Author's Note: This story was written by two different people, and as such switches perspectives frequently. My RP partner wrote Naruto, and I have written Sasuke. I thought about combining it into a more flowing story, but I think that with this kind of thing, being able to express each of their thoughts was very important. This story isn't about hating the end of the Naruto manga. It is respectful of the ending, while still straying from that path. It isn't because we hate NaruHina and SasuSaku (though... we aren't fans), we just didn't find them entirely believable. In all honestly, I would have preferred a platonic ending. Oh well. I hope you enjoy and review. I haven't posted anything in so long, but for some reason.. I wanted to put this out to the world. Along with every other ending rewrite! :)

Do let me know if you like the style. We have so many other beautiful role plays that could be posted in this manner. They just take too much effort to convert into a more story-like manner.

I have edited this but only hastily. I apologize for any spelling mistakes, and the multitude of fragmented sentences. They are my one true vice in writing.

The war had ended so long ago now...

It seemed so long. The war had come and gone but left an everlasting impact on their lives. Each of the villagers, each of his friends. They had lost so many ninjas. He had lost dear friends. Things could have been so different if Neji had lived. Things could be so different if the pervy sage was still alive too for that matter, huh?

Naruto got everything he wanted, really. A peaceful world. Sasuke saved. Sasuke back in the village.

When they had come back, the world was so busy, their lives so busy. There was so much to do. Reconstruction was an on-going project. Relationships with other villages built and made. Things that they had never been able to do before were all of a sudden available. Naruto was so busy. Sakura was so busy. And Sasuke had ...left. To go explore the world. They had left on a promise. A promise that well...

People were happy to be alive. So happy. So happy to be alive during a peaceful time. It was strange how thoughts of military might and personal strength changed. Or it might have just been their age. At least with his friends, things changed so quickly. Within months, couples were formed. Some expected, some not. It was fun to tease. Naruto had fun with it. They spent nights on the town, all of them. Enjoying youth! Lee fucking loved it, dattebayo!

Naruto waited though. For the promise to settle things between them. Sasuke delivered too. He came back. And they met. They fought. And they ...settled things between them. The tension and love that had built up over the years Naruto had chased after him. No, no, since the moment Sasuke saved him so many years ago on the bridge. They settled it. They knew what they were in the morning. Naruto knew even though he had found himself naked and alone in his apartment. They were them.

They kept it all a secret. So fun at times; other times crazy and annoying. Naruto knew his path, Sasuke knew his. Being open about such a thing wasn't for them. Not yet, at least. Naruto was fine. The touch of hands under a table. A quick heated kiss down an alley as they passed each other. Naruto was more than fine. He was happy. He really did get everything he wanted.

Marriages had started too. So fast. Couples here and there all got hitched. He told you, they were enjoying life. Naruto knew it was because they wanted to shack it up quicker. Sasuke and he had fun. He could tell even when the boy didn't smile. They were reckless at the weddings too. Definitely almost getting caught far too many times. Naruto thought it would last forever. But. Again. Sasuke had his path, so did Naruto. He shouldn't have been surprised.

He had been shocked when she announced it. Sakura, that is. She was pregnant. With Sasuke's child. Sasuke was never one for following the crowd. So instead of marriage first, it was pregnancy first. Naruto could only sneak secret glances at him all through the night. It was still as clear as day. He wanted to know when. How. When did he...? But Naruto should have known. Sasuke always had a goal, he said it himself when he was 12 and they just started team seven. He wanted to rebuild his clan.

And Sakura had the first part of it in her.

Things changed. That night, Naruto knew, things were different. Was that how a love confession, from before the war flashed through his mind? It didn't matter, really. He began dating and was married to Hinata within six months after that announcement. Things were strained between them. Everyone could tell. Naruto could.

It didn't stop till they had a mission months after Naruto's marriage began. He too was expecting a baby. But that didn't stop them. The two of them began it again. On. Off. On. All secret from their wives. Hinata trusted him so. Would do anything for him. Would never leave him. She was just...a perfect wife. Sakura too. Even if the two found out, would they leave? No. They were attached to them.

