Ohayo Folks!

Yay, another one done! Really enjoying how this story is coming along and hope you guys are too. Just a quick shout out to MadaSasu for your lovely comments! You're not the only one but your last 2 comments made me smile so although you don't like Miro, you'll like this chapter.

As for everyone else, thanks for commenting, reviewing, and liking! Hope you're enjoying it as well.

Anyway, please enjoy the story and if you enjoy this, perhaps you'll enjoy my other story Always a Sin. Thanks so much for reading, and please review!

Eggs and Bacon,

CrimsonNi

~*NUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNU*~

Chapter Ten:

"It's about time," Tsunade grumbled once Naruto and Sasuke walked into her office. "Took you long enough."

"What? We got here quick enough!" Naruto argued.

"Watcha say, Brat?" Just as Tsunade was ready to launch a thick book at Naruto's head, the office door opened again. This time, it was Sakura who came waltzing in. "Ah, you're all here."

Within seconds, the air in the office was thick with some kind of awkwardness and tension. Both Sakura and Sasuke stiffened while Naruto suddenly seemed quiet and distant. "Sorry I'm late."

"No worries; we were just about to begin," Tsunade said with a wave of her hand. "So, let's get to the point; I'm assigning the three of you on a mission together to Kirigakure. Since the Brat has been working on this assignment longer than you two have, I'll have him explain the main points."

Naruto was a little surprised at the spotlight now being shun on him since he wasn't expecting Sasuke or Sakura to be involved in this investigation. With everyone in the room staring at him, he had no choice now. "Uh…," he stammered nervously. He never had to speak in front of his friends like this. Clearing his throat, he started again. "Yeah, so about a month ago, Gaara fell ill with a high fever and severe pain in…well, everywhere. They did a bunch of tests on him and found out he was poisoned through food. So he told Baa-chan who sent me to go take a look and be a guinea pig."

"Meaning, to keep everything discreet, Naruto pretended to take a 'vacation' over to Suna but forgot to get medical clearance as obligated by all shinobi who travel outside of their home village," Tsunade interjected.

Sakura gasped, finally understanding what the situation was. "So he had to be 'cleared' over there but it was actually Gaara-sama's samples!" She was smiling at the revelation, happy to know that the mystery was solved. Naruto wasn't sick, exactly as he had claimed!

"Precisely. The files were to be safely delivered to me for examination that way no one would find out about it."

Sakura blushed while Sasuke looked down at the floor, both feeling a wave of shame. They both knew that Tsunade knew about their snooping into the confidential files.

"Yeah so," Naruto said in changing the subject, brining everyone's attention back to him. "Now the problem is a jinchūriki that lives in Kirigakure has now been poisoned too. It's the three-tail beast and his container Shai Jimmen."

"I thought poisons and drugs don't affect a jinchūriki's body?" Sasuke finally spoke.

Naruto shook his head. "They don't or they're not supposed to. Kurama would filter the shit out of any crap that enters my body but with this new poison…I don't know."

"This poison was man-made. Whoever made it has made their intention clear on one thing—they want the jinchūriki dead," Tsunade said gravely, trying to emphasize her message.

Sakura frowned, confused about that one fact. "But Gaara-sama survived, right? And it sounds like Shai-sama has as well, so if this person wanted the jinchūriki dead then why are they still alive? The ones he's poisoned so far, at least."

"We still aren't sure; since this person only managed to poison two of the jinchūriki, we can't tell if it's a fluke or intentional but based off of the evidence so far, the Kazakage brat was smart enough to use his sand abilities to clump the poison before it could enter his blood stream and cut it out of him so there was little damage there. I can't say the same for Shai; the dosage seems to have been higher and he reacted too late so it affected him harder and left him in critical condition. The medical staff have managed to keep him stable but they don't know for how long."

"What is our mission, Hokage-sama?" Sasuke asked.

"I'm sending the brat here to be head of the investigation and try and get a lead on this mystery person or group. However, since Naruto is a jinchūriki himself, he is in as much danger as Shai, the Kazakage brat, and the others, so I will be assigning protection—that's where you come in," pointing to Sasuke. "Finally, I want more information on Shai's condition and to see if maybe you can make a difference with actually physically being there, Sakura. You will be going as a medical nin assigned to treat Shai. Are you three understanding of your assignments? Any questions?"

