Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

A/N: Hey, its been a little while, i'm sorry about the bad updates recently, but not to fear, my exams are over and so i can write much quicker now. This chapter caused me quite a few problems...in fact, it went through 4 edits alone. And i needed much help from my lovely beta. I hope the result is satisfactory, as i'm getting back into the swing of things. Anyway, here's the chapter, hope you enjoy!

Warnings: Yaoi, swearing, emotional times...and a bit of fluff too to perk us up.

Loss and Gain

Iruka sat still in his flat's one single armchair, mind whirling with the implications of the scribbled notes of the Sannin Jiraiya. The amount of things to now take into consideration was making his head spin and his heart feel weak.

However was he going to take care of Naruto properly now?

How on earth would he tell him?

Every unanswered question that raced through his mind made the pressure on his chest grow heavier by the minute. Around him, the light began to fade, washing him in a grey hue as the lights outside began to flicker on with the approaching onset of night, and still Iruka remained, frozen in his seat.

In fact, he was only roused from his immobility when a strong hand came to rest on his shoulder, giving a faint squeeze.

In his surprise, Iruka jumped, sending the papers previously secured on his lap skittering to the floor. Looking up with wide brown eyes, he was met with silver hair and a comfortingly familiar mask.

"Iruka," said a low voice softly, "what is the matter, hmm?"

Iruka stared at his lover for a long moment, mind now blissfully blank of his previous worries. With an unsettling clumsiness he finally processed the question and gave a faint gesture to the papers lying harmlessly on the floorboards.

As Kakashi made to pick them up in curiosity, Iruka numbly wondered why he hadn't heard the other man come in. It was almost as nasty a shock to find how out of it he was than the information in the first place.

With a great will, Iruka shook his head and attempted to sit up in his chair straighter, giving time for the silver haired man to peruse through the documents at his own leisure.

Kakashi was always good at calming him down and sorting things out. He would know how to go on through this mess. He was sure of it, and so waited patiently for the other man to finish his investigation.

He looked up intently when he heard Kakashi heave a tired sigh.

"Maa, maa, Iruka-koi, this isn't so bad. It was what we were expecting anyway right? No need to look like the world is ending."

Iruka felt a stab of anger percolate through his ditzy state of mind. Why did Kakashi have to be so…cool about everything! Didn't he know how important this was?!

"Kakashi," breathed Iruka through gritted teeth, "you may not have the context of this situation, but I do! You don't know Naruto like I do! This is going to ruin him!"

Kakashi surveyed through his one lazy eye, unmoved by Iruka's declarations.

"Iruka, with a proper explanation everything will be just fine. Maa, you always exaggerate things when it comes to worrying," he waved a hand lazily, "I'll even explain it to him if you want- you probably couldn't even get a word out."

Iruka was prepared for a scathing reply to that when he thought better of it, and closed his mouth with a snap. Hadn't he been thinking of letting Kakashi handle the explanation to Naruto barely a few hours ago?

But still, would Naruto accept it? Oh, so many things, all dependant on how Naruto reacted and Naruto positively delighted in surprising you no matter how long you'd known him.

Yes, Naruto was officially the most unpredictable person you were ever likely to meet. And Naruto's nature was currently giving Iruka the beginnings of a rather vicious stomach ulcer.

He could do no more than give a groan as he buried his head in his hands, waiting for his son to come home.

"Iruka-sensei! Tadaima!"

Naruto called out as he bustled through the door to the little flat, pushing it shut just so he could slump with a tired sigh against the brittle wood. It'd been far too long a day, and all he wanted right now was to snitch one of those ramen cups Iruka had hidden in the kitchen, and then make a nice cosy nest for himself in his bed, where he could preferably curl up and not have to wake up for school tomorrow morning.

He'd been forced to stay late for the 'compulsory-Wednesday-afternoon-after-school- activity' and after having to deal with both Gaara and Sai in the same day, he felt completely worn out.

He frowned a little, when Iruka's greeting echoed from the living room a bit more strained than usual. Feeling something lodge thickly in his stomach, he pulled himself from his resting place to hesitantly walk to the doorway, not bothering to move his bag from beside the door.

As he entered, he rapidly took in Iruka's arched form in the armchair, and that Kakashi was seated nearby on the sofa, stretched out and looking as bored as ever. There were some white papers on the coffee table. All of which appeared bleached and tired under the yellow light provided by the dim light bulb.

