Adult-FanFiction.org : Naruto

Torrid	By : KageKitsuneXXX Category: Naruto > Yaoi - Male/Male > Naruto/Sasuke Views: 4665 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters, and I do not make any money from these writings.

Chapter List
- 16
- 17
- 18
A/N: Am I early, on-time, or late? (Dons bunny suit just in case.) Time has no meaning for me right now. It's the World Cup, and the beautiful game is being played by beautiful men, and I and the rest of my country are having productivity issues. There's a television set every twenty paces, and people who are usually terrible at multitasking, are learning to do it pretty darned fast. Still, I preserved to bring you the longest, freaking chapter I have ever written. My brain hurts x.x;; You guys are so worth it though, because you have been awesome and supportive. I hope you enjoy.
Note: The chapter title is taken from the poem 'Sympathy', by Abby Lincoln. It was used by Maya Angelou used it as the title for her brilliant autobiography.
I know why the caged bird sings, ah me,
When his wing is bruised and his bosom sore,
When he beats his bars and would be free;
It is not a carol of joy or glee,
But a prayer that he sends from his heart's deep core,
But a plea, that upward to Heaven he flings –
I know why the caged bird sings.
Naruto peeked around the wall into Neji's dojo, where the man sat meditating in the center of the room as sunlight poured in through the open roof. He had apologised profusely for how events had unfolded the couple of nights before; but despite Neji's apparent acceptance of his apologies, Naruto couldn't shake the feeling that the older man was still a little mad.
"How long do you plan on standing there, staring at me, Naruto?" Neji got to his feet in a single, fluid movement and Naruto edged into the room, wary of the man's mood.
"Are you sure you're not mad?" Naruto squinted at his lover as Neji tied back his hair and began his stretches.
"You keep asking me that, and I keep telling you 'no'. I'm not sure what else I can do to reassure you." Neji stopped speaking as he continued his warm-up exercises. At length, he looked over at the nervous blond and asked his next question with disarming breeziness. "Want a rematch?"
Naruto scratched his cheek as he eyes narrowed to slits, surprised at the suddenness of the request. This didn't seem like the wisest thing. "A rematch? Now?"
"No time like the present. I'm eager to try out some new countermeasures I've developed."
Naruto didn't really see how he could say no, despite his apprehension about Neji's frame of mind. The blond sighed as he peeled off his shirt and began his own warm ups.
"And you're sure you're not still mad?"
"No, I'm not mad. Can we start, please?" Neji sighed long-sufferingly as he assumed his opening stance. "Ready?"
Naruto bounced in place, trying to get his muscles loose. "Um, yeah… It's just that I can't help but feel that- OOF!"
Neji's hand shot forward, sinking a heavy-handed palm into the vulnerable area just underneath Naruto's ribcage. Before the man could recover, the blow was followed by a hard jab to the abdomen, which left Naruto doubled over, heaving. He was soon flat on his back after a quickly executed leg-sweep and was about a second away from being decimated by a swiftly descending punch, aimed for his chest. He managed to roll out of the way in the nick of time. Neji moved back as Naruto rolled into a kneeling position and finally got to his feet.
"Should I have asked for a safety word before we began this match?" Naruto panted, still feeling the sting of Neji's blow beneath his ribs.
"After my defeat, I had to scrutinize the fight and rethink my strategy in order to secure a different outcome. Obviously, I need to end the match in as short a time as possible. If I allow you to settle into the fight, your advantage in stamina will ensure that you outlast me."
With that, Neji surged again, catching Naruto, who had been listening to the strategy, flat-footed as he landed four, high precision strikes to pressure points in the blond's already abused abdomen. Neji was rewarded for his efforts with Naruto's pronounced grimacing as the blond shrank back, out of range.
"So that's how it is?" Neji said cryptically.
"Huh?" Naruto edged back, knowing he needed to buy a little more time to come up with a counter.
"I wasn't striking your pressure points accurately enough. Some minute adjustments were necessary." Neji flexed his fingers as he continued to muse out loud.
"When did you figure that out?" The question came more out of self-preservation than curiosity as Naruto tried to quickly formulate a contingency plan.
"During sex." Came the matter-of-fact statement. It was enough to stop Naruto's cogs from grinding for a moment.
"Are you serious? All this time I thought you were feeling me up, and all you were doing was casing the joint?"
The momentary lapse of concentration was all Neji needed. He sprinted towards his target; quickly erasing the gap Naruto had deliberately created, and immediately landed a flurry of heavy jabs to his opponent's body. At the end of the blitz attack, he jumped back and waited.
Naruto stood in pained bewilderment for a second, before falling backwards, heavily to the floor. This time, however, there was no speedy recover. He blinked up at the glass ceiling, unable to comprehend why his body absolutely refused to move. At length, Neji finally took a seat on the floor, next to the immobilized man.
"Do you concede defeat?"
He couldn't bloody move. In Naruto's opinion, the concession of defeat was a bit moot at this point. Still, he nodded, and there was a flare of satisfaction in his lover's pale eyes, before Neji sighed and contemplated his blunted fingernails.
"In retrospect…I might have still been a little angry."
"Really? No shit." Naruto muttered as he struggled with the odd sensation of seeing his pinkie move when he was sure he had tried to wiggle his toe. Neji observed the movement, and sighed again. Still a little off, Naruto wasn't supposed to be able to move at all for another three minutes. They sat in silence as Naruto tried to get his body back online.
"I'm sorry." At the sounds of a soft sigh and a mumbled apology, Neji's gaze was pulled to the miserable face. "… for everything. I haven't done my best and I know that."
Naruto stared up into the bright skies. "It's harder than I thought it would be, Neji. It's not like I'm trying to screw things up on purpose. It's just that it's harder than I thought it would be- to shut the door."
Neji sat in silence as he contemplated the apology. "So what happens now? What do you want to do?"
It was a loaded question, and not the easiest one to answer. Naruto licked his lips as his body twitched in its recovery.
"I want to do the right thing. I don't want to make stupid mistakes anymore." He looked over at Neji, who remained silent and waiting. "I want to do what's right by you too."
It wasn't the most reassuring thing Neji had ever heard, but he appreciated that Naruto was going for honesty over platitudes. Still, it didn't answer his most burning questions- questions that Neji was quite frankly afraid to ask. He stared wordlessly into the clear sky as the midday sunlight streamed in brilliantly. The summer months were behind them now, though the heat and sunshine held on, not quite ready yet to accept the end of their season. Neji expelled a breath in a short huff, and stretched out alongside Naruto, turning on his side to trail a hand down the naked torso.
"Checking for more pressure points?" Naruto asked suspiciously as Neji licked apologetically at the red palm print outlined on the blond's abdomen.
"I shouldn't make a habit of doing this with you in my dojo." Neji mused as he untied the drawstring of Naruto's pants. "I'm starting to get used to the idea of sex after a fight. That would not bode well if I entertain an opponent who is not you."
Naruto grinned widely at the idea. "Shocking; still, I can think of worse things."
"So can I." Neji spoke under his breath as he responded to the soothing sensation of Naruto's fingers running through his hair. "So can I."

If anyone had told Sasuke he would find himself here without being unavoidably summoned, he would have thought the person was making a bad joke. But with everything that was going on, with all the thoughts constantly bombarding him and his emotions dragging him all over the place, Sasuke finally came to the realization that he needed help. Since his usual sounding board was at the root of his troubles, he came to another frightening realization- that he would have to reach out to someone else. This is how Sasuke came to find himself at his present location, already feeling the overwhelming urge to chicken out. Before he could turn tail and run, however, the door swung open.
