A/N: Seee? I told you I would update soon, didn't I ;)

I hope you guys like this chapter, as well!

Just in case some of you reading this story haven't read "The Longest Line", Sasuke and Naruto already had piercings before doing this last one on their ears. Naruto has one on his tongue, Sasuke has one on the corner of his left eyebrow. Now they have new ones as well, and I love it! My gorgeous boys just keep getting hotter (in my mind, at least).

Beta'd by the lovely Ryudei2442, from Y!Gallery. Thank you!


Chapter Six: Journey

They had decided not to say goodbye to anyone. As far as everybody was concerned, they would be on their way to a mission. The outcome of their journey was yet to come, but, as Naruto was constantly reminding himself, they would have to take one step at the time and worry about things as they happened.

They had to think about the future, but the now was more important. That was all Naruto knew.

He also knew he was in love and that he'd do anything for the person he was in love with. For Sasuke, he would do anything, go anywhere.

But…

What was going to happen to them?

If only they could stay like this forever and forget about everything else. If only time could stop the world outside of their own private bubble they would both be as happy and as complete as they were right now.

Naruto let out a shuddering breath when Sasuke carefully sat down and pulled him close, their naked chests colliding and their lips meeting with a hunger that seemed impossible to quell. The new proximity made Naruto's spent but still lively erection brush against the heat of Sasuke's dirty abdomen, which caused the blond to shift a bit on his lovers lap, wrapping his legs tightly around his waist.

"Are you okay?" he managed to gasp, once they parted for air and Sasuke immediately took the opportunity to suck on his shoulder, his hands roaming eagerly over Naruto's sweaty back.

"Fuck, yes," Sasuke panted, before licking the path upwards from Naruto's Adam's apple to his chin and then nibbling on it seductively "I think I could get used to doing it this slowly, since you come rather quickly," he joked, in a husky voice. "I'm hungry, though."

Both of Naruto's hands moved to wrap his fingers around spiky strands of hair as he buried his nose in the junction between Sasuke's shoulder and neck, inhaling the intoxicating scent several times and allowing it to soothe him.

Sasuke chuckled lowly and let his fingertips slid down until he was grabbing both of Naruto's ass cheeks and squeezing them.

"You're making it hard for me to go soft, and I just came," he said, planting small kisses on Naruto's shoulder. "Not that I don't enjoy being inside you, but seriously, I think your ass is leaking."

"Shut up," Naruto mumbled, pulling back a little with a frown and brushing a bit of Sasuke's hair away from his left ear so he could look at the small silvery ring that adorned the upper part of it. He looked at it and touched the surely sore spot, caressing it between his index and thumb and making Sasuke hiss. The younger one couldn't help but to smile a bit. That damned piercing meant so much to him he doubted Sasuke even knew it. His own had already healed nicely, so he wasn't feeling any pain, but at the same time, he wished he could've gone through that slow healing experience with Sasuke. "This damned thing looks way too good on you."

"I know," Sasuke said, letting his eyes travel over Naruto's features as he smirked, causing the blond to roll his eyes.

"Conceited bastard," he accused, moving his hand from the other's ear to brush the tips of his fingers over a dark eyebrow, lingering lovingly over the also silvery piercing adorning the corner of it.

"You don't look half bad yourself," Sasuke mocked, leaning forward to nibble on Naruto's ear and making him shiver slightly. "I like it."

Naruto felt his lips curl into a small smile as he hugged Sasuke close by the neck. "So, is this you finally proposing to me? It's about time. We're going to have kids without even being married; that's not very proper."

Sasuke snorted in his ear. "We were never proper to begin with," he said. "And, you and I getting married? Yeah, right." Sasuke trailed off, leaning his forehead on Naruto's shoulder before adding in a graver tone. "Somehow, that feels too plain."

"Hum," Naruto agreed, thoughtfully.

"Still, piercings are more meaningful than commitment rings, right?"

"Yeah," the blond whispered, pressing his lips to Sasuke's temple and shifting a bit on the other's lap, causing Sasuke's half-hard member to slip out of him a few inches and then slide back inside. He couldn't help but to grin internally at the way Sasuke's breath caught at that. "It also makes us both look hotter."

"Are you trying to get me hard again?" the Uchiha inquired, looking up at Naruto with heavy lidded eyes. "Because if you are, I assure you I'll be ready in a few seconds."

"I thought you said you were hungry," Naruto teased.

"It can wait five minutes."

"Heh… as if you could do the fucking yourself," Naruto mocked, leaning in to trace Sasuke's lips with his tongue, making sure he made the piercing there brush the pinkish skin as well. "No matter which position I'm in, I have to do all the work since you can't."

"And whose fault is that?" Sasuke hissed, burying his nails in the flesh of Naruto's ass possessively. "It's your fault for tearing up all the fucking condoms."

"As if you don't like doing it without them."

Even though they were close, Naruto could see Sasuke glaring. "You're a bad influence."

