Disclaimer: I obviously don't own Naruto or any of the characters I wreak havoc upon in my chapters.

IMPOTRANT WARNING!: If you skipped over the warning in chapter 1, then some of you may not be happy with part of this chapter. 'Cause there is MPREG in this chapter and in future chapters. You can't say I didn't warn you. If you skipped the warning, then it's your own fault.

Author's Note: Wow, I didn't realize how much time passed in the story at this point. Damn they were in Suna for about three?- two and a half?- months. Three people had birthdays and three or more are coming up in just three chapters, or between them.

Read, review and please enjoy!


Mid November (Four Weeks Later)

The whole of the forest was now covered in white. No one had really realized how long they had spent in Suna. Since it was desert country, the season didn't really change all that much. Maybe it had become a little cooler while they were there, but none of the Konoha nins were accustomed to the climate, so they never noticed.

Now Fall had passed and winter was setting in. The first snow had already fallen, covering every surface in a white blanket. As the group trudged along the main road, more snow began to fall, dusting everyone in white. Kiba, being the person he was, paused and tilted his head back, mouth open wide and tongue sticking out. Once a few flakes had landed on his tongue, he closed his mouth and shuddered. Naruto watched the man repeat the process. After a moment's thought, the blonde tilted his head back and copied the brunette.

Shikamaru watched the Uzumaki, one eyebrow raised. The Nara hefted the pack on his back up higher. The two smaller nin's looked like five-year-olds, but it made a small smile play across the shadow-nin's lips. Everyone else had paused at varying stages of walking, waiting on the two men whom had seemed to forget all about the fact that they were headed home.

Suddenly, a loud yelp filled the air and Shikamaru swung his head around to look at the front of the group. Kakashi's face was covered in snow, the wet mess sliding down his face to stick to his flak jacket. The Kopi nin eyed the very tanned man that was looking at him innocently before Iruka pointed a figure at Jiraiya. The sennin let out a shocked noise and ducked as a snowball flew at his head. That was all it took.

Soon, everyone in the group had taken sides; all of the older shinobi hiding in the trees to the left of the path and the younger ones to the right. Kiba didn't manage to make it fast enough into hiding and ended up getting pelted as Gai began making snowballs and throwing them as fast as he could. The poor dog-nin was now completely covered in snow; it clung to his jacket and hair, soaking through his clothing. The small brunette did not look pleased in the slightest and the glare he sent towards the jounin could have killed.

Naruto, the genius he was, decided now was a perfect time to pull a choice prank. Sneaking up behind the Nara that had taken up position at the first tree he had reached, muttering about how troublesome this was, an evil smirk rose on the blonde's face. The brunette had no idea how troublesome life was about to get. As quick as he could move, Naruto loaded one hand full of snow and shoved it as far down the back of his boyfriend's pants as he could. The resulting yell and string of loud curses made everyone pause.

The look on Shikamaru's face made the blonde, who had been laugh his ass off, pause mid chuckle and squeak loudly as hands grabbed at him. Naruto made a beeline for the opposite side of the road, hoping to find protection he didn't really deserve, but ended up getting pelted with snow as the older nins of the group took up the opportunity that was given to them. The Uzumaki skidded to a stop in the snow turning to run back the way he had come, only to run straight into a fuming Nara.

Naruto smiled weakly up at the other man.

"Don't hurt me," the blonde squeaked as he scrambled to his feet and made to run for it once again. He didn't make it far. It seemed luck wasn't on his side to day, as he tripped and fall face first in the snow. Naruto pulled back, spitting snow, only to find himself suddenly pinned to the wet ground. Blue eyes widened as he craned his neck to look at the Nara who had seated himself on the smaller man. Shikamaru smiled at the Uzumaki and Naruto felt his stomach drop. He knew that look, had seen it before. He was in trouble.

Hot breath ghosted over his ear, "I'll get you back for this, later." Naruto eyes bulged in their sockets, and whimpered low in the back of his throat. Hips shifted against him and the blonde jumped.

"Just remember that," and then the warmth by his ear was gone. The weight on his back sifted and then his foot was suddenly cold.

"No!" the blonde yelled trying to twist around to push the larger man off of him. But the Nara had repositioned himself, facing the smaller man's feet. He had a firm hold of one ankle while he used his leg to pin the blonde's other leg. It wasn't long before Naruto's laughter echoed through the area with small phrases in between as he tried to catch his breath.

A few others, like Jiraiya and Iruka, took inspiration from their student. Soon, both Kakashi and Tsunade were yelling in alarm and chasing after each respective person. Sasuke watched it all, shaking his head with a smile. Kiba was brushing the snow off of himself as he wrinkled up his nose.

"What's wrong, Kiba?" Sasuke inquired as he walked up to stand beside the other nin. Kiba glanced over at him and blushed a pink color.

"You really don't want to know," the Inuzuka told him and his eyes darted to the pair still sitting in the snow. Sasuke huffed and rolled his eyes.

"I have a feeling I already know," the Uchiha said as he patted the smaller man on the shoulder in sympathy. Lee, who hadn't actually taken part in the fight, gazed at those around him with hollow eyes. He really didn't feel like joining in at the moment, all he wanted to do was get home, and this was hindering his efforts. The older man brushed past the other two and began making his way back towards Konoha. They weren't far, just another ten to fifteen minutes' walk.

It wasn't long before everyone else fell in behind the Rock. Tsunade was glaring at Jiraiya, and the sannin just smiled at her with a wink. The Godaime rolled her eyes and continued to scoop out the snow still in her top, courtesy of the Gama Sennin. Iruka was being held firmly against the Kopi nin's side, struggling to get loose. The look in the one visible blue eye spoke enough for everyone in the group to know that they probably wouldn't see much of the tanned shinobi in the next few days. Shikamaru and Naruto walked at the back of the group, fingers interlaced. The blonde was probing the Nara for information about what had gone on during the time he was in a coma. There wasn't much to the story but Shikamaru told him anyway. The brunette had a feeling that the Uzumaki really didn't care much for what had happened; he just wanted to hear the other man talk.

As they entered the village, Shikamaru found himself with an arm full of cheerful blonde as Ino launched herself at her old teammate. The Akimichi woman bounced up and down in her excitement, arms wrapped around the brunette's neck.

"Hi, Ino," he said as he tried to kept his balance as the woman squeezed him tight.

"I missed you," she said cheerfully and the released him and turned to give Naruto a softer hug and a peak on the forehead. The jinchuriki looked a bit stunned before he peaked her back on the cheek. The woman stepped back and beamed at them both, hands on her hips. Turning to the side, she asked, "Notice anything different?"

Naruto looked confused but the Nara's mouth went slightly slack as he realized what she was referring to. Even with all of the clothing the kunoichi had on to fight off the cold, her distended belly was apparent. Shikamaru wanted to laugh with delight as he walked forward and pulled the woman back into a hug. Ino laughed happily.

"So, how do you feel about being an uncle?" she asked as she pulled back, one hand traveling down to rub at her stomach. Naruto's eyebrows rose at that and then his mouth went slack as he finally made the connection.

"You're pregnant?" he screeched as he blinked at her and she laughed at him while Chouji rolled his eyes.

"Yes, Naru. I'm pregnant." The blonde woman was glowing with happiness and Chouji looked proud of himself. Sasuke looked over from where he had been talking with Sakura and Sai when Naruto's words echoed through the small area. Everyone else had already dispersed and they were the only ones left. He watched as Naruto pulled her in a hug and then started talking adamantly with Ino while Shikamaru went to talk to Chouji. The mental image it created made Sasuke laugh out loud and Sakura gave him and odd look.

"What's funny Sasuke-kun?" she asked, looking a bit put out. The ex-Root member standing beside her actually rolled his eyes at her tone and Sasuke looked up from where he had doubled over in his laughter.

"Nothing," the Uchiha managed after a moment. He glanced back over at the small group and smiled to himself. They reminded him of two married couples who were close friends, and the thought only made him laugh again. This time Sakura said nothing and made her way over to Naruto and Ino. The Uzumaki smiled at his old friend and hugged her happily. The Uchiha only wished he could be as accepting of her presence as the blonde was. The damned woman just seemed to get more and more annoying. Obsidian eyes glanced over at the stoic man standing beside him. Sai glanced over at him and flashed him a small smile, which seemed to say more than either of his two friends had said. From the way Sai was watching the Uchiha's ex-team mate, something had happened between the two of them while he has been in a Suna. Sasuke couldn't help but wondered if the man could mellow the crazy pink haired kunoichi out.

The two raven haired men finally made their way over to the other men, and they all decided that since the journey home had been so long and they all really wanted to catch up, dinner was a good idea. The women and Naruto were still chatting away as they made their way towards a restaurant that they had been to several times before as a group. Sai fell back to be near Sakura, while the other three men walked in front, their longer strides carrying them faster than the other four.

As they rounded a corner and started up a nearly empty street, a loud smacking sound echoed from the back of the small group followed by a loud yelp and then a moan of pain. Sasuke froze almost instantly. He knew that sound, knew the sound of flesh hitting cloth with amazing force and he knew that small yelp. He had heard it many times before on their travels with Jiraiya. Naruto had been hit, and hit hard.

The Uchiha turned around in time to see the blonde man fall to his knees, hands clutching at his stomach. A soft whimper left his tight lips and blue eyes were wide with pain as a tear leaked out of the corner of his eye. Sakura had her hand over her mouth, eyes wide with surprise. Ino's mouth had fallen open in shock and one hand was hovering in front of her mouth while the other covered he stomach in a protective gesture. Sai only blinked at the blonde who was now sliding further to the ground.

A deep growl sounded from beside the raven haired man and he looked over to see the usually calm and collected Nara glaring death at the pink haired kunoichi. Hands clinched at the brunette's sides and Sasuke caught the small shift in weight in time to grab Shikamaru by the arms as he made for Sakura. Another growl escaped the man and Sasuke looked over the Nara's shoulder to look at Ino and Sai.

