A/N: Please don't flame me because I'll tell you right now that this is like the alternate universe in my other fic, but with Hokages and ninjas (I hope that's how you spell the plural, I forgot). Also, Naruto and Sasuke should get together in this one, so that's a clue that is YOAI or BOY/BOY. Otherwise, please enjoy and review. I think you can read this without reading the prequel, but I'm not sure.

Summary: Almost seven years after Sasuke was spirited away from Konoha, he finally returns to the delight of a certain dobe. But with bad housing arrangements, demanding jobs, determined suitors, a gap created by an unforgotten past, and a stalkerish brother, how can Naruto ever claim Sasuke as his own? Character death, sequel to Best Friends Forever.

Disclaimer: Never owned Naruto, never will.

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"Hey, mister," the young man blinked down at the girl who'd addressed him. Didn't she know that he had important things to take care of? However, as he watched her innocently hold out her hands, he realized she couldn't possibly know. 'She's still only a child,' he mused, 'and who am I to tell her of the stresses of life?' He dropped a few pieces of candy into the open hands.

The girl smiled gratefully at the man, closing her eyes in the process. The action reminded the man of someone else as he stared disbelievingly at her retreating figure. But no, she couldn't be related to him. He shook his head firmly and kept moving toward his destination.

?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?

"Lord Hokage, clients have dropped off more missions to sort out and everyone has gone home. When you go as well, don't worry about locking up, I'll do that after I finish up."

The Hokage sighed. When he became the village champion, he thought there would be more action than this. Instead, everyone was insanely protective of him. So he did the only thing he could to keep himself busy. "Give them to me."

The jounin blinked. "What?"

"You heard me. Give me the missions and I'll sort them. I've got nothing better to do."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, you go on home to be with your family."

The young man, who was the same age as Naruto, smiled. "Thanks, Naruto."

The man named Naruto grunted. "Your welcome Lee, but I was looking for something to do anyway." The other smiled pleasantly again.

"If there's anything I can do to help-"

"Go away!" Naruto yelled playfully. "Your family needs you more than I do." The shinobi grinned once more, but left. Naruto sighed again. If Lee knew who Naruto thought about every day or why he always felt lonely no matter how many friends surrounded him, he'd never leave him alone. And he couldn't be selfish with attention. He'd barely made a dent in sorting the requests before him when he heard a knock on the door. "Come on in," he mumbled. Who could that be? Did Lee decide to come back and help him after all? He put on a teasingly exasperated face and looked up.

"Lee, I thought I told-" He stopped mid sentence as he gazed up at the person's face. Or, rather, where their face should've been. The hood of their dark cloak was thrown up, hiding the head from view. Naruto knew from the aura that this was not Lee, or for that matter, any person in Konoha. Drawing up to his full height-he was the village's protector after all-he addressed the mysterious visitor.

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto! Take off the hood and state your name and business!" The figure didn't do anything. Naruto bristled. "I gave you an order. Now speak!" With shaking fingers, the person took off their hood, showing their enraged face.

"Naruto?"

"Sasuke?" Naruto gasped. He couldn't remember going out the door or even standing up for that matter, but the next thing he knew, he was running down the surprisingly congested street, trying to catch up to his former friend. He cut through the crowd, ignoring all the greetings and strange looks he received and went into a deserted alleyway. Didn't Sasuke go this way? As soon as he could hear his own footsteps he stopped running and looked around.

'Damn,' Sasuke thought. Why couldn't Naruto just leave him alone? He held down an actual whimper and didn't move simply because…he was afraid. Not afraid of the other physically, but he made Sasuke feel something he hadn't in a long time: vulnerability. He had always felt something around the blonde, especially when he-no. Sasuke refused to go there again.

"Sasuke, please don't hide from me." The raven was surprised to open his eyes to saddened blue orbs. Last time he looked into those eyes they held such hatred….

"Sasuke, please." The man pleaded. He turned to his addresse, much to the latter's shock. He bolted from the shadows with the Hokage hot on his heels. "Just go away, Naruto!" Sasuke shouted. He looked over his shoulder for just a second and felt instant pain in his skull. Naruto's eyes widened considerably and he caught Sasuke as he fell into darkness.

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A/N: Short chapter I know and I know I shouldn't write a second author's note, but I felt the need to signify the end of the first chapter. The next chapter should be up soon if this is a perfect world. Review and let me know how I did or ask me to explain something you didn't quite understand.

So long adoring fans! (Che, right….)

~theflawintheplan