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This takes place 8 years after the prologue, which has been revised, edited, and is worth a second read to anyone who had done so previously. Naruto is now 16, Sasuke 17, and Itachi is 24. I'm now working under a new title, Desires of Emptiness. The premise of this change focuses on the three main characters being emotionally 'empty' when separated, but complete or whole when together. Each chapter will be named differently (desires) as a result. As you read, you should be able to match the desire to one of the three main characters and figure out who the chapter revolves around. This will also give important clues as to the final pairing as time goes on. Anyway, hope you like it and sorry for the wait guys!



Dashes (-) denote a passage of time, change of scenery, etc.





Desire: Solace





Mitarashi Anko was not a happy girl. Here she was, all ready to go on the big American-style camping trip she had planned and it was being ruined by her blockhead of a best friend.



"Naruto? Naruto wake up!" No answer. "I'm coming in!"



She opened the door and looked around disgustedly at the mess, vaguely wondering how someone with over twenty servants at his beck and call could possibly keep a room so disorganized. Spotting a mop of blond spikes sticking out from under the covers, she stalked over to the sleeping boy.



"Naruto get your ass out of bed now or so help me I'll fucking castrate you!" she yelled in his ear. All she got in response was asingle eye cracking open slightly.



"Anko? Wha ya doin 'ere?" Naruto mumbled, stifling a yawn.



"We're going to be late! For the camping trip dumbass!" she added on seeing his blank look.



At once Naruto's eyes shot wide open and he leaped out of bed. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?! Why didn't my alarm clock go off?!Why-"



"Why aren't you wearing anything?!" Anko screeched, covering her eyes to hide the blonde's nude form from view.



He looked dumbly down at himself "Oh sorry." He failed to notice her peeking while he pulled on some boxers and a pair of jeans. "Better?"



She lowered her hands and sighed, used to things like this happening, but annoyed all the same. "Yes. Just hurry up and get ready or we really will be late. Please tell me you already packed your stuff."



"Yeah, all my bags are downstairs in the entrance hall."



"Good. I'll meet you downstairs then."



He waited until her footsteps faded from hearing and walked over to his desk, pulling a small photograph from it its frame. He stared at it for a moment, oblivious to the world around him. In the picture stood ayounger version of himself, along with his two adopted older brothers, Itachi and Sasuke.



"Itachi-nii..."



A saddened look flickered across the boy's features, evidence of the painful memories running through his mind.



"It's been so long since that day you were taken from us Itachi-nii. I know you wouldn't want me to be sad...you always hated it when Icried." He brought the picture over to the window and gazed out over the mansion grounds for a moment before his focus returned to the photo.



"Things have been so hard on us without you here. I know Sasuke misses you, even if he won't admit it. And mom and dad...well I'm sure you already know about them. The three of you must be running things up there by now eh?" He chuckled softly and looked skyward.



"I've got to get going though. I'm not spending today alone this year niichan; I'm going camping with all of my friends. I hadn't really planned to, but Anko-chan yelled at me about it...she said I should stop 'pulling a Sasuke' as she calls it and try to have fun. I wish Sasuke would come with us too, but he's got work to do, as always." He paused for a moment, as if unsure of what to say next.



"Anyway, happy birthday." He sighed and placed the picture on the desk, then finished getting dressed. As he was about to leave, he glanced one more time at the picture on the desk and smiled, shutting the door and heading downstairs.



After the door closed, a small breeze blew in through the window, sending the picture dancing across the room to where it landed on the bed.



-



Naruto was unsurprised to find his brother waiting for him in the entrance hall. He didn't look happy, or at least he looked less happy than usual. Which wasn't very happy at all when the blond thought about it.



"Sasuke are you ok?" the blond asked his scowling brother.



"No." was the response.



"Do you want me to-"



"No Naruto, you're going. I don't want you hanging around here thinking about Itachi all day. He's dead and there's no way to bring him back."



Immediately after he said it, Sasuke knew that that had been a mistake. Naruto's face had drained of all emotion and his normally vibrant blue eyes seemed to harden and dim.



"Naruto look, I didn't mean-" Sasuke started to apologize, putting his hand on his brother's shoulder.



Naruto slapped Sasuke's hand away and looked straight into his brother's eyes. Deep sapphire met darkest onyx.