All three shook their heads.

"Great. Whenever you're packed, get ready to go."

~*SUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSU*~

The exit from the Hokage's office wasn't an easy one; for some reason, the air around the three shinobi of the former team 7 was still thick with tension. Naruto was walking on Sasuke's right but the distance between the two of them versus the distance between Sasuke and Sakura was far greater. Sasuke's eyes never left him; he watched Naruto walk in silence and saw that he looked at nothing except at the path ahead of him. Why the hell was the Dobe being so quiet all of a sudden? Maybe these poisonings were effecting him more than he let on. Considering that he's been on this mission for a while now with no one to talk to about it, it's probably both a stress reliever to finally have it out in the open but a worrisome issue to still think about. Sasuke's main issue, however, wasn't Naruto's behavior…but Sakura's. She was walking too close to him, trying to match his speed step for step. Great, now this was going to be a hassle and since they hadn't spoken since the previous night, this was sending all of the wrong messages.

Naruto on the other hand was uncomfortable. A part of him was glad that his former teammates could join him on this mission, but he knew that didn't mean things were going to be the same like when they were kids. They were adults now with mature personalities and new perspectives. Perspective change number one, Sasuke wasn't calling Sakura annoying and was walking next to her! They've clearly worked out all of their childish issues and now were the chummiest of friends, so where did that leave him? This mission was supposed to be his thing, his little secret to escape this bullshit that he was witnessing before him, but now they were in on it and he had nowhere to run. He had to endure.

He heaved a heavy sigh, causing both Sakura and Sasuke to look at him. "Ah, I'm going this way. Is 10 minutes okay or do you need more time before we meet up?"

Sasuke shook his head but Sakura didn't look so agreeing. "Maybe five more minutes?"

What was Naruto going to say? He nodded and reiterated that they were to meet at the front gate in 15 minutes before heading in the opposite direction. This left Sakura and Sasuke alone. Sasuke was about to walk away himself when Sakura grabbed a hold of his arm.

"Sasuke? Can I talk to you real quick?" Her voice sounded shaky, like she wanted to be confident but it couldn't cooperate with her wishes.

Sasuke sighed, turning to look at Sakura straight in the eyes. "Look, what happened last night—"

"Yeah that's what I wanted to talk about. Look Sasuke, I don't know what happened or if you ever want to tell me the reason, but I promise I won't ever mention it unless you want to. I don't want this to be awkward—more awkward—so let's just focus on the mission, please?"

That…was a surprise. Sasuke hadn't expected this. He imagined tears, perhaps some raised voices, some lying (from his end if needed), but none of that came. Sakura was calm, cool, and so mature about the whole situation that it threw him for a loop. He assumed he was going to have to explain himself and really, how does a guy explain that he had a serious itch that needed scratching without sounding like a complete ass? Or worse, without resulting in Naruto hunting him down in biju-mode wanting to murder him?

"Y-Yeah," he agreed.

Sakura smiled, patting Sasuke on the arm before turning herself to move towards her apartment. "Great, I'm glad we cleared that up. I just wanted the extra time for that. I'll see you in ten." She waved her goodbyes and raced away,

What the hell just happened? Sasuke wondered.

Meanwhile, Naruto made it to his apartment only to bump into his own potential problem; Miro. Leaning against his door was Miro, fiddling with his fingers. Hearing Naruto's heavy landing, he turned but didn't display his usual radiant smile. "Hey," he said.

"Hey," was Naruto's reply. He wished he could have said something better, but nothing came to mind for some reason. Although he was looking at Miro without turning away, he felt awkward, like it was much too soon to act casual after last night.

After a couple seconds of silence, Miro spoke up. "Do you have some time?"

"…Actually, Baa-chan just gave me a mission."

"It'll be quick! Just a couple minutes!"

Naruto quietly sighed, figuring he had nothing else to lose. He remembered what Kurama had told him that morning about the whole situation not being his fault since he was alpha material, but that didn't make any of this any less awkward. With a nod, Naruto unlocked his door and allowed Miro to step ahead of him into the apartment. It was silent between them even after Naruto tossed his keys on his little side table by the front door. He stood there, waiting for Miro to say something, but the guy just stood there, fiddling with his fingers again. Is he related to Hinata?

"So….?" He pushed, hoping Miro would hurry up. He did have a mission to get to after all.

