Disclaimer: I claim no ownership over Naruto or his fellow ninja friends.

Setting: Since series as popular as Naruto will never end, this story takes place in the future after the whole Orochimaru crap. Naruto's ANBU. Sasuke's jounin. I'll explain further details about the timeline in the storyline.

Warning: This is indeed going to be shounen-ai with a focus on Sasuke/Naruto. I'll be developing their relationship, so if you don't like slow paces or yaoi...now's your cue to run away and never look back!

Fall Into Blue

Chapter One: Good Intentions...

Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto were destined to do great things, even though one would forever be branded a traitor (a damn good-lookin' one) and the other a demon. Sasuke and Naruto weren't legends (not yet anyway! as the blond would interject), but it was only natural that they would make substantial contributions to Konoha until then.

And that was the problem.

"Hokage-sama, you have to give Sasuke and Naruto a vacation..." Iruka remarked with a serious look.

Tsunade just sighed. Iruka was being an overly worried mother-hen again. She waved her hand tiredly. "Look, you know I tried before but there's no stopping them. Anyway, if those idiots want to run themselves ragged, then just let them! They're bound to collapse from exhaustion or some fatal injury sooner or later," she patted his shoulder reassuringly, "so stop worrying about them, alright?"

"No, I wasn't worrying...until you said that..." Iruka frowned, turning into mother-hen mode, but he shook his head. "But that's not the bigger problem right now. Since they're taking so many missions, it's starting to affect the employment of other ninjas."

"...what?"

"A lot of ninjas are out of work since Sasuke and Naruto keep taking and completing all available assignments...see?" Iruka unrolled a long list of unemployed chuunins and jounins. "I've been getting a lot of complaints lately. And these people have families to support, Hokage-sama! This is a serious problem!"

Tsunade sat down on the edge of her desk, a skeptical frown on her face. "I can't believe they're ruining the economy..."

"They're capable of great things..." Iruka mumbled hopelessly.

"This is getting out of control...but you know how that brat is! He sure as hell won't accept a vacation! Especially if I tell him to. And I don't want to deal with Uchiha and his staring contests."

The brown-haired instructor nodded tiredly.

Naruto and Sasuke had been burying themselves in work for the past year, taking mission after mission. It was like they were competing in some ridiculous contest on who could work themselves to death first. There was a short silence before the office door opened and Kakashi walked in, book in one hand and the other raised in greeting.

"Ah, sorry, I just couldn't help but overhear your conversation."

Tsunade didn't look surprised, but Iruka sputtered and immediately went to scolding. "Ka-Kakashi! What are you—!"

"I wanted to surprise you with lunch so I came looking for you," Kakashi responded sweetly, tilting his head toward Iruka's.

Personal space violated by Kakashi's silver hair and sweet, grassy smell, Iruka immediately blanked out. He tried to form coherent thoughts but failed. A deep blush dusted his cheeks when Kakashi leaned even closer. The instructor coughed and mumbled something incoherent about "decency!" and "not in front of the Hokage!" and stepped away hurriedly, flushing a brighter red.

Tsunade rolled her eyes. "Stop that, Kakashi. It's still working hours. You eavesdropped on our entire conversation, right?"

"Aa, conveniently."

"I imagine you've come up with an idea to deal with the problem then. They are your former students, after all."

"True. And you're right about how neither of them will take a vacation. If you want both of them out of the way, I have the perfect idea. But..."

"...but?" Iruka asked suspiciously.

Kakashi's eye curved along with the growing smile behind his mask.

-o-o-o-

"Waterfall Country, huh?" Naruto mumbled around a mouthful of noodles. "I never had a mission there before."

"Well, ahh, that's a good thing then, r-right? You'll get to see, um, new places!" Iruka stammered, avoiding eye contact by obsessively staring down at his own bowl of ramen. He was a horrible liar, but even worse right now—because here he was, lying to Naruto, his dear student who trusted him! And at their favorite restaurant too!

Damn you, Kakashi! Inner-Iruka roared. When I get my hands on you, I am going to tear off your—

"But isn't Waterfall Country one of our...ya know, allies or somethin'? So why do we have to spy on 'em?"

"Uh, well, yes yes, they are our ally, but ehh, you know...we can never be too, um...care..ful...?"