"Iruka-sensei?" asked Naruto hesitantly, remembering suddenly how tense and out of it the teacher had been that morning; he'd barely even said goodbye to him when he left to head off to class. He'd brushed it off as Iruka just being preoccupied with something or other, but as he watched the strained lines in the man's face, he couldn't help but wonder what really was wrong with the man.

Iruka fixed him with the same warm brown eyes, but the smile that accompanied it was a little too taught. His hands were clasped tightly in his lap.

There was definitely something wrong here.

"Ah, Naruto! I'm glad you're back… I'm afraid that there's something we need to talk to you about."

The words were soft and slow, as if he was trying to soothe a wild animal. For Naruto, it simply made the anxiety tighten painfully in his gut as he resisted the urge to simply turn around and run very, very far away.

Instead, he merely nodded, and gingerly sat down on the sofa beside Kakashi, who he spared a momentary glance.

"So…what's this all about?" he asked questioningly, peering at Iruka intently.

Who, for his part, seemed to be at a loss. He stuttered once, twice, before snapping his mouth shut, and sent a pleading stare to Kakashi who merely sighed and leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees.

"What Iruka was trying to say is that your results from the Temple arrived today."

Naruto heard him say this in such a carefree manner, he almost felt himself relax, but he refrained, swallowing hard against the stubborn lump that had formed somewhere between his larynx and his mouth.

"And-and what did it say?" asked Naruto, his voice breaking as he tried to keep himself calm. It was a vain struggle; considering he could feel the beginnings of panic grip his sides like vices.

He could feel the blood beating its way through his head and his neck. The pulse was almost dizzying with its resolute thud. His mouth was dry and his mind was curiously blank; it could already see the train wreck, and was working ahead itself to process the shock. He knew in the depths of his soul that he didn't want to hear what Kakashi had to say, but he merely sat there stiffly to listen nonetheless.

Kakashi gave some sort of shrug, and gestured to the papers on the table, the one lying at the top of the pile specifically.

With a trembling hand, the blond reached out and grasped it, fervently ignoring the way the off-white paper trembled like a leaf in his hold.

This was it; this was the moment that would determine what would happen to him. This would decide if he would be thrown back into the frozen hell of loneliness once more, or whether he could continue to live his life the way he wanted to, never having to even think of the word demon again.

He could barely bring himself to look, but his body moved on its own, bringing the words into his eye line, making them irresistible to read.

As his gaze slid further down through the various comments penned in a lazy scrawl, his fingers tightened, crumpling the paper into light folds. Once he'd finished, he made sure to go through it again, as if magically the words would change. He paled with dismay when he found they refused to comply with such a simple wish. Panic dug in its claws, undergoing the dark metamorphosis into cold fear.

"What is this?" he asked hoarsely, "What is this?! What the hell is any of this supposed to mean?!"

Naruto sent a feral blue gaze darting back and forth between the two men in the room. Iruka look pained, but still retained his damnable silence, while Kakashi appeared resolutely unfazed, eye half lidded in dullness. It was infuriating.

When it became clear to him that Iruka couldn't quite meet his eyes, Naruto turned in near desperation to the silver haired man sitting so calmly next to him. He felt uncharacteristic hysteria claw at his throat as he watched Kakashi close the one visible eye to sigh deeply.

Naruto was so tense, he briefly entertained the idea of lashing out at him- just so he could do something, anything that could make it better! But before he could give into the compulsion, Kakashi snatched the now crumpled paper from his hand, proceeding to smooth it out, before waving it about lackadaisically.

"This," he said in a manner befitting the definition of 'flippant', "informs us what that quite lovely, pretty seal on your stomach does. Or rather, what it also does. It's. …side effects, if you will."

Naruto stared at him with a flickering gaze, ignoring his heart that was thrumming away like a rabbits, making him feel faintly nauseas. Kakashi continued drolly.

"We've been suspecting," Naruto glanced fleetingly at the still silent Iruka, "for some time now that things have been changing about you Naruto. For a reported full blooded human, you've been exhibiting some…less than human tendencies recently."

Naruto felt more than a little sick at that, and swallowed down the rising bile forcefully; he had to hear, he had to know.

"Of course, that may have just been a part of being a jinchuuriki and completely normal, but things have been getting complicated ever since you arrived in Tokyo, so we wanted to make sure that nothing was amiss."

