A Fox And A Raven – Chapter 2 – Love Letter

A/N: Hey, guy's, what's up? Hope you enjoy this chapter. It's 16-17 pages excluding Author's Note's. This is basically a slight rough draft as I lost all my data on my PC and USB. So, it's kinda new but not at the same time. Been trying out some different styles of writing with this new chapter of the remaster. It needs a lot more work but I don't want to leave you all hanging in the dark, ya know? But thank you all so much for the Reviews; I greatly appreciate it a lot, makes me happy to know you're all enjoying this. You're all amazing. Anyway, after this I'll work on the next chapter as soon as I can. I'll leave another AN after this chapter ends so look out for that, I'll go into more detail on where I'm going with my stories these days if you are interested and of course this story too. Thanks! Enjoy! Please Favourite, Follow, and Review!

Warning(s): Rated M to be safe. Mature themes, sexual themes, use of alcohol and more. Etc, etc.

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto or anything in this story besides my OC's.


Naruto dug his heels into the wooden floors in his home, a cup of tea in front of him and a pen in his hand as he stared down at the piece of paper on his kitchen table. Ever since Sasuke had her mental breakdown, he thought of writing her a small love letter of sorts to cheer her up. It was early morning, the sun had yet to rise, but, Naruto knew she would be up in approximately three or so hours. It was far too early for the young teen to be up and awake. On one hand, he was to meet his new team today as he couldn't days ago as they were busy with something else and Fox had forgotten. And on the other hand, he really wanted to finish the letter before he had to leave with his team, just to make Sasuke smile.

Naruto sipped his beverage for a moment, picking up the piece of paper and re-reading the words. He had finished it just right, with the word 'fearless' as the ending point. He chugged the rest of his tea, happy with the letter's outcome. He still had time to kill before he had to leave to meet up with his Sensei, and hopefully, enough time to drop off the letter. He got up from his chair, stretched, folded the letter into an envelope, and made his way to his bedroom. Still in pyjamas, he pulled out his official ANBU attire from a bag in his closet, threw off all of his clothes save for his boxers, and put on the black and grey garb. Looking at himself in the mirror, he smiled. He looked just as an ANBU should; save for the mask, which he didn't have as of yet.

Pondering for a moment, the young boy threw his pyjamas into his laundry hamper, left his room and picked up the envelope from his table, sighing contently to himself. Naruto mumbled to himself, running a hand through his hair, making it go wild after he stopped his actions. He rubbed his chin in thought before leaving his apartment, locking the door as he closed it behind him. A skip in his step as he made his was to Sasuke's home. Eyes darting from house to house, searching for anyone that would be up at an un-godly hour.

As he walked, he couldn't help but feel as if he was being watched by someone in the shadows. A shiver went up his spine as he saw out of the corner of his eye someone darting around. Staying close enough to keep him on edge yet also far enough to make him feel somewhat relaxed. It didn't feel malicious, it almost felt as if he was being protected, in an odd way.

Naruto had finally reached Sasuke's home, he slid the letter under the door and turned around. He bounded down the steps but then heard someone cough, the blond snapped his head to the source of the noise and grinned as he saw Fox leaning casually against the brick wall of the apartment.

"Hey, kid, what's up?" Fox waved towards Naruto, a light mischievous tone in his voice.

Naruto scoffed. "Hey, Sensei... were you following me? And just dropping off a letter to Sasuke."

Fox nodded and moved towards Naruto, "Hmm, a letter, eh. Good kid, I'm sure she'll like it. Come on, I want to take you out for breakfast. And you shouldn't be up so early, we have lot's to do today, you know. Follow me!" Fox chuckled and sped away from Naruto before the boy could get a word in. Naruto just laughed and followed the man.

As they sprinted, Naruto couldn't help but feel relaxed with how the day was already going. He finished the letter in record time and he got free food out of his Sensei. And he was quite hungry, as he only had an apple and some tea. Maybe he would go all out with the free food?

Naruto halted abruptly, almost smashing into Fox's backside as the man came to a halt. Naruto looked up at the small neon sign and then back down to Fox. The red-head motioned for Naruto to go into the building. Naruto complied and found a seat, Fox sat across from him and the man took off his mask slowly and set it down, raising an eyebrow at the look Naruto was giving him.

Fox chuckled and played with some sugar packets before commenting. "Yes, I am breaking the rules, but, I am technically off duty and I come here all the time, they know me well. But I'm hungry, kid, so let's order and eat, shall we?"

Naruto nodded, taking a moment to take in his Sensei's features. Red hair, grey eyes and two odd scars on his face. Not to mention horrible black bags under his eyes from hard work or lack of sleep, Naruto couldn't tell, maybe a mixture of both?

"Ah, Sensei, what can I have?" Naruto questioned, looking down at the menu that the waitress left for him.

Fox licked his lips as he turned his head to stare at Naruto. "Anything, it's on me."

Naruto nodded and scanned the menu again. He saw ramen, probably not as good as Ichiraku's of course, and a few other good items. He wanted to start with a drink, maybe some rice to fill him up.

A waitress came by, she smiled at the two of them and jotted down their orders. Naruto ordered a bottomless tea with a bowl of ramen, some dango, and a plate of assorted sushi. Whereas Fox ordered two soda's, two espresso's, two plates of cheesecake and a miso soup. The waitress left and Fox mumbled under his breath, smirking towards Naruto for a moment.

Yet again, Naruto raised his eyebrow towards his Sensei. "You're flirting?"

Fox cheekily grinned as he poured sugar into his mouth. "Yes, nothing wrong with that, huh?"

Naruto laid his head down and mumbled to his charge. "Yeah, it's fine, but it seems... not you, know what I mean?"

