Summary:

Naruto runs an underground newspaper called 'The Daily Ramen', focused on poking fun of the fragile egos of the rich and famous. How does Sasuke respond when he moves to town and gets in Naruto's crosshairs? Not particularly well. But who says arguing can't be foreplay? Sasuke x Naruto (Yaoi boy x boy)

Warning: drama… but still no smut. But! smut is approaching. It is in the driveway… almost to your door. (ok so I was camping and we were telling scary stories and I guess I got a little into it).

Author's note: There is a 30% chance that the story will end with the next chapter. I feel like the freaking weatherman, trying to predict this stuff. And I think I'm wrong just about as often. Since the last 2 chapters all took place in the same week there is no Daily Ramen this time around, just a newsflash. There will be one next time, though. Especially if it's the last chapter. Thanks to Mykko_chan for reading/beta-ing this!

The Daily Ramen, NEWSFLASH

DAILY RAMEN TO GO GLOBAL!

For all of you who were planning on leaving Japan to escape us, the selection of 'ramen free' places to live has just been reduced. Evidently, people in other countries are just as sick of sleazy politicians, sex scandals, and acts of monumental stupidity as the rest of us. Who knew? So we have decided to spread the love and go global.

But we want to reassure you that we made this decision seriously and with great deliberation. The staff of the Daily Ramen takes our integrity and image very seriously so we were very careful about selecting a partner in this endeavor who was aligned with our standards, morals, and ethics.

So naturally, we have hooked up with a porn publisher and are planning on riding that gravy train all the way to the bank. Or to world domination, whichever. We're flexible. Though not as flexible as some of the actresses in our partner's videos. Seriously… you gotta see it. That's what we plan to be doing. If the next issue is delayed, you'll know why.

- The Daily Ramen staff.

-xXx-

Sasuke walked out of the board room Thursday evening, his presentation folio tucked neatly under his arm. There was the slightest swagger in his step and a small, self-satisfied smirk adorned his lips. He'd managed to both impress the board and put a leash on his uncle in a 48-hour period. He'd definitely earned the evening off.

"Should I reschedule the meetings in Russia and South America that we had to cancel for next week, Sasuke-san?" his assistant asked him.

Sasuke hesitated, not having thought about it. He'd been so focused on getting back and making sure Naruto was ok and then tearing a piece out of his uncle that he hadn't had a chance to think through when he would go back. Given that the business he'd brought in over the past three weeks had already exceeded their business targets for the entire quarter and most of the next, there was really no need to rush.

"No. I'm going home to sleep. I'll let you know when to reschedule them later."

Sasuke grabbed his briefcase and keys from his desk then headed down to his car, only to find his brother leaning against the door.

A small, rare smile appeared on Itachi's face. "Let's go out to dinner and celebrate, Otouto. I would be surprised if you had time for lunch given your schedule today."

Sasuke hesitated. He really wasn't ready for another round of head games with his brother. But he also wasn't looking forward to dinner alone in his apartment. As if reading his thoughts, Itachi lifted his hands as though trying to convince his brother of his innocent intentions. As improbable as that was.

"We don't have to talk about anything. Let's just go have dinner together, so that the next time Mother asks me how you've been I can at least honestly say that I saw you eating."

"Hn," Sasuke said finally, unlocking the car as they both got in.

Itachi and Sasuke were shown to a table in the corner of the well-known Italian restaurant. They preferred to be out of the main room if possible, and they wait staff always went out of their way to accommodate the two wealthy men.

Neither brother paid any attention to the many sets of eyes that followed their progress… they had both become accustomed to it shortly after birth.

Itachi ordered an expensive bottle of wine as soon as they were seated. Sasuke raised an eyebrow in question. "Celebrating the quarterly earnings early?"

Itachi waved that suggestion away with a casual gesture of his strong, elegant hand. "Business success is expected. However, it's not every day that one outmaneuvers Madara. That deserves a toast."

A small smile appeared on Sasuke's face.

"He mentioned that you'd also had words with him," Sasuke said casually, trying not to directly ask what his brother had threatened.

Itachi smiled slightly as well. "Let's just say that both of us were equally unhappy with our dear Uncle Madara's… approach."

The waiter appeared with a bottle of wine and two crystal goblets on a tray. He opened the bottle, pouring a small amount into Itachi and Sasuke's glasses, awaiting their approval of the vintage before pouring them full glasses. The waiter was young and handsome. His eyes lingered on Sasuke, but he departed when Sasuke made no acknowledgement of the man's interest.

Itachi lifted his glass in toast. "To independence."

Sasuke lifted his glass in return. "To independence."