Kakashi paused for a moment, fixing Naruto with an even stare that made him feel pinned, like a butterfly in a display case. He felt those skimming tingles prick his skin again, causing him to squirm.

"According to the Sannin, masters of their field, it appears your seal takes the role of converting the chakra, or power, of the Kyuubi no Youko and passing it onto you directly, mixing in with your bloodstream. I'm surprised you haven't noticed until now-the seal has been active ever since your birth."

Naruto rubbed sweaty hands on the black fabric of his school uniform, licking his chapped lips. It was as if his blood had been replaced with air, or perhaps nothing at all; he felt so faint.

"And that means…?"

The man gave a soft sigh; silver hair flopping over his angled headband as he finally uttered the sentence that would destroy the small world Naruto had built for himself in his short life.

"It means, Naruto, that it is turning you into a demon. Or more specifically, I would say a fox!"

The last was said in that deceitfully cheerful tone, and while Kakashi may smile under that mask of his, Naruto felt as if his insides had been replaced with stabbing, freezing ice. The claws began to rip and tear, and the fear choked his throat. Dread fed on his despair as he paled, his already more than pasty tan fading to a bleached white.

….No….

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!

He didn't want this! It was bad enough to know that he held a dark creature within him, but to become one?! Why, why did this have to happen to him? Why, just when he was having friends for the first time, where people didn't glare at him, call him names or leave him to wither, segregated from everybody else?!

He couldn't breathe. He couldn't think.

He didn't want to be what the villagers had always thought of him!

He didn't want to be alone!

Iruka finally took action, hurriedly moving to sit beside the shattered boy and take his hand as he realised the little blond was beginning to shake.

He took a moment to glare at his lover.

"Kakashi!" he admonished.

But said man was unrepentant, and barely bothered to shrug as he propped his feet on the much abused, and yellowing coffee table.

"He needs to stop treating it as if it's the end of the world. Really, it just makes things much more interesting. And much easier for him too, if he does actually have any sort of interest in Sasuke."

The name was said casually, but it clicked in Naruto's panicking mind with worrying clarity and focus. His hands tightened and the tremors halted. Sasuke? Wha-what did Kakashi mean by that? Was…was Sasuke different too? And know he thought on it, what was Gaara; he'd felt…different as well, but almost oddly similar to Sasuke. Though it had been an irritation rather than the almost soothing quality that Sasuke had.

He gripped his head as it began to throb; full of unanswered questions and lack of understanding, which sent his thoughts skittering all over the place.

Just…just what was going on?!

"I'm-I'm so confused," admitted Naruto softly, gratefully letting Iruka fuss over him; it felt good, to know that Iruka knew, but he didn't seem to care about any of what Kakashi had just revealed.

"Naruto," said Iruka at last, "I know the villagers back in Konoha would always tell such terrible stories, but youkai are very different. You'll…" Iruka's face wrinkled, as if in pain, "go through some changes, and it may be scary at first, but you'll have a life; one of your own. And I'll make sure nothing happens to you, alright?"

By the time his guardian was finished, Naruto had given up on the hot tears that ran down his face. His mind had blanked out into white fuzz, and he didn't know what to do apart from let them fall. He didn't particularly care, and let himself bury against Iruka, inhaling his scent, and idly wondering when it became so clear and familiar to him; so safe.

Warm hands gently stroked along his back comfortingly. It was weak, and Naruto was sure he was far too old for this by now, but it felt so nice, and his desire to be comforted and to have the knowledge that he wasn't completely alone was too unrelenting to resist.

"I should probably tell you already…" sighed Iruka, just managing to meet Naruto's curios and damp blue gaze, "that Kakashi himself is a youkai."

Biting his tongue as his eyes widened to make them appear like the sea; vast and wet, Naruto instead twisted his gaze to appraise the man who he suddenly noticed was almost as close to him on the heavily cushioned sofa as Iruka.

Kakashi, weird-mask man, was a d-demon?

…

No way.

"No way…" muttered Naruto, still staring at him in incredulity, shocked out of his own twisted thoughts on despair and isolation.

Kakashi merely treated him to one of those strange smiles of his, where his eye practically completely closed.

"Fully fledged," he said with a slight incline of his head to signify a nod, "and I assure you its not all bad. And on the whole, we don't eat babies and rape the virgin community under the dark caress of the sweet night-like some people like to think."