"Leave," he told them as the man threw his weight against the Uchiha's arms. Sakura glanced at the brunette and her eyes widened further in fear. A few citizens had paused to watch what was happening but then turned and left once they caught sight of the look on Shikamaru's face.

When no one moved to listen to him, Sasuke let out a frustrated growl of his own. He glared at the medic nin who was yet to move from her position. Ino was kneeling gingerly down to check on the blonde who was laying on his side on the snow covered ground, panting for breath.

"Do you have a death wish?" Sasuke shouted at the woman, who finally blinked at him, "If you don't leave now, he's going to tare you apart!" Sai's survival instinct had apparently kicked in, as he grabbed the bewilder woman by the arm and started tugging on it. Sasuke had to dig his heels into the ground and was very much glad that the strategic man he was holding back was in such a state that he hadn't fought back yet. The raven haired man looked over his shoulder at the amazed Akimichi behind him.

"Help," he asked in a strained voice, "I can't hold him." His heels were digging into the ground but the Nara was still gaining ground as he pulled against the restraining arms. Sasuke could feel the heels of his boots leaving trenches in the wet dirt. Chouji wasted no time, walking up beside the straining Uchiha and wrapping his arms around his childhood friend. In one quick movement, the Nara was lifted off his feet and a less than human noise left his mouth. The further restraint of his body made the brunette begin to struggle and Sasuke marched towards his old teammate with a sneer. Green eyes followed him and finally stared up at him when the Uchiha came to a stop in front of the woman. Without pause, Sasuke drew back a hand and slapped the woman across the face. She gasped and then glared up at him. She instantly drew up a fist but Sai grabbed her hand before she could raise it completely.

"If you don't get the fuck out of here, you are going to die," Sai stated each word in a slow monotone and Sakura glared at him over her shoulder about to say something when a firm hand grasped her chin and turned her to look toward the struggling brunette. Whatever she saw in that face made her swallow hard.

"B-but what about-," she tried to say but Sasuke cut her off.

"We'll worry about him; just get the hell out of here." Sasuke came to the quick conclusion that his ex-team mate had no real survival instinct to speak of. Before anything else could be said, Sai picked up the small woman and threw her over his shoulder, apparently tired of her inability to fully comprehend the situation. She let out a shocked yelp and then the two were gone as Sai ran and hopped to the roof of the nearest building. Sasuke watched to make sure they were gone before he turned to look back at the two men.

Shikamaru had stopped struggling, but was glaring off in the direction the two shinobi had gone. Chouji was having very little problem holding his friend up off the ground, and had a firm hold on the other man. The Uchiha glanced down at the two blondes in the snow and Ino nodded that the jinchuriki was alive and breathing, but the look in her eyes spoke volumes.

"Put me down, Chouji," the Nara's voice a gruff and strained. Anger was still surging through his veins and he honestly wanted to rip Sakura to shreds, or worse, preferably worse. His vision was filled with the image of Naruto's face as the small man fell to his knees. The pain in those blue eyes tore at him and his hands clinched into fists. He tried to even his breathing but was having difficulty. Brown eyes fell on the form lying in the snow and his whole body screamed at him that he needed to be by the blonde and needed to be there now.

The Nara took a deep breath, "You can put me down. I won't go after her." Chouji raised an eyebrow at that but the brunette was released none the less. It took all of his will power not to run to the fallen man but he managed a fast walk. He fell to his keens near Naruto's head and he watched as Ino smoothed over the small man's upper body. The Nara's smoothed his hand through the messy locks of blonde hair and Naruto blinked up at him. The Uzumaki gave him a pained grin and reached up a hand to smooth the corners of Shikamaru's mouth.

"You don't look good when you worry," he said in true Naruto fashion and the Nara wanted to laugh out loud. Instead he just smiled down at the pained face.

"That's better," the blonde said with a sigh and closed his eyes. The brunette kept the man's head cupped in his hands and scooted his own body closer so he could rest the Uzumaki's head in his lap. Sasuke crouched down next to Shikamaru and Chouji moved to stand behind his wife, placing a hand on her shoulder. Her sky blue eyes fluttered open and she leaned back against her husband's legs. After a moment, she turned to look at Shikamaru and the Nara tensed at the look in her eyes.

"The blow tore some of the wounds slightly open but it's not anything Tsunade can't fix. But he's bruised pretty badly," she told him and he left out a small sigh of relief. He heard a similar sound from Sasuke's direction. The Nara massaged the back of the jinchuriki's head and Naruto hummed slightly then winced.

"Come on, let's get you to the hospital," Shikamaru told the blonde, who huffed in annoyance. Long arms slid under the small body and hoisted him into the sir. Naruto grimaced and wrapped an arm around the Nara's neck; finger's playing with the small stud in his ear. The other arm cradle at his stomach and he leaned his head on the brunette's chest. Sasuke, Ino and Chouji followed mutely, each one worried about the generally hyperactive blonde.

When they finally made it to the tall building, the Godaime almost had a shit fit. The patient that she had worried over for more than two months was now back in the hospital. What infuriated the woman even more was the fact that it was Sakura's fault. Golden eyes spit fire and the Hokage muttered obscenities under her breath as she used her chakra to patch up the jinchuriki once again. She snapped at Shikamaru who was hovering over her shoulder, and the brunette jerked back. He moved to stand near the door by Sasuke, arms crossed over his chest while he made a face. Naruto turned his head to smile at the Nara, blue eyes laughing. That face was what Naruto had come to call the Nara's 'rape-face.' It happened when the brunette furrowed his brow and frowned at the same time. It resulted in an odd expression for the brunette and it made Naruto want to laugh out loud.

Tsunade finished up with in twenty minutes, but it only took that long because she made the blonde wait around for a small observation. When the whining and complaining had begun, the already irritated Godaime had sighed in defeat and agreed to let him go for the night, but only on the condition that he stay with someone for the night. This condition was what brought Shikamaru and Naruto to the blonde's apartment to pack an overnight bag.

As it was, the small man was having problems bending over and picking stuff up, so he was forced to sit on the bed. He directed the Nara to where each desired item could be found, and after some teasing on the blonde's part, they had the bag. Shikamaru had decided to just let Naruto sleep over, mostly due to the fact that Yoshino would throw a fit if she didn't get to see him and see him soon. So, the blonde went home with him.

The meeting of the family went fine, not that the jinchuriki was introduced as his boyfriend or anything, but his dad gave him a knowing look. His mother was oblivious, and was content to shower the blonde and her son with attention. And it was attention the latter of the two really didn't want, but Naruto seemed to bask in it. It was nice to see Naruto smiling happily and chatting away. The small man had been through more than enough recently; he had earned some peace and quiet, or just peace.

Once Shikamaru managed to extract Naruto and himself from his mother, he drug the blonde up the stairs and to his room. The Nara helped Naruto strip and once he was down to his boxer-briefs, the blonde was handed a pair of sleep pants. He eyed the dark green pants in his hands and then eyed Shikamaru. The brunette said nothing, pulling on a pair of dark gray sleep pants. When Naruto was yet to put on the pants, the brunette grabbed them from his hands and helped him put them own.

Naruto didn't really understand. He had his own sleep pants, Shikamaru knew that. So why was the brunette making him wear a pair of his? The Nara pulled the draw sting tight and the pants hung loose down the blonde's lower body, pooling at his feet. The height difference was very apparent. The Uzumaki lifted one foot and the pants leg fell off the top of his foot to hang a good three inches below his foot. He waved the cloth back and forth, balancing on one foot. After a moment, he looked up at the Nara, who smiled down at him before pulling him into a kiss.

Naruto moaned and ran his hands up the toned chest of the man standing in front of him. It had been so long since they had shared an actual kiss. Yeah, there had been pecks and small smooches in Suna, but nothing like the one now. Hands slid down Naruto's body and gently cupped his ass, pulling him up onto his tip-toes so the Nara could deepen the kiss. Tongues slid along one another, drawing a soft sigh from both men. The blonde's hands gripped at broad shoulders and lifted himself higher. He followed the brunette's retreating appendage back into the larger man's mouth and ran the very tip of his tongue along the gum line of his bottom lip. This brought a groan from the Nara, so Naruto's did it again, then again. He delighted in the fact that he could bring that sound from the brunette.

After a few moments, Shikamaru pulled back to rest his forehead on the blonde's. His breathing was ragged and seemed to match the man looking up at him with hooded eyes.

"Gotta stop," he panted out and Naruto nodded in agreement. He was still too sore to do anything, even if his body wanted it. He couldn't risk tarring anything else open. Kyuubi's chakra should have healed him by now, but the demon's chakra still seemed to be suffering from the after effects of the seal. The demon had reassured him many times in the past weeks that he was fine but his healing effects were going to be hindered for a while. So Naruto was healing almost human slow. It complicated things for the time being.

The brunette placed a small kiss on the Uzumaki's forehead and then grabbed his hand to lead him to the futon spread out on the bedroom floor. Shikamaru flopped down on the bed and tugged the blonde down beside him. Naruto followed and knelt down on his knees before laying back against the large quantity of pillows the Nara had.

The brunette stretched out beside him and they turned to face each other at the same time. Naruto threw his leg over the larger man's while the Nara slid his thigh in between Naruto's. He pulled his lover in close, and the jinchuriki snuggled closer with a sigh of complete contentment. He fell asleep almost instantly, one hand splayed across Shikamaru's chest and the other relaxed next to his head.

The Nara stayed awake for a while, wondering what time was the right time. He wanted to say the words that had been chocking him for months now, but fear was living thing and clutched at his chest each time he thought about. He watched the blonde in his sleep, full lips slightly parted, long lashes pressed against tanned cheeks. Naruto was beautiful in his sleep and the Nara had seemed to find something he enjoyed more than cloud watching. He liked to 'Naruto watch.' No matter what the blonde was doing, Shikamaru followed him with his eyes, taking in everything about the small man. He didn't want to miss anything with his lover since he never knew when what he had may be snatched away from him.