They spent the evening mostly in quiet company, Itachi honoring his promise to give Sasuke time to think things through things on his own. For at least a short time. Itachi didn't fail to notice when the waiter slipped Sasuke his number and the time his shift ended.

"Are you going to seek further entertainment this evening?" Itachi asked idly, swirling the last of the wine in his glass.

Sasuke glanced at the number. The waiter really was very attractive, and clearly looking for no strings. Just the way Sasuke generally preferred his partners in the past.

He left the scrap of paper lying on the table when they left, not seeing Itachi's knowing look as he did so.

The adrenaline of facing down Madara and making sure Naruto wasn't in danger from his family had worn off by the time he reached his apartment. All that was left was the jet-lag from weeks of constant travel and restless sleep. He had driven home on autopilot, his mind oddly quiet as he unlocked his door. He stepped into his apartment and closing the door behind him before removing his jacket and shoes.

Loosening his tie, he walked over to the kitchen to pour himself a drink, the wine he'd had at dinner long since worn off. He needed to relax. He felt oddly out-of-sorts, and he didn't know why.

He thought briefly about the waiter's offer again. It certainly wasn't the only one he'd had over the past few weeks. But none of them offered any real attraction for him. The only person he would be interested in seeing had ended things between them.

He realized that he hadn't thought about the state of his fridge since he'd left weeks ago. He walked to the kitchen and opened the fridge. A quick glance inside showed him he had basically no food in the house for breakfast. He avoided looking at the carton of half-and-half that was surely going to expire soon. He supposed he should just throw it out. He never took cream in anything.

But somehow… he closed the door to the fridge, leaving it sit there.

Naruto's spare toothbrush was still sitting in the holder next to his own. And the blond's shirts were still hanging in his closet. Sasuke had left town shortly after they'd ended things, and hadn't been home since so he hadn't really dealt with any of it.

Was he supposed to return the clothes? Was Naruto supposed to come by and get them? Was Sasuke supposed to… throw them out?

He didn't really want to do that. He wasn't angry at Naruto. Especially not after their conversation in the airport.

He found himself standing in his large, walk-in closet, looking at the shirts that didn't belong to him. He leaned casually against the doorframe, taking another sip from his glass, feeling the burn of the alcohol down his throat. It was the first time since he'd left on his marathon trip that he'd had time to think about anything. He wasn't really sure thinking was a good idea, but he supposed he'd put it off long enough. Being blindsided by Madara's actions showed him the danger of inattentiveness.

The room was tidy, just like the rest of his apartment. Every article of clothing hanging exactly in its place.

He noticed a button laying in the corner of the closet on the floor.

Levering himself away from the doorframe, Sasuke walked over and crouched down, picking up the small object. He recognized it as belonging to one of his Armani dress shirts. He could remember with perfect clarity how it came to be separated from his shirt.

Naruto's hands finished unbuttoning Sasuke's shirt, then slid up over his bare chest before skimming over his shoulders. Sasuke's back hit the wall hard as Naruto pressed into him, pushing his shirt down. They both cursed as they realized that the cuffs were still buttoned. The ripping sound of the fabric and the small clatter as the buttons hit the hardwood floor was ignored by both men as Naruto's mouth closed over Sasuke's nipple, the tan hands dropping to the fastenings of his trousers.

Sasuke looked down to see his hand fisted around the small button, his nails digging into his palm.

This was why he had spent so much time away from his apartment. This was what he'd been avoiding. Too many memories, forcing him to think about things that he didn't want to. Wasn't ready to.

Everything with Naruto had been so overwhelming. From the very start, it had been out of control. The feeling had been so completely foreign to him. Terrifying. But at the same time, darkly addictive.

Given that Naruto had been able to push him out of his comfort zone in everything else, he supposed it shouldn't be surprising that the blond was still pushing him now.

It was time for Sasuke to think about what he really wanted. If he packed up Naruto's things and dropped them off at his place or threw them out, that would be the end of it. But did he want that? Or did he want to try to make things work with Naruto and have a real relationship? One that would derail his whole approach to his life for something that had no guarantees of lasting.

He thought about what life for an Uchiha male usually entailed. Long hours of stressful work, growing the family's influence through increased wealth and personal connections. Then either marrying someone who the family approved of who would further those two goals, or remaining single, using the nearly endless wealth to procure whatever companionship was desired at any given time.

It was what Sasuke had always assumed his life would be. He never thought he'd find someone like Naruto. Someone he would actually want to be with. Sasuke closed his eyes, thinking about other nights with Naruto in his room.

He had always been taught that having complete control over one's life was the ultimate goal.

But he… liked losing control with Naruto. He wanted someone who could match him, not be subservient to him. Naruto didn't measure Sasuke's worth by the size of his financial assets or the reach of his influence. Naruto only cared about how Sasuke was with him. When they were together, nothing else mattered.