It had been a long off. When was the last time? A year? two? Six months? Their kids were in school now. Sasuke was ever absent. Always on missions. And now? Naruto was stuck here, in his new job, protecting the village. Shikamaru always told him. But...Naruto got one past his adviser. He stuck himself on a mission. With Sasuke. Just like before. Just the two of them. Why? Did he hate himself? Did he want to annoy Sasuke? Maybe.

Shikamaru could have that look all he wanted (there was no way he knew). Naruto went. He was here. "Teme, don't be that tense!" Naruto smirked, adjust his backpack, looking up at the sky. It was almost night. Sasuke could sure go a long time without talking. "Your daughter won't like those frown lines of yours."

000

Did they really know what it was that was between them? Most nights, Sasuke couldn't particularly say. For so long he had railed against the emotions living inside of him. That tiny hint of doubt, that tiny voice that expressed a desire for... all of the things that he had denied himself so thoroughly for years. At the end of the war, Sasuke was forced to face that voice head on. It was galling to finally realize the voice belonged to Naruto. Calling out to him constantly, telling him what he should have known about himself.

So the first time they kissed, Sasuke had not been shocked. Only.. resigned. There was nothing more he could do to stop this from happening. Only ride the experience out to completion. Otherwise, what? The voice would start again and Sasuke was not sure he would be able to resist it so thoroughly this time around.

That did not mean, however, that Sasuke was going to cave to expectation. At least, Naruto's expectation. To be forever trapped in a place between friendship and relationship. Their stolen moments were fleeting and dangerous. With a man as respected and beloved as Uzumaki Naruto... how amusing to say those words now. Sasuke remembered a sullen boy that he had looked at so often from afar. Who shared his same loneliness. Now.. now it was only Naruto who had the world's devotion.

What Sasuke did have was a woman. When he said at 12 years old that he was going to rebuild his clan, he meant it more than any other statement he made that day. The Uchihas were a noble line and should not disintegrate because a few had gone astray. Sasuke had allowed Sakura to become besotted with him. He neither encouraged nor discouraged her affection. It was her desire to get married after her pregnancy, not his. That night had been.. heart-rending.

Now, it was years later and Sasuke had fallen into the familiar. More often than not he was out of the village. With Naruto as the Hokage now, there was no reason for him to stay. His friend's time was too precious to waste. Naruto was always surrounded by advisers. There was no such thing as stolen moments any longer. A few seconds to make his reports each time he returned to the village was all the more Sasuke had seen of the man in the last year. Then he was off again. A quick moment to hug and kiss his daughter, greet Sakura and he was off again. This world deserved exploration. The missions were always worth it. Dangerous ones meant for him and him alone. Sasuke wouldn't allow Naruto to waste the lives of those less qualified on these extended missions.

Such as himself.

Irritated, Sasuke's eyes were constantly on the lookout for threats. Usually he would walk and rely on his senses to determine threats. But not this time. This time the Hokage was walking in his wake and about 20 different people had warned him of the consequences of his failure to protect their leader. "What she likes is irrelevant, Hokage," Sasuke said sternly. This wasn't a fun excursion into the woods. Times were peaceful, but that didn't mean there was no discord, no strife. Peace always preceded a war, after all. Only idiots assumed the danger was past.

"If you hadn't snuck out of your office, there would be no problems. You're aware of who you are, are you not?" Sasuke chided with distaste.

000

Who said he needed protection?

He had told them all not to worry. Hinata most of all. She, of course, didn't fight a bit when he told her that he was going to go on a mission. But she was worried. He had kissed her like a husband kisses a wife. He had kissed the top of his children's heads too. Two of them.

Take that, Teme. Naruto was winning in that race. Though...how it had happened, he wasn't sure. He must have the sperm of a god.

Though Sasuke had the ass of a ...shit.

"I didn't sneak out. I was very pubic about it. The village is safe. Shikamaru is there. Lee is there. Even Sakura is there, dattebayo!" Naruto laughed a bit, thinking of that. She was strong, but since her and Sasuke got hitched, she really hadn't done anything. Just been the ideal wife. Like Hinata was to hi,. "Only Shikamaru didn't want me to go because he..." Naruto trailed off, looking to the side.

