Two chapters in one week, I am on fire! :) Look for chapters to be out weekly now coming out on Sunday or Monday. Please review, I value opinions.


"Hello?" Sasuke said muttering lightly. He had been woken up by the ringing of the phone. At first he had looked to Naruto to grab it but there was an empty spot where Naruto was and the bathroom door was open letting in a thick warm mist from the shower. Sasuke sat up much like a zombie, head and arms appearing limp and grabbed the phone from its resting spot on the table and was finally able to answer.

"Hi, is Naruto busy?" Said a much more awake voice. Sasuke took a minute and recognized it. 'Damn it, it's Gaara…'

"Yea, he's in the bathroom at the moment. Do you have a message?" Sasuke said trying to be polite. He did however wish his 'I really did want to get woken up especially by you' vibes would go through the receiver and make his brain explode into tiny little pieces. It didn't.

"Tell him the left over pizza's in the fridge in the closet. That's about it." He heard the phone shifting a bit. "Oh and tell him congrats on the job, he ran out so quick I didn't get to tell him."

"Oh… Okay. Bye." Sasuke said and pulled the phone away.

"Bye." He hung up and set the phone back down on the table as Naruto waded back into the room with a white cotton towel around his waist. Naruto crawled up on the bed and shook off some of the excess water. "Thanks for the bath, mon renard."

"Who was that?" Naruto said smiling. He looked at Sasuke's face and realized he was still upset over answering the phone. "Not good or…"

"Gaara for you. He says the pizza in the fridge in the closet." Sasuke brushed his hair back and looked at him. "He also said congrats on getting your job."

"Oh yea, hey guess what?" Naruto said with an uneasy laugh. He scooted closer to Sasuke and leaned on him nuzzling into the nape of his neck. "Chouji's grandparents are giving me the tip jar to help teach kids how to cook. Isn't that cool? I'll have to take you there sometime we went there for lunch… Oh yea, I'm hungry."

Naruto laughed and sat back up. Sasuke looked over at him and sighed. "Naruto, you know how I feel about him and yet every single day… he's in the conversation somewhere. I just want a day without hearing about him."

"Sasuke… You're being a jealous prude." Naruto said quickly. He looked at him as to scold Sasuke. "I am allowed to have other friends, and I am allowed to hand out with said friends."

"I just don't like him." Sasuke said being honest. He stood up out of bed and walked away scratching his head. "It's like he's in the middle of our relationship. I go to see you he's there. I don't like him."

"You're not dating him, so don't worry about it. You're dating me; just ignore him if you really don't like him that much." Naruto said laying back on the bed. "I don't like all your friends, some of your so called 'connections' are just plain dumb."

"I really hate him." Sasuke said. "Why can't you move out and we'll move back in here and lie and say it's under your dad and Itachi."

Naruto was going to rebuttal but his phone rang again. He leaned over the bed and grabbed it looking at the screen quickly.

"Hello?" Naruto answered. He heard a voice and immediately cheered up. Sasuke looked at him smiling and leaned against the far wall knowing he was talking to his dad. He got that expression on his face like a little kid telling their parents everything about anything. "Yeah, no, actually I just got out. Yep, I'll be there soon, bye."

"Who was that?" Sasuke asked as soon as Naruto headed straight over to the dresser. He opened the draw and pulled out his dark navy dress shirt. "And why is my sexy getting dressed?"

"My dad. We're going out to dinner tonight with Jiraiya and Tsunade. Do you want to come?" Naruto asked throwing the shirt over his bare shoulders as he grabbed his boxers and jeans off the floor. "It's that Indian place over on Birch."

"No, I was going to head over to Itachi's. He's in his new house finally. I was going to join him for an evening coffee and catching up." Sasuke sighed and grabbed his pants as well. He put them on and shoved his phone in his pants. He looked up at Naruto to see him pull his black tie out. "Dressing up?"

"He said to." Naruto threw it around his neck for later and kissed Sasuke on the forehead. "I'll call you when were done."