Madara had called him out on it… the fact that Naruto was different.

"In the past, you've never been this annoyed when I've looked into your affairs."

It was true. It was different with Naruto.

But did he really want to try an actual relationship with Naruto? The thought of his life without the blond in it was… not appealing. But the thought of trying to make a relationship actually work, to be accountable to another person in that way, was terrifying.

He stood and walked over to his nightstand, checking to see that his alarm was set for the following morning, and plugging his phone in to charge.

He wondered what his mother would think of Naruto. She'd probably like him. As long as she didn't read his paper. He smirked slightly at the thought of what his very proper mother would make of the Daily Ramen.

His father wouldn't say anything whether he liked Naruto or not, so that was irrelevant. It was odd to think about having Naruto at family gatherings. Sasuke could only imagine what outrageous thing the blond would say at one of their stuffy, formal gatherings. He found himself smiling into his glass as he took a swallow of his drink.

The thought was… not unappealing.

It was strange how the things that Sasuke had always intensely disliked about the idea of an actual relationship didn't seem annoying when he thought of them with Naruto: Doing something special for someone else's birthday. Having them fuss over his. Having someone who would miss him when he had to travel or worked late. The idea of waking up next to the same person over and over and over. The thought of those things used to make him shudder in the past.

But now...

Sasuke wasn't particularly romantic. He didn't believe in soulmates or love at first sight. He wasn't even really sure he believed in love. But what he did know was that no one had ever had the effect on him that Naruto did. He had met people from all over the world, both in social and business contexts. He had taken lovers in the past. But nothing had come close to the intensity that he felt when he was with Naruto.

Was he really going to give it up just because it didn't fit into the mould that the family had cast for him? The one he had believed he had fit into?

Sasuke looked down at the button that was in his hand.

No.

He honestly didn't know if he would be able to make it work, if he would be any good at all at a real relationship. But he was willing to at least try.

In a way, it almost annoyed him that Madara approved of Naruto. He didn't want to give the man the impression that he was letting himself be pushed into something by his fucking manipulative family. It was going to be between him and Naruto to either work it out or not. He ignored the way his stomach twisted at the thought that the blond might not even be willing to talk to him about it, but after their encounter at the airport, he hoped he would.

At least today he had managed to put a leash on Madara. Of course, it would be impossible to fully stop the man from all interference, but Sasuke now had some control over it. In the past, he hadn't bothered because he had never intended to let someone into his life far enough for it to matter. But he didn't want Madara interfering by 'punishing' Naruto if things didn't work out. His family was ruthless, and the last thing he needed was the added stress of worrying about Naruto if things fell apart. Especially since Sasuke was pretty sure that if either of them was likely to screw things up, it was going to be him, not Naruto.

Sasuke swallowed the rest of his drink.

Now he just had to talk to Naruto, and see if he would be willing to give it another a chance. He looked at the clock, noticing it was just past eleven on Thursday night. He wondered how Naruto's evening with Sasori had gone. He hoped Gaara had been there, too, and it hadn't ended up just Naruto with his ex.

Hopefully still ex.

The thought twisted in him. He knew for a fact that Naruto still was attracted to Sasori. He'd witnessed that attraction first-hand at Naruto's birthday before he and Naruto had even dated. And Naruto had always topped with Sasori. Did he miss that? Sasuke knew that what he'd had with Naruto wasn't just about the sex, but still, sex had been a big part of it. And Naruto had known Sasori longer, and clearly had a hard time getting over the ending of their relationship, so presumably that hadn't been all about sex, either.

Sasuke had never felt insecure about his own sex appeal or performance in bed, but it had always been clear that Naruto was… more experienced? Not necessarily in terms of numbers of lovers, but Sasuke always had the feeling that Naruto was holding back… waiting to see where Sasuke's own boundaries were. And he knew that Naruto's range of experimentation likely exceeded his own. Sasuke had never trusted anyone enough to really let go before. But with Naruto, he would have been willing to try things he had never considered before. Was Sasori more Naruto's speed? If Naruto had to choose between them, who would he pick?

Sasuke had never wondered whether or not he'd be able to have the person he wanted. He never even had to try in the past. But this time… he would have to. He pulled off his work clothes, throwing them in his hamper before walking over to the bathroom to take a shower before bed. He stood under the heavy spray, letting the heat of the water relax some of the knots in his shoulders. But did nothing for the tension he felt internally. He had to make it through one more day of work before the weekend.

Then he needed to figure out what he was going to do about his relationship with Naruto.

It was Friday night.