"You remember his wedding, teme?" Naruto laughed, thinking about it. They had too much sake. Their hands had been everywhere. He was sure one of the girls caught a glimpse. Probably had too much to drink themselves as to why that had never come up. ..though, that night, had been before it. Sakura. Sasuke.

..."You plan on having a boy?" Naruto asked, trying to change the subject. The past was a dangerous one. At least their recent past. "To keep your clan alive?"

000

Didn't need protection? Naruto couldn't walk two feet without getting mobbed. Or tripping. Or being a total idiot. Nothing changed just because his friend had become the Hokage. Sasuke wasn't going to suddenly treat him like he was more intelligent than a bucket of rocks. Especially with his lackadaisical attitude towards the defense of the village.

"If you're so certain those you named are capable of protecting your two children... so be it," Sasuke said dismissively. Only Nara was really capable of anything. The others.. inconsequential. Even his own wife. With the way she was these days.. she'd only think about their daughter. Keep her safe, keep her free.

Ignoring Naruto's insistence on reminiscence, Sasuke simply focused on the task at hand. It was about time to make their stop for the evening. If it were him, he would probably continue on until he was forced to pause from fatigue.. but Sasuke glanced at the Hokage, stuffed into a cushy office and not really taxed in any way any longer. Yes, they would pause for the evening. Stopping walking, Sasuke had finally found a position he found he could easily defend if necessary.

Continuing to reject Naruto's notion of conversation, Sasuke began to set up their tent for the evening. It was less than ideal not to have two. Then again, it was better protection for the Hokage. Sasuke looked up at Naruto, his expression blank. "She's pregnant," Sasuke said with finality. Just because they were alone together, that did not mean their dry spell was going to come to an end. Sasuke held no such thing as a moral obligation to be faithful to his wife; however he did care for his child. His children.

"Tell me why you really wanted to come, Naruto. It is not because you thought I couldn't handle the mission alone," Sasuke asked, disappearing into the tent to set up their sleeping arrangements.

0000

"I haven't even started to name all the people that are capable of protecting my kids. Shino and Kiba and even Gaara's there, helping out!" Naruto smiled at that. He liked to get Sasuke to twitch his eyebrow each time that name was mentioned. Naruto didn't notice it at first. But there were only so many times that a HOKAGE could miss something, dattebayo! He was a brilliant guy! "But I like that you don't feel like the village and your daughter is safe unless I'm there to protect her and it." Naruto crossed his hand behind his head, beaming like they were 12 and he just got a compliment from the guy.

Shit. He could be happy. They really were rar...

It was strange, you know. That night, the night Sakura had told the nine of them she was pregnant? Naruto could remember the feeling. The crushing feeling. How he had managed to maintain any sort of composure to tell her congratulations. How had he managed to only stare at Sasuke in times he knew no one was staring at him. He remembered the night like it was yesterday. Only that, really, was years ago. It was strange, therefore, that now that he heard the words again, he felt the same. No, worse.

Only this time, he didn't have to maintain perfect composure. it was just them. Just him and Sasuke. No wives, no friends, no friends of friends. They were alone in the woods, with one single tent. It would be much, much better if they had two. "Pregnant," He muttered, eyes narrowing as he looked at the ground. He hated himself. "Seems that you have plenty of time for your wife in between all those missions, dattebayo. But not more than a few seconds for me." Because that meant, Sasuke and Sakura were...still? Naruto and Hinata was a rare, rare, rare thing, you know. Now that they had kids, Naruto just told her he was stressed. She was the best wife in the world. She believed him.

..why was Naruto here, then yeah? because it was clear Sasuke didn't miss them. Was fine, with his wife. Just like Naruto should be. Fine with his wife. But he couldn't help it. Sasuke was out on missions, almost always. Those days, those seconds he got to see him, just to hear his report, they made him far too happy. "I'm here because I get so happy and excited to see you, Shikamaru makes me deal with super annoying shit afterwards so that Hinata doesn't fucking know about how happy I am. I...miss you." He told him honestly. But still. His voice was dead. Pregnant.