Fox chuckled and tapped his fingernails on the table slowly. "I'm tired, kid. When I'm tired, I say random shit to cute girls like her... and I'm always tired. Anyway, I can't wait for you to finally meet the rest of the team, I'm excited!" Fox had a slight monotone to his voice, yet it picked up as he practically acted like a child that got christmas presents.

Naruto slowly put up his head and softly smiled towards the man. "Really? I'm excited too, Sensei. What are they like?"

Fox clicked his tongue and sighed. The waitress came by and set down the several drinks that the two had ordered. Fox grinned at his coffee and soda's, he took a few sips from each of the concoctions and looked back at Naruto, to the ceiling, and then back to his drinks.

Fox poured sugar into his espresso's and then spoke as he used a spoon to stir in his cup. "Hmm, well... let's see now... We have Monkey, she's kinda short, loves traps and poison's, makes a mean stew, has a killer punch when she is angry. We have Boar, sucker for the rules, tall hulking brute of a guy, loves swordsmanship and rice too much. Crane, one of the twins, he can be well... Crane. Lion, the other twin, she can uh... okay well, the twins are mischievous as hell and love pranks but they are good people, I'm sure they will love you, they can get anxious around new people... Uh, lastly, there's me, I... I'm not sure what to say about myself other than that I love my squad and I'm some sort of enigma or whatever they call me these days... Then we have you, kid. You make a fine addition."

Fox stopped for a moment, he took another sip from his drink and eyed the waitress with glee as she came around the corner with their food. He dug into his cheesecake as quickly as he could and smiled brightly. Naruto could only gently laugh as he sipped his tea and slowly ate his own food alongside of his mentor.

"Sensei, I thought ANBU squads were suppose to be like other teams. You know, four-man squad and what-not. Why is yours... different?" Naruto pondered to the red-head.

Fox perked up and eyebrow at the question. He burped into his hand and took another sip of his drink. He spoke with a tiredness in his voice. "Hmm... I'm not too sure why my team is different. The Hokage kinda allowed us to operate as a bigger squad but there are times where only four of us can go on missions or less of us... I'm not too sure, maybe one day we'll both find out. One thing is for sure, you and I are gonna have a lot of one-on-one time due to the fact that the others have a mission coming up... so... I dunno, we'll make it work. We are meeting them today before they leave so that's good."

Naruto nodded. His thoughts drifted to Sasuke as he tried to finish his food and drink. He sighed, yawned and then rubbed his eyes. Sleep had yet to come to him, as he stayed up all night writing that letter to his girlfriend. He hoped she would enjoy it, she just had to. It was from the heart after-all.

Naruto watched his Sensei with tired eyes. He sipped his tea as the man devoured his food and drinks. The young teen was finished everything else besides two rolls of sushi. Eating quickly, Naruto grinned as he swallowed the last of his meal; belly full... his energy slightly restored.

"Hey, kid, let's get going, shall we?" Fox grumbled under his breath as he waved the waitress over to their table.

Fox eyed the bill, paid, then stood up. Gently grabbing Naruto's arm, pulling him up out of his seat gently. Fox grinned, donning his mask whilst walking out of the establishment with Naruto behind him.

As they got outside, both Naruto and Fox looked at each-other, then they ran as fast as they could towards their next destination: ANBU HQ.


Sasuke washed her hair elegantly, hands running down her stomach and up again as she stood in the shower, suds washing off of her bare form. Her long hair swept back so it wasn't in her eyes. She shivered slightly as she remembered the monster in her dreams before she woke up in a cold sweat.

Sharp jagged teeth, long arms with claws and menacing red eyes. It chuckled as it ate her from her toes to her head. She screamed the whole time as she felt a shadow watch from afar. Begging for someone, hopefully Naruto, to save her from being devoured and dead forever. Naruto never showed up.

Before that dream, she was at a funeral. Holding hands with someone unknown to her, she guessed it was Naruto but she couldn't turn her head. All she could see was her mother crying over the dead bodies of her family. She didn't cry in this dream, nor was she angry, it was odd. But all she could recall was the words swirling in her brain. 'Liar... deceiver. Weakling'.

The first dream she had... was oddly about Naruto. It was peaceful, quiet. Calm. Almost as if her whole world stopped as she kissed her soon to be lover. Oh, how she wished she only had that dream and none of the others. It was a date in the park, a picnic. She loved it.

Sasuke broke out of her thoughts as she sat down in the bathtub. Legs slightly crossed as she cleaned her ears and in between her toes. She felt disgusting with all the sweat still on her body. The young woman blushed as a lewd thought entered her mind, then giggled as another thought came just as powerful as the lewd one. She grabbed the body-wash, poured some into her hand then rubbed it all over herself and awkwardly applied it to her back.

The young Uchiha stood up once more, making sure to wash off all the soap. Taking a quick inhale of oxygen, she sighed slowly. Turning off the steamy water, she opened the curtain, grabbed a towel, stepped out, and dried herself off to the best she could.

She adorned her black tank-top that hugged her torso, black baggy cargo pants, tied up her hair and threw on her headband. She eyed herself in the mirror, made a face, giggled, then left the room to go grab breakfast. She still felt paranoid, she had heard something by her door before she awoke.

Thinking nothing of it, as hunger overrode her senses, she went to the kitchen and opened the fridge to look for food. Sasuke eyed the container carefully and smiled as she found a few rice balls to munch on and a vinaigrette with tomatoes in a tupperware box. Again, eyeing the container, she grabbed that too; home-made cookies from her mother a few weeks ago. They were delicious as well, giving the young teen a small comfort.

Sasuke sat down on the kitchen floor in-front of the fridge and ate as much as she could before feeling sick. She felt as if she was going to puke. Sure, she always ate, but it didn't help that she was self-conscious about her figure... although, she knew she needed food to endure the hard training regiment her mother had shown her to do. At least fifty to one-hundred push-ups, ten or so laps jogging or running around the village, weight lifting as much as she could, etc, etc. She loved the adrenaline rush of it all. But, she always felt guilty about eating too much or too little.