It had been Sai's first time hosting the crew of the Daily Ramen for dinner at his place. The co-workers had been a little nervous to see what kind of home their eccentric colleague lived in, but had actually been impressed by much of the art that decorated the man's walls. Less than thirty percent of it focused on the male anatomy, and even the ones that did were actually very artistically done.

They enjoyed their dinner and decided to go out to the Hidden Leaf to shoot some pool afterwards.

Gaara had returned to New York that afternoon, so Naruto was glad for the chance to hang out with his friends from work for the evening. He watched as Kiba tried to show off his dart skills while Shikamaru and Shino discussed what the equation of motion for a pool ball would be. Hinata was trying to teach Lee the basics of dancing so he wouldn't appear so spastic the next time he took a girl on a date. Sai had disappeared into the men's room. Naruto hoped he hadn't brought his sketch pad.

He wondered what Sasuke would make of his friends. He was pretty sure he would get along with Shikamaru and Shino. And probably be amused by Lee and Kiba. He'd seen the glare Sasuke had shot Hinata when they'd been dancing together at Tsunade's party, but he was pretty sure Sasuke would come around on her if he got to know her. Which, of course, wasn't going to happen.

Naruto thumbed the rim of his beer glass idly. Work had kept him distracted, and he was excited about how things seemed to be taking off with the Daily Ramen. But he'd be lying if he said he didn't miss Sasuke…. his sharp retorts and cynical expressions. He tried not to think about how tired Sasuke had seemed when he'd run into him at the airport, or Sakura's comments that she thought Sasuke was hurting after he'd ended things. Naruto had found himself staring at his phone a few times, wanting to call Sasuke or at least text him, but in the end he never really knew what to say. He couldn't go back to just sex. He wanted more. And Sasuke had given no sign that he felt the same way.

So Naruto had let it be.

Naruto sighed as he sipped his beer. He supposed this was just another example of the old saying about having the cake and eating it, too. No one got to do it, so he should just stop being a pussy about it and move on.

Kiba slung an arm around Naruto's shoulders, breaking him out of his thoughts. "Man, it's good to have you back and hanging out with us again."

Naruto frowned slightly at the implied accusation. "I didn't stop hanging out with you guys."

Kiba shrugged as he took a drink from his beer, watching Shikamaru and Shino's game of pool. "Yeah, but you usually cut out early. You were so whipped, man."

The words cut more than Kiba had probably intended. Naruto had always rolled his eyes at the people who started dating someone and suddenly the rest of the world - including the friends that had known them since infancy - ceased to exist. But it firmed Naruto's resolve that he'd done the right thing. The way things had been with Sasuke just… didn't work for the long term. He gave Kiba a lopsided smile.

"Heh, you're just jealous because you never get any. If you ever manned up and got together with Hinata, we'd never see your sorry ass again unless it was with her leash around your neck."

Kiba's cheeks pinkened as he drove an elbow into Naruto's ribs. "Shut up!" he hissed looking over to where Hinata was standing clearly within earshot of their conversation, her eyes focused on the game.

Naruto rolled his eyes.

"Dude, if you think she doesn't know you have a major thing for her, then you are even a bigger idiot than I thought you were. This isn't a secret. Just make a move already."

Sai walked over and set his beer down on the table between them. "If you're not sure how to tell her what you want, I'd be happy to draw you a picture that you could -"

"NO!" Kiba shook his head frantically, glancing over to where Hinata was trying to hide a giggle by taking a sip of her rum and coke. "No, just… I'm fine. It's good."

Naruto pushed his hand into Kiba's face. "Just don't wait too long, bruh. You aren't the only one who notices her."

Naruto looked meaningfully at the other end of the bar where at least four other guys were very actively checking Hinata out.

Kiba growled, glaring at them.

Hinata finished her drink and set it on the bar, then turned to Naruto. "Let's dance while we wait for Shino and Shika to finish up."

They walked onto the tiny dance floor. Naruto shot Kiba an impatient look, but Kiba just turned back to watch Shino and Shikamaru. They danced for a few songs, drawing the focus of many in the bar, as always. Kiba seemed to be looking slightly more conflicted about it than usual. Naruto had noticed that Kiba had been spending even more time talking with Hinata lately. It was clear that their relationship was already moving in that direction. He just needed a little push to finally get the nerve up to actually do something about it.

A popular song started playing, and more people crowded onto the dance floor, pushing Naruto and Hinata back towards the edge, closer to Kiba.

"This is our new song," she laughed, pretending not to notice Kiba's slight pout.

Neither noticed the set of dark eyes watching them from one of the corner booths.

"You're not going to give Kiba a break are you?" Naruto asked as Hinata began guiding them in a new routine, sliding their hips together.

