‘Damn, doesn’t she ever shut up?’ wondered the young man as the strawberry-haired girl on his arm nattered endlessly about things that held no interest for him whatsoever. Sasuke Uchiha couldn’t stand her most of the time. It wasn’t that he disliked Sakura, just that he didn’t like her the way she wanted him to like her, and it was annoying as hell to have her constantly hanging all over him the way she insisted on doing. When would she get the hint? Hadn’t he said ‘no’ enough times to discourage her yet?
He sighed inwardly and tuned her out, gazing absently at nothing, wondering how late their sensei would be today and why Naruto wasn’t there yet. The idiot was always a bit late but he was unusually so today. Perhaps he had gotten fed up with Kakashi making them wait for hours every day.
He scowled lightly to himself. This wasn’t a day to be late. The siblings from Sunakagure, Kankuro, Temari, and Sabaku no Gaara were supposed to be arriving today. Team seven had been given the task of greeting them, of course. As if his life wasn’t complicated enough without having to deal with a pervert, a she-male and a psychopath. He would have refused the assignment except that the busty fifth Hokage had specifically ordered them to do it, and Tsunade was scarier than all three of the sand-nin combined.
And so the morning wore on, with Sasuke brooding and occasionally trying to shake Sakura off of him. He met with no success. She was like a fucking barnacle.
Sakura Haruno was thrilled. Kakashi was late as usual and Naruto was also playing hookie today. She might have been concerned about that, since the annoying blond was always there, if not on time, but she was too relieved not to have to deal with him asking her out for the umpteenth time and way Way WAY too thrilled that she had Sasuke all alone. She tried her best to engage him in conversation, but everything she said was met with that brooding silence and any question she asked was answered with little more than a disinterested grunt.
She sighed softly to herself. It was always the same. He never paid the slightest attention to her, this handsome, mysterious young man. She was well aware that she hardly knew the Uchiha heir, despite having been his teammate for over six years. All that time she’d been trying, and in all that time he hadn’t so much as conceded to have lunch with her! But she wouldn’t give up! She was nothing if not persistent. She was positive that one day she would wear him down enough to pull him out of that shell of indifference he wrapped himself in so tightly. Some day…
Naruto crouched on a tree branch, wrestling with his inner fears. Today would be the day he let his true feelings be known. No more hiding it. He was going to let it all spill out today! If only he could get his legs to work.
The blond chunin had woken this morning from the usual dreams of his beloved, and when he’d looked at himself in the mirror this morning he’d vowed to his reflection that he would let the whole truth be known on this day, no matter what. He never broke a promise, not even to himself. That was his ninja way. But now that he was faced with it his courage was failing. What if he was laughed at? Or worse, simply ignored? And what would he ever do if the object of his affection actually returned the feeling? It was all so confusing and scary. But he promised, no, he swore! So he would do it. He just had to convince his uncooperative body that it would be best to get it over with as soon as possible.
Hours later Sasuke was still brooding, Sakura was still clinging to him and Kakashi and Naruto still hadn’t shown. The Uchiha heir was beginning to feel concern for the tardiness of his loud teammate. Naruto was never this late. Maybe something had happened to the idiot. Maybe he was sick or had hurt himself. Maybe he was incapacitated to the point that he couldn’t move. His worry created an uncomfortable knot in is his stomach.
“Sasuke Uchiha!” The sudden shout startled both of them, but the raven-haired shinobi’s worry instantly eased, for he knew that voice like his own. Turning to look he spotted Naruto standing a few yards away. Sasuke was instantly alerted by his body language. The young man’s face was set into a determined grimace, his eyes intense as he glared at his teammate. Curiously, his stance was somewhere between aggressive and defensive and there was a sheen of sweat on his skin. Was he issuing a challenge? Then why the defensiveness? Naruto was a bit too bold for his own good and would never shy away from a fight, even when he was sorely outclassed.
