Adult-FanFiction.org : Naruto

Mustering Happiness	By : xxKiuolo Category: Naruto AU/AR > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 1241 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: Naruto obviously doesn't belong to me, as my name is not Sasu—I mean... er... Masashi Kishimoto. Yeah. That guy. I make no money off of this.

Chapter List
- 1
- 2
- 3
Disclaimer: Still don't own Naruto. Darn.
Mustering Happiness
Chapter Two
The next time Naruto cracked open his eyes, he wasn't really awake.
Dazed, the blond was somehow able to comprehend that he was in that half aware, fuzzy mindset that he usually found himself in when someone or something disturbed his sleep in the middle of the night. He wasn't quite sure what had woken him up, and he was too tired to try and figure it out.
Suddenly, a warm feeling seemed to break through the haze of his thoughts. It had a pleasant, kind air about it, and... Naruto felt strangely... protected. It was nice.
Smiling slightly, Naruto instinctively snuggled closer towards where he perceived the feeling to be. His mind hardly even registered the arm that briefly tightened reassuringly around him.
With a content sigh, the blond slipped back into the land of slumber.

Sasuke carefully slid off of his bed, paying extra attention to his movements so as not to jostle the sleeping Naruto again. When he had tried to leave earlier, the blond had almost woken up. He didn't want to disturb him...
Ignoring the annoying voice in the back of his head that was telling him that being so considerate was extremely out of character for him, Sasuke looked back to check on Naruto again. Sure enough, he was still snoozing away. Sasuke's lips twitched into what might have been a smile before completely stepping off of the bed. He walked into the bathroom connected to his room and washed himself off with a wet towel before throwing on the first clean thing he could find. He then moved to exit the room.
After making sure to lock his door firmly behind him, the Uchiha headed down the hall. With his tense posture and brisk pace, it would have been obvious to anyone who might have saw that he had a specific, unpleasant destination in mind.
He abruptly stopped in front of an intricately designed mahogany door and raised a fist, knocking quickly.
"Come in," came a voice from inside.
Sasuke quietly twisted the handle and stepped into the room. "Itachi," he greeted, his voice strangely emotionless.
"Sasuke," a man—Itachi—coldly replied, not bothering to look up from the papers on his desk. There were a few brief moments of silence as Sasuke moved to stand in front of his brother and Itachi shuffled the important papers into an orderly pile. Then, finally, he glanced up to meet his brother's eyes. "I was able to hear you from all the way down here a few hours ago," he said. And that was it. No, 'couldn't you have kept it down?' or 'your loud sex noises were disturbing me as I worked.'
Sasuke nodded. "Hn," he replied simply.
Once again, there was silence. This time, Sasuke was the one to break it.
"Itachi, the situation is getting more and more dangerous. I'm sure you've already heard, but at the Sabaku banquet last night I was attacked. And not only that, it seems the Konoha police are getting bolder. There were at least two cops at the party, probably more," Sasuke informed, studying his brother with a critical eye for any sort of reaction to the news. As he expected, there was none.
Itachi leaned back in his chair and intertwined his fingers, appearing to be the very picture of relaxed. "I've already fired the bodyguard that was watching over you last night, and the gunman has been properly interrogated and disposed of. As for the police, they will be easy to take care of. Your concerns are unnecessary," he dismissed.
Sasuke stared at his brother for a long moment before sighing. "Fine," he replied, sounding bored. Not willing to waste any more time, he turned on his heels and stalked out of the room. Neither of the two bothered with a 'goodbye.'
After Sasuke closed Itachi's office door behind him, he couldn't help but pause. Somehow, he had a bad feeling. Were his worries really unwarranted? He wasn't quite sure...
Deciding to think more on it later, he headed back down the hall. He had a blond he needed to molest.

After his brother had left, Itachi stared blankly at the spot Sasuke had been standing for a few moments. Finally, he reached over and grabbed the phone on his desk. It rang once before the person on the other end picked up.
"Yes? What is it?"
"Danzo? This is Itachi. I have something I need you to take care of."

Naruto slowly slipped back into consciousness, blinking tiredly. His whole body felt sore, as if he had just participated in a long-distance triathlon. He frowned due to his discomfort.
The blond looked up at the ceiling, feeling strangely disoriented. For some reason, it seemed that the blinds in his apartment were closed, making him unable to guess at what time of day it was. His bed felt extra comfortable today, too, which was nice. Strange, albeit, but nice.
It was when an unfamiliar painting on the wall came into his hazy sight that Naruto began to realize that something wasn't right. What the...? He didn't own any paintings...
Then, it all came flooding back to him.
"HOLY SHIT!" Naruto screamed, sitting straight up in the bed. This quickly proved to be a bad move, however, as a fierce pain shot up his spine.
"Ow, ow, ow...!" he hissed, flopping back on the bed in an effort to help quell the discomfort. It was then that he realized he was aching all over. He mentally cursed Sasuke to hell and back. He would kill that bastard...!
Speaking of the Uchiha, where was he?
A strange sense of disappointment rose up in Naruto's chest when he realized the other man wasn't with him. He would have thought... Well, he thought that the bastard would've still been here when he woke up.
Naruto shook his head. What was he, a chick? Something like that shouldn't bother him at all! And it didn't. Nope. He just... He must have eaten something bad at that stupid party yesterday. That was it.
Come to think of it, he had left the banquet pretty abruptly yesterday. He hadn't even told anyone. His team wasn't worried, were they?
Suddenly, an image of an enraged Tsunade flashed in his mind.
Naruto couldn't help it. He whimpered. He was dead meat! This wasn't good!
That was it. He needed to get out of here. That is, get out of here, and then immediately report to Tsunade. Maybe if he got there as fast as he could, she would spare his life. Besides, it was obvious that Sasuke wasn't waiting for him...
He was quick to push that thought to the back of his mind, though a slightly bitter feeling remained in the pit of his stomach. He shook his head. He needed to get out of here!
Naruto moved slowly, so as not to disturb his aching body too much. His hesitant movements brought attention to the crusted over substance that graced his inner thighs, butt, and belly. The blond blushed a bit before wincing at the thought of how it had got there. Damn it, he didn't need any more reminders...
Finally, he was able to ease his body off of the bed. Looking around, he was quick to spot the connected bathroom and his discarded cloths. Curiously, though, his gun was nowhere to be found. Great, now Tsunade and Tenten were going to kill him. Tenten had told him that the firearm had been one of her best handguns! Once again, he mentally cursed the Uchiha that had put him in this situation.
Naruto hobbled into the bathroom and washed off the sweat and cum sticking to his body as quickly as he could with a wet washcloth, a light blush dusting his cheeks. When he deemed his appearance to be good enough, he went back into the bedroom and grabbed his discarded clothes. Somehow, he managed to cause only minimal pain to his poor body as he got dressed back into his suit. He only put on his dress shirt, pants, and underwear, not wanting to bother with the jacket or tie.
When he was dressed appropriately enough to go back out into public, Naruto headed over towards the door, an unmistakable limp still in his step. Hoping he could remember the way out of the mansion, the blond firmly grasped the doorknob and turned it, only to find...
It was locked?
The hell? Naruto furrowed his brow before trying to turn the handle again, only to get the same result. Yep, it was definitely locked. The blond growled. That bastard...! How was he supposed to leave if the door was locked? Did Sasuke not want him to go or something?