"If he can't man up to me, he has no chance with my f-family," she bit her lip and glanced over to where Kiba was watching them intently.

"I'm pretty sure he cares a hell of a lot more about what you think than what your family thinks. As long as he knows you want it, he'll face them all down. He just doesn't want to come between you and your family when he thinks you can do better than him." Naruto had a whole new level of empathy for Kiba after facing the same thing with Sasuke. And losing.

Hinata frowned, considering his words. Naruto guided them to the edge of the dance floor, close to the bar where Kiba sat. "That's stupid," she said softly.

"Then show him," he replied.

As the refrain approached again, its words an explicit description of dance club sex. Naruto reached over and pulled the ice cube out of Hinata's glass, gave her a quick peck on the lips, then ran the ice cube along the inside of her wrist, following the lyrics. She squeaked slightly at the cold as Naruto reached over and dragged Kiba off his stool onto the dance floor, then pressed the ice cube to Kiba's lips.

Kiba's eyes widened, but he opened his mouth and allowed the cold cube inside. Naruto grabbed Hinata by the waist, pulling her flush against him as he grabbed Kiba and pulled him close behind him. The three of them danced for a few moments with Naruto in the middle before he switched places with Kiba, pressing him against Hinata, reversing the 'sandwich'. It was now up to Kiba whether he was going to finally make a move or just laugh it off and chicken out again.

He felt Kiba pull in a sharp breath as his body was pressed against Hinata's, every muscle in his body clenching.

He hesitated for only a second, then grabbed Hinata by the waist and pulled her even closer. Picking up Naruto's role of following the lyrics, he opened his mouth slightly, the rapidly melting ice cube held between his teeth as he leaned forward and slide it along her neck before closing his lips around the now slightly salty cube.

Hinata arched her neck back, her eyes fluttering closed slightly before grinning impishly at him and letting her hand slide down to his ass. His hand rapidly followed suit to curve over hers, pulling their bodies even tighter together.

Naruto smirked as he stepped off to the side by the bar.

Looks like Kiba's got game, he thought in some amusement. Which he would need, given the woman he was presumably in the process of asking out. Neither of Kiba nor Hinata seemed to notice the loss of his presence as they danced together.

"About fucking time," Naruto murmured to himself, watching as Kiba said something to Hinata that made her turn beet red before nodding slightly.

He leaned back on the bar to watch his two friends finally coming together, a grin on his face despite the knowledge that he had probably lost his dance partner. He didn't notice the man approaching him until a deep voice spoke from just beside him.

"Can I buy you a drink?"

"Sorry, I'm not interested in -" Naruto's words cut off as he turned and saw the last possible person he would have expected see in a bar like this.

"Madara?" Naruto asked, not adding any honorific and definitely not being apologetic about it. He knew that what had happened between him and Sasuke wasn't totally this man's fault, but Madara sure as fuck hadn't helped things.

Madara arched an eyebrow. "Most people would call me Uchiha-sama. But yes. I am Uchiha Madara."

"I guess I'm not most people, then," Naruto muttered, trying to keep his temper in check. "I saw you at Itachi's house. For the holiday party." Naruto let his eyes drift back to the sight of his two friends on the dance floor, ignoring the man. He didn't care if he was being rude. Though he realized that Madara must have found out about him and Sasuke, since he was clearly here to talk to him. He wondered what the man wanted. Whatever it was, he had no intention of making it easy for him.

Shikamaru and Shino had paused their game to watch Kiba and Hinata dance.

Madara took a sip of his bourbon, his eyes glancing at Naruto's Tshirt: How about a nice cup of 'kiss my ass'. "Yes. I remember you. You were there with Sabaku."

The older man turned to follow Naruto's gaze, seemingly unfazed by Naruto's unfriendly demeanor. Naruto signaled the bartender to bring him another beer.

"The Hyuuga is really quite a stunning woman. And her lineage is impeccable. Why did you hand her over to your friend?"

The bartender brought Naruto a beer, and took a sip, shooting an annoyed glare at the man next to him. "Some people look for other things in a relationship besides looks or social climbing."

Madara blink at Naruto's not-so-subtle attack. If anything, he seemed… amused.

"Given that she works for you and you let her put her hand on your ass a few minutes ago, I am assuming she has other qualities that you like as well."

Naruto choked on his beer as he turned to look at the Uchiha patriarch.

"We're friends. But Hinata and Kiba… they will have a long and happy life together, now that he's finally manned up and shown his interest."

"Manned up with a little help," Madara said drily. Naruto couldn't help the chuckle that escaped him.

"So what is it that makes you think the two of them will be happy, but you and Hinata wouldn't have worked?" Madara asked after a moment.

