AN: Summer vacation has started for me so I definitely have more time to write and update. Sorry guys, I was busy for a few days with going to a convention so I'm a bit behind what I planned to do.

-Thanks for all the wonderful reviews :3 Ya'll make my day~

-I know I'm evil leaving cliffhangers but…the suspense is nice. I'll try to update a few more times before school starts again.

-Thanks to Azure Sea for beta-ing :]

-This chapter is a little longer than I usually write but I thought with the waiting it would be nice to extend it further more. It's kind of a filler chapter (sorry about that) but next one should have some action and a few more twists~ (Yes, 10 pages, bear with me . )


Chapter 9-

Sharpening the Pitchforks

Uptown Konoha, Uzumaki Residence

2:30 AM

"Fuck! Are you really a medical expert?" Sasuke said between clenched teeth, gripping the sheets until his knuckles were white. She may be fifty, but she had much youth left and Tsunade wasn't one known to be tolerant to brats who questioned her medical expertise. Grinning evilly, the woman pressed on Sasuke's wound, drawing out a sharp groan.

"I dare you to repeat that again, Uchiha. Had it not been on Naruto's request, I'd have you unattended," Tsunade warned sharply while working diligently. She could have done this whole procedure without causing Sasuke further pain, but she wasn't fond of the Uchiha.

Tsunade was an agent with two roles: the wife of the leader of the Whirlpool clan and main leader of the ANBU organization her grandfather Hashirama founded. Raising a child torn between worlds that repelled each other required patience and delicacy for keeping other rivaling clans to gain knowledge of her relaying information of other yakuza clans to ANBU. Minato was raised to inherit this will and now Naruto followed his footsteps. Jiraiya sat next to Naruto, appearing grim but his presence alone sufficed for support.

"That's reassuring," Sasuke snorted, earning another jab at his wound. He felt the pain shoot up his spine and making his eyes go wide.

"Baa-chan!" Naruto exclaimed, casting an incredulous expression towards his grandmother. He was tired of so many problems, but mostly the lack of agreement between Sasuke and Tsunade as both had been at each other's skin since they personally met. Naruto only wished to slip into the welcoming bed in his apartment. He wanted to forget everything.

"The impact from the explosion only caused minor damages. He'll be fine after I remove the foreign objects like pieces of glass and metal from his leg," Tsunade announced, using her professional doctor tone again. As mild as Sasuke's wound was, they weren't in a hospital with anesthesia to numb Sasuke's leg so of course Tsunade improvised with what they had in the house at the moment. Neither of three spent much time in the great house, therefore they saw no need to stock up on emergency med kits. Now they'll consider purchasing one.

Naruto sighed. "Good."

"Go to sleep," Sasuke said softly, his voice drawing all eyes on him. To this, he rolled his eyes, wondering if no one had noticed Naruto's exhaustion. Jiraiya nodded, then chuckled.

"But first, tell us why you dared to take our precious Naru-chan to such a dangerous place? As her only family we're concerned you may be hurting her intentionally," Jiraiya said, casting Sasuke a serious gaze and holding it.

"Not you too, Ero-Sennin!" Naruto stared at his own grandfather in disbelief. They were blaming Sasuke for the incident. Ok, maybe they had the right as his guardians, but he wasn't a teenager. Or maybe it was all an act? It was unlikely by the manner Jiraiya was studying Sasuke.

"I received some disturbing information which led me to the UGZ and Naruto begged to accompany me. I came armed, but neither of us knew the Ferrari was rigged with bombs. Someone doesn't want us poking into their privacy so they sent us a nice warning," Sasuke explained, wanting to conceal as much information as possible. Jiraiya and Tsunade exchanged nervous glances, both looking from Sasuke to Naruto. They didn't doubt that Naruto would stick like glue to Sasuke to fish out information and keep from missing in action.

"Next time be careful where you both go. They could use Naru-chan against you, Sasuke, or use Sasuke against you, Naruto. Whatever you two are up to, I suggest taking things slowly," Jiraiya said, placing his hand on Naruto's shoulder.

"I'll keep that in mind," Sasuke replied frowningly. "Good night, Naruto." The boy was speechless that Sasuke was going to dismiss him after the horrifying events. A strong urge to stay surged within him, his lips curving into a pout. After a dead body somewhere downstairs in their basement in a body bag, Naruto didn't dare venture anywhere else in the house – especially when he identified the body as the man who had harassed him earlier. A friendly gift from their tormentors? Unlikely.