"You took my ass virginity, you're the one who corrupted me," Naruto accused, grinning as he felt Sasuke's lips part more in a silent demand for attention. When Sasuke thrust upwards shallowly, causing that amazing friction inside of him, Naruto felt his heart speed up and his head become fuzzy. Thank the gods for the Uchiha's insatiable libido, because he didn't think he could not go for another round. "Damn it, bastard, you're so hot…"

Their mouths met, tongues quickly intertwining sloppily as Sasuke's hands pulled him closer but Naruto, once more, struggled to adjust his body so that he was straddling Sasuke's thighs instead of sitting on his lap and pushing him back to lie down on the bed. They kissed noisily for a while, the Uchiha reasonably stopping his movements while Naruto immediately moved his hips, slowly and carefully, up and down, feeling his lover's eyes glued to him, hands caressing his thighs while Naruto braced his hands on the head board of the bed. It felt incredibly good and it flowed smoothly considering he was still wet from the lube and Sasuke's fluids still inside him. It only took him a few thrusts for him to feel Sasuke becoming rock hard. He didn't really have to worry about his erection, because it hadn't exactly deflated so far.

"Seriously," Sasuke said, his breathing becoming a bit shakier while his eyes watched Naruto's scrutinizing ones almost unblinkingly. "I don't think I'll ever…understand…this… or you…"

Naruto merely smiled, joining their sweaty forehead together.

"You don't have to understand," he panted. "As long as you feel it…that's what matters."

000

The next morning found a very pissed off Naruto on his way to Haru's village (aided by the map she had provided for Sasuke all those months ago) with Kakashi, Sakura and Neji in tow. Naruto didn't mind the presence of their Sensei one bit, but he was still mad at the other two for having kept Sasuke's condition from him.

A part of him knew he was being silly and that he'd probably should be pissed off at Sasuke more than anyone, but Sasuke was Sasuke, a bastard – his bastard – and he had already made up for it more than enough so far. However, he couldn't help but to feel betrayed. He really, really didn't want them in that journey, but Tsunade had insisted that they needed a big team because, as she had stated, under no circumstances should Sasuke use chakra, meaning that he couldn't jump, run or fight if they were attacked for some reason. And since his stomach was highly sensible because of the position of the container, it would be safer for all of them if he wasn't carried. Also, the Hokage had added, he would need to stop frequently to eat and to sleep, not to mention that they needed someone to constantly keep watch during the night.

Naruto was aware of all of this. He was, but he was sure that they could make it to the damn priestess's village with just Kakashi.

"Naruto," Sasuke had said. "Tsunade-sama is right. Neither of us is fully aware of the complications of my condition in such a tiring journey. For as much as it pains me to admit… I can't be who I am on missions anymore. And it's a long way to the Water Country, and even though I trust you with my life, I need you in your best shape. We can't do this by ourselves, Dobe."

As much as he felt pissed off, he had to give in because Sasuke would need Sakura's medical assistance and Neji's eyes to make sure that the seal was holding up and the baby was alright.

However, he would quickly become thankful for his companions' presence. The journey ended up being a thousand times more painful for Sasuke than any of his companions had anticipated. The first few hours of their steady but slow walk proved to be absolutely draining on his body, and in spite of Sasuke's tight lipped stubbornness to keep moving forward, it was clear to everybody just how much he was struggling to keep up. After about an hour and a half had passed since they got on the road, the Uchiha was forced to tell them – not without a look of self-frustration – that he was already feeling like he had run forty laps around Konoha, his stomach growling menacingly and his limbs protesting the effort; he hurt everywhere. Naruto knew that, if his lover had been by himself, and in a whole different situation altogether, his stubbornness wouldn't allow him to stop to rest, not at least until he could no longer stand.

Of course, everybody had expected the journey to be hard, but not that hard, and stopping every hour or so, so Sasuke could eat, rest, pee, or just simply throw up for some unfathomable reason wasn't helping them to coordinate the journey. Still, Sakura quickly decided they needed some sort of schedule if they wanted some kind of normalcy on the journey while adjusting to the Uchiha's needs. Walk for an hour. Stop to rest and have Sakura and Neji check on him. Walk for another hour. Stop to eat. Have Sakura and Neji check up on him. Walk for two hours. Stop to rest and comfort Sasuke as he threw up every single thing he had eaten for the day.

It only took two days for all of them to become knowledgeable of Sasuke's body's whims. He would always throw up in the morning, sometimes after meals if he didn't take the time to rest and let the food settle properly before resuming their journey. He got tired easily, felt sick easily and slept like a rock whenever he so much as sat down and closed his eyes. He also got unbelievably horny in the most inconvenient moments, but that was a fact only Naruto was aware of, and he intended it to remain as such.

Even if Naruto provided enough chakra for Sasuke to feel a bit healthier, it wasn't like they could walk glued to each other, and Sasuke could only tolerate a certain amount of time holding hands before he became infuriatingly irritated.

Even if he was still not talking to either Neji or Sakura unless it was strictly necessary, Naruto had to admit that it made him feel more at ease knowing that those two were around to check up on the baby and on his lover's condition. Sasuke would sometimes feel a bit feverish, or have terrible headaches, and Sakura would always have the right medicine to relieve him.

