A/N: With a great deal of pride, and a great deal of relief, I give you guys the final chapter! I started this story many years ago and sort of abandoned it but after rediscovering the joys of boy love, I came back. My biggest motivation for fanfiction is support and that being said, anyone who wanted this story should thank the reviewers. Particularly NaruSasuLove for this last chapter I told myself I wouldn't finish unless I got just one more review, and that one was thee one. I confess that the style of this particular fanfic is a lower level of my own writing. Over the years, writing evolves guys. D: Still, I had fun revisiting all the silly dialogue and I tried my best to stay true the original format of the story. Thanks for going on this adventure with me and I hope you guys like the ending. :)
Kira: -out of breath-
Lyn: ?
Kira: -gasping- Water!
Lyn: Heh, like I'm going to get you some. Why so-
Kira: The author's note!
Lyn: What?
Kira: I tried to read it on one breath! -gasps for air-
Lyn: You mean, like, when the guy on the commercial reads the warnings and liabilities at the end? That fast?
Kira: YES!
Lyn: Why did you do that!
Kira: ...to convinvce myself- that it wasn't- as lengthy- as it is!
Lyn: ...well that back fired...
Kira: I KNOW!
Lyn: Y'know I just realized something...
Kira: What? -instantly better-
Lyn: This is our last introduction conversation.
Kira: O:
Lyn: D: What's going to happen to us?
Kira: ...I don't know. I guess either we perish with this fanfic, forever mini legends on the internet...or we just go back to normal life and bake some mother fucking cookies...
Lyn: COOKIES! Fuck the fanfiction! To the cookies!
Kira: Lyn! Wait!
Lyn: Oh, you're right! I mean, to the story! :D
A week had passed since Naruto's realization. He, Kira, and Lyn sat at the table eating dinner, ramen again. There was an akward silence as Kira and Lyn quietly slurped at their noodles. Naruto didn't eat though. He hadn't been eating either. Angrily, Lyn picked up her bowl and threw it behind her and against the wall.
"Where is he!" Lyn shouted as the pieces of the bowl clattered to the floor.
Kira sighed and put a hand on Naruto's shoulder.
"You really should just let us go find him, Naruto. It would put everybody at ease." Kira pleaded.
"At ease to kick his ass!" Lyn added.
Naruto glanced at both girls. They were good friends, the both of them. They had filled the longing for family. They'd become sisters and mothers. He loved them. But he needed something else as well, something they couldn't be.
"No," Naruto sighed, "He left for his own reasons."
Kira and Lyn looked at one another, choosing to converse privately though Naruto was still at the table and capable of hearing them.
"We could just undermind him." Lyn suggested.
"But we won't, as much as I'd like to," Kira replied before turning to Naruto, "Come on Naruto, let us go and search for him."
"No!" Naruto shouted, pounding a fist to the table, "If Sasuke wants to run away, then let him!" his voice began to crack, "Just let him."
The day of Naruto's epiphany, he ran straight to Sasuke's house, notebook in hand. His heart thudded away in his chest as footsteps pounded against the ground. If Sasuke was too afraid to say it first, then Naruto would. But when Naruto arrived, Sasuke was gone.
Naruto felt like there was no hope and yet hope wouldn't die. Everyday Naruto waited for him and he would keep waiting for him.
Kira went to Naruto's aid, putting a wamr, comforting hand on his shoulder.
"Naruto," Kira said quietly, "Maybe he did have a reason-"
"For being an utter prick?" Lyn interrupted.
"-no! Maybe he had a legimate reason for leaving."
Naruto paused and then got up from the table.
"Where are you going?" Lyn asked.
Naruto said nothing as he left out the door. Kira and Lyn chased after him, up to the front door.
"Naruto, wait!" Kira shouted.
Naruto stopped and turned around to face the girls in the doorway. He was promptly hit in the face with a sweater.
"It's cold out!" Lyn yelled, "Do you want to catch a cold?"
