Title: The Konoha Times: The Uchihan Confession

Rating: MA

Genre: Romance, humour

Pairing: Sasuke/Naruto

Length: 3000 ish words

Summary: Despite having spent the night with Sasuke, Naruto is still feeling insecure about his love for the Uchihan heir.

Warnings: Shouen ai, yaoi, hints of male pregnancy.

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

Disclaimer: Not mine.

Another author note: Thanks to everyone who reviewed for their words of encouragement! This update is especially for you, "Insomnia on High" for making me smile with your review on Naruto molesting Sasuke's finger!

The Konoha Times: the Uchihan confession

Chapter 2

Konohamaru, grandson of the Third Hokage, could barely contain his excitement – erm, that is to say, his professionalism – as he waited for the arrival of the one person in Konoha whom he was determined to see take his rightful place as the next Konoha Times cover story.

That's right, Konohamaru thought with glee. HE, Konohamaru, grandson of the Third was the ninja solely responsible for the still much talked about "Uchihan confession" in the last edition of the Konoha Times.

Okay. Sure. So he had had a LITTLE help from some of his fellow classmates, he conceded grudgingly. And they had actually done a good job in taking photos etcetera, etcetera. But still, having been the one to actually INTERVIEW Sasuke Uchiha had to count for something, right? Well, that was what he believed anyway. Especially since it was HIS cleverly-worded questions that had had the said youth confess for all to read that he was, apparently, in love.

Konohamaru grinned. Oh, yeah. He was good. There was no doubt about that. Of course he didn't understand how exactly Sasuke Uchiha had confessed such for Naruto-kun, because even after reading his fantastic article over and over again he still couldn't find such a declaration. But others he knew were gushing over it. Even the Uchihan-fangirls, if you could believe it.

Not that it really mattered, Konohamaru thought now though. Someone truly – TRULY - loved his friend-come-rival-to-be-Hokage. It was about time someone other than Iruka-sensei did. And that that was enough, as far as he was concerned.

Well, maybe not ENOUGH enough, Konohamaru considered then with a big grin. He was after all now waiting for Naruto-kun to arrive so that he could write this, what was guaranteed to be his greatest story yet. And while he wasn't sure himself if he really believed in love himself just yet, he was certain that his friend would be more than happy to answer the long list of questions that were now burning a hole in his pant's pocket.

Konohamaru sighed happily as he tapped the said pocket. Who would have thought that when Iruka-sensei had set this outrageous challenge to the class last term that he'd take to it so well? Of course it was nice to be acknowledged by his friends and such, but to also be questioned for more than two hours by the Hokage herself once the paper had gone to print?

He grinned. Oh, yeah. He was more than happy with the due acknowledgement he'd been receiving lately. He punched the air with both fists. Believe it!

"Ah, Kono-chan?" Naruto enquired from the open window. "What are you doing?"

Konohamaru started. He spun around.

"You're late!" he accused, pointing his finger at his friend.

Naruto grinned sheepishly as he ducked inside the classroom.

"Maa, sorry, Kono-chan," he apologized. "I got held up by Rock Lee and Gai-sensei."

It was an acceptable excuse, as far as Konohamaru was concerned. Why he'd been unfortunate himself on a few occasions to be most noticeably trapped by the Green Team. But still…?

Konohamaru blinked and looked on in confusion as his friend made a rather obvious effort to lean out of the open window he'd just come through to scan, firstly what he could only interpret as the trees in the nearest vicinity to this side of the Academy building, before lastly making a quick sweep of the grounds below.

Okay. So this was not what he'd been expecting when Naruto-kun had sent word to him an hour before to meet him in this, his former classroom. And what was with the expression on his friend's face? Why, it almost looked as though Naruto-kun was both afraid and relieved to know that they were in fact alone!

Konohamaru blinked.

Then blinked again.

Surely not?

But then, he considered. Naruto-kun was doing a pretty reasonable impersonation of prowling abut the classroom now, poking his head in cupboards nearest to him and such just to make sure they were in fact alone. And his chakra he realized now was most definately being masked.