Naruto determinedly ignored the sudden fluttery feeling in his chest.
No, this was no time to get distracted! He needed to get out and report to Tsunade!
And if a part of him was telling him that he should stay... Well, he was just chalking that up to the fact that he hadn't been able to explore the mansion and look for evidence like he had wanted to. Unfortunately, he probably didn't have time to do that now. Who knew when a random maid would walk in and stall his escape attempts?
Now, if he couldn't get out the door... Maybe the window?
Naruto quickly headed over towards the window and moved to yank it up. To his joy, it effortlessly opened. He looked down, only to notice that he appeared to be on the third or fourth floor. Ha! As if something like that was going to stop the amazing Naruto Uzumaki!
"Leaving so soon?"
The 'amazing' Naruto screamed like a little girl.
Clutching at his chest, the blond spun around only to find himself face to face with an emotionless Sasuke Uchiha.
"Bastard! You...! Why...! Bastard...!" Naruto ground out, still trying to calm his rapidly beating heart.
Sasuke raised an eyebrow, obviously unimpressed. He then held up some pills and a glass of water, gesturing for the blond to take it. When Naruto only shot him a confused look, he explained, "I thought your body might be feeling sore from last night, so I went ahead and got you some pain killers from the kitchen."
"Oh..." Naruto said, somewhat at a loss for words. So this was why the bastard has left? To get some pills for him? Well, that made the situation... different... he guessed... maybe... "Why did you take so long getting back if you only went to the kitchen?" he asked, a little confused and suspicious. It seemed like he had been alone in the room for a while now.
"The kitchen is far away," Sasuke replied, his expression giving nothing away.
There was a short pause. "Thanks for getting it, then, I guess," Naruto finally said, reaching out to take the proffered items. He assumed that, in a place like this, itwould have taken a while to get to the kitchen.
Sasuke waited patiently as Naruto took the medication. When the blond was finished, he spoke again. "You might not want to try escaping out that way. Even if you somehow manage to get to the ground without setting off any alarms, trained security guards are constantly circling the grounds with their dogs. Escaping is futile."
"What?" Naruto yelped. It couldn't be! While what Sasuke described wasn't anything unusual for someone who was filthy rich, it was going to make things a hell of a lot more difficult. Plus, with the way Sasuke had spoken, he could tell that the man was dead serious—as if escaping from this place really was impossible. He couldn't help but feel a little unnerved. He needed to get out of here!
"You won't be leaving until you're authorized to do so," Sasuke went on, ignoring Naruto's indignant squawks. "As my... guest, I am your only key to authorization. Keep that in mind, dobe."
"You can't just keep me here!" Naruto yelled, a slightly panicked edge to his voice. "Bastard, I'm a cop! I know this is all sorts of illegal, and I have no qualms with throwing your pale ass in jail!"
The Uchiha rolled his eyes. "Hn. Idiot, I never said anything about keeping you here. I was telling you how things are."
Naruto paused. "Oh..." The blond appeared to contemplate this for a moment. "I guess you didn't."
"For a cop, you're really stupid. Has anyone ever told you that?"
"Yeah? Well, even for an asshole, you have a surprisingly shitty personality. Has anyone ever told you that?" Naruto mocked, sticking his tongue out and donning a taunting expression.
Sasuke smirked.
Naruto glared.
"If you keep sticking your tongue out like that, I won't be responsible for my actions," Sasuke warned, his expression and voice suddenly taking on a creepy edge.
Naruto's eyes widened at the threat. He was quick to stuff his tongue back into his mouth, but it seemed the damage had been done. Sasuke advanced towards him, and the blond cop was more than a little wary about the look on the other man's face. He took a few steps backwards.
When Naruto's back hit the wall behind him, he knew he was screwed. Probably both figuratively and literally, too, if the events from earlier were anything to go by.
A pale hand slammed into the wall beside his head.
Really... How did he get himself into these sorts of situations?
As Sasuke slowly leaned his head forward, creepy grin still on his face, Naruto desperately worked to recall the years of training he had gone through. Damn it, the Uchiha had another thing coming if he thought he was just going to offer his ass to him on a silver platter!
Working mostly on instinct, Naruto yelled out, "This is defensive maneuver four, bastard!" before carrying out a move intended for breaking an opponent's nose, potentially ending their chances of ever having kids, and—once they'd hit the ground—ended with a knee pressed harshly against the sternum. It had been a part of what he had learned during his training, and he was suddenly very glad for it.
It probably would have worked, too, if Sasuke hadn't been anticipating some sort of resistance from his dobe.
Just as Naruto lashed out, Sasuke grabbed his wrist and twisted his arm behind his back. Not even a moment later, the blond found himself face to face with the pale blue paint that decorated the room's walls. "Ouch! Damn it!" Naruto cursed, more out of surprise than from any actual pain.
Just as Naruto was about to shove the heel of his foot sharply down on Sasuke's instep and attempt defensive maneuver six, the Uchiha leaned his head forward so that his mouth was right beside his opponent's ear.
"You know," Sasuke whispered, voice smug, "just because I didn't come out and say that I was going to force you to stay here doesn't mean that wasn't my plan."
Naruto had to repress the urge to shiver. Blue eyes wide, he let out a choked, "Huh?" before he noticed his vision getting blurry. Suddenly, an overwhelming sense of fatigue washed over him, and he knew he was only seconds away from passing out. What the...?
"Looks like those pills I gave you are finally taking effect," Sasuke chuckled. "Night, dobe."
What? That bastard! He'd drugged him? That ass... hole... son of a... bi... tch...
Sasuke easily caught Naruto when the man's body suddenly slumped forward.
As the Uchiha looked down at the sleeping idiot in his arms, he allowed himself a small, rare smile.

"Where..." a deadly voice started, "the fuck is the brat?"
Tsunade glared bloody daggers at the three haggard looking people standing before her desk, her posture leaving no doubt that she wanted answers now. Neji bravely stepped forward. Behind him, Shikamaru and Tenten mentally wished him luck.
"Tsunade-sama, I am sorry to say that we are currently unaware of Officer Naruto Uzumaki's whereabouts," the brunet replied, his voice and eyes clearing reflecting the worry he felt for the blond.
"I think I fucking gathered that, Hyuuga," Tsunade hissed. Her hands, which had previously been resting peacefully on her desk, clenched into fists. "Let me rephrase my question: Why, eleven hours after the idiot went missing, are we still unable to locate where he is?"
Neji, Shikamaru, and Tenten winced.
Neji took a deep breath before replying. "We can only assume, based on reports from witnesses, that Officer Uzumaki followed Sasuke Uchiha into his limo after a brief scuffle involving an unnamed gunman and aforementioned Sasuke Uchiha. Therein lies the problem. We have no way to determine where the Uchiha took him. He could have... Well, he could have taken Officer Uzumaki anywhere. Not to mention, there are some places that we just can't check. Not without a warrant." While he managed to keep his professional tone, his voice wavered at the end. He had already lost his father. He didn't want to lose anyone else... Even if it was just a blond idiot he met the other day...
Tsunade growled, but otherwise managed to keep her composure. Her calculating eyes regarded the three people before her for a long moment. Then, she stood.
"I want you each to keep doing your damnedest to find Officer Uzumaki. And when you do, bring him to me so that I can strangle him," she commanded.
The Neji, Shikamaru, and Tenten nodded before scurrying as fast as they could out of the police chief's office.
