14 Sweet and Sweeter

"What? Why?" The blond-haired blue-eyed beauty screamed at the stoic CEO. Sasuke was meant to be free from all fan girls after he agreed to play house with him.

"There's no why. He's an Uchiha and it's only natural. Besides, I couldn't put it off any longer. Mr Yamamoto is a very influential business partner."

The kit seethed while his secret crush resigned to fate. "It's fine, dobe."

"No, it's not fine!" The outcry caught the older Uchiha by surprise. Kurama hadn't been joking when he said Naruto was loud. What amused Itachi further was the way Sasuke placated with the promise of coming back early from the meeting to help him with a thesis.

"But it's my job to keep fangirls away from you. If you meet her, you won't keep me around anymore."

"Huh? What are you talking about? I'll still need you around."

"But you're going to take her as your mate!"

"I'm not taking her as my mate, what are you talking about? I'm only going to meet her to turn her down. I won't kick you out, dobe."

"But you're going on a date…?"

"Yes…" Sasuke answered cautiously. There was something off with his sexy fox and it bothers the young man a lot. Naruto had been skittish of late ever since school started and his encounter with Ino.

"If you're going to date her it means you'll be kissing her."

The hushed voice swept across the room, plunging it into subzero temperatures. If Itachi had been any lesser man he would have shivered from the bone penetrating chill in the atmosphere. Sasuke felt the same with his blood turning to ice at the betrayed look in those normally cheerful eyes. Someone had taken away the sun in those beautiful blue eyes and Sasuke knew he was to blame.

"Please Naruto, it won't mean anything."

The CEO had mentioned something about the girl being very aggressive in showing her passion and might force Sasuke to give her some form of attention even though his intention was to reject her. His exact words were, "She said that she wants a kiss even if you are going to reject her on the date."

That had been the start of the whole fiasco in his office. The lover's spat soon escalated into a near all-out war with both parties suffering heavy casualties. Sasuke understood the implications of not handling the troublesome Yamamoto daughter but Naruto who was a demon didn't.

"Naruto, is there a reason why Sasuke can't kiss her?"

The fox demon turned his piercing glare to Itachi who made a silent promise to never anger fox demons. "Of course he can't! He's already kissed me before, he can't go around sharing that soulbond with anyone else!"

"Soulbond?" Itachi wondered.

Sasuke froze. Did his brother just hear that he kissed another male? Fortunately, the CEO was still trying to piece the new information to make out the puzzle.

At Itachi's cluelessness, Naruto growled and left the office. As the door slammed shut and rattled on its hinges, both Uchiha brothers exchanged troubled looks. "Go," Itachi told his brother and Sasuke left without a word.

The CEO pulled out his phone and scrolled down to the only other person who knew what a soulbond was."

Three rings later, a very low and seductive voice answered the call.

"Kurama? I have a question. What does a soulbond mean?"

Xxx Destiny Aitsuji xxX

"Naruto! Naruto wait!"

The blond only walked faster with unshed tears. Stupid Sasuke! No, the one at fault was that Yamamoto woman who insisted on a kiss. Even if what he and Sasuke did was an accident, the fact that their lips met meant something. For foxes, a kiss was as sacred as a vow of eternal loyalty to each other. It was the first stage in a fox's courtship and mating process.

The young Uchiha realized how Naruto wasn't heading back to his apartment and cursed. The skies were becoming dark and soon the storm would come. What a fantastic timing for shitty weather too. Nothing good ever happens when it rained except for Naruto. The feeling that something terrible was going to happen ate at Sasuke's mind but he shoved it away in favour of chasing the blond whose figure was getting further and further from him.

Ignoring the alarm bells in his head, Sasuke hurried to catch up to Naruto. Naruto was only a few arm lengths away from him when it happened too fast for his brain to understand what was happening.

A flash of lights appeared and then the whole place went dark. Naruto's screams haunted the young Uchiha as Sasuke struggled to breathe. It was as if someone sucked all the air out with the lights and he couldn't move. It was useless to try gathering strength much less find Naruto in the darkness.

"Is this going to be it? Naruto…"

Hot.

Suddenly there was nothing but fire and choking smoke as the pressure paralysing him disappeared.

"Sasuke! Sasuke are you ok?"

The young Uchiha could only cough and gasp for air, vision hazy and mind still disoriented from the sudden attack. " …" he managed to wheeze.

"I'm right here, bastard… are you ok?"

About a minute later, Sasuke was able to confirm the worried but all else unscathed blond fox. "What happened?"

It was only then he realised a very demonic looking Kurama scouting the area. "Get up kid, it's not safe. It's a good thing I was on my way to meet Itachi too. How could you get into so much trouble in just five minutes?"