That would explain why he hadn't sensed his arrival a few moments before, he thought with belated admiration.

So, maybe, yes, then?

"Boss?"

Naruto stopped his restless prowling and turned to him. To Konohamaru it looked as though he was flushed from just having completed a ten mile run. Or in the very least escaped from fan-girls he himself had run into the moment he'd stepped out his front door this morning.

"Yes?"

Konohamaru eyed him speculatively. "Are you, you know, hiding from someone? Is that why we're here instead of Ichiraku's?"

Naruto sighed dramatically, and intrigued, Konohamaru scooted closer to his friend.

"Who?" he whispered.

"EVERYONE!"

Konohamaru's eyes widened. "EVERYONE?"

"Yes!"

"Umm-"

Naruto began prowling once again.

"First it was Sakura, then it was Ino. Both giggling and asking me questions about last night!" he moaned.

Konohamaru blinked. Last night?

"And do you know what the worst of it was? They POUNCED on me the moment I left the compound this morning. Pounced! I didn't even make it to the training grounds! Then when I did finally get away from them, Kiba-"

"Giggled and asked questions?"

"No! Yes! I mean…ARGH!"

The restless prowling continued.

"As if his SMIRKS weren't bad enough, Iruka-sensei wouldn't even look me in the eye when I met him for breakfast this morning. Wouldn't! Look at me! Can you believe it? And Hinata? Well she just stammered even more when I ran into her in the Mission's Room."

More prowling. This time around a locked weapon's locker. Konohamaru gulped nervously at the look his friend-come-target gave it.

"I mean, it's not as if we've done anything wrong, right? Especially since everyone more or less is encouraging us!" Naruto protested.

Konohamaru was, admittedly, quite confused at his words. However, being the dedicated professional he was, he took a deep breath and gave his friend what he hoped was an Iruka-sensei-patient-look.

He didn't have to wait long.

Naruto was now clutching his head. "It was bad enough before when I didn't KNOW why they were giggling and pointing at me. Now I DO know and, well-"

Konohamaru blinked. Did Naruto-kun just blush?

"After what happened LAST NIGHT it's even worse today! Now EVERYONE is pointing and giggling. Especially Tsunade-baba! And she's probably the worst of them all. Do you know she even summoned me to the Tower this morning to find out how many TIMES we did it last night!? She said she asked because she wants to win a bet!"

Naruto was outraged. Konohamaru watched wide-eyed as he stamped – yes, stamped - his foot in frustration.

"A bet! It's embarrassing! And Sasuke-teme, well he…"

He continued his ranting, and while Konohamaru knew that he would smack himself for doing so later, he half tuned-in-tuned-out what he was saying.

So, he thought. Something had happened to Naruto-kun last night. Something even the Hokage and Uchiha were concerned about.

A growl built up in the back of his throat. Immediately his watchful eyes began to search for any visible signs of injury on his sensei-rival. There was a faint mark on his neck, he saw, but that could have been the result of a harmless-yet-fun-prank. Apart from that though, he could see none.

"Did someone hurt you?" he demanded.

Naruto paused in his ranting.

"Did. Someone. Hurt. You. Last. Night?" Konohamaru repeated forcefully.

Naruto blinked. "Umm…no?"

Konohamaru exhaled. He was relieved. Not that he really wanted to beat up a group of Jounins or Chuunins for coming after Boss, he thought. But hey, he would have done so without hesitation if Naruto-kun had even tried to insist his injuries weren't that bad to warrant him coming to his defense.

Now though he was even more confused.

"Then what happened last night? And why did Tsunade-baba want to see you about it?" he asked curiously.

Naruto blushed.

Blushed some more.

Intrigued further – for he could definitely smell another great story here – Konohamaru grinned devilishly.

"Hey, Naru-kun?"

"Umm…yeeeessss?"

"We're not here hiding from your future husband, are we?"

