Summary: Naruto Uzumaki is the new sheriff of Alto Springs. Sasuke Uchiha is an outlaw and member of the renegade gang Akatsuki. They become tangled in an adventure that puts their lives and the lives of all they care about at risk, but will they be able to learn to trust each other to work together? Can they start by not trying to kill each other?

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Happy?

AN: This is my first story in a very long time. I hope you give this a chance because it will be a great story, I promise.

Beta: AlyssaOtaku69 Check out her work! She's in the middle of several amazing stories and updates weekly.

He wiped the sweat from his brow and replaced his worn hat onto his unruly mop of sunny, blonde hair. The Texas heat boiled the air around him, and he inhaled a large breath of dry air, the stale, burning taste of the craggy desert hanging on his tongue. He pulled his pocket watch from his vest, glancing at the time. 3:30. His patrol was nearly over, and with a sigh, he realized that absolutely nothing of excitement had happened all day. No bandits, no suspicious looking caravans, not even a jackrabbit jumping to and fro. He'd seen more activity at the Sunday service, which, until now, he had considered the most mind numbing experience of his life.

"Well," he drawled, "looks like it's time to turn in." He gave his horse a quick jab in the side with his heels, and took off towards the road at a leisurely trot. He'd embraced the sad truth that almost every day since his promotion had been this dull. His one big bust was enough to launch him to new responsibilities and status, but now he could simply coast on the wave of good behavior and lack of crime that he'd been riding since. He'd always imagined being Sheriff as more physically and mentally taxing, more life-or-death, kill-or-be-killed action, especially in a larger town. However, he berated himself, that was nothing to complain about.

His horse approached the road and he made to turn right, towards Alto Springs, his home sweet home, when something flashed in the corner of his eye. His head snapped left, and less than a mile in the distance he made out the blurry image of a white, covered wagon toppling over. A dark horse and his unknown rider were circling the wagon in a very unfriendly way.

"Looks like I'll have something to tell the girls today after all." Naruto said with a small smile. He spurred his horse onward, riding low in his saddle in case the assailant took notice of him and had a gun. To his surprise, the man on the horse didn't seem to notice him approaching. He was still on his dark steed, yelling orders to the family that had crawled out of the overturned wagon. From the way he swayed in his saddle, he must have been intoxicated.

Naruto slowed his horse to a walk when he came within shooting distance of the man. With one hand on the reins, he reached for his gun with the other, his fingers just closing around the cold metal when the stranger stopped yelling. With faster hands than Naruto had ever seen, the man's gun was out behind him and pointed square at the Sheriff's chest.

"Don't do anything stupid." The man said loudly, and though his body tilted this way and that, his gun remained steady.

"Put your gun away." Naruto replied calmly, inching his own revolver slowly from the holster. "I'm the Sheriff of Alto Springs, and I'm ordering you to put your gun away."

The stranger snorted. "Sheriff..." He turned around in his saddle, glancing lazily at Naruto. "You're no Sheriff, you're a boy with a pretty, golden pin who just crawled outta his momma's lap."

"And you're a boy whose daddy just gave him his first real revolver and now he's feeling trigger happy." He retorted, sizing up the bandit. He looked no older than himself, a spry man in his early twenties with fair skin and a mane of black hair topped off with a mangy hat. The man's face broke into a wide grin at the comment.

"You're right! I'm dying to try it out, care to help me?" He pulled back the hammer with a resounding 'click' and spun his horse around to face Naruto.

"I'm going to give you one last chance to put your gun away." Naruto articulated each word carefully, his heart beginning to pound a little harder. "Don't do anything you're going to regret."

"Oh don't worry, I won't regret it." The man said with a smirk. With killing intent in his red, glazed eyes, he made to pull the trigger and Naruto's hand ripped his gun from his holster. Before the man could shoot, however, a look of discomfort flitted across his face and his gun dropped from his hand. He clutched at his stomach as if he was about to vomit of alcohol poisoning, but instead of heaving up his insides, only a mild belch escaped his lips. His eyes rolled back into his head, and he toppled out of his saddle into a crumpled, unconscious mess.

Naruto pointed his gun at the man for several seconds before sliding to the ground and cautiously walking towards him. He squatted down next to him, the smell of whiskey hanging in the air around him like an acrid perfume. He swatted the other man's gun out of reach, then gently rolled his body supine. The consistent rise and fall of his chest assured the Sheriff he was fine, merely another victim of uninhibited drinking. He nimbly bound his hands and legs before slinging his body across the back of his horse.