Sasuke buttoned his pants and quickly threw each hand to a side of Naruto's face and pulled him in. Sasuke kissed him softly on the lips and pulled back starring into his eyes. "I love you."

"I love you." Naruto replied softly. He leaned into Sasuke holding him tightly and squeezed him as tightly as his muscles would let him. He finally let go and pecked Sasuke on the cheek. "Bye."

Naruto opened the door and disappeared behind it as it closed. He walked over to the table, sat down on the bed and picked up his phone. He sighed as he waited for the ringing to stop. "Hi, can I come over, I don't have anything to do tonight."

"Sure, I need help painting." Said his brother in a cheery voice. He stopped and sighed. "You okay?"

"I'm just kind of pissy. I'll be over soon." Sasuke said standing up and grabbing his shirt. "Naruto's going out with his dad tonight. So I've got nothing up."

"Now, you have something to do over here. I've only got half the house painted and the outside needs painting." Sasuke opened the door, shut off the light and stepped out into the cool hallway. "We'll, in a bit then."


"Hey Jiriaya." Naruto said stepping through the door of Jiriaya's house. Even more books had been stacked up since he saw it two months ago. Many of them now were science books and books on college. He walked over to Jiriaya's got a hand on his head messing up his hair.

"Hey kiddo." Jiriaya set his coffee down on the table and hugged him. He let him go and picked his cup back up. "Your dad's in the bathroom doing something about the caveman look."

"Really?" Naruto said slightly surprised. He headed down the book stacked lined hallway and turned into the open bathroom door. He knocked twice to interrupt his father saving. "Hey dad."

"Hey Naruto." He said quickly wiping off his face.

Naruto walked over and they stared in the mirror together. "If you were a bit younger we could go as twins."

"You mean if I were a lot younger, I've got too many wrinkles and too bad of saggy eyes." Minato hugged him quickly and showed off his clothing option. It was a suit Naruto easily recognized from wearing on several occasions. "I'm surprised Jiriaya keep my old suit. I suppose he kept it for you though."

"I wore that to prom, both years." Naruto said proving his father right.

"Really?" Mianto looked at it and then examined the jacket which had a few small stains and a rip on the inside. "I don't think it's good enough for prom but… I suppose with fashion today."

"Alright you two, let's get going." Jiriaya said entering. He grabbed both and began herding them towards the front door. "We'll take my car."

"I have the corvette." Naruto said quickly.

"We'll take the corvette." Jiriaya changed his mind quickly.


The door opened and Itachi smiled down at his little brother. Itachi opened an arm and Sasuke walked into it. "Hey."

"Hey." Itachi replied back. They released and Itachi let him into the room under construction. Sasuke looked around to see the wall half painted and still needing another coat along with a couch in the middle of the room and a laptop.

"I brought coffee." Sasuke said raising a little drink carrier.

Itachi took one and rolled it around in his hands. Sasuke took his out as well and just began sipping it observing what needed to be done. Down a little hall way he could make out the tiles of a bathroom and what could possibly by a kitchen with the cabinets being assembled on the table."Good, I just ran out. Here, hand me the carrier. For future reference the garbage will not always be in the bathroom."

"So, front room robin's egg?" Sasuke asked. Itachi nodded and walked into the bathroom to simply toss the carrier somewhere beyond the door frame.

"Yeah, I want black and gold accents." Itachi smiled. "One of the hotels I checked out yesterday had it in their lobby and it was so incredible. Aside from taking picture to post, I did for color shemes too. I've got a white, purple and green thing planned for the bedroom."

"Cool." Sasuke took a couple steps listening to the floor board. "So, is it haunted?"

"Nope, but just in case had a priest go through, and a medicine man. If nothing else to bring some positive karma in." Itachi said and began chugging the coffee. He set it down next to the couch and grabbed the paint can that he had been using and refilled the paint tray. "Wait until you see the finished tea room off to the side there."