"Coming in?" Kakashi asked pleasantly. He didn't wait for an answer as he reached out and dragged Sasuke inside. "It's always nice to get a visit from a former student."
It wasn't long before Sasuke was ensconced securely in one of Kakashi's living room armchairs, as his host brought out refreshments. If his sensei was surprised to see him, he wasn't showing it in the least.
"I figured you'd show up eventually, Sasuke." Kakashi offered as if mindreading. He took a seat on his sofa, opposite Sasuke. "No man is an island, you know, and all that jazz. What's up?"
Sasuke hesitated, contemplating whether or not he should say anything at all. He couldn't believe he was actually considering the idea of confiding in anyone but Naruto. The many horrifying ways it could blow up in his face flashed quickly across his mind.
"Naruto and I have been sleeping together since we were seniors back in the Academy." The coolness with which he spoke belied his near frenetic anxiety.
He had taken the plunge and actually said it. He ignored the instinct to cringe as he waited for some type of nuclear fallout. It didn't come. Instead, Kakashi munched a cracker, apparently waiting for him to continue. Sasuke's eyebrows lifted incredulously. Perhaps Kakashi hadn't heard him.
"You… you aren't surprised?"
It was then the teacher realized that Sasuke had been expecting a far bigger reaction from him. He immediately stopped munching. "Oh, oh yes. Surprised… I'm very surprised. Yes, that's the feeling I'm having- surprise."
Sasuke's eyes narrowed in blatant disbelief. "You knew?"
Kakashi shrugged lamely as he reached for his lemonade. "I had my suspicions. I suspect more people know than you may think; especially the ones close to you."
The possibility was worrying, and Sasuke put it aside. "Sakura doesn't."
"Sakura is blinded by her feelings for you. I doubt she would accept it even if irrefutable proof was put before her." The sensei mused as he sipped his drink. "Love's a strange and mentally debilitating thing- obsession even more so. It doesn't let you see the forest for the trees."
"She struck a deal with my father to sell out Haruno Pharmaceuticals if he got me to marry her."
Now the genuine surprise came from Kakashi. He stared, wide-eyed, as Sasuke divulged everything in a relieved rush, not having realized how badly he had needed to get the whole sordid detail off his chest. By the time the young man had petered out, Kakashi was dumbstruck.
"Sakura astonishes me. I could never imagine her going to that extent, but then she was always an amazing girl."
Sasuke shrugged, irritated at the very thought of her. "My father wants me to stay married to her as a shield, but Naruto wants me to end the whole thing and be with him. At least he did… I'm not so sure what he wants anymore."
Kakashi nodded slowly as he took in the situation.
"What do you want?" He asked mildly, as he leaned back in his chair and observed the young man before him. Sasuke seemed nonplussed by the question and stared blankly at him. "Well, you've talked a lot about what your father wants, and what Naruto wants, and I understand why these are pressing concerns for you; but things might be a lot clearer and easier if you think about what you want. What is that, Sasuke?"
Sasuke frowned, not entirely sure he was grasping what was being said. Kakashi was not the type to ask redundant questions, and shouldn't the answer be obvious? "I want to find a balance..."
"So you can make both your father and Naruto happy without sacrificing any of their affection." Kakashi scratched his nose in contemplation. "I've told you this before, Sasuke, that there is a world beyond your father and your family. You've found Naruto, but you need to know that there's a world beyond him too. There's a lot more to you than just being the Uchiha son, or Naruto's lover; and you should think of this aspect of yourself a little more."
"What I am supposed to do then?" Sasuke asked desperately, because he was totally out of answers and he knew it.
"I told you already; ask yourself what it is you want. Don't think about pleasing your father, or Naruto; at least, not right now. Just think about what it is that would make you happy."
It was more difficult than he thought it would be, since the request sounded simple enough. But Sasuke was unused to that framework of thinking, and kept slipping into wondering what he could do to avoid some type of backlash from either his father or his best friend.
"It's harder than it sounds." Sasuke admitted after some time.
"It is. Familial obligations can dig into you like a hook. I know just as well as you do. It's not easy stepping outside of that. It was impossible for me, once upon a time. I got caught up in trying to recreate one part of my father's legacy while erasing the rest."
"How'd you finally figure it out?"
"I didn't." Kakashi shrugged as Sasuke's face fell. "What I meant is that, I wasn't the one who figured it out. It took someone else, a friend, to show me the way. He showed me that there was more to life than living up to your family's expectations and living down their sins."
Kakashi sighed as memories of long lost friendships came back.
"I guess if I think about it, Obito would have been my Naruto. Well, without the sex, although he died before puberty had time to settle in, so who knows how that would have gone?" Kakashi smiled warmly at the brooding Sasuke. "You see, I always told you we're more alike than you could ever imagine."
Sasuke shrugged, refusing to admit to such a ridiculous thing. "I can't believe I'm having this conversation with a former teacher. I'm sure there should be laws against such things."
Kakashi crossed his arms and appeared to think about that small problem. "Well, if that's difficult for you, maybe you shouldn't think of me as your teacher. You could always consider me a friend, Sasuke. You're allowed to have more than one, you know."
Sasuke only snorted in reply, but Kakashi only smiled pleasantly, knowing the idea would eventually take root.
"Are you any closer to working out what you want?"
Sasuke knew what he wanted, he always knew. He wanted Naruto back. He also wanted his father's love and respect. It was never a matter of being unaware of what he wanted- it was just how to go about getting it.

Kiba swallowed at the sight of Neji's shoes lined up neatly next to Naruto's front door. He wondered if it was his destiny to have the members of the Hyuuga Clan continually putting the fear of God into him. Honestly, being in a relationship with Hinata was going to shorten his life. He headed towards the kitchen, and found Neji seated at the table, eating his cereal.
"Ah, Neji, good afternoon..."
He gave a nervous half-wave as Neji chewed the cold cereal thoughtfully, clearly wondering whether or not he should acknowledge Kiba's existence. At length, Neji gave a muffled grunt, and went on with his snack. Kiba could hear the shower running, and decided he'd at least try to stick around to greet his friend. He sat on one of the stools at the kitchen counter, and tried to distract himself from the awkward silence. Unused to this kind of atmosphere in Naruto's house, he tried to engage Neji in a little conversation.
"So, autumn's here already, huh? The summer was over so fast!"
One cold, hard glare was enough to tell Kiba that Neji was in no mood to discuss the weather or the seasons. Kiba faltered for a bit and tried again.
"My family's coordinating an adoption drive for some of the dogs in our kennels. I was thinking of asking Hinata to help out. You don't think she'd mind, do you?"
Kiba had thought it was a safe question, having expected no other answer but a dry 'I'm sure she won't', so he could tell Hinata that he'd made a genuine effort to get along with her cousin. That wasn't exactly what happened.
"It never ceases to amaze me how perfectly willing you are to subject a gently-bred woman like Hinata-sama to whatever little activities you think up. Do you really think she has nothing better to do than run around with you and your pack?"
Kiba's jaw slackened as Neji finished up his food and moved to the sink to clean up. "But I'm sure she'll say she won't mind, even if she does. Hinata-sama is very accommodating to the ones she cares for. Still, try not to abuse it, Inuzuka."
With that parting shot, Neji headed into Naruto's bedroom just as the blond was coming out, hauling a t-shirt over his head.
"Kiba, when did you get here?" Naruto asked brightly as he headed to his fridge and started rummaging.
"Ah, not long…" Kiba felt as if he'd just gotten his ass kicked. "I think I'm going to go, actually. Something's come up. I'll catch up with you later."
The subdued, mumbled speech alerted Naruto to something being wrong. He straightened up and looked at his friend with concern. "What's up with you?"