Three Days Later…Iwagakure

Tsunade watched the four elderly men sitting in front of her. She had grown use to the council in Konoha. It wasn't that they looked frail. They just didn't compare to the men sitting in front of her now. These men didn't need to speak to be able to send terror through somebody, just looking at they could do it. They ranged in sizes from tall to short and from rail thin to broad. But each and every one of them looked battle worn. Scars were clear on their skin and she could see the clear definition of muscles under their tanned skin. Never in her life had she ever seen seniors in this good of shape, except for Hiruzen.

In the middle of the group of men sat a woman who looked to be in her late twenties or early thirties. Her red hair was cropped close to her head and she watched the Godaime with clear blue eyes. She was skinny, or, rather, she was lanky. Tall and lanky were the two words that summed up the woman in front of her.

"Hello, gentlemen," she said as she bowed to the group. Each bowed to her in the same manner and re took their seats. Jiraiya sat with a small huff beside her. The four ANBU they had brought with them spread themselves out behind them, two on each side. Tsunade was hoping that this would go smooth and fast. She had no desire for this ordeal to drag on longer than necessary.

"We would like you to assassinate the Yondaime Tsuchikage," the shortest of the group got straight to the point. Tsunade's eyebrows went up. She had expected a little bit of small talk before they got down to business but that wasn't how these men seemed to work.

"Besides ambushing one of our teams, what else has he done?" the Godaime asked, "I'd like to know all I can if my shinobi are risking their lives to take him out."

"The first thing he did when he was inaugurated was raise the tariffs, devastating our trade with other countries. Raising taxes on the lands and houses was his next step. After that he began sending genin on high ranking missions, missions way beyond anything they could have handled. His next step was to begin sending out chuunin and jounin out on missions he knew no one would return from. The last and final straw was when he gave express permission to all of our shinobi to kill Uzumaki Naruto on sight, hence the reason your team was attacked." Her jaw clinched at the last statement. How dare that bastard? Her hand clinched into a fist and she felt warm skin envelope her hand. She glanced over at the man beside her.

Jiraiya wasn't looking at her, but she could see the tension in his jaw, just like hers. He was less than happy with the whole situation as well. The small touch was reassuring, grounding. She didn't know when she had become so connected to the man, probably since childhood. She wouldn't be surprised if she had always felt this way about him, but pride was a greedy thing and hid things from you when needed them the most.

"Well, that's quite a list of things," she mused after a moment, "Why can't your own shinobi do this?"

"All of them are scared shitless of the man. None of them are even willing to speak against him, let alone kill the bastard," this was from the red head. None of the elders said anything at her small outburst, just nodding in agreement.

"Hokage-sama, met the Godaime Tsuchikage," one of the men sitting closest to the woman said with a proud smile. The two did look a little alike, or maybe he was just her sensei.

"Nice to meet you. Well, I guess that about sums it up. I assume I have the right to let my men carry this out how ever the please?" she questioned.

"As long as it's done quietly, we don't care. We just want him gone." That one statement told her that there were things going on under her radar, things these men didn't wish to speak of. It didn't surprise her, but it was slightly irritating. She couldn't really blame them though. It was an embarrassment to have someone you assumedly handpicked for the job tare your country a new one as soon as he got into office.

"I guess if that is all, we will be taking our leave," she stood and bowed once more. They stood, bowing the same as her. The group of six exited the room and made fast for Konoha. As she ran, Tsunade mulled over her choices of people to send on this mission.


That Next Night…Uchiha Compound

Neji took a deep breath, restraining himself from clutching at Itachi's hand. The elder Uchiha smiled down at him and squeezed his hand before walking forward into the bright lit compound. It wasn't like the Hyuuga had never met Mikoto and Fugaku before; it was just that he felt nervous this time. It wasn't like they were announcing their relationship or anything, Neji was here as a friend of Sasuke's, nothing more. But his stomach was churning none the less. He silently prayed to himself that he wouldn't throw up at some point during this visit.

The group of three made their way into the large compound, navigating the streets until they arrived in front of the brothers' house. Lavender eyes stared up at the large house, and a hand gripped at his stomach when a wave of nausea rolled over him. He felt a hand on his shoulder and concerned obsidian eyes looked down at him. Neji smiled weakly at Itachi, dropping his hand from his belly.

"I'm fine," he said reassuringly. The look he received told him that the elder Uchiha didn't believe a word of it.

"Come on," Sasuke said, walking up to the door, "If we're late, Otou-san will get annoyed." Neji nodded and walked a head of the older man. Itachi watched his lover walk. He looked a little shaky on his feet. I really hope he's okay, the raven thought as he moved to follow the other men. This whole thing was his mother's idea. She wanted to have family time, mostly because they hadn't been home in more than two months and the twins wouldn't leave her alone about their big brothers.

The three men paused in the entry way as they slipped off their shoes. As soon as bare feet touched the hardwood of the hallway floor, the sound of running footsteps sounded from the upstairs hall. Sasuke and Itachi exchanged a look and moved forward; standing so they wouldn't be knocked over by what they knew was coming.

"Nii-san!" two small children yelled as the raced down the stairs. The two children threw themselves at the two men. Sasuke and Itachi hoisted the children up into the air and hugged them to their chest. The twins giggled happily, snuggling into their brothers' necks. Airi pulled back with a smile and bounced on Sasuke's chest, rambling about how she had missed him and how good she was getting with a kunai. Isamu only pulled back to smiled at Itachi, who sat the small child back on the floor. The small boy grabbed the eldest Uchiha's hand and pulled him into the kitchen. Sasuke did the same, only the little girl bounced on the balls of her feet beside him, waiting for him to walk toward the kitchen.

Neji held back for a moment, watching the two brothers interact with their younger siblings. The brunette smiled to himself, hands rubbing across his stomach. He followed quietly behind the Uchiha children into the kitchen. The twins had taken their seats by their mother while Sasuke sat on her other side. Itachi sat closer to this father, leaving a space in between the elder children for Neji. Itachi gave him that concerned look again and the Hyuuga gave him a smile of reassurance.

Dinner wasn't loud, but it wasn't quite either. Fugaku looked less than pleased about the noise level but said nothing. He talked quietly with Itachi from time to time, but mostly just kept to himself, watching his family interact together. Sasuke talked with his mother, telling her about Suna and how hot it was there. Mikoto laughed and smiled responding with more questions. Airi asked more questions that Isamu, but the small boy would interject into the conversation at intervals.

Neji watched all of this with slightly jaded eyes. He hadn't had a family dinner like this since before his father died. Hell, his family dinners weren't like this when his father was around. He hadn't thought the Uchiha's dinner table would be like this, either. With Fugaku being the person he is, Neji hadn't dreamed that the stoic man would deal with such noise. But from what he could tell by the looks Mikoto threw his way at random intervals, the couple had had that conversation many times before.

"Neji-san," Isamu asked.

"Yes?" Neji eyed the usually silent child.

"Are you getting fat?" Sasuke choked on the tea he had been drinking. Mikoto's mouth fell open. Neji felt his face flush with heat and color. Itachi's eyes widened. Even Fugaku looked up at his son, a hard look in his eyes.

Neji's blinked and then blinked again. Hands went to his stomach and clinched in the shirt he wore. His mind whirled and his breathing quickened. The sickness he had been feeling before came back full force and he had to swallow hard to keep the bile from rising in his throat. Isamu looked at him expectantly, obsidian eyes innocent.

"N-no." The word was strained and he felt like he was going to pass out. Mikoto let out a nervous chuckle and glanced from the Hyuuga to her son.

"Are you sure?" Isamu asked, seemingly unconvinced. Neji opened his mouth and then closed it. He had no idea what to say. This wasn't a question he had expected to hear.

"That's enough talk for one night," Mikoto said, quickly ending the whole conversation. Sasuke looked as amazed as the others felt and Itachi was staring at his lover with worried eyes. The conversation picked back up after a few moments but the tension in the air remained.

After dinner, the family migrated to the living room. Fugaku decided not to join in the family gathering, dinner having been enough for him. Before Neji had even settled into the couch, two smallest Uchihas were sitting in his lap expectantly. Two pairs of obsidian eyes blinked expectantly up at him and Neji laughed as they scooted closer. Even after not seeing the two small children for months now, they still had him labeled as their story teller.

Itachi watched as the Hyuuga wrapped his arms around Airi and Isamu. Lavender eyes sparkled with happiness as he started telling them a story, but Itachi wasn't really listening to the words leaving the younger man's mouth. He was watching the way the younger man acted with his brother and sister. Neji was happy, almost glowing, and he looked happier than he had looked in a while. A thought crossed the Uchiha's mind that made him smile. Lavender eyes glanced up at him and caught in Itachi's obsidian ones. The two smiled at each other, and the Hyuuga blushed before continuing the story.

Fifteen minutes later found Neji with a lap full of sleeping children. Mikoto smiled at her sleeping children and stood from her spot on the couch. She bent down and lifted Airi in her arms with a small grunt. The child wrapped her arms around her mother's neck in her sleep and snuggled closer. Neji cuddle Isamu in his arms, the boy's head falling forward so his chin rested on his own chest. They carried the boy up to his room. Mikoto leaned against the door jamb with a small smile on her face as she watched Neji tuck the boy under his covers.

"You'd make a good father," she said when the Hyuuga stood. Lavender eyes widened and a light pink color tinted his cheeks.

"Th-thanks," he stuttered as he brushed past her. She smiled wider at his obvious discomfort. Hyuuga Neji was a good guy, smart, honest, even if he was a little ambitious, but that was a trait that could go both ways. He was a great shinobi, taking each and every mission he took seriously. He might not be made for the academy, but he was great with the twins. She trusted the man to take care of her babies, all of them, if she ever needed to ask for his help. Even if Itachi and Sasuke really didn't need his help.

Sasuke and Itachi were slipping on their shoes when Neji made it back down the stairs, Mikoto close behind him. She smiled at the group and hugged each of her sons and then Neji, even though he stiffened at her touch to begin with. He relaxed after a moment, and hugged her back. They said their good byes and headed out the door.