Gagging slightly, Sasuke downed the last of her food and put the remains away into the fridge. Standing shakily, she wobbled over to her front door to check the locks just to be safe.

Her hand grasped the door-knob tightly, twisting it slightly, making sure that it was locked. The bolts around her door were shut tight too... it was odd, why did she hear something in her sleep if there was no intruder?

Sighing, Sasuke looked down. Her eyes lit up like fireworks as she saw a navy-blue envelope with her name on it. She bent down, picking up the piece of paper, then opening it. The girl took out the contents, flipped it open and began to read.

The biggest smile and blush on her face said it all. It was a special gift from her one and only. Her heart soared, beating faster with each line of words she read over and over.

Be fearless, Sasuke. I love you. From, Naruto.

Sasuke let out an excited squeal. Words couldn't describe how she felt, she felt like fainting in all honesty. Clutching the letter to her chest, the young teen bent down awkwardly with one hand to throw on her shoes and bounded out the door after grabbing her keys and pouch. The sun was up and a bit too bright, but for once... she was happy in the morning without Naruto by her side. It was odd, but she knew that today would be an amazing day after all.

Sasuke marched on towards the busy village streets. It was still early in the morning but the Spring/Summer weather made it feel like the afternoon. She had a ton of hours to kill until she was to meet her boyfriend at a restaurant for lunch, or was it dinner?

Her belly was still full from the food before. She had options... One, go see her mother. Two, go to Ichiraku's to let them know to make several bowls... and three, maybe go finally buy that dress she adored. She couldn't decide. But, going to her mother's seemed like the best place to start.

As the young woman walked the busy streets to her mother's place, she couldn't help but feel as if today... today would be different. She didn't have to see her team until tomorrow. It had been a few weeks, days maybe, since she met her squad and started going on D-Rank missions. It was becoming tiresome and she wanted real action. To prove herself to everyone around her that she could do more than simple tasks... to show off her heritage.

Birds chirped as she walked more. The sun rising higher as she took her time walking as slow as she could, keeping an eye out for Naruto and his team. No doubt they would be at one of the training grounds; he had mentioned that in his letter. She hoped he was at least safe and sound, training hard.

It took Sasuke about two hours to get from her apartment to her mother's at the Uchiha Compound since she took her sweet ass time. Which was odd – Sasuke usually sped to her mother's every chance she got.

Gulping down some thoughts, Sasuke gently knocked on the door to the main building of the Compound, then rang the door-bell. Waiting patiently for her mother to come and open the door to let her in. Today also felt... weird, as if she wasn't really there, detached from reality... stuck in some sort of lucid dream... No, that was her paranoia again. She would be fine. She just had to be fine.

Tapping her foot on the concrete, the young teen hummed a tune to herself and closed her eyes. She imagined her and Naruto at one of the parks, sweat rolling off their foreheads as they held hands and cuddled after a nice picnic together... Her mother and sister with them as well, watching over them protectively. Maybe one day?

Sasuke opened her eyes as the sound of the lock to the door clicking. There stood her mother with a huge smile on her face.

"Sasuke, my beautiful daughter, good to see you, come in. I just made a fresh pot of tea." Mikoto gently put a hand on Sasuke's shoulder and ushered her to go inside.

Sasuke didn't move for a second. She arched an eyebrow at her mother and sighed, biting her lip and then wrapped her arms around the older woman in a death-gripping hug.

"Mom... I missed you. You don't know how important you are to me, I love and appreciate you, thank you for always being here for me." Sasuke grinned as she broke off the hug.

All Mikoto could do was smile and kiss her daughter's forehead and grabbed her hand, pulling her into the home.

They sat and talked for hours, sipping tea until it was time for the young Uchiha to leave. But before any of that happened, Mikoto gave Sasuke a decent sized black box with the Uchiha clan symbol on it, telling the young girl that it was a gift from her father for when she made the rank of Genin...


Naruto was amazed at all of the activity in the ANBU HQ had going on. He was told to wait for Fox to return with his new mask and the rest of his squad before they left for their mission. So that left Fox and Naruto alone for the rest of the day. As Naruto waited in one of the many chairs in the waiting room, he felt stares pass him by. He felt uncomfortable in his seat as he squirmed, not wanting to cause a scene on his first official day as a trainee.

The young man looked at each person around him, coming in and out of the building. He smiled as he saw his sensei across the receptionist area with an object in his hand. The man strolled up to the young teen and gave a thumbs up to the blond and handed the blank mask to him.

"Here's your mask, kid. Put it on, I wanna see how good you look. Heh." Fox spoke with pride in his voice.

Naruto adorned the mask gently, tightening it around the back of his head. He grunted and shook his head to make sure it was secure on him.

"Fits like a glove, Sensei. Thanks!" Naruto chimed with glee.

The two stared at each other for a moment before a cough was heard to their side. A short woman in a monkey mask waved at the two.

"Hey, Fox! This the new kid?" The woman sent a gentle punch to Naruto's shoulder and giggled. "I'm Monkey, nice to meet you!"

Naruto nodded and held out his hand; Monkey took it with glee and shook firmly. The woman grumbled under her breath about something and Naruto looked confused for a moment.

"Hey, so, uh... Where's Boar and the twins?" Fox questioned.

Monkey's head shot upright and she giggled again. "Oh, they are around. The twins wanted to pull a prank on the new guy but I, uh, I told them not to and Boar went on a rant about how his riceballs were stolen again. But they should be here soon, they're still in the back getting ready."

Fox nodded then turned towards Naruto. "Alright, kid, do some push-ups while we wait."

Naruto dropped to his knees as fast as he could, lined himself upright and started doing push-ups. He grunted as he went faster and faster. He reached one-hundred in no time. Still no sign of the rest of his team.