"No Sasuke, you said exactly what you meant."



Without another word to his stunned brother, the blond picked up his bags and walked out the door.



"Naruto what took you so long? Let's go; move it or else!"Anko yelled at him from the driver's seat of her SUV.



"Sorry Anko-chan, I was just saying goodbye to Sasuke." He quickly loaded his things into the back and climbed into the passenger seat.



"What did the bastard do now?" she asked, starting the engine and pulling out of the elongated circular driveway that lead to the Uchiha mansion.



"Nothing. It was nothing."



"Uh-huh, sure Naruto. One of these days you'll listen to the genius that is moi and tell Sasuke to pull the 2x4 out of his ass." she chuckled.



"Wow conceited much Anko?"



"You know it. Hey open up you two!" she yelled at the security guards by the gate.



The two guards, Izumo and Kotetsu, opened the gate and wished them a safe trip.



"Man that chick scares me." Izumo said after the SUV had disappeared down the street. Kotetsu only nodded in agreement before going back to the TV show he was watching.



-



Meanwhile, across town in a luxury sedan, a plan was coming to fruition.



"Are you sure about this Itachi? Remind me again why I have to go."



Itachi Uchiha scowled at the man beside him. "I've told you already Kisame; I need you to pretend to be my boyfriend for awhile to throw off Sasuke's suspicions."



"Right, I get that part, but why is this necessary in the first place? If it were me, I'd be glad to know that my long-lost brother was alive."



Itachi snorted derisively at the notion of Sasuke being glad to see him. "You don't know my little brother. All he will see me as is athreat to his inheritance and to our youngest brother."



"Ah yes, the one you have the obsession with. You know Itachi; I hear that incest isn't good for your karma. You might want to reconsider."



That earned Kisame a stony glare and a hard slap courtesy of his superior, which the military man took in good stride.



"Not that I have to explain myself to you /lieutenant/,"Itachi spat the word like an insult, "but Naruto and I are not related. He is an adopted Uchiha and I am no longer an Uchiha. Therefore, I may do whatever Ilike."



"Right, right, how could I forget? Just remember your promise to me after this is all over." Kisame grinned.



"Yes, yes I know, I'll recommend you to General Pein for promotion as soon as this ordeal is finished."



"Good. It's high time I moved up the ladder anyway. I have to say that I'm glad Major Orochimaru is no longer with us; he always did scare the shit out of me. Not that I'll have any problems with filling his position, mind you." he added.



"I just want to get this all over with and see my family again." Itachi sighed and looked out the window.



The silence was interrupted by Kisame's cell phone ringing. He answered it and spoke briefly with the man on the other end.



"That was Deidara. Your little brother has left with some purple-haired girl."



"That would be Anko. I'm surprised they're still friends after all this time."



"Are they together?"



"If they are, they won't be for much longer." He glanced at Kisame and saw the dubious look on the other man's face. "I'm not going to kill her you idiot, but I know how to break them up if I have to."



"Whatever, as long as I get my promotion I'm happy. Shall we go then?"



"Yes, I do believe it's about time to set things in motion."



-



"Anko for the love of ramen slow down!" Naruto yelped in fright as soon as they hit the highway.



"I can't slow down or we'll be late thanks to you! Besides I feel so alive right now!"



"You're going to get us killed I swear! I knew I should have insisted on taking my car."



Anko burst out laughing and managed to swerve dangerously close to another car in the process.



"Watch out damnit!" Naruto was praying to the powers that be that he would make it through this trip alive and in one piece.



"Sorry Naruto, but the idea of you taking us camping in afucking Porsche is just too funny."



"Yeah well, at least I don't drive like a maniac."



"No, you drive like an old lady who can barely reach the gas."



"Better safe than sorry." Naruto 'hmphed' and resumed praying for his life.



"Hey there's Kiba's truck just ahead of us!"



Naruto looked up and to his horror realized that Anko was right; their friend was only a hundred feet or so in front of them. Naruto put two and two together, but it was too late.



Anko slammed her foot down on the gas pedal and accelerated wildly, weaving in and out of traffic until they were side by side with the pickup.