"I'm staying," Naruto stated firmly, pulling his legs together and huddled in the chair (he had changed to his own pajamas which was a night shirt and loose pants). Sasuke was ready to protest when Tsunade cut in.

"There's no point arguing with her," Tsunade pointed out. No, there wasn't, because Naruto wasn't going to move until Tsunade was finished bandaging Sasuke's leg. Another hour later Tsunade's relieved sigh indicated the completion of her task as she wiped the sweat from her forehead. "No strenuous activities for the next week or so. Tomorrow we have a long day ahead of us. I'll call Mikoto to inform her about your stay here." Sasuke nodded, also feeling the curtain of sleepy hanging over him. Before leaving, Tsunade collected all of her supplies, ordered for new sheets, and gave a quick glance in Naruto's direction. Now that both men were alone, they were unsure of how to take all what had happened.

"Your grandmother is nice," Sasuke finally said, allowing for his body to relax. Sarcasm, of course, Naruto thought, but he couldn't help but agree. Tsunade held authority higher than kind reassuring words, so he could count the number of times Tsunade held his hand or hugged him with both arms.

"And you aren't exactly helping either, teme," Naruto added, earning a heartless glare.

"Hn." Sasuke would rather die than confess he owed Tsunade a favor for sending in her clan's people to retrieve the body for further examination, nurse his wound, take a sample of the material used to ignite his car, and bringing them safely to her home. Jiraiya had been more passive on Sasuke's behavior as the man found him amusing. "We'll leave early in the morning. I don't want to arouse more attention towards us. Hiding the fact that the Ferrari was destroyed will be hard…the only good things are that we know that our enemy has a bomb expert among the group, Shisui's death is not coincidental, and they are watching us closely." Naruto gave him an incredulous look.

"Apparently almost getting exploded is a good thing!" Naruto exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air to emphasize Sasuke's craze.

"I forgot your stupidity exceeds your intelligence. Though I agree that none of this sounds positive, in some manner it is. The enemy was careless; they gave us information about themselves. We'll know to expect the unexpected and proceed with further caution," Sasuke explained, his lips tightening together. Whether it was from the pain or the sheer thought that Itachi, his brother, may be one of the culprits, Naruto didn't know.

"Shut up, bastard. I should be the one calling you stupid!" Naruto shot back, remembering his anger towards the Uchiha. Sasuke raised an eyebrow, questioning the outburst. "What if that wasn't a small explosion! You could have gotten an arm or leg blown off or worse, died! And you call me stu-" Naruto's rant was interrupted, when Sasuke tugged him forward from the chair and pressed his lips against his. Cobalt eyes went wide as Sasuke deepened the kiss, sucking the breath out of him. He shouldn't have liked it, he shouldn't have started hearing his heart pounding in his ears, he shouldn't have kissed back, and he shouldn't have closed his eyes. A small moan escaped from his lips causing Sasuke to run his hands on his thighs.

In an instant, Naruto realized that this was Uchiha Sasuke, the man he was supposed to hate. He pushed Sasuke off of him, his eyes wide with shock. "Y-you…"

"There was no other way to shut you up," Sasuke said calmly. Naruto threw a pillow at the Uchiha before he stomped out of the room. Once outside, he leaned against the wall beside the door, his heart still racing, and touched his swollen lips with his fingers.

'Damn it, Uzumaki,' Naruto scolded himself, angry that his heart disobeyed his pleadings to calm down. Somewhere in the corner of his sub consciousness, he knew Uchiha Sasuke was no longer considered an enemy.


To say Uchiha Mikoto was worried about her son had been an understatement. As soon as the sun rose, she received a phone call from the Whirlpool residence, and minutes later she was sitting in the lounge with Tsunade and Jiraiya at her side. All three adults were weary with their thoughts filled of either Sasuke or Naruto. Mikoto said nothing to her older son or husband, when she requested a trip outside the Uchiha estate early in the morning. Both son and father assumed that Mikoto needed some time alone to deal with Shisui's death. No one else but she knew that Sasuke and Naruto were not in the Uchiha estate.

"I can't thank you enough for tending to Sasuke. I must apologize on Sasuke's behalf of Naruto's safety," Mikoto said, bowing her head slightly as a sign of gratitude. Tsunade waved off the formal speech, a smile tugging on her lips. Mikoto had been a close friend to her late daughter-in-law and despite the fact she married into the Uchiha clan, Tsunade held no grudge against the woman, only respect.