Naruto listened in on the whispers that Monkey and Fox were spewing. Something about an assassination? And what to get to celebrate for when they returned? He could only catch bits and pieces.

The blond looked up from his one-hundredth and ninety-nine push-up as a tall hulking brute of a man came into his sight; staring him down and looking fierce in his boar mask.

"Well, well, well... look at this skinny runt. You're the kid, right? I'm Boar. Good to meet you, Squirt. Now, would you ever steal a man's riceballs?"

Naruto shook his head back and forth. He looked to Monkey and Fox for help yet they just reeled their heads back in laughter. Naruto gulped and stared that the man.

"N-n-no, sir, I wouldn't do such a thing." Naruto panicked a bit, not wanting to be crushed. Boar was a lot more intimidating in person than Fox had led on.

Boar slapped Naruto's shoulder roughly and chuckled. "Good! Good kid, smart too. I like you, Squirt. You got moxy! Now, Squad Leader... Crane, Monkey, Lion and I are ready to go. We leave on your signal."

Fox grumbled, laughed, then pointed to the exit. "You all leave now. Crane, Lion... come out from the shadows, you ain't scaring the kid with your paint jobs."

Naruto heard two sighs from behind him, he turned and saw two figures with paint cans above his head. Naruto looked away in disdain before he backed up away from them.

"But, Fox..." Crane started.

"We just wanted to give him new colors to work with." Lion finished.

Fox clapped his hands. "Right... Now, the four of you, get lost. You got to meet our new charge and you guy's have an important mission to get to, no time for faffing. Good luck and may you succeed!"

The four members besides Fox and Naruto left the building in a full on sprint. Naruto looked from the door, to Fox, and then to the door again.

"So... that's my 'family' now too?" The blond questioned towards the red-head.

Fox smiled and put a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "Yeah, kid, they're your family now. As am I. Welcome aboard. Now, we have some things to do. First, a tattoo! Second, ramen! Lastly, training. Let's get to it!"

Naruto couldn't be happier with the outcome. Although, he was still very, very confused about his team. He did like their short company, hopefully he could bond with them later on when they got back?


Sasuke was... well... confused. She had just gotten back home from her mother's. Black box in hand the whole way and the dress in her arms as well from the little store in the village that she was returning to for months. She loved the dress, couldn't wait to wear it. But the box with her clan symbol on it... from her father... well, it was odd. Her father never gave her anything other than scoldings or mock sympathy.

The young woman set down the dress on her couch as she entered her apartment. Eyeing it for a moment and smiling to herself. She gently placed the box down on the couch as well, sliding a finger across the etchings.

Stopping for a moment, Sasuke opened the box carefully. She pulled off the top and gasped. Inside was a pure black and white ceremonial blade that had the Uchiha Clan symbol etched into it and a small note saying, 'For you, my dearest daughter'. Sasuke didn't know what to say or think. She was always fascinated with the object ever since she was a kid – as it was her father's most prized possession – although, Sasuke would have never thought it would be hers in a million years.

The girl pondered for a moment, she slowly reached out for the blade and gripped it by it's handle. Bringing it out of the box fully, she played with it, twirling it between her hands to get a feel for it.

It felt light... it felt strong... fast, perfect for carving her way through her enemies. She loved it. It looked like it was freshly sharpened as well.

Grinning to herself, she put the blade back in the box, got undressed and threw on her new navy-blue dress. She marched over to the nearest mirror and set her gaze on her figure. She looked amazing, she fixed her hair into a different ponytail with one strand of hair running down to her shoulder. She grinned again; that date with Naruto would... no, absolutely, go swimmingly. Sasuke couldn't wait for his reaction. Hopefully a jaw-drop.

Happy with herself, Sasuke went to water her tomato plants for a few minutes, running her fingers across the leaves... smiling and humming a tune to herself. Today wasn't so bad after all.

Her hands reached to her Leaf headband, gingerly untying it and taking it off. She folded the fabric and metal, setting it down on her windowsill. Sasuke let out a large yawn and stretched as far as she could to get out the pain in her joints.

Only a few more hours til dinner, as she double checked the letter. She hoped Naruto would show up; he always did in retrospect, he never let her down. Ever.

But, she was well... very, very giddy. Tonight would be special, she had a feeling in her gut. It would be different than the other times they hung out. She wanted a million kisses and one-thousand hugs from her boyfriend. He was just too perfect in her eyes.

She spun around some more, fixing her hair again just in case. She grinned as the sun was setting a bit, she awaited for the knock on the door. She knew that Naruto would be at her place in no time.

Sasuke sat on the couch, eyeing the clock. It ticked... ticked... ticked... then, there was the fateful knock on her door. She got up and sped to the entrance to her home, smile never leaving her face.

The young girl unlocked all of her locks, and swung the door open. There standing with a bouquet of flowers was her one and only Naruto. She flung at him and buried her face into his neck. He had gotten taller in the past few weeks. She loved it.

She broke apart the hug and tackled his lips with her own. She broke that kiss off and did another twirl.

"You like?" A smirk adorned her features.

"Sasuke... you look amazing as always. Where you get the dress?" Naruto stammered out.

"Oh, I bought it... so are those flowers for me? And where are we going to have dinner?" Sasuke smirked again.

Naruto could only grin as he gave the flowers to Sasuke. "Well, not Ichiraku's... I was thinking that fancy wine place with all of those fresh bread sticks and those tomatoes you enjoy."

Sasuke's eyes lit up, she gasped and engulfed the boy into another hug. "Really? Awe, Naruto!"

The two shared smiles with one another, light kisses and more hugs before they left to go to the restaurant.

The night was quiet but long. They talked for hours upon hours and held hands. Eating their food and sipping their drinks. Now that they were official shinobi, they could drink as much as they wanted. Sasuke had a bit too much, whereas Naruto only had two full glasses. So naturally, as they walked home, Sasuke had a bit more to say on her mind.