Itachi took Neji's gloved hand and pulled him into the curve of his side. The brunette cuddled close and fell into step beside his lover. Sasuke huddle in his coat, thought churning about what he had to do and do soon. Each person was silent as they walked the ten minutes back to the Uchiha brothers' apartment in the cold night air. Sasuke thought about what he could say to Lee, weighed the outcomes of each option, trying to make sure he had the best chance of success. Itachi was thinking about the man pressed against him. He wondered what would happen to them within the next few months, worry was eating away at him slowly no matter what face he showed to the outside world and he knew the Hyuuga knew it. Neji was firmly trying not to think of anything. He didn't what to think about what Itachi had looked like with his younger siblings, nor did he want to consider the weight of the words Mikoto had said to him.


The Next Day…Around Two

Sasuke watched as Lee walked toward his usual training ground haunt. He stuck to the tops of buildings, careful not to be caught. But Lee wasn't paying any attention to the world around him. Hair that hung to his shoulders had been pulled up in a high ponytail that bobbed with each of his steps. The chuunin wore a pair of black paints with a light blue shirt. He looked lost in thought, but that was how he usually looked most of the time these days.

Sasuke kept an eye on the man navigating the streets below him. The buildings began to thin out, and the Uchiha had to take more precautions to not be caught, even if the chance was slight. Soon, they were at the far training grounds near the edge of the village. Lee went right into training mode, punching and kicking the air in quick succession. Kami, the man was fast. Sasuke felt fear try and climb up his throat but he pushed it back down, determination to do as promised gaining the upper hand. Taking a deep breath, the Uchiha dropped down from his perch on the last building before the grounds and began to approach the Rock.

Lee didn't notice him until he was only about three yards away. The brunette spun around with a yell and then frozen when he realized it was just Sasuke. Gray eyes glared at him, the other man's chest rising and falling as he panted for breath.

"What do you want, Uchiha?" Lee looked like he was ready to have a go at the younger man. Sasuke steadied himself. This was it, it was now or never.

"I want to talk to you," he told Lee, the other chuunin sneered at him in response.

"Why would you want to talk to me?" He didn't sound happy about the situation, but that had been apparent form the look on his face.

"Because you're my friend and I'm worried about you." It was the truth, even if Sasuke himself hadn't realized it until now. Lee was suddenly laughing, a high pitched sound full of nothing but disappointment and hate.

"Friend? Friend? Are you kidding me?" He grinned at the Uchiha but it wasn't a happy smile. Lee's eyes were filled with something Sasuke wasn't used to seeing in those gray eyes, something he didn't want to name.

"You were never my friend. None of you were." His voice was cold and full of venom. It pissed the Uchiha off and before he could think he was clinching his fists, biting back the words he wanted to scream at the chuunin.

"How can you say that? We're all worried about you. Do you have any idea how messed up Neji and Naruto have been for the past few months?" He tried to keep his voice calm and even, but he was glaring at the man standing before him. Lee's face tightened into a frown. His hands were clinched into fists, shacking by his sides.

"Why would any one of you worry about me?" Sasuke blinked, not expecting to hear hurt in his voice.

"Well, why wouldn't we?" Lee's only response was a glare. This whole thing was becoming confusing. What had happened that would push someone like Rock Lee this far to the edge?

Sasuke took a tentative step forward, watching the chuunin's face. He saw the older man flinch but Lee held his ground. He looked like he might bolt at any second. Then, as Sasuke watched, fear bled from the Rock's eyes only for them to fill with anger once again.

"Lee, I know something happened. But I can't help you if you don't tell me…" Sasuke's voice trailed off as a thought crossed his mind. The only thing he could think of that would drive a person to act the way Lee had been acting was if you had lost someone dear to you. None of the ninjas in Konoha had died recently, so what did that leave?

"It's nothing you, or anyone else, can help with," Lee said in a strained voice.

"You don't know that unless you let us try," Sasuke took a step closer, "Let me-us-help you." He reached a hand forward, only to have it knocked violently away.

"Don't fucking touch me!" Lee yelled at him. Sasuke blinked and then Lee was launching himself at the younger man. The Uchiha dogged the first punch aimed at his head. One arm came up to block the round house kick. He grunted as the force of Lee's kick made him stagger a bit. He managed to doge the next round of punches before he had to block a few kicks. Lee looked enraged, anger pouring off him in waves, but behind all the anger, Sasuke could see the pain in the Rock's gray eyes. It made him hesitate for a second, but a second was all Rock Lee needed.

Sasuke's breath left him in a rush as Lee's fist connected with his stomach. The raven wrapped his arms around his stomach from the unexpected hit. He wheezed for air as Lee quickly made contact with Sasuke's jaw. His head snapped back, obsidian eyes filled with surprise. Three more hits made contact before the Uchiha could regain his bearings.

The next punch that was aimed at his head missed and Lee stumbled, tears streaming down his cheeks. He pulled back, lightning fast movement diminished to almost nothing by the emotions coursing through his lithe frame. Sasuke caught Lee by the wrist and then caught the other as the older man tried desperately to break free. With one strong jerk, Lee crumbled against the Uchiha's chest. Long arms came up to wrap around the man's tall frame even as he struggled against them.

Soon the struggling stopped and Lee clung to him, sobs wrecking his thin frame. Sasuke held the brunette close, hands stroking through the sweat soaked black hair that hung to the man's shoulders. He rubbed a soothing hand up and down the older man's back, trying to think of what to say. But before he could think of anything, Lee was blabbering away between his sobs.

"She'll never love me. I'm not good enough." Sasuke blinked at the words, keeping a grip on the brunette as he knees buckled and they slid to the ground. She? Which she?

"She loves you," Lee hiccupped as he fisted the Uchiha's shirt, "No matter how hard I try she'll always love you." Sasuke finally made the connection in his head. Sakura, it had been her the whole time. He should have realized it sooner, they all should have. But no one had ever thought that she would say something even remotely hateful to Lee, but it made sense when he thought about it. He wouldn't push it past the pink haired girl if she was in a bad mood. But it seemed Lee had missed the way Sai and Sakura were acting since they had returned form Sand.

"I hate you both." Lee shoved his fists against the younger man's chest to emphasize his point. The words made the Uchiha's heart clinch. But what he felt didn't really matter at the moment.

"You can hate me all you want, just don't keep it all bottled up anymore. It's not good, for anyone." Lee nodded absently against Sasuke's chest. The raven held the older man while he cried. One hand rubbed up and down Lee's back while the other massaged his scalp, messing up the loose ponytail there. He rocked the smaller man back and forth gently, murmuring soothing things while the Rock cried himself out. Once he was out of tears, he continued to shiver and shack. It was close to two, judging by the sun, by the time Lee had calmed down enough to talk coherently.

"I'm sorry, so sorry, for everything," the brunette whispered against the skin of Sasuke's neck.

"Shhh," the Uchiha pulled back to place a kiss on Lee's forehead, "It's fine. Your fine. We can deal with the apologies later." Lee nodded and took a deep breath to try and clam his racing heart.

"Come on, let's get you home," Sasuke said as he stood, reaching down to help Lee to his feet. The older man took the offered hand but his knees collapsed under him as soon as he was standing.

"Whoa," the Uchiha exclaimed as he caught the shorter man under the arms. Lee looked up at him with wide, clouded gray eyes. His hands held onto Sasuke's shoulders to keep from falling to the ground.

"I can't walk," Lee stated in a foggy voice. Sasuke chuckled.

"Well, that's apparent." He thought for a moment and then hoisted the smaller man into his arms. Lee squeaked and clutched at the Uchiha's shoulders.

"Wh-what are you doing?" Lee stammered as he held on. Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Carrying you, now which way to your house." Lee muttered off the directions, blushing red as Sasuke started walking in the direction given to him. Lee tried not to blush harder as they walked through the village and people cast looks their way. Sasuke seemed unfazed, so the older man tried to ignore the gazes on them. As they walked, the brunette began to doze off, the small rocking movements from being carried, coupled with the fact that he was completely and utterly emotionally drained.

Sasuke climbed the stairs to the small apartment he had been given directions to. It wasn't in the worst part of town, but it wasn't high scale either. He glanced down at the man now sleeping soundly in his arms; Lee looked like a child untouched by the darkness of their world. The Uchiha really didn't want to wake the sleeping individual but he really had no choice, unless he just broke down the door and he was sure the Rock would not appreciate that at all.

So, he jostled the lithe form in his arms. Lee murmured in his sleep, head lulling back on his neck as he sifted in his sleep. Sasuke shock him slightly again, and this time gray eyes fluttered open. He brought his hands up to rub at his eyes sleepily before he looked up at the raven staring down at him.

"Sasuke?" he asked groggily.

"Lee, I need your house key. Where is it?" Lee blinked up at him and then snuggled closer.

"Oh. In my pocket." The brunette was already dozing off again before Sasuke could ask which pocket. The Uchiha sighed and then began to try and find the damned key. As he tried to worm a hand into one the pockets on the front of his pants, his hand brushed something that was most definitely not a pocket. A light pink color dusted pale cheeks as he quickly jerked his hand back. Lee sighed in his sleep and Sasuke watched to make sure he hadn't actually woken the older man up. When the brunette snuggled even closer, he was sure the man was still blissfully asleep.

After a few more moments of juggling, Sasuke finally managed to fish the small piece of copper out of Lee's front pocket. This time he made sure to watch where his hands moved, he really didn't want to grope the Rock again. Okay, so maybe he did, but the Uchiha had a feeling that Lee wasn't one to like being groped in his sleep by another man.

He used one hand and a knee to keep Lee in his arms as he shoved the key in the door and turned it. With a small click, it unlocked and Sasuke shoved the door open. The room was dimly lit with sunlight that streamed in from the windows by the door and the one above the sink. The raven shut the door with his foot and turned to lock it once again. No need to risk a break in even if they were ninjas.