“Naruto! Quit screaming!” yelled Sakura. Like she was one to talk. “What’s your problem anyway?” Ocean-blue eyes flickered to her for just a moment before fixing on the Uchiha heir again.
“Sasuke Uchiha, I want…” he hesitated and a flash of uncertainty crossed his whiskered face.
“What?” prompted Sasuke, his curiosity pricked by his teammate’s uncharacteristic behavior. The blond’s jaw clenched and the determined glare returned.
“I want you to have dinner with me!” There was a stunned silence.
“Why?” asked Sasuke when he finally got his voice back. This was not what he'd expected.
“I…I want to talk to you about something…” Naruto was tentative again and Sasuke’s concern was returning with a vengeance. The blond was acting very strangely. Something must be wrong, something he felt he couldn’t talk about in front of Sakura. But why did he feel he could talk to Sasuke about it? Wasn’t he all in love with the kunoichi? Perhaps it was something that would be embarrassing to speak to a girl about.
“Fine, dinner, whatever,” he replied.
“Ah, can I come too Naruto?” asked Sakura, seeing a chance to spend an evening with Sasuke.
“No!” the blond all but shouted. Sakura was so taken aback that she released Sasuke’s arm. He took the opportunity to move to the other side of the road while she stood staring in shock with her mouth hanging open. Truthfully Sasuke felt a bit startled by this reaction as well. Naruto had never refused Sakura anything, a fact she mercilessly took advantage of.
Naruto went to lean against a gatepost and wait. He remained silent and stared fixedly at a spot on the ground. How odd. Sakura thought hard. What could be wrong with the idiot? He was acting completely out of his usual character. He was quiet, still, and he hadn’t asked her out, which was like a daily ritual for him or something. The idiot never learned.
A thought struck the pink-haired kunoichi then. Maybe he was going to challenge Sasuke to a fight to the death over her! That could be exciting, but really it was pointless. Even if Naruto won she wouldn’t want to date him. He was just so loud and obnoxious, not to mention annoyingly persistent. He just didn’t know when to give up. Well, he wouldn’t win anyway. He didn’t stand a chance against Sasuke. She smirked to herself. It could be fun to watch though. She would follow them and see what was up when their mission was done.
Naruto couldn’t bring himself to look at either of his teammates. He could feel them both staring at him. It would have made the hair at the back of his neck stand up if it wasn’t for the nervous sweat making it stick to his skin. He wished the day would hurry up and get over with, but as he watched the shadows move they seemed to do so with infinite slowness.
“Yo!” came a familiar voice.
“Kakashi sensei, you’re late!” shouted Sakura, as usual. Naruto stayed as he was, not in the mood to shout at his mentor today. There was a long silence and now he could feel Kakashi staring at him too. Damn! Why couldn’t they just get on with it?
“Well, you see there was a signing at the bookstore and I just had to get my copy of Cum Cum Paradise, volume 6 autographed…” said Kakashi at last.
“Oh, er…Hey wait! You know Jiraiya! You could have him sign your stupid books anytime!” protested Sakura, but it sounded half-hearted. There was another long stretch of silence.
“Did something happen that I missed?” Kakashi finally asked. More silence. “Oooookay…I’m going to take that as a yes. Naruto, what’s the matter?”
“Nothing!” snapped the blond, finally losing his temper. “Would you two just be quiet!? I’m trying to think!” And indeed he was. He was thinking furiously, scenarios running through his head of just what he would say, how he would say it and what the probable reactions were. One after another popped up and was discarded by his fevered brain. Soon his creativity found its end and he began replaying the same situations over and over again. It was enough to drive him insane. So it was came as a great relief to hear Sakura’s call.
“Look! There they are!” Naruto’s stare rose from the dirt at his feet to gaze down the road at the three approaching figures. The sand siblings had finally arrived.
Sasuke could feel the palpable relief flood from his teammate. His own tension ebbed somewhat as well. The arrival of their guests meant that their duties would be over soon and he would be able to find out what was going on with Naruto. The blond chunin’s strange behavior had him on edge.