"I..." Sasuke hiccuped. "I love you Na-ru-to..." She giggled as Naruto carried her on his back.

Naruto laughed as he carried his girlfriend home. She talked, giggled, slurred and basically almost fell off his back. He grinned as she clutched tightly onto him. They were almost at her home now. Naruto sighed, not enjoying the fact that the night had to end so quickly... even though it had been a long day for them both.

Naruto set Sasuke down gently. Kissing her forehead and rubbing his nose against her cheek.

The girl pouted for a moment then her eyes lit up. "Na-ru-to... Stay with me again for the night, please? And I loved the letter you got me..." She slurred out once more, a blush on her face as she then turned around to unlock her apartment door.

Naruto could only grab Sasuke's hand, kiss her knuckles and whisper into her ear. "Yeah, I can stay the night. And good, I'm glad you got the letter. I love you."

Sasuke giggled as they went into her apartment. She fell asleep as soon as she laid on the couch, Naruto cuddling her and staying up for as long as possible. Before sleep took over Naruto, all he could see was a shadow looking out for the two of them.


"Sasuke, where are your eggs?" Naruto frantically shouted out. He searched all over the fridge but couldn't find no damn eggs.

Sasuke was in the shower and he wanted to make her a somewhat decent breakfast in bed but she had said no.

Naruto shouted out again. "Sasuke?!"

"They're behind the damn cookies!" She shouted back.

Naruto sighed as he rummaged through the fridge again. Finally he had found the eggs. He cracked four or six into a bowl with some cream he had found. Whisking it furiously and poured it into the over-sized pan and left the stove on high.

No missions today for either of them. Last night was magical, even though Sasuke fell asleep as soon as they got home and she had one hell of a hangover, and booze still in her system, but Naruto was happy that she felt better now as she showered. Naruto couldn't escape this dread feeling, as he knew someone was watching the both of them last night. It didn't feel like Fox, as the man told Naruto he was going to try and get some sleep.

It didn't feel like anyone he knew either. It was strange.

"Naruto~ Do... you... like... my... towel?" Sasuke giggled as she came from behind Naruto and gripped his sides to make him turn around.

She was wearing her normal clothes, but the was she said it made Naruto think otherwise, but Sasuke was literally holding up one of her black towels. Yup, she definitely still had some booze left in her system. Naruto bit his lip, turned back around and focused on the eggs.

"Naruto~ please don't ignore me... I'll tickle you!" Sasuke sang out and gripped Naruto's sides again. Her fingers gently scratching at his hips.

"Sasuke, I'm trying to make you breakfast." Naruto giggled out as Sasuke's antics were becoming harder to resist.

Naruto felt her lips go to his ear, she whispered gently. "How about you be my breakfast, hmm?"

Naruto blushed, turned around and picked Sasuke up. He brought her over to the kitchen table, set her down on it and poked her nose with his finger. "You. Stay. I can't concentrate when you're tickling me."

Sasuke laughed loudly and swung her legs back and forth. "You can't stop me, silly boy~" She sang out again.

All Naruto could do was slap his face. He went back to the eggs. He patiently waited as they cooked. He heard Sasuke sing for a moment, heard her stop then start up again. All he could do was smile.

If one day that this was to be what they would be doing after their shinobi careers, well, Naruto wouldn't complain. But what about kids? Did Sasuke even want kid's? Why was he thinking of this now? It was as if he finally decided that perhaps, perhaps it would be a good life for the both of them.

He watched the eggs some more as Sasuke sang louder. He loved her voice. Maybe the Old Man and Fox were right. Just let her be her own person. He did love her, very much so. He smiled as the eggs finished cooking. He grabbed plates and poured the food onto them. He turned around and faced Sasuke, literally bumping into her.

"Were you trying to tickle me again?" A stern smirk on his face as he kissed her cheek.

"No... Not at all." Sasuke giggled as she took one of the plates away from Naruto and sat down at the table.

Naruto watched her dig into her food. He smiled again. "Sasuke, you're the best." He sat down and held her hand with his, her mouth full of food. Naruto grinned.

Sasuke swallowed her food and spoke up with another sing-song tone. "I know you are but what am I~"

The two looked at each other for a moment then broke into laughter. Hands intertwined with their free ones finishing their food with forks.

Today was a calm day for them both. They were in bliss.


She sat alone. All that she had was her tea. She took slow sips and sighed in content. A book open to a new chapter. Mikoto Uchiha was in bliss, her daughter would come by soon and tell her all about her day. Mikoto knew that it was hard work doing D-rank missions all day but she knew Sasuke was a hard worker. Mikoto never heard the end of it how the missions were boring or tedious, especially that damn cat running away all the time. Mikoto knew Sasuke hated that.

Sasuke... The name rang in Mikoto's mind. She knew that she loved her daughter dearly, but she couldn't fathom the idea that her late husband just had to name their only two daughters after boy's. Itachi understood, but when Sasuke was little she would always be upset by it. Mikoto knew how much Sasuke's father hurt her with his scolding or shouting. But, Mikoto knew it was to prepare her for the harshness of the world. But a boys name... pft, idiotic indeed.

Mikoto knew that Sasuke always looked up to Itachi and her father. But more-so Itachi as she was always looking out for the younger girl. Mikoto smiled, they were always stuck together like glue. Until the day Sasuke met Naruto. That odd whiskered-marked boy at the playground... the so-called 'demon child'. Oh, how the older Uchiha hated that. She always was fond of Naruto, especially since she was best friends with his mother once upon a time. She had always wanted to adopt the young boy, but none of the Elders would allow it, shooting her down every chance she got. She hated that.

Mikoto thought to the day when she gave Sasuke that blade, the look in her daughters eyes said it all, but she knew that Sasuke would enjoy it. Sasuke was always fond of that blade.