Kiba shook his head mutely, and headed for the door. "Nothing, I'm good. I just forgot to do something. I'll see you."
Naruto frowned for a bit, staring at the closed door as the possibility of what may have just happened dawned on him. Only one thing could put Kiba in a weird mood like that. Naruto finished downing his orange juice, and headed back to his room.
Neji sat meditating on the bed, eyes closed as he remained perfectly still and evened his breathing. Naruto had discovered that, after slapping people silly, meditating was the man's favourite past time. He went over and pressed his lips to Neji's, satisfied at the immediate response. He broke the kiss and stretched on the bed as his lover immediately turned towards him.
"I thought you were meditating. " Naruto teased lightly, as Neji nuzzled him.
"Inner peace isn't going anywhere. I'll get back to it later."
Neji trailed his hand down to the top of Naruto's jeans, ready to unbutton them until a sharp rap to his knuckles dissuaded him for going further.
"What was that for?" Neji asked, startled as he nursed his abused hand.
"You were mean to my friend. How can one so Zen, be so mean?"
"I was not mean!" Neji defended stoutly.
Naruto rolled his eyes in disbelief. "You didn't say or do anything that might have put Kiba in a mood worse than the one he came in with?"
Neji didn't have an answer for that.
"What is with you Hyuugas? I know Hinata's a big deal in the clan and everything; but Kiba really loves her, and she loves him back. He's done so much to help her confidence, and-"
Neji snorted his impatience and cut off the glowing recommendation Naruto seemed eager to give. "Do you honestly think I give a damn about who her Highness dates or what she does with them? She could come home with grimy paw-prints all over her unmentionables; you couldn't pay me enough to care!"
Naruto blinked at the sudden flare of anger, as Neji settled into an angry pout. "First you're mean, and then you're mad. I'm starting to think you aren't as Zen as you'd like me to believe."
Neji snorted rudely before flinging himself down on the bed and turning his back to Naruto; clearly intent on throwing a silent, temper-tantrum. Naruto observed these proceedings with great interest, and immediately sidled up to Neji and started poking him.
"Hey, what's the deal?" There was no response forthcoming, and Naruto continued poking into Neji's back, irritating the hell out of him. "Tell me, Neji."
Three hard jabs to his spine was enough to flip a glaring Neji over. "Stop doing that!"
"What's with the Hinata issues? I thought everyone liked her. Plus, you're her cousin. Kiba says she looks up to you like a brother."
"Only, I am not her brother, and she is doing me a disservice by pretending that I am." Neji sighed as he automatically rubbed his forehead. "Do you know what this is?"
Naruto looked at the tattoo, and shrugged. It was something he'd always seen, but never really thought about. It was unique to the Hyuuga Clan, and he had already figured that the members wouldn't divulge any information about it. Neji continued rubbing the seal, eyeing Naruto as he considered whether or not to share anything with the curious blond.
"The Hyuuga Clan is separated into two houses: the Main House and the Branch House." Neji began cautiously as he decided to take a chance and share the bane of his existence. "The Main House contains the masters of the clan, they are the ones who safeguard all the secrets and make all the executive decisions. The Branch House, on the other hand, is made up of the lesser Hyuuga members. Branch House members are little more than servants and bodyguards to the members of the Main House. That's the way it has been since the inception of the clan."
Neji sighed as he sat up and frowned down at Naruto who, by now, was a captive audience.
"In the old days, it was believed that the Main House had the power to kill a member of the Branch House at will, by activating a cursed seal placed on their foreheads at birth." Neji pointed a thumb at the tattoo on his forehead and sneered. "It made sure that the Branch Members always remembered their place, and that they didn't dare overstep their bounds. Of course, everyone knows that the idea of a cursed seal is rubbish now, but after all this time, the clan still practises it, placing the seal on all Branch House members. They say it's just a differentiating mark, but the master-slave mentality still endures."
Neji grit his teeth as he warmed up to his topic. "My father and my uncle were identical twins, separated at birth by mere minutes. My uncle was born first, so he became the head of the Main House; my father, consequently, was to lead the Branch House, which is why I have a cursed seal on my forehead, and why I have been ordered by my honourable uncle, to safeguard his precious daughter, and scare off the suitors he deems unworthy."
In a sudden movement, Neji straddled Naruto, staring down at the man with surprising, raw intensity.
"Do you know why I'm even an employee of Hyuuga Corps? It's only because I'm just that good, the Main House couldn't help but make use of it. They won't admit it to me or to themselves, but I am the absolute best our clan has to offer. If there was such a thing as a 'Golden Child', I would be it. I'm a… I'm a-"
Neji groped to find the correct word to encapsulate his greatness, and Naruto provided him one readily.
"You're a rock star."
This seemed to satisfy Neji. "Exactly, I'm a rock star."
"And modest too…" Naruto grinned up his admiration.
"That's just the thing- there's no point in modesty, because the whole thing is futile. That token position I have now, is the furthest I will go. It doesn't matter how gifted a member of the Branch House may be; it's his fate to be nothing more than the hired servant, subject the whims of his 'superiors'. For all of Hinata-sama's sweet, ingénue-like ways, she has no place as the Hyuuga heir. I am the real future of this clan, but I am caged, because of this thing." Neji rubbed worryingly at the seal, as if it was causing real, physical discomfort. He then glared down at Naruto, as if the situation was somehow his fault.
"So what you're saying is-" Naruto's brow was furrowed deep in thought as he squinted at Neji. "-not only are you nowhere as Zen as I thought you were, you're also kind of a whiner?"
If looks could kill, Naruto would have exploded on impact. Neji rolled off the blond in an infuriated huff, but didn't get far before Naruto caught him and pinned him to the bed. Neji glared up at him, and seriously contemplated kneeing him in the groin. Naruto kept Neji's hands pinned above his head as he wedged himself in between Neji's legs, most likely guessing the dark intent in the man's thought process.
"Has it ever once occurred to you, Neji, that your dad may have done you and your clan a favour by coming in second?"
The utter absurdity of the statement was enough to cut through Neji's indignation and properly focus his attention. "What?"
"Think about it." Naruto released Neji's arms, gambling that the killing intent had dropped below danger levels. He remained poised over the dubious man, and gently trailed a finger across the facial tattoo. "If you had been born to the Main House, do you think you'd be as concerned about the injustices experienced by the Branch House?"
Neji frowned, intrigued in spite of the futility of the question. "Maybe, maybe not…What does that have to do with anything?"
"I'm saying that you need to retool your thinking. Maybe the reason that a Branch House member has all these amazing gifts and talent is because it gives the opportunity to effect a change and gives a chance to make things better."
Neji's frown deepened being entirely unused to this way of thinking.
"You read Shakespeare, right? You know a lot about it?" At Neji's suspicious nod, Naruto grinned. "Well, I don't. We had to read the stuff, and I forgot everything as soon as the assignment was handed in. The only thing that stuck with me though, was this quote about greatness. It was talking about how some people are born great, some will achieve it somehow, and others will have it given to them. The only group I respected were the ones who made it themselves, especially if they would have been denied, otherwise. You reach out and you take it, because you know it's yours; no matter what anyone else believes, or whatever they tell you to keep it away from you."
Naruto stared down Neji, taking in the seal before locking eyes with the older man. "If you really are the greatest thing in this clan since the invention of the rice-cooker, then why don't you prove it, instead of accepting fate?"
Neji didn't even blink, mesmerized. The build was nothing short of hypnotic. Naruto stroked Neji's face gently, belying the grim determination in the blue eyes.