The Uchiha managed to find the bedroom with little effort, all apartments in the village seemed to be set up with the same general layout. The door was slightly ajar, so it only took a small push using the sleeping man's foot to open in completely. Obsidian eyes widened at home messy the room was. The floor was covered in clothing and the desk littered with weapons and pouches with their contents spilling half out. Sasuke knew Lee was usually a neat person, but this mess spoke volumes at how the older chuunin had been feeling for the past few months, even if he hadn't been home for almost three of those months.

Sasuke navigated his way through the mess to the bed that was relatively clean of clutter. He gently laid the chuunin on the bed. He tugged the two pillows that had been shoved between the bed and the wall out, sliding them under Lee's head. He was about to cover the man up with the only cover on the bed, a thin white sheet, when he noticed how messy the brunette's clothing was.

The taijutsu master's shirt was covered in sweat, tears, dirt and a decent amount of snot. It had dried somewhat on the way to the apartment but still clung to his chest in places. His pants had patches of dirt on them and a few grass stains, but Sasuke wasn't sure if the green marks were form today or some other time. He stared at the sleeping man for a moment, trying to figure out whether or not it was a good idea to strip the man down. He had even forgotten to take off the sandals Lee had worn that day.

After a moment's more consideration, Sasuke began undressing the man. He first slid the shoes off of the Rock's feet, tossing them out into the hall way with a thump. Next was the shirt. Lifting Lee's upper body off the bed with one arm, he cradled the taijutsu master's hand in his hand. With the other, he gripped the hem of the blue shirt, tugging it off with some maneuvering. The shirt was tossed to the floor near the basket by the door.

Obsidian eyes traced over golden skin, fingers twitching to trace the same path. All of the training had put on quite a bit of muscle that the brunette hadn't had before. It wasn't bulky muscle, but managed to stay lean even with all the work outs Sasuke knew Lee had gone through during the past few months. Sasuke's mouth watered and he had to avert his gaze from the large expanse of skin he had just reviled to himself. He wouldn't jump the man in his sleep, no matter how much his body wanted him too. But averting from Lee's chest meant he had to move on to the pants that were still on the older man.

Hands hovered at the button and zipper that rested on the small rise of Lee's hips. Sasuke's breathing went ragged and he had to take a moment to calm himself. All the dreams he had been having came rushing back and he had to swallow to keep his composure. Might as well go ahead and get this over with, he thought to himself, like what he was about to do was a death sentence.

With sure but quick movements, the Uchiha undid the smaller man's pants and pulled them off. He was thankful that the shinobi wasn't one to go commando and had on a pair of yellow boxer briefs. Not that that was much better because the Uchiha still could see nearly everything the cotton fabric outlined. He pulled the sheet up over Lee's body and worked on calming his heart rate.

To help accomplish this, the raven busied himself with picking up the mass quantities of clothing that littered the floor. Sasuke wasn't a particularly neat person, but he really needed a distraction right now, so cleaning up the room worked for him. Only when the laundry baskets in the bedroom and the bathroom were full to the brim did the Uchiha come to stand by the bed again. Lee had sifted in his sleep, arms throw up over his head and one leg pulled up so his foot rested near his other leg's knee. It was such a childlike sleeping position that Sasuke chuckled. He was about to leave the room and apartment itself when a hand shot out and gripped his wrist.

Gray eyes blinked up at him, clouded with sleep. Lee's grip tightened for a moment and then he tugged.

"Don't leave," he said in a small voice, "Stay." It was a mixture of a question and a small order. And once again was something the Uchiha would associate with a small child and not a man who was about to turn twenty-one. The raven started down at the man on the bed. He looked so sad, so very lost. Sasuke wanted to gather the man up into the cradle of his arms and hold him there until that look went away. He was powerless against that steadfast gaze.

With a small sigh, the Uchiha pulled out of Lee's grip. The chuunin looked up at him in slight alarm until Sasuke started stripping off his dirty shirt. He shucked his tennis shoes and pants. Lee sighed in relief when the raven haired man climbed into the bed with him. Sasuke laid out behind the slightly shorter man and Lee rolled over onto his other side. He smiled at the Uchiha and gray eyes fluttered shut. Sasuke watched as the brunette fell back into a peaceful slumber and closed his own eyes. Unable to not touch the man at all, he slid out a hand to cover one of the taijutsu master's where it lay between their bodies. His thumb made small circles across the skin and Sasuke fell into a light sleep with the image of a sleeping Lee plastered in his mind.


The Next Morning…Lee's Apartment

Lee groaned in his sleep and snuggled closer to the warmth at his back. It had been so long since he had slept peacefully, months. He hadn't felt this rested since before he had had the run in with Sakura. He sighed in contentment. If only he could wake up like this every morning, so warm, so safe…

The brunette sat up with a start. His mind whirled, trying to catch up with everything that happened the day before. He remembered getting up close to noon and going out to train. Then Sasuke had showed up and they had started talking, arguing really. After that things were a bit blurry. He remembered freaking out and basically attacking the Uchiha. He remembered bits and pieces of the short spar, remembered making contact with Sasuke's stomach and jaw. Then he remembered crying, lots of crying. And arms. The comforting warmth of arms and a solid chest.

Then it got blurry again. He remembered being picked up, carried, through the village. The rush of memory made Lee blush. The younger nin had carried him all the way to his apartment. He ran a shacking hand through his hair, pulling out the tie that held his shoulder length hair in a ponytail. What had happened after that? He vaguely remembered Sasuke asking for his house key. After that…

It was all blurry again. He remembered his bed, nice warm and familiar. He hadn't slept in his own bed in so long that he was still getting used to it. He glanced down at his body and blinked at the tanned skin he found there. He was bare chested, and in boxers. He didn't remember going to bed this way, but he didn't really remember going to bed. Though, he did remember not wanting to be alone last night, needing something there to ground him and make him feel safe.

Gray eyes glanced down and he made a high pitched epping noise. Beside him, sound asleep on his stomach was Uchiha Sasuke. Raven colored tresses messy and sticking up quite a bit more than usual. He was shirtless, and Lee could see elastic of his boxers peeking out from under the sheet that had slid down during sleep. His face was smooth in sleep, lips slightly parted. Obsidian eyes that had been closed in sleep seconds before were flying open at the noise.

Sasuke jerked up from where he was still laid out on the bed. Pale fists rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and he blinked up at Lee. The older man look horrified, his mouth hanging open slightly as he stared at Sasuke.

"What is it, Lee?" he asked with an accompanying yawn.

"Wh-why am I naked? And why are y-you naked?" Gray eyes were wide and he looked like he was about to bolt. It took a moment for Sasuke's sleepy mind to figure out the question and the answer that should go with it. When everything clicked, the Uchiha jerked up onto his hands.

"Oh! No, no! Nothing happened!" Lee only blinked at him owlishly, "I brought you home and you were asleep, then when I tried to leave you asked me to stay. Nothing happened. I promise!" Panic slowly faded from the chuunin's eyes and Sasuke sighed in relief. Well, that was one crisis adverted. Not that he hadn't wanted to do anything, but he had no idea how Lee felt about him. Hell, he wasn't even sure how he felt about lee. He knew he at least lusted for the lanky man but did he feel anything beyond that for him? The Uchiha didn't know, but from what he could gather form yesterday; there was more to what he felt than that.

Glancing over at the still seemingly frozen Rock, and decided now was the time to make an escape. He slid out of the bed in one smooth motion and came to his feet. The movement brought Lee out of his daze. As Sasuke was pulling on his black pants, Lee cleared his throat.

"You don't have to leave. Why don't we go get breakfast, my treat? I need a way to make up for all the problems I caused," Lee looked sheepishly up at the younger man. The guilt in those gray eyes made Sasuke's heart ache. He wanted nothing more than to pull the slightly shorter man into a kiss and erase that look from his face. The thought made him blink and he mentally shook himself. So, this was definitely more than just lust.

None the less, he couldn't help the smile that drew up the corner of his lips. He finished buttoning his pants and drew up the zipper. A glance at the clock told him that breakfast was out of the question, it was close to twelve-thirty in the afternoon.

"Make it lunch and you've got a deal. Also, I'll need to borrow a shirt," he told the brunette on the bed. Lee looked up from where he had let his gaze fall to while he waited for an answer. He smiled tentivly and Sasuke grinned back. Then his old smile was stretching muscle he hadn't used in months. The smile made the Uchiha's heart sore.


The Same Day…Around Two in the Afternoon

Shikamaru shifted his weight from his right leg to his left as he waited to be let into the Hokage's office. Neji was seated in a chair across the hall from him and looked pale. Well, paler than was normal for the Hyuuga. His coal black hair was pulled loosely into the usual ponytail. He was clad in a pair of jeans and a blue tee shirt, which was hugging his middle more than usual. Has he gained weight? the Nara thought as he let his gaze drift over the slumped form of his friend. The man seemed to have acquired a small bit of a belly during his time in Suna. It was odd, really. Neji had always been one of the more active trainers in their graduating group. So for him to have gained enough weight too actually show was…weird.

Footsteps sounded down the hall way, heading their way and both men looked up to spot an out of breath Sasuke sliding to a halt by them. Shikamaru raised an eyebrow while Neji blinked up at him.

"Fuck me. I lost track of time," the Uchiha muttered more to himself than the others. He couldn't believe that 'breakfast' had turned into a few hours of talking. When he had glanced at the clock on the wall of the small restaurant he was already late. He had stuttered an apology to Lee who had laughed at his small freak out. The brunette had waved him off so he wouldn't be any later than he already was. Sasuke had left with a promise to repay the older man with dinner. Lee had laughed and agreed. The Uchiha was glad to see the old sparkle in the chuunin's eyes. It made the whole day yesterday worth it.

As the raven was still catching his breath, the Godaime's door opened. Shizune waved them in without a word. Tsunade sat behind her desk, fingers steepled in front of her face. She eyed them as they came to stand in front of her. Golden eyes took in each of them individually, as if she was sizing them up.

