Chapter 20:

Shikamaru scratched his head. All of these things really are becoming a trouble indeed.

Everything was going well, that, he can't deny. The council didn't think that their accomplice Danzo, would still be alive, nor did they think that Naruto would get to meet the very evidence of their crime almost ten years ago. Must have been why they were eager to send ANBU to kill the village's hero, to ensure that the two best friends wouldn't meet and the supposedly last living Uchiha would never tattle what he knows. Because if that happens, Naruto, being that devoted to Sasuke, would absolutely ignore all banishment in hell and would give the news to Tsunade immediately.

It was all simple, really, that Shikamaru can't believe it.

The council, being the greedy old bastards that they are, truly believed that Danzo can run the village. Blind of their ideal village in mind, they went on with what Danzo planned, the manipulative little bastard that he is, even wiping the whole Uchiha clan by the hands of their prodigy Itachi. Shikamaru can imagine Danzo saying rich words that got those fools believing, 'They're too dangerous. Their power is progressing even as we speak. It will be no wonder that a rebellion would rise one day. We have to wipe them out and create a new league. A definite soldier that won't disobey the leader's command' Must be why the Roots were made in the first place.

And the fools with the rotten brain as old as their ages, must have nodded and hummed. Stating that what Danzo says is true, too much power will make them act all high and mighty and they will try to take over at one point.

They must have thought that Sasuke knew once he tried to kill Danzo, and Shikamaru can almost see them huddling at the darkest part of the village, hushing among themselves and biting their nails, repeatedly thinking, 'He must die. He must die or he would unveil what happened almost a decade ago. He must die or he will come after us and the village will suffer. After all, the village will crumble without the council'.

The problem is, the elders of the village will not listen to whatever Sasuke might say and his words will definitely be labeled as madness.

Although one other problem was the council wanting Naruto dead, they already have one lead in their hands. A fallen ANBU, who was a little too late in ending his life and got caught by Kakashi instead. The challenge lies on making him spill the beans. They can ask one of the Yamanakas to have a sweep in his mind, but it's a risky plan against a trained leaf ANBU. The best they can do is having the witness to lose his defenses and make his tongue loose, but how to get him to start talking in the first place?

Small little prickles at the corner of his eye had Shikamaru looking at Kiba before sighing.

The idiot was blatantly staring at Naruto and Sasuke while the others had the decency to focus on their dinner. It's not that he can blame anyone of them as they are currently in front of a very peculiar sight. Although he'd have to commend on Sasuke's teammates for ignoring the two of them and getting on their own businesses.

Everyone is gathered around the table of the Uchiha manor's dining area. It was the best place they could meet to sort things out and plan but no one dared to voice it out, except Naruto. Sasuke had immediately stilled upon suggestion, but to all of their surprise, he just uttered a simple 'Follow me' before taking off with Naruto hot on his tails.

Which is why the whole Rookie 12, Kakashi, Naruto's summons and Sasuke's team are gathered here, with one particular Kiba staring at the too close Naruto and Sasuke.

They're not close in a sense that they're all over each other, but they are definitely sitting beside each other too close for a certain anti-social Uchiha who absolutely loathes any contact. What's more is their synchronization, such as Sasuke passing on the chili to Naruto wordlessly, Naruto picking on his vegetables and giving it to Sasuke, Sasuke getting the napkin to stuff it in Naruto's face and so on, all without uttering a single thing sans the occasional name-callings of 'Dobe' and 'Teme'.

It was amusing to watch, but definitely a curious case. What happened to the two of them that got them here? Of course, no one can ever forget how these two had tried to kill each other on numerous occasions, which is why it's all the more mysterious.

To the others anyway. As much as Shikamaru would like to deny it, he could see it coming since Genin days.

Now we've got another Neji and Gaara. Troublesome…

"Um…" Kiba broke the silence and to Shikamaru's amusement, both Naruto and Sasuke snapped their heads to his direction. "Eh… How did you two meet outside?"

"Oh." Naruto straightened up and grinned. "Yukari caught Suigetsu."