"I don't believe in fate, Neji. I'll make my own destiny; we all should. This-" Naruto emphasized as he ran a finger across Neji's forehead. "-doesn't define you. It's not who you are, and it's not who you have to be. If you are as great as you know you are, make them see it, force them to acknowledge it. Find your own way out of the cage. It's not just about complaining about it. It's about knowing what you want and trying your best to get it."

Kiba was always apprehensive about entering the Hyuuga compound. It always felt as he if he was slinking in, or some kind of dreadful interloper. He was relieved when he was able to close Hinata's front door behind him, and he quickly slipped off his shoes and headed for her dojo.
She was in all out training mode, as he leaned against the door frame, watching. Her discipline always impressed him, especially since he couldn't understand why she always pushed herself so hard when she really didn't have to. He smiled as she executed a barrage of palm thrusts into the thin air, very glad he wasn't on the receiving end of them. She executed a sharp turn, and squeaked when she lost her balance and tumbled heavily to the floor.
"Hinata!" He was next to her instantly, on his knees and already giving her a quick check to see if she had hurt herself. "Are you okay?"
She huffed her frustration as she sat up and flexed her ankle gingerly. Thankfully, she hadn't twisted it. "Gah, I still can't get that move right. My father keeps chiding me for my weak footwork; I wanted to have that one move perfected at least."
She smiled sweetly at him, as he helped her to his feet. She gave him a quick kiss and pushed him away playfully to resume her training. A few minutes later, she was frightening Kiba again with another hard fall.
"Ah, Neji nii-san is so amazing. He perfected all these techniques without anyone teaching him a thing, and I can't even get the foot placement right." She frowned in concentration as she threw herself back into her routine.
Kiba watched with growing concern and confusion, as Hinata kept trying and falling and trying again. "Hey, Hinata, you know you shouldn't push yourself so hard. You're pretty amazing as is."
He nodded his confirmation, feeling a deeper kinship with Naruto in the effort to understand the relentless motivation of their lovers to please their fathers. Kiba's mother simply wanted him and his sister to be happy and industrious. Wasn't that enough for other parents? Hinata smiled sunnily at him, jogging over in order to lean up and give him another kiss.
"Kiba-kun's always so sweet and concerned; but I have to get better. A lot is expected of a Hyuuga heir, and I cannot disappoint." Her father already seemed ready to abandon her altogether to focus on her sister.
"Okay…" Kiba muttered dubiously, still at sea over this masochistic compulsion. He sat and watched as she resumed her training. It was crazy, but it was still beautiful to see.
"Oh by the way-" Hinata panted in-between spins. "My father wants to have dinner with us tonight at 'Le Papillion'. I'm sorry for the late notice, but he just called me about a half-hour ago. You have a tux, don't you?"
Kiba stared at her wide-eyed as she flitted about the dojo. A tux?
Neji woke up to find that he was alone in bed, and was a little surprised at the darkness in the room. It was already dusk, the evenings now coming even quicker. He didn't have to go far to find Naruto, who was seated outside on the apartment's balcony, looking out on the town and its lengthening shadows. He padded out and sat on the floor, next to Naruto's chair, and leaned his back against the cool stone wall. Naruto looked down on him for a moment before staring back out on Konoha.
"I've been thinking some more about your situation- of the Houses and cursed seals and all. Sasuke says I tend to get all caught up in a passionate speech and never really think about the 'practical reality' of things. I usually tell him to go blow it out his ass, but sometimes I do get caught up in idealistic rhetoric."
At Neji's raised eyebrows, Naruto stuck his tongue out at him. "I crashed some philosophy courses in college, okay? Shut up! The point I'm trying to make is, even after I've thought about it a little more dispassionately, I still think you ought to go for it, Neji. Force the shake up and make them acknowledge you and the rest of the Branch House."
Neji swiped at some imaginary dust on the knees of his jeans. "You make such an interesting and convincing argument, that I'm compelled to try. I just never imagined that being proactive would be met with anything but frustration. Still, I promised I'll try; it may not work, but I'll try."
"It will work, believe it."
Neji snorted softly before looking up and smiling at Naruto's intense and earnest expression. "If it does work, I'll admit you have better eyes than mine."
Naruto grinned, already looking forward to the admission. He looked out on the town once more, where the crescent moon was already visible.
"I was born under a bad moon; did I ever tell you that?"
The odd statement startled Neji and he blinked at Naruto in confusion. The blond continued breezily.
"The night I was born, it was raining shit in Konoha. I'm not sure that happened really, because it varies wildly depending on who you ask. I'm fairly certain that it was a freak storm or something like that, although if you ask some people, a demon visited." Naruto snorted his derision at the ridiculous superstitions that held root in the town. "Whatever it was, there was a death toll that night, something the good citizens of Konoha were distinctly unused to. Now, if I was born anywhere else, chances are the only thing I could be accused of was bad timing. But no, this is where I ended up."
Neji's spine straightened a little when Naruto locked eyes with him again; surprised at the flash of disgust and resentment he had spotted there before it disappeared.
"So there I was, this blond, screaming kid in the middle of a hurricane or something, with his mother fading fast, and funny marks on his cheeks-" Naruto shrugged as he continued. "-in a silly, superstitious town, filled with silly, superstitious people. It only took one crack-pot fortune teller to decide that I was either the cause or effect of the hell breaking loose around them. Didn't take long for that idea to catch on."
Naruto sighed, not wanting to get caught up in the stale bitterness that was threatening to well up. "People aren't going to get up and accept you just because you wish they would, nor are they going to wise up just because you're supposed to get smarter and more evolved with time. You have to work at it, make them see you, and drag them into a new reality if necessary. I believe that… I have to; or else I'll always be that demon-brat, and you'll always be a bird in a cage. We can make people see us in a new light, Neji. We can make our dreams happen. It just takes work and determination."
Naruto nodded and Neji was beginning to wonder if this town produced any happy, normal, well-adjusted people. They sat in heavy silence for awhile, before Neji decided to take advantage of Naruto's openness, before the event expired.
"Why do you have all those keys?"
The surprising question had Naruto laughing, dispelling the heavy atmosphere for a moment.
"Wow that really bothered you, huh?" Naruto shrugged again, and smiled disarmingly. "They're proof, I guess."
Strangely enough, that was just the type of remark Neji was expecting.
"I don't even use most of them. I mean, they're just tokens for me. I kind of force people into giving me their keys as proof of their friendship. I don't know why I do it, it's not even always intentional. If there's ever a mass robbery in this town, I'm sure I'll be the prime suspect."
"You shouldn't need proof. You should trust in your friends more. Their affection for you is genuine." He couldn't believe he was the one who was saying that. For the first time, Neji was genuinely glad that he had at least had his father long enough to inherit a strong sense of self-worth. It amazed him how someone such as Naruto who had such a strong sense of self, could have these lasting vestiges of a low self-esteem. "Besides, you say you love them, and they love you. How can there be love without trust?"
Naruto smiled ruefully at the sentiment. "That's a piece of naïve idealism that I never bought. I don't think love needs anything to survive. It doesn't need trust, or reciprocation or any sort of encouragement; it can exist entirely on its own. Love feeds off itself. If anything, it only depends on the person doing the loving and after awhile not even then. It doesn't even have much to do with the recipient sometimes. It can exist in spite of anything. That's why some loves will last forever."
Neji stared wordlessly at Naruto as the man resumed his silent contemplation of the town. Before he could ask the burning question, Naruto's telephone started screaming.

When Naruto stepped inside Kiba's house, Akamaru was there to greet him, looking as grateful as a dog could look. Behind the massive dog, a flurry of activity was taking place, as a Kiba-shaped dynamo busied himself with tearing his closet apart.