Naruto turned to face the man squarely, trying to see if he was asking the question for real or just fucking with him. Impenetrable black eyes looked back, giving no hint at all as to which was correct. The look reminded him of Sasuke, which was probably the only reason he eventually answered.

Naruto sighed. "There's a difference between someone who is a good friend, and someone you want to go to bed with every night and wake up next to every morning for the rest of your life. Kiba and Hinata… are that, for each other. There's no science that can tell you why, or financial spreadsheet that can predict the outcome. It just is something you either feel or you don't."

Naruto had expected some sort of snide, scathing remark from the notoriously emotionless business tycoon, but Madara's gaze simply turned to watch Hinata and Kiba dance. If Naruto didn't know who the man was, he would almost have said there was a hint of wistfulness in Madara's gaze. Hinata's eyes were glowing, and Kiba had a blush on his cheeks that wasn't entirely due to the physical exertions of dancing. It was clear that they were no longer aware of anyone else in the club.

"And what about you?" Madara asked, turning back to look at Naruto. Any wistfulness in his eyes was gone, replaced with a calculating, amused look. "Have you ever found anyone you felt that way about? Someone you wanted… more than just sex with?"

It was all Naruto could do to not throw the last of his beer in the man's face. He stood stiffly. "Fuck you, Uchiha."

Madara calmly took a drink of the amber liquid in his glass, arching a brow in a manner that painfully reminded Naruto of Sasuke.

"Oh, did I strike a nerve? I was under the impression that you weren't all that interested in my nephew these days."

"You fucking asshole," Naruto ground out. "Your family and your employees might let you mess with them and get involved in their business, but I won't. I stepped back because Sasuke didn't want to take it any further, and unlike you, I respect him enough not to manipulate him into something he might not want. Go play your head games with someone else." Naruto turned to leave, trying to keep from fully unloading on the man. But Madara's next statement stopped him.

"Well, you have nerve, I'll give you that. I was wondering what my nephew saw in you. I suppose that's at least something."

Naruto lunged forward and might have hit the man, but a hand on his shoulder pulled him back.

"Hey. I thought your days in getting in bar fights were behind you," Sasori's voice was low and calm.

Madara's eyes narrowed sharply at the newcomer, but Naruto turned his back the older man to face Sasori.

"What are you doing here?"

"I thought I'd stop by and see if you were up for a game of pool, but I think maybe it would be a better idea if we went and grabbed coffee somewhere," Sasori said as he slowly pulled Naruto by his arm towards the door, feeling the rigid tension of anger in the blond's body.

"Naruto -" Madara began, but Naruto cut him off.

"Fuck you, Uchiha. I don't have to stay and listen to you." Naruto turned to where Shikamaru, Shino and Lee had come over to see what was going on. Sai watched curiously from the bar, not knowing who Sasori nor Madara were.

"Naruto. Are these two giving you trouble?" surprisingly it was Lee who asked, his brows drawn into a fierce scowl as he looked between Sasori and Madara.

"No. It's all good. But I'm leaving. I'll see you guys tomorrow" Naruto told his friends. Sasori hadn't removed his hand from Naruto's arm, and turned with him towards the door.

Shikamaru frowned at Sasori, then looked at Naruto. "You're leaving with him?"

"Just for coffee. He just kept me from probably winding up in a lawsuit, so I owe him one."

"Just like old times," Sasori smiled slightly as they walked toward the door, the rest of Naruto's friends following.

"I'll call you later Shika. You guys go have fun. Tell Kiba he owes me one."

They all looked over to where Kiba and Hinata were still dancing, oblivious to the drama that was unfolding around them.

Shikamaru hesitated.

"I'm fine," Naruto reassured him. "I just need to get out of here. You guys stay and relax. I don't want to mess up everyone's Friday night."

Reluctantly, Naruto's friends went back to the pool table.

Sasori walked out the door with Naruto. They nearly collided with someone else coming in. Naruto looked up and froze as his blue eyes locked with familiar black ones.

"Sasuke?" Both men stood there, frozen for a moment, their bodies inches from each other. Naruto was close enough to smell Sasuke's cologne, the scent triggering a thousand sensory responses and it was all he could do to keep from stepping forward and closing the distance.

"Naruto –" Sasuke began, his eyes tracing over Naruto's form, noting the tight black Tshirt and soft, form-fitting jeans.

"Who's this, Naruto?" Sasori asked, drawing Sasuke's attention.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed and his stomach tightening slightly as he noticed the man standing behind Naruto. Sasori's hand was resting on Naruto's upper arm… clearly they were leaving together.

"He looks like a younger version of that old guy I just stopped you from punching," Sasori said, bristling as he tried to figure out why some rich-looking family was messing with Naruto.