Tsunade fell back into her chair. Her angry expression melted, and a troubled look replaced it. God, she needed some sake...
Before she could go and take out a bottle from one of the stashes that Shizune had yet to find, the phone on her desk started to ring. Growling in frustration, she yanked the poor device up and gripped it with more force than was probably necessary. "What is it?" she demanded, really not in the mood to deal with anymore stupidity.
"Ah, Tsunade. You're as charming as always," came the voice from the other end of the line.
Tsunade recognized the voice immediately. "Mayor Danzo," she spoke, her eyebrow twitching slightly, "forgive me for being blunt, but I'm busy right now. What do you want?"
"I'm contacting you about your busy schedule, actually. I've been informed you recently started work on the Uchiha case. I am now relieving you of that duty. You may now focus on other matters," the man, Danzo, spoke, sounding smug.
Tsunade's mouth dropped open. She might have been glad that no one was there to witness that little indiscretion had she been able to focus on anything other than the words that had just come out of the mayor's mouth. "What are you talking about? You can't..." she mumbled, still trying to get over the shock.
"Chief Tsunade, you don't seem to understand. I am ordering you to call off your men."
The blonde in question growled, gripping the phone in her hands with a dangerous force. The device made an ominous creaking noise, as if it were about to break in half. She somehow managed to resist the urge to cuss out the man on the other end of the line.
"Mayor Danzo, you listen here," Tsunade hissed. "We've already started to work on this case, and we intend to see it through until the end. If you don't—"
"I've already assigned a specialized force to take care of this matter. You and your cops are no longer needed."
"That is a lie!" the blonde snapped. "Don't even try to feed me that bullsh—"
"Language, Tsunade," Danzo murmured on the other end of the line, sounding mildly amused.
Tsunade growled.
"It is no matter of mine if you choose to believe my words or not. Either way, we both know you must do as I say. Regarding the Uchiha case, you will call off your men immediately. That is all."
There was a brief click, and then the line went dead.
Tsunade slammed the phone back into its cradle, her expression mirroring the anger she felt. She took a deep breath in order to try and keep her cool, though it didn't help much. Damn you, Danzo...! she thought, frustrated.
After a few moments, the woman wearily dropped her head into the cupped palms of her hands. "Brat, you'd better be okay..."

Naruto was having the strangest dream.
Now, normally, he was used to having pretty weird dreams—like that one of him floating in a gigantic bowl of ramen while wearing a swimsuit made of noodles, for example—but this one took the cake.
"Hello?" he called, looking around. The words echoed off of the walls, which were bare save for the pipes that crisscrossed over them. The sound somehow made the desolate area seem even more ominous.
Naruto knew he was dreaming, but he didn't know how he was supposed to proceed. Did he just stand here until he woke up? That sounded boring.
Suddenly, he felt his whole body being tugged to the right, as if someone had suddenly pushed him over. After regaining his balance, he looked over and saw a hallway he could have sworn wasn't there a minute ago. Oh, well. Time to explore!
Confident that no imaginary dream monsters would be able to get the drop on him—Naruto Uzumaki!—he headed down the hall. The scenery didn't change much as he walked, but as he followed down the path, he began to get the feeling he was getting closer and closer to someplace important.
However, when a sitting figure with a familiar duck-butt hairstyle gradually came into view, Naruto figured out that that it wasn't so much of someplace that was important, but rather someone.
"Oi, Sasuke!" Naruto called, speeding up as he spotted his... Well, what was the Uchiha to him? A boyfriend? Lover? One night stand? The blond decided not to think too deeply about it.
"Hey, do you know where we are? This place sure is wei..." the cop's voice trailed off as he got closer. His eyes widened. "Sasuke?"
In front of him seemed to be Sasuke all right, but... There was one major difference. This Sasuke appeared to be six or seven years old. And, as Naruto finally got a good look at him, he realized with a jolt that the boy was crying.
Before Naruto could say or do anything, the scenery suddenly changed. No longer was he in a depressing hallway, but instead a bright, colorful place. The blond had to squint as his eyes adjusted to the sudden light. "The hell...?" he muttered, confused. Just what kind of 'shrooms had he been sniffing before he'd fallen asleep? This couldn't be normal.
When he was finally able to see and make sense of his surroundings, Naruto looked around only to find that he was in a field. He mentally groaned. He sure was having a cheesy dream. Couldn't he go back to the ramen one? He had liked that dream.
When a soft sniffling noise caught his attention, the cop looked down and saw with much surprise that mini-Sasuke was still there. Somehow, the boy didn't seem to notice either the abrupt scenery change or Naruto. Suddenly feeling supremely awkward—he had never been good at dealing with crying people—Naruto bent down and placed a hand on the boy's upper arm.
Even though he was only touching mini-Sasuke's arm lightly, Naruto was a little surprised when the boy gave no response. "Sasuke...?" he asked, his voice careful. Still, the Uchiha gave no indication that he realized the other was there.
Naruto hesitated, unsure, before deciding to try again. "Hey—"
Mini-Sasuke's sudden sniffle interrupted him. "W-Why has brother been so c-cold lately? What i-is...? I h-haven't..." The boy, seemingly unable to continue, trailed off, shivers and sobs racking his body.
Naruto's eyes softened, his confusion and concern growing as he listened to the Uchiha's wavering, teary voice. He shook his head, clearing his suddenly scattered thoughts. "Sasuke..." he began, though he wasn't entirely sure the boy was listening, "I don't... I don't know what's going on, but it'll be okay... you know? So just... just cheer up, okay? I'm here... I'm right here for you..." The blond gently stroked the other's back, hoping to sooth him.
Mini-Sasuke looked up, his crying eyes hesitant, but hopeful. Naruto blinked, momentarily confused. So the Uchiha had been able to hear him...?
"Dobe, it's time to wake up."
The voice—coupled with a sudden hand on his shoulder—caused Naruto to spin around so fast he almost gave himself whiplash.
Behind him stood the Sasuke Uchiha he knew, decidedly older than mini-Sasuke and wearing an apathetic expression. Naruto jumped, startled. What the fuck...? He wasn't sure if he should be relieved or disappointed that the bastard he knew and loved was back.
"Huh?" Naruto asked, a little dumbfounded.
Sasuke sighed and shook his head. "It's time to wake up," he repeated. "Come on."
The Uchiha suddenly grabbed his wrist and hauled him back to his feet. Naruto looked behind himself just in time to see mini-Sasuke wiping his eyes with his hand before the boy and the scenery around him faded to black. Shocked and mostly following his instincts, Naruto cried out and lunged to grab the disappearing boy, but to no avail. In the blink of an eye, the tiny Uchiha was gone. His heart stopped.
"SASUKE!"
Naruto's eyes snapped open, his whole body seeming to jolt up and out of the bed he was laying on. His breathing was harsh, and he shaking so badly that he would have feared he was having some sort of seizure if he had the time to actually care. He tightly gripped the sheets around him, his knuckles turning white. "Sasuke... Dream... It was... Sasuke..." he frantically mumbled out, not yet entirely coherent. He knew... He knew it was a dream, so why had he reacted that way? Why couldn't his heart stop pounding? It was just a dream! Besides, he hardly knew the Uchiha! Even if they had done... that...
"Idiot, calm down before you hurt yourself."