"I have no tux! What kind of adult male doesn't own a tux?" Kiba appealed to the heavens as Naruto edged into the room cautiously. The blond hung the suit on the door frame and waited patiently for Kiba to finish his episode. The man whirled on the blond immediately. "WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME I NEEDED A TUX?"
"I brought you a tux." Naruto pointed out mildly, inclining his head towards the suit bag hanging serenely on the door. "It's brand new and everything, never been worn. It's yours."
"That is not the point, you Swedish meatball!" Kiba cried as he promptly grabbed Naruto and started shaking him. "The suit is not the point; the suit is irrelevant; there is no suit! The point is that Hyuuga Hiashi is going to hate me. He's going to rip me into tiny, bite-size pieces for his easy consumption. In three to four hours, you'll be picking little bits of me out of his stool; and all you can say to that is 'I brought you a tux'?"
Kiba paused for a split-second to make a dramatic statement. "I think I just felt my testicles retreat protectively into my body."
By this point, Naruto was turning green from the incessant shaking, and opted for immediate evasive action. So he slapped his friend- hard; and then again for good measure. "Damn it man, pull yourself together. I'm a human being, not a rattle."
"Ow, what was that f- OW!" Kiba whined as he nursed his abused cheek. "What the hell was that for? Did you really just slap me? What kind of man goes around slapping people? I should kick your ass!"
"God, I'm sorry. I don't know why I did that. Neji must be rubbing off on me in more ways than I thought." Naruto mused as he smiled apologetically at his friend.
"Oh dear lord, like I really need that kind of imagery in my head before I have dinner with his uncle. Who looks a lot like him, by the way!" Kiba threw up his hands in disgust as he went to examine the suit.
"What are you freaking out about?"
"Did you not hear me talking about Hyuuga Hiashi treating me like a chew toy?" Kiba muttered, exasperated, as he unzipped the suit bag.
"At the pitch you were screaming, only Akamaru and other nearby dogs could understand you. So what if Hiashi-sama hates you? He's supposed to, it's natural and expected. You want to defile his pure-as-the-driven-snow daughter, you penis-owning fiend."
Kiba snorted and choked on a bark of laughter that had tried to force its way out. "You moron…"
"Seriously-" Naruto asked quietly as his friend rubbed an idle hand over the suit. "-what's going on?"
"We're just so different." Kiba admitted at length, resting his head against the door as his angst came rushing on. "She's totally at home at some swanky restaurant with a nightmare place setting, and I have to call my best friend for a suit. She's the Hyuuga heiress, for crying out loud. I'm surrounded by flea-bitten mutts all day."
Akamaru yipped his indignation at the slanderous implication.
"Present company excluded, Akamaru." Naruto soothed as he patted the dog's head. Akamaru licked the fingers of his new-favourite person, and went off to take a nap in Kiba's bed. Naruto went over to Kiba and rested a comforting hand on the stooped shoulder, before smacking him upside the head.
"Again with the hitting! Life post-Sasuke has made you a violent and hardened individual, Naruto!" Kiba complained as he checked his head for brain-damaging, excuse-giving bumps.
"You're being an emo idiot. Hinata loves you. It's the real deal. And you love her back; you know that shit's supposed to conquer all. Besides, you've been together for six years. If there were any deal-breaker type obstacles to come, one would have reared its head by now."
Kiba hated to admit it, but he was starting to feel better. But still…
"It's okay for now, because we're young and she still thinks I have maturing to do. What's going to happen a few years down the road, when her friends want to take her to the opera, and all I want to do is hang with you guys and try to break our old 'dance-dance revolution' records?"
Naruto's eyebrow shot up incredulously. Clearly, Kiba was reaching; they hadn't been moved towards a DDR machine in years. Still, for his friend's peace of mind, he'd address the issue. "So? We can dance if we want to, we'll just leave those friends behind. Because her friends don't dance, and if they don't dance, well they're no friends of mine."
Kiba did laugh then, releasing the last of his nervous, negative energy. "You're such a fucking moron."
Naruto grinned back unabashed. "Kiba, just go meet her dad, have the awkward dinner, take the cold glares and the pot-shots and keep on loving your girlfriend. Hiashi-sama will give in right before your first kid. That's what grandchildren are for, reeling the stubborn old folks in." Naruto nodded as Kiba rolled his eyes and smiled.
It took some more coaxing, but Kiba finally readied himself to go, and tried on his new suit. He preened before the mirror, killing time before he had to pick up Hinata. "So do I look good, or do I look good?"
"Oh, I could just eat you with a spoon, I could." Naruto yawned his enthusiasm as he stood behind his friend and undid Kiba's efforts at neatening his hair. "But if Hiashi gets too insulting though, you have the right to leave."
"Yeah, we can go when we want to. The night is young and so am I." Kiba nodded and paused for a second before he and Naruto erupted into song, and an embarrassingly failed attempt at doing 'the robot'. "And we can dress real neat from our hats to our feet, and surprise them with the victory cry!"
From his spot on the bed, Akamaru buried his nose in the covers, shielding his eyes from the musical travesty that was the raucous duet. How man maintained his dominion over animals, he would never know.

It could have been far worse, Kiba supposed as he reflected on how the evening was going so far. He hadn't been brutally murdered on sight. Hiashi was actually polite and accommodating, even though it was fairly obvious the older man was marvelling about the purpose of Kiba's existence altogether. However, with each trip of the tongue over the French fare, and each hesitation over the ridiculous numbers of forks, spoons and glasses; Kiba felt his stock plummet with the Hyuuga patriarch. He was only halfway thought the appetizer, and Hiashi was already beginning to stare at him with undisguised annoyance and suspicion. To add insult to injury, Neji appeared to materialize out of thin air, and greeted his uncle and cousin.
"Ah, Neji." Hiashi's eyes lit up at the sight of his nephew. "Are you dining alone?"
Neji confirmed that he was, and had just dropped in for a quick meal. Despite Kiba's fervent prayers that Neji would reject the inevitable offer to dine with them, the insufferable bastard was soon seated directly opposite him, and browsing casually through the menu.
Bloody Hell.
Hiashi had clearly had enough of Hinata's little joke about tormenting him with her absurd boyfriend, and was intent to show her what a worthy candidate was like. Kiba had to stop himself from slumping miserably, already seeing the evening careening downhill. To his surprise, however, Neji was turning out to be an ally instead of another adversary. His jaw slackened as Neji smoothly sang the praises of the Inuzuka Clan for the second time in as many minutes, clearly surprising Hiashi and Hinata as well. The moment Hinata excused herself to the ladies' room, and Hiashi stepped away to answer a business call, Kiba all but pounced on him.
"You're helping me!"
Neji rolled his eyes as he took a sip of white wine. "Does it come naturally to you, Inuzuka, or did you get special training in the art of stating the bloody obvious?"
The acerbic response left Kiba undaunted. Having an ally at a time like this made a world of difference. If he had a tail, he'd be wagging it. "Why are you helping me out? Do you like me now? Are we friends or something?"
"Don't be ridiculous, of course not. Clearly, I'm not here of my own volition. Naruto told me that I 'owed you one' for being a 'prick' earlier. Obviously, I do not share that sentiment; but then he threatened to teach me the 'safety dance'. I don't know what that is, but it was enough to terrify me."
Kiba grinned broadly as Neji continued grumping. He definitely owed Naruto after this.
"I wouldn't be so smug, if I was you. You are aware that escargots are snails, aren't you?"
"I don't care! I'm… they're WHAT?"

Naruto raised a brow at the soft knock on his door, not expecting anyone who wouldn't just barge in. He opened it to reveal a smiling Kakashi who strolled in, casually dropping a bag full of fresh vegetables into the arms of the surprised blond.
"Why don't you ever bring me anything but veggies?" Naruto complained as he followed his guest into the living room.
