The kunai came out of nowhere, catching an exhausted Sasuke off guard (not that he'd ever admit that fact) and embedded itself in his thigh. He grunted and dropped into a defensive crouch while taking out the weapon and throwing it to the side. Loud laughter filtered down from above him making him frown severely.
"Gotcha! That'll teach you to be so smug!" Naruto shouted out as he landed next to his teammate. Of course in the next instant he was on his back blinking up at a smirking Sasuke. He hadn't even seen the other boy move. Blue eyes narrowed but he didn't say anything since he now had a kunai lying at the base of his throat.
"You leave too many openings. You should know better by now," Sasuke told him and took the kunai away. "You need to hone your skills. Stop using the same move over and over." He walked a little ways away and rummaged through his pack for a towel and some water.
Naruto sprang up from the ground and pointed an indignant finger at Sasuke's back. His face scrunched with anger, he screeched at him. "You shouldn't talk Mr. Fireball! All you do is fire techniques!" He crossed his arms and looked as smug as Sasuke had just a moment ago. " 'sides, it was my clones that saved your ass back with Haku."
Sasuke's back tensed and the water bottle he was drinking from was crushed from the hard squeeze he gave it. Standing quickly, he grabbed his pack and jumped into the trees leaving a very confused Naruto behind.
"Sasuke-kun! Where are you going?" Sakura yelled after him. "Sasuke-kun!"
"I think we'll end today's training now," Kakashi said. He closed his book and jumped down from the tree limb he'd been reading….err…observing from. "Tomorrow I want you all to meet me at the north training grounds. We're going to work with water so we'll need the stream there. Naruto, go tell Sasuke about the change in location. Bye!" Kakashi teleported away with a little wave of his gloved hand.
"Wait! Why the hell do I have to go tell him? He's the one that ran off," Naruto exclaimed.
"Because you pissed him off you idiot!" Sakura said heatedly, smacking Naruto over the head with her fist. "You had better go apologize to Sasuke-kun right now!"
Naruto clutched his head, curling around the pain in it. "Sakura-chan," he whined. The girl always hit him on the head when he and Sasuke got into it. Naruto pouted at her. After seeing the blazing fury in her green eyes, Naruto decided he better do as he was told. "All right, all right I'm going," he said and jumped into the trees after Sasuke.
Now the only one left in the training area, Sakura's inner self kicked in and berated her for being stupid. "Damn it! You could have gone and told Sasuke-kun about the new training area tomorrow yourself!" Sakura's eye's widened. "Damn it!" she and her inner self screeched.
Naruto caught up with Sasuke just as the other was walking through the gate to his apartment. If Sasuke hadn't been so wrapped in his own thoughts, he'd probably have heard Naruto calling his name and thus wouldn't have had to endure running into the boy's chest as he stood in between him and his door. Stepping back startled, Sasuke glared at the impediment to his busy thoughts.
"Move moron," Sasuke said testily.
"What's wrong with you Sasuke?" Naruto huffed at him. He crossed his arms and refused to budge from the doorway.
"What do you care? Move." Sasuke pushed Naruto to the side and stuck his key in the door. Opening it, he walked inside. When Naruto followed him in, he stopped. "I didn't invite you in. Get out."
"No way, not till you tell me what's up with you. You've been like this ever since we left Inari and the old man's town," Naruto said. He closed the door behind him and stared at Sasuke's stiff, unresponsive back. "I'm not leavin' so you'd better start talkin'."
Much to Sasuke's annoyance, Naruto walked over and seated himself on the couch. Sasuke tried to glare him into getting out but Naruto just glared back, unperturbed. He didn't feel like manhandling Naruto out the door and possibly breaking something in the process so he just ignored the other boy.
Leaving Naruto in the living area, Sasuke went to his bathroom and changed out of the bloody shorts he was wearing; bandaging the small wound on his thigh in the process. After he put on a fresh pair of white shorts he left the bathroom and bypassed the couch without a single glance at its occupant. Naruto called his name but he ignored it and went to the kitchen.
Naruto listened while Sasuke puttered around the kitchen. After a full 30 seconds he jumped up and stomped over to stand in the archway leading to the kitchen. Sasuke was putting rice in a cooker with some water and refused to acknowledge the angry boy.
"Sasuke," Naruto said.
Sasuke closed the top on the cooker and turned around to put some water in a kettle for tea.
"Sasuke," he tried again a little louder this time.
Water in the kettle, Sasuke turned on the stove and placed the kettle on it to boil.