"She didn' catch me!" Suigetsu immediately countered with his own glare.

"Sure you weren't!" Naruto laughed. "Must be why you were sitting on the floor and tied up when I got home!"

Kiba's eyebrows raised. "Huh? You lost me there. I thought you were fighting when you said Yukari captured him. Wait, Yukari's the little girl right?"

Yukari glared at him from the other end of the table and Kiba nervously laughed.

"No, no!" Naruto cheerfully announced. "I was on a village that day and when I got home, I was really surprised to see him all tied up!"

"Tch. Surprised m'ass! Ya practically announced m'name when ya open'd the damn door." Suigetsu grumbled.

"That's because I smelled you while I was on the way, stupid!"

"Woah! Woah!" Kiba stood up, his eyes gleaming in delight. "You smelled him?"

Naruto grinned and bobbed his head. "Yep! I got these super cool senses now!"

"Damn, Naruto! My mom would be happy to adopt you to our family!" Sasuke glared and Kiba faltered. "Em, I mean, well… as a brother, I mean."

Shikamaru almost rolled his eyes. It seems no matter how stupid Kiba is, he didn't not notice the possessive way the Uchiha was handling Naruto, nor did he fail to see that there's just something going on between them. He had to force himself to stop smiling though when Naruto didn't notice the short, murderous, and precise exchange from Sasuke to Kiba.

"Right, right?" Naruto cheered.

Shikamaru cleared his throat. "Well, I know this is a touching reunion and all, but let's not forget what we really came here for."

…

Naruto sobered up almost instantly when Shikamaru laid out the problem to all of them.

They don't have any means of proving that what Sasuke would say is true in front of the council, and they don't even know how to get the capture start talking. What Naruto's problem, however, is that he actually has the solutions to all of this, but he's not sure if he should lay it down.

One of his conditions when he came here with Sasuke, is that he'd never lift a finger to help any side of the war, not even his comrade. That's the burden he has to carry for being what he is right now…

But I'm not yet…

You're right. Naruto almost flinched. You're not yet fully transformed, kid. You can still do as you like while you still have time.

Kyuu… But it's still forbidden.

Naruto. Kyuubi almost bit out. I make the rules. Who do you think will chew my head off?

Stupid fox! You're saying that because it won't be your head on the platter when it comes, but mine!

Ah, well. That's life.

Naruto could feel a tick forming on his temple.

Inside his mind, Kyuubi just scoffed and flopped down her mattress, putting aside her brushing of hair for a second for her idiot but beloved son. "Naruto, the point is, you're not to follow any rules yet." A smile graced her face as the weather outside her window turned from cloudy to warm. "You aren't here yet, my boy. And though you've left there, you're still halfway through. Afterwards, well, you can always ditch those rules. No one would hate you for that." She paused for a second. "Although Oryu will surely chew your head off."

That's not very reassuring! You don't know how scary he is, Kyuu!

"Oh, please. I got my share of Oryu's scolding too, you know." And she continued combing her hair. Realizing that she'd had the silver hair for far too long, she furrowed her brows and turned it blonde before grinning and combing it once more. "Consequence aren't life threatening anyway. I'd like to remind you it'd be painful though."

Naruto almost smiled to himself, knowing perfectly well what Kyuubi was talking about. He carefully got up to go to the kitchen, knowing at the back of his minds that Sasuke was watching him talk with Kyuubi inside, and would most probably follow because of his curiousness. He just couldn't believe that right after he placed the glass of water he emptied on the wash bin, Sasuke had already followed and cornered him against the marbled sink, both his hands trapping Naruto from moving away.

"Sasuke." Naruto looked up as he played the shocked role. During times like this does he see the difference in their heights now and it sometime irks him. Especially since he had stopped growing up since last year. Although that aside, Naruto has to say that he really was surprised, not by Sasuke following him but by the closeness of their position. "What are you doing?"

"Don't play games with me, Dobe." Sasuke bit out. "I saw you. You were talking to Kyuubi."