"Hey Kiba!" Anko yelled out the window, startling the occupants of the truck. Kiba, Shikamaru, and Ino all turned and stared in dumb amazement at the cheerfully waving girl.



"KIBA YOU IDIOT WATCH THE ROAD!" Ino screeched when she looked over and saw the brunette gawking at Anko.



Kiba jumped and turned his attention back to the road, casting nervous side glances out the window every few seconds. Anko always did manage to unnerve him.



"Hey Anko, where's Naruto?" Ino asked, quite over her shock and ready to have a conversation despite their surroundings.



"Huh? He's right beside," she glanced down at the floor where Naruto was trying not to vomit, "me. Get up here you moron."



"Don't ever do that again Anko! Fuck you could have gotten someone killed. Or worse, you could have gotten me killed!"



"Ah shut it ya crybaby, we're fine right? Say hi to Ino while you're up here."



"Hi Ino." Naruto deadpanned, waving weakly at the grinning blonde girl, who blew him a kiss in response.



"Have you guys seen Hinata and Shino? They were supposed to come with us, but they never showed." she asked.



"They're going to be late, but they'll make it. Hinata called me earlier and told me." Naruto answered.



And so, the three friends happily carried on a conversation in the middle of a busy highway while going upwards of 50 miles per hour; to the utter amazement of Kiba and Shikamaru. Things were certainly going well so far...



-



Back in Konoha, Sasuke was having a horrible day. Naruto was pissed at him, some lowly idiot had spilled coffee all over his new suit(he was fired immediately of course), and he had a throbbing migraine. To make matters worse, he had a very important meeting with a representative of his chief financial competitor, Hyuuga Corp.



As if on cue his top aide, one Hatake Kakashi, entered the room and informed him that the Hyuuga official had arrived.



"Send him in."



A minute later, the man was shown in and sat down.



"Sasuke-sama, it is a pleasure to finally meet you. I've heard a lot about you from my uncle."



Sasuke took a moment to look the man over before responding. Long brown hair tied in a neat braid, white, seemingly pupil-less eyes, skin that rivaled snow in it's pallor, a crisp black business suit, and an aura of importance that befit his status to top it all off; yes this man was a Hyuuga through and through.



"Likewise Neji-san. I've heard about you from Hinata."



Sasuke smirked at the surprise that registered in the other man's eyes on hearing this.



"You know Hinata-sama?"



"Yes, my younger brother is acquainted with her. They're off on a camping trip right now actually."



"Camping? Hinata went camping? That seems so-"



"Beneath her?" Sasuke interjected. "I feel the same way about my brother, but-"



"Once they get their heart set on something there's no stopping them." Neji interrupted in turn. "Yes, I know the type all too well."



"It's their friends' doing entirely, of course."



"Of course." Neji agreed with an icy smile.



Sasuke cleared his throat softly, his mind drifting to Naruto for a moment before he remembered what the meeting was really about.



"I've never been one for long, drawn-out presentations Neji-san, so I'll just get right to the point. Recently, I've realized that our Special Projects Division has neither the resources nor the manpower to keep up with the rising demand lately. And with the influx of new projects and ideas, as well as increased government spending, I know that Hyuuga Corp. is in much the same position." He paused, waiting for the pale man's reaction.



Neji mulled the brunette's words over for a minute before responding.



"Though it pains me to admit it, what you say is quite true. What exactly do you propose we do Sasuke-sama?"



"It's very simple. I believe that the time has come for our two corporations to join hands in order to maximize product development and quality. Of course, the financial gains of such an action would be enormous; as I'm sure you're well aware."



"A merger? I'm afraid that my uncle would never agree to it, even if it is in both parties' best interest. He has his unshakeable pride after all."



Luckily for Sasuke, he had foreseen this little problem.



"Not a merger per se; call it a joint venture if you will. We can create a subsidiary company and pool both of the parent's resources into it. That way we will be able to handle rising demands and spare ourselves unnecessary competition. What do you think?"



"It certainly seems like a workable idea to me. Unfortunately, what I think counts for little if Hiashi-sama does not agree. Still, I think I will be able to get him to consider your proposal at the very least."



"Excellent. I look forward to hearing his views on the situation."



With that, the two men rose and shook hands before bidding each other goodbye.