As the three chunin from the land of wind drew closer team seven gathered beneath the large wooden gate that marked the west entrance to Konoha. Sasuke managed to refrain from staring, or even glancing at Naruto, though he sorely wanted to grab him and shake the daylights out of him until he spilled whatever was festering in his hyperactive mind.
Once the three visitors reached them Naruto suddenly seemed to be his old self again, loud and laughing, and a little absurd. He greeted the three enthusiastically, especially Gaara whom he seemed to have an inexplicable bond with. That bothered Sasuke. He didn’t like Gaara in the least. He was unfriendly, taciturn and glared a lot, which when he looked at it honestly reminded him too much of himself. Plus the redhead was psychotic, held a hostile entity within him and had tried to kill them all at the chunin exams. Even if reports from Suna claimed that he was under control now, even if he hadn’t had an ‘episode’ in six years, Sasuke still didn’t trust him, and wasn’t pleased with the fact that Naruto acted so friendly toward him.
Unfortunately he couldn’t voice those opinions, since this was a diplomatic situation designed to foster trust and friendship between the village hidden in the leaves and the village hidden in the sand. Since the land of wind’s feudal lords were contracting out most of their missions to Konoha, which was hurting it’s own ninja village, the Hokage had generously invited Suna to send it’s best ninja to Konoha to work missions there. Any missions would be assigned fairly with regard to the skills of the chunin in question, and the fees paid for missions done by their ninja would all go to Suna. Konoha was wealthy enough to afford this, and if it worked out they would invite more of Suna’s shinobi to participate in this program. It was an excellent solution, since it was the fact that their own leaders were making their village destitute that had led Suna to ally with Orochimaru in his attack against Konoha some years ago.
That meant that these three would be here for an extended period of time, perhaps even permanently. That didn’t sit well with Sasuke, but there was nothing he could do about it. He would watch them closely though, and if that red-haired bastard made one wrong move he would take him out. Especially if that move happened to be towards Naruto.
Sakura was neither pleased nor displeased that the sand-nin would be staying in Konoha. She found Gaara completely creepy and Kankuro was like a young Jiraiya, but she rather liked Temari. They got along well.
“Well, glad to see you made it without any trouble,” said Kakashi once the round of greetings was done. “I’ll need your input on living arrangements. We’ve reserved both a house and three separate apartments. It’s up to you whether you want to live together or alone. You can take some time to discuss it if you like.” The three exchanged quick glances.
“The apartments would suite us fine,” replied Temari. “Privacy and all that.” Kankuro nodded in agreement.
“Alrighty then, lets show you to your places. You can work it out among yourselves as to who gets what. As the entire group moved along the streets, with Kakashi pointing out important or noteworthy locations, Sakura watched Naruto’s behavior carefully. He seemed back to his old self as he chatted incessantly at Gaara, but every once in a while she caught him sneaking a peek at Sasuke with an odd expression in his eyes. Her suspicions that he was getting ready to privately challenge his teammate got stronger and she resolved she would not miss this. Naruto deserved to get his butt kicked for even thinking he could use force to acquire her affection!
“Hey pink, what’s up? Why do you keep staring at the loudmouth?” asked Temari, appearing at her shoulder. “I thought you had the hots for succulent Sasuke. You have a change of heart?” Sakura blushed and shook her head.
“No, it’s just that Naruto’s been acting really weird. He was all kinds of late today and when he did show up he totally blew me off and instead demanded that Sasuke have dinner alone with him. He’s up to something. I just can’t figure out what.”
“So, follow them and find out,” replied the blonde kunoichi.
“Way ahead of you sister,” chuckled Sakura. “I was already planning on it. Hey, you want to join me? It could be fun to watch if Naruto challenges Sasuke to a duel like I think he is.”
“Sure,” replied Temari with a casual shrug. “It’s not like I have anything better to do, and hanging out with my brothers isn’t what I’d call a good time. One has the dirtiest mouth on the planet and the other doesn’t say anything at all.”