The journey wasn't tiring, but it was boring and frustrating, and yet, they all kept their complaints to themselves because no-one was suffering as much as Sasuke clearly was since his mood was constantly foul. He only seemed remotely happy at night, inside the tent he and Naruto shared, when he could find a way to relieve both their frustrations. Naruto had to admit that he missed the passionate and rough love-making, but just knowing that Sasuke was in good enough shape for actual sex was already enough. Still, they were probably too loud for comfort because Kakashi would always grin at them behind his mask the next morning, and it would take a while for either Sakura or Neji to look at either of them properly.

It wasn't like Naruto felt different about Sasuke's condition. If anything, it hurt him that his usually strong and stoic boyfriend had to go through so much suffering, and he wanted nothing more than to help him in any way he could and make him feel better no matter what. He wasn't particularly looking forward to meeting the priestess, but if that would allow Sasuke to relax for a while and not go through hell as much as he was during that journey, than they should hurry and get there as soon as possible.

000

On the fourth day on the road, the group of five had stopped in the middle of the afternoon to eat. According to Neji's calculations, they were a day and a half away from their destination, because as soon as they reached the seaside, they would still have to walk quite a while to find the main harbor where they could catch a boat that would take them to the island where Haru's village was. Kakashi noticed that said island wasn't exactly a part of the area owned by the Water Country, but that, considering how much the Mizukage was struggling to affirm her political influence, soon enough all the islands surrounding it would belong to her. Haru, Sasuke had mentioned, was a Priestess that already served Kirigakure and the Mizukage, but her village was probably in a much too degrading condition to be of any interest to anyone. As stated in the meeting they had with him, when the offer for marriage was made, they needed a good project to rebuild the village and show that it had potential in order for the Daimyo to want to invest in its development and agree to peacefully add it to the Water Country's property.

These were things that Naruto had absolutely no interest in. Politics bored him to death, and it wasn't like he cared about some village becoming part of a country. He had other concerns in his mind that already occupied his thoughts enough.

Naruto felt oddly gloomy, sitting on the forest ground with his back against the trunk of a tree. Sasuke's head was resting on his thigh, and he was on his side, fast asleep. The blond had stretched a mat for him, making sure the Uchiha was as comfortable as possible. Sasuke was even snoring very gently, his face close to Naruto's belly, his features strangely relaxed and unguarded as Naruto slowly ran his fingers through messy ebony spikes. He hadn't eaten yet, since he always made sure Sasuke's needs were taken care of, first.

"Here." Naruto looked up to see Neji crouching down in front of him with a bowl of the improvised stew Sakura had made in his hand. Naruto frowned, but took the bowl with his free hand and set it on the thigh opposite the one where Sasuke's head was. He didn't say anything – he was still pissed with those two, but hadn't wanted to bring the issue up in front of Sasuke, which had turned the journey into a more than awkward event. Kakashi had tried to reason with him once or twice, but he didn't want to meddle too much, and Naruto was aware that he could be terribly stubborn more often than not.

Neji didn't move from his position, his wrists resting loosely on his bended knees, pearly eyes narrowed. "Don't you think this little sulking game is becoming tiring already?"

Sakura and Kakashi, who were sitting nearby, watched Naruto's reaction closely, but he merely narrowed his eyes back at Neji, who huffed in annoyance. "What do you want me to do, Naruto? Apologize for the fact that we were all too busy trying to be sure of something that seemed impossible until now to think about voicing our suspicions to you? Why should we inform you of something we didn't believe to be real in the first place?"

Naruto pursed his lips together, one hand still over Sasuke's head, the other clutching around the bowl.

"We weren't sure," Sakura intervened, almost timidly. "And our main priority was to understand if his life was in danger and how we could minimalize the threat. We..."

"He wasn't going to tell me," Naruto snapped, cutting of Sakura's words and making her flinch. "One day and a half. That's how long it took since he woke up for someone to tell me what was really going on."

"He didn't want me to tell you," Neji snapped back defensively. "What was I supposed to do, go against his wishes with how vulnerable he was? I just wanted to help the best way I could, I..."

"What about you?" Naruto spat, towards his pink haired friend, knowing he sounded resentful but not caring.

Sakura swallowed hard.

"I didn't see him after he woke up," she explained sadly, pulling her knees to her chest in search for some comfort. "It wasn't my business to tell you, Naruto, you have to understand that. We're a team, and I swear I'd tell you if I knew he was planning something crazy, but I had work to do, and Tsunade-sama was going to take care of it, I didn't even have time to be around you, let alone..."

"He was overwhelmed and needed time to think, to clear his head," Neji pressed on, urgently. "He knew what he wanted to do, but he had all these ideas of protecting you that weren't right but...he was always thinking about you, and I had to respect that, at least for a while, until I knew exactly what he was planning."