As soon as the Hyuuga was out the door, Sasuke's shoulders dropped and he sank back into his chair.



"God damnit I hate formal meetings." he grumbled to no one in particular.



A minute later, Kakashi reentered the office after having shown Neji out and inquired how the proposal went over.



"It went about as well as I had expected. Not outstanding, but not horrible either. I can't stand looking Hyuuga's in the eyes though."



"Yes, they are somewhat odd. He was quite the looker though, don't you agree?" he chuckled, teasing his boss over his darkest secret.



Kakashi was the only living person that knew of Sasuke's orientation, a fact that the Uchiha reminded him of whenever he grew annoyed by the silver-haired man's remarks about his sexuality. Which was quite often, but the man was a genius, albeit a perverted one.



"Anything else that requires my attention today?" he asked, ignoring his aide's question.



Kakashi pulled out his PDA and looked through it. "You've got a shareholders meeting at two and then another meeting with the Director of Personnel immediately following that.



"Right. What's his name again?"



"You're kidding right? You don't even know your own executive's names?"



Sasuke glared at the man and shook his head.



"I don't believe you; you sit through board meetings with these people every week!"



"As long as they do their jobs well, what difference does it make whether or not I know their names?" Sasuke countered.



"Well, I suppose that's true. But what are you going to do if we ever have an office party?"



Sasuke stared at the man incredulously, wondering how anyone could ever think that he would ever throw a party for his employees.



"Right." Kakashi sighed, getting the hint. "Well /her/name is Yuhi Kurenai and she's been with the company for almost seven years now. And she's got quite a nice ass." he added, causing Sasuke to scowl at him.



Yes, Sasuke was having a horrible day indeed. And it was only getting worse...



-



By the time Kiba and Anko managed to find the campgrounds, it was close to dusk and everyone was in a surly mood. They drove up to their assigned site and were surprised to see Shino's van parked nearby and two tents already pitched. The teens piled out of their respective cars and began to unload their things.



"Oh he-hello everyone." Hinata greeted her friends when she emerged from her tent.



Shino's head popped out of his tent and he nodded his acknowledgment of the new arrivals before disappearing back inside.



"How on earth did you guys get here before us?" Kiba asked the Hyuuga heiress.



"Oh, I um, really don't know. We were surprised wh-when you guys weren't here."



"It's because you're fucking retarded and took a wrong exit twice Kiba." Anko supplied helpfully, dumping a box full of supplies into said boy's arms.



"Hey! You followed me!" he protested.



"You told them to follow us, idiot." Shikamaru added, dropping another box into the brunette's arms.



"And don't forget that you had the lead!" Ino finished, dumping a heavy bag on top of the boxes. Their combined weight caused Kiba's knees to buckle and he pitched backwards, supplies raining everywhere.



"Guys, lets just unpack everything and set up the tents before it gets too dark to see." Naruto always tried to be the voice of reason in situations like this; he hated to see the few friends he had fighting with each other.



"Na-Naruto-kun is right. It will be dark very soon." Hinata stuttered, a blush rising to her cheeks when Naruto smiled appreciatively at her.



"They're right. It would be too troublesome to pitch the tents in the dark, so everyone shut it and get to work."



"I've got no problem with that, as long as we're all in agreement that Kiba's a retard." Anko snickered. She was already half done setting up her fold-out tent.



Within ten minutes all of the teens had finished setting up, with the exception of Kiba. His family believed in doing things the 'rugged way' and had provided him with an old-fashioned, stick tent. Poor Kiba hadn't even managed to get the cloth around the frame before a passing gust blew the whole thing over.



"Guys I can't get this thing to stay up!" he whined after his 3rd failed attempt.



Everyone else was sitting around the campfire that Shino had started and enjoying a light dinner of fried bacon and eggs.



"We don't wanna hear about how you can't get it up Kiba!"Anko yelled over her shoulder, drawing a laugh from everyone except Shino, who smiled slightly.



"But guys! Where am I gonna sleep?" He walked over to the fire and shot pleading puppy eyes to everyone in turn, until Naruto finally broke.



"Alright fine, you can share my tent, but you better not try anything." Naruto sighed, well aware that Kiba was bisexual and had wandering hands. Sometimes, he really hated being the nice one.