A flash of anger seared through Sasuke's eyes at Sasori's words. "I warned Madara what I'd do if he messed with you again."

Naruto frowned. "Again?"

Sasuke hesitated, glancing at Sasori. But he didn't want to hide things from Naruto now that they were face-to-face. "Zetsu worked for him. He wasn't a reporter."

Naruto's eyes widened, giving Sasuke a clear view of the emotions that surged through them. Shock, then confusion, then hurt. The blue eyes searched Sasuke's face before hardening into anger. Sasuke had braced for Naruto's accusation that Sasuke had put Zetsu up to it, and was somewhat surprised when it didn't come.

"That asshole!" Naruto turned to go back into the bar and likely finish the punch he had been about to throw at Madara, but Sasori grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

"We're leaving, remember? You don't need to get in a bar fight with a guy in a suit that costs more than your rent. You wanna fuck him over, do it another way. One that won't land you in jail," Sasori's voice was low in Naruto's ear, but not low enough that Sasuke didn't hear it.

The door to the bar opened, and a group of people came out, forcing the three to step to the side towards the alley, out of the way of the entrance.

Sasori noticed the almost tangible tension between Naruto and Sasuke, the way their eyes followed each other. His eyes narrowed.

"You're the one Naruto was seeing, aren't you?" Sasori faced Sasuke, his expression hostile.

"Sasori, shut it," Naruto hissed urgently, glancing around to be sure no one would hear them.

"Yes. Naruto and I were seeing each other," Sasuke stated calmly, causing Naruto's eyes to widen in shock.

Wasn't it supposed to be… secret?

Sasori took an aggressive step closer to Sasuke, temper clear in the lines of his body. "So you fucked him over, then had your asshole uncle go after him? Who the fuck do you think you are?"

"Sasori, he wouldn't -," Naruto began, but Sasuke cut him off.

Sasuke was tired of people accusing him of shit he didn't do. The only one who had the right to say that was Naruto. And he was the only one who hadn't. "Who the fuck do I think I am? I'm not the one who put him in a hospital because I couldn't control my drug habit, that's for fucking sure. I don't know why he's even talking to you, much less going home with you from a bar."

Sasori's fist clenched and Naruto had to physically step in between them to stop the escalation.

"Fuck you!" Sasori tried to step around Naruto, but Naruto blocked him, fisting a hand into his shirt and shoving him back. "You don't know anything about us!"

"I know enough to know you're a fuck-up."

"Both of you shut up!" Naruto's voice was hard with anger.

"You," he turned and poked a finger in Sasuke's chest. "You haven't talked to me in weeks except for the one time we accidentally ran into each other in the airport. Don't act all 'protective boyfriend' now, when you were hiding the fact that we were sleeping together from everyone. And you," he turned and shoved the palm of his hand into Sasori's chest, pushing him back a few steps. "You don't have any business getting up in his face for whatever went down between him and me. Whatever happened between Sasuke and me, it didn't end nearly as badly as you and I did. Whatever Sasuke's uncle did, it wasn't with Sasuke's permission. So back the fuck off."

He turned and glared at Sasuke again. "I'm going home," Naruto turned and started walking. Sasori started to follow after him, but Naruto stopped him. "Alone. You have your new boyfriend to go play with. Go find Deidara. We'll grab coffee another day when I'm not so pissed off at you." Naruto looked over at Sasuke, who was standing by the door to the bar. "And you can tell your uncle that he's an ass."

"Naruto… I didn't send him here."

Naruto's anger seemed to lessen slightly at the intent expression in Sasuke's face. "I know that, bastard. I told you before… if you were that kind of guy, we never would have hooked up. Believe or not, I actually have a pretty good idea of who you are."

Naruto turned and walked down the street, his hands jammed in his pockets. Possibly to prevent him from punching something.

Sasori and Sasuke eyed each other in distaste for a moment, then Sasori turned and walked off in the opposite direction. Sasuke opened the door to the bar and went in.

Sasuke walked over to the older man sitting at the bar, anger radiating off him.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Sasuke growled.

Madara smirked at him. "You're lucky. If I were still a young man, I might have given you a run for your money with him."

"Naruto?" Sasuke's brain did a rapid reboot to delete any visual of that from his mind.

Madara tilted his head to the side. "He almost took a swing at me. Even after knowing who I was. I can't even remember the last time that happened."

"Too bad he didn't actually hit you. Of course, then you probably would have had him arrested for assault. I warned you what would happen if you stepped into my business again."

Madara looked at him, letting the tense silence stretch. "Would you like to know what I have learned about your lover?"

"No."

Madara chuckled softly. Sasuke was every inch an Uchiha. Of course he wouldn't admit to wanting to know.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes, but didn't say anything. Madara motioned to the bartender. "He'll have what I'm having."