"What if he had decided that he really didn't want me to know?" Naruto inquired bitterly, his voice lowering dangerously as some unknown anger filled him. "What if he had asked you to not tell me and help him leave in secret? Would either of you not take his side and do the right thing?"

"Why are you mad at us?" Neji hissed, clearly becoming frustrated and angry, which didn't unfaze Naruto the slightest. "He even told the Hokage not to tell you."

"Why are you throwing the blame on him if you just told me he was confused?" Naruto hissed back, feeling his own anger boil.

"Naruto," Sakura whispered, and it was her helpless tone that forced Naruto's attention back on her. When he noticed her eyes becoming moist, he felt his heart sink and immediately resented himself for being so weak to his friend's moods. "Sasuke-kun, he...really cares about you. He may have a strange way to show it but, as Neji-san said, he's always, always thinking about what he thinks is best for you. Even Tsunade-sama acknowledges it. Even if you don't agree with the way his mind works, every move he made was thinking about you, I know that." She swallowed hard, as if admitting something like this still hurt her in some way. "We have no right to come between that."

Naruto was only vaguely aware of Kakashi lowering his bright blue book – Jiraya's newest novel – and watching his student's reaction.

"You know," the blond muttered after heaving a long sigh "This is not just about you not having told me about Sasuke's situation."

Three sets of eyes watched him closely in silence as he proceeded.

"Both of you are in love with him, and while I never once considered it to be an issue that threatened your friendship with me, this event has made me wonder whether you'd really do the right thing or just take Sasuke's side because of your feelings for him." Naruto frowned and looked at the young man in his lap. "I know Baa-chan would've found a way to let me know, eventually, even if she wouldn't straight out tell me so as to not break her word to him either."

Sakura shifted a bit uncomfortably, probably moved by some sort of guilt, but Neji only kept staring at Naruto attentively, letting him know he was devoting one hundred percent of his attention to him.

"I understand your loyalty to him," Naruto continued "But he's my lover, not yours, and no matter what he thinks, this child is mine and it's my right to know stuff and do whatever I please about it." He wet his lips, resting his hand over Sasuke's forehead and caressing it. "I almost lost him, once. I will not go through that again. You of all people, Sakura-chan, should know how hard it was to get him to stay, to heal him, to make him want to be with us. If he ever disappeared without a trace, and I knew you were behind it, I'd never forgive you. Either of you."

"Naruto," Kakashi intervened, his tone even but firm. "You're taking this way too seriously."

Naruto pouted in his direction and sighed. He knew that. He just needed to speak his mind, but he wouldn't feel good about himself if his friends didn't know what he was thinking. He needed to know that they were there for him, and needed them to know that he cared and that they mattered, too.

"I'm sorry...I'm not mad anymore. I said I understand your reasons," he muttered, relaxing his muscles and letting his head fall back against the tree trunk, but still eyeing both Sasuka and Neji attentively. "I know how Sasuke's mind works, that's why I can't be mad at him. But you are my friends, and I want to know that I can count on you, no matter what. Just thinking that you might not have my back... it kind of hurts."

Again, the look of guilt made Sakura's features scrunch up. She bit her lower lip, a single tear escaping from her right eye, which she immediately wiped with the back of a gloved hand.

"You can count on me," Neji said quietly, resolute eyes never leaving Naruto's, "I am your friend in spite of how I feel about him. You are just as important to me, even if on a different level. I'd never willingly hurt you. But this is something that's beyond anyone's control. If I have to go against your will for his sake, I will. The same happens the other way around. I have to think about what's best for everybody. You have to understand that."

Naruto chewed on the inside of his cheek for a while, frowning.

"Yeah," he agreed, managing a tiny smile. "I understand that. You're a very wise person, Neji, I understand your reasoning. I suppose I'm the one who hasn't really…I don't know, grasped the fact that I have to… make choices and let go of certain things. Think about what's right instead of thinking about what I want." He looked up at the green foliage of the tree above him. "I don't understand why that happens. Just when I need to be mature…"

"You're in love with him," Sakura's voice shook with emotion as she spoke, but there was also exasperation there, and Naruto looked back at her, surprised to see her minty eyes sparkle with more tears of irritation. "No one in their right mind expects you to be rational, especially not in a situation like this!" She furiously rubbed her eyes and hiccupped a little. "That's why we're here for you! We want to help as much as we can, we have since Haru put that damned seal on him! But…we can't assure you that it'll all be roses, or that things will go our way because…in the end it's all up to Sasuke-kun."

"I know that, Sakura-chan," Naruto affirmed. Fuck, he felt tired all of a sudden.

"And I'm sorry if we didn't do things the way we should've," Sakura proceeded, sniffing but crossing her arms over her chest as if she was trying to transmit her pride through the gesture, even though she clearly couldn't stop the tears from falling down her pretty face. "But we're friends, damn it, and you know I'd do anything for both of you! So stop being prissy about this, I'm tired of being given the cold shoulder! I want to kick that priestess's ass as much as you do, but we have to keep fucking calm and work together!"