000

Did Sasuke still have relations with his wife? It was more unusual that Naruto did not. If the Hokage truly wanted to create an actual pretense of a marriage, then he needed to attend to that as well. A few smiles were not enough to truly make someone believe you loved them unconditionally. They would need attention and care as well. Sasuke understood. So when he returned home and somehow Sakura made their daughter disappear after five minutes, he knew what she wanted. Why should he deny her?

For.. Naruto?

An interesting concept, but no. Their devotion was not nearly stable enough for that. If they were to do such a thing, Sasuke and Naruto would have to throw away their entire lives to be together. Sasuke just was not willing to do that. Especially not with Naruto having finally obtained his dream in life. The Hokage. The most respected ninja in the village. And it was true, Sasuke could see it in everyone's faces.

Frowning, Sasuke finally lifted his eyes to Naruto. The way he said those words... Sasuke moved closer to him, lifting his hand to brush his fingertips across the scars on his cheek. "If I see you for more than a few seconds, then I would have no time for my wife and child," Sasuke said the words quietly. This wasn't the moment to be spouting confessions. Not when they were alone in the woods where anything could happen.

Pressing his lips together in a line, Sasuke looked at Naruto seriously. "Spar with me. I seem to recall almost beating you last time. Maybe you should spend less time eating your wife's cooking and more time training," Sasuke said, already dropping his bag and robes into the tent. The spar was necessary, in any case. Sasuke... had a problem with submitting. Every time.

000

Nothing was going to happen. It was peaceful. They had worked hard to make it so. The only thing that could happen was the two of them beating themselves to bloody pulps because Sasuke did shit with his wife still. Naruto frowned, hating it. The feeling that was all over him. She was pregnant. Sasuke and she had...

Eyes looking up at him, Naruto put a hand over his as they touched his cheek. He even leaned forward a bit. So they could feel each other breaths. This. This embrace was more exciting than feeling his wife underneath him, ready to submit. That was just...it wasn't this. Sasuke. Those months they had before the women. When it was just them, pressed together in an alley of Konoha. In the closet of a bar. In Naruto's old apartment, pressing against each other in his bed...

That was all Naruto craved. Maybe that was why he wasn't as good as a father as he should be. Because there it was, wasn't it? If they had just a second alone, what would they do? Would Sasuke even go home?

"What's she like underneath you?" Naruto muttered, taking off his robes, eyes locking with the man across from him. Had he gained a bit of weight? Maybe. Hinata was a fucking amazing cook. Like really fucking amazing. He brought her cooking with. "Does she make you make that little noise of yours?" He smirked, holding up his fists. Spar?

He wouldn't have any other way.

000

What a question.

Sasuke just gave the Hokage a deadpan stare. That kind of inquisition deserved absolutely no response. Sasuke wasn't an idiot. No matter what he answered, it would be wrong. It would ruin the atmosphere they had begun to create between them. So instead of replying, Sasuke lunged forward, beginning the fight between them.

Despite everything, Naruto was still a difficult opponent. Sasuke recalled being shocked that Naruto's taijutsu had increased so much without the help of ninjutsu. Now, it was just par for the course. Sasuke was still better, of course. He had been trained better and had more experience using it. Sasuke could think quicker on his feet than Naruto ever could.

So when he found himself sitting on Naruto's chest, hovering over him, chest heaving, Sasuke allowed himself to smirk at having pinned the Hokage to the ground. "Submit to me," Sasuke panted. And since he was here, that meant that he could do what he wanted. Because he had won. Sasuke let their lips connect, reigniting the burning in his chest, desire running through his whole body.

000

He take that as a no.

Naruto smirked before they begun to fight. It was always a good fight, between the two of them. Ever since they lost their arms to each other, the fight was always almost equal. The first time they had done it, after they both were healed, it had been hard, rough, and too erotic. That was how it happened the first time.