"…"

Kakashi, in Naruto's opinion, had just reached an entire new and untold level of weird.

Even in his wrung out state, he managed to turn back to Iruka to ask in disbelief,

"You know this guy? Seriously?"

Iruka simply laughed and shook his head, muttering the word "Naruto" under his breath a few times, a little like a chant and hugged him a bit tighter.

There was silence after that, all three of them sitting bunched up on the far too small sofa in some sort of strange, peaceful montage. Naruto couldn't summon the energy to think about it anymore. Too deeply anyway.

If Iruka-sensei, and Kakashi said youkai weren't so bad….then, maybe he wouldn't be forced into loneliness once more? And there wasn't just him either, all by himself. If Kakashi was a demon, then there had to be others too right? And didn't Kakashi also mention something about Sasuke? If youkai were people like that, maybe it didn't really matter so much, what he was?

This tentative step towards the unknown was tempered by his curiosity suddenly proposing every question under the sun. He was hesitant to open his mouth, for he had the tendency to just spew all his thoughts out at once, but as the silence dragged, as bizarrely comfortable as it may be, he decided to be brave and break the halt in conversation.

"So…" he said bashfully hugging onto a nearby cushion, "what are youkai like?"

To which Iruka gave a painful squeeze on the tan hand still in his grip, and Kakashi chuckled, taking the opportunity to ruffle blonde locks, almost affectionately.

"You want to know hmm? Well, all right. I'll try to put this as simply as I can…"

The next morning, Naruto trudged through the empty hallways of Shichiyou, trying to stifle an inevitable yawn. Even after Kakashi had left sometime before midnight last night, it hadn't been until the early hours, when morning light filtered through his window that he finally managed to doze off, strewn on top of the mussed covers of his bed. He just had so much running through his mind; it simply refused to shut down.

Then again, his entire world and his place in it had all been upturned in a single night; how could he possibly sleep after all that? Even now, walking through the school, passing lockers and empty classrooms was strangely surreal, as if he simply hadn't woken up this morning at all and was still in a fuzzy dream world where he would wake any second.

He felt inordinately lost. He was emotionally wrung out, like a wet towel twisted too many times, and he couldn't seem to make a coherent decision on anything. After Kakashi's words and Iruka's assuring last night he couldn't even decide if youkai were good or bad anymore.

He had grudgingly come to terms with his new status, but from that point he had absolutely no idea how to go forwards. He felt as if something ought to happen, to show him where to start, but he couldn't quite grasp what it was supposed to be in the first place. He almost felt as if he was impatiently waiting and in the mean time, he was left to stew in an awkward limbo in between. What, he couldn't say, but it was an undeniable feeling nonetheless, and in all it made him feel so wholly lost. Waiting for something, someone, to pick him up out of this mess.

Perhaps he'd snap out of his scattered state of mind when he got into class, a nice slap in the face by reality. Iruka had to be in early for a staff meeting today, thus why he was in a full half hour before registration even began. Only the truly dedicated students would be in at this time given the choice. The school at this time was almost ghostly in its disposition; most of the lights were still off, and various doors were still locked, the stairwells deserted. He fervently hoped as he climbed the steps that Room 218 was open. If it wasn't, he would be forced to sit down on the cold floor, and he wasn't entirely sure if he'd be able to get up again if he did; he was so tired.

Of course, emotions were far more exhausting than any physical exercise. Frankly, he was almost eager to get into lessons, where he could hopefully focus and forget about his newfound…change in species.

Naruto wrinkled his nose. No matter he was forced to accept it, that just sounded plain weird. Though his most pressing concern over the entire matter was his newfound fear of rejection. Wonderful.

Surely his friends would abandon him if they knew? Unless perhaps, if they could possibly be youkai themselves? And Kakashi had mentioned something about Sasuke…if he knew, then he felt as if he could then get some grip on the situation.

For no matter how much he may wish it at the moment, his condition wasn't going to be changing anytime soon.

The blonde breathed a sigh of relief when he found the door to his form room open, and he moved slowly inside. Not caring about his slouched back as he slung his bag onto the nearest front bench, resulting in a satisfying echo in the empty room as he flumped down next to it. The blinds on the tall windows were still half closed, and the room was awash with a grey light, soft shafts of sunlight only illuminating small squares on the dusty floorboards under the indented windowpanes. The board was still covered in some half rubbed off writings from the day before, and the gentle 'tick' of the clock that hung over the doorway echoed like a hypnosis through the soft silence, causing Naruto's lids to droop.