Blue eyes blinked. "Huh. Yes, I was. And?"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. He knew that something went on what with the expressions Naruto had while they talked, and he doesn't like not knowing because he just knows how reckless Naruto is. "What did he say?"

"She, Sasuke, she. Although it doesn't make a difference since she's neither."

"Don't change the topic, Usuratonkachi." Sasuke pressed closer, wanting to be threatening, and failing, as Naruto suddenly flushed silly, which Sasuke noticed without fail.

"Uh, no." Blue eyes darted at the side while he gripped at the edge of the sink, pressing himself farther against that marble even as it bit his back. "Well, we were just talking about what to do… I, I actually have a letter from Sandaime-jiji." He looked back to Sasuke at this with a suffering smile before looking down. "When… when Jiraiya died," he gulped, "the toads had given me a bunch of letters. A hundred and two letters. Letters from my father addressed to me for each of my birthdays until I get a hundred years old."

Sasuke's eyes softened at that and he almost forgot he was interrogating Naruto. Almost.

"Can you believe that? What a stupid dad…" Naruto paused for a second before seemingly remembering what he was supposed to be explaining. "Hundred of it was from dad to me. One was a letter which contains a top-ranked mission, and the last one was from Sandaime-jiji."

"I didn't open the sealed scroll at first as I was too excited to open the letter from Jii-chan." Sky blue eyes shyly looked up to Sasuke. "He was asking about me, how I was doing, if the villagers are treating me good… and he was asking about you."

Sasuke almost stilled at that, his brows furrowing in confusion and wonder. "Why me?"

Naruto looked away again, and Sasuke even heard him gulp. "He was asking how you're faring, if all is good, if you're still bitter. And he was asking for your forgiveness…"

Once those words left Naruto's mouth, Sasuke felt the urge to run away. He got a good feeling where this was heading, and he wasn't sure if he's ready to hear it now. But Crystal blue eyes pinned him short from escaping, more so when Naruto reached out to him and caress his neck. "He was asking for forgiveness that he's sure he does not deserve. Asking for forgiveness for being so… so weak. He was asking," Naruto snaked his arms around Sasuke's shoulders and whispered, "he was asking for you to come back and help. Help get rid of the council for what they did to your clan."

Onyx eyes snapped open at that, not even sure when he had closed them. "What?"

"You heard me, Sasuke." Naruto firmly gazed back at him. "He had left a mission for you. A last mission. And that's what the other scroll is all about."

Naruto's voice was barely above a whisper, so much that Sasuke cannot help but compare him to his loud and obnoxious persona he so like to play whenever other people are there. But what Naruto was saying now is all considered a heavy class of information that Sasuke can't help but forget everything else for a moment.

"The scroll," Naruto continued, "it had asked you to search for help from anyone outside the village, because he was sure… Sandaime was sure that the council will not allow you to be helped, to be powerful, while you're here inside the Konoha."

Sasuke can feel himself burning up from all the information that he was getting. He's feeling all riled up to think that everything, from what he did when he was twelve, up to now, for seven years, had been covered by an all-seeing guy. It disturbs him to discover that someone knows what step he will do next, but even he can't deny the fact that this bit of information is so useful it can eradicate those fucking bastards in one go.

"But that's not really believable, Dobe."

Naruto smiled and softened his hold on Sasuke. "Oh, they will believe for sure. Because every Hokage has an insignia that no one can ever replace and imitate because of their chakra and DNA. And both his letters has his sign."

Sasuke was quiet for a moment, contemplating what was told, weighing his chances and what could happen. "He's dead." He finally said. "Words from the dead leader do not count anymore."

"You'll be surprised." Naruto sagely answered, before releasing his hold around Sasuke's shoulders, preferring it to be carelessly laid on the other's chest, and leaning back, still not able to get away because of Sasuke's arms trapping him. "But the point is, the insignia are used for absolute orders. And no one, not even the elders, nor the council, can outlaw it, besides the current Hokage herself."

"Why are you saying it to me now?"

Sasuke will be damned if he did not notice the slight falter in Naruto's expression and he narrowed his eyes. "Dobe."

