Authors Note: the next chapter is up! Please review, and I'm trying to make the chapters longer, so sorry if they're so short. Enjoy.
Warnings: yaio(boyXboy) don't like don't read.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. If I did, Sasuke would have come back to Konoha by now.

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Chapter 2
Naruto trudged through the hallways of the Hokage's tower, grumbling to himself the whole way. "Stupid Baa-chan. Who does she think she is, summoning me this early in the morning..."

Naruto was tired, he didn't get much sleep last night, and it was showing. The normally bright grin was more forced than usual, yet it wasn't as if anyone would notice. Naruto was never not smiling, so no one bothered to look past his goofy grins. That thought made his smile flatter even more.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them again a huge grin was on his face as he kicked open the door. "Good morning, Baa-chan."

"Dammit, brat! Don't call me that!" Tsunade shouted.

"Stop calling me brat you old hag!" Naruto shrieked back, ducking to avoid the empty sake bottle that flew past his head and shattered against the wall.

"Do you wanna fight gaki!?" She yelled her eyebrows twitching in irritation.

"Like you could beat me! Your probably too drunk to even throw a punch!"

"That's it! We're taking this outside!"

"Alright, let's go!"

~the ANBU outside the door sighed at the usual banter. They would need to call the reconstruction team again to fix the streets. It was going to be a long day.~

After the brief *ahem* street fight(both venomously denying the lose, and Shizune having a nervous breakdown, 'Lady Tsunade, he's still just a child!'). Naruto found himself back in the Hokage's office, being briefed on a solo mission. He had been requested by Gaara himself.

"You are to finalize the treaty between Konoha and Suna. You leave tomorrow. Stay safe gaki." Tsunade told him.

"I'll be fine baa-chan, I always come back." Naruto said softly to his mother-like figure.

"I was trying to be nice you brat! Get out of my office!"

"I told you to stop calling me that!"

"Then stop calling me an old hag!"

"I call 'em like I see them!"

"Do we need to take this outside!?"

~the ANBU outside sighed again.

The next day found Naruto soaring through the trees, hoping from branch to branch. He only had about two more days till he would reach Suna. He was the perfect candidate for the job, considering how the Village Hidden in the Sand adores him after rescuing their Kazekage.

Naruto allowed a small, real smile to grace his lips as he thought of his raccoon-eyed, red-headed friend. Gaara and him had become closer after Naruto had rescued him. They were the only ones(that they had met) who truly understood what the other had been through.

Not even Sasuke truly could understand the pain Naruto went through. Yet, after Jiraiya's death, Naruto was able to truly understand Sasuke's need for revenge. The only difference was, Naruto was able to overcome his need for revenge for the sake of the village. On that day, he had promised that he would stop the hatred in the world, and Naruto planned on starting with Sasuke(and anyone he met along the way).

When Naruto had arrived in Suna, Gaara and his siblings, Konkuro and Temari were waiting for him.

"Gaara!" Naruto exclaimed pouncing on his red haired friend and giving him a hug.

"Naruto." Gaara said in his usual monotone voice, but Naruto could hear the hidden warmth underneath it. He had snaked his hands around his blonde friend and returned the hug.

"Hey, kiddo." Konkuro said ruffling his hair.

"Yeah, how's our little brother?" Temari asked with a small smile on her face.

"I dunno, how's Shika, Temari?" Naruto said cheekily back.

Konkuro choking on laughter could be heard and Naruto could feel Gaara's shoulders shaking from silent laughter.

"You little...!" Temari shrieked and began to chase him as Naruto fled into the village, dragging the still emotionless Kazekage with him.

The villagers laughed and lightly smiled at the fimiliar sight of their beloved Kazekage being dragged by his blonde friend throughout the village with Temari chasing them and Konkuro still laughing, trying to follow.

"...and that should be it for the treaty." The Sand Shinobi were modding their heads and agreeing with Naruto as he presented the treaty to them. It seemed fair and it certainly helped that the blonde was a close friend of their Kazekage.
After the signing of the treaty, Gaara had taken Naruto to the ramen bar. There, Naruto had agreed to stay the night. He really did enjoy Suna.

