Title: The Konoha Times: The Uchihan Confession

Rating: MA

Genre: Romance, humour

Pairing: Sasuke/Naruto

Length: 2160 ish words

Summary: Naruto has returned home from a mission to find something amiss. Why is everyone blushing and staring at him? And why does Sasuke have a determined glint in his eye?

Warnings: Shouen ai, yaoi

Author's note: Again I have no beta therefore any mistakes etc are purely my own. Feedback welcomed as usual!

Disclaimer: Not mine

Author Note: Dedicated to mimiteufel for being my first ever reviewer for my first ever fanfic. Thanks mimiteufel!

Another Author Note: Just a little more goodness added to the end. Nothing much, but I smiled and sighed a lot.

The Konoha Times: The Uchihan Confession

Chapter 1

Something was wrong.

Naruto Uzumaki knew this the moment he returned to Konoha from his diplomatic-come-kind-of-a-vacation-mission to Sand, and found he was receiving some rather interesting looks from all whom he passed.

After all it wasn't often – okay, so it was never – had he found himself on the receiving end of such curious glances and equally curious blushes, especially from members of the opposite sex in the village.

The fact that the guards stationed at the entrance to the village had seemed to look at him in a new light the very moment he'd returned was his first hint that something BIG had clearly happened during his two week absence. Of course, he didn't count the apparent happy curve of his former Genin teacher's eye when Kakashi had greeted him cheerfully shortly after, because, well, who would when the famous Copy-Nin seemed to smile a lot more beneath his mask these days anyway?

Naruto suspected, though wasn't one hundred percent certain, that Iruka-sensei was responsible for this.

Okay. So it was the fact that for some strange reason the look he'd received from the guards, AND the Hokage's assistant who had seemed to blush the moment she'd laid eyes on him, AS WELL AS the fact that even now he was being sent some rather shy glances from others in the village, that drew him to the possibility that something had happened while he'd been away.

But a happening in a good way, or a happening in a bad way?

Regardless, Naruto decided as he made the slow trek towards mission's room – Tsunade's assistant had insisted he deliver something there before he went home - he really was too tired to find out just what exactly was going on right now.

So, smiling politely and tiredly, and admittedly in confusion as he returned the happy waves of some of his obvious and very much blushing audience as he walked, Naruto determinedly focussed his attention rather on the simple action of walking and the relieved feeling he was experiencing in knowing that he would soon be in the vicinity of a hot shower, soft pillow and a warm-bed, something he'd since little of since he'd left Leaf weeks before.

Not that he didn't enjoy spending time with the Kazakage of Sand, Naruto yawned. It was just that, well, whenever he visited Sand, Gaara always insisted in his I'm-a-demon-carrier-too way that they spar in that I'm-a-demon-carrier-too way, which often meant sparing for hours without rest, and him receiving as little sleep as his friend did when he wasn't around to distract him. Not that he'd begrudge his friend's ways.

Within minutes Naruto'd reached the Mission's Room.

Paying no mind to the fact that once again he was receiving some prominent looks from the small gathering of Jounins and Chuunins present, Naruto immediately wrapped one particular Chuunin, one Iruka Umino, in a bone-crunching hug the moment he saw him.

Iruka, noticeably delighted to see him returned to the village safe and sound, returned his hug affectionately. If any noticed the darker-than-usual blush on the Academy teacher's face as he did so none commented. It was no secret after all to many that the teacher had great affection for his former student.

Both ninjas had been chatting for several minutes on this and that when IT happened. Or rather when SHE appeared.

The Hokage-sama, Tsunade herself, with Sakura and Ino hot on her heels burst unceremoniously into the Mission's Room. After a brief search of faces they immediately pounced on Naruto.

"Naruto!" the Hokage snarled.

Alarmed, Naruto instinctively took a step back from the clearly enraged Hokage.

But the Hokage was not dissuaded. Within moments she planted herself directly in his path – erm - that is to say, his intended escape route. She promptly began waving something in front of his face.

Naruto, although immediately recognising the distinctive markings of a newly published edition of the Konoha Times, looked at her in confusion.

"I trust you have some appropriate explanation for this?" she demanded.

Now doubly confused, Naruto took the newspaper and began to read.

The Konoha Times had come into existence recently in the village, and was the result of a challenge Iruka had set this semester to his students. As far as Naruto had known only two editions had come to print thus far, and while both had mostly contained childishly written yet amusing stories by the young ninjas-in-training, it had quickly become a hot topic of discussion for the paper's readers, both young and old. Much of course to the delight of its young editors of course!