"Sasuke protected Naruto, that alone is no reason for an apology," Tsunade said, a weak smile forming on her tired features.

"Both of them are grown adults, yet when I received your call, I couldn't help but feel upset, when Sasuke snuck out with Naruto without advising me first or Itachi. Going to the UGZ with a young woman is dangerous and now I have to worry about my family being a target for ANBU or whoever is doing this," Mikoto said, her voice beginning to falter. She feared for her family.

"That's understandable. Now I'd like to personally advise you to be cautious of the people you speak to, be it Uchiha or outsiders. Not everyone agrees to an Uzumaki becoming part of the Uchiha clan." Jiraiya stood up suddenly, having done his part. Mikoto cast a worried glance at Tsunade as the woman explained the minor details. Uchiha Mikoto disliked involving herself into mafia affairs.

So far, Naruto managed to avoid Sasuke to which he paid the handsome price of only acquiring three hours of sleep at the most. The familiarity of his old bed brought back nostalgic memories of Jiraiya or Tsunade tucking him in as a child. This had been many years ago forgotten among the recollections of his parents. He knew very little of his parents since neither Jiraiya nor Tsunade spoke often of them. Naruto always assumed his grandparents avoided the subject out of never forgotten grief. Sighing, he got out of bed, nearly jumping in fright at the female stranger staring back at him from the mirror. Oh, yeah, he was a girl now.

Miraculously, the wig had suffered no damages whatsoever, though he felt the need to groom it for hygiene purposes. A shower sounded like the best thing in the world at that moment. He felt relieved when he undressed, admiring his male body he now appreciated. The weight on his head was light with the long golden tresses gone. Once he was satisfied, showered, and clean, Naruto reverted back to his role as a young yakuza heiress. There were no women's clothes in his closet so he made do with what he had. He appeared like a tomboy, a very beautiful tomboy.

Spying from the door, Naruto quickly ran downstairs before Sasuke could hear he was up already. (Not that the bastard could move anywhere without pain). "Naru-chan!" Seconds later he was being squeezed to death by Uchiha Mikoto. "Do you know how worried I was, when Tsunade told me you and my Sasuke had been assaulted? And then neither of you bothered to call me!" Mikoto exclaimed, her motherly instincts kicking in. Naruto winced when the smaller woman's hand tightened around his waist.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't wish to cause you any further worries," Naruto said in a half gasp trying to regain his oxygen supply. Mikoto loosened her grip much to Naruto's relief, appearing genuinely happy to see her future daughter-in-law exhausted but nevertheless safe.

"Oh, I can never punish you, Naru-chan, but Sasuke will regret keeping secrets from his mother once I'm through with him," Mikoto said a little too cheerfully. Thank whatever gods existed that he was not Mikoto's son. Tsunade joined the reunion, the dark circles under her eyes a heavy indication that she spent the whole night downstairs in the basement figuring out the corpse's cause of death. A funny question to ask once they were alone.

"If you'd like, I can take you to the guest room where Sasuke is staying." Tsunade wasn't offering, she was commanding. From what Naruto concluded of that sly smile, his grandmother overheard Mikoto promising a world of hurt for Sasuke. Nothing would satisfy Tsunade more on that morning than being a witness to this torture. Unfortunately, being in the same room with Sasuke was the last thing he'd like to do so whatever punishment Mikoto had in store for her son, he'd have to find out through Tsunade.

"Of course."

'Serves the teme right for kissing me.'

"You're no fun," Jiraiya said, once the women were out of earshot. "Changing back into boy clothes ruins it all." Naruto wished he had an object of some sort to chuck at his grandfather. The perverted writer knew no bounds.

"Did you come to molest me?" Naruto asked, his voice lacking his usual energetic tone. Jiraiya considered the question for a few seconds before he chuckled.

"There are plenty of times for that. Naruto, what's your relationship with Sasuke?" Of all the questions or comments Naruto expected from Jiraiya this had not been one of them. Taken aback, Naruto scoffed, finding the question pointless yet hard to answer.

"We're to fake our wedding one day, you do the math," Naruto responded simply, wanting to switch subjects. He worked for ANBU, not a cheesy romance flick.