Naruto shakily raised his gaze, his heart slowing back down when he realized that Sasuke was sitting on the bed next to him, his back propped up by some pillows and a book in his hands. Sasuke... Sasuke was safe...
Sasuke raised an eyebrow at the other's dazed looked, but seemed to decide to ignore it. "You've been out of it for a long time," he began. "I guess our previous activities really wore you out, huh?" The Uchiha smirked.
Naruto shook his head, trying to clear his strangely hazy thoughts. Man, he must have really been out of it... What had he been doing? He felt like it was important, but he couldn't remember...
"Even calling out my name in your sleep like that... I didn't realize I was that good, dobe."
That sufficiently snapped Naruto from his thoughts. Face turning a bright red, he stuttered out, "Hey! Bastard, you weren't that great! I was just dreaming! About... Um..." He wracked his brains, coming up blank. "Well, I don't remember what it was about. But I know it wasn't of you banging me, jerk!"
"Sure it wasn't," Sasuke said, smirking. He sent a knowing, condescending look towards the blond.
Somehow, Naruto managed to turn even redder. "It wasn't!" he defended, frantically waving his arms for emphasis.
"Right. Of course."
"Stop! Stop talking like that right now, bastard!"
"Oh? I'm sorry, I can't say I know what you're talking about."
"Like that! Like...! Like you're all superior and know better! Because you don't! Yeah!"
"Whatever you say, dobe. Pray tell, if you remember so much, why don't you tell me the last thing you recall?" Sasuke asked, adding a slight leer to the end of his words.
Naruto's forehead scrunched as he thought. He had a headache, and that strange feeling—the one telling him that he was forgetting something—just wouldn't leave him alone. He shook his head, dispelling the feeling. The headache remained, however. "Hmph... As if I need to tell you... You were a pretty active participant, bastard! " He looked determinedly at the blankets around him, his sudden embarrassment making him unwilling to meet Sasuke's eyes. Damn it... Why did Sasuke want him to tell him that he last remembered the sex they had had? To embarrass him? Well, it wasn't going to work!
"Oh?" Sasuke smirked again. He leaned towards Naruto, his dark eyes strangely wary. "Did it start off like this?" he spoke, grabbing Naruto's chin and lifting it up so that their eyes met. Before the blond could react, he closed the short distance between them. Their lips briefly met, until Naruto—really resembling a tomato at this point—purposefully pushed the other man away.
"That is not going to work this time!" the blond announced, looking extremely flustered despite his words. "My ass still feels sore, and..." Naruto trailed off.
There was a brief moment of silence.
Finally, Sasuke broke it. Glaring at the wall—feigned anger was much easier to deal with than embarrassment—he spoke, "Listen... Go on a date with me."
Naruto's eyes widened, and, mortifying as it was, he heart beat a little faster. "What...?"
"You heard me," the Uchiha mumbled roughly, still unable to meet Naruto's gaze.
A huge smile broke out onto Naruto's face. Was the bastard...? Was the bastard actually blushing? His cheeks looked a little red, and... Oh, God, he was!
Suddenly looking very much like the cat that caught the canary, Naruto leaned forward. "Are you asking me or ordering me?" he asked cheekily.
"Hn."
Naruto laughed. "Don't be so embarrassed, bastard! I mean, I'm Naruto Uzumaki! I'm just so amazing it's understandable you'd fall for me and want me to go on a date with you."
Sasuke glared at the wall even harder. It was a little incredible that it didn't shatter under his gaze. "Just answer the question," he demanded.
"Oh, so it was a question?" Naruto grinned.
"Dobe..." Sasuke warned.
Once again, the weird feeling that he was forgetting something seemed to take over his senses. Naruto pushed the feeling away, deciding to think about it more later. He grinned even wider. "Fine, fine! I suppose I can take some time out of my very busy schedule to—Ah!"
Sasuke cut off whatever he was going to say, leaning over and tackling him. The dark haired man leaned over him, the tiniest of smiles on his face. "You're a tease, Uzumaki."
Naruto grinned cheekily in response.

"So you haven't heard from him, either?"
Iruka shook his head helplessly, though he knew Sakura couldn't see. "No, I haven't," he said, his voice strained. He pressed the cellphone even closer to his ear, as if doing so would give him the answers he needed. "That Naruto...! Where could he have gone?"
"I really don't know!" Sakura spoke from the other end of the phone, her voice high pitched and panicked. "Tenten just contacted me, and I guess he hasn't been seen since that stupid, stupid party the other day, and I just...! I just...!" The poor girl sounded close to tears.
"It's okay, Sakura," Iruka said, keeping his voice soothing despite the anxiety bubbling in his chest. "Naruto is just... Well, I don't know what he's thinking, but I'm sure he's fine. You need to calm down. Panicking won't help anyone."
"But it's my fault! I told him! I told him before he left that he needed to be careful! I told him he needed to promise me, but he didn't! If I could have gotten him to promise, maybe...!"
"Take a few deep breaths, Sakura," Iruka instructed, bringing out his best 'teacher voice.' "Just a few deep breaths..."
Iruka paused long enough to allow Sakura to follow his order. When the other end was silent again, he continued, "You and I both know Naruto wasn't going to allow anything to hold him back. He gets very determined. We'll both go look for him, okay?"
"Okay..." Sakura whispered, her voice small.
"Now, Lee-san is currently worrying himself to death behind you, isn't he?" Iruka smiled slightly when he heard Sakura's quiet gasp. Really, Lee and Sakura were too predictable. Of course he was able to guess that. "I'm know the daycare is still open, so just go and drop your son off there. You and Lee-san can go check the places Naruto frequents on the west side of town. I'll take the east. If we find anything, we'll call each other. Sound good?"
Iruka heard Sakura gulp, obviously still trying to calm herself down. In his mind's eye, he could practically see Lee soothingly rubbing her back.
"Yeah," Sakura agreed. "Let's do that. Thank you, Iruka-sensei..."
Iruka smiled kindly, even though he knew Sakura couldn't see. "Alright. Stay close to Lee-san, okay?" He knew Lee would watch over her and keep her safe.
"I will," she promised. "Bye, Iruka-sensei. I'll call you if I find out anything."
"I'll do the same. Bye, Sakura."
There was a click, signaling the end of the conversation. Iruka didn't even hesitate, grabbing his light jacket and dialing another number into his cell phone. It rang once, and the muffled voice on the other line greeted him just as Iruka was heading out the door.
"Kakashi? I'm sorry. I know you're probably busy, but I really need your help..."

Naruto stared up at the ceiling of Sasuke's room, his face strangely blank as he thought. Sasuke had left earlier when a maid had come and whispered something in his ear. The Uchiha had nodded and said he would be right back, but...
It felt like he had been gone forever.
And it had only been ten minutes!
Since Sasuke had left, all Naruto could do was think. He kind of wanted to explore, but he had heard Sasuke click the lock into place as he had left. Not only that, but he somehow knew that trying to escape out the window would be futile. Not that he wanted to, but he was starting to feel a little stir-crazy. The stupid feeling that he was forgetting something was really bugging him.
He knew that whatever he was forgetting was important. He knew that. It was what his instincts were telling him, and he never ignored his instincts. They had saved his life on more than one occasion, after all.
Could Sasuke have anything to do with it? He wasn't sure. Even though he had only met the bastard the night before, he could already tell he was manipulative and stupidly smart. He wanted to trust in Sasuke, though. Plus, he was constantly being told he shouldn't jump to conclusions, so... He'd believe in Sasuke until he was proven wrong. Innocent until proven guilty, as was the saying.