"Nice, thanks Naru!" He sat down next to the blond and glanced at the empty frying pan. "Is there any left?" he asked, looking hopefully at his friend's food.



"Nope, you'll have to live with these."



Kiba turned to Shikamaru just in time to be hit in the face by the bag of chips he had thrown. Everyone laughed as the brunette toppled over backwards in surprise.



"What the fuck was that for Shikamaru?" Kiba demanded, clambering back onto his seat.



"Hmm? Did you say something?" the lazy boy yawned, not sparing his friend a glance.



"Fine be a fucking prick, I don't care. Thanks for the food." he mumbled grumpily and started eating.



"Hey guys lets tell ghost stories!" Ino suggested. This met with general approval and Anko volunteered herself to go first.



And so the gang started telling stories to pass the time, each trying to outdo the other and terrify their friends.



-



"Finally this day is over. It couldn't possibly have been any worse." Sasuke sighed; entering his home after what he was sure was the longest, shittiest day in the history of long, shitty days.



"Rough day little brother? Itachi asked, looking up from his seat in the entrance hall.



"Yes, too many damn business meetings. I fucking hate this job Itachi." Sasuke answered tiredly, walking past the elder Uchiha towards the kitchen. In his exhausted state it took the poor boy awhile to realize what had just happened.



Itachi waited patiently until Sasuke came tearing back into the room a few minutes later, his eyes wide with disbelief.



"Itachi! What the fuck, you're supposed to be dead!" he yelled in an accusatory tone.



"Nice to see you again too, Sasuke. And no, so sorry to disappoint you, but I'm quite alive."



"B-but how? Father said you died from the crash...I don't understand."



"Father lied. After that crash he disowned me and forced me into military service. But now that he and mother are no longer with us, I've come back to see how the two of you are doing."



Itachi rose and walked over to his brother, circling around him and observing his growth.



"Well it looks like you turned out ok, at any rate. How's Naruto been?"



"He's been...good." Sasuke replied weakly. Surely this had to be an illusion. That had to be it; he was exhausted and seeing things. Sasuke had almost convinced himself of this when an unfamiliar man walked in.



"Ita-chan this place is too big, I can't find a bathroom anywhere!" the hulking man complained.



"Theres one down that hall and to the left. Oh and meet my little brother Sasuke. I've told you about him right? I'm sure I have. Sasuke, this is Kisame, my boyfriend."



"Nice to meet you at last, Sasuke. I'd love to stay and chat, but nature calls and your carpet looks expensive."



Sasuke stared dumbly after the man and then at Itachi.



"What?" the eldest Uchiha asked, his eyebrow raised questioningly.



"Nothing, he's um, nice. I'm glad that you found someone Itachi."



"So am I. What about you though? Girlfriend, boyfriend, anything? And what about Naruto?"



"We're both still single."



"Oh. Well you'll find someone eventually otouto; I hear you're quite the eligible bachelor. But right now you look ready to drop, so I'll leave you alone and go make sure Kisame isn't lost again. We'll talk tomorrow ok?"



Itachi didn't wait for a response and shuffled down the hall after Kisame, leaving a shell-shocked Sasuke in his wake. The young CEO eventually got over his shock and went to bed, resolved to deal with everything after a nice long bout of unconsciousness.



-



"And then the giant arachnid jumped out and captured him, draining all of his blood on the spot!" Shino finished dramatically, switching the flashlight on at just the right moment, which, in turn, reflected off of his sunglasses and highlighted his features creepily.



The girls and Naruto screamed in fright, but Shikamaru and Kiba were less than impressed.



"That was so lame Shino." Shikamaru drawled. He lay back and stared up at the starry sky, officially oblivious to anything around him.



"I don't get it, what part of that was scary? If it had been fleas it would have been scary, but who's afraid of a stupid giant spider?"



"Evidently, these four." Shino gestured to the huddled together teens, who quickly broke apart once Kiba started laughing at them.



"I wasn't scared of the story!" Anko yelled, incensed. "I was scared that Shino said more than three words. It's got to be a sign of the apocalypse. And I'm too young and beautiful to die!"



"You're delusional is what you are." Kiba quipped.



"What'd you say you stupid mutt? You and me right now, let's go."



"Guys d-don't, it's been such a fun evening, don't ruin it b-by fighting."