"Ungrateful, ungrateful." Kakashi chided as he took a seat on Naruto's couch. "I'm doing you a favour. Growing boys need their nutrition."
"I'm twenty-five years old and over six feet tall. I think I'm done growing for this lifetime." Naruto reminded as he headed into the kitchen to store away the food, and get some refreshments.
"Physically isn't the only way a person grows, Naruto."
Naruto stared blankly at his former teacher as he handed him a canned coffee. "What am I missing?"
"Nothing-" Kakashi shrugged, deliberately planning to remain vague about certain things for most of the evening. He had no intention of breaching Sasuke's or Naruto's confidence to the other person, but he felt that there were still some interventions to be done. "I've just been thinking some more about this argument you and Sasuke seem to be having. It must be pretty bad for it to have gone on so long. Does it have anything to do with his family?"
Kakashi watched as some of the light went out of Naruto's eyes, as the blond shrugged and slumped, toying with his can of coffee while he avoided eye contact.
"Something like that…" Naruto muttered as he brushed away imaginary lint from his armchair.
Kakashi waited for awhile, letting the silence hang until Naruto started off hesitantly.
"He says I don't get it, his obligations to his family, and all the stuff he has to deal with everyday. He says I don't get it because I never had one of my own, which is bull, because I do have a family now- Sasuke, baa-chan, ero-sennin, Iruka-sensei, all these people and more are my family now. It may not be blood, or have happened in the traditional sense, but they're my family, and it doesn't make it any less valid!"
Kakashi nodded his partial agreement. "That's true, but even so, do you still think it's the same thing?"
Naruto straightened in his chair, as he contemplated the man before him. "What do you mean?"
"You have a family, and you've forged bonds as strong, if not stronger, than many people have with blood relatives; but at the same time, you have to admit, the expectations and obligations would be entirely different, wouldn't it?" Kakashi waited while Naruto raised an eyebrow at the question. It wasn't long before the younger man reached his own conclusion.
"You're taking his side." Naruto sighed as he shook his head, leaning back into the easy chair to stare at Kakashi with resignation. "I'm not surprised. He's always been your favourite student; you're bound to accept his point of view."
"This isn't about taking sides, Naruto; it's about getting you and Sasuke to understand each other a little bit more."
"There's nothing to understand anymore. So I guess I'm stuck being the unreasonable idiot who just doesn't get 'it'; and he can be the tortured son caught between a rock and a hard place." Naruto shot out of his chair in agitation and stalled, not finding an immediate way to vent his frustration.
Kakashi sighed, for a moment missing the cute little kids who came to as students in the academy. Granted, they were just as screwed up then, but they were cuter and far less foreboding when they got angry.
"I'm not taking sides, Naruto. I just know how important the two of you are to each other. You shouldn't let your friendship disintegrate because you're both being stubborn and inflexible. You know he wants your friendship back, he's struggling with the loss-"
"He's struggling?" Naruto barked a laugh as Kakashi trailed off. "He's struggling with the loss of my friendship? Is that what you were going to say? It's not the loss of my friendship he's struggling with; it's just losing, period. If he had been the one to end things, if it had all fallen apart on his terms, he wouldn't be 'struggling' or chasing me around now. I was expendable until I decided to walk away, then suddenly I was worth chasing after."
Kakashi gazed sadly at the miserable man before him, who was for a moment indistinguishable from the small child who waited alone at the playground.
"You can't honestly think that's all you are to Sasuke, Naruto."
Naruto faltered, looking uncertain and unhappy before shrugging impotently. "I don't know. I really don't know what I am to him."
Sometimes he wasn't sure what he was to anyone. "Sometimes he has me convinced and then... But that's irrelevant now. Sasuke made his decision, and it has nothing to do with me anymore."
Kakashi placed his untouched coffee on the small table before him. "Such problems you kids have. It never gets any easier. Let me ask you this, Naruto. The family you have now, with all the bonds you've forged… if Sasuke believed that they were driving the two of you apart, and wanted you to step away from them for him; could you do it easily?"
Naruto remained silent, the sullen quiet serving as all the answer Kakashi needed.
"I know he must have put you through hell; because I am well aware of Sasuke's ways. You both need to address those issues in your own way. As it concerns his family… remember those bonds run deep sometimes, nearly unbreakable. There is no escaping family, Naruto. If you are so unwilling to give up on the family you've made, is it really fair to ask the same thing of Sasuke?"

Kiba didn't know just how long he had been holding his breath. Judging from the burning sensation in his chest, it might have been awhile. Then again, maybe the burning had nothing to do with oxygen deprivation, but was the result of the conversation on which he was eavesdropping.
He hadn't intended to listen in, having just come over to Hinata's for a visit. He had been surprised to hear Hyuuga Hiashi's voice floating from the sitting room, since the man rarely visited his daughter, except for official family business. Neither Hiashi nor Hinata noticed his entrance into the house, and he had been willing to head back out and come back later, but the sound of Hinata's gentle protestations had pulled him back. He stood behind the wall listening to the conversation, feeling his heart sink into his feet.
"I'm sure Kiba-kun is a fine man, Hinata. The Inuzuka Clan is an old and noble one, and our own family has great respect for them. Still, there are differences between the two clans in terms of culture and breeding that cannot be ignored. There are far more suitable matches for you, my daughter."
Kiba didn't have to peek around the wall to know Hinata's position and expression. She would have been kneeling before her father meekly, hands clasped demurely in her lap, with her eyes downcast as she struggled to bring her father's attention to Kiba's merits.
"You need to know Kiba-kun a bit better, father. He's the most wonderful person, with a beautiful heart. I know he can be a little rough around the edges, but-"
"You care for him deeply and are growing more attached everyday; so I'll say it blankly. He's not good enough for you. A match can be arranged for you with suitable candidates if necessary, when the time comes. You need to remember who you are, Hinata, the obligations and responsibilities you have as a member of this clan. I have been waiting for this relationship to fizzle on its own, but seeing how dogged you are about continuing with this liaison, I must put my foot down. End this relationship with Kiba-kun; and end it decisively."
The door clicked quietly behind Kiba as he exited the house. He didn't stick around to hear the rest.

It was well into the evening before Kiba found the courage to come back and face what he deemed to be inevitable. He found Hinata where he expected her- in the dojo practising her technique with her usual fierce intensity. He stood silently, not wanting to extend a greeting and hasten what was to come. Before long, however, she realized she wasn't alone and stopped her training. Her usual cheerful smile was gone, replaced instead by a tired, strained one. She hesitated for a moment and began to say something, but Kiba didn't give her a chance.
"I'm not going to let you dump me!"
Hinata gaped at him after his outburst and he tried to calm down and explain himself. "I was here earlier, when your dad told you to end our relationship. I didn't know he was here, and I didn't mean to eavesdrop; but I heard the whole thing. I know how important your father's approval is to you, Hinata; but I'm not going to let you dump me. We're in love, and we're supposed to be together! How can you actually entertain the idea of…WHY ARE YOU LAUGHING?"
Hinata hiccupped and offered a chastened and apologetic expression. "I'm sorry, Kiba-kun. It's just that you look so serious and determined. It's kind of cute."
Kiba stood dumbfounded as Hinata sighed and began fiddling with her fingers.
"You didn't hear the whole thing, Kiba-kun. You couldn't have, or you wouldn't have arrived at the conclusion you did just now. Yes, father did tell me to end our relationship and he explained all the reasons supporting his point of view. I understood what he was trying to say and do, but I told him that I was sorry, and that I didn't agree with him."
She smiled sadly as Kiba's jaw slackened and he gaped at her. She reached up and tenderly stroked his face.