Naruto smiled before pulling the orange sweater on. It was nice to have a little family. Sure, Iruka had cared for him in his younger years. He'd eternally be a father figure but Lyn and Kira were like mothers and sisters. It really was like having a little family. Even if Sasuke and Sai never came back, at least Naruto had his girls.
"I hate this, Kira," Lyn said quietly as they watched Naruto walking in the distance.
"I know," Kira noted, "But this is what normal people do, isn't? They let people work out things on their own, right?"
"Ideally," Lyn stated, "...we're going to track him down, Kira."
"I know," Kira acknowledged.
The walk to Sasuke's house was quiet, as usual. Naruto had created a ritual of sorts. He came to Sasuke's house two or three times day and sat outside in his front yard. He'd take out is blue notebook, flip to a page and start reading. He never read much louder than a whisper. Some of the entries were boring, others had pages full of grammatical errors. Naruto wasn't a partiulcarly good writer and that was even more true about his younger self. Yes, Naruto had been to Sasuke's house numerous times, reading poorly written, boring accounts of a young boy and his best friend.
"Tuesday, the 24th," Naruto began, in not much more than a whisper, "Today was a bad day at first. I went to the park to meet Sasuke. I didn't tell Iruka because it was a secret. Sasuke was going to sneak away from Kakashi too. They have been weird since New Year's. Sasuke was not there yet. Some other kids were there and I tried to talk to them but they didn't want to. Why do other kids not like me? They call me an orphan but I don't know what that means. They call Sasuke that too, just the boys. The girls really like Sasuke. It makes me mad. Sasuke doesn't like them. They don't leave him alone and they are mean to me."
Naruto remembered the day like it had just happened. It was years ago but painfully vivid in his memory. He could feel his heart wrenching in his chest as he went on.
"One boy finally told me to piss off. Iruka told me that's not a nice thing to say but that boy said it anyway. He pushed me down and laughed. I started to cry because it hurt. I didn't know what to do."
Kids were always cruel. Whoever said that children were sweet and innocent obviously never spent any time as an outcast. The remarks still hurt in a way. It didn't really matter how old you became.
"Then Sasuke showed up and pushed the boy down. Sasuke helped me up and the boy yelled at Sasuke. He said Sasuke was gay. I never heard that word before; gay."
I certainly would hear it in the future though.
"I looked at Sasuke to see if he knew but Sasuke grabbed me tight and said that he didn't care. I asked Sasuke what gay was and the boy laughed."
Narrto remember the nasty little boy. He was a small thing, even for his age. Terrible personality. He couldn't recall him in the present though, and decided he must have moved away.
"The boy told me that gay was when a boy loves another boy. Sasuke held me real tight again and gave the boy a mean look. I asked Sasuke if we were gays because we loved each other. Sasuke wouldn't let me go and kept giving that mean look to the boy."
Sasuke had protected Naruto even then. Naruto could feel himself getting choked up.
"I said, 'I'm gay then!' and I hugged Sasuke. The boy stopped laughing and called us a couple of weirdos. He left and I told Sasuke that I didn't care if we were a couple of weirdos, I was happy to be gay if it meant I loved Sasuke. Sasuke kissed my cheek and I was happy. It turned out to be an okay day-" Naruto sniffled, "-after all."
Naruto's tears spilled over his lids. As a child, he'd innocently accepted his love for Sasuke, even naively claiming homosexuality. He'd always loved Sasuke from the very beginning. If only he hadn't hesitated when he was older.
"Sasuke," Naruto said, his eyes closed as if in prayer, "I'm sorry I forgot. Sasuke, I'm so very sorry I forgot. Please come back. Please come-"
"It's now like I'm dead, y'know," a voice whispered.
Naruto jumped and turned around. Sasuke's nose was an inch from his own. Sasuke was bent over and smiling at Naruto.
"S-Sasuke?" Naruto stuttered in disbelief.
Sasuke smirked.
Naruto didn't care for their usual argument. He flung himself at Sasuke and hugged him. Sasuke pushed against a support beam to keep them from toppling over.
"Naruto?"