"R-Right! Sorry. Um, look, Naruto, I-I'm really sorry. I am. I said it was because of the clients, but I just…I don't know, I just really wanted to do it," he finished with a fierce blush.

"Miro, I said it was okay, really—"

"I know, but now things are…different and tense between us. I don't like that. I didn't mean to ruin it."

"It's not ruined, I promise," Naruto assured. He flexed his index finger, allowing Miro to step forward into his personal space. Warily, he did until Naruto pulled him forward by the collar of his shirt. Their faces were centimeters apart with the both of them breathing hot air in each other's faces. "I forgive you but don't let it happen again. We're fuck-buddies, Miro, and I don't want that to be crossed."

Miro reigned in his disappointment but he was still elated that Naruto wanted something with him. He nodded non-stop, agreeing with whatever else Naruto was saying while also sneaking his hands towards Naruto's waist to fiddle with the strings tied there. He could see Naruto's eyes widen when Miro successfully plunged his hand inside and grabbed a hold of his member. A hiss escaped through Naruto's lips. He was reminded how he grew slightly hard after sparring with Sasuke but then neglected the poor thing due to being interrupted by Gaara and then by the recent meeting in Baa-chan's office.

"M-Miro, I told you—hah—I had a mission; I don't have time."

"Please, Naruto? Please, I need it!"

Miro panted harder against Naruto's face but then took the liberty of pressing even closer and kissing him. Their lips melded harshly against each other but with enough passion for Naruto to suddenly lift Miro off the ground and slam him against the closest wall. However, he had to pull away causing Miro to mewl in want. "Hold on," Naruto demanded. He then summoned a shadow clone that appeared behind him. "Do me a favor and start packing my things for the mission."

The clone pursed his lips and crossed his arms over his chest. "Man, why do you get to have all of the fun?"

"Would you just hurry up and do it!" The clone huffed and could be heard walking away towards the bedroom where he began gathering the essentials. For Naruto, he was already dipping his two fingers into Miro with a roughness that emphasized his lack of time. "This isn't going to be the best."

Miro, who was already a moaning mess, shook his head when he finally registered Naruto's words. "No, No, I don't care! Just fuck me, please!"

Naruto grunted in approval and removed his fingers, hoping Miro was tolerant enough to take him all in even though he wasn't completely prepared. He grabbed a hold of his cock (thanks to the fact that he kicked off his pants by the door after Miro untied them) and lined it with Miro's entrance. The penetration was slow, but Naruto seriously didn't want to hurt him even though he was moaning and begging for speed. They weren't even using lube, aside from saliva. When he was finally hilted, he paused, taking a moment to breathe and enjoy the searing heat around his cock. "Fuck, Miro," he groaned.

"M-Move…," Miro weakly asked.

Nothing more was needed to be said. Naruto immediately pumped his hips and allowed the pleasure to guide his movements. Everything was erratic and nothing but Miro's shouts and the sound of skin slapping against each other could be heard. Naruto's nostrils flared once the heady smell of sex kicked in, turning him on even more. The smell of sweat reminded him of long sparring session he had to Sasuke and of the Teme's body movements. The way he smirked every time he did something to one-up Naruto and how constantly had to run his hand through his hair to keep it from falling forward and blinding him. The only time they touched each other was when they were trading punches and kicks, but the skin contact was there and that made Naruto masochistic enough to desire it all the more. His own skin tingled from every contact, going straight to his groin.

Miro screamed once Naruto stabbed at his prostrate, bringing Naruto out of his daze. Right, he shouldn't be thinking of Sasuke at a moment like this. That wasn't right. That was wrong for a best friend to do. But his mind couldn't help it and he kept imagining Sasuke's sweaty skin, his damp hair, his blazing eyes, and his stubborn personality, painting an image so lewd that Naruto nearly came at that second. To bring focus back to the present, Naruto wrapped on hand on Miro's hip while the other one travelled upward towards his neck. Without word, Naruto pressed on Miro's neck, depriving him of his much needed oxygen while increasing the speed of his hips.