"I don't want to be separated from you, Kiba; you're a part of me now. My father…" She sighed again as she composed herself to continue. "My father just doesn't understand, and that's something I can't help right now; but we'll bring him around one day."
Kiba faltered a bit, seeing how much it hurt her to have another block between her and her father; and over him no less. "Are you sure you're okay? I mean, I know how much it means to you to have your father's approval…"
"It is important, but not enough to sacrifice the person who's most important to me. I'll get my father to see me in my own way, using my own merits." She smiled sunnily up at him to give reassurance, before pushing away. "And I'll do it starting with my footwork. You need to help me. I can't figure it out. I need to show him some improvement at our next training session."
She immediately went into her opening stance, and recommenced her training, attacking it with renewed gusto. Kiba could only watch as he tried to sort out the warring feelings in his chest while Hinata stumbled over the difficult move.
"It's your center of gravity, I think. That's what's throwing you off." Kiba nodded as Hinata paused in her training to listen. "I've been thinking about it a little, and that move seems to favour people with a higher cg, like your dad, or Neji or Hanabi, who don't have to contend with, um, well… you know…"
Hinata was nodding thoughtfully, absorbing the information until it dawned on her that Kiba was making reference to her rather sizable chest. It only took a second for her to muster her automatic embarrassed response. Her face flushed crimson and she lashed out, unintentionally striking Kiba with crushing palm thrust to the chest. He lay on the floor, dazed, until she stopped her flailing.
He really wished she'd stop doing that.

Sasuke took his time answering the pounding on the door. He assumed it was Sakura, who must not have been able to find her keys after they mysteriously went missing some days before. His assumption was wrong, and his visitor was the last person he would have imagined to show up at his door.
"You have got to be the biggest, fucking moron on the face of the planet!"
Sasuke stood flabbergasted as Kiba charged past him into his home. He closed the door automatically, turning to address his surprise guest. "Excuse me?"
"I thought you were a lot of things: a bastard, a snob, an entitled know-it-all; but 'stupid', that wasn't one of them. No matter how much you pissed me off, Sasuke, I never once thought of you as a moron or a coward. Until now…until today, when I realized that you have got to be the worst version of both. As it turns out, my clinically shy girlfriend has more balls than you."
It took a moment for Sasuke to recover from the verbal assault, but soon his face was darkening with anger. "Where the hell do you get off coming into my home and-"
"I'm here to wake you up!" Kiba retorted, standing his ground as rage rolled off of Sasuke. "Because it seems that everybody keeps coddling you, and no one is doing you the favour of showing you the reality of the situation."
"And what reality is that?"
"That Naruto's moving on! And he's moving on without you!"
It was enough to stall Sasuke's advance as he stared wordlessly at Kiba.
"It's only a matter of time, Sasuke. One of these days, it's going to happen. One day, you won't be the first person he thinks of when he wakes up, and you won't be the last thing on his mind when he's trying to fall asleep. You keep fucking around like this, and one day, you'll be this guy he used to know; until you're nothing more than a stranger on the street. I know you don't want that. So why the hell aren't you waking up?"
Sasuke immediately deflated, and found himself going on the defensive. "I'm trying to work it all out. I'm finding a way to bring it all together."
Kiba was having none of it. "No, what you're doing is holding Naruto on the back-burner while you figure out a way to stay on your dad's good side. You want to have your cake and eat too. Life doesn't always work like that, Sasuke. Sometimes, you've got to be willing to take a hit for something that's worth it."
Sasuke fixed a laser glare on Kiba as he rallied his own attack. "Why the hell are you here anyway? You hate me and my relationship with Naruto, so since when are you concerned with the two of us reconciling?"
"Because I get it!" Kiba yelled as he tried to vent his frustration at the cement wall that was Uchiha Sasuke. "I don't pretend to understand your part of it. I don't get the daddy-issues and the non-stop quest for approval; but I know that's the way it is with people like you. I do get Naruto's side of it though. You threw him away, Sasuke. You don't seem to realize it, but that's what you did. No one deserves to feel as if they'll never be anything but a distant second in the life of the person they love, Sasuke. Not Naruto, not you, not anyone. You keep stalling and banking on him sitting around waiting for you, and that's not going to be the reality much longer." He sighed and then muttered grudgingly. "And I don't hate you, Sasuke. I'm just looking out for my friend. He's been through hell because of you."
"I never wanted to hurt him. I just… I don't know the right way to deal with this now." Sasuke whispered, barely audible as he stared unseeingly at the floor.
Kiba took a breath, and sighed at the abject misery stamped into Sasuke's features. The men stood silently for a while as the tense silence settled in.
"I know you want your dad's love and approval, Sasuke; and I've seen how far a person would go to get that. I'm not saying you should disregard that need, but then you're not a kid anymore. It can't be about getting your father's attention now. Besides, you'd want him to love and respect you for who you are; not some idealized version that you probably couldn't maintain anyway."
Kiba clamped Sasuke's shoulder, hard enough to cause the latter to almost flinch. Kiba looked him in the eyes and tried to drill his point home.
"If you want your father to see you so badly; make him see you the way you are. Get his respect on your own terms, with your own efforts, and stop sacrificing everything that's important to you, and giving up those parts of yourself that make you who you are. You need to wake up and start realizing that you're an adult and that you deserve to be treated like one. You're a man, Sasuke- it's time you act like it."

The next evening when Kiba stopped by Naruto's apartment, he found Neji alone watching TV, evidently waiting for the blond to return. They exchanged brief greetings as Kiba sank into the armchair, wondering if he should leave or wait awhile to tell Naruto some of the events that had transpired the day before.
"I understand that Hinata has revealed her defiant side because of you." Neji mentioned coolly as he kept his eyes on the flickering screen. "I must say I'm surprised, and oddly proud of my gentle cousin."
Kiba smiled in agreement to the sentiment. He was both proud and relieved that Hinata had shone through like that, although he really shouldn't have doubted.
"I haven't seen Naruto since I got in. I tried calling his cell phone, but no answer." Neji mentioned lightly.
"Ah, he goes off like that once in awhile. No one can find him then." That wasn't exactly true. There was one person who could track Naruto down no matter where he was, or what type of mood he was in. "He'll show up later tonight."
There was a moment of quiet before Neji broke the silence with an odd question.
"How do you think this will all end, Inuzuka?"
Kiba blinked at the unexpected question. Neji was still staring at the television screen and the query was made with disarming lightness. Still, Kiba knew the true weight the question carried, and he wasn't about to get caught in a no-win situation like that.
"With shows like these? Hopefully with gratuitous nudity." Kiba responded, pretending to misunderstand the question. "Tell Naruto I'll call him later, okay?"
With that, Kiba made a speedy exit from the apartment while Neji shifted, readying himself to begin meditating.
"Yeah…I'll tell him."

There had been high hopes that the Valley of the End would be one of Konoha's premier attractions for the culture-seeking visitor. Somehow it never panned out that way, and the awe-inspiring monument of Konoha's founders was instead used as one of the unofficial paths into and out of the village. Consequently, apart from the random person trying to sneak in or out, the Valley of the End was nearly always deserted. It was one of Naruto's favourite places to think. At various points in their adolescence, he and Sasuke had both chased each other to this place, trying to prevent an ill thought out runaway attempt. It was too bad, perhaps, that they had never wanted to run away at the same time. Maybe then, things would have been different once they had been far away from the things that tried to keep them apart.
Naruto was distracted from his memories by a fat rain drop that landed squarely on his nose. Another one soon followed, and before long, the skies had opened up to release the pent-up shower. Naruto contemplated getting off the bench and ultimately decided not to bother. The only available shelter was in the form of the canopy of trees of the forest behind him. He didn't mind the rain so much anyway, since it was warm against the growing cool of the autumn. He closed his eyes as his mind resumed its preoccupation.