Mikoto smiled as she turned a new page of her book. Icha Icha was never this good. She giggled as the words went by. Page after page. It was magical for the older woman.

The older Uchiha woman slowly put her book down, book-mark set at the right page. She eyed the various plants and bird-feeders. It was a sanctuary for her; gardening was always a nice hobby.

The sun glared down on her dark raven-like hair, the slight gust of wind making a mess of her decent pony-tail. Mikoto brushed the stands of hair away from her eyes and smiled as she took another sip from her tea, a soft smile on her face. She heard footsteps on the concrete and the garden's gate being opened up slowly.

She turned around, her eyes went soft as she saw her daughter panting.

"You know, I'm not going anywhere, dearest daughter. You don't have to run all the way here just to see me." Mikoto giggled and stood up, slowly walking over to Sasuke.

Mikoto wrapped her arms around the young girl and kissed her cheek briefly.

"That... damn... cat... Mother, why?!" Sasuke panted and shouted out.

Mikoto laughed and just hugged Sasuke more. "Well, that cat is a survivor, I remember when I had to run after it, it's tradition at this point."

Sasuke wiped away the sweat on her forehead when her mother pulled away from her, she sat down in an empty chair and briskly skimmed the cover of the Icha Icha book. A small blush on her face.

"You still read those? Why, how, what? Mother, why?" Sasuke stammered out, recalling as a younger her read them by accident.

"Yes, my dearest, I still read them. And it's not all smut, there's lot's of adventure and romance, this one is even better than the last. The author actually listened to their readers. But, the smut is to die for." Mikoto explained with a giggle.

Sasuke gave a soft smile and rubbed her eyes. She looked at her mother and opened her mouth to speak. "So, I'm finally going on a new mission instead of all these D-ranks. We're going to the Land of Waves in a few weeks. I'm hoping that it'll be easy, but a part of me wants action like bandits or something. Any tips?"

Mikoto hummed and sat back down, grabbing her book and flipping it open to read some more. "Well, stay on your toes. Be alert, be cautious. Strike to kill, nothing more and nothing less."

Sasuke nodded, determination in her eyes. She sighed, wiping sweat away from her face again. It was too damn hot out.

"How are you and Naruto these days?" Mikoto grinned with a slight teasing tone.

Sasuke blushed. "Uh... yeah, about that."


Kakashi pinched his nose as a small smoke ring went into his face. Why had he agreed to allow his friend to smoke around him was beyond his mind-set. Poor judgment of course, the red-head was an avid chain-smoker when he had the chance on his off days or when he felt like it. A worse smoker than Asuma had ever been. And Asuma was quiet the casual when it came to smoking.

"Fo-... Red, why are we here again? Like, I get it, smoking is allowed inside of this establishment and all, but do you really need to blow it into my face every ten seconds?" Kakashi coughed, gently taking his cup of sake and taking a small sip.

They were celebrating. Kakashi was to have his team leave the village on an important mission via escort. Whereas Red, well, his team would be back at some point as their mission had been successful, although they had run into a few... minor and small issues along the way. But none the less, the letter had explained that they had gotten the job done.

Red grinned sheepishly and inhaled another puff off of his cigarette; this time blowing it away from his best friend's face.

"Well, Kakashi, now that we are both off for the day, I thought we could catch up and discuss some things. If that's okay of course, besides... you do enjoy the booze and food here. And sorry for the smoke, I've been craving them a lot more today than before, it's odd." Red grinned again, taking a longer haul this time.

Kakashi sighed. Raising an eyebrow, he chuckled as his friend eyed the waitress with the big bust.

"Red... seriously, why are we here?" Kakashi said with a tired tone, "And not to mention... it's way too early. Four in the morning?! I can't, I need my sleep you crazy insomniac... You're lucky we have such a good bond or I'd punch you square in the jaw."

Red laughed heartily. "Oh, Kakashi, shut it, old friend. You know I love you, buddy. Besides, you made your team get up this early and you made them wait for hours and hours until you had your own sleep... not to mention, you didn't let them eat breakfast. So, you, are a fucking asshole. I should be punching you square in the jaw... don't you think? Hmm?"

This was Kakashi's turn to laugh back. "Touche. You make a good point. Anyway, how is Naruto?"

Red snapped his head as he was watching their food get to the table. "Who?" Faking aloofness. "What about... what's her name... Sasuke? Yeah! How is she... hmm?"

Kakashi raised an eyebrow once more. "Your words I believe, um... the 'kid'? And as for his girlfriend, Sasuke, yeah... she is fine; as far as I know. But they are a good fit. But, Sasuke has been slowly but surely been opening up to me and her team, although she is a bit closed off and her demeanour is still a little off I think."

Red nodded. "Right, good. Yeah, Naruto is good, he is excited about training. He's smart... a bit too smart I think. And he's pretty silent when he moves. I think he is pretty perfect to the team composition. Also very respectful, I like it."

Red picked up a riceball and soaked it in wasabi. He engulfed the entirety of the odd green ball and his face lit up brightly. His nostrils flared, his eyes watered. He then inhaled deeply, coughing, choking on his cigarette's smoke in his lungs as he tried to drown his tastebuds in two different palette's at the same time. The result: the man had gave a small thumbs up to his best friend.

Kakashi's eye's glared towards Red. "You're an idiot. Remember the last time you did that? You're lucky you didn't puke again. Anyway, where are we going to next after what I assume is breakfast?"

Red slowly finished his smoke, grabbing his newly arrived dish of cheesecake and taking a bite. He swallowed, drank the rest of his own bottle of sake, then spoke after he cleared his throat. "Well, I gotta get the kid some new weapons and such. You can come with me but I do want to have you along for the whole day since I have been pretty upset that we haven't been able to hang out. So, let's go after you're done your bottle. That good?"