This edition he saw was pretty much the same as the last two he'd read. A mention of the weather. A recount of a certain yet unnamed pre-Genin's recent escapades about the Academy grounds. This Naruto grinned at. Some more recounts of various activities that had taken place in the village during his absence. Nothing out of the ordinary.

Still though Naruto skimmed the articles briefly.

It was only when he actually remembered he hadn't read the front page and turned to the start of the paper to skim that briefly too that his eyes widened and his heart slowly crept up to lodge itself firmly in his throat.

Later on he knew he'd wonder at how he could have possibly missed the rather prominent photo of Sasuke when he'd first begun reading. But there it was. Or rather, HE was. A photo of an all-too-sexy-looking Uchihan heir.

For several long moments Naruto stared, transfixed at the smirking face now leaping out at him. Then slowly he forced his eyes upward to read the article's especially large heading:

"Sasuke Uchiha confesses"

Curious now, Naruto drew his gaze to the article itself and began to read, although of course every now and then his gaze found its way back to the photo before he continued reading.

There was the usual Uchihan family history to be read, as well as a rather gory recount of how this famous ninja had avenged his clan's death two years previous. Naruto chuckled over the latter, and made a mental note to tease Iruka later on about his student's talents in creative writing. He made a mental note to tease Sasuke too when he returned from whatever his his latest mission was, whenever that was.

Onward he read.

He didn't need to look up to know that he now had the eyes of everyone in the room on him, and while he felt a little self-conscious to know that everyone was for some strange reason waiting for him to finish reading, he ignored them as best he could.

The article quickly turned to a series of questions and answers.

What was Sasuke's favourite weapon?

Chidori.

What was the best way to deal with chakra-depletion?

Don't let it get that far.

Naruto smirked.

Onward.

What's it like having Naruto Uzumaki living beneath his roof?

Fine.

Onward.

As long as the dobe remembers his proper place is beneath me.

Naruto was now understandably confused at this comment. Was his best friend regretting letting him move into the Uchiha mansion all those months ago?

Oh, like a servant?

No, when he's moaning my name.

Naruto gasped. Gulped. Gasped again. He raised his now seriously blushing face. We wished he didn't.

For, while he'd been reading the gathered Chuunins and Jounins in the room had begun to whisper and grin amongst themselves. Most looked at him with blatant curiosity as they chatted with their nearest neighbour in amused tones. Some, like Iruka-sensei were blushing and appeared to be having great difficulty in looking him in the eye.

Naruto's mouth opened. Then closed. Then opened again.

But no sound came forth.

"So it's true then?" Tsunade growled.

Naruto could only stare at her wide-eyed.

Surely Sasuke couldn't mean that? he gulped. True he'd begun feeling, well, something deliciously other than friendship for some time now for the slightly older nin, but surely Sasuke couldn't mean what he thought he meant, what he foolishly hoped he meant, and what clearly others thought he meant?

His eyes positively bugged as thoughts now began to run riot through his mind, and a wave of pain began to sweep through him at the thought that possibly, just possibly, his best friend had somehow found out about his secret longing and was now making a sport of it, for all to see and hear.

Just then silence fell over the mission's room, and slowly the crowd parted to reveal a new arrival lounging patiently in the open doorway.

For several long moments Naruto stared blankly at the object of his rather less than innocent dreams of late. Then his eyes bugged once more as he - along with everyone else in the room - took in his friend's rather, erm, strange appearance.

Was Sasuke really wearing orange?

Was that really the Uchiha clan crest positively emblazoned across his chest?

And were they really pictures of Kyuubi seals seemingly dancing around it?

His friend smirked at his expression, and the spell was broken. Not-so-quiet giggling, as well as several gasps of shock, unmistakable sounds of choked laughter and more than a dozen murmurs of approval filled the quiet Mission's Room.

Blushing profusely – oh, yes, he knew now that Sasuke had meant precisely what he believed him to have meant - Naruto did the only thing he could given his exhaustion and given the situation he now found himself in; he ran. Well, erm, rather he bowed respectfully - and albeit a bit clumsily - to the still waiting and now openly smirking Hokage, before forming a series of hand movements and disappearing.

Unfortunately for the Kyuubi vessel, he forgot for a few minutes when he appeared in his preferred place of refuge, that he no longer lived in the apartment he'd grown up in.

Usually when Naruto reached the outskirts of the Uchihan compound, he smiled contentedly at the empty but of course very quiet buildings he passed. Now though as he, well, hid in his bedroom in the clan house that had been his home for the last two months, he worried his lip over whether he was capable of handling the sudden turn of events that had taken place in his life today just yet.

He'd been surprised but delighted when, two months ago, as a result of catching a particularly nasty bout of flu that had rendered him bound to his sick bed for more than a week, that Sasuke had in his 'my-word-is-final-Uchihan-way', decided he was incapable of looking after himself properly and had without further ado moved his belongings into the clan house before he'd even fully realised it.