Naruto gasped. "I'm not hiding!"

Bingo, thought Konohamaru.

Naruto continued to protest, something Konohamaru of course found fascinating and definitely tease-worthy-material for the future. But that would be later, he thought determinedly. Right now it was more important that he got the scoop he wanted! The scoop he was certain the entire village would love.

He snapped to attention. "So, you receive a love declaration for all to read, and now you're hiding from the one who gave that declaration. Do you have any comment you'd like to make on this before we continue, Naru-kun?"

Naruto alternated between opening and closing his mouth and looking anxiously around the deserted classroom, as though still expecting someone to come jumping out of the shadows any moment now.

"C-comment?" he squeaked.

"Yes, Naruto-kun." Konohamaru gave him quite a revealing look. "You know you have quite a following now, right?"

Now here of course Konohamaru was waiting on hopefully for a declaration of, well, some sort. He was surprised however when Naruto simply groaned and sank to the floor. He made a mental note then to remind himself to ask his friend why it was he was wincing and rubbing his butt so as he sat there.

"Umm…well you see, Kono-chan, Sasuke hasn't exactly-"

"He hasn't proposed yet!?"

Konohamaru was aghast. After all the EFFORT he put into making sure his story was perfect, Sasuke Uchiha still hadn't followed through on his deal with him?

Naruto blushed. "Well, it's not such a matter of having NOT proposed. It's more like…well, it's more like he DECLARED, before he left this morning-"

Naruto paused. Okay. So Sasuke had done a little more than declare, and then more-than-declared AGAIN when he'd all of a sudden appeared beside him and tugged him into an alley on the way over here. But that was kind of beside the point. He continued.

"-that he was going to see Tsunade-baba about getting my name formerly changed to Uchiha this afternoon."

Naruto laughed nervously then, but the sound was lost on Konohamaru, who was grinning happily as he began envisioning the congratulations he'd soon be receiving for having gotten THIS particular story out for all to read.

Oh, yeah, he thought victoriously. This one would be his best yet!

Naruto continued further.

"And it's not that I don't mind taking Sasuke's name. It's just that since Sasuke said that…well, actually it was well before he said that, he's being so…"

"So?" Konohamaru pressed.

A shy look.

"Umm…well, you see it's just that ever since I woke up this morning…umm…well I suppose we didn't actually get much sleep last night. Hehe. Anyway, even after stuff he's still being so-"

"So what, Naruto?" a new voice enquired.

Both ninja's started when Kakashi-sensei ducked into the room through the open window Naruto had used himself to enter the Academy. The Copy-Nin's single eye curved happily as he watched them both scramble to their feet.

"You were saying, Naruto?" he spoke as he settled himself comfortably on the nearest table.

Naruto looked nervously at his wide-eyed friend-come-student waiting patiently yet hopefully beside him.

His former teacher seemed to understand his reluctance and immediately performed a series of hand movements that in the space of a few short moments had the young boy tied to a chair with a gag over his mouth and a pair of pink, fluffy ear-muffs over his tender ears.

Kakashi gestured for Naruto to continue, ignoring as he did so the sounds of a clearly protesting Konohamaru.

Naruto cast a hesitant glance at his tied up friend. Finally he blushed and blurted out,

"Possessive!"

"Passionate!"

The words seemed to echo within the room and realising this Naruto immediately clamped one hand over his mouth.

Kakashi-sensei smiled knowingly.

"Now, Naruto-kun," he began cheerfully. "As you know there can come a time in a ninja's life when he or she is fortunate to have another care for them so very deeply that-"

Naruto blinked.

"-given time that care may mean they express their love for one another by-"

"I already know about that stuff!" Naruto yelped.

Kakashi chuckled.

Naruto slashed him a you're-not-helping-and-where's-Iruka-sensei-when-I-need-him look.

Kakashi continued to smile.

Naruto blushed. "I mean, it's not like I wasn't paying attention in my classes with Iruka-sensei all those years ago. I just didn't expect Sasuke to be so-"

"Possessive? Passionate?" Kakashi supplied helpfully.