The older fox demon flicked Naruto's forehead while complaining about needing to be a babysitter. "You should stay close to Sasuke so that it doesn't happen."

"What? I'm fine by myself! Those random demons aren't something Sasuke can deal with either."

Irritated with his brother's ignorance Kurama chose to ignore the noisy kit and helped Sasuke up. "Come on, let's go to Itachi. I have some explaining to do and I would prefer to get over it as soon as possible."

Xxx Destiny Aitsuji xxX

"That was fast," Itachi commented as Kurama appeared in his office with Naruto and his little brother in tow. The call had ended less than ten minutes ago. "Must be a fox demon thing," he told himself.

Once Sasuke and Naruto were settled, Kurama chose to start. "Itachi, I'll like to make an announcement before I start explaining about the soulbond thing. Naruto, listen up because this is about you and the attack just now."

"Attack?"

Sasuke nodded and Itachi grew rigid. "Not what you're thinking about. They were demons."

Kurama sighed. "Not quite but they are demon related. Those were merely shadow puppets. Real foxes can manipulate fire."

"That explains a lot," Sasuke muttered, recalling the flames from before. How nobody noticed the fire? That was something he had to ask later.

"Well then," Kurama started and Naruto yawned. "As you know, fox demons like Naruto and myself are born from Hagoromo Gitsune. Also, golden foxes are considered to be cursed in the clan and Naruto here has always been in danger. The attack wasn't unexpected but I really wish they didn't discover his current location as quickly as they did."

"They?" Itachi inquired.

Nodding, Kurama continued explaining. "Contrary to the beliefs of legends, golden foxes are not cursed. Legends imply that calamity will occur when a golden fox takes a mate. That has been the prophecy so far thus no golden fox lived old enough to the age of maturity. Many die at the first signs of their fur colour."

Jaw slacked, Naruto started counting the years he lived.

"In fact, Naruto would have died too even before I knew he was a golden fox. If it weren't for Menma his twin brother, we would have lost the golden fox."

"Menma?"

Kurama grimaced. The memory wasn't a pretty one. "You wouldn't remember it but Menma died protecting Hagoromo Gitsune during a trip to the Snake Demon Lord's Castle. The chariot was attacked in an ambush by the Snake Demon Lord and Menma protected Hagoromo Gitsune with his body. You were meant to go on that escort duty but fell sick that day. Menma chose to swap with you. After you found out about Menma's death you had a terrible time coping. It got so bad that we found you sleepwalking and trying to kill yourself. As a last resort, I had to seal your memories."

Naruto went silent and Sasuke gave worried side glances.

"Menma's death is not in vain. I did researching of my own because Hagoromo Gitsune would have never been in a situation that made her vulnerable, especially when dealing with a snake demon. I found out the truth about golden foxes. Like bees, new queens are born and will need to fight it out. The stronger queen will live and lead the new colony. Golden foxes are competition to Hagoromo Gitsune. Naruto, you possess the ability to become the next leader of the fox clan. Only golden foxes have the power to give blessings after they attain awakening."

Silence filled the room as Kurama trained his eyes on the young kit.

"So…" Sasuke began shakily. "Those demons that attacked Naruto…"

Kurama nodded. "Hagoromo Gitsune's shadows. The elders will never know Naruto's location. She's grown desperate after eighty years. A normal fox can live for thousands of years but not without the help of a new body."

"Does that mean this body is not yours?" Itachi quirked an eyebrow. It certainly seemed a little too young for a few-hundred-year-old demon.

Kurama grinned playfully. "No, this is my original body. It is in human form. I'm still at the peak of my youth. In human years I would be a smoking hot man in my early thirties."

Sasuke mentally blanched at the way his brother was undressing the crimson haired fox demon with his eyes. Surely Itachi was into younger men. With the past records, Sasuke had never seen Itachi date a man older than him, especially not a man about five years older than him in human age. The man was an uber top and he would never submit in a relationship.

"Why me? She could target anyone."

Kurama sighed. Naruto was a bright kid, just not when it came to things like this. "Nobody else has the power to give blessings, the golden fox is special in that sense and only you have what it takes to be the next fox demon leader. It's in the blood, Naruto."

"She's not going to stop targeting Sasuke and me, is she?"

Kurama squashed the chuckle growing in him. His dumb brother was sometimes too adorable. "Are you asking for yourself or your lover? I heard you forged a soulbond already. Aren't you going a little too fast? Even I haven't done it."

The kit turned cherry red at his brother's teasing and the tension from earlier temporarily forgotten.

"It was an accident! Sasuke didn't mean it…"

"Well, no matter. Now that you share a soulbond with him, it means that it would be only a matter of time before I have little kits running around calling me uncle."

Sasuke felt his heart warm at the image until Itachi ruined it.

"But Naruto is a male."