"I have a very important mission for the three of you," her voice was clear and even. The men said nothing, waiting politely for her to sum up what the mission was.

"I need you to journey to Tsuchi no Kuni and quietly and discreetly assassinate the Yondaime Tsuchikage." Eyebrows went up around the room as the Hokage continued.

"He is the reason the group was attached all those months ago. He gave his shinobi permission to kill Uzumaki Naruto on sight." Golden eyes didn't miss the stiffening of muscles and how anger seeped into brown eyes. She smirked to herself. They may think they were hiding that little detail, but anyone who had been in Suna with them knew. And she had suspected before. She was glad the blonde had found someone to appreciate him, even if the man he picked was known for his laziness.

"You will leave tomorrow, at sunrise. You have a long, probably dangerous journey a head of you. Does everyone understand and accept?" Yeses and nods were given and she smiled, just a little evilly.

"Then you are dismissed." They each bowed in turn before exiting the room. Sasuke glanced over at the ponytailed man standing near him. Shikamaru's whole body was tense and he looked like he wanted to tare something apart. Who would have known so much anger could be stored in such a seemingly lazy man? But the Uchiha had seen with his own eyes how much emotion was contained in the Nara. So he really shouldn't have been surprised. He watched the man for another moment before he turned to look at Neji. Lee had expressed an extreme want-'need' as the Rock had said- to apologize to the Hyuuga. He had said some so nice things to the nin, but Sasuke had to wonder how mean the taijutsu master could actually be. He didn't seem like the person to spout derogatory statements unless extremely pissed.

"Neji, can I talk to you for a moment?" the Uchiha called out as Neji was turning to walk down the hall way. Lavender eyes turned to look at him with interest before he nodded. Shikamaru waved bye to the two of them before he walked off. Obsidian eyes watched him go. He really hoped the man didn't go take out his anger on another innocent sparing dummy. But the dummy was better than a person.

"What is it, Sasuke?" Neji's question brought him back from his little thought journey. The raven looked at the shorter man. The brunette looked worried, and he had one hand resting on his stomach. Sasuke took in the paler skin and wondered what exactly was wrong with the nin. He had been acting oddly for a few weeks now, even before they left Suna. The Uchiha decided it really wasn't his business and knew that Itachi would take care of the Hyuuga if there was the need.

"You should go talk to Lee," Sasuke told the brunette. Lavender eyes widened slightly before they narrowed with dangerous intent.

"Why should I go-" Sasuke cut him off with a wave of his hand.

"I talked to him yesterday. And before you ask, no. I didn't even find out what exactly had happened to him," he said as Neji opened his mouth to interject. He promptly closed it with a small snap.

"Just go and see him. He feels like shit and feels really bad about everything that had happened." Neji raised his eyebrows but nodded none the less.

"I'll go see him tonight then. See you in the morning," Neji told him with a wave of his hand. Sasuke scoffed. Don't you mean tonight? the Uchiha thought to himself as he watched the man walk away. Itachi and Neji were spending more and more time together recently. Not that he was surprised. When you found someone who made you feel safe, complete, you wanted to spend as much time with them as possible. The Uchiha wouldn't be surprised if both of his new teammates were heading toward their significant other as he stood there. He knew the feeling of being safe and comfortable, and had had it fade from him. Now, he had an idea of who he'd like to try and find that same feeling with, but that was another thing all together.


Lee's Apartment…Dusk

Neji paused as he raised a fist to knock on the door in front of him. He could hear noises from the other side of the door and it sounded like Lee wasn't at home alone. The extra voice sounded just as familiar as Lee's, but he couldn't quite place it as muffled as it was. With a sigh, Neji finally rapped against the door. The voices paused before they picked up again. The Hyuuga could hear footsteps heading toward the door and blinked when Lee swung the door open.

Lee blinked in surprise at the man standing in front of him. He hadn't expected to talk to Neji for days, at the earliest. He wasn't even sure what he was going to say to the Hyuuga. He wanted to apologize but had no clue how to go about it. A simple 'I'm sorry' didn't feel right. He felt like he owed Neji more than just two words.

"You going to let him in, Lee?" Sasuke's question pulled him out of his thoughts. He smiled at the shorter man before stepping back to let Neji into his somewhat clean living room. Months of depression and being absent could really do a number on the cleanliness of a house, or apartment in this case. The Rock had been working on cleaning up his house most of the day, but had only made a dent in it. Majority of his clothes were clean now, but sat in a large pile on his bed. The dishes had been done, the drain piled high with them. He had been in the process of cleaning up his living room when Sasuke had shown up with take out. Lee hadn't expected dinner so soon, but happily let the man in. The remains of their meal were still on the table.

Neji raised an eyebrow at the raven lounging on Lee's couch. The last person he had ever expected to be here and the man looked like he was right at home. Not surprising for the Uchiha. He seemed to blend in with the background and settle right in no matter where he went. Unless someone rubbed him the wrong way. Sasuke grinned at him as Neji sat gracefully down by him. He was nervous about the whole situation. He had no clue what was going to happen and was still a bit uneasy around his ex-teammate.

Lee smiled at him, sitting on the other side of the couch, pulling his knees up under him and facing the Hyuuga. He looked even more nervous than Neji felt. He watched as Sasuke gave the man a reassuring smile and patted his leg. It was an odd gesture. Neji couldn't remember the raven ever doing it before, except for a few times with Naruto when the blonde man had been on the verge of a freak out or about to do something important or drastic.

"Neji, I'd like to apologize," Lee managed to say. He rubbed the back of his head, forcing himself to meet lavender eyes. The Hyuuga looked slightly stunned. A warm hand rubbed across his knee again and Lee took a deep breath, readying himself to dive into an apology.

"I should have never said those things to you. I was…I don't really know what I was, but it wasn't anything good. I was hurting, and ended up lashing out at you, one of the only people who I would have trusted talking to. But it all hurt too much, and was so very embarrassing. It still is now. And the reasons seem stupid now. But that doesn't change the past and what happened. We can only move forward. And I'm so very sorry." Lee had to take a deep breath after his rant. Sasuke smiled at him again before he turned to look at Neji.

The Hyuuga sat there for a moment, not really sure what to say. Words were eluding him, but he finally found his ability to talk again.

"Apology accepted," he said after a moment. Lee brightened up immediately and practically jumped over Sasuke to embrace his friend in a hug. Neji's breath left him in a wush as he was almost crushed against the taller man.

"Easy, Lee," he gasped, hands coming up to hug him back. Over the brunette man's shoulder, Sasuke was turning a bit red in the face, having Lee's butt nearly in his face. The Uchiha was staring, eyes wide and Neji got the feeling the poor man couldn't help it. Not that he blamed him. He had even toyed with the idea of dating his teammate in the past, but that had been years before Itachi. And was only valid if the taijutsu master was gay.

Lee let up on the hug with a murmured 'sorry' but didn't let go completely. Neji smiled and wrapped his arms around his friend. The taller man let out a small sigh of contentment, giving the Hyuuga another quite squeeze before pulling back. The Rock smiled down at him.

"Next time something's bothering you, tell me, or any one of us. We'll help you as much as we can." Lee actually snorted at the comment but his smile never flattered.

"I already heard that once from Sasuke. I'll be sure to remember it," Lee reassured the Hyuuga. Neji only smiled and settled back against the couch. Sasuke scooted over so Lee could sit beside his old friend. The two men fell into conversation, with small inputs from the Uchiha, until it was close to eleven at night.

Catching sight of the clock, Neji jumped up from his seat. He had very little time to rest before he had to up and at the gates. Same went for the raven who hadn't moved much since he had repositioned himself on the couch.

"I have to go. I need to be up early for a mission tomorrow," he told a rather surprised Lee. Sasuke looked up at his words and cursed loudly. Lee blinked and glanced over at the Uchiha before he stood to accompany them both out the door.

"Be careful," the taijutsu master told Neji as he pulled him into another hug as the Hyuuga stood at the door. Neji hugged him back, glad to have the old happy Lee back. They waved bye and Neji was out the door.

Sasuke was about to just wave bye and be on his way when he was pulled into a crushing hug. The brunette buried his face somewhat in Sasuke's chest and neck. The Uchiha was so surprised he didn't react for a few moments. Once he finally registered the fact that Lee really was hugging him, the raven pulled the older man closer. His heart pounded in his chest at the close contact. The brunette just felt so good against him, he wanted to hold him there forever.

"Thank you," the brunette whispered in a teary voice, "Thank you for everything." Sasuke rubbed his hands up and down the older man's back soothingly. He wanted to lift the man from his chest and kiss him until he didn't have that tone to his voice, wanted to wipe away all the fear and hurt he knew the brunette was still harboring.

"Anytime," Sasuke said after a small pause, "You can talk to me anytime you need to." Lee nodded and pulled back to grant the raven another blinding smile. Even with tears tracing lines down his cheeks, the Rock looked happy. Sasuke smiled back and waved bye. AS he was walking down the empty street, a shout of 'be careful' reached his ears and he turned to give another wave to the man standing three stories above him.

The Uchiha collapsed back against his bed, rolling on his side to clutch a pillow to his face. He couldn't get the feel of how Lee felt against him out of his head or the sight of the older chuunin's ass as he hugged Neji. Sasuke groaned, pulling the pillow even closer. How was he ever going to handle just being in the same area as Lee when his body was reacting like this? How was he going to ever get close enough to find out how the brunette felt about love, sex, and him in general if his cock was standing at attention when Lee was just sitting beside him? This was going to be a challenge on self-control if the raven had ever seen one.


Around Noon the next day…Suna

Gaara eyed the piece of paper in front of him as he reread the same line for the third time. With a small grunt of annoyance, he placed the piece of paper back on the desk and rested his head in his hands. Teal eyes glanced over at the couch that had remained empty of any person since the loud Inuzuka had returned to Konoha over a week ago. The whole office was a lot more quite, and a lot less enjoyable since the small brunette had returned to his village. Everyone was grateful that Naruto had healed fully, as had the others, but that meant what had made his usually boring job seem less so was gone.