"Sasuke stop ignoring me!" he growled exasperatedly.
Blue-black hair hid black eyes as Sasuke tipped his head forward. Naruto's grating voice was harder to ignore then Sakura's high pitched one.
"Sasuke!" Naruto yelled sharply from an inch away.
"What!" Sasuke snapped. He turned furiously to face the boy and found himself nose to nose with Naruto, staring into blue eyes.
It wasn't the proximity of the boy that made Sasuke step back but the worry and anger radiating from those blue depths. Naruto looked surprised at the unsettled look on Sasuke's face as he backed off from him. He took a step forward but stopped when Sasuke held up a hand.
"Just….leave Naruto," he told him.
"Not till you talk to me and tell me why you're bein' so pissy." Naruto crossed his arms over his jacket looking as unmovable as the Hokage Mountain.
"No," Sasuke said shortly. He moved to walk around the other boy but Naruto stepped into his path. "Move before I make you move," he said, balling his hands into fists.
They glared at each other, each trying to intimidate the other into backing down. Both waited, staring, for the other to break the silence. Sasuke was convinced Naruto would yell at him soon and Naruto was just as determined to make the other boy lose patience. The silence built, the little sounds of the rice cooker and the water boiling only adding to it.
Naruto's eyes were hard; the blue looking like little chips of stone. Sasuke wondered just when that toughness appeared. Surely it hadn't been there before. He knew Naruto was watching him closely and that too was strange. The other boy was not usually so….quiet? observant? Sasuke wasn't sure of a word that would describe the look on Naruto's face right now.
Sasuke sighed. Naruto grinned. He'd won their little stare down.
"Move," Sasuke told him, voice sounding resigned. He walked around Naruto and the boy let him pass.
Going over to the couch, Sasuke sat down and motioned to Naruto to sit across from him on the chair. His eyebrow twitched when the other boy ignored him and sat on the end of the couch instead.
"Well, what's wrong?" Naruto started when it was apparent that the other boy wasn't going to say anything. He tilted his head to the side, giving Sasuke his full attention.
Sasuke took a deep breath and looked at his hand on the arm of the couch. Where could he start? Why was he even talking about this to begin with?
Because he wanted to know, that's why.
He wanted to know how Naruto defeated Haku when he couldn't do it. It had been plaguing his mind ever since he'd recovered from his wounds. The other question, the one he never gave Naruto an answer for, he didn't want to examine to closely. It was part of the reason he just avoided talking about the mission to Wave Country all together.
"Ok, well, if your not gonna talk then I got somethin' to ask you," the other boy said quickly.
Sasuke stiffened on his end of the couch. He wasn't going to ask that question was he? He stared harder at his hand.
"Why'd you jump in front of those needles? Why'd you save me Sasuke?" Naruto's confused voice came out in a rush. As if he though he'd be interrupted or that Sasuke would run away. Again.
This wasn't the first time that question had come up between them. The night they'd left from the bridge builder's village, Naruto had confronted Sasuke and asked that question. Sasuke told him the same thing he'd told him when it'd happened. "My body just acted on it's own."
Naruto didn't believe it and he told Sasuke so. Sasuke'd been avoiding being alone with him ever since. For two weeks he'd been successful. However now they were alone and Naruto was going to get an answer. The real one this time.
"I told you," Sasuke said, voice distant. "My body…"
"Moved on it's own and you don't know why. Yeah, I know," Naruto interrupted him. He shifted closer to the other boy on the couch. "That can't be all Sasuke. Bodies don't just move on their own."
"Mine did," Sasuke whispered. Leaning over, he placed his elbows on his knees and crossed his fingers in front of his face, very carefully not looking at Naruto.
Naruto let out a little growl of frustration. "Come on Sasuke, you have to know why," his voice was pleading. It made Sasuke turn to him, startled, only to find him an inch from his nose again. What was it with this boy and personal space? "Why can't you just say it Sasuke?" Naruto said, frustration back in his voice.
"Say what? What the hell are you talking about Naruto?" Sasuke asked, genuinely confused now. He was so caught off balance that he forgot about their closeness in favor of trying to puzzle out the emotion he saw in Naruto's eyes.
"You saved me because we're friends," Naruto said flatly. "Is that so hard to say?"
"Friends?" Sasuke squeaked. Friends? Is that what he was after? He wanted him to admit they were friends?
"Yeah, friends. You're my friend Sasuke. If I can say it I know you can." Naruto gave him a grin. "Come on Sasuke!"