While this was going on, Naruto had silently gotten up and walked over to his tent unseen. It was Ino who finally noticed his absence.



"Hey where did Naruto go?



"Bed." Shino whispered, getting up and heading over to his own tent.



"Holy shit its 2 a.m.!" Anko exclaimed, looking at her cell phone.



"I guess we should all go to bed then." Everyone got up and walked towards their respective tents, "You coming Shikamaru?" Ino asked, noticing that he had remained on the ground.



"It's too troublesome to get up and move. I'm just as comfortable here as I am over there. And here I get to watch the stars."



"Suit yourself, but don't come crying to me if you catch something."



(A quick note: the tents are pitched a good enough distance apart that the occupants can talk without those in other tents hearing their conversation. Sorry for the author insert.)



Kiba entered the tent expecting to see Naruto sleeping peacefully and was shocked to find the blond awake and sitting up in his sleeping bag, sorrow written on his face.



"Naruto? What's wrong?" Kiba asked, stripping down to his boxers and putting on his pajamas. "Naruto?"



"The last time I slept with someone was with Itachi when Iwas little." Naruto whispered. He was dangerously close to tears now and trying his best to fight them. This trip was supposed to distract him from the dreaded anniversary, not make things worse.



"Oh. I'm sorry I didn't know. I can sleep outside Iguess..."



He rose to leave, but Naruto grabbed his wrist and pulled him back down.



"No! Its...I'm fine, really."



Kiba cupped the blonde's face in his hands and tilted his head up to face him. "Really? You don't look fine Naruto. I think I should comfort you."



Naruto blushed at their close proximity, his mind quickly succumbing to the whirlwind of emotions sweeping through him. He tried to pull away, but Kiba held him fast, slowly bringing their lips together in a heated kiss.



The pair broke apart after what seemed an eternity; Kiba panting nervously and Naruto staring off into space oddly.



Before either of them knew it, Naruto was on top of the brunette, desperately kissing every bit of skin he could reach. Kiba moaned appreciatively and rolled them over, his hand roaming up Naruto's shirt and over his firmly toned chest.



Now Kiba was no fool; he knew where this could lead. And to say that he wouldn't enjoy it would be a lie. But as much as he wanted something like this to happen, he couldn't stand the thought of taking advantage of a vulnerable friend.



So when the blond rolled them over again and Kiba suddenly found Naruto's hand in his pants, he knew that he had to say something. Damned sense of moral decency.



"Naruto, stop. We can't do this." he gasped, trying unsuccessfully to push his friend off.



"Why not?! You certainly want to." Naruto countered, giving Kiba's swiftly hardening erection a quick squeeze.



Kiba's breath hitched and he squirmed uncomfortably for amoment, until, with great effort, he managed to break free of the blond.



"You don't really want this Naruto. Think about it for asec; you're lonely and depressed about your brother and your hormones are getting the better of you. Besides that, you're straight. If we do this now you're going to regret it later and I'll feel like shit for taking advantage of you."



Kiba desperately hoped that the blond would see his reasoning because he didn't think himself capable of any further resistance if he didn't. His body certainly didn't want to resist and his mind was only capable of so much before giving itself over entirely to lust.



"You're...you're right. I'm sorry Kiba." Naruto said after amoment.



"Its ok man, I understand. Now we really have to get some sleep, it's gotta be close to 3 a.m."



"Right..."



And so the two boys returned to their respective sleeping bags, neither one saying anything further. Within minutes Kiba was out cold and drooling, but Naruto stayed awake watching him for awhile and thinking. At last the confused blond drifted off into a fitful slumber, an unwilling victim of confusing emotions and raging teenage hormones.





There, this chapter is over at last. I tried to keep the humor as much as possible without ruining the effect, though I'm not sure how well I did. Input would be greatly appreciated. I cannot write business scenes for shit, but I hope that I at least managed something passable. That scene was necessary for a major plot point later. I also realize that there may not be campgrounds like the one I described in Japan, but it's my story so nyah! Lol, but seriously, I'm sure they have something like that over there to recreate the camping experience. If they don't, they're missing out on a major tourist attraction. And for the record, I love Kiba, but every group needs its clown and I didn't want to use a big clich