Madara motioned for Sasuke to sit down in the stool next to him. Which Sasuke ignored. "I'll tell you what I learned, despite your lack of appreciation for my efforts on your behalf."

Sasuke let out a hissing breath of anger. "Don't push me, Uncle."

Something in Sasuke's dark tone of voice warned Madara that his nephew was nearing his limit. He decided not to test him further, amusing as it was. "Your writer friend spent his evening with his friends ignoring everyone who hit on him or tried to buy him a drink. He danced with a beautiful, well-endowed heiress, then set her up with his friend on the grounds that they were 'in love' or something equally ridiculous. He implied that I was an elitist old relic, and informed me that he was not one of my employees or family members that would allow me to interfere with his personal business."

Madara paused to take a sip of his drink as the bartender handed Sasuke one of his own.

"Which of those things made him take a swing at you?" Sasuke asked, picking up his drink and taking a large swallow.

"None of them."

Sasuke arched a brow. Madara simply smiled and took another sip of his drink, looking out to watch the younger people dancing in the club.

Sasuke grit his teeth when it became clear that if he wanted to find out, he would have to ask.

"So what did you say?"

"I asked him if he'd ever found someone he wanted to spend his life with. Something beyond just sex. For some reason, he became very angry about it. Why do you think that would be, Sasuke?" Madara asked, still watching the dancers.

Sasuke stilled, but his pulse raced. When he'd opened the door to the bar and found himself face-to-face with Naruto, he'd frozen up. The intensity in the electric blue eyes when they'd locked with his had been anything but casual. But Naruto had been leaving with Sasori. Though in the end, he'd gone home alone.

"By the way," Madara said, signaling the bartender for his bill. "How did you even know I was here?"

Sasuke just smiled, but didn't respond. He had paid Madara's driver to keep tabs on him and let him know if the man went anywhere unusual. When the driver called and told Sasuke that he had just dropped Madara off at the bar that Naruto used to hang out at, Sasuke had been livid. It hadn't even been two days since their confrontation, and Madara was already interfering again. He'd immediately come over to put a stop to whatever his uncle was doing, only to run into Naruto and Sasori on their way out.

Madara paid for their drinks and left a tip, then stood. "Should I be expecting anything from the police or my accountant in the near future?" Both men were perfectly aware of the threats that Sasuke had levelled at his uncle just the other day.

Sasuke arched an eyebrow, sadistic amusement in his eyes. He might understand what his uncle was trying to do, but that didn't mean he was going to let him off for fucking with Naruto like that. "Do you really think I'd tell you?"

Madara's eye twitched.

"I'm sure if something happens, you'll be the first to know," Sasuke said, casually sipping his drink and feeling in control again. "Sleep well, Uncle."

Madara looked at him for a moment, then turned to leave. "I'll leave you to your evening, nephew."

Sasuke spoke as the man walked away. "Naruto was right, you know."

Madara paused, "Yes. He was. About several things."

Sasuke wondered what Madara meant. Somehow Naruto had managed to impress his uncle. It was a feat extremely few people could claim, even within his own family.

Sasuke smiled down into his drink.

"Is he going to be making problems for Naruto?"

Sasuke looked up to see Naruto's business partner standing next to him. He looked behind the man to see the rest of the Daily Ramen staff gathered around a pool table.

"No," Sasuke replied to the question.

"Are you going to be giving Naruto problems?" Shikamaru asked.

Sasuke met his gaze. "No."

Shikamaru looked at him assessingly, then nodded. "I'm the only one who knows about the two of you. Besides Gaara. I'm not going to say anything, if you're worried about it."

There was a hint of derision in Shikamaru's tone. Sasuke looked down at his drink, realizing this was probably not the greatest introduction to Naruto's best friend. "I'm not worried about it."

Shikamaru's eyes sharpened, and Sasuke realized the man understood the implications of that. "Are you planning to talk to Naruto, then?"

Sasuke traced a bead of condensation from the side of his glass. "Yes," he said after a few moments.

Shikamaru appeared to think about it for a moment, then he grabbed a napkin, pulling out a pen from his pocket and writing something down before handing it to Sasuke.

"What's this?"

"Naruto's address. We're having a party for friends and family at his place next Friday to celebrate a big expansion of the paper. Starts at eight. And it's informal."

Sasuke looked at the napkin. He'd never been to Naruto's place. And never met any of his friends or family. Naruto would definitely not expect him to come.

"You're inviting me?"

"If you're his friend. Then yes."

With that, Shikamaru picked up his order of drinks and returned to his friends.

to be continued…

A/N: We are sooooo close to the ending. Can you feel it? :-)