Sasuke took that as 'go look' and walked over to the French doors. He opened it and saw the small table with tea set and several sitting pads around it. The floor was already matted and Itachi had filled the room with plants. "You're really making it yours quick."

"Well, I want it to be home a good home. I'd like to have a family one day." Itachi said and pushed the roller on the wall. He did a strip until he looked over at Sasuke who was chuckling quietly to himself. "What?"

"You… a family?" Sasuke said. He stopped laughing once Itachi's face lost its smile. "Mister 'I don't talk to new people ever' is actually interested in a family?"

"I think I would make a good father one day."

"You being so over protective of Naruto… I'd agree."


"What do you think of this place?" Tsunade adjusted her seat into the table. She had arranged the most secluded place she could, and since the owner of the restaurant had a daughter in her program, they received the Mayor's room, usually reserved for political meetings. She liked the colonial British and natural Indian influences around her.

"Too pricy for me." Jiriaya said. He looked at his own empty placemat and grumbled. "I feel my wallet draining…"

"Too clean for me." Minato said bringing a different view to the table. "I'm used to holes in the wall. They make me feel more comfortable."

"Naruto, do you remember coming here for your twelfth birthday? Tsunade and I brought you." Shizune asked quietly. "You ate five different things if I remember right."

"A little, it was six years ago. I think I have cake." Naruto thought about it for a minute for the picture of a giant cupcake appeared in his head. "They had those giant yogurt filled cupcakes? I ate that entire thing."

"You did, three whole ones." Tsunade lifted her glass of wine to her lips and drank it slowly enjoying the light music. "We can get one for desert, but you're sharing this time."

"Our last guest is late." Jiraiya commented on the empty seat next to him.

"Not that much, I hope." Kakashi said stepping into the room.

"Kakashi! Long time no see." Minato turned joyus and stood up to hug him. Kakashi more than happily accepted it and the too muttered to each other before sitting down.

"It's like looking at a ghost and a clone of Naruto at the same time." Kakashi noted looking at the two sitting next to each other. Both smiled. "Where have you been?"

"Mexico, in bars, I've been to Carnival though, a couple times." He quickly turned to Naruto. "I'll have to take you. It's amazing, the colors, and costumes. It'd be a good bonding time too, we can get masks and jump in the parade."

"Can I go, too?" Tsunade asked. Shizune nudged her sharply with one of her elbows. "What, I've never been."

"You can't just ask people for trips." Shizune hissed quietly. "It's rude and they want it to be a family thing."

"I just did." Tsunade argued and smiled causing Shizune to look away crossing her arms. Tsunade coughed to get attention from everyone. "So, more importantly, what are you doing to regain the trust of your son. That's why we're all here. We want to reintroduce you to society but with your current track record… How can we entrust Naruto to you. You didn't even lift a finger to raise him, the responsibility shifted to me, Jiriaya and Kakashi."

"Well, I got myself declared officially alive earlier today… I'll have to find something but the only things I'm good at anymore are drinks and genetics. It leaves me pretty limited." Minato said and sighed. "I can ask for a job at the college… I was their dean once."

"Sasori will probably need you soon. Right now there are only two genetics teachers." – N

"I hope. I'd like to buy a house and stop bumming off you and Jiraiya." "I'm pretty good at being a bouncer, I had the bar I was working at call up and give me a reference. Some studio club called me today… so I do have an interview, just no mailing address yet."

"You can come and bum off me." Tsunade offered, "Of course you'll have chores."

"Me too until you can get on your feet." Kakashi said. "You'll have to get over all my dogs though. They sleep in the guest room on the bed… I can't get them off it…"

"Thanks guys." Minato said with a little smile. "I'm hoping to get an apartment though if I get that job."

"You can go into the military. They'll accept you as long as you're not too fat." Naruto said. Minato looked at him with one eye cocked. "It's a guaranteed job with benefits and you'll be doing something positive."

Minato hit him on the head quickly with his spoon. Naruto grabbed his head and looked at him for an explanation. Minato smiled warmly. "Stop being your mother."