Still, was that really the right thing to do? Something was telling him he needed to be more suspicious.
Naruto groaned, pressing his face deeper into the feathery pillow. He hated thinking!
And it still felt like he was forgetting something!

Itachi stared out his office window and down at the lush greenery below. The Uchiha grounds really were beautiful...
Sasuke had just left his office, after they had finished discussing the current state of affairs.
His gaze moved up to the sky, as blue as he had ever seen it. It was the middle of the day, and one could tell. Itachi could tell. So clear and blue... And the grass was so green...
Brother, look at how beautiful it is outside! Can we go and play? Please?
Itachi shook his head, dispelling the sudden memory that threatened to be brought to the forefront of his mind.
He looked at his hand, which lightly rested against the window. His fingers curled in on themselves. Itachi closed his eyes and rested his forehead on the glass. It was warm, so warm...
He would protect his only remaining family. He would protect his little brother. He would protect Sasuke.

"Oi! Hurry it up, bastard. You're slowing me down!"
Naruto grinned and picked up his pace, practically running down the street. Sasuke rolled his eyes. He wasn't about to sacrifice his indifferent reputation just to run with his dobe to the park. Hell no.
Seeing that his taunting was having absolutely no effect, Naruto stopped and turned back around to face Sasuke. "You're no fun!" he exclaimed, glaring.
Sasuke rolled his eyes again, unable to stop himself. This idiot... "Hn," he dismissed.
"We really need to work on improving your vocabulary," Naruto admonished, crossing his arms.
"You're one to talk, moron. I'm surprised you even know a word like 'vocabulary.' That's, what? Five syllables? I'm impressed." Really, it was almost too easy to rile up the dobe.
"Hey! What did you just say to me?" Naruto demanded, his fists clenching.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Which word was it that you didn't understand? Perhaps 'surprised' or 'impressed'? Or maybe 'syllables'? If you really need me to, I can try and dumb down the things I say for you." Sasuke smirked. Not only was it easy to rile up Naruto, but, silly as it was, he enjoyed knowing that he had the other's full attention. The fact that the blond was wearing his clothes was also nice. It was something that had come about due to the fact that the only clothes Naruto had at the Uchiha mansion had been his tux, which was decidedly dirty and much too formal for what was going to be their first date.
And what was to be their first date, one may wonder?
The park. The fucking park, of all places.
What were they, five?
Sasuke would have preferred to go to someplace with a little more class, but Naruto had insisted. The blond hadn't wanted anything fancy, and had informed the disgruntled Uchiha that they could have just as much fun playing on a playground as they could have if they had gone to some 'stupid, five-star restaurant where a poor, innocent blond could get shunned and sneered at just for picking up the wrong fork.'
Yes, those were the idiot's exact words. If you asked Sasuke, he was overreacting again. However, when he had tried to inform the other of this, he had been effectively ignored.
Honestly, Sasuke couldn't even remember having spent so much time with a single person in all of his life. Since they had met the night before, they had hardly been apart. Sure, that had only been a little over half a day ago, but it was still strange for him.
"I'm not falling for your bait this time, Uchiha!" Naruto declared, pridefully jutting his chin in the air. "I'm going to be the bigger man in this situation, so don't think any of your stupid taunting will work against me!"
Sasuke might have been more inclined to believe him if the blond's fists weren't still clenched like he was about to attack.
"Whatever you say," he replied, a decidedly flippant undertone marring his usually apathetic voice.
Naruto directed another glare at the Uchiha, telling him with his eyes that he was not amused.
Sasuke smiled smugly.
"Hmph... Just come on before I kick your ass, bastard."

A silver-haired figure smiled.
"Looks like I found him," he mumbled quietly to himself. Despite being perched a little dangerously on top of a large, old tree, the man easily pulled his cellphone out of his pocket and dialed a familiar number.

It wasn't long after that that they arrived at their destination. Considering it was midday on a weekend, it didn't surprise Sasuke when he saw that the place was crawling with sticky, smelly little brats. This really hadn't been what he had expected when he'd mentioned going on a date.
Out of the corner of his eyes, Sasuke noticed the guards that had been discreetly following the pair shifting warily. He couldn't blame them. They were all out of their comfort zone.
Well, all of them except for Naruto.
Sasuke watched with mild amusement as the blond darted forward, blending in so well with the children it was almost creepy. The man was a grown adult; a cop! And he... He wanted to go to the park. He was definitely... unique. Yes, unique was the word.
"Hehe... I'm glad I've patrolled some of the neighborhoods close to your house! I'd always wanted to check this place out, but never got the chance. Alright! We're here. What should we do first?" Naruto looked around. To Sasuke's slight horror, he seemed to honestly be contemplating this.
Around them, Sasuke's trained ears picked up the sudden hushed whispering. While he didn't get out much, he was... well-known, to say the least. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw as many parents quickly shuffled their children away, probably to head back home where they thought it was safe. Naruto seemed to remain oblivious to all of this. Hn.
"I am going to go and sit on that bench," Sasuke stressed, already heading for a particularly isolated place. It looked nice and shady, and he knew no one would dare to interrupt him.
"No, no, no!" Naruto insisted, determinedly latching into the Uchiha's arm before he could get too far away. "You're going to play, and you are going to like it. You're a major stick in the mud, and I am going to fix that if it kills me!"
So that's what this was about.
"I don't need to be 'fixed,' idiot," Sasuke said, glaring. "You're over stating things. Besides, in case you didn't notice, the oldest person here who isn't a parent is maybe eight at the most, and I refuse—"
"Hey! I'll have you know, I'm nine and a half!" came a young, slightly squeaky voice from somewhere behind the dark-haired man. Sasuke's eye twitched in annoyance. This brat obviously didn't know who he was.
Naruto snickered.
"Fine. Dobe, the oldest person here is nine, and—" Sasuke's words were once again cut short by the same squeaky voice.
"And a half!" the child shouted.
Sasuke turned around, directing his patented Uchiha glare of doom at the child. He was mildly surprised, however, when his eyes met with not one, but three brats. From the overconfident, determined postures they had assumed, he could already tell this wasn't going to end well. God damn it.
"Heh. I bet you're terrified of us, aren't you?" the kid in the middle, the one who had been talking earlier, bragged. He brushed the pad of this thumb against the side of his nose cockily.
It seemed the youngest Uchiha had turned into an idiot-magnet.
"Hardly," Sasuke scoffed, still glaring. Naruto was a little impressed that he could do both at once.
"Of course you are!" the boy spoke, nodding vigorously. "After all, we are Konoha's most feared Team Konohamaru! I'm the leader. My name is Konohamaru—"
"What an original team name..." Sasuke said, sarcasm practically dripping from his words.
Not even pausing at this, Konohamaru continued, "And these are my fellow team members, Udon and Moegi!" He pointed to them each in turn as they were introduced.
"I don't care," Sasuke deadpanned bluntly. The glare he directed at them could have frozen hell. The three backed away instinctually.
"I thought I told you that you needed to be nicer to people, asshole!" Naruto finally said, stepping forward. He placed a hand on Sasuke's shoulder. "Don't worry about him, guys. He's just a jerk."
'Just a jerk'? Sasuke repeated in his head, sending an unamused look at his blond haired companion.