Sasuke was somewhere in between Fire and Wind country, setting up camp. His thoughts occasionally drifted to the blonde Dobe, and Sasuke wondered what he was doing. He hadn't seen Naruto in a while, and the last time he had, what do you know, Sasuke had tried to kill him, again. The thought left a bitter taste in his mouth.

He had remember the day when Team 7 had come to Orochimaru's hideout. They were different. Not to mention that Kakashi wasn't there, and he was replaced by Sai.

Sasuke's nose wrinkled in disgust at the thought of his replacement. That kid had no place on his team. Replacing him. Laughing with his friends. Doing missions with them. With Naruto. Sasuke ran a hand through this hair. Why did his thoughts always end up on Naruto!? What was so special about the idiot!?

His laugh was too loud. He was too loud in General. He was clumsy. A terrible ninja. He always got in Sasuke's way. He wouldn't just give up on him no matter how many times Sasuke tried to push him away. He would just continue to stare at him with those blue eyes, so filled with understanding.

'What did that Dobe understand!?' Sasuke thought angrily. He acted like it was so easy to just give up on revenge! That Dobe didn't have anyone. He ha never lost anyone important to him. Naruto had never faced the same suffering he had and have to live trough it. He didn't know what it was like to have to face a family member, someone you trusted more than anyone, as they tried to kill you...but as Sasuke thought about it, he thought guiltily again(damn the guilts back), Naruto did. Because Sasuke(besides the killing your whole family part), had done those exact same things to Naruto.

Right after Naruto told him that he considered Sasuke family, Sasuke had thrown that trust right back at his face. Hell, he even brought up the Dobe's parents, something Naruto had told him long before the fight, upset him. He remembered how Naruto had trusted him, and had told him how no one would tell him who his parents were.

'Because no one cared enough.' Sasuke's mind supplied bitterly. That was how Naruto had felt, and Sasuke had just thrown all of Naruto's negative feelings that he trusted Sasuke with, right back at him. On top of that, Sasuke couldn't forget, Naruto's do called best friend shoved a Chidori through his chest.

It was at that moment that Sasuke felt a ton of self-loathing, and he officially decided that he didn't deserve Naruto. To bad it was also that moment that Sasuke realized that Naruto was the person he wanted the most, too.

Naruto gave the Sand siblings each a hug goodbye as he headed back to Konoha with the treaty tucked safely into a scroll.

Traveling through the forest, after just passing the border of Wind country and entering Wind Country, Naruto heard footsteps on the trail below. Pulling out a kunai, Naruto cautiously made his way down the path.

Two figures, both aware of the others existence, slowly and cautiously made their ways down the path.

One figure was tall and muscled, though not in an attractive way, with pale skin and sharp features on his face, looking like what many would call handsome. With dark raven hair and matching dark eyes. He had a beautiful katana at his waist, bandages on his wrists, and the Uchiha fan on his back. His shirt was black(cause I said so), as the rest of his outfit, with the ninja sandals on his feet.

The other was tall, but not as tall as the other, with spiky, bright yellow hair and and equally as bright smile. He was tall and skinny, although there was muscle. He wore an orange and black jumpsuit with a red, short-sleeved, cape with black flames over it. On his head rested the leaf symbol on his ninja headband. A giant scroll was on his back. With three whisker marks on each cheek and beautiful bright blue eyes, he was someone many would want to take a good look at.

Both figures walked down the path, and shoulder to shoulder, just as they were about to pass each other, they had both stopped, still looking ahead.

No words were said for what felt like hours but was really minutes, until the blonde man had whispered a soft, almost affectionate, "Teme."
Moments passed until, "Hn. Dobe."

Suddenly, breaking the silence, the blonde cried out again, "Sasuke!"

"Hello Naruto." And Sasuke couldn't help the warmth that flood through him as he saw his Dobe once again.

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Finally finished the chapter. I felt as if I had been writing this forever! Please review!
-Midnight Rose