Note from the Author: I'm so glad everyone's liking this, because I really like this.

Inukitsy: You're not stupid! All of the people who review my stories at almost –if not – every chapter are amazing. :hugs:

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LoversPastForgotten: Aw, thank you. :hugs you and pays your dental bills:

Lotus Aia: Thanks for the encouraging words. Your stories are driving me crazy though. They're making me want to write:itches for a pen and hugs you instead:

strength-91-possibility-none: o.O New reviewer! To be honest, I forgot I was writing this little series until I got your review.

UzumakiNarutofangirl1: o.O Thank you! I forgot I was writing this series until you reviewed it!

SylvanDreamer: … I kind of forgot about this series – again – until I got your review.

Would you leave me at the side of the road?

Face first into the mud – a mouthful of liquid soil.

Sasuke sighed. So that was how training was going to be today.

Naruto was laughing like a maniac at him, because he loved watching the Uchiha fall.

He scowled, standing to face their silver-haired sensei, who had that passively inexpressive look in his eye that said, "Yeah – you're good, but I'm better" without being quite obvious enough to cause a direct conflict. "Had enough yet?" he asked in that equally non-confrontational way.

"Hell no." He spat, wiping a hand across his mouth in an attempt to make his face look a little less like he was a clown – a little less like Naruto.

The blonde boy, by comparison, was standing – mostly clean, except for minor cuts and bruises – off to the side, watching with something that mixed amusement with envy. Sasuke was curious about that expression – who exactly was he jealous of? Certainly not him. He was making more of a fool of himself every minute.

0

Naruto loved looking at Sasuke. He was a spectacular ninja; nobody had ever doubted that – except maybe Naruto, and once or twice, the Uchiha himself.

But besides that, Sasuke was simply beautiful. His skin was this porcelain that Naruto thought might crack like a China doll's if he pressed too hard, his eyes smoldered darkly from behind his equally sable hair, his lips – usually smirking – like petals. His slim body moved as if he was dancing; he could be walking, or sitting, or tossing his head – and his movements were like poetry.

Now Naruto stood watching him train against their teacher, and he found himself angry at Kakashi for getting to spar with him – for getting to touch that lovely body that he would give anything to have loving him. The thought shocked him more than anything else it made him feel – that he really just wanted Sasuke to love him.

He looked away for a moment as Kakashi knocked his friend down again, and then up at their teacher telling him that was enough for today, and lazily leaving the clearing, calling a goodbye. Naruto's eyes met Sasuke – blue against black – and Naruto smiled – but Sasuke didn't smile back, scowling at the fact that he'd been beaten again – and then Naruto frowned. "Sasuke, he's a jounin – you're not going to beat him."

"I will eventually." The Uchiha had always been stubborn. He climbed to his feet, called out, "Hey! Where are you going?"

Naruto blinked at him over his shoulder. "Home?"

"Oh." Sasuke realized how stupid he must have sounded, and he kicked the ground, wondering vaguely why he'd expected Naruto to wait for him. "Okay – bye."

The blonde's smile was warm as it reignited on his face, and he held his hand out. "Coming?"

The returned smile was faint as Sasuke ran over, and they walked back to Konoha, their fingers laced.