章 29: Defining the Relationship

The revenant necromancer looked at the well-preserved bodies in delight. This was exactly what he was talking about.

"I know you could do it," Orochimaru smiled.

Danzo looked at the weirdo with disgust. "This is just the down payment. If you do your part well, you can get a two-for-one deal. Golden fox, his mate and the fox Hunter. I don't care about the human so you can do as you please. Just deal with the silver wolf and the witch for me."

Orochimaru hummed. "I can't kill them..."

"Just stall them. Kabuto will be finishing off the golden child and his mate, I will handle the hunter. If you fail, I will come after you, immortal or not."

With mutual agreement, they parted ways - Orochimaru with his bodies and Danzo with one problem resolved.

>>Xxx Destiny Aitsuji xxX<<

Sai was inconsolable after he found out what he tried to do under the influence of mind control. It wasn't until Ino slapped him that the werewolf snapped out of it.

"If you break down now, you're doing exactly what Danzo wants!"

Kakashi left the couple alone to hash it out while he moved everyone else to the meeting room. He hasn't told the rest of the clan about Danzo and Sai but he didn't have much to worry for with Iruka doing damage control. Sometimes he thinks that his dolphin was just too good for him. While the alpha leas the clan, it is his mate who holds the clan together. When emotions run high and everyone is sensitive, his Iruka knew just how to manage everyone and be that never wavering pillar of unconditional love. His kindness was like the light for all the half-beasts like them in a world drenched in blood.

"What now?" Naruto asked. Sasuke was sitting beside him and Itachi was sandwiched between his brother and Kurama. Kakashi noted that he needed a bigger couch for his guests in future. Iruka excused himself and took Kiba with him to the kitchen to prepare drinks.

Kakashi looked at Itachi and sighed. If possible, he didn't want to involve humans. Tsunade rolled her eyes and excused herself before helping herself to Kakashi's most expensive alcohol. Naruto comforted Sasuke who looked ready to kill when Kakashi explained to the rest of his clan what Danzo did.

Unknown to the newly turned fox demon, Sasuke was growling in a manner that was beginning to spook Itachi so bad that Kurama had to intervene. The Uchiha didn't even know what he was doing until Naruto cuddled him with his bushy tails.

The Hunter took a look at the two foxes and shook his head. at this rate, they won't stand a chance against the elite snake clan fighters.

"Ok, special training starts for the both of you. Kakashi will be training you how to defend yourselves. We don't know when Danzo will attack so make every day count."

Itachi blinked as everyone started forming teams. The CEO felt oddly out of place until the school teacher reached out to him and led him away.

"It must feel awful watching them do everything and not being able to help right? I know exactly how this feels like. The last time Naruto and your brother were in trouble, I couldn't do anything but stand there and watch helplessly."

Itachi smiled without humour. "I just wish I knew what I was lacking in. If Kurama turned me into a fox just like what Naruto did to my foolish brother, I might have been able to fight too."

Iruka paused. he'd asked that same question many times too. However, like Kurama, Kakashi was unwilling to turn him into one of them.

"I don't think they want us participating in the fights," he whispered.

Itachi looked at the teacher and they shared a silent moment. The steam rose gently from their mugs and Itachi found comfort in Iruka's silence. They were the only humans here and he decided that he would be Kurama's support in the only way he knew how. He would become the home Kurama could come home to after a bloody battle.

It shocked Itachi terribly to see the beast his brother had become. The CEO thought about it. To love Kurama meant to embrace his everything, including the beast within. Could he give his life, trust and happiness in the hands of a material hunter?

The reflection in the cup gave him the answer he needed. Yes, he could. There hasn't been another person like Kurama in his life that could read him so well. Not even Sasuke was able to understand him on the level that Kurama did. They had amazing physical compatibility too! The fox demon was able to keep up with him intellectually and was a very caring partner. Itachi was never unhappy with Kurama. He didn't have to put up with anything he didn't like and they settled into an easy rhythm both at work and at home.

Yet for some reason, he felt this wall between them that Itachi didn't know existed before this. Kurama was a demon and Itachi was a human.

"How do you deal with this? Falling in love with a demon and all... they'll live on for far longer than we ever will. What if they won't consider turning us into one of them?"

Iruka sighed. "Is there a point in asking all this? Isn't being in a gay relationship a fruitless from the very start? Or so people keep telling me. If I listened to them, I would have never known true happiness. For me, it doesn't matter if Kakashi wants to share the curse of immortality with me. I just want to be with him until the very end. There are times when I feel like the extra baggage he has to carry because of how different we are as a species but I will always remember the time when I found him out in the snow full of wounds and uncaring about his well-being. I don't ever want those lifeless eyes to return."

Itachi blinked. He didn't know anything about Kakashi and Iruka's past. What happened between Naruto and Sasuke could be written as fate. What about his relationship with Kurama? Was it all predestined or was this a choice?

As Itachi pondered about what his relationship with Kurama was, the foxes and wolves were getting ready for their first sparring session.