"Stop playing stupid, you understand what I'm asking. Maa, you probably have no clue about the answer but when you realize it, set personal feelings aside," Jiraiya said, his voice stern for once. Naruto opened then closed his mouth, unsure of how to protest back. He, himself, hardly knew how to classify his relationship with Sasuke. They weren't exactly friends per se or acquaintances. Maybe teammates? Even that didn't fit an appropriate description of their relationship. Their conversation was interrupted when the front door flew open, revealing a flustered Kiba and a laid-back Shikamaru.

"I thought we were friends! But no, you want to do everything on your own! Dammit, Naruto, I was fucking worried the Uchiha finally did you in!" Kiba exclaimed, grabbing his friend by the collar and shaking him. Alright, he owed Kiba some explanation, but he wasn't in the best of moods to deal with other people scolding him. Shikamaru bowed slightly when he saw Jiraiya, murmuring how troublesome the situation was under his breath.

"I hope the Uchiha got what he deserved," Kiba said, examining Naruto for any injuries. Naruto tried pulling the bigger man off of him.

"Calm down, it wasn't his fault. I'll tell you everything before we go to the Uchiha Estate," Naruto said between clenched teeth. Was everybody against Sasuke? Somehow this irked him, knowing his instinct kept leading him to trust Sasuke. Kiba stiffened his gaze, then turned to Shikamaru.

"Dude, the whole family is pissed. Whoever is doing this has the clan pointing fingers at ANBU, or in these case guns. Whatever you and Sasuke found out, it's big. I went snooping around while I was serving under some guy named Obito last night. I overheard him talking to Itachi about gangs collaborating with each other to overrule the yakuza clans. Each gang elects a representative that will be the informant delivering news from Uptown to the Underground. All the representatives come from different countries forming an alliance called 'Akatsuki.' Obito had suspicions that Shisui had gotten himself into deep shit and Akatsuki got him first. The clan on the other hand, plans to track down agents working for ANBU or track down their loved ones for revenge. Naruto, they're asking for bloodshed, not a treaty. I'll be damned if Sasuke is on our side, because Itachi sure as hell isn't," Kiba said, his expression serious. Kiba specialized in tracking and his keen hearing saved them countless of times.

"I see, so the rumors were true after all," Jiraiya spoke, when Naruto stayed silent. All eyes were on him expecting some form of explanation. "Years ago, the same conspiracy occurred. Minato investigated a case similar to this…unfortunately he was tracked down before the final piece of the puzzle was solved." Naruto clenched his teeth together, his mind racing and his heart accelerating. His parents' killer was out there, alive, now searching for more power. His parents died in vain.

"I'll solve this case. If it takes for me to die, I won't stop until the bastard, who's doing all of this, is six feet under," Naruto vowed, his eyes set with determination. Kiba shuddered; his friend meant every single word. Jiraiya appeared mildly surprised.

"Naruto. Revenge drives a person mad. Minato and Kushina would have wanted you to seek justice, not revenge. The two are completely different ideals," Jiraiya said, his voice firm with a hint of anger. "Now if you're done saying stupid things, we have a corpse downstairs we need to get rid of."


Uzumaki Residence

12:00 PM

Sasuke glared at nothing in particular, his mood sour after his mother gave him an hour of lecture. He appreciated her concern, but involving her any further into his problems placed her life at risk. The whole morning he went without a word from Naruto except for Tsunade mentioning that she was downstairs with Kiba. A nagging feeling told him that Naruto was avoiding him. That dobe got upset over petty issues. A kiss was a kiss. Sasuke glanced towards the door only to find Shikamaru leaning against the wall. The genius could be stealthy at times. He walked over, sitting next to Sasuke placing two envelopes on the bed. "I take it you found some interesting information," Sasuke said while reaching for the envelopes.

"I received a call from Suigetsu, after listening to his troublesome rants he told me about Shisui. I called a friend in Suna regarding Itachi's visit to the Kazekage," Shikamaru began reaching his pocket for his cigarettes. Another surprise, Itachi visiting a Kage. Kages were the equivalent to a country's president or prime minister. Suna was well known for having the youngest powerful Kage. Yakuza clans thought Suna to be weakened by the young Kage's reign, but this proved wrong.

"Itachi sought for an alliance with Suna. As you know, Suna and Konoha are rivals but he pledged the Uchiha power to the Kazekage's disposal. I believe Itachi was proposing under a plan he has carefully woven, but whether it's meant for Konoha's Kage or not, he is arming himself quite well," Shikamaru paused to light his cigarette. "How Tsukuyomi is involved, I haven't figured that out yet." Sasuke had grown rigid weighing the gravity of the circumstances. Itachi, his own flesh and blood, a traitor, a true Uchiha, who wished to gain political power. No, his father had wanted that from the start. If Itachi gained favor of the Kazekage, he could have Konoha bowing down to his reign. Somehow this was all unsettling for him.