He turned his attention to the startled family. "Are you all right?" He addressed them with a smile and tip of his hat. He helped the youngest girl to her feet as her family stood around her.

"We are now, thanks to you." An older man said, putting his arm around his wife, who in turn pulled her children to her side. "If you hadn't of showed up when you did, well, who knows what that bastard might have done." The children smiled as their father swore, but the mother gave him a look of disapproval. She then turned to Naruto.

"We were on our way in to Alto Springs, when he ran us off the road. I swear, he has a familiar face to him." She motioned towards the body on the horse. "Like the kind I've seen on a poster at the Sheriff's office. I reckon he's a wanted man."

"Well I will make sure he's dealt with when I take him back to town." Naruto nodded encouragingly at the family. "But how about we flip this thing over? See if it can make these last few miles." He stepped towards the wagon, assessing the damage. "I'm sure if you take it nice and slow, keep to the roads and ease over the potholes, you'll be fine."

After a solid half hour of pushing, pulling, and swearing, the wagon had been righted and the family escorted into town courtesy of Naruto. Alto Springs was lively, as all the women and children made their way home and all the men made their way to saloons. The town was situated East of several natural warm springs to which its name was due, and flanking the settlement was a series of rolling hills that gave way to a patchwork of farm land. It was a green town, with rustling Acacia trees hugging the perimeter and beds of wild flowers that grew along many of the streets.

Naruto bid farewell to the family just as the sun began to dip behind the mountains, painting the horizon layers of orange, pink, and purple. They wandered towards the mercantile at the heart of town, while he stayed behind and ducked left, keeping to the fringes of town. He didn't want to draw too much attention to himself while he had the outlaw tossed across the back of his saddle. His office was situated between the road and rail station, perfect for moving criminals around between the jail and train and keeping them away from civilians. Alto Springs had learned the hard way years ago that having the Sheriff's office in the middle of town was too dangerous, and so it was relocated farther out.

He stopped his horse outside the building and looped the reins through the hitching post. He gave the chestnut brown mare a rub on the neck, then scooped a sugar cube out of his saddle bag and let her eagerly lick it from his palm. He dried his hand on his pants, then collected his unconscious bounty and heaved him up the steps to his office. He kicked the door open, struggling slightly under the weight of the outlaw, though he appeared to be on the scrawny side, and hurried inside. The first floor had three jail cells against the back wall, and his work space opposite those in the corner. There he had his desk and several bookcases filled with maps, criminal records, and other important documents. A narrow staircase in the other corner of the room wound up to the second floor where he resided, holding nothing but his bed, a small closet, and several tables strewn with riding tack, shaving equipment, and various odds and ends.

"Hey, you got one!"

Naruto snapped his head around to the corner of the room to see some of his deputies milling around his desk. Many were holding bottles, clearly enjoying a leisurely afternoon of inactivity, and one even had his feet up on his desk. At the sight of Naruto, he immediately took his feet down and stashed the bottle.

"Need a hand?" A man with long brown hair tied back in a ponytail asked.

"Please." Naruto replied, shifting his weight. The man grabbed the cell keys from a desk drawer and unlocked the closest door, then helped slide the body from Naruto's shoulder and together they set him down on a cot, the only adornment to the cell. They stepped out, and Naruto locked the cell, pocketing the keys inside his vest. "Thanks, Neji."

"Of course, Sheriff." Neji replied, and Naruto felt his cheeks redden. He still wasn't used to people addressing him as such. "So, who is he and how'd you happen upon him?" Neji asked, leaning casually against the cell. Everyone else in the room nodded, eager to listen.

"Well," Naruto began, "I don't know who he is. At the very end of my patrol, I was 'bout to head home when I saw him overturn a wagon off down the road, going towards Twin Vista. He was drunk off his ass, waving a gun around and threatening a family, and..." He wasn't sure how to explain the next part. "And I subdued him. Brought him back here." He'd stretch the truth a little, he decided. No harm in talking himself up a bit. "Some of the family reckoned he had the kind of face straight from a poster, but he doesn't seem familiar to me." The men all turned to look at the stranger in the cell, whose face was partially concealed under his mop of black hair.

"He doesn't look familiar to me either." Neji concluded, as did most of his deputies.

"Ya know," the man who'd had his feet on Naruto's desk piped up, "I've heard some rumors come through from Twin Vista and San Tilo about a new gang of sorts, vigilantes gone rogue that have been causing all sorts of trouble along the roads. He could be one of them. Al-something, or maybe ar- no Askatsi or Atsuki..." He scratched his head, fumbling for the name.