He was so close. Finally it hit Sasuke just how close the other boy was to him. He could smell the ramen on his breath he was that close. Sasuke backed up, putting some distance between them. It didn't do much good because Naruto, in his excitement, followed him.
"Back off idiot," Sasuke said, annoyed.
"Not till you admit you saved me cause I'm your friend," he said stubbornly. His face was serious now and Sasuke squirmed under his direct stare.
If Naruto had yelled at him, punched him or did anything else except talk to him point blank, Sasuke could have dealt with it with no problems. But he didn't want to fight or quarrel, he wanted Sasuke to admit to a feeling he'd only recently figured out himself. He hadn't even had time to adjust to the fact that he considered Naruto his friend and the idiot was trying to get him to say it out loud.
"Back off!" Sasuke yelled. He pushed Naruto hard in the chest and surged to his feet. The other boy hit the floor with flailing limbs and smacked his head on the coffee table. Sasuke stood over him chest heaving and hands balled in fists at his sides. He wanted to pummel him. Why wouldn't he get the hint?
"Damn it Sasuke! What'd you go and do that for?" Naruto screamed. He got to his feet quickly, rubbing his head. The table had hit him right in the same spot as Sakura had earlier. "Is it really so hard to say I'm your friend?"
Sasuke let out a short growl and attacked. Naruto's eyes widened in shock as he automatically blocked and parried the pissed off boy's punches and kicks. They tussled on the floor, each fighting to pin the other until a well-placed kick by Sasuke sent Naruto into the wall. Sasuke pressed his advantage and had the other boy's hands trapped against the wall while Naruto was still shaking off stars that were dancing around his head.
"I told you my body acted on it's own! Why do you keep asking about it? Just drop it!" Sasuke screamed into Naruto face. In his frustration he'd put his face so close to Naruto's that he was nose to nose with him again.
Naruto never flinched at the yelling or the little drops of spit flying around. He just stared at the out of character Sasuke in front of him with a heavy-lidded, sad expression. That, more then anything, brought Sasuke around to himself. It calmed him down and allowed him to back up and release Naruto's wrists. However, before he could pull completely away, he found himself wrapped tightly in a pair of warm arms.
It took him a few moments to realize that Naruto was hugging him. A few more to realize he was hugging back. And a second to realize and accept that he didn't want to let go. So he didn't. He stayed there, wrapped in Naruto's arms and sighed. Chaotic thoughts swarmed in his mind, screeching at him, wanting to be heard. What about his anger? What about his confusion? Why wasn't he questioning this feeling of wanting to be held by Naruto?
Black eyes closed and he laid his forehead on Naruto's shoulder. He had an answer. He'd figured it out in the two whole weeks he'd been obsessing over the whole fiasco. It just picked this moment to click into place and broadside him with its obviousness.
He trusted Naruto. Naruto was his friend, his best friend. He was the closest thing to a brother he had. Problem was, he couldn't think of Naruto as a brother since the title held such horrible memories for him. Naruto understood him. He understood the need for closeness, for touch. It's why he was always invading people's personal space. Even this, the hug they were sharing, was just something that the other boy did instinctively. He'd known without knowing that Sasuke needed an anchor, something intimate and physical to cling to so he could calm his turbulent emotions.
"Sasuke, you don't have to say it," Naruto said in a soft voice Sasuke'd never heard before. "It took me while too."
Sasuke made a little 'hn' sound. Pulling his head back, he looked in to Naruto's eyes. He kept his expression as still as he could make it and laid his lips on the other boys. The shock in those blue depths almost made Sasuke lose composure and smirk. He felt the lips against his open and a breath be sucked in to speak so he let his tongue follow the air and invaded Naruto's mouth.
The little squeak of surprise made Sasuke chuckle and draw back. He looked down at Naruto and was hit by the situation they were in all at once. He loved Naruto and he was pretty sure Naruto loved him. But the boy had never felt love for himself. He'd seen it in others but never had he experienced it. That meant things would fall on Sasuke's shoulders if they were going to go anywhere.
"Sasuke what…." Naruto started, confusion creasing his brow and pinching his features.
"Naruto," Sasuke interrupted. "You're my friend. My best friend," he said. Faltering slightly over the next words, he gripped Naruto's shoulders tightly. "I…" They wouldn't come. He couldn't do this. 'If I don't touch, I won't be hurt again,' Sasuke thought to himself as he let go of Naruto's shoulders and turned to walk back to the kitchen; a swirl of thoughts following his every step.