"M-maa…" Fingers scratched whiskered cheeks. "You know that I'm not supposed to be involved in any war, right? Well, I just can't stand not doing anything. And, and… and I won't sit by and watch as they point their filthy finger at you!"

Sasuke stared long and hard, assessing if what Naruto had said was true. He couldn't detect an ounce of lie on what he said, but he still cannot shake the feeling of uneasiness so he glared. "You're not telling everything."

Naruto looked away and that's all what Sasuke needed before he grasped both of his arms with his hands. "Naruto." He warned.

"Th-there's nothing!"

"You stuttered."

Naruto gasped. "That's not counted! And it doesn't mean I'm not telling anything!"

Cold hands grasped Naruto's face and forced him to look directly into black eyes before the owner dangerously hissed. "You dare lie to me?"

"I'm… I'm not lying." Blue eyes desperately looked down as tanned hands gripped on pale ones.

"Don't pull that fucking crap on me!"

"Well… um, there might be a tiny little bit of, of something."

"I'm listening."

"Okay, sure. Um, you know that we have a problem with making the witness talk, right? Well… I might have a little trick up on my sleeves to do that."

A trick. Sasuke's mind deadpanned. A fucking trick and he's so scared to tell me. "And why is that trick such a big deal?"

Naruto nervously laughed. "Let's just say that there are… consequences for doing that."

Sasuke stilled all movements, a silent demand for Naruto to keep going, which the blonde obediently did, although obviously hesitant. "It's just going to use a lot of chakra and will in turn quicken the transformation process." Which means much limited time for me… Naruto's mind supplied, but he can leave that little bit for later, after everything is done.

Upon hearing the word transformation, Sasuke's mind automatically reeled back to their journey when Naruto was almost raw of meat and blood during his glitches. Consuming a lot of chakra will quicken the process he says, so doesn't that mean that he will go through that once more, only worse?

Sasuke jerked back from his hold on Naruto as he stepped back, his eyes swirling with Sharingan before he spat with so much animosity, "Fuck no!"

"But it's the only way!"

"NO!" Sasuke swatted away those hands that had tried to cling to him and stop him from retreating. "You're not doing it."

"I am and I will!" Came Naruto's immediate reply as he followed Sasuke. "I told you, Sasuke, this is the only way!"

Swirling red eyes looked back at Naruto sharply. "Fuck that! This is my fucking problem, you stay out of it!"

"Don't be such a bastard about it!" Naruto tried to grab on the hem of his Kinagashi but Sasuke retaliated. "Teme!"

"Shut up!" Sasuke swirled around and gripped Naruto's collar before slamming the younger boy against the wall. "You don't know, you don't fucking know, how it feels to fucking watch while your fucking skin peels off every fucking second the last time, Uzumaki!"

Naruto noticed how Sasuke's harsh voice trembled, and he just stupidly gaped, his mind not comprehending what to say.

"It was fucking torture while I watched you turn into a bloody fucking mess because of that fucking transformation, whatever the hell that means! I know it had hurt you, moron, I know that! But it's a different thing when I was fucking watching, watching! I was sitting there, watching you writhe and cry and fucking almost die! And there was nothing I can do but just bloody fucking watch!" Sharingan spinning wildly, Sasuke gripped Naruto's front shirt tighter.

Naruto answered Sasuke's outburst with a soft voice. "But I know what it feels like, Sasuke."

"You clearly don't if you're fucking insisting of doing that damn idiotic trick!" Sasuke spat.

Realizing that their discussion is not going to lead into somewhere, Naruto narrowed his eyes and growled deep before pressing himself against Sasuke more. "I do know, Sasuke! I know how it feels to be helpless because that's what I felt my entire life from the villager's scorn to the time I watched you walk away!"

When Sasuke stilled, Naruto immediately regretted mentioning what he just said and immediately pulled Sasuke in his embrace, even if he had to tiptoe for him to be able to wrap the guy's shoulder with his warmth. "If you had wished that you were able to do something while I was experiencing that, then you should know that I wouldn't just sit here and watch you be accused by those fucking liars when I know that I could have done something…" He gently explained.