"Don't hurt yourself, Kiba." Shikamaru, a man with dark hair tied high on his head, said coolly, and Kiba turned and growled at him.

"I'll think of it!" He snapped, "It will come back to me."

"When it does, make sure to tell me. I'd love to find out more about them." Naruto said. The idea of a new gang was troubling; as if there weren't enough of those around already, but at least it meant he'd be busy now. He didn't care much for all these lazy days now that he had something to prove to the people of Alto Springs.

"Will do." Kiba replied, standing up. "Now, let's say we celebrate the Sheriff's daring capture with some drinks!" It was not so much a question as it was a statement, and he earned rambunctious cheers in return.

"Kiba, you ass, you've been drinking all day." Neji sniped at him, to which Kiba replied with some obscene names.

"Obviously they're mostly for Naruto." Kiba huffed, stalking past the stoic brunette and clapping Naruto on the back. "Come on, to Madame T's, I'll buy you a cold one." Naruto started to decline; as refreshing as a cool beer sounded he was wary to leave the captured man here alone, even if he was out cold. "Your favorite will be dancing tonight!" Kiba added with a salty wink. Now, Naruto was torn. He rarely passed up a chance to see her on stage, usually because that led to other things, and he'd been craving those other things for several long nights now.

Almost as if he could feel the torment in him, Neji sighed and said "If you want to go, I'll stay and keep watch. But you'll have to start his paperwork when you're done."

Unable to contain himself, Naruto cracked a wide grin and nodded, then turned and left the building with his posse in tow. They ambled out the door, laughing and making jokes as they moved back towards the center of town. The citizens of Alto Springs smiled and waved at them, some adding an enthusiastic "Good evening, Sheriff!" that brought a warmth to Naruto's heart. He was well-liked amongst the town, despite holding so much responsibility at such a young age. He had inherited the badge from the previous Sheriff, Hatake Kakashi, who decided to retire early once Naruto proved he was capable of holding the position. In the older man's words, "I was just saving this for you."

Before Kakashi, the badge had belonged to his father, whose name was practically holy in Alto Springs. Naruto could barely recall him, being so young when he died in service to the town, but he grew up hearing many stories and probably some tall tales of his bravery and heroism. He knew he wanted to be just like his dad, to take responsibility for the town and all who lived in it. After foiling the nefarious plots of a local gang not even a season ago, Kakashi had deemed him both ready and worthy. He only hoped that Kakshi and everyone else's trust in him was well placed.

The hoots and hollers of drinking men and the breaking of glass spilled out from the wooden double doors and out into the street in front of 'Madame Tsunade's Spirit House'. Out in front was a poster featuring a beautiful painting of a woman in burlesque getup, meaning there would be dancers tonight. Naruto practically dove through the doors, and was greeted with a cacophony of drunken yells and cheers.

The familiar smell of whiskey and cigarette smoked wafted around him, and the bar was buzzing with activity; drinking games, rounds of poker, and an arm wrestling match were all happening around him, and it was barely after 5. At the front of the room was a raised wooden stage with thick, red velvet curtains drawn across it, hiding the scenery behind. In front was a small pit with a few chairs and a piano, where the musicians would sit and play lively tunes for the bar patrons and later for the dancers. The wall to the left was covered in shelves stocked with the finest spirits and liquors available this side of the desert, as well as an impressive collection of glassware that never dwindled despite how many glasses seemed to shatter nightly. The bar, a long, dark counter of wood, was covered in knicks and scrapes, and probably saturated with plenty of spit, blood, and spilled booze. On the opposite wall were the water closets, as well as a staircase that wound upwards to the second floor where Tsunade's office was. In between everything was a myriad of tables and chairs, all over a worn out wooden floor. Antique looking brass chandeliers flooded the room with warm light.

Behind the bar was a large man with dark hair and a neatly trimmed beard. A smoldering cigar hung lazily from the corner of his mouth. Next to him was a buxom blonde who was currently engaged with a drunken patron, a look of fear plastered on the man's face as the woman held him by his shirt collar.