Miro's eyes rolled to the back his head while his mouth opened to a silent scream. He didn't care for the bone-bruising grip on his hip or the nail marks on his neck, he just wanted to come. He never felt as amazing as he did now with Naruto fucking him within an inch of his life. It didn't take long after that for his orgasm to hit him and for his semen to splatter everywhere, mainly on Naruto's shirt. Naruto too came with a growl, stilling his hip and shuddering with violence. The action had his knees feeling much too weak to continue holding the both of them up so he allowed them to slide down the wall and onto the floor. They were panting harshly, catching their breath. Naruto knew that his clone had finished packing a while ago so he was set to go, but he felt so comfortable that he didn't want to move.

"I gotta go," he murmured with little energy.

"How long are you gone?"

Naruto hoped that Miro could see or feel his shrug. "Not sure. It's a play-by-ear kind of mission."

"Then let me know so I can welcome you back." They both chuckled and reluctantly got up from the floor. Naruto fetched his pants by the front door and swiftly put them back on. He also noticed a large backpack that must have been left there by the clone. He went to pick it up but was stopped when he felt two arms wrap around him. "Be safe."

"Of course! No one can harm Naruto Uzumaki!" He said it in a playful manner like he would had anyone else said that, but he noticed Miro not loosening his grip. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing! Just…hate having to rush this. It's annoying having to feel awesome and then lonely back to back."

Naruto hummed, reached for his backpack and then pecked Miro on the lips. Well, it started off as a peck but Miro leaned in to gain more access. They tasted each other's mouths until Naruto had to pull away. "I promise I'll get you as soon as I'm back," he said with a smile. But Miro was still worried about something since he suddenly seemed nervous and slightly closed off. Naruto wanted to ask but after glancing at the clock that he had perched on his living room wall, he noticed he honestly had no time. Shit, I'm late! "I gotta go, Miro."

"Okay, be careful," he wished again.

"I will. If you want, you can relax here and just lock up when you're ready to leave. I have some ramen cups in the pantry if you want to snack too." He said it with a smile, hoping Miro caught the joke. Miro hated ramen, particularly the store bought kind, but he hoped the gesture was enough to cheer him up.

Miro strained a smile and waved his final good bye once Naruto rushed out the door.

~*SUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSU*~

Sasuke and Sakura were a perfect mixture of annoyed and worried although it was hard to tell who was feeling which. Here they were, standing by the front gate as designated with no Naruto in sight. In fact, he was ten minutes late! They wondered if Naruto was doing this as some kind of prank and wanted to see if they'd wait like the many times they've waited for Kakashi. Numerous times, Sakura threatened to go look for him and beat him to the ground while Sasuke questioned if the idiot stopped by the ramen place to eat a bowl. Just as they were about to go and investigate, they could see Naruto running towards them from a distance. It was less than a minute before Naruto was finally in front of them, panting as if he just raced around the village walls to get there.

Before any greetings could be exchanged, Sakura punched Naruto on the shoulder. "Where the hell were you?!"

"Sorry! I…was helping an old lady with her groceries across the street?"

Neither Sakura nor Sasuke were amused. "You have some fucking nerve saying that kind of line! You would have murdered Kaka-sensei if he said that!" Sakura shouted.

Sakura's anger was somehow amusing to Naruto and he laughed at the justified hostility. "Sorry, but I really was distracted by helping someone out." He technically wasn't lying. He just didn't mention how he was helped out as well.

"Yeah, I'll bet," Sasuke said. He wasn't stupid or blind. He could even smell the stench radiating off of him! Naruto looked like a disaster with his hair spiking up in all sorts of directions, his clothes were wrinkled, and his face was flushed and pink! Was he…seriously doing that before coming here? Who was Naruto involved with enough to go through such lengths?

"Ew, Naruto, what the hell is that on your shirt?!" Sakura pointed out. Sure enough, there were stains lined up everywhere on Naruto's mid to lower half of his shirt.

It surprised Sakura (not so much Sasuke due to his suspicions) to see Naruto blush like a tomato and pull a great distance away from both of them. "Can we just go already? C'mon, we're late as it is!"

"That's your fault!"

They simultaneously turned to leave passed the gates, each worrying about their own problem. Sakura, although felt a lot better after talking with Sasuke, was worried that their friendship was still on thin ice. Naruto worried about both his sexual escapades and his feelings towards Sasuke being discovered, while Sasuke, despite not wanting to admit it, worried about Naruto's secrets. Now, he had another problem to worry about; seeing Naruto in his disheveled state brought on another itch that needed to be scratched….