Sasuke on top of him. breathing like that. Naruto wasn't sure then, just like now, who kissed who. Only that, they hadn't kissed soon enough. How long could they do it for? "I'm always yours," Naruto told him, rolling them over, his lips pressing harder against him. More. More. More. His leg pushed between Sasuke's legs as his hands explore his chest.

They had only had a few moments between them. A few moments before Sakura got pregnant, Naruto got married. It wasn't right. Naruto almost wanted to take him and run to some cabin in the woods to live out their days. But...they had duties. Naruto had duties. He wouldn't abandon them.

It hadn't taken long. His hand moved done Sasuke's body, pressed into his entrance. Prepared him. Naruto moaned in anticipation. He needed that. Sasuke. There wasn't anything like it. "Make more time for me," He grunted as he kissed down Sasuke's chest, pulling him out enough to take him in. Submit to him? He loved him. Sasuke knew that. Sexually? Well. Sasuke liked things to go a certain way. No matter what he thought.

000

No! Despite what Naruto thought, there was a part of Sasuke that did not actually have a preference for how things went. The fight was meant to accommodate for that. And Naruto had lost this time. Which mean Sasuke should have been the one on bottom. This first time, Sasuke would submit. But he would be asking for recompense when it was over. For now, Sasuke allowed himself to feel a moment of pleasure.

"I make enough time for you. Make more time for your wife," Sasuke said distractedly. He arched up a little off the ground. They were doing this the entirely wrong way. Their stolen moments were meant to happen in the tent, out of the way of potentially prying eyes. But now they'd started, there was no way to shift the location.

When Sasuke considered himself prepared enough and orally stimulated to the point where he was going to orgasm if he didn't stop it now, he shifted his position, pushing Naruto off of him. Pinning the Hokage to the ground, Sasuke pushed his hand into Naruto's pants, gripping him hard, getting him out. "It is your turn next time," Sasuke said hoarsely, even as he slid back, pressing himself on to Naruto's dick.

Ah. Closing his eyes, Sasuke rode him hard and fast. He didn't want it to last right here. They needed to get this first moment out of the way, to satisfy their frantic need to be close. Later.. later would come the disgustingly slow love-making they were prone to doing. Lowering himself, Sasuke pressed their lips together, afire with a need to kiss Naruto, all of a sudden. "Stop making me feel guilty about our brief moments together," Sasuke murmured against his lips. Always they did this. Complained about each others' lives. Each others' wives. When all Sasuke wanted was to live in this moment where the two of them were connected.

It took no time at all for him to come hard all over the both of them.

000

Naruto had to complain. He didn't like it. This was his Sasuke. The man he went searching for what felt like 20 years. The boy he had dragged back to this village, made him understand there was good in the world. And he was part of that good. Sasuke and Naruto were a team. They had been since they were kids at the academy. He didn't like, for a second, that Sakura or Hinata or anyone could make them not have this for a second longer. Naruto, really did, wish they could just live right here. Forever.

But kids. Duty. village. Friends. Family.

Grunting loudly as Sasuke flipped them over; Naruto cupped the back of his neck and kissed him as if this was the last moment on earth. Cause it could be for the two of them. Who knew the next time Naruto would get to leave the village? Who knew the next time Sasuke and him could be this close? When was the last time? Far, far, far too long. Moving his hips with him as much as he could, Naruto moaned between kisses. He didn't care he was being loud. He didn't care he was out in public. Just right now...he needed this.

After Sasuke came. Naruto was right there. He was in no rush to move out of Sasuke either. He pulled him against him, not caring about the mess. He would lick it off him in a minute. He just needed to keep kissing him. "I'm jealous of her." Naruto muttered, taking Sasuke's hand, reaching it around, so he could move down Naruto's pants, into his hole. There were preferences, yes. But that didn't mean Naruto didn't enjoy when Sasuke got his recompense. Yeah, he knew that word. He wasn't just a big idiot anymore.

But maybe Sasuke was right. Maybe they should stop talking and just enjoy. And kiss. There needed to be more of that. That's all they had to do tonight.

Tomorrow they would do their mission. Tomorrow night they would be home already. No. Naruto was already thinking of a prank. Tomorrow night they would be right back here.