"Think you can steal drinks from Madame T, huh?" She growled at the man threateningly, who seemed to retreat further back into his shirt. "Asuma, bottle." She ordered the bartender, who quickly handed her a dark brown bottle of alcohol. She held it up in front of the patron, waving it a little to make sure he was paying attention, then smashed the bottle on the bar next to him. A suffocating silence instantly fell over the room, followed quickly by the scraping of chairs as everyone turned around to watch the incident unfold. Naruto, amused, sat silently for the time being. The patron seemed to be on the verge of pissing himself when Tsunade held up the jagged, broken bottle and inched it towards him. "Are you sure you forgot your wallet?" She asked him sweetly as she looked pointedly at her makeshift weapon. The man slowly shook his head, before cautiously reaching into his breast pocket and pulling out a money pouch. He pinched out several coins and dropped them on the counter in front of Tsunade, who didn't seem pleased. "Now, now," she leered, yanking the man's collar closer, "I think you drank a little more than that." The man opened his mouth to reply, but the bartender shook his head at him, as if warning him 'Don't do it, you'll regret it'. The man dropped the whole money pouch on the counter and Tsunade relinquished her grip. He tumbled off his stool, scrambled to his feet, and hightailed his way past Naruto and out the door in an instant. The bar erupted into uproarious applause and Tsunade waved them off, more concerned with counting her payment.

"Oi, granny," Naruto called with an impish grin as he approached the bar, "you're supposed to leave the justice to me." Tsunade stuck her tongue out at him.

"Hey, welp, maybe you'd like to start paying for your drinks from now on too!" She raised her eyebrow at him and Naruto felt his face go red.

"On second thought, you make a fine vigilante." He said sheepishly, waving his hands in front of him defensively. He rarely had to worry about bad behavior getting out of hand here; Tsunade ran a tight ship and didn't tolerate any tomfoolery in her establishment.

"Hey!" Naruto felt a punch on his arm as Kiba stepped beside him. "You get free drinks? Then why am I always buying your rounds?!" Naruto sidestepped another punch aimed at him and reached for his wallet. He held up some bills in front of Kiba's face.

"My treat tonight then!" He exclaimed, and almost immediately Kiba's scowl became a toothy grin.

"Ah, the magic words." He cooed, and he yanked the bills from Naruto's hand and slammed them flat on the counter. "Top shelf please, Asuma." Like a kid in a candy store, Naruto thought as he chuckled to himself. He turned around to see Shikamaru and Shino looking at him expectantly, and he dug back into his wallet. Their faces lit up when he produced more bills and laid them at the bar.

"For all of us, thanks." He nodded at Asuma who collected the money and handed it off to Tsunade, who pocketed the bills eagerly.

"My, what a generous sheriff we've been blessed with." She said, sauntering to the back of the room and ducking behind the stage, probably to check on the dancers. Asuma poured a tray of shots for them and sent them away with enough alcohol to subdue a bull.

Naruto carefully escorted their fiery treasure to a large table, front and center of the stage, and everyone took a seat and a shot.

"To a successful patrol." Shikamaru chimed, raising his glass.

"To another peaceful day." Added Shino.

"To the best damn sheriff in the west!" Kiba shouted.

"To the top shelf!" Naruto cheered, and their glasses all clinked together.

"Did I ever tell you the story about how I got my tattoos?" Kiba slurred, pointing to the downward facing red triangles under his eyes. His other hand held an empty shot glass.

"Yes." Naruto replied, throwing back his head and taking another drink and almost missing his mouth entirely.

"Well I was out gathering intel in Durango, you remember," Kiba began, leaning across the table towards Naruto, "and I met this fortune telling Indian priest doctor outside the bar. And he asked-" Kiba paused to hiccup, "asked if I'd spare a sip from my canteen. So I give it to him, and he drinks the whole damn thing. Pissed, I'm all 'That was more than a sip!' and he apologizes and said that for my kindness" Kiba raised his eyebrows as he spoke "he'd give me these awesome, powerful tattoos. They would bring me luck, and women, and money too. Course I took him up on it." Kiba leaned back in his chair, shaking his head. "I was too drunk to know better. I wake up the next day with these," he pointed again to the tattoos, "and they look pretty cool, and I'm not feeling too stupid about it. Until I go back into town. All the Indians start laughing at me when they see me. All throughout town. I figure it's gotta be the tattoos. So I grab one and I'm like 'What's so funny?' and he says 'Your markings' and I'm all 'Aren't they symbols of power?' and he busts a gut and goes 'That's the marking for hermaphrodite!' and I fucking lost it." Kiba dropped his head to the table.

Naruto burst into laughter even though he'd heard the story before. It just seemed so much funnier now. Shikamaru chuckled, slumped in his chair, probably half asleep. Shino sat completely silent, but swayed drunkenly back and forth in his seat.

"You're such an idiot." Naruto sputtered out as his laughing died off. They'd burned through several rounds of whiskey but Naruto wouldn't let them leave until his favorite dancer had finished performing. "Guys, guys, guys!" He jumped up and down in his chair as he watched Tsunade walk out to announce her. "Wake up, she's on!" Shikamaru raised his head, and even Shino sat straight and still.