"Yes! And that was just last night!"

Again Naruto clamped a hand over his mouth as he realized what he'd just confessed. He cast a worried look to the still tied-up Konohamaru and sighed with relief when he saw that his little friend still had the set of pink muffs over his ears.

"I heard from Kiba that he even challenged Gaara this morning," he moaned. "Gaara! I mean, it's not like I don't MIND everything and all that, but...but..." He blushed. Then his expression brightened. "S'ke glared at Sakura when she hugged me. Ino too. Ah, then he kind of pulled me into an alley just because he, you know, wanted to hug me in private! Hug! HUG!"

He flashed Kakashi-sensei a self-conscious grin. "I was actually expecting more than that, seeing as though S'ke can be a real pervert sometimes. But then everyone followed us and S'ke glared a lot more. Especially when Sakura started grinning madly and Ino started to take photos."

Naruto was now scratching his head.

"Iruka-sensei said that's just because everyone's happy for us. But I don't know, Kakashi-sensei. It seems wrong."

Kakashi chuckled at his expression for several moments before he looked seriously at his former student once more.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

Naruto blushed once more, but this time it was accompanied by a shy smile and a nodding of the head. "Yeah. Umm…Kyu helped," he confessed. "I...ah...I guess I'm just not used to this kind of stuff."

Kakashi was clearly satisfied with his response. He made to move toward the window, and alarmed that he was leaving, Naruto stepped forward.

"Hmm?" Kakashi raised a brow.

Self-consciously, Naruto scratched his head. "Umm…what if it's not enough?"

This time it was Kakashi's turn to look confused.

Naruto inhaled. "I mean, I know he gave that interview and said that THING about me so everyone knows he has-"

"Staked his claim on you? Made sure that everyone knows you're taken?"

Another blush.

"Umm...yeah. Even S'ke's fan-girls don't seem so mad about it all. But what if, despite everything-"

Okay. So he still wasn't quite ready to confess all that had happened to him in the last twelve or so hours. But, hey! EVERYTHING was still so new to him! GREAT new. But new nevertheless.

"-despite everything, what if it's not enough?"

What if Sasuke decides after all that he doesn't love him? That he really didn't want to change his entire wardrobe after all?

The words weren't spoken, but Kakashi, he was relieved seemed to understand. He smiled and clamped a friendly hand on his shoulder. He gave him what Naruto could only interpret as an I-see-so-you-two-haven't-talked-yet look.

"What does Kyuubi say?" he asked curiously.

Naruto reddened. Iruka-sensei and Kakashi-sensei knew of course of his most recent talks with the fox demon sealed inside him. And of course Sasuke had been stunned last night himself when he'd shyly confessed that thanks to Kyubbi he was able to have children. Stunned, but ultimately pleased if the satisfied smirk Sasuke had given him shortly after his confession was anything to go by. Kyuubi, he felt even now, was still smirking as well in a self-satisfied way.

"You're enough, Naruto. Sasuke decided that a long time ago. Just as, while you may not have realized it until recently, you did for him too," he said simply. Knowingly.

Naruto bit his lip. "But-"

At last Konohamaru wrestled himself free.

"Do you love him, Boss?" he asked seriously.

Naruto nodded. Of this he was sure. Especially, he blushed, since after he'd shouted out his love repeatedly for Sasuke during the many times they'd come together last night and in the early hours of this morning, that his love had at last asked quietly of him if he'd allow him to use his chakra to place the well-known symbol of the Uchiha Clan on him.

He'd said yes, of course.

Even now, as he rubbed that hidden spot over his heart, Naruto smiled as he thought of the shy love and tears he'd seen in Sasuke's eyes when he'd said so.

The grandson of the Third nodded. He grinned and offered his hand to his friend. Naruto took it without question.

"Then that's enough, Naruto-kun," he said. "That's enough."

TBC

A/N: next, "Baby makes three"