"What was the Kazekage's response to Itachi's proposal?" Sasuke asked, his eyes bloodshot. Shikamaru scratched the back of his head, muttering under his breath.

"Gaara refused. If you wish for the Kazekage's trust, Naruto can help you," Shikamaru added, calculating if he should involve Naruto further. When he started working under Sasuke, he believed the Uchiha to be corrupt as the rest of the Uchiha men, but he was so much like Mikoto. Even through his cold demeanor he held a hidden compassion for Konoha. Without Konoha, Sasuke saw no future possibilities to outrank his older brother.

"Naruto? How is she related to the Kazekage?" Sasuke sat up straight at the mentioning of Naruto. Shikamaru would have laughed, had the situation been livelier.

"They're close friends." Shikamaru was also a friend of Gaara's, but he knew the man hardly spoke more than a few words to him in the few times they've met. Only Naruto possessed an innate ability to draw emotion or more than a comprehensible sentence from Gaara. "Sasuke, Naruto is a friend of mine, if you cause her pain, I will withdraw my services." Never had Shikamaru once spoken to him in a cool tone rivaling his unfriendly attitude.

"Hn." He nodded, acknowledging Shika's threat as he added, 'If only that were easily accomplished,' in his head.


Gamabunta River – South

Jiraiya parked the car on a solitary bridge under a shade of trees. At such angle it was nearly impossible to be visible to anyone around. The bridge was ancient, threatening to collapse sooner or later, but Jiraiya was certain that day was not today. Kiba and Naruto got out swiftly and quickly without a trace of panic or alert. They had done this several times before in the past. "Ok boys, let's get to work," Jiraiya called out, throwing the keys to Naruto.

Usually corpses were dumped at night, but Tsunade stayed up examining the cause of death. She informed them that the man had been poisoned. Through much research in her medical books, Tsunade found no poison even close to relation to the one used on the victim. Aside from the poisoning, the man acquired a stab wound which they all agreed is the manner in which he was poisoned. Tsunade had grinned when she saw the broken nose her grandson had inflicted on the man. Naruto shuddered at the thought, opening the trunk and motioning for Kiba to help him.

"Oh god, it stinks!" Kiba groaned at the sharp scent of a decomposing corpse infiltrating his nostrils. Even the faintest of smells were potent to Kiba, he had a keen sense of smell, and a rotting corpse truly made his head spin.

"Shut up, Inuzuka," Jiraiya said, patrolling the perimeter. The older man placed neon orange traffic cones blocking oncoming traffic (if there was any). Both Naruto and Kiba nodded on a count of three, each taking one side of the corpse to lift. The man was heavy and with rigor mortis set in, the corpse pressed hard against their muscles though they managed to cast the corpse off the river without accidents.

"Damn, that guy was heavy," Kiba said, watching the body sink to the bottom. A floating body attracted attention and if found by the local police, unwanted questions would ensue, so instead they tied a rock to the body. No one in Konoha could fathom how deep the river was, therefore yakuza clans had been sinking corpses of their enemies for years leaving no traces behind.

"Well done, boys, we should head back as soon as possible. I don't need Tsunade kicking me out of the house again," Jiraiya said, chuckling softly. Under the bright sky, Naruto had an uneasy feeling about dumping the corpse, as it would resurface, the cold dead eyes staring at him accusingly. He shook his head, knowing that memories of the past only dug his grave deeper.

A hand clasped tightly on his shoulder alarmed him turning abruptly to meet Kiba's troubled face. His friend was genuinely concerned for him. Those beady casted eyes were sympathetic to his friend's mixed emotions. "Naruto, we're leaving." Kiba knew Naruto very well like the palm of his hand. The man had always been an open book even to strangers. When he smiled, truly smiled, his radiant blue eyes twinkled softly, but this smile forced against the corners of his mouth. He disliked people pitying him and for that Kiba patiently waited for Naruto to indicate he wished for support.

"Oh, I spaced out for a bit. I guess it's time to go back to the stupid teme," Naruto said, giving the river one last glance before following Kiba back to the car.