"So, what does your team do?" Naruto inquired, grinning.
"I'm, um, glad you asked!" Konohamaru said, clearly trying to muster up his courage again after having been sent such a killer glare. "We are the forces of good, working to rid this world of evil. And you, mister," he pointed an accusing finger at Sasuke, "must be a villain!"
Sasuke smirked. This kid didn't even know the half of it.
Naruto laughed. "What makes you say that? Sasuke is just Sasuke."
"He was trying to get Hanabi to play with us, but the maid lady who was watching over her took her away as soon as you arrived," Udon explained, wiping away a stray booger that threatened to fall from his nose. "Hey, can I go home now?"
Konohamaru turned bright red. "Th-that's not it at all!" he protested. "It's just that everyone who looks at him can tell he's evil. What, with that pitch-black hair, pale skin, in—"
"Hanabi..." Moegi scoffed resentfully, pointedly looking away from Konohamaru. She was glaring, and her posture clearly reflected that of a woman scorned.
"He looks like a vampire!" Konohamaru insisted desperately, waving his arms around wildly for emphasis.
"Uchiha-sama," interrupted a guard, his voice distinctly monotone. He seemed to appear from nowhere, causing Naruto and the members of Team Konohamaru to jump. Sasuke looked impassive.
"What is it?" the Uchiha asked.
"It's one of his evil minions!" Konohamaru squawked, running to hide behind Naruto for cover.
"If these children are being an annoyance, my men and I can remove them," the guard spoke, very slight uncertainty in his words.
"Hey! You can't do that!" Naruto said angrily, directing a glare at Sasuke and the bodyguard. "Try to, and I, Naruto Uzumaki, will kick your ass!"
"Yeah!" Konohamaru exclaimed, still half-hidden behind the cop.
"Can I go home now...?" Udon asked again. He was ignored.
Sasuke sighed, glancing at Naruto from the corner of his eye. Finally, he lifted his chin a little and spoke in a bored tone, "They're an annoyance, but it's nothing I can't handle. Your assistance isn't required. Get back into your position."
The man nodded before bowing and going to do as he was told.
Konohamaru peeked out from behind Naruto, looking hesitant. Naruto grinned at the boy. "He's gone," the blond said, as if to confirm the other's thoughts.
The effect was instantaneous. Konohamaru jumped out from behind Naruto and and puffed out his chest. "Heh. So maybe you're a good guy, after all," he spoke, pointing a casual finger at Sasuke.
Sasuke grunted. He didn't care. As far as he was concerned, the kid could think whatever he wanted. It's not like he had done it for him.
"And you!" Konohamaru exclaimed, turning to Naruto. "What you did... It was, you know, it was kind of cool. So, I'm officially making you my boss!"
"Your boss?" Naruto repeated, a Cheshire cat-like smile appearing on his face. Heh. He liked the sound of that...
"Yes!" Konohamaru confirmed, nodding vigorously.
A small sound of disbelief came from behind the two. "Boss?" Moegi questioned. "But...! But...! Konohamaru, you're our boss!"
"I still am," Konohamaru sniffed indignantly. "It's just that I'm going to be an apprentice of this guy while I lead you."
Udon nodded. "Makes sense to me," he said, grabbing a handkerchief out of his back pocket. He plucked his glasses off of his nose and began to clean them.
Moegi's eye twitched dangerously, but she didn't say anything else.
Konohamaru turned to Naruto. "So! Since you're my boss, you have to teach me all of the cool things you know!" he explained, his eyes strangely sparkly.
Naruto pumped a fist into the air. "Of course! First off, we'll—"
Sasuke coughed pointedly.
The blond quickly backpedaled. "Er, I mean... Um. This guy. Sasuke," Naruto jabbed a thumb in the Uchiha's direction, "We're kinda... Um. You know. Hanging out right now." The word 'date' lingered on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn't bring himself to say it. A light blush dusted his cheeks.
Sasuke scoffed, ignoring the slight sting he felt. Just hanging out, huh? That idiot...
"So... Yeah!" Naruto continued lamely. "Maybe some other time, okay?"
Konohamaru pouted. "No!" he whined. "Why don't we all just hang out together?"
"But I want to go home..." Udon was again ignored.
"I don't think we—"
"I know this area like the back of my hand!" Konohamaru bragged. "If you stick with me, you'll have ten, no, one hundred times more fun! So please, boss?" The sparkly eyes were back.
Glaring, Sasuke finally spoke up, "Beat it, kid. No means no." The threat in his voice was undeniable, telling Konohamaru in no uncertain terms that he had no qualms with calling one of his body guards back.
Naruto's temper flared. "Hey! I know I told you I'd spend time with you, but that doesn't mean you can go picking on people!"
Sasuke didn't miss the way Naruto again avoided using the word 'date.' Well, he'd just use it for him. "Dobe, in case you didn't know, a date is usually a two person activity."
Naruto turned bright red.
Konohamaru and Moegi gaped. Udon looked contemplative.
"Wait..." Moegi muttered to herself, her eyes wide as she tried to piece everything together in her head.
"Bastard! Did you really have to say..." Naruto trailed off, his face so red he was beginning to resemble a tomato.
"Two guys are on a date?" Konohamaru finally screeched.
"Wow..." Udon mumbled. "So it really does happen..."
Naruto's face somehow managed to turn even redder.
Sasuke's glare was almost deadly. "Do you have a problem with that?"
Team Konohamaru seemed to shrink under the intimidating man's gaze. "Ah..." Konohamaru gulped. "That is..."
Before Naruto could intervene, an angry voice broke through the tense atmosphere. "Konohamaru!"
The boy in question flinched.
A bespectacled man angrily strode over to them, grabbing onto Konohamaru's arm as soon as he was close enough. "You're coming with me right now!" the man demanded.
"Noooo..." Konohamaru whined, but to no avail.
The man seemed to brace himself before lifting his head and sending a too-bright, extremely nervous smile at Sasuke and Naruto. "Ah... Hello," he began, self-consciously pushing his sunglasses higher up his nose. "You're Sasuke Uchiha-san, correct? I... My name is Ebisu, and I'm terribly, terribly sorry that my student has been bothering you. I can assure you it won't bother you again. We'll be taking our leave now."
"Hn."
"Um... Indeed." Ebisu's nervous smile seemed to grow impossibly larger. He tugged more forcefully on Konohamaru's arm. "We're going now," he stressed harshly to the child. Konohamaru pouted, but grudgingly allowed himself to be dragged off.
"Sorry, looks like we have to leave now," Udon apologized, allowing Moegi to grab his wrist as the two turned to follow Ebisu and Konohamaru.
"Um... Bye!" Moegi called, directing an uncertain look at the two as she ran off.
"Aw. They sure had to leave quickly," Naruto commented, rubbing the back of his neck in confusion.
"Whatever," Sasuke grunted in reply. As far as he was concerned, it was better that way, anyway.
As they were watching the four walk off, suddenly Konohamaru started struggling and broke free from Ebisu's grip. Before the man could process what was going on, Konohamaru took off back in Sasuke and Naruto's direction. Ebisu, having learned to expect things like this from his student, quickly recovered and began to chase after him, shouting the whole way.