Kakashi nodded. He poured himself another cup of booze then quickly ate his two remaining rolls of sushi in the blink of an eye.

The two of them paid their bills, left the restaurant and headed towards the small, yet massive, weapon shop just across town.


Naruto was tired. Oh, so very, very tired. It had been a long day of non-stop training. He ate savagely from his small lunchbox he had brought with him. His muscles ached. His head hurt, knees weak, arms twitching. ANBU regimen was a lot more... interesting than standard academy and Genin training. But, Naruto was happy he got a good workout.

He eyed his sensei. Smiling behind his mask, looking around at all the trees; knowing he was content with how things were turning out for him. The days with Sasuke had been more than wonderful for him. He loved every moment of her company. Her teasing. Her smiles. Her aura. She was his home. His castle. She was perfectly imperfect.

Shaking out of his thoughts, Naruto stood up from where he was sitting on the ground. He walked over to Fox and took off his mask. Giving a great big grin, eyes lighting up before he received a pat on the shoulder from Fox.

"Good work today, kid. Proud of you. Anyway, I got a few letters from the team. They... well... they are in trouble. So, it's our job to go save them. They succeeded in their mission, but they ran into a few formidable opponents. Bodyguards, mercenaries and high ranking rouge Nin. Intel didn't give us a lot to go on other than the target but this is what happens when shit... well, when shit hits the fan. He leave in two days. Think you can handle this?" Fox spoke with a tired and gruff tone. His voice leaving a very serious end to it.

"Yes, Sensei! I am ready for whatever this mission throws at me. I'll be on my guard and protect you and everyone else to the best of my ability!" Naruto spoke with a fire in his eye. His voice being calm yet slightly faltering with nervousness.

Fox gave a thumbs up. "Good. That's all I needed to hear. Let's get to work."


"Liar!" A voice seethed out like venom.

Another one spoke up, raspy and cold. "You'll never survive!"

Sasuke gripped her head in pain. She hadn't seen Naruto in over a day. Sure she knew he was working hard but not seeing your special someone it... it hurt. A lot.

Here she was. Another hot shower. On the floor, cross-legged. Hair flown back and away from her eyes. Soap slowly rolling off her pale complexion. She bit her lip as another voice came into her mind.

Her team would leave in a few days to go on their mission, and thus, anxiety took a hold of her. Her breath shaky and her voice slightly feeling like it was just a whisper.

The young girl grabbed the handle of the shower-head and slowly pulled herself up. Legs shaking, hands twitching, eyes burning and head spinning. She turned off the water, stepped out, then dried herself off. She threw on one of Naruto's pair of boxers she had 'stolen' while she was at his place the one time. She grabbed at the over-sized shirt on the counter-top, throwing that on too. Another towel was around her hair to keep it in place.

Slowly walking out of the bathroom, she could hear faint sounds coming from her living room. Curious – as only her, Naruto and Mikoto had the keys to her place – Sasuke went to check on what all the racket was about. She swiftly grabbed a freshly sharpened kunai from behind a picture frame and readied herself as she got closer and closer to her living room.

Sasuke let out an inaudible sigh of relief as a tuft of blonde hair poked out from beside her couch. Yup, Naruto sure knew how to scare her.

As she walked up further, she could hear light snoring. The poor boy must have sneaked in and had fallen asleep. Maybe. That wasn't like him. He had just made noises a few seconds ago. Or was that her imagination? She couldn't tell anymore. But seeing him now, her worry was washed away.

She moved around to get a better look at him. That was a bad idea. The look on her face said it all. There before her, was a very bloodied Naruto. Scars on his face, and a knife though his heart. Sasuke looked down at the blade...

"No..." She whispered. "No, this... it can't be... Na-Naruto?"

She whimpered. The black and white blade was embedded deep into the boy's chest. Clothes torn. And it wasn't snoring this time like she thought it was... he was gasping for air.

Tears rolled down her cheeks. Sasuke wanted to scream. To call for help. Or... something. Falling to her knees, she took his hands in her own. Tears fell onto Naruto's skin. The voices got louder.

"See what you've done. You can't save him. He can't save you. You're too dangerous. Off yourself, you worthless scum. You never loved him!" Like a rabid animal, the voice banged against her skull.

She didn't now what to do, how could this have happened?! Was it real? It felt real to her, what she was feeling. Could it have been a lie.

She didn't know. But as she cried and let out small gut wrenching screams... well...

The alarm clock had woken her up. Sweat rolled down her brow, she felt cold yet hot. She felt anger, anger at how horrible these dreams were becoming. As if they were slowly changing her. Forget the shower, she had to find Naruto! But, she thought to herself... what if this was just another dream? She pinched herself and looked at the clock.

She remembered now. Naruto was to leave on his mission today and she would leave on hers tomorrow with her team. Naruto had told her the day he got the mission and was quite calm about the whole ordeal. Sasuke feared for his life; her anxiety getting the best of her.

Letting out a cough, the girl swung her legs over the side of her bed. She hit something as she gently put her feet down. Curious, she looked right into the very alive blue eyes of her beloved boyfriend.

He smiled up at her. "Hey... you okay? You were tossing in your sleep so I decided to move onto the ground. Hope that's fine. Bad dreams again?"

Sasuke nodded, she slowly moved her legs to both sides of the blond, slowly descending and laying on his chest. Kissing his cheek lovingly, her warm skin touching his own cold body as her floors were very cold during this time of the season.

"Naruto... what if... what if we never come back from these missions?" Her voice shakily asked. She pressed her ear to his beating heart, it calmed her down a little bit. Her hand grabbing a hold of one of his and the free one tracing lines across his jaw.

Naruto raised an eyebrow and chuckled, his free hand rubbing the young girl's back soothingly.

"Hey now, Sasuke, you don't need to worry. Just have faith in yourself and you'll be fine. You have a good team and I'll be cheering you on no matter what!"