"Kakashi-sensei says that we don't make the effort to understand each other enough." Naruto didn't need to see to know when Sasuke arrived, his senses automatically tuning to the man as he quietly approached. He opened his eyes to properly address the silent individual standing before him. With the darkness of the evening and with the rain coming down, the black-clad Sasuke looked like some beautiful spectre that was destined to haunt him to his dying day. "He pretty much thinks we get too caught up in ourselves and each other to properly see all the issues the other person is going through. It makes sense to an extent, but I don't know if I agree with him."
Sasuke remained standing quietly as Naruto shifted, trying to get comfortable in an uncomfortable situation. "We know each other inside out. You're probably the only one who knows every side of me- the hate and resentment and insecurity that I've spent my life trying to escape. I know every side of you too, Sasuke. It's just not enough anymore. Maybe you're right about me not understanding why you try so hard for your family and your image; but it's not because I haven't tried. I don't want you to turn your back on your family, and I don't want you to go through life feeling as if you're less than what you're worth to your dad. But things have to be different."
"They can be." Sasuke finally spoke- his low voice cutting through the hum of the rain. "They will be."
Naruto shook his head as he stared at Sasuke's shoes. Finally he raised his head and locked eyes with Sasuke.
"For things to be different, we need to be different. I need to be different, Sasuke, and I know you, and I know me, and it's just…" Naruto sighed heavily as he tried to compose his thoughts. "I need you to stop this. I need you to stop chasing me. If this is about your ego, or about fear of change, I need you to move past it and let me go. I'm trying to move forward with my life, and I'm trying to do the right thing, the healthy thing and I know you… and I know me; and if you don't stop chasing, I'll fail. I'll end up completely caught up and entangled in you again, and I'll be right back where I started."
"Do you still love me?"
Naruto blanked at the question, which was the last thing he'd expected Sasuke to ask at a moment like this. He stared for a moment, incredulous and unsure of what to do or say, before his eyes narrowed with suspicion as he tried to get a handle on what Sasuke was up to.
"What?"
Sasuke licked his lips, feeling nervousness emerge from his jangled emotions. "Do you still love me?"
"What the hell does that have to do with anything?" Naruto hissed as he struggled against being derailed from his quest. "It's a dumb notion, right? A sentiment dreamed up to sell greeting cards and chocolate. Why the sudden curiosity? What does it even matter anyway? What difference would it make one way or another?"
"It matters to me." Sasuke responded firmly as uncertainty and suspicion flickered in blue eyes. He hoped for one last bit of reassurance from his sceptical best friend. "It makes a difference if you don't feel the same way about me anymore. It matters…"
"What if I said no?"
Sasuke felt something twist in his gut at the possibility; his breath came shorter and he tried to keep some composure.
"What if I said no, Sasuke? What then? Is that the magic word, my 'get out of jail free' card? What happens if I tell you I don't love you anymore?" Naruto flung out the challenge, feeling his own desperation rising.
"It would be harder, I guess, making you love me again." Sasuke's voiced hitched as he spoke. "Because I have absolutely no clue what I did to make you love me in the first place."
Both men stared at each other, heedless to the drenching downpour. Naruto stared wide-eyed into the uncertain yet intense face of the man he'd loved, in one way or another, for practically all his life. He shook his head as if to clear away the cobwebs, feeling himself being magnetised and ensnared.
"I'm not letting you do this." Naruto muttered as he got up and headed off towards the woods to get back to home and sanity. "I can't keep playing this game."
Sasuke didn't appear to be following, and he was almost on the path to escape and safety, when Sasuke's voice called out, stopping him in his tracks the way it always could.
"You're still the wind."
Naruto felt his heart stop, everything becoming static but the rain. "What?"
"I meant it when I said it, it was true. I mean, I didn't want to say it, and I didn't mean to tell you. It was kind of the alcohol talking." Sasuke bit his lower lip, trying to get his erratic breathing under control as his heart pounded in his chest. Naruto still stood frozen, not turning even as Sasuke slowly closed the distance between them. "It's still true for me, Naruto. You're wind and I'm fire… at least I used to be until it all fell apart, because you aren't with me anymore and I'm not myself without you. My flame's all gone."
"You're an unbelievable bastard." Naruto finally turned to face him. "Don't say these things now, Sasuke."
"I didn't know what it was, and right now, I'm still not sure." Sasuke continued heedless, silencing Naruto's protestations. "You wanted me to say that I loved you and mean it, and I couldn't do that because I had no idea what it was. My clan's style of love seemed to do more harm than good, and Sakura and all those confessions before… they didn't have a clue who I was and didn't really care to find out, and yet they swore that they loved me, and that couldn't be the real thing. So I didn't trust it, and after a while I didn't really believe it existed."
"I meant it, Sasuke. What I offered was real. You knew that and you rejected it anyway."
"I knew it was genuine. The first time you said it, I knew you meant it the way it was supposed be; but by then, how was I supposed to reciprocate it without doing it wrong? Apart from the pressure of the Uchiha name, I wasn't even sure I was capable of feeling it or giving it, and I was scared to try, because I was probably doomed to fail." Sasuke pushed his dripping hair from his face, slightly restricted by his soaked clothes clinging to his body.
"And what about now?" Naruto asked softly, barely noticing the chill of the pouring rain. This was insanity. It was stupid and crazy to stand there and listen, but then, here they were.
"Now? I'm still working on identifying what I feel. I don't want to be an idiot anymore, Naruto, and I'm tired of being scared. I don't want to say things I don't mean, either. So, I'll just tell you what I want." Sasuke nodded to himself and took a breath as Naruto waited- tethered to the scene. "I want us to be together, Naruto. I want to know that you're with me because you want to, and that you still love me; because I feel like I'm barely human anymore. When you're gone, it feels like there's a part of me missing; and everything's just empty and cold, and nothing fills that space, no matter how I try."
Sasuke paused, shoulders stooped, actually panting with the alien effort of baring his emotions. He was grateful for the cover of rain, but swiped self-consciously at his eyes anyway. "Is that it? Is that right? Is that the way it feels when you're not with the person you love?"
"Yeah…" Naruto whispered, voice breaking in the middle of the simple word. "Something like that."
"Oh," Sasuke responded softly, a small smile of relief as he straightened to his full height. "That's good to know, because at a time like this, I don't want either of us to misunderstand anything."
He closed the rest of the small distance between them, until he was barely a breath away from Naruto, who stood entranced and waiting. Despite the closeness, Sasuke resisted the nearly irresistible urge to put his hands on Naruto's body to feel him and pull him closer. It wasn't time for that yet, and he realized that things hadn't been repaired yet. There were still things to be done, and important words to be said.
"I would never say it unless I was sure, Naruto. I've done a lot of things I wish I could take back, but I'm a little better now, and I think I've grown up enough to finally admit that you're the person most important to me. I took too long to wake up and realize what's been staring me in the face all this time. But it's not too late for me to tell you, is it Naruto? You'll let me say it now, and maybe accept my feelings?"
"Say what, Sasuke?" Naruto stared down into the dark, earnest eyes and waited. What he was waiting for, he wasn't sure, finding himself suspended between fear and eternal hope.
"Uzumaki Naruto," Sasuke started, heart feeling as if it was trembling in his chest as he prepared to take a blind leap of faith. The world flew apart and reshaped itself in the moment it took for Sasuke to draw in a shaky breath. "Naruto…"
"I love you…"
TBC
- 16
- 17
- 18
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Torrid