Konohamaru skidded to a halt in front of Naruto and Sasuke, breathing hard. "Hey..." he said in between breaths. "If you guys are on a... erm... date... I would suggest going that way. There's this really big hill, and the view from it is awesome." Konohamaru whipped his head around, eyes widening when he saw how close Ebisu was to catching up with him. "Sorry, gotta go! See you!" With that, the boy once again took off.
There was a brief moment of silence. Naruto was the one to break it. "Well, what do you say? Want to go and check it out?" he inquired.
"Sure." Sasuke smirked. "Either way, it's probably better than the park."
Naruto sputtered in indignation. "Hey! The park was a great idea! It's not my fault some of us can't appreciate how awesome it is!"
"Excuse me for not having the body nor the mentality of a five-year-old."
The duo continued to bicker as they walked in the direction that Konohamaru had told them to go. Sasuke's guards followed, skillfully remaining discreet. They didn't even want to think of what their boss would do to them if they interrupted. It was weird for them to see him so animated.
"Oh, hey! I think that's the place!" Naruto said, pointing as a rather large hill came into view. He picked up his pace, wanting to see the 'awesome view' that Konohamaru had talked about. What could it be? A nice view of the city? A flower field? He hoped it wasn't the last one. That would be too girly for him.
"Hey! Be careful! Slow down, idiot!" Sasuke called as Naruto hurried ahead. Did the dobe want to lose his footing and fall? He couldn't afford to lose anymore brain cells if he hit his head.
Naruto ignored this. "Hey, bastard, bet I can beat you to the top!" he announced, jerking his thumb towards the imposing hill.
Sasuke scoffed. He was an Uchiha. He wasn't about to lose his composure over some taunting. "No. I decline," he said simply. His tone left no room for argument.
But Naruto wasn't one to be deterred. "Aw! Come on!"
"No."
The blond frowned. "Fine. Be that way. But I'm still going to get to the top before you!" With those final words, Naruto spun on his heels and took off up the hill.
Sasuke felt annoyance bubbling to the surface. Hadn't he just told Naruto to be careful? Whatever, the blond could just slip and fall for all the he cared. He followed after Naruto at a much more leisurely pace.
Naruto grinned widely as he ran. Messing around with Sasuke like this was so much fun. Just being with him left this strange, light feeling in his chest. Despite how much of a jerk Sasuke was, he wanted to stay with him as long as he could.
Just as he was about to reach the top, Naruto smirked and twisted around to face Sasuke, intent on bragging to him about his victory. However, it seemed the grass was still wet from the heavy rain they had had the other day. He tried to regain his balance, but the uneven slope he was on threw him off and he soon found himself falling. He let out a small, surprised, "Ah!"
Sasuke felt his heart momentarily stop when he saw his precious person begin to fall. He rushed forward, adrenaline pumping through his veins. Working mostly on instinct, he lurched forward and collided with the falling Naruto. The both rolled down the hill in a messy entanglement of limbs and curses, finally stopping when they'd reached the bottom.
There was a brief moment of silence as they both attempted to regain their bearings and assess the damage done to their bruised bodies.
Then, Sasuke's bodyguards were rushing forward. "Uchiha-sama!"
"Are you hurt, Uchiha-sama?"
Sasuke, for lack of better words, exploded.
"You total and complete moron!" the usually composed man screamed. "I told you to be careful, and what did you do? You fucking did the exact opposite! You carelessidiot! What do I need to do to actually get you to listen? Can your pea-sized brain not even comprehend something as simple as 'slow down'? Stop doing stupid things!" Sasuke was breathing hard, his dark eyes glaring daggers at the bruised man beside him.
"Um, sorry?" Naruto laughed nervously and shot Sasuke a sheepish look.
Once again, a small silence permeated the area. Then, suddenly, Naruto burst out laughing, though he was unsure as to why he found the situation so funny. It just seemed silly. There he was—a poor cop, sprawled haphazardly on someone amazingly wealthy and powerful, but also one of the grumpiest people he had ever met. That, coupled with the expressions on Sasuke's body guards' faces and the fact that he had fallen down a feaking hill was almost too much to take.
Sasuke watched the other man for a moment before he gave a small, reluctant chuckle. Damn it, he was still mad! Why was Naruto's happiness so contagious?
As Naruto continued to laugh, Sasuke felt the last of his anger slip away.
He smiled.
"NARUTO UZUMAKI!"
Naruto was off of Sasuke so fast, one might have thought the other had physically burned him.
Iruka angrily stomped towards Naruto in a manner reminiscent of their earlier encounter with Ebisu. His attention was fully locked on Naruto, and he looked about ready to spit fire. The blond was terrified.
Sasuke lazily picked himself off of the ground, his expression reflecting his deep annoyance. Who the hell was this man? And how dare he interrupt his time with Naruto!
"I-Iruka-sensei..." Naruto stuttered, his voice high-pitched and nervous. He threw his hands up in front of himself cautiously; whether to help placate his former teacher or provide himself with some sort of flimsy defense was hard to tell.
"You are coming with me right now, Naruto!" Iruka stressed, reaching forward and snatching his former student's wrist. His expression would have made even the manliest of men cower in fear, and Naruto was no exception.
Sasuke, however, was. Like hell he was going to let Naruto be taken from him by some random stranger. He turned his deadly gaze onto the teacher, though Iruka was much too focused on Naruto to notice. In a voice that demanded absolute attention and compliance, he spoke, "Just who the hell are yo—"
"Iruka-chaaaaaan!"
A silver blur practically tackled Iruka, appearing to smother the other man with... love?
"K-Kakashi! What do you think you're...? Get off of me!" Iruka demanded, twisting around in a failed effort to dislodge the man from his back. The guy, Kakashi, remained steadfastly attached.
As Iruka growled and continued to futilely flail around, Sasuke and Kakashi's eyes met for a brief second. In that instant, Kakashi's one visible eye—the other was covered by some sort of cloth—narrowed viciously. Sasuke instinctually felt his hackles rise, and he returned the glare.
He could feel it. This man... This man was dangerous.
Iruka jostled the silver haired man particularly hard, causing their connection to break. Sasuke immediately and discreetly moved, placing himself closer to Naruto and in between the blond and Kakashi. The only one who seemed to take notice was Kakashi himself, whose eye briefly flickered back in their direction.
"Iruka-sensei...!" Naruto practically screamed, his eyes wide and his mouth hanging open. "Who is this man? This...! This...!" He waved his hands frantically in Iruka and Kakashi's direction, seemingly unable to find the words to finish his sentence.
"Eh? 'Ruka, you haven't told your precious little Naruto about us?" Kakashi asked, his voice dripping with innocence. He nuzzled the crook of Iruka's neck. "Why, we're obviously lovers—"
"Friends," Iruka interrupted, glaring at Kakashi. He looked like his patience was about to snap. "We're friends. You could even say we're just acquaintances."
Kakashi pouted. "Maa... You're so mean, 'Ruka. I'm crushed."
"Iruka-sensei! What? I...! No! I forbid this!" Naruto yelled, panicked. He pushed past Sasuke, who reluctantly let him do so. The blond latched onto Kakashi's shoulder, pulling at him as hard as he could in an effort to get him off of Iruka. He wasn't going to let this crazy man have his Iruka-sensei! "Let go of him!" Naruto whined, continuing to pull as hard as he could.
"Nooooooo!" Kakashi cried, holding on to Iruka more tightly. "'Ruka, he's trying to separate us! This world is so cruel!" He started nuzzling Iruka's neck again. "But nothing can ever separate us!"