Uzumaki Residence

Once they arrived back at the residence, Tsunade and Mikoto greeted them from the lounge, both smiling. Whatever Sasuke endured, Naruto was too afraid to ask. Jiraiya began chattering away, turning the conversation to his novels. Mikoto became interested, instantly exclaiming she'd be delighted to purchase a few of his books. Naruto mentally gagged at the mere thought of the dirty content behind the covers of Icha Icha Paradise. "I'm going to go check on the bastard," Naruto whispered to Kiba, knowing he'd draw suspicion from Mikoto if Kiba followed him. Kiba nodded, signaling to go on while he'd stay behind to laugh and pretend to support Jiraiya's eccentric claims. Naruto would be lying if he said he wasn't suddenly overcome by nervousness. What was he going to say to Sasuke? Worse, would the Uchiha tease him or ignore him? Ah! Why was he worried about that man's approval or not? He could care less if Sasuke liked him or hated him! If only he could convince himself.

Naruto clenched and unclenched his hands as he stood outside Sasuke's door, unsure whether to proceed any further or not. He had come back home to change and shower once again into his grandmother's clothing. Fortunately, Tsunade had a youthful sense in fashion, but her breasts differed greatly from his fake chest leading to extra bagginess of his apparel. At that moment he seriously didn't care how he looked like. Finally he sighed and knocked waiting for the teme to beckon him inside. Instead he heard hushed voices belonging to Sasuke and Shikamaru. He heard Gaara's name mentioned.

Quickly he entered, both men glancing in his direction. "Gaara won't openly help us even if you plan to use me. He needs a good reason to act," Naruto said, closing the door behind him. Tsunade was highly cautious whenever Naruto sought Gaara for aid. He didn't need her ranting about the danger Gaara alone possessed.

Sasuke smirked amusedly by the fact that Naruto dared to eavesdrop or actually stand outside the door waiting for a cue. "I'm sure you can give him a few reasons he can't refuse," Sasuke replied. Sasuke motioned the blond to come closer towards him. Naruto caught eye of envelopes meeting Sasuke's expectant eyes. Inside were plastic bags containing a white material that seemed almost clay like and in the other was a glass bottle containing a small amount of purple liquid.

"What's this?" Naruto asked, studying both items carefully.

"The poison used on the victim and the material the bomb was created from. Tsunade-sama handed them to me for me to analyze. I'm not much help, but Gaara can be," Shikamaru said, fishing out another cigarette. Eyebrows furrowed in concentration, considering if Gaara would accept such a proposal that could endanger his status. Naruto already knew the answer, but troubling Gaara unsettled him.

"Why Gaara?" Gaara was no poison expert nor did he specialize in bombs. Shikamaru rubbed the back of his head, his lack of sleep apparent through the dark circles under his eyes.

"Call it a hunch, but Gaara probably knows who would be capable to make such a lethal poison not even Tsunade-sama knows of." Naruto gaped, surely Shikamaru had a better explanation. A hunch was only a hunch. It did not confirm solid facts, only a shot of intuition. Wait, Gaara once mentioned that his late grandmother was once greatly known for her knowledge in pharmaceuticals and poisons. Perhaps Gaara could help. Shikamaru couldn't help but smile when Naruto grinned.

"Shikamaru, I like the way you think. Give Temari a call. She will act as our messenger," Naruto instructed, truly radiant that Shikamaru remembered their high school days.

"It's nice that old friends can read each other's minds, but I can't," Sasuke said coldly, not at all happy that he was being kept from telepathic messages. Naruto chuckled, quickly relaying his plan to Sasuke.

"So you do have a brain, dobe. Now what about the clay?" Naruto knew of no one in his department who could create such a reactive clay (if that even existed) or have said clay shaped into crawling creatures with a detonating timer. They were dealing with a pro.

"Sasuke, Karin has a wide knowledge of chemistry and sciences, you can use her." Sasuke raised a questioning eyebrow, his body tensing. True, Karin proved to be useful in this area, but one sour look from both Sasuke and Naruto told Shikamaru that neither were pleased by his suggestion.

"Hn."

"Our discoveries will be only known to us with the exception of Kiba. No one else may know unless we seek help from them. The less people know, the better," Naruto said, receiving nods from both men. Shikamaru collected the poison from Naruto and headed towards the door.

"I can be in Suna by nightfall to give Temari the sample and be back by morning. She'll contact us, my trip can arouse suspicion if I stay too long." The genius smiled, wishing Sasuke and Naruto luck and hoping nothing else happened while he was gone. With the whole morning preoccupied with a corpse and how Akatsuki knew of their moves, Naruto finally came to realization that he was alone with Sasuke.

