply.
Orochimaru nods. Normally, he would agree with Danzo. He personally didn't care what another person's sexual preferences were. Gods and Goddesses knew his own were rather…unique. But in this case, he had to care.
"I want to know that when the time comes, he will be able to produce an heir. Do you think that will be an issue?" He asks.
"I do not think it would. Sai has trained his body to do what is necessary to survive. I fail to see why it would be difficult for him to spill is seed and I see no reason to suspect that he is sterile." The other man replies.
"Good. It is important that he be capable of siring heirs." The Emperor observes.
Danzo raises an eyebrow. He didn't see why Orochimaru cared. By the time that was an issue, he would long be dead. How strange.
"I fail to see why you concern yourself with that though. You'll be dead before it would ever become an issue." The influential Roman muses.
"I want my legacy to live on after me. If I can not achieve immortality, I must at least have a legacy. A legacy that only lasts for my life and his, is not much of a legacy at all." He points out.
"I see. Well as I said, I see no reason why he wouldn't be able to perform this royal obligation." Danzo says with a shrug.
"Excellent." Orochimaru says.
Unbeknownst to them, someone was listening to their conversation. It was Jugo. He frowns as his fears were confirmed.
Orochimaru had selected an heir and it wasn't Kabuto. He had always expected that it would be him. But the silver haired man seemed to have recently fallen out of favor. Why? Jugo didn't know and he didn't care.
"Kabuto is one thing, a gladiator is another." He murmurs.
Jugo didn't like Kabuto. But Kabuto was what he liked to call a rational actor. He wasn't prone to fits of rage or insane. That made him better than roughly half of Rome's former emperors and certainly a step up from Orochimaru.
While Jugo wouldn't have been happy about Kabuto becoming Emperor, it would have been tolerable. But to have a man who made his living by killing, become an Emperor…that was unthinkable. He'd be trained to be just as sadistic as Orochimaru. The orange haired man was sure of it.
"I have to put a stop to this somehow, but how?" He wonders as he walks off, before he could get caught ease dropping.
Jugo hated very few people. But he hated Orochimaru with a fiery passion. The man had ordered Kimimaro to fight on, despite the fact it was obvious that he was suffering from a serious infection from a previous battle injury.
Kimimario, his former best friend and lover, might still be alive today, if it wasn't for Emperor Orochimaru. He had ordered him off to war, before he had a chance to recover! As the son of a noble, Kimimaro should have been afforded certain considerations!.
One of those was medical leave. But no, Orochimaru had decided that as a General, Kimmario's presence was too important to morale, to do without. That decision had caused the young Roman to lose his life.
"Jugo, why are you talking to yourself?" Suigetsu says as he comes down the hall.
"Emperor Orochimaru has chosen an heir." He tells the member of the Royal Guard.
"So? We all knew he was going to choose Kabuto." The violet eyed man replies with a shrug.
"It wasn't Kabuto. He's selected a gladiator." The larger man informs and Suigetsu blinks, clearly surprised to hear that.
Orochimaru hadn't picked his favorite lapdog? That was bizarre. Suigetsu thought for sure that Kabuto would get it. A gladiator, huh?
"What do we know about him?" The guard inquires.
"He's a trained killer and Orochimaru likes him enough to choose him." Jugo answers.
"In other words, if he gets crowned we're all fucked. Alright. I'm in. What's the plan?" Suigetsu asks.
"I knew there was a reason, I liked you. I don't really have a plan yet though." He says.
"Alright. I'm sure we'll come up with something. We better go talk to Karin about this. She's such a harpy, but she's smart. She'll be able to help." He says and walks off with the other man, in search of Karin.