Perhaps coming in early wasn't so bad, it was oddly peaceful…maybe he could get some sleep in before registration…

He was just falling into a light doze, and he was subsequently fully unprepared to find himself not alone.

"Dobe."

Naruto was quite sure he was going to have a heart attack, as he jumped so startled, that he managed to trip over and bang right into the wooden ledge of the desk in front. He hissed, and bent over, clutching his throbbing hipbone with a grimace.

"Fuck!"

He glared with all the vehemence he could muster as he heard a soft snort come from the rows above.

"You shut up, teme," he scowled, before realising quite acutely just who he was in the room with. Alone.

Naruto descended into curses once more as he vainly tried to hide himself from view by curling up even more and busying himself with his bag. Sasuke could always put him on edge, and for some reason this morning just his voice was getting him flustered. He was so not ready for this!

Sasuke it appeared, did not take Naruto ignoring him well, as he gave the blond an irritated glare from his loftier position near the back of the classroom.

"Stop messing about, just come up and sit down."

The pain in his side long forgotten, Naruto hesitated, completely stuck where he stood before he made the mistake of glancing at the boy who sat lazily on one of the top benches.

Uchiha Sasuke was calmly seated near the back of the room, his dark bangs falling into his face as he glanced down the steps towards him. He gracefully rested his chin on the propped palm of his hand, the white skin a delightful contrast to the black of his fitted uniform. In the pale light, his dark eyes that surveyed him so steadily appeared to glint.

Feeling his resolve of ignoring the Uchiha melt like a snowball in August, Naruto gave a half sigh, half whimper as he bit his lip.

Roughly grabbing his bag and making a show of slumping down next to the other boy in reluctance, he hoped to hide the sudden blush that had sprung up at the near proximity, and which was intent to cause Naruto as much mortification as physically possible.

"Did you run here or something, you're all flushed."

Which was only superseded in its mission by Uchiha Sasuke himself Naruto decided, as he felt a pallid hand momentarily brush against his forehead.

The light touch tingled, and the irritating flutters in his stomach were making the blond feel almost lightheaded.

He quickly ducked away from the inquiring hand, scolding himself for missing the sensation it had caused. Sasuke seemed slightly annoyed with the retreat, and rapidly withdrew his hand.

"Tch."

Naruto didn't bother to reply and despite the furious restless itch beneath his skin, he tried his best to be nonchalant, resting his chin in one hand as he leant on the varnished desktop. He hadn't been so close to Sasuke in weeks! Not since that time in the bathroom, and he'd nearly…

No! Don't think of that!

Sasuke flicked a curios glance to the blonde beside him as he flushed bright red. It was sorta cute really…

Naruto mentally berated himself as he tried to get his face back to its normal skin tone. How did the Uchiha do this?! It was beyond embarrassing.

He bit his lip hard, as he briefly turned his gaze to the off-white ceiling, before breathing deeply through his nose.

The silence between them stretched, only filled by the continuous 'tick-tick' of the clock. Sasuke had fallen into a common pose of staring broodingly into the distance, and Naruto was unwittingly joining him as he puzzled over what to do.

Sneaking a sly glance to the dark haired boy, he was irresistibly reminded of what Kakashi had vaguely mentioned last night, as well as his own thoughts that very morning. Would Sasuke care about him being youkai? Somehow, Naruto had already concluded that outside Iruka, it was Sasuke's opinion that mattered to him the most; in fact it felt almost crucial to him. He had no idea where this sort of feeling had come from, or how it had developed so far in just a few short weeks, but he knew it was true nonetheless. One question though, picked out from Kakashi's indistinct words was even more important. Was Sasuke…just maybe, a youkai too?

He was burning in curiosity, but he had absolutely no idea how to breach the subject, he could hardly just blurt it out. Surely Sasuke would look at him like he was insane. Naruto…didn't particularly want Sasuke to think he'd escaped from some mental institution, so that option of being blunt was out. But still, trying to wheedle it out of conversation wasn't really what he excelled at either, and that was if he could talk properly to Sasuke anyway; the bastard had the most unhelpful ability to get him horrendously sidetracked.