However, Sasuke still refused to say anything. "Please, Sasuke…" Naruto almost cried. He doesn't like the feeling he always get when Sasuke ignores him. "Please, talk to me. I'd rather do this with your support on my back than having to sneak out…"

Sasuke immediately turned his head to look at Naruto, and though his eyes were no longer blazing with sharingan, his glare still has its effect. "Don't you dare… Don't you dare sneak out, idiot, or I'll castrate you alive."

A gentle smile slowly found its way to Naruto's face, but he couldn't very well stop the shiver that ran through him as he felt cold hands slowly snake around his waist before settling down there and caress his back, nor could he stop the content sigh escape his lips. So he tightened his embrace and moments later, they were just two idiots standing there, holding on each other like lifeline.

"I will still do that." Naruto later on whispered. "I'd do it for you over and over, because I'm not just going to watch." While I can still do something… no matter the consequence.

Sasuke's answer was just to squeeze him tighter and hide his face in Naruto's neck.

…

Kiba awkwardly looked around the room all the while sweating profusely. Almost everyone was avoiding each other's eyes, but there are some, like Choji, Neji, Rock Lee, Suigetsu, Juugo and Keisuke, and surprisingly Ino, who had those grins, (smirk in Neji's part). If they had a feeling earlier that something was going on between Naruto and Sasuke, this pretty much concludes it.

It's not like the awkwardness came from concluding the something between the two guys, it's not that weird anyway to hear of it especially in the Shinobi World. It's how they had concluded that was making it awkward.

You see, there they were, eating their dinners all the while talking about the serious stuffs when Naruto left for kitchen. Kiba had automatically looked at Choji and they shared a wicked grin, both wondering when Sasuke would follow, and the guy soon did, much to their surprise. Snickers flew here and there, every once in a while, a 'Told ya so' was mumbled by someone and a few laughed. That is, until they heard Sasuke yell a cuss.

Everyone was instantly alarmed, but Gaara had told them to leave the two alone as it is not for outsiders to know. They had complied obviously, although hesitantly. No one there forgets that Sasuke was a missing-nin who had tried to kill them all at one point, Naruto at several attempts.

Hushed whispers could be heard at the kitchen, with Sasuke yelling here and there. The words were comprehensible though in Kiba's sensitive ears, especially because of how short the distance from the Dining area to the kitchen was. And it seems that no one around the table forgot it too when all eyes landed on him, silently demanding for him to spill what was being discussed inside.

He didn't have to go through such lengths to detail what he heard anyway when Sasuke, the fucking Uchiha, who probably has no care what the outside world thinks, practically screamed to the whole world what he was feeling during Naruto's transformation.

Kiba had seen Shikamaru, Neji and Gaara stilled and exchanged glances at that. Even Kakashi had stopped reading his porn. But no one uttered a single word about it.

It was awkward in a sense like how awkward it will feel to see lovers fight in the middle of a public road, and even Kiba feels how right on the mark a lover's quarrel is.

"So…" He had started and different pair of eyes landed on him. "Uh… it's the two of them, huh?"

Ino had given a girly chuckle at that, excited with the idea of two hot guys falling in love with each other, no matter how hot Sasuke was in her eyes when she was younger. "I won't say I didn't see that one coming."

"Huh." Kakashi finally talked. "With the way how Sasuke talks to Naruto and about Naruto alone, a lot of people probably saw it a mile away."

"Puhlease!" Suigetsu exclaimed. "Boss would'a flip out at anyone when he 'ears Naruto's name while we're travelin'!"

Keisuke laughed merrily. "So it's not just Naru who was hung up, huh? Man, they were practically holding on each other all these years!"

No one could argue with that and a soft Hohoho! even silently echoed out, agreeing to everyone.

Well, except perhaps Sho who still doesn't like Sasuke no matter how less he thinks of it now, and Sakura, who did not like what was decided. Not even one bit, because she knows that Sasuke was in love with her. He had been since we were kids…

Okay, so we're very near the serious dramas.

Reviews people. It helps. :)