Even in the hospital, Naruto had been cheerful and talkative, a smile always stretching across his face. Kiba had followed the Sabaku around like a puppy, pun intended. The red head was finding he missed the constant presence of another person. Since no one ever really just hung out in the Kazekage's office like the Konoha nin had. Days that had been filled with chatter and laughter were suddenly silent. Almost unbearably so. Silence was all well and good, but sometimes it could press in on you. Gaara had never thought he would be the kind of person to appreciate a good conversation, but now that he had had it constantly for months, to have them suddenly taken away…It was an odd feeling.

And it wasn't just his office that felt lonely. His home was the worst. He used to like the silence and the ability to just fall into bed after a long day. But now that Kiba had come and gone form his life like a shooting star, he missed the warmth of another body by him as he meditated at night. He missed getting up in the mornings to find Kiba half falling off the bed because he slept like a child. He missed the long talks at night, the contented mornings at the table. The long walks to the offices had seemed shorter with the other shinobi there. Leaving the office for lunch hadn't been such a hassle. He missed the sound of the Inuzuka's voice as he told Gaara about things he had done as a child, the trouble he had gotten into. He missed the smile that would light up the brunette's face as he laughed, the sound of it ringing through the air. He missed…Kiba.


Two Days Later…Around 1 AM…Iwa

The man stood on his balcony, looking down at the city below him. Hard green eyes gazed out over the city scape, smiling as he thought about how this whole country would soon be his. We a contented nod of his head, the large man turned to head back into his private quarters. He had sent his usual guards off, content with the thought that he was untouchable. That had been his first mistake.

A soft thump, followed by a grunt sounded thorough the room. The man's face contorted in pain, eyes going wide before squinting partly shut. The corners of his mouth twisted down and he grit his teeth. A low whistling could be heard and the small slowly fell forward. He landed face first on his hard wood floor, mouth slack and eyes wide. With one last shuddering breath, the life faded from his eyes and he was gone form this world.

A slim shadow fell over the corpse as a lithe figure appeared in the doorway to the balcony. Hard eyes observed his teammates handy work. Four kunai formed a line down the back of the Tsuchikage's skull to his upper back between his shoulder blades. One was fitted in the small space between the base of his skull and his neck, the finally killing blow.

The form glided across the room with silent foot steps to bend down and place two gloved fingers against the skin of the man's neck, reassuring the knowledge that the man was truly dead. The figure nodded once and then was gone just as quickly as they had appeared, no sound giving away the direction they were headed.


The Same Day…Rock Country…Around 8 AM

Neji glared at the steadily rising sun. His whole body hurt, from the top of his head to his toes. Every muscle felt strained and over used. With no sleep the night before and being constantly on the move, he was exhausted. But he wasn't going to let his teammates see that. They were almost out of Rock Country completely, and he was ready to be back on home turf.

Lavender eyes scanned the horizon as they came up on the mountains that separated Rock Country from Fire. The Hyuuga wasn't sure he how he was going to feel after this trek. But he didn't utter a complaint as they moved swiftly over the mountain range. By the time they were safely on the other side, Neji was panting for breath. Sasuke looked over at him worriedly. The rave pulled up short as the came to the first cluster of trees on the open landscape. Shikamaru paused further ahead, looking back over his shoulder at his two teammates.

"You okay?" Sasuke asked, more than a little concerned. He wasn't used to seeing the Hyuuga heir like this. The man seemed to have stamina by the ton, but that didn't seem to be the case at the moment. Neji's face was coated in sheen of sweat and he was breathing deeply. One hand was clutching at the front of his shirt, over his belly. Had he been hurt at some point and they hadn't noticed or he hadn't said anything?

"What's wrong?" Shikamaru asked as he walked up to the pair. Neji glanced up at his captain from where he bent almost double. One hand braced him against a tree while the other was clutching at his shirt.

"I don't know," Sasuke replied and took the few steps that separated him from the older man. He rested a shoulder on the jounin's shoulder, and Neji leaned in to the touch.

"Are you injured?' Shikamaru asked in a concerned yet annoyed tone. Neji shook his head but still didn't speak. The Nara sighed and slung his pack off his back. Ne kneeled on the ground and pulled out a canteen buried under everything else in the bag.

"Sit," he said as he unscrewed the top. The Hyuuga glared up at him through his hair but did as he was told. The man sank to the ground under the shade of the tree, thankful for it cooling shadow. Sasuke kneeled beside him, hand rubbing at the older man's shoulder.

"Here." Shikamaru held out the canteen and Neji took it gratefully. He drank most of the water and sighed when his throat didn't hurt anymore. He had his head leaned back against the tree when he felt a warm tingling in his belly. Lavender eyes shoot open and his hand came up to clutch at his stomach. He let out a sigh of relief when he was it was only Shikamaru checking him over. Though that shouldn't have been as comforting as it was.

The Nara had spent a good hunk of his time in Suna learning various healing techniques from Tsunade. Neji guessed it was mostly out of need to protect Naruto and the people he cared about. He was a quick learned and was quite good at it, much to the Godaime's surprise. He had the chakra control for it, so she didn't complain all that much. Besides, she loved the fact than she got to teach another ninja how to heal his comrades.

It was about the time Shikamaru sucked in a surprised breath that Neji remembered why the shinobi looking over him had been a bad idea. But he had been too tired to think until it was too late. The Nara stared up at him with wide eyes and shook his head before frowning. He furrowed his brow and looked back down at the Hyuuga's midsection. He blinked to clear his vision when the oddity didn't go away. After he was sure he wasn't hallucinating, Shikamaru looked at Neji.

"Neji, that's not possible," the Nara stuttered after a moment. Sasuke looked worriedly between the two men.

"What, what's wrong?' he asked, his hand squeezing Neji's shoulder. Neji sighed, now realizing he was going to have to explain himself. He had known that this was going to happen eventually, but he had hoped he would have Itachi with him when it did. But no such luck.

"It's a long story, and I'm tired," he said but Shikamaru gave him a look. Neji grumbled and pushed himself up into a sitting position. Sasuke looked like he was about to have a panic attack, something so uncharacteristic of him, but it made Neji smile. It let him know the younger Uchiha cared for him and that was going to help with the current situation.

"I don't care how long the story is. I want to know how the hell you, a male- a man-, is pregnant." His voice rose slightly in pitch as he looked at his teammate. Sasuke paused and then turned to look at the Hyuuga, mouth slightly agape and eyes wide as saucers.

"You're what?" he asked in disbelief.

"Pregnant. As in I am carrying another life form inside me," Neji told him with a sigh. Sasuke sputtered and then sat heavily down beside him.

"How?" he asked after he had regained composure.

"We, Itachi and I, came up with a Jutsu," he said.

"A jutsu?" Shikamaru cocked his head to the side.

"Yes. It creates a womb inside of the person with chakra and creates a few eggs from the person's sperm," he replied. Shikamaru's brow furrowed and he stared hard at Neji's stomach.

"How do you get the other half?" he asked after a moment's thought. This whole situation was freaking him out a little bit but he could see the merit in having a jutsu like that available.

"It pulls it from the sperm from you after you've had sex with someone." Sasuke blinked at the statement.

"As in form your ass?" Neji chuckled at how crud the man was when he was dumbfounded.

"Yes," he told his friend with a smile. He let it all sink in and Shikamaru pipped up with another question after a moment.

"Okay, all of that makes sense, mostly. But how do have the baby?" he asked and gestured with his hands.

"Caesarean section." Shikamaru nodded, still lost in thought.

"How far along are you?" Sasuke asked as he looked down at Neji's slightly larger stomach.

"I don't really know what I'm talking about, but he looks like he's about three or so months. But I can't be sure. The baby is tiny though," Shikamaru told him and reached out a hand and laid it on the Hyuuga's stomach. Green charka radiated from the point for a moment and then the Nara pulled back.

"Everything seems fine…"But I don't know for sure. We need to get home soon, he thought.

"How are you not, huge?" Sasuke asked, making gestures over his own stomach.

"It's cradled in his hips, and like I said, tiny," the Nara replied. Neji had his eyes closed, close to falling asleep. The brunette looked over his shoulder and thought hard about places they had passed on the way to Rock. There should be an inn a little ways form here…

"Come on, let's get you somewhere where you can rest," Shikamaru said as he stood. Neji blinked groggily up at him and stood with Sasuke's help. He slung one of the Hyuuga's arms over his shoulders, and the brunette leaned gratefully against him.

"So, I'm going to be an Uncle?" he asked as they walked. Neji nodded and Sasuke felt his cheeks stretch into a smile. He liked that idea.

They made it to the inn within two hours. Shikamaru sent a bird to Konoha letting Tsunade know they were going to be a little late getting back, but that everything was okay.

He knew she was going to chew him out about it later but the Nara couldn't bring himself to care. Sasuke and Shikamaru grilled the Hyuuga for more information after the older man had food in his system and was settled into one of the three beds in their room.

No, none of Konoha knew except Itachi and now them. Yes, Itachi hadn't approved of him leaving for the mission. But Neji had wanted to go anyways. It had meant something to him. No, he didn't want to tell anyone else. Not even a medic even though he knew he needed to. Shikamaru informed him that he was telling Tsunade as soon as they got back. Neji tried to argue but couldn't really disagree with the man. He finally agreed after a moment, but only if they could get Tsunade to keep it secret and the two of them not tell anyone else.


Four Days Later…Tsunade's office…

"You're what?" Tsunade screeched, shoving her chair back from her desk as she stood up in surprise. The three shinobi standing in front of her cringed at the loud sound, but stood where they were.

"Pregnant," Neji answered in a clam voice that didn't betray how he felt inside. His hands twitched to come up and palm his steadily growing belly. He swore he had gained ten pounds in the last four days with Sasuke and Shikamaru shoving food at him every chance they got. He wasn't going to turn down the food; it wasn't like he wasn't hungry. But he was still slightly embarrassed by how much he could eat at the moment.