Fuck it. He'd just have to wing it.

"Ne, ne, Sasuke…" he trailed off as dark eyes flickered in his direction, and Naruto suddenly realised he had no idea what to say next. Stupid Sasuke and his stupid confusing eyes.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow in question as Naruto let his sentence completely fizzle into nothingness.

Shit, shit, shit, shit, this wasn't working! Maybe he should just ask outright after all…

"…You're staring baka."

Naruto blinked, unsure when he'd exactly glassed over. He immediately started to sputter out a denial as he saw the Uchiha's accusing gaze, embarrassment colouring his features a violent red.

Crap, crap, crap!

Resisting the urge find a rock to go hide under, and preferably never be seen again, Naruto vainly tried to mutter some sort of explanation that would have a chance to save the last of his dignity from this bastard-of-a-fiend who acted out so effortlessly.

Sasuke however, appeared to have developed a finesse for being horribly blunt and uncaring towards said dignity.

"You were," he began to smirk slightly, and Naruto felt an ominous shudder race down his spine. That smirk…was almost…bad thoughts!

The blonde couldn't help but stiffen like a board as Sasuke actually began to lean in over the bench top.

Why-why so close?!

"I wonder," the Uchiha's voice had seemingly lowered by a few octaves, and Naruto felt something horrendously like shivers wrack through his nerves, "what you could want, hmm?"

They were too close again. Just like the time in the bathroom, and that night when they….eh, when the 'incident' occurred. The tingles were back, along with a new urge to do…. something, anything!

But for the life of him, he had no idea what. Instead, he vainly tried to ignore the Uchiha's uncharacteristic invasion of his personal space as he absently licked his drying lips. He was unaware of the way Sasuke's dark eyes flitted down to observe the motion and then back up.

"I-I just wanted to ask you something," he said, cursing as it came out breathless. He hated sounding like an idiot. It was to his surprise that instead of mocking him, Sasuke simply leaned in even closer, dark eyes hooded.

"Oh?"

It was almost a purr.

"Yeah…demo…"

Wha-what was Sasuke doing?! It was making his heart start a rather brilliant impersonation of a hummingbird, while the butterflies in his stomach were having a field day.

"You can ask me anything, Naruto."

Oh God.

His name…no one had ever said his name like that. So dark and sweet, like a caress of velvet. His breath hitched as the heat in his stomach abandoned it to spike elsewhere in a throb between his legs.

Oh fuck.

His cheeks felt on fire as he tried to get his breathing going again. Sasuke was now so close; he could feel light breaths tickle his overheated skin. He struggled to keep his eyes open as he felt warm fingers squeeze his own.

No! He had to know! He couldn't bear it, he had to know before-!

"Sasuke, are you…-?"

He was cruelly interrupted as a gaggle of students burst through the door with a bang, and Naruto was forced to snap back on his seat, hitting the back painfully as he determined to put space between himself and his desk mate, though he couldn't help but feel cutting disappointment leeching him. He wasn't entirely sure about what though and as he tried to get both his blush and breathing under control, he vainly struggled with his convoluted thoughts.

He glanced at Sasuke wonderingly, and blinked in surprise when he saw the red tinted, murderous, glare fixed on the noisy clump of pupils. It was downright ferocious, and the way it hardened his eyes like that…

The blond frowned slightly as he watched the red tint slowly fade, washing away as the dark haired boy just grunted before setting in to stare apathetically towards the front, the moment completely gone.

The blonde vaguely noticed that this time the strange tingles that skittered across his skin had lingered and only now was the heightened sensitivity starting to fade reluctantly. His nose twitched a little; and he swore the air had become heavier since he arrived half an hour ago.

Casting one last glance towards Sasuke, his dark eyes, pale skin and the blue tinted silky hair, Naruto felt the bitter disappointment of before lessen to a more manageable level.

He could wait a little longer to know if Sasuke was like him. Did it really have to matter anyway?

For, no matter what the answer was, Sasuke would always be special.

A/N:I'm not entirely sure about this chapter, but it needed to be done, so there. Next chapter things get a bit more interesting. It was a bit emotional, but its all character development, and did we like the sasunaru interaction? Poor Naru-chan, always blushing like that, lol.

Please review, the feedback is always valuable to me! Next chapter will have Gaara, kisses, and a fight! Things are getting tense, ja!