"Alright you sorry bastards," Tsunade yelled, to which the crowd responded with cheers, "put your hands together for Texas' sweet desert blossom, Sakura!" Tsunade bowed as the curtains opened and revealed a pale young woman with pink hair and green eyes. She wore a lacy black bustier and a short, frilly petticoat with a sparkly feather boa draped around her shoulders. Her hair fell in soft waves behind her, and her hair was adorned with an exotic looking flower. The room fell silent in admiration, waiting for her to move. She looked up into the crowd and smirked when she saw Naruto, staring at her with wide eyes and a drooling mouth. She slowly drew a fan from her garter belt, drawing out every tantalizing moment.

"This one's for the sheriff." She cooed, and everyone erupted into whistles and applause. Naruto felt his face burn red like a cherry tomato. Sakura strutted down the stage, waving her fan, while the orchestra played a jaunty tune. She descended the few stairs and teasingly strut towards Naruto's table, every step with those long legs getting him more excited. She closed the distance between them, and plopped herself daintily in his lap, pulling the feather boa around him. She began to sing some classic show tune he had heard a million times before but was too drunk to remember the words. He felt the jealous stares of every man in the bar boring into him, but he was lost in the sweet, floral smell of Sakura, the jazzy up tempo beat and her sensual voice, her legs draped across him.

'I could die right now, and heaven wouldn't be better than this', Naruto thought to himself.

"Fuck." Naruto mumbled, rubbing his shin, which he had banged into the side of his desk.

"Sounds like it was a good night." Neji observed, hiding a sneer.

"Ask me again in the morning." The blonde sighed, collapsing in his chair and rubbing his temples gingerly. It was actually a fantastic night, between the drinking and the sex, but he knew he would be paying for it tomorrow. "How was he?" He asked, indicating the mysterious prisoner in the cell. Neji shrugged.

"He might have been drunker than you. Hasn't moved a muscle the whole time." Neji approached the cell and peered through the bars. "I drafted a letter to the surrounding sheriff's offices asking if they might have any information regarding this man or any recent gang activity. Look it over, you can send it in the morning."

"Thanks Neji, I appreciate it." Naruto said with a smile as the other man turned and made his way out of the building.

"Thank me with some top shelf next time." Neji called over his shoulder as he closed the door behind him. Naruto chuckled and then sighed, depositing his hat on the hook behind him.

He stared at the man in the cell. He couldn't see much of him, his pale, angular face was smushed into the cot and covered by a veil of black hair. A shiny trail of drool leaked from the corner of the man's mouth and soaked into his shirt collar. His clothes were dark and covered in dust. A handsome man, but he had the look of a rogue about him. Naruto quickly read over Neji's letter, signed his name, and left a note for the print maker to make several copies and have them sent to the morning mail carrier. It could be days before he got a reply, and he'd just have to do his best to interrogate the stranger in the meantime. If he was a wanted man, he'd get a nice reward and some more brownie points with the citizens of Alto Springs, not to mention the respect of the other sheriffs.

He began a quick report of his capture of the stranger but found his head swimming and decided to finish in the morning. With a yawn so large it hurt his jaw, he stood and checked the lock on the cell door. Satisfied, Naruto dimmed the lamps in his office and began to climb the stairs to his quarters. A sound from the cell stopped him in his tracks. He silently turned around and leaned towards the noise; a myriad of coughs and groans began echoing throughout the darkened room. Naruto remained quiet and still. There was the sound of clothing rustling, and it seemed the captive man had awakened from his drunken slumber. The sheriff was about to turn and continue up the stairs when the other man cleared his throat.

"My guys will come for me." He said, voice hoarse. Naruto's mouth went dry, breath caught in his chest. "By this time the next day, I'll be a free man. And you, sheriff," the man snorted, "you'll be the joke of the state." Naruto narrowed his eyes.

"By this time the next day your body could be cold in the dirt." Naruto warned gravely, his voice ice. He recalled that the man's arms and legs were still bound, his gun removed. He was no threat tonight. Now weighed down by a heavy feeling of dread, Naruto proceeded up the stairs, euphoric memories of the evening's fun already long gone. He heard a few more rustling noises before he closed the door to his room. He kicked off his boots and dropped onto his bed fully clothed, the alcohol pulling him into a quick but fitful sleep.

AN: So what do you think? Please review, comment, and critique, I really appreciate it. Hold tight for an exciting next chapter!