If Sasuke thought his thoughts were chaotic they were nothing compared to Naruto's at the moment. He was still reeling about the fact that Sasuke had kissed him. The words just didn't want to arrange themselves in his head to form something he could process. Sasuke had kissed him. Sasuke had kissed him. See? It just wasn't working. Blue eyes followed Sasuke's form as the other boy walked into the kitchen after saying that he considered him his best friend.
Shaking his head, Naruto grinned suddenly. Then he smiled even wider.
Sasuke jumped a foot in the air and dropped the cup he'd been pouring hot water into as a loud exuberant shout blasted through his apartment from the living area. He barely had time to curse as his hand was scalded before an orange blur shot into the kitchen and caught him up in a crushing hug.
"You said it! You called me your friend!" Naruto shouted as he twirled Sasuke around enthusiastically.
"Damn it Naruto put me down!" Sasuke screamed, struggling in Naruto's grasp. He squirmed loose and stepped back from the bouncing boy. He stared in disbelief at the large grin on Naruto's face. Had it really meant that much that he'd called him his friend? Or was the kiss? Sasuke blushed as he recalled the kiss he'd given Naruto. What had possessed him to do that?
Naruto stood in front of him, still grinning like an idiot. Sasuke shot the boy a glare.
"Don't ever swing me around like that again, got it?" he said forcefully.
"Sure!" Naruto agreed a little to easily. "Hey Sasuke," he said with a sly grin.
"What?" the other boy said suspiciously.
"How come you kissed me?"
"Uhh…" Sasuke turned his head to the side and mumbled something.
"Eh? What'd you say?" Naruto pressed. He edged closer till he was a few inches away from the curiously pink-cheeked boy and leaned in.
"I said I l…lo…I like you," Sasuke stuttered out, voice still quiet and embarrassed.
Now it was Naruto's turn to turn pink. He stared at Sasuke with eyes so huge that one glance at his pole axed face sent Sasuke into a fit of laughter. Ok so it was more of a large self-satisfied smirk but for Sasuke it was the same as if he'd burst out laughing. He leaned over the one inch that separated them and pressed his lips to Naruto's.
"It's good to see you two getting along so well," came a cheerful, masculine voice from behind them.
The boys jumped apart with Sasuke landing in a defensive crouch with his back to the wall and Naruto landing in a sitting position in the sink.
"Yo," Kakashi said still in that cheerful tone. He was standing in the entrance of the kitchen, hands in his pockets, looking at the two boys. Oddly, neither his stance nor his expression matched his happy tone.
"Kakashi-sensei! What're you doing here?" Naruto asked, trying to extricate his rear end from the loving embrace of the sink.
"Well I remembered that I needed to talk to Sasuke about something so I came by," Kakashi told him.
"What! Then why'd you have me come and tell him about the new trainin' spot?" An orange clad butt came clear of it's metal trap and Naruto jumped to the floor brandishing an indignant finger at the man who still was in the middle of the archway to the kitchen.
Sasuke straightened and he looked from Naruto to Kakashi; finally settling a calculating stare on his teacher. Kakashi had never come to his apartment before and he was certain that if he'd had something to tell him he'd have waited until tomorrow. Or, if it were really important, it wouldn't have been Kakashi who told him at all. Kakashi was no ones messenger.
Kakashi made a little 'hmm' sound and put his hand to his mask covered chin. "Well I guess you don't have to tell him since I'm here. So it looks like you can go on home. You must be hungry, maybe you should go get some ramen."
Sasuke's eyebrow rose at the all too obvious attempt at getting rid of Naruto.
On cue, Naruto's stomach let out a pathetic sounding mewl and he clapped a hand on it. He rubbed the back of his head and laughed; slightly embarrassed.
"Heh, yeah, I'm a little hungry. I'll see you tomorrow Sasuke, Kakashi-sensei!" he said brightly. Obviously still high on the knowledge that someone, Sasuke, liked him, he bounced past them both and left out the front door to go get his daily dose (and many others daily doses as well) of ramen.
Silence once again settled in the kitchen as the two remaining occupants assessed each other.
"Sasuke. You can not be in a relationship with Naruto," Kakashi said bluntly. His eye was so serious it was like when he was facing Zabuza all over again and it caused a little shudder to climb up Sasuke's spine.
"Why?" If Kakashi was going to be that blunt then Sasuke saw no reason to hide his growing hostility. It was none if his business what he and Naruto did. Sasuke crossed his arms over his chest. So what if it made him look defensive. He glared his best Uchiha glare at the man.