Tsunade's eyes flashed fire at him and she walked shakily around her desk to lean against the front of it. She crossed her arms under her ample chest and glared daggers at the three of them.

"None of you knew this before I sent you on the mission?" her tone was even but had bite. Neji cringed.

"I knew, Godaime-sama," he said. Tsunade swung her head to look at him and Neji had to resist taking a step back.

"And you didn't tell anyone?" Neji shook his head no. Tsunade threw her arms up in the air in exasperation.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Hyuuga? Did you not worry about your wellbeing and that of your child?" Neji bit back a sharp retort. She was right. He shouldn't have gone. But that was done and there was nothing they could do about it.

"Have you even seen a medic?" she asked in a gentler tone. He shook his head. She sighed and let her arms fall to her sides. After looking him over for a moment, she turned and began picking up the large stacks of papers sitting on her desk.

"Shikamaru shut the blinds. Sasuke lock the door," she ordered as she sat a stack on the floor. The nins gave her an odd look, but moved to do as told. Neji stared as she moved the last stack and Shikamaru and Sasuke moved to stand back where they had been.

"Strip," she told the Hyuuga, who only blinked owlishly at her. Tsunade rolled her eyes.

"Only to your boxers. Leaving your pants on will be annoying," she reasoned and Neji nodded. He moved to strip, but paused. He glanced at the two shinobi still standing in the room.

"I want them to know what to look for. If this ends up being a recurring thing, some people are going to need to know what to look for in a pregnancy besides regular medics," the Godaime told him and he nodded after a moment. He didn't really like the idea of being a genuine pig but he had put himself in this situation and didn't really have a choice. Five minutes later found a blushing Neji laid out across the span of Tsunade's desk in nothing but his black boxer-briefs. He was distinctly aware of his larger than usual belly out in the open air, stretching almost five inches above the waist line of his underwear. I really may have gained weight on the way back. He shivered in the cold air, gooseflesh breaking out across his pale skin.

Sasuke was staring at his stomach with something akin to amazement. The younger Uchiha seemed okay with the idea of his older brother's boyfriend having a baby, but it was like it hadn't really sunk in until he saw the Hyuuga's belly. His scrutiny only made Neji blush more and he shut his eyes tight, hands fisted at his sides. He tried to keep his heart rate calm and even out his breathing. It really wouldn't do to have a freak out in front of the Hokage and his friends.

Tsunade was concentrating fully on him, mostly ignoring the other two shinobi in the room. Neji could feel his skin tingle where her chakra was touching, and he shivered. She checked his vital signs; heart rate, blood pressure, whether or not he was breathing properly, and more. When she was done, she stood up and stared down at him with a smile on her face and her hands on her hips.

"Hyuuga Neji, you have got to be the luckiest man in the world. Three months of pregnancy and nothing went wrong even though you continued missions and never saw a doctor. I guess you have beginners luck," she teased. Neji rolled his eyes. Not everyone got to see the Hokage in playful mode but Neji was glad she teased him. Even if it was a bit more embarrassing.

"Can I sit up now?" he asked and the Godaime nodded. As he went to sit up, something tingled against his stomach and he gasped. The three ninjas in the room instantly jumped and moved to crowed around him. Neji grabbed the first hand he could find, which happened to be Shikamaru's, and tugged him close. The Nara squeaked as he was thrown off balance. Neji ignored the protesting noise and settled his friends hand over his stomach. He looked up at Shikamaru with wide eyes, who returned his gaze with brown eyes just as wide as his.

"What? What happened?" Tsunade asked, her voice thick with worry. She was still a bit pissed at how stupid one of her best shinobi had been, but it was a breakthrough in their world. She was going to have to talk to Neji and Itachi about this jutsu of theirs at length, but at a later date. Right now she was more worried about what was happening in her office.

Neji swung his head to stare at her with wide lavender eyes and a smile spread across his face.

"It kicked," he whispered and Tsunade blinked. That was it? The baby kicked? She let out a small laugh and shook her head. She shouldn't have been surprised but the look of pure amazement on the two men's face made her giggle like a teenager.

"That's normal," she said with a smile. She smoothed her hand over the taunt skin of the brunette's stomach and felt a small push against the skin there.

"I could be because of something you ate, or how you moved," she told the stunned Hyuuga, "Movement also lets you know if your baby is doing well. Movement should increase in the weeks to come." Neji nodded and turned to look down at his belly, now almost completely covered by hands since Sasuke had leaned in to place his hand there as well. There was a gasp from the Uchiha and he jerked his hand back in amazement. Neji looked up at him as Sasuke glanced wide eyed between his hand and Neji.

"That felt so weird," he said after a moment and Neji laughed.

"Think how it feels from the inside," he told him rubbing a hand across his belly. Sasuke made a face and that only made Neji laugh harder. Then jerk as the baby kicked hard. Shikamaru jerked his own hand back and looked over at Sasuke. The two men shared a look and then broke into laughter. Tsunade smiled. Who would have thought it would take a jutsu to make a man pregnant to pull some of the most socially awkward nins in the village together in a room, laughing over a baby kicking?

"Okay, you guys, I have work to do. I need my desk back," she said teasingly at Neji. She just couldn't resist picking on her one pregnant male shinobi. The brunette huffed and scooted off the desk to pull on his clothing. The chuunin vest he had worn for most of the mission got slung over his shoulder. It didn't fit anymore. He wasn't going to be able to hide this for much longer, but he was scared for the village to find out. Sacred for his family and the Uchihas to find out. He glanced over Shikamaru and Sasuke and knew immediately he would have people behind him if he needed them. And those people would more than likely include the Godaime. But he would never ask her to choose between him and the village.

"Neji, I want you back here in three weeks for an ultrasound, and don't give me that look. I'll drag you here myself if I have to," she said as he glared at her, "You do want to know what you're having, don't you?" She smiled when he nodded slowly.

"Good, it would probably be better to check sooner but with this being a male pregnancy, you can't be sure. We're running a bit blind here," she said as she scribbled some writing down on a piece of paper. When she was done, she held it out to him. Neji took it and read over it before he looked back up at her, mouth open to say something. The Hokage held up her hand.

"I don't care if you don't want to go fill it, you need to take those. Especially with the kind of case this is. Have Ino fill it, but you better take them, or I'll tell Itachi lots of little details he doesn't need to know," she threatened. Neji snapped his mouth shut and Sasuke snickered beside him. He punched the younger man on the arm irritably.

"Do we have an understanding?" she looked at Neji hard.

"Yes, Hokage-sama," he replied grudgingly.

"And no more missions for you at the moment." Once again Neji opened his mouth to protest but Tsunade glared at him.

"If you really want to work so badly, I can set you up with a position at the Academy for a few months. As for you two," Tsunade pointed at the other men in the room, "I'm counting on you to watch him. Sasuke make sure he eats and takes those vitamins. I know he's been practically living with you and Itachi." Sasuke and Shikamaru nodded. Tsunade waved her hand and the three of them left the room. Neji growled low as he walked jerkily down the hall way. Sasuke couldn't help but laugh at the sight. Shikamaru walked up beside the older man and slung an arm around his shoulders. Sasuke reached out and plucked the now crumpled piece of paper out of Neji's clinched fist and matched paces with him.

"Come on," the Nara said with a smile, "Let's go get that filled. Ino's working at the pharmacy now since she can't do missions or hospital work. She's having a hard time walking around these days. We'll go eat afterward." Neji looked over at Shikamaru at that.

"Are you paying?' he asked. Shikamaru scoffed.

"I'll pay," Sasuke offered, "Gotta make sure my niece or nephew is getting enough to eat." He snickered at the look Neji gave him.

"Shut up," the Hyuuga hissed, glancing around the mostly empty hall. Sasuke only laughed at him and they made their way out of the office building.


That Night…Around 7:00

Kiba groaned, combing his fingers through his hair as he leaned back against the couch. He had just finished repeating what had happened all those months ago for what felt like the hundredth time. Tsume was sitting across from her son, gray eyes down cast. She hadn't spoken at all through the whole story, but Kiba was sure she had it memorized by now. She was probably repeating the parts she thought important to herself as she sat there. Hana was leaning against the door jamb, listening to the parts she wanted to as she moved between the living room and the kitchen as she cooked diner.

This had become routine for most of the nights since he had returned home from Sunagakure. His mother looked more and more worried every day and she was spending a considerable amount of her time talking with family members about the situation. The only thing anyone had confirmed about what happened was that the chakra had definitely been demonic, or close to it. But that was as far as they had gotten. And Kiba had known that since the first memories had invaded his mind on the hospital roof in Suna. And sometimes he could feel whatever it was inside of him, inside his head.

It scared this shit out of him. He woke up to screams in his ears and nightmares of memories that were not his own. Sometimes it was all he could do not to pass out during the middle of the day. And even when he was so exhausted it took every ounce of his will power to stay awake, Kiba found that he didn't want to sleep. It scared him. And the only thing-person- who had made him feel safe during the night was days away in another village. Unreachable.

The Inuzuka missed the feeling of another body sleeping next to him, but he had never been sure if Gaara slept. He missed the gentle hands that pushed back his hair when he woke up screaming and chocking on nonexistent blood. He missed the Sabaku's gruff voice in his ear while Kiba cried himself dry. He wouldn't-couldn't- go running to anyone in Konoha for that kind of comfort and he missed just being around Gaara.

"Food's ready," Hana called from the kitchen, startling Kiba and Tsume out of their thoughts, His mom sighed and stood, Kiba following close behind. He didn't miss the bags under her eyes.

"Wait
I'm starting to suffocate
And soon I anticipate
I'm coming undone
What looks so strong
So delicate."

- "Coming Undone" Korn


Author's Note: I hope the end wasn't as rushed as it felt to me. I was going to do it as an extra, but I didn't want three extra's all at once. So, it got tacked onto the end of the chapter. And I'm still unsure of how I feel about the chapter as a whole. Review so I know if you guys like it or not!

Birthdays during time skip:

None