The silence that followed the pink haired one's outburst was only interrupted by her stubborn sniffs and hiccups. Even Neji had looked over his shoulder to look at her in surprise but the weight that had filled the air seemed to have vanished and Naruto felt his smile become less strained for some reason.

Kakashi sighed and closed his book before setting it over his lap and fishing a dark handkerchief from the chest pocket of his green vest. He offered it to Sakura, who threw him a resentful look, as if their Sensei had offended her in some way, but grabbed for it viciously and cleaned her face.

"I'm so glad you kids can solve things on your own," Kakashi stated absently, re-opening the book as if nothing had happened. "I honestly don't know why I bother to worry. I can finally finish this in peace."

Muffling a laugh, Naruto watched as the elder Jounin buried his face in the book once more, effectively immersing himself in it and clearly not wasting another second of his attention with the rest of the group.

Neji looked at Naruto and silently shook his head from side to side. Naruto all but shrugged.

"You should eat," Neji said, more at ease now. "It'll get cold, and we have to get moving soon."

"Okay," Naruto replied, following the Hyuuga's moves as he got up and started to gather the scattered supplies they had used for making the meal. He wasn't feeling particularly hungry, but at least he wasn't feeling half as heavy as he had during those last few days.

"And what the hell, you guys got another piercing!" Sakura hissed, stubbornly upset, blowing her nose and glaring at her blond teammate. "Why didn't you tell me anything? You thought I wouldn't notice it? It's so unfair that you never tell me anything, I always have to guess what you guys are up to! You better not have gotten married in secret or something, because I swear, I would definitely never forgive you!"

Naruto had to laugh out loud at that, which made Sasuke shift a bit in his sleep and groan softly.

"Oh, Sakura-chan, you made me wake the beast up," Naruto joked lightly. "He's not going to be happy. Someone has to take responsibility."

"I'm not dealing with his bad mood," Neji stated firmly, frowning in displeasure.

"I second that," Kakashi said, raising his hand up in the air without looking up from the book.

Naruto looked at Sakura and batted his eyelashes. "Sakura-chan, he's all yours for the afternoon."

"Like hell!"

000

From the placing of the sun, hidden behind clear greyish clouds, it was almost noon of the sixth day – of a journey that was supposed to last about three days – by the time the group of five managed to get to the seaside. The weather was by no means as chilly as it had been the previous night, but the rather strong wind carried with it the salty scents of the sea and a distinct humidness that seemed to penetrate the skin and consume the bones.

Naruto had long since forced Sasuke to wrap a blanket around himself to prevent him from catching a cold – the last thing he needed was to be seriously sick when his condition was already as feeble as it was.

The sand was soft and cool, but had easy access to their feet thanks to the rather open design of their Shinobi sandals, which was highly uncomfortable at the moment.

There were a few boats tied to the harbor ahead, but there was still no sign of the boat that would supposedly take them to where they wanted to go, but then again, the sea was a bit agitated, clearly making the journey by sea difficult. Some of the fishermen had mentioned the current being strangely more violent on the route to the sixth island around the Water Country (where Haru's village was located), reason why not many wanted to venture their boats into such unpredictable waters.

Even though they all wanted to get to their destination as soon as possible, Naruto could clearly see the relief in his lover's features at having a while to rest before being shoved into a boat with such aggressive weather conditions after his overwhelming efforts during the long travel. If the thought of a boat made Naruto cringe, he could only assume what it did for Sasuke.

Naruto wasn't exactly looking forward to the events taking place on that island, and yet, he wanted to get it over with as soon as possible, even if only to quell the uneasiness in his heart once and for all.

000

The sky had taken a dull grey color and it was terribly chilly on the island, which made all five of them feel more than uncomfortable after having spent two hours on a boat, during what looked like a mini storm where they had gotten unavoidably wet. Thankfully for Sasuke – or not – he had already disposed of his breakfast before entering the boat, so he literally had nothing in his stomach to get rid of, but he had a hard time all the same since the nausea was still there, and the constant jumping and swaying of the boat didn't help him at all. On a different occasion, Naruto might've laughed at him and teased him to no end, because, seriously, seasick Sasuke was hilarious. As it was, the blond was too worried to even consider making fun of his best friend.

Haru's village was the only one existing on the small island, with old, greyish tall walls protecting it. They weren't as tall as Konoha's, but they did the job quite nicely. There were a few independent houses here and there throughout the place, but they didn't seem to have anything to do with the village, and they all looked so old they probably weren't even inhabited. Everything was awfully quiet apart from the sound of the wind and the cry of seagulls. The vegetation was scarce, which was normal considering how the ground was mostly nothing but mud, sand and stone.

As they approached the closed wooden gates, their feet were already more than dirty. They noticed that there was someone in front of them – a young man, it seemed – painting the wood in red paint. As soon as he heard them coming, the guy turned around and watched them as they approached.

Sasuke's eyes were narrowed as he quietly but attentively observed the stranger, while the other four quickly moved to stand in front of him protectively.