Naruto buried his face in Sasuke's chest, taking in the smell of him.
"Naruto..." Sasuke said with understanding.
Naruto then pulled away and smiled at Sasuke before realizing something. Naruto's face morphed into anger and before Sasuke could react, Naruto kicked Sasuke in the shin.
"Where the hell were you!" Naruto shouted.
Sasuke bit his lip as he stomached the sudden pain while holding his leg to his torso. He fought it for a moment before attempting to look cool and non-chalant.
"What are you talking about?" Sasuke asked.
Naruto glared.
"You have two legs, Sasuke. After that, I'm going for what's in between them," Naruto threatened.
"Then I guess you won't ever get your present..."
"Present?" Naruto asked.
Sasuke reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper.
"Here," he said offering the page, "It's nothing."
Naruto took the paper with some hesitance and began reading it:
Naruto,
How's your penis?
Naruto's hand went up to his mouth. It was a letter from Sai. Sasuke must have tracked him down and got it from him. That's where he'd been. Naruto continued to read:
I'm sure Kira and Lyn have said all there is to say but your boyfriend insists that I write you a letter. Yes, Naruto, your boyfriend. He was very adamant about that.
Naruto, I love you. I love you with all my heart and I know that if things were different, I would be with you. However, the past is a strange thing and it seems you were predestined to be in danger. Your parents were once great assasins, as was your brother. Assassins live by a code, Naruto. If you resign, you die but your parents were not executed, they were too concerned with being there for you and your brother to try and escape. They died in combat not too long after you were born oddly enough about the same time Sasuke's parents passed away. Your older brother, Kyuubi, wanted to avenge your parents but that life lead him to his untimely death. They were all very talented and very repsected assassins. You come from a family with great honor.
However, there are those in this world who wish to do you harm as well as harm to those around you. I am the only active friend you have in the assassin game now. I do not blame Kira and Lyn for dropping out. You were in desperate need of a family and so were they. I can live on my own, it doesn't bother me. I will miss you dearly, Naruto. One day, I will return to you and I will fight Sasuke for you. Until then, I will show my love the way it needs to be shown, by protecting you.
- Sai
"Sai..." Naruto said longingly.
"Do you love him?" Sasuke asked.
Naruto looked up from the page.
"What?"
"Do you love him?"
Naruto paused for a moment.
"Yes."
Sasuke said nothing and walked past Naruto. He knew it. How could Naruto not love Sai? He was putting his life on the line for him. All Sasuke was doing was putting his heart out and barely at that.
"Sasuke!" Naruto shouted.
Sasuke stopped.
"It's true, I do love Sai!" Naruto began, "But not like I love you."
Sasuke turned around slowly, fighting the urge to run.
"Sai is a good person and I know he cares about me. He's doing much more than I would ask him to but that doesn't make me feel the way you make me feel. Sai is comfortable and you- you drive me crazy!"
Sasuke sniggered.
"You do!" Naruto continued, "I never know what you're feeling. You always make fun of me. You belittle me and mock me."
Sasuke took a step back towards his front door.
"And you-" Naruto sighed, "You look at me like I'm the only person in the world who matters. When you touch me, I feel alive. When you hold me, I feel safe. When you kiss me- I - I can't even put into words what it is but I know that eveyrything is right. No matter how different we are or even if we're" he smiled, "a couple of weirdos. I want to be with you. I love you."
Naruto took a shy step towards Sasuke. He made his way over slowly and put his arms around him. He lifted himself slightly, on his tippy toes and kissed the boy he loved.
Sasuke didn't hesitate and wrapped his arms around his beloved blonde taking him in.
It was a single moment of perfection between two imperfect lovers. The kiss was gentle and sweet but spiritual. It was everything any movie or storybook spoke of and so much more. It was completeness. It was passion. It was love. It was perfection.
That was until, Lyn and Kira came flying out of the shadows and tackled Sasuke.
"Oh my God!" Naruto shouted as Kira wrestled Sasuke down.
Lyn searched in a bag and with a grin pulled out a small gun.