"It should be obvious Sasuke. You're a smart kid; you should understand what I'm going to tell you. Come sit down in here." Kakashi turned around and went into the living area.
Sasuke blinked in surprise. Kakashi had sounded downright angry. Frowning, Sasuke followed his teacher into his living room and sat in the chair across from the couch where Kakashi was sitting with his hands hanging between his parted knees.
"Naruto is a boy."
"Really? I hadn't noticed," Sasuke said; sarcasm thick in his voice. Inside he was scratching his head in confusion. What in the hell was wrong with Kakashi? Why was he acting like this?
"Sasuke!" Kakashi said very loudly. He didn't shout per say but it wasn't far from it.
Sasuke shut up.
"This is a ninja village Sasuke. Ninja's do not have a very long life span normally. Not unless they are very good or very lucky. Strong ninja or ninja with special abilities and/or bloodline limits are expected to pass those abilities on," he paused here and looked directly into Sasuke's black eyes. Seeing that the boy was listening he continued. "Not only do you have a strong bloodline limit but you're the only one in this village who has it and can pass it on to a new generation."
At the not so subtle reminder that his brother, the only other one with the Uchiha bloodline in his genes, was still out there, Sasuke stiffened. His hands gripped his knees tightly and his expression turned stormy.
"I know you are in love with Naruto," Kakashi said as bluntly as he'd said everything else. "And I know that if you two were in a relationship it would be a mutual love. However, you have an obligation to this village to resurrect your clan. Men can not give birth to children."
"I know that!" Sasuke snapped. He stood and started to pace. He had to pace. If he didn't he'd go over and try to punch Kakashi's teeth out of his mouth. He knew he had to resurrect his clan. He knew men couldn't have kids. What the hell did all that matter? He'd find some girl and get her pregnant. Why couldn't he be with Naruto?
"Have you ever seen a gay couple in Konoha, Sasuke?" Kakashi asked quietly.
The softness of his teachers voice made Sasuke look up and stop his pacing.
"Gay couple? I…" Sasuke thought quickly. Surely there was one couple in the whole of Konoha that consisted of a man and a man or a woman and a woman, right? Understanding dawned slowly on Sasuke's pale face and he sat down to face a very sober Kakashi. "Not one. What did they do to them?" he asked.
"If they persisted and were below a chunin in strength they were made to resign and become civilian. If of a higher strength," Kakashi paused, looked down then back up at Sasuke, "they were killed. Though most learned to hide it."
The way he'd said that last part kicked Sasuke brain into high gear. "How did they learn to hide it?"
"By never giving any indication of liking the same sex. By making sure that any dealings with them were kept entirely secret. No easy thing when dealing with a bunch of ninjas."
"By reading soft core porn in broad daylight?" Sasuke asked.
"Yeah, that too," Kakashi said. He shifted backwards so his back was resting on the couch.
To say Sasuke was shocked would do a grave disservice to the word. He'd never heard even so much as a breath of a rumor about this. But he understood exactly why Kakashi was telling him this and not Naruto. Naruto would never understand. He'd fight for their relationship and end up one of the ones stuck as a civilian.
Kakashi let the boy think things through. He wasn't lying when he said the boy was smart so he knew he'd come to the right decision. Sasuke was like him in many ways, this, apparently, was no exception. After about 5 minutes, Sasuke stirred and spoke up.
"I understand. But…" He shifted in the chair and glanced at Kakashi. "What are you going to do about Naruto?"
"He won't remember. I can't imagine him keeping his feelings a secret anymore then I can imagine him accepting a civilians life." Of course, Kakashi knew Naruto would never be given that chance. He was much to powerful because of what he carried to be allowed to be 'just' a civilian. And the boy's personality alone would guarantee him fighting tooth and nail against the whole process anyway. In other words, he'd be one of the ones that were killed.
"Not remember? A jutsu?" Sasuke asked.
"Yeah. It's a seal that's placed in the part of the brain that holds the memories. It'll only affect the ones of the past few days. He won't remember." Kakashi looked down. "It's better if he doesn't remember."
Sasuke nodded. "Can you place it on me too?" he asked.
Kakashi looked up with a faintly startled glance. "You think you need it?"
"Yeah," Sasuke told him softly. He didn't want to elaborate but it was ok, Kakashi understood him perfectly.
Kakashi sighed and stood. He walked over to the sitting boy and placed a hand on his black hair. They met each other eyes for a long moment.
"I'm sorry," he said and formed the seals for the jutsu.