To Naruto's surprise, he noticed that the young man was younger than any of them, probably around Konohamaru's age, but probably not as tall. He was wearing worn out dark grey jeans smeared with red paint and an old dark blue shirt over some white underclothing, what looked like black boots covering his feet, very convenient considering the mud all around. Naruto noticed his lithe but already athletic form, which meant that he wasn't just any kid. He couldn't tell if he was a Shinobi, but probably not. Someone used to hard labor, perhaps.

As they got closer, the boy's face became clearer, and Naruto found himself instinctively getting closer to his lover for some reason he couldn't justify, because there was something about the way the stranger held himself, something in that proud, firm stance that resembled someone very old in a very young body. Seeing his eyes only made the feeling grow stronger.

The guy was…he wasn't exactly handsome, but he had a firm jaw, a serious mouth with thin, proportional lips and slightly round features that were curiously eye-catching. His skin was slightly tan, a shade lighter than Naruto's own, and somehow a lot more refined. His silky-looking long hair was tied in a loose pony tail, messy bangs framing his face and it carried in it the color of honey, too dark to be considered blond, but too bright to be completely brown. His eyes, though, were probably the most catching feature he possessed; they were big and strangely expressive, haunting in the evident cleverness in them, and they were of the unusual color of pure, liquid gold. Those eyes, Naruto noticed, were like Sasuke's and Gaara's eyes – eyes that had seen too much, too soon, but those pools of apparent never-ending wisdom were unlike them. There was a level of emotion and awareness there that went beyond anything Sasuke or Gaara had experienced, and the instant knowledge took Naruto's breath away, but he didn't feel the need to feel sorry for him, because he was clearly someone who had a very strong soul.

Still, there was something very aristocratic about the boy, and also, something very wild and very raw that demanded respect. While he was no extravagant beauty at first glance, there was no denying that everything about him was extremely attractive on many different levels.

When they stopped in front of him, the young man, who probably reached Naruto's eyebrows in height, rubbed his nose with the back of his hand, a light frown marking his features, showing off a potential innate bad temper, or probably just a current bad mood. Naruto noticed that his left hand was wrapped in dirty brown bandages that seemed to go all the way up to his arm.

He cleaned his hands on his pants, unmindful of the fact that he just smeared even more paint all over them, and eyed the group quickly.

"Let me guess," he said, his tone as steady as his straight posture, one hand resting on his hip as he shamelessly pointed at Neji first. "From the description, you must be Huuyga Neji." He then made sure he pointed directly at each and every single one of them for emphasis. "Haruno Sakura, Uzumaki Naruto, Hatake Kakashi and…" his hand lowered as his golden eyes narrowed when they settled on Sasuke. "…Uchiha Sasuke."

"We're here to see the priestess, Kirishima Haru." Sasuke said cooly, clearly evaluating the guy with simultaneous interest and suspicion. Naruto couldn't stop the admiration he felt for his lover to still manage to look calm and collected even thought he was so obviously drained.

"Yes, I know," the guy said, shoving his hands inside the pockets of his trousers, sighing as if already the encounter was boring him to death. "Follow me, I'll take you to Haru. My name's Ryuunosuke, by the way."

The guy pushed one of the gates open and walked inside without looking back, and Sasuke immediately moved to follow him without hesitation. Naruto knew that his boyfriend was tired, frustrated and just wanted to get to Haru and settle things once and for all, but still, as he watched him and the younger male walk away, he felt a sudden sense of insecurity. While he had been confident throughout the journey and until this very day, now that he was in the priestess's domain, somehow he couldn't help but to feel suffocated by that place, and by what finally being there could mean, for Sasuke and for himself.

For the first time since knowing about Sasuke's pregnancy, Naruto wondered if, indeed, things would be as simple as he had envisioned and if, even if they weren't, he'd be able to stomp his foot on the ground and have things go his way.

Somehow...

A strong hand landed on his shoulder, shaking him from that unwelcomed heaviness in his heart, and he looked to the side to see his Sensei's only visible eye looking at him calmly. "We have to go, Naruto," he said. "It'll be okay."

Naruto swallowed hard and nodded, inhaling sharply to regain his strength and determination.

"Let's go," he replied, choosing to ignore Neji's and Sakura's looks of worry towards him and promptly following after Sasuke and Ryuunosuke.

The village was nothing like anyone had predicted. Probably five times smaller than Konoha, it resembled a huge training field – what with the uneven, very stony grounds that were also still predictably muddy because of the general humidness in the air – but occupied by small, very traditional individual houses that were in a shocking bad state, and uncommonly distanced from one another. The vegetation was scarce, and overall, the place looked almost abandoned save for the elderly people one could see here and there. The few younger people in sight seemed to be working hard at building things, fixing the houses or rebuilding buildings. However, it was obvious that they didn't have enough tools or resources to do things properly.

Naruto wondered what exactly had happened there, because, overall, from the look of things, it was clear that the place had once been well taken care of and probably beautiful, at least for the Water Country's standards. In spite of his uneasiness, Naruto couldn't help but to feel moved by the way people still seemed to work together and help each other with a smile on their faces.