"I thought I told you to let go of me," Iruka said in reply, his voice low and menacing.
Kakashi froze.
Naruto dropped his grip on the man.
Then, chuckling nervously, Kakashi slid off of Iruka's back. "If you insist, love," he said.
"Thank you," Iruka nodded. He turned to Naruto, a demonic glint in his eyes. He took a deep breath—though it appeared to do nothing to calm him—before beginning, "Naruto..."
"HELP! Iruka-sensei is going to kill me!" Naruto screamed, immediately turning on his heels and rushing towards Sasuke. Iruka, quick as a snake, snapped his hand forward and caught the blond's arm, effectively thwarting his escape attempt. Sasuke was about to intervene, but a quick look from Kakashi made him pause.
"You little brat..." Iruka shook and tried to unsuccessfully blink away the tears welling up in his eyes. "You little brat..." he repeated, his watery eyes offsetting the glare he tried to shoot Naruto. Finally, his legs gave out and he fell to his knees, dragging a stunned Naruto with him.
"Iru... Iruka-sensei?" Naruto ventured, his eyes wide. He tugged on Iruka's shirt, the familiar gesture a silent question. What's wrong?
That seemed to be all Iruka could take. He lurched forward and wrapped Naruto in a hug, the tears now flowing freely. It reminded the two of a time long ago; a time when Naruto was prone to acting out and doing things he shouldn't... A time when the both of them had needed a little reassurance that they weren't alone.
"Hey... Stop it... Now you're going to make me cry..." Naruto mumbled, burying his nose into Iruka's shoulder. True to his word, his blue eyes began to water, though he determinedly kept the tears from falling.
Sasuke looked away from the pair. He wasn't sure what sort of emotions he was supposed to be feeling, but he knew the two deserved a little bit of privacy. He was a little jealous, sure, but he could tell their relationship wasn't like that. A small seed of doubt sprung in his mind, but he was quick to squash it. Naruto was his. This was just... a sort of family love, he guessed. Not that he could say for sure, seeing as how he didn't have many personal experiences to base that assumption off of.
"Stop doing reckless things already," Iruka reprimanded, his voice weak. He pushed Naruto away a little, just enough so that he could make eye contact and effectively glare at the blond. "You think I enjoy worrying about you? Because I don't, Naruto."
"I didn't mean to worry you..." Naruto mumbled, averting his eyes and looking like a small child who was being reprimanded for something bad he'd done. Then, suddenly, his brows furrowed. "But, Iruka-sensei, I don't get it. What did I do?"
Sasuke's heart briefly stopped. His expression changed for the slightest second before reverting to his normal blank face.
"What did you do?" Iruka screeched in response. He appeared to be barely restraining himself from knocking Naruto upside the head. "Where should I start? You agree to do something stupidly dangerous, run off to do something on your own, and then disappear! You'll be lucky if I ever let you leave your home again!" he fumed.
Naruto's expression was strangely blank. He tilted his head to the side. "What are you talking about?"
From the angry look on Iruka's face, this response only served to make him even angrier. "You should know by now that the innocent card doesn't work on me—"
"You're making me jealous, 'Ruka!" Kakashi declared, popping up out of nowhere and embracing both Naruto and Iruka. His visible eye was arched happily as Iruka struggled to get away from him. "Group hug!"
"I thought I told you to get off, Kakashi!" Iruka protested, a prominent blush adorning his cheeks.
"Ah. You did? Sorry, but not in front of the kiddies," Kakashi leered.
"What...? Oh, wait! No! Kakashi, I didn't mean it that way...! No, no, no! Quiet, you!" Iruka's tanned face had taken on such a distinctly red tone, it was a wonder the teacher didn't pass out.
Naruto sat perfectly still, his eyes strangely blank. Sasuke strode forward and grabbed Naruto's hand, pulling the suddenly compliant man up and out of Kakashi's hold. Still holding onto him, he began to walk and commanded, "Come, Naruto."
That seemed to snap Naruto out of his daze, though not completely. "Wait... Bastard, I can't..." he trailed off, blinking slowly. He then shook his head, as if trying to clear his mind and get rid of some pesky thought.
Iruka quickly realized what was going on and sprung to his feet. He was beside Naruto in a flash, Kakashi dutifully trailing after him. "No. Naruto is coming with me right this instant! He's made many people very worried about him, and he is going to apologize to each and every one of them. I'm sorry, but quite frankly, I don't care who you are. Naruto is not leaving with you." Determination shown from his posture; no one could mistake him for a weak man.
Sasuke stared at him. Though his expression was blank, his mind was going to mile a minute. To say he didn't want to leave Naruto—even if only for a short while—would be an extreme understatement, but the scene between Iruka and Naruto relentlessly assaulted his mind.
Finally, Sasuke gave Iruka a short, curt nod. If this was someone Naruto cared about, then he could allow it for a short while. Besides, it seemed like he could trust the man to take care of his dobe.
"Don't I get a say in this?" Naruto grumbled. His face wasn't quiet as expressionless anymore, Sasuke mentally noted.
"No," Iruka snapped briskly. "You don't. Now, hurry up! When Sakura called me, she was almost in tears! She's been searching for you nonstop! You should be ashamed of yourself, Naruto!" Iruka turned around, forcefully dragging Naruto back down the path they had taken.
"Sa... Sakura? I worried her?" Naruto's brow furrowed. Why was she worried? Something wasn't right. He recalled the feeling that had been plaguing him all day.
Just... Just what was he forgetting?
Sasuke and Kakashi's eyes once again caught each other as the silver-haired man was turning around to follow after Iruka and Naruto. Kakashi looked decidedly impassive, but the dangerous undertone in his posture was impossible for the Uchiha to miss. Sasuke smirked at him in return. Kakashi nodded before he turned and began skipping after his two companions, happily calling out, "Iruka-chan, wait up for me! You're so cold!"
Sasuke looked up at hill that he and Naruto had been heading for. They'd have to check out the view another day, it seemed. It didn't really matter. He had already taken the necessary measures to ensure that he and Naruto would be meeting up again very soon. He felt a sort of twisted happiness bubble up in his chest.
His bodyguards shifted warily as they stared at their boss.
Sasuke smiled darkly.

A/N: I know I said I wasn't going to continue this. I lied. *dodges tomatoes*
Basically, I'm very easily flattered. When I saw all of your kind reviews, I decided to give in and write more of this since you guys wanted me to. I swear, I love each and every one of you.
Unfortunately, I am a slow writer. I'm sorry about that. I promise I'm working hard to cure myself of my laziness! It's just... It's not working. Hm.
Anyway, I originally wanted to write this whole second part and be done with it. Unfortunately, I like to ramble. So, when I hit 10,000 words (again) and wasn't even close to the end, I decided to split it into two. Heck, at this pace I might have to split it into three parts. Honestly, who knows with me?
Also, you all need to thank my wonderful beta, Chibi Chidori, for being so spectacular. Without her, this chapter would have been filled with all sorts of mistakes. Of course, if anyone sees any grammar or spelling mistakes, the fault is entirely my own! One of these days, I'll become a competent writer. Haha.
Speaking of which, I'm probably going to be going back and editing the first chapter of this soon. I've discovered many problems with the first part concerning grammar, and I fear I'll go insane if I don't fix them. Well, more insane than I already am. (Er.)
~Riuolo
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Mustering Happiness