Naruto didn’t entirely forget his problem when the sand sibs arrived, but at least it was a distraction that allowed him to push it to the back of his mind. He was truly happy to see Gaara again. The redheaded shinobi was one of the only people his age that knew he was the vessel that contained Kyuubi, the nine-tailed fox. Gaara was in very nearly the same situation, for within him resided the sand demon Shukaku. It was harder on the taciturn sand-nin, for there was no seal to prevent the malicious spirit from taking control of his body. Only his strength of will kept it in check, and for that reason Gaara could never sleep. And people wondered why he was always temperamental.
There was a certain empathy between the two young men, a level of understanding that would be impossible to replicate with a normal person, because a normal person could never understand what it was like to co-exist with a demon spirit. So they were perfectly comfortable together, with Naruto chattering away and Gaara listening in silence, neither requiring more than this from the other.
The three apartments had been chosen for their nearness to the residences of each member of team seven. This way they were close to someone who could help them get situated. Gaara was quick to speak for the apartment nearest Naruto, a claim that neither of his siblings cared to dispute. After a small argument with her remaining brother, Temari claimed the one closest to Sakura’s house, leaving Kankuro the apartment nearest Sasuke. Once that had been settled Kakashi informed them that they would each be given a generous allowance with which to purchase furnishings. So then it was off to the Hokage’s office, where they were greeted and lectured by Tsunade, at the end of which she handed each of the three visitors a hefty pouch of coins.
“You can spend it on what ever you like, but if you spend it on something foolish like hentai magazines,” she pinned Kankuro with a firm stare here. “And find yourself without a bed, you’ll have to sleep on your floor.”
So off the three little groups went. Sakura had no idea where to find the sorts of things they were looking for since her parents had taken care of everything when she moved out. Logically, she took Temari to ask her mom. A wise choice. Sasuke also had no idea where to go. His house had always been furnished, and he’d never seen the need to change anything. He decided it might be best to ask Kakashi. Not so wise a choice. Kakashi was a bachelor after all.
Naruto on the other hand had been fending for himself on a very limited budget since he was very small, so he knew exactly where to go for everything Gaara could need or want, and what was more, he knew where to get the very best prices. The two young men were done with their shopping long before the others were, though a good part of this could also be credited to the fact that Gaara cared little for material things and led a minimalist lifestyle. His purchases were almost exclusively utilitarian. His apartment would have been completely void of decoration if Naruto hadn’t prodded him into buying a few items like a nice rug and curtains.
Finding themselves without anything else to do for the moment, since the purchases would be delivered, and in some cases installed, without them needing to supervise, Naruto led his quiet companion to Ichiraku, his favorite ramen shop. He figured that Sasuke would look for him here, if he remembered his commitment at all.
Sasuke was chomping at the bit as Kankuro took his sweet time selecting what he wanted. In contrast to Gaara, he spent a good deal of money on wall decorations, mostly posters of half-naked girls. When everything was finally taken care of he tried to excuse himself. He was eager to find Naruto, not only because he wanted to find out what was wrong with the young man, but also because he was uncomfortable with the idea of him being alone with Gaara. The loudmouth was likely to say something rude and set the psychopath off. He’d likely get killed. Never mind that he’d managed to defeat Gaara during the chunin exams. That encounter had left him completely drained and unconscious. Sasuke was still sure that it had been sheer luck.
To his dismay Kankuro insisted on tagging along. Sasuke berated himself for mentioning food, since of course the puppet master would be hungry by now. So with the other shinobi in tow he made his way to Naruto’s favorite ramen shop. He was relieved to find the blond was in one piece, as well as in the company of others. Apparently Sakura had possessed the wisdom to track the young man and his red-haired charge down when she and Temari were done with their tasks. At least one of his teammates could be relied upon to display good sense.