At the time of course, Naruto had secretly believed that while it may have taken him a few long years to realise so, that the sole reason he'd been offered the warm home was because the said heir had at last grown tired of living amongst the ghosts of those who had come before him. Not that Naruto minded. While the large and once imposing mansion was quiet – as were its surrounding buildings – his new home was warm and inviting.

So, after years of being practically alone – excluding of course all those times he had all but lived at Iruka-sensei's apartment - Naruto Uzumaki, at last had a proper home.

Some time later – he really wasn't sure how much later – he awoke to hear the distinctive sound of bathroom pipes humming in the walls. Getting to his feet he made a quick decision to at last grab some much needed food for his belly, then lock himself back in his room before Sasuke even realised he was home. Maybe then he would be able to determine a course of action he should take.

Okay, so he knew that he was STILL hiding from Sasuke. But, hey, what was a guy to do when he recently found out the object of his not so innocent dreams of late had openly declared to one and all that he was intent on pursuing a relationship with that certain nin?

Even now, as he stealthily made his way downstairs to the kitchen Naruto blushed as he found himself trembling deliciously at such thoughts.

He entered the kitchen, failing to notice as he did so the figure - one still wearing a quite obvious-declaration-looking orange t-shirt - preparing dinner at the stove.

Sasuke turned and smirked at his expression when Naruto finally did notice him. Naruto instinctively knew then that the movements he'd heard upstairs were the result of a clone bumbling about deliberately to distract his attention, rather than Sasuke himself.

Naruto cleared his throat rather noisily. "S-Sasuke-teme?"

Another smirk. A flex of more than attention-grabbing muscles as a body turned and moved around the kitchen, fetching this and that ingredient to add to whatever was simmering on the stove. Then, a brush of shoulders as an item sought behind him was grasped.

"Yes, my dobe?"

Naruto swallowed hard at the slight tickling motion of warm breath near to his ear. Heat began to pool in his groin, even before equally warm lips brushed his lobe.

Once. Twice.

Without warning however Naruto's stomach growled in appreciation of the scents of a simmering dinner meal now reaching his senses.

Sasuke stepped back, smirked again at his blush, but didn't comment. Rather he directed him to fetching something from the refrigerator. At his casual tone Naruto began to slowly relax.

His ease quickly vanished however when, after turning after collecting the required ingredient, he saw Sasuke dip his finger into the sauce he was preparing and then slowly raise it to his lips. His eyes widened and his breath quickened as the said pinky disappeared into the Uchihan's mouth.

He must have made some sound of distress because Sasuke paused in his actions and looked at him enquiringly. Not certain what else he should be doing, or even where he should be looking now, Naruto stood transfixed as he watched as that finger was once more dipped into the sauce. A moment later Sasuke offered it to him.

Naruto blushed and shyly - automatically - opened his mouth.

The moment the flesh of Sasuke's finger touched his tongue Naruto knew he was a goner. Sasuke evidently knew this as well, because soon after Naruto quite shockingly found that he was twirling his tongue shyly around his finger he turned off the stove, grabbed his kitsune around the waist and picked him up.

Sasuke smirked as he dropped his flustered, yet whole-heartedly chosen mate, on to his bed shortly after.

Naruto stared across at him wide-eyed. "S-Sasuke-teme!?"

Sasuke gave him a patient yet heated look.

Naruto's gaze slid from his for a few moments before returning. "I...ah...are you sure, t-teme?" he whispered.

All of a sudden Sasuke's body was pressing his into the bed. Lips locked to his heatedly for several long minutes.

Now gasping and writhing beneath Sasuke, Naruto groaned out aloud as his love's mouth left his. But then those wonderful lips pressed tenderly to his brow before sliding down to caress his ear.

"Yes," Sasuke murmured.

A pause. Then,

"Love you, my dobe."

Naruto gasped. Tears came to his eyes. His hands tightened on the shoulders above him.

"I l-love you t-too!"

Sasuke raised his head and looked down at him for several long moments. And in that one look Naruto knew everything was going to be okay. Well, that is, until Sasuke smirked once more.

"Time to taste other delights!" he announced with relish.

The very moment screaming and loud cries of pleasure could be heard from somewhere deep within the mansion, money began exchanging hands within the small group of gathered Chuunin and Jounins – not to mention one very determined Hokage-sama, Sakura and Ino – who had gathered impatiently outside to await the final outcome of the Uchihan's carefully constructed plan to ensnare his kitsune.

TBC

A/N: next, "The Uzumaki Confession"