Kurama rolled his eyes. "If you've been following what I was saying earlier, Naruto is a golden fox capable of becoming the clan's next leader."

"Just because he can give blessings doesn't mean he can bear children."

Sasuke glared at Itachi but he knew deep down that was something he couldn't change. "Damn, why am I even considering having children with the dobe? That wasn't even the point… How did my meeting with a girl end up with a messy political situation in the supernatural world?"

"Well, seeing that he has the potential to be the clan leader... he can. In fact, all foxes can have children regardless of gender. They only need the clan leader's blessing for it."

"I can what?!"

"Don't act so surprised. It's only natural that after the soulbond you produce offsprings with your mate."

Sasuke blushed and Itachi noted how his brother kept sneaking sly peeks at the blond beside to gauge his reactions. The Uchiha was doomed with both heirs coming out as gay. Then again, it wouldn't be an issue if Naruto could have children with Sasuke. Maybe their genetics wouldn't die out after all.

Naruto spluttered and Kurama continued. "After the soulbond, you'll need to consummate and place your mating mark on him to claim him as mate to make things official. I don't know how you're going to be a clan leader if you can't even deal with your wife. Surely you don't intend to be controlled by him forever. You do know that once you become official mates, it will be permanent till either of you die?"

Sasuke grimaced at the sound of Naruto's head hitting the coffee table. The information overload had knocked the kit out cold as Kurama sipped his cold coffee.

"Well, that's one down." The brothers looked at the cheeky demon who had a slightly crazy look in his eyes.

"So, would you like to explain how the soulbond was formed by accident? I know for one that soulbonds aren't normally formed by accidents. Even if I was kissed by a nutcase on the streets, the soulbond would never form. What did you do to my stupid brother?"

Sasuke felt himself grow cold at the overly sweet smile. Itachi leaned in, curious to know as well.

"The fangirls were demanding proof that I was dating Naruto before they got off my case so I ended up kissing him. I honestly didn't know what a soulbond was, I promise."

Kurama frowned. "No, it wasn't just the kiss. There was something more. A soulbond is only formed when both parties possess some sort of attraction that supersedes the emotion called 'love'. It demands trust, desire, hunger and a sense of belonging to each other. The Naruto I know doesn't trust anyone."

"He got along just fine with everyone he met in my opinion."

"Getting along is something all foxes do. We know what masks to wear and how to wear them. That doesn't mean we trust them. Naruto is a rarer kind of demon because he tends not to lie unless required to. You did something to him."

Sasuke sighed. "Look, I don't know what you're talking about. Trust is something that built between the two of us over time. It was difficult initially because I didn't know he was a fox demon. I picked him up in the rain, gave him shelter, fed him and brought him to a vet."

"A vet?"

The sophomore nodded. "He was in his demon form back then. I thought he was a cat until much later when I came back to find a stranger ransacking my fridge. That stranger was found nude and had furry ears. His demon form was scarier with eight tails and all but it was actually fun to groom him when he simmered down and turned into the cuddly version."

"Demon form? He let you see all eight tails and didn't hurt you?"

Sasuke pondered for a while. "I thought I was a goner for a while but he stopped. He just wanted to know if I was afraid of him."

Kurama hummed in interest. Well, it seemed that the Uchiha brothers were different in comparison to the rest of the human population.

"I'll take your word for now but should you make him cry, I will come for you."

Sasuke smiled. "I'll make him cry in happiness so much that you'll never want to see or hear from us."

Itachi chuckled at how disgusted Kurama was with Sasuke's declaration. Now that his little brother had started his conquest, it was time he started his too.

Xxx Destiny Aitsuji xxX

"Well, now that the kids have left, how about we have a little adult time? I could use a few drinks."

Kurama blinked. Was this human asking him out?

"That's rare. I thought you knew what kind of demon I was."

Itachi smirked. "Does it matter? If my brother can do it, so can I although I believe you're smarter than that. I don't expect to have children or anything but your companionship will be nice. If thing doesn't work out, you won't lose anything."

This human was interesting. Kurama liked the proposal. Usually, his dates tend to get overly clingy and he hated it.

"It's a little hard tonight because of prior appointments but if your offer still stands, how about Sunday?"

Itachi did a mental cheer at the sweet score. "Sunday sounds good. How does brunch sound? I can show you around. I'm sure Japan has changed a lot since your last visit."

Walking Kurama to the door, Itachi took the liberty to close in the fox's personal space. "And if you don't want to, I'm sure we can take the time to get to know each other better."

The demon leaned down, nose almost touching Itachi's, making the CEO's breath hitch. "That sounds like something I'll look forward to."

With that, Kurama left. Suddenly the office felt bigger than it was and Itachi sighed. What had he just signed up for?