“Ah! Sasuke-kun!” cried Sakura, rising as she spotted him. He suppressed a grimace, knowing she was about to fasten herself to his arm. He had reason to be glad Kankuro had come then, for as she passed the brown-haired young man he reached out and slyly cupped her pert bottom. She squealed and whirled on him angrily. “Keep your hands to yourself you bastard!”
Sasuke took the opportunity and slipped past her, sliding into the seat between Naruto and the wall. Sakura looked disappointed, and returned to her seat on the other side of Temari. She looked further disgruntled when she realized that the only seat left for Kankuro was next to her. The puppet master claimed the seat with a grin.
Sasuke ate his meal in silence, trying to assess his blond teammate’s mood and ignore the goings on at the other end of the counter. Naruto seemed to show no sign of his earlier discomfort, though he also seemed to be pointedly ignoring the Uchiha heir, which was a touch annoying. He chattered amiably with Temari over Gaara’s head. Not to say that the redhead was excluded from the conversation. He simply didn’t input much. Temari was far more talkative than her younger brother. Sakura wasn’t included in the conversation by virtue of having to fend off Kankuro’s roaming hands. Her shrieks of outrage were almost ear shattering and the curses she spewed at her perverted assailant would make a sailor blush. Sasuke was a little awed. He never suspected Sakura had that kind of vocabulary.
When everyone was done with their meals the six of them paid and stood, milling outside the shop for a few moments while they got things sorted out.
“Anyone wanna cruise the town, pick up chicks, have a few drinks, maybe catch a show?” asked Kankuro.
“Sorry, I have something I have to do. Maybe tomorrow,” replied Naruto sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. He shot an unreadable glance at Sasuke.
“Temari and I already have plans,” said Sakura. Kankuro brightened until she added, “Girl stuff. Pervo bastards not welcome.”
“My time is not my own tonight,” put forth Sasuke as the puppet master’s eyes turned to him. As the other four dispersed, Kankuro turned a jaded eye on his younger brother, who’s turquoise orbs were shifting between the retreating backs of the boys and the girls.
“I can’t expect any entertainment from you.” Gaara favored him with a cool stare and walked away.
Sakura and Temari slunk through the shadows, staying far enough behind the two young men that they didn’t notice they were being tailed. She could just barely hear what they were saying.
“So what’s up? What did you want to talk about?” Naruto was silent for a moment.
“Let’s find someplace we won’t be over heard,” he replied shortly.
“Aren’t you being a little paranoid?”
“Shut up!”
The two rounded a corner and the women crept up after them. The two young men were silent for the next three blocks, until suddenly they disappeared in a puff of smoke.
“Damn,” muttered Sakura. “Clones! They must have noticed us following them.”
“Hey, don’t give up yet,” said Temari with a grin. “I’ve picked up a few tricks the last few years. We’ll definitely find them.”
Naruto was relieved to be away from everyone. Though he’d done his best not to show it, all through dinner he’d been antsy and once Sasuke had shown up he’d just wanted to leave. But he hadn’t wanted to seem rude, especially since this was their guest’s first night in Konoha. Now though, he almost wished they were still eating, because now he’d have to face Sasuke. He had to do it though, this thing he’d been dreading and craving all day.
“So? You gonna spill or what?” asked Sasuke. He stood a few feet in front of the blond, slightly slouched, hands shoved in pockets. They were in the forest in a clearing where the moonlight poured down on them, silvering their skin and the knee-high grass. Standing in its pale glow, Sasuke seemed like a sculpture of ebon and argent. Naruto took a deep breath to steady himself.
“Sasuke Uchiha, I…” he began, his voice sounding unnaturally high in his own ears. “I…” He couldn’t get the words past the nervous lump in his throat. His stomach churned and his legs shook. He felt too hot and sweat was beading on his skin. “What I mean is…” He felt suddenly dizzy and he clenched his fists, digging nails into his palms, trying to use the pain as a focus. Could he really bring himself to say it with those cool obsidian eyes staring at him like that?