Sasuke let out a content sigh as she moved her head; she took hold of Naruto's bottom lip into her teeth, gently biting then letting go. She blushed up a storm. Then the look in her eyes turned into happiness instead of worry.

"I... We only have a few hours until you have to leave... I... Just hold me, please?" She mumbled into his neck.

Naruto chuckled, he gripped Sasuke's hips and held her as tight as he could in a protective manner. They stayed like that until Naruto had to leave. That gave Sasuke one and a half day until she had to leave. This time, after a long conversation with her faithful companion, well, she had a bit more courage on her shoulders. He always knew what to say to make her feel more alive.


Today was the day that the young Uchiha would finally leave the village. She was nervous, scared and very, very eager to show off her skills. And test her new blade on her enemies' flesh in case she ran into any trouble. Her eyes darted to each person leaving and entering the village gates. Some looked tired, others excited and smiling. Her though? Her eyes were set into a deadly gaze and a face full of determination.

Sasuke took off her backpack, unzipping it, pulling out a small box full of riceballs and one tomato. She ate quickly. Her teammates: Sai and Sakura, were busy getting ready themselves. Sasuke never liked the two girls. Sakura was always trying to be nice to her and become friends whereas Sai always said rude jokes to 'lighten' the mood. They were in the way, she just wanted to be on a team with her Naruto, dammit! Then her sensei: Kakashi... well... she tried to warm up to him as a mentor of sorts, and he wasn't a bad guy per say. Just always late. It was annoying to say the least.

Sasuke pinched her nose as an elderly man passed her by, smelling like a dead body. People should learn to shower. She zipped up her backpack after putting away her lunch box then strapped it to her back. She checked her weapon holsters and the ceremonial blade attached to her left inner thigh.

She was ready for anything. Be it rain, snow, bandits, rouge Nin and more.

The young teenager put out her arms as high as she could, getting out the pains and aches. Naruto had kindly given her a length-full massage before he left and this time, well, this time it actually calmed her down even more than before. They said their good-byes with a long passionate/romantic kiss. And she grabbed his ass. She giggled at that small memory of the day before.

Kakashi and her team were in her sights now. They strolled up with Tazuna. Sakura and Sai had smiles on their faces... how disgusting... while Tazuna smelled like booze; as always. And Kakashi, his eyes were set into a small glare, looking like he lost a bet with a bear or something. But, none the less, they were all ready to leave and fufill their mission.

As they walked out of the village, Sasuke's stomach took a dive. Her anxiety flared up. She just wanted to make it home safely and with no damage to her body or fragile mindset.

Turning her head, Sasuke saw as the gates began to look farther and farther away. Her home. Her safe place. It was all down the drain. Before she awaited her team, she stopped by her mother's for advice and a warm embrace with comforting words to ease her worries. Mikoto had given Sasuke another gift. A small necklace with the Uchiha symbol etched into it; it held a picture of her, Naruto, her mother... and oddly enough, Itachi too, when they were all younger of course. Besides the blade from her father, this new necklace became her second most prized possession.

Sighing, the young teen marched on ahead of her team and charge; determined to scout out any threats.

There were a few rain clouds in the sky. Black as night. A storm would be coming soon. And Sasuke, well, she felt a few fights would come her way. And nothing would stop her from achieving her goals. Nothing.


A/N: Hey all, hope you enjoyed that chapter. Yes, it has some more 'mature' themes but it is in the warnings and I wanted to give some insight on Sasuke as a character in this particular story. It's a little rough still but I plan to go back and 'fix' chapter one and this chapter. The next chapter will be the Wave Arc for Sasuke and I have a few special things in store for Naruto and his ANBU team too. And yes, I did add a tiny minuscule amount of sexual hinting and slight alcohol usage. Eh, not my best work so far, in my honest opinion but if you all think it is good then thank you so much. I'll try to do better, I just need encouragement is all. Help is appreciated too.

Now! Onto the good stuff. This story is a 'remaster', as such, it is going to have lot's of changes due to the fact that the old chapters could have been a lot better than they are now and a lot of choices I made a few months to a few years ago were kind of lacklustre and not up to snuff. I digress. But, this is hopefully just as good as before.

Since I lost ALL of my stories via crashes and I had no other backups... well... it's been sad. I lost like FIVE stories,, and a couple other 'rough drafts' for a couple more but no biggie. I will still work on those stories when need be as they are still in my mind. Right now, besides AFAAR, I have one Naruto X Soul Eater Crossover that I am working on. I am REMAKING the first chapter to 'To Kill A Fox'. I have a different 'timeline/universe' thing for a Naruto-centric story. I have a video game crossover for Naruto too. And them some Naruto X Fem! Stories out the ass if I get around to them. I have that R+V story to write still too as it was kinda lame when I rough drafted it long ago... meh... BUT... guess what? That story... oh, the first one I ever wrote with Yami? Yeah... That, my friends, is getting... Mother. Fucking. REMASTERED! HELL YEAH! I'll explain below.

Real life wise... I now own every single damn volume of Soul Eater and the Rosario + Vampire set with it's anime adaption and I've been slowly reading and watching them. I've been slowly watching Soul Eater on Netflix although I want the anime of that too on my own disc. I plan of getting all volumes of the Naruto series too when I can so let's just say there will be less plot holes in my stories cause I aim to fix the plot holes in the anime/manga for those series.

Anyway, it is late, I uploaded this on Wednesday, August 22nd, at around 11:30PM... I've been relaxing with some games and such. I am going away camping for a week but I will bring my manga with me and figure out what story to write next on. They are in the early to middle stages at this point and the Naru/SEater story is the one I really want to get out next but alas fate has other plans for me cause I really wanna work on TPOMAD now. Anyway, good morning, goodnight, I love you all. Please Favourite, Follow, and Review! Cheers!