"Mikoto-san might be wondering where I went, I should go." It was a pathetic excuse to avoid staying confined in a room with Sasuke. Of course the Uchiha noticed, a scowl setting in place.

"Stop avoiding me, Naruto. You think I wouldn't notice how you can't even look at me in the eyes?" With some forced effort, Sasuke stood, his legs already shaking from the weight placed on them. Immediately Naruto rushed to his side, his heart stopping when he saw Sasuke fighting back a wince.

"Idiot! Baa-chan clearly told you to stay in bed!" Naruto exclaimed, trying to limit the time Sasuke had body contact with him. The raven snorted, obviously ignoring every rule placed by Tsunade since his arrival. He wasn't expecting Sasuke to pull their bodies together on the bed to hold Naruto captive on beneath him. "Gah! Are you insane!"

"Shut up, you're so loud," Sasuke said, pressing his forehead against Naruto's. No! No! No! Naruto struggled underneath, using full force, but even with an injured leg, Sasuke was heavier than he. He didn't want this. He was fucking Uzumaki Naruto, the one who was in love with his fellow coworker, Haruno Sakura. Despite this being a mission, he'd allowed Sasuke to touch him inappropriately in bounds of male relationships. Would Sasuke act differently if he knew he was a guy? "Stop moving, Usuratonkachi! If we're going to work together, I don't want you avoiding me." Wide blue eyes gazed into the depths of the smothering coal eyes.

"I'm not avoiding you," Naruto said softly, turning his head from his partner. His lie deserved a mental slap, because even a total stranger could see through him. Sasuke sighed heavily, rolling off of him and focusing on the ceiling design.

"Of all the things that annoy me about you, your stubbornness really does it for me. I hate stubborn women. Well, all women in general, though you are different. That's why I need your cooperation." It must be a dream. The Sasuke he came to know admitted no weaknesses. Somehow he and Sasuke were connected, they both wished to stop Akatsuki to solve the mystery. He needed Sasuke.

"Teme! I'm much more than a woman! Forget about the money…my help is my choice alone, no one else's." The atmosphere loosened, the melodic laughter of Sasuke enrapturing Naruto as well. "There's a lot you don't know about me."

"Oh, that can be arranged," Sasuke responded, his smirk challenging. "What do I not know about the infamous heiress Uzumaki Naruto?" The fact that I'm a guy and a spy, Naruto thought to himself.

"Hey, can Karin really be able to analyze the clay without a lab or something?" The thought barely crossed him as most ANBU agents used the labs provided to them for examining materials. Sasuke pinched the bridge of his nose, his face pulled in concentration.

"Tch, changing the subject….dobe, answer me first before you ask me a question." Silence engulfed them, Naruto debating whether to reply or not. He wanted to understand Sasuke as he also wanted Sasuke to understand him. To become friends would be personal involvement and anything beyond that. Naruto knew, should it come to cuffing Sasuke, or worse: shooting him, personal feelings would prevent him from doing so. He was sure Sasuke probably debated the same issue, but it couldn't hurt, right?

"Since I could think I wanted to be the Hokage of Konoha, but now I want to surpass Baa-chan. You can say that's my goal," Naruto responded, smiling. Everyone who knew him well and his job, was aware he wanted to reach the rank of "Captain" at ANBU.

"You're unbelievable." Naruto had to agree. People were surprised by his impossible goals, most hardly had faith that he'd accomplish the rank of Captain. Baa-chan, even though she was family, had her standards set high for her next successor. Unfortunately Naruto never took "impossible" for an answer. "I hired Suigetsu, Karin, Shikamaru, and Juugo, who you haven't met, as my personal informants. I didn't choose Karin for her fascination for me but for her skills. She comes from a family of researchers and once I give her a task, she'll complete it without delay. So yes, dobe, Karin has a workplace away from the Uchiha estate." Really? That Sasuke fangirl actually had a brain? Then again Sasuke wasn't one for jokes.

"Well, we're the only ones who have nothing to do but wait. I hate sitting around waiting," Naruto said, clenching his fists together. The bed shifted around him, the fellow yakuza sitting up, a smirk beginning to surface on his face.