Sasuke watched his teammate carefully, noting the increase in nervous behavior as he struggled to spit out whatever was on his mind. He was sure the blond wasn’t trying to challenge him again. Naruto wouldn’t be acting so anxious if that were all that was going on here. He saw the ocean-blue eyes glaze over and for a moment was sure the young man was on the verge of passing out.
“Are you okay?” he asked with concern.
“No, I’m not okay!” shouted the blond. “But I can’t…I…I just…” What could possible be so horrible that he couldn’t say it in front of Sakura? That he had such a hard time confessing it to Sasuke?
“Just spit it out, idiot!” said Sasuke in an exasperated tone, though in truth he was more afraid than annoyed.
“Don’t call me that, you jerk!”
“Then say what’s on your mind!”
“I…”
“I don’t have all night, stupid!”
“I’m in love with you, you jackass!” Sasuke rocked back on his heels, completely taken aback. Had Naruto just said…?
“W…what?!”
“I said, I’m in love with you,” repeated the blond in a soft, shaky voice. He wasn’t looking at Sasuke anymore, instead staring at the ground so that his face was hidden in shadow, as though he were too embarrassed to make eye contact. His shoulders were slumped defensively and his fist were clenched so hard that his nails had cut his palms and tiny trickles of blood dripped from his knuckles. “I…I just had to…get it off my chest.”
Sasuke was momentarily too stunned to respond or even move. All he could do was stare blankly at the top of his teammate’s bowed head, his unruly hair a silver-gold halo in the moonlight.
“Why aren’t you saying anything?” whispered Naruto after a long moment.
That snapped the Uchiha heir from his stunned state. That was all? He’d been all worked up over this? A heady mixture of relief and incredulity swept through him making him feel giddy. The surge of emotion needed release and it burst out of him in the form of semi-hysterical laughter. He instantly regretted it as Naruto visibly cringed. Without another word the blond shinobi whirled and took off into the darkness under the trees. There was an arc of sparkles in the moonlight as the force of his movement sent tears flying from his cheek.
Sakura and Temari located their quary just as Naruto ran into the night. They hadn’t heard anything leading up to that moment except Sasuke’s laughter, so they were more than a little surprised and disconcerted to see the blond fleeing from the Uchiha heir in tears.
“What was that all about?” asked Temari as Sasuke took off after the fox-nin.
“I don’t know, but I’m sure as hell gonna find out!” replied Sakura, leaping for the trees.
“No, wait! Naruto! I didn’t mean it like that! Come back here!” shouted Sasuke, pursuing the fleeing chunin. Naruto wasn’t inclined to listen, too embarrassed and hurt to face Sasuke at that moment. He’d known all along that the other young man would react that way, was prepared to be laughed at and ridiculed, or so he thought. It had stung far more than he’d expected and before he knew it he’d felt a pair of hot tears slip down his cheeks.
Damn his stupid emotions! Why’d he have to be a baby and cry like that in front of Sasuke? He was sure Sasuke would never let him live his little confession down, but then to weep like a heart-broken maiden? Talk about adding insult to injury. How would he ever face the Uchiha heir again? Now he felt about as large as a worm and wanted nothing more than to crawl under a rock with the other worms, to find a dark, quiet hole where he could curl around the aching knot in his chest and be alone with his misery. But that damned Uchiha wouldn’t leave it at that, would he?
“Naruto, wait a minute! Come on! Stop already!” called the raven-haired shinobi as he chased the unhappy blond. What the hell could he want still? Surely even Sasuke wasn’t cruel enough to keep rubbing salt in the wound. Why wouldn’t he just let him be?
Sasuke was gaining on the blond, but far too slowly for his own liking. Naruto could be damn fast when he had proper motivation. If only the fool would stop and listen to him! He shouldn’t have laughed. Even though he hadn’t meant to be mean, that’s the way Naruto’s already nervous ears had interpreted the sound. He needed to trip the blond up or something.