As they made their way through the village, the people eyed them curiously and with something akin to hope. Naruto noticed that every single person greeted the young man escorting them with a cheery wave, addressing him by 'Ryuunosuke-san' for some reason.

The guy must be really respected around here or something, Naruto mused internally, knowing that he was making a disgusted face but not really caring.

Sasuke tended to be perceptive of people who could be useful in some way when in a strange environment, and clearly, he had taken to relying on Ryuunosuke for direction. It bothered Naruto that he knew that Sasuke's natural curiosity and tendency to be nonchalantly interested in strong people would probably lure him to the kid in some way, especially since he was directly involved with the priestess, if the fact that he had referred to her as 'Haru' was any indication.

Ahead of him, Naruto could hear his boyfriend asking Ryuunosuke something he couldn't hear, as to what the young man answered in a casual way. They exchanged a few words, and for some reason Naruto could only justify as him being incredibly on edge, he came to the conclusion that he didn't like the teenager at all.

"You look constipated," Sakura whispered teasingly beside him. "Stop thinking about unnecessary stuff, silly."

Naruto felt his face contorting even more as he glanced at her sideways. "I'm not thinking about anything!" he protested, pouting. "I just don't like 'Ryuunosuke-san's' mug, that's all. What kind of name is that, anyway? So damned difficult to say. Ryuunosuke. Ryuuuuunooooosukeeeee. It goes on forever! I'm tired just thinking about it."

Sakura elbowed him reproachfully but still chuckled discretely. "Well, but he is strangely good-looking for his age."

"I'm starting to think that you do have a thing for kids," Naruto mumbled, faking a disturbed look. "First Konohamaru and now a complete stranger? Sakura-chan, you must be really desperate."

The fist hitting his skull, Naruto concluded, was more than worth it for Sakura's angry blush.

000

Naruto had never taken much notice of Kirishima Haru when she had been in Konoha with the Mizukage, because if he had, he would've been worried about Sasuke meeting her for far longer than necessary. If he were to be completely honest, he remembered nothing about her apart from the fact that she had spent a lot of time with the Uchiha. Back then, when he and Sasuke had been struggling to understand how they felt towards each other, Naruto had only vaguely wondered if Sasuke was somehow attracted to her, but had quickly dismissed the thought because Sasuke's apparent interest in her had been purely intellectual. However, facing her now, Naruto couldn't help but to wonder if that was all there had been.

She was standing on the single step of the front porch of a small house, dressed in a beautiful black Kimono with colorful flowers embroidered in it, her long brown hair falling in a cascade of waves over her chest and all the way down to her waist. She was small, shorter than even Ryuunosuke or Sakura, and her face was round, simple but prettier than many, with huge almond eyes that had a gentle but intense expression. She was like one of those beautiful porcelain dolls, the seemingly honest smile she sported so innocent it was shocking, but, just like with Ryuunosuke, there was a strong presence to her that was imposing.

The world was out to get him, Naruto knew it. He felt like he had just entered some messed up alternate universe, especially because, in his head, by now Sasuke would be screaming and yelling at her and Naruto would be backing him up. However, with his mouth slightly agape, Naruto watched as Sasuke simply stood in front of the house, looking up at the priestess with an unidentifiable expression on his face. Haru was looking back at him with the same intensity, not really acknowledging the rest of the group.

"I'm going to make some tea or something," Ryuunosuke claimed absently, oblivious to the tension hanging in the air as he entered the house as if it was his own, disappearing from view.

Haru's smile grew evidently, making her look like a child who just got the greatest present ever. "Sasuke," she breathed, elegantly descending the single step on her wooden sandals so she was in front of the Uchiha, looking up at him.

"Haru," Sasuke simply greeted back, impassively. "It's been a while."

"Indeed," she said softly, reaching out with her small hands and shamelessly pressing both of them to Sasuke's abdomen. Sasuke didn't refuse the touch, neither did he move, but the action made Naruto tense angrily. How dare that person touch Sasuke so naturally after everything she made him go through? "You look well. I'm glad."

Just as Naruto was going to open his mouth to protest, he felt a strong hand grab his arm and he saw Neji shaking his head from side to side in a silent warning for him to stay put and out of it. Naruto shook his hand away and clenched his fists at his sides. He knew that it was all between Sasuke and the priestess, and that, considering how fragile and dangerous his lover's condition was, they had to be cautious about how to approach her – and, truth be told, Naruto didn't know the woman's personality at all – but he hated that he had to watch from the sidelines as that despicable person took her liberties with Sasuke. When she rubbed the Uchiha's belly in a way that could be considered affectionate, Naruto almost lost it, but both of Kakashi's hands on his shoulders reminded him of his place and what they needed to accomplish.

"Is the baby alright?" Sasuke questioned simply, and she nodded emphatically.