"Who said we'd sit and take a vacation? We have a large audience today wishing to meet you, an Uchiha funeral, keeping tabs on Itachi, strengthening our numbers and prepare for counter measures. I won't be able to move around freely for a week or so, meaning I'll stick to internal information and rumors. You, however, are free to roam about. We need a sample of Tsukuyomi." Naruto grinned widely, excitement crawling under his skin. So far he had no oppositions to Sasuke's suggestions.

"Letting your girlfriend go drug dealing, you have balls, Uchiha. I'm disappointed you won't come scare the bad guys away," Naruto teased, earning a sly smile.

"Suigetsu has a day off tomorrow. As the funeral is only for Uchihas, Inuzuka can accompany you as well." Naruto beamed, throwing his arms around Sasuke in glee. Suigetsu actually liked having conversations with people even if it seemed he loved teasing his relationship with Sasuke, Naruto held no grudges against him. Oh, and finally some time with Kiba! Was Sasuke getting soft?

"Fun, fun, fun, another crazy night is all I need. Wait, I have to meet the other Uchihas?" He hadn't meant to whine, but even one Uchiha was enough for once in a lifetime. Sasuke pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Not today, of course. Find Inuzuka and tell him our plan, then meet my mother. I'm ready to leave whenever she is," Sasuke replied, sighing heavily as all his pent up anxiety released. He was safe for now. Sasuke planned to buy them both time before facing the remaining family which was fine by Naruto. The less Uchihas he met the better.

"Teme, I don't listen to orders from you. I'm not one of your subordinates and neither is Kiba. We're friends," Naruto replied, jabbing Sasuke's chest for emphasis. Had it been someone other than Naruto, fingers would be flying.

"Dobe, of all the stupidest thing you've said, this probably beats them all. None of my so-called subordinates speaks to me this way, so we were never acquaintances nor was I above you." Now it was his turn to be surprised. A hand ran through his wig, the feeling comforting when the fingers tickled his cheeks. Before Sasuke could have a chance to proceed any further, Naruto sprung up almost hitting Sasuke on his chin.

"Look at the time! I don't want Ero-Sennin thinking we're doing dirty stuff! I'll be back with Mikoto so we can leave!" Naruto exclaimed, waving as he slammed the door behind him. What the fuck was that? Had he finally lost his mind? His whole face burned a slight pink, thinking of how close Sasuke had been, his fingers touching his whiskers. Gah! Stop thinking about it, Naruto thought while slapping his face lightly.

"Naru-chan, is Sasuke ready now? I didn't want to go in and interrupt," Mikoto said, peering from the restroom door. Had the woman heard them? Judging from the disappointment shown on her face, she hadn't heard a peep. Naruto sighed, offering his future mother-in-law a weak smile.

"Yes, but Baa-chan mentioned he may need crutches to move around," Naruto said sweetly, twisting his face into slight concern for the stupid bastard.

"You mean these?" asked an annoyed voice. Kiba was almost to the top of the stairs carrying a pair of crutches over his head appearing disgruntled for some reason. Naruto could only guess Tsunade forced his friend to such a trivial task. The downside of having a slave-driver for a boss was the result of small errands like this.

"Oh, Kiba-kun, you're a dear! I'll take it from here. Don't worry, I'm not as fragile as I seem," Mikoto giggled, forcing the crutches out of Kiba's reluctant hands. The Uchiha woman sure enough walked without a problem with the crutches, winking before disappearing behind the guest room's door. Kiba shook his head, unsure what to make of Mikoto.

"She reminds me of my lovely Hinata, doesn't take no for an answer," Kiba said finally chuckling, thinking of what his wife may be doing at work. "Shikamaru left a few minutes ago, the sloth didn't even say goodbye." Naruto nudged Kiba on his ribs playfully.

"Business tomorrow," Naruto said, gaining his friend's curiosity. Kiba smiled widely, implying he continue including the smallest of details. Adding and subtracting parts of his conversation with Sasuke and Shikamaru, Naruto recounted their plans for tomorrow. Kiba practically was ready to prance around the house knowing he would be out of the Uchiha place for half a day.

"Finally some action! We're going to crack this case in no time!" Kiba grinned widely, his optimism contagious. Naruto smiled, punching him lightly on the arm agreeing. Unfortunately for them, the case was far from being over. Amiss from their knowledge other plans were set in motion, waiting in the darkest corners of Konoha for their role. A role nobody suspected would affect the entire country.


AN: The chapter wasn't necessarily filler but it did have a few things that needed to be cleared before the real action starts to build up in chapter 10. And yes locations and times are sort of important but the places are more than the times. Feedback?