As if the heavens were listening to his thoughts an opening presented itself. Naruto’s blurring eyes betrayed him and he caught his toe on a root. To his credit he didn’t fall headlong to the ground, but the interruption in his running stride was enough to allow Sasuke to close the distance. As the other shinobi regained his balance Sasuke made a flying leap and crashed into the blond’s back, bearing him to the ground beneath his superior weight. It was the only way he was going to get the stubborn fool to hold still and listen. Naruto instantly began to fight, thrashing and kicking in an attempt to dislodge his attacker.
“Get off me you bastard!” he yowled angrily. “You’ve had your fucking fun, now let me be!”
“I didn’t mean to – oof!” An elbow caught Sasuke in the stomach, rendering his words into an unintelligible grunt. Another cracked him in the cheekbone hard enough to make him see flashes. He lost his patience all at once and grabbed the chunin by his golden hair, roughly pulling his head backwards. As Naruto’s scowling, tear-streaked face came into range he crushed his lips against the other’s mouth.
Sakura saw the tackle and silently cheered. This was what she’d been waiting for; the fight! Though something about it was already bothering her. She didn’t understand why Sasuke had pursued the Naruto. It wasn’t his style. It was Naruto who was always barking for a fight. Sasuke usually couldn’t be made to care, and certainly never issued a challenge or went after a confrontation. Now the two were struggling, Naruto shouting, and it looked more like a catfight than a battle between trained shinobi. Then Sasuke’s mouth met Naruto’s. They both went shock still and Sakura was reminded of the accidental kiss in the classroom the day they had all become genin. Surely it was another accident. The way they had been struggling, all disorganized like a pair of flailing children, it wasn’t unthinkable that it could happen again right?
Naruto froze in shock. Sasuke was…was…was this for real? Or had he smacked his head when he fell and was now dreaming? Neither moved for several long moments, not even to breath. Naruto stared up at the handsome face so close to his, the eyes closed so that the ebon lashes merged into a thick arc. Naruto was torn between being enchanted and shoving the other away, certain that he was being teased. Sasuke was making fun of him, fucking with his head. Surely that was it. But it was so nice to feel those warm lips against his, those strong arms clutching him a bit awkwardly, but closely. It wouldn’t hurt to just pretend for a few more seconds, pretend that it was real…
Then those ebon orbs opened and looked him directly in the eye. With an almost challenging look Sasuke slipped his tongue between Naruto’s slack lips. Naruto’s ocean-blue eyes widened as he felt the slick muscle probe his tongue, caressing the roof of his mouth. He closed his eyes and kissed back, losing himself in the feel and scent and taste of Sasuke Uchiha.
Finally! The blond finally stopped struggling, and once Sasuke boldly slipped him the tongue he relaxed and closed his eyes, melting into the Uchiha heirs arms. The young man wouldn’t get away again, oh no. He was Sasuke’s now. He would never let anyone else touch the adorable, annoying blond.
He broke away and shifted, manhandling Naruto out of the awkward position they were in until he had the blond on his back in the dirt and was pressed atop him, taking up the kiss where he’d left off.
Sakura continued believing it was just an accident, until Sasuke gently laid his teammate down and kissed him again. Her delusions couldn’t stand up to that sort of evidence. She remained frozen in shock, her eyes seeing her MALE teammates making out far below her, but her brain chasing itself in circles.
Sasuke kissing Naruto kissing Sasuke kissing Naruto kissing Sasuke…
A sound from beside her finally drew her mind from its loop. Her head slowly craned to the side until she was looking at Temari. She’d completely forgotten the blonde kunoichi was with her. The wind mistress was snickering into her hand. She caught Sakura’s open-mouthed stare and couldn’t hold it back any longer. Her laughter burst forth like a gale.
“WAHAHAHA!!! You call that a duel? Unless you’re talking about their tongues! Or maybe they’ll be SWORD fighting in a minute! AHAHAHAH!!!” Of course her outburst had not gone unnoticed by the pair of chunin below them. They were on their feet, glaring up at her when Sakura looked back.