"I have to check you up properly to see if all the connections of the womb to your body are properly positioned, but apart from that, everything feels perfect," she said, heaving a sigh and smiling up at Sasuke, her hands moving to grab both of his. "Your body couldn't have been better prepared for this. There's just one little detail you don't know…"

With his stomach twitching in anger, Naruto watched as Haru gestured for Sasuke to lean down, which he did, to allow her to whisper in his ear. She only mumbled a few words that no-one managed to hear, but they were enough to drain all the color from Sasuke's features in a matter of milliseconds – as if he hadn't already been pale enough.

"Hey!" Naruto hissed, as both of them straightened and looked back at him, hating it that they had just gotten there and that already the girl was upsetting Sasuke. "What the hell did you tell him?"

Sasuke blinked at him a little dazedly, looking slightly overwhelmed, but cleared his throat. Haru all but smiled at Naruto, so openly and gently that, for some reason, it made the blond want nothing more than to punch it off her face. She opened her mouth to say something, but Sasuke anticipated himself before she could even speak. "It's nothing, don't worry about it," he said, eyeing Naruto in a way that left no room for arguments. "I'm just really tired and I could use a decent meal."

Naruto closed his mouth, angry, worried and even a bit hurt. What the hell? They were in this together, weren't they? Even if it was all between Sasuke and Haru, Naruto was involved, too. He was Sasuke's lover, for fuck's sake, and the parent of that child he was carrying, he had the right to know everything. He wouldn't accept Sasuke hiding things from him any longer; he wouldn't allow it.

The only reason why he didn't protest any longer was because he knew Sasuke was, indeed, in too much of a bad shape already. He didn't even know how Sasuke was still standing. He needed a decent bath, a proper place to rest and good food. Well, they all did, but it wasn't like either of them were nearly as sick-looking as Sasuke was.

"Let's go inside, you all must be exhausted," Haru muttered, softly, her eyes finally landing on the rest of the group amicably. "This is Ryuunosuke's place, where you'll be staying. Haruno-san will be staying at my place, since it would look improper to have such a young girl sleeping in a house with five men."

"That's fine with me, as long as I can visit them whenever I want," Sakura said in a dry but polite tone.

"Of course," Haru smiled, bowing down a bit. "I hope you enjoy your stay. Please, follow me."

She pulled Sasuke inside by the hand and entered the house. Naruto had to breathe in and out a few times before stomping up the steps. The others followed after him cautiously.

000

Ryuunosuke's house was a reflection of the rest of the village. It was well taken care of on the inside, pristine clean, but it was mostly empty, lacking in decoration and only possessing furniture than one would consider essential. There were only two small bedrooms, completely empty safe for the lamps on the ceiling, all of them with wardrobes embed into the walls (Ryuunosuke assured them that he had enough futons for all of them to sleep in), a small kitchen with an old, low table, and a meditation room that was a lot like any Shinobi's meditation room, filled with books and scrolls of all sizes, only instead of having various Shinobi weapons scattered about, one could find the walls adorned by all kinds of swords, strategically placed according to sizes, shapes and colors. The place was very organized, too, unlike Naruto's own meditation room.

There was only one bathroom that was also a bathing room. It contained a rectangular tub without a shower, but at least they had running water, which was a plus.

Since every room was so small, Sasuke and Naruto would be sharing a room, Neji and Kakashi would be sharing another, and Ryuunosuke would be staying in the meditation room.

To Naruto's annoyance, he realized that Ryuunosuke knew about Sasuke's condition. The kid – he preferred to call him that – acted very mature and seemed way too independent for his own good. As soon as he finished showing them the house, he immediately arranged a bath for the Uchiha and some clean comfy clothes. While the two were absent, much to Naruto's dismay, they all wasted a few minutes in their own rooms, changing into some dry clothes before reuniting to sit down at the low table in the kitchen, the place feeling way too cramped. Haru served them the hot tea Ryuunosuke had made. She then started cooking, dismissing Sakura's offer for help.

The silence was a bit awkward at first, because they all seemed to want to ask her questions but didn't really know if they should do so while Sasuke was away. Naruto didn't have any questions right now, he just wanted to ramble and demand to know what the fuck she was thinking, doing such a thing to Sasuke and then acting like it was no big deal, being all welcoming and shit. He wanted to yell at her that she'd be damned wrong if she thought she was going to keep Sasuke for herself.

But he knew that she held the power of Sasuke's and the baby's well-beings in the palms of her hands, so as much as he wanted to vent his anger, he simply kept his mouth shut, even if it made his hands shake and his body twitch with the need to speak his mind. It didn't help that both Sakura and Neji seemed to be in similar states of anxiousness. Thankfully, Kakashi was considerably calm, merely looking around curiously. That kind of maturity actually made Naruto cling to that apparently peaceful state of mind his sensei was in, helping him to keep his feet on the ground.

Fuck, he couldn't wait to let his fucking tongue loose.

TBC…


Oh, Sasuke's back to being secretive and wanting to deal with things by himself, huh? And...yeah, I'm evil with the cliffhanger and all that *hides*

I really like this chapter, for some reason. It was really fun to write! Hopefully you guys like it too! Don't forget to let me know what you think ;)

See ya next time!