Naruto looked over the mission scroll one more time before tucking it in his vest. "Mmm...sounds like a really stupid mission, Iruka-sensei...and it's five to six months! I swear you guys are trying to get rid of me or something!"

The blond ninja was just joking, but Iruka choked on a spoonful of broth and furiously shook his head in an attempt to deny. The blond was too busy patting the choking Iruka on the back and couldn't ask any more questions.

All in all, the blond was easy to bag.

-o-o-o-

The Uchiha, as expected, was much more difficult.

"I didn't sign up for long-term reconnaissance missions," Sasuke spared the mission scroll one second of his precious time before tossing it. But Kakashi caught the discarded scroll and immediately chucked it right back at him. Sasuke caught the scroll before it hit his face. He narrowed his dark eyes with suspicion.

"Then the Hokage must have personally signed you up! Quite an honor, hm?" Kakashi remarked brightly as he looked up at the dark-haired nin lounging on a high tree branch.

"I don't care. And I don't do reconnaissance missions anymore," Sasuke flung back the scroll, this time aiming for Kakashi's head.

"Well, the Hokage doesn't want you to keep stealing all the protection and retrieval assignments," Kakashi caught the scroll—much to Sasuke's disappointment—just before it took out his eye and flicked it back. "Other newly ranked jounins need to get some experience and you're hogging it all...and this is an important mission."

"Important?" Sasuke scoffed, catching the scroll and snapping it open in one smooth motion. His eyes scanned the paper like a machine. "The location is Takitsubo; that's in Waterfall Country, close to the border of Stone Country. Waterfall is allied with Konoha and we've had no major problems with Stone for the past decade. And this mission just requires a two-man team, so it's obviously not important. I don't like wasting my time, I don't like working in pairs, and I don't like working with women."

I taught him a bit too well, Kakashi smiled inwardly with pride; he was glad Sasuke was so keen with details. He really took the 'look underneath the underneath' advice to heart. How very inconvenient right now. Ah well. If there was no tricking Sasuke, then Kakashi just had to do the best next thing: bribe him.

"You know...it's just a thought, but I bet if you complete this mission, there's a high probability that you'll be recruited in ANBU. Gaining more of the Hokage's approval wouldn't hurt, ne?"

Sasuke didn't respond. He simply frowned and looked away, indicating that he was done talking and wanted to be left alone to brood. But he pocketed the mission scroll.

"Report to the Hokage's office tomorrow and she'll fill in the details," Kakashi said calmly and casually, yet was inwardly mwahaha!ing with triumph.

-o-o-o-

"Remember, you have report to Hokage-sama's office tomorrow, okay? Don't forget! And don't be late!"

"Yeah, yeah," Naruto waved dismissively before pouting. "You've got no faith in me, Iruka-sensei!"

"I've got good reasons for that," Iruka quipped as he ruffled Naruto's hair. The action was entirely natural, even though the blond was just as tall as himself. He'll be taller than me someday, Iruka thought with a motherly sort of tearfulness.

"Anou sa, anou sa...did the old hag tell you anything about my mission?" Naruto leaned in and grinned foxily. "I'm gonna be working with a girl. Do you know who it is, Iruka-sensei? Is she hot?"

She? Hot? Oh...

Iruka froze up as an image of Sasuke—inky black-blue hair, cold eyes, and definitely male—flashed through his mind. Well, Uchiha Sasuke was renowned and hounded for his physical features by at least 2/3 of the female population, so yeah, he could be acknowledged as "hot." But he wasn't a "she" and he sure as hell wasn't someone Naruto was expecting to work with on this...particular mission...

"We-we-well, uh—" Iruka suddenly choked on his saliva and was conveniently too busy struggling for oxygen to give an answer. Naruto started to pat Iruka on the back again, discussion closed.

E.n.d. o.f. C.h.a.p.t.e.r. O.n.e.

I'm off to a blindingly slow start, but don't worry—I intend to round up Sasuke and Naruto, tie them up, handcuff 'em together, and let my wild imagination do what it wants. Haha, just jokin'! I wouldn't be that cruel to them. Maybe. Anyway, that sort of business comes later.

Hope you liked the first chapter! Please offer any suggestions, advice, or comments. I'm kinda shaky with Naruto and the gang, so please tackle me if I'm ruining their characters.