“What are you doing here?” asked Sasuke coolly.
“Wha-? What do you mean what am I doing?!” Sakura’s rage was boiling up. Her inner self was screaming for Naruto’s blood. “What do you think you two are doing? Boys aren’t supposed to kiss each other!”
“Damn, are you sheltered or what?” muttered Temari.
“That’s none of your business,” replied Sasuke. Naruto was just blushing and looking at the ground, but he wore a huge grin.
“Naruto!!!” snarled Sakura. She leapt down from the tree to stand directly in front of the blond. “You! What the hell is the matter with you?! Why are you doing this?! Is this some sort of twisted revenge for me turning you down all those times you asked me out?”
“Ah…actually Sakura, I never really wanted to go out with you,” said Naruto nervously.
“Huh!? Then why…?”
“Because I knew you’d always say no.” Sakura blinked, stunned for a moment by this revelation.
“You mean…all this time you’ve been using me as a cover to hide…” She glanced at Sasuke, who also seemed surprised at this.
“Well…yeah,” admitted Naruto hesitantly, peeking up at her through thick eyelashes. Sakura was suddenly struck by shocking revelation. All this time she’d known the obnoxious blond, all the many times he’d asked her on dates, and she had never realized how adorable he was. Until he didn’t want her anymore…
'Is that my MO?' she wondered. 'Do I only want what I can’t have?' She scowled, suddenly remembering she was pissed off. Adorable or not this little twerp was trying to muscle in on her man! She wouldn’t stand for it.
“Na-ru-to…” she growled cracking her knuckles. “Sasuke is mine! Don’t you dare try to-!” She had cocked back her arm in preparation to pound the little creep into the ground, but a firm grip on her wrist made her stop dead.
“Don’t do it Sakura. You’ll regret it if you do,” said the Uchiha heir coldly, his eyes like black chips of ice as he glared at her over her trapped limb. In that moment Sakura’s heart broke.
In all the years she had been chasing him, in all the times he’d rejected her he’d never looked cold. Disinterested, annoyed, bored, and beleaguered sure, but he’d never treated her like this. She couldn’t ignore that expression. He meant business, he was protecting the one he loved, and there was nothing she would ever be able to do to change his mind. She let her arm go limp and he let go as he felt the release of tension. Turning without a word, the strawberry-haired kunoichi walked away from her dreams.
Naruto watched the woman walk away with a dull ache in his heart. He hadn’t wanted to hurt Sakura. She was still one of his closest friends after all. That’s one of the reasons he’d wanted to keep this a private confession.
“Sakura,” he called after her. She paused and turned slightly, not enough that he could see her face, just enough to show she’d heard and was listening. “I’m…sorry,” he said lamely, feeling like a heel. She turned a little more so he could see her profile and smiled slightly, briefly, her eyes hidden by her hair, then she continued out of sight.
“Man if I’d known this was going to deteriorate into a drama fest I would have gone with Kankuro to ogle girlies,” complained Temari, still in the tree. “You two can go back to sucking face. I’m outta here.” She invoked a jutsu and disappeared in a gust of wind.
Naruto felt Sasuke’s strong arm encircle his waist and his chest press against his back. Lips caressed his neck and he sighed in pleasure. Sasuke certainly wasn’t wasting any time.
Next: Now that Sakura's dreams have been crushed, who's arms will she find comfort in? And what will poor Hinata do when she finds out her sweet Naruto is no longer on the market?
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Chapter notes: Disclaimer: Characters and concepts from Naruto are not my property.
Warnings: Shonen-Ai, bad laguage and adult situations. Subsequent chapters may contain scenes of a graphic sexual nature between couples of gay, lesbian and straight orientation. Don't get into this story if any of these scenarios could upset or disturb you.
Note: For the purposes of this story, all characters are over the age of 21.