"Lyn!" Naruto screamed above the struggle, "What are you doing!"
Panic and chaos ensued. Lyn had a gun. Lyn had a fucking gun and Kira was pinning Sasuke down like he was cattle to be branded.
"Something I should have done a long time ago," Lyn smirked.
Kira held down Sasuke as Lyn pushed the gun against Sasuke's head.
"No!" Naruto shouted as Lyn pulled the trigger.
Naruto covered his eyes in horror. The girls had lost it. Sasuke was gone.
"Bitch!" Sasuke growled.
Naruto uncovered his eyes to see Sasuke perfectly fine. Kira released him and bounced over to Naruto.
"Now you'll never lose him again!" Kira said cheerily.
"...what?" Naruto asked.
"What the fuck is this?" Sasuke shouted, feeling his ear, "An earring! You gave me an earring!"
"Actually," Lyn said as she packed the piercing gun away, "It's a small tracking device."
Naruto stared at the two girls.
"A tracking device!" Sasuke continued to rant, "What the hell is wrong with you two?"
"What?" Kira asked, innocently, "Is that unusual?"
"Very!" Sasuke replied, angrily, "Why would you think it wouldn't be?"
"I knew it was unusual," Lyn noted, "Think of it as punishment."
"But Lyn!" Kira whined, "You told me it wasn't weird!"
"Well," Lyn replied, "I lied."
Naruto continued to stare at the scene before him and before he could stop himself he began to giggle. The giggle then turned into a chuckle, then a laugh until it reached a real blown fit.
"Naruto?" Kira asked.
"We're all-" Naruto laughed, "We're all- so-so weird!"
"I am not amused!" Sasuke yelled, "I've got a tracking device for an earring!"
"D-don't worry about it," Naruto managed to say, "I like it!"
Sasuke blushed slighty and fingered the new piercing.
"So..." Kira attempted, "Are we all friends now?"
"Of course," Naruto answered.
"Sure," Lyn replied.
"Never!" Sasuke shouted.
Sai smiled as he watched the four from a distance. He didn't know when he'd be back. In all reality, he might not ever come back but his heart was at rest as Naruto stood surrounded by others who loved him. He would fight for Naruto if he ever had the chance. He knew he would lose too. He knew that Naruto and Sasuke were made for one another but Sai had been made for a reason too..
Sai sighed as he turned his back and took off into the distance to fufill his purpose; to protect Naruto.
Kakashi and Iruka walked side by side towards Sasuke's house. They had just been Naruto's to find that nobody was home. Iruka was frustrated but Kakashi merrily carried on.
"So what you're telling me," Iruka concluded, "Is that instead of atoning for our earlier refusal of Sasuke and Naruto's relationship ourselves, you hired two assassins, to do it?"
It had been a sin, their ignorance. They'd been selfish with themselves when Naruto and Sasuke were under their care. It was strange for their adopted children to have a romance and they'd tried to ween them away ever since both from each other and themselves. Iruka knew that one day he would have to make ammends to them both...but not with assassins.
Kakashi grinned beneath his mask.
"Not just any assasins, Iruka,"
"Oh, what makes them so special? Do they specialize in getting boys together!"
"No. How do I put this?" Kakashi mused before continuing, "Iruka, I'm a very experienced man, you know that."
"I guess."
"Well, let's just say that about seventeen years or so ago, I used to be quite the ladies man."
Iruka was uncomfortable with the statement. He and Kakashi had been an item for some time now but they'd seperated for the sake of keeping watch over Naruto and Sasuke. When Sasuke's brother had returned, Kakashi was off the hook and free to harrass Iruka. Iruka, on the other hand, still had to keep watch over Naruto.
"Of course, that's no longer the case," Kakashi continued, "But such a time ago, I used to sleep with all sorts of women. Cute women, beautiful women, vuloptuous women, slender women, quaint women, dangerous women, kinky women, dark women, blonde women-"
"I get it!" Irkua interrupted,
"Brunettes and redheads too," Kakashi emphasized.
Iruka looked at Kakashi, puzzled. Kakashi raised an eyebrow, eerily similar to way Lyn would...
Then Iruka got it.
"You- they-" Iruka stammered, "You're their-"
Kakashi pulled down his mask and smiled. His smiled beared a resemblence to Kira's.
Or is it more apt to say that Kira's resembles his? Iruka wondered.
"Do they-?" Iruka began.
"They haven't the faintest idea," Kakashi answered.
"Wow..." Iruka was amazed, "This means-"
"I know," Kakashi sighed, "I should tell them at some point."
"-you're a terrible father," Iruka finished.
Kakashi paused in their walk and laughed lightly.
"It's complicated, Iruka," Kakashi said.
"So, you hired your long lost daughters to bring them home while simaltaneously using them to get together your once adopted son with your lover's adopted son?" Iruka pieced.
"No," Kakashi corrected, "I hired my recently discovered daughters to get together my previously adopted son with your adopted son so they could check in on Naruto and not you leaving you free and all to me."
Iruka sighed as Kakashi threw his arms around him.
"You're a selfish bastard, Kakashi," Iruka said.
"No," Kakashi corrected again, "I'm a clever selfish bastard."
"Kakashi!" Naruto shouted.
"Kakashi," Sasuke recognized.
"...Dad?" Kira asked, wide eyed.
"Oh-" Kakashi paused as Iruka squirmed out of his grasp, "I guess I stopped paying attention to where we were. Seems we've made it to Sasuke's already...heh heh."
"I knew nothing of this!" Iruka shouted as he pointed to Kakashi.
"You dick!" Lyn shouted as she pulled out the piercing gun menacingly, "You absolute dick!"
"Papa!" Kira said excitedly as she threw her arms around Kakashi.
"I really meant to tell you two. I was just waiting for the right time-"
"It's okay!" Kira said, "I've got a dad!"
"The right time! THE RIGHT TIME!" Lyn rained her fury, "I'LL KILL YOU! YOU ABANDONING BASTARD!"
Iruka snuck away to Naruto and Sasuke.
"Listen boys," Iruka said, "Kakashi and I are sorry for trying to get you guys apart when you were younger. We just weren't ready for it. Kakashi may have atoned for it in a strange way, but he meant well by this."
"Hn," Sasuke replied.
"Iruka," Naruto acknowledged, "Sasuke and I had our problems. It's not your fault. Which reminds me-"
Naruto picked up the blue notebook and handed it to Sasuke.
"I wanted you to have it," Naruto said, "I know you were afraid to love me because you didn't think I'd love you back but- I always have."
Sasuke smiled before handing it back.
"Naruto, you're going to need this."
"Why?"
Sasuke smiled.
"You have a lot more love to write about."
Naruto smiled before kissing Sasuke happily.
"Well, everything worked out for the best," Iruka smiled.
"Get back here you asshole!" Lyn shouted.
"Papa! Don't leave us again!" Kira called out.
It was just another perfectly imperfect moment for the blue notebook.
Kira: Well, it's finished Lyn.
Lyn: The cookies!
Kira: No, Lyn, the story.
Lyn: Oh...but when will the cookies be finished.
Drunken Moose: ...
Kira and Lyn: O:
Drunken Moose: bleeeeeh -rolls tongue out which has cookies in a jar-
Lyn: Hello Drunken Moose! :D -takes jar of cookies-
Kira: That jar...it looks so familiar...
Lyn: Who cares! -opens jar-
Kira: I know I've seen this jar...
Lyn: -takes out cookie-
Kira: -sees a label that reads 'Jeffery'- LYN NO!
Lyn: -mouth full of cookies- Wha?
Kira: ...nevermind...
Lyn: Ja ne!
A/N: Well, it has all been said and done, folks! I am so very pleased to be done with my first chapter story. To honest, I feel like I stuffed quite a bit into this chapter but all things considered (meaning the fact that I took a years long break) I'm content with it. I hope to see you all on another SasuNaru yaoitastic adventure some day soon! Looooove~~ 3
