Disclaimer: The characters and concepts of Naruto belong to their rightful owner. I make no profit from this work.

Warnings: Slightly Explicit yaoi (slash), swearing, angst, and subjects which could offend.

Author's Notes: Does anyone know of any music that is good to write to? I'm an avid music listener and have a large library of music of all kinds, but need something new. Suggestions?

Chapter 23: A Past Revisited

Naruto was sitting in the kitchen at two in the morning, feeding the puppy milk via a dropper. He had been woken half an hour earlier by its whimpering cries.

Before going to bed he had created a temporary home for the pup, stuffing an old box with a fuzzy blanket, a hot water bottle and a small, ticking clock. The clock was the only measure of comfort he could provide for the lonely pup, the ticking supposed to represent the beating of his mother's heart.

It hadn't been much of a chore getting out of his warm bed and cradling the puppy to his chest, stroking and whispering until he had quieted beneath his hands. Once this was achieved, Naruto had slipped down the dark hallway silently, and closed the living room door behind him careful not to wake his housemates as they slept off their hangovers.

With the puppy cradled in one arm, he had quickly warmed up some milk in a saucepan before using a small dropper to feed the hungry mouth all it could take. The tenderness he'd felt as that small belly had filled against his hand warmed him.

He was sitting in a chair and was stroking the sleepy puppy who had finished eating. Cow's milk would have to do until he took the pup to the vet tomorrow and found out what he should eat. Despite all his knowledge with horses, he knew next to nothing about puppies, and how to care for them.

"You need a name," he told the puppy quietly. "I can't keep calling you puppy now can I? What d'you think?"

He ran his fingers over the soft folds of the puppy's ears, smiling as the puppy burrowed against the warmth of his chest.

"What would be a good name for you? I never was much good at thinking up names."

"Naruto?"

He looked up as a sleepy Tenten stumbled into the light. She rubbed at her eyes and squinted at him. She was dressed in a pair of bright, baggy pajama pants, a white tank top and a threadbare robe. Her feet were encased in fuzzy slippers and her hair was scraped into two messy pig tails.

Naruto smiled at the endearing picture she presented, looking for all the world like a little kid seeking out her parents in the middle of the night.

"Did I wake you? I was trying to be quiet," he told her ruefully.

"I was already awake," she replied as she sat on the chair next to him. "Is that a puppy? Where'd you find him?"

"He was abandoned on the roadside." Naruto replied, reluctant to tell her that it was Sasuke who had found him.

Tenten reached out a hand and stroked the puppy's head, her eyes soft as she smiled at him.

"You've got a soft heart, Naruto. I shouldn't be surprised that you'd take him in."

Naruto blushed at the praise and looked at her.

"Why are you awake at this hour?" he asked her, studying her closely and noting with interest the blush his question raised.

"...I was thinking."

"About?"

She squirmed in her seat, her face heating further as she concentrated her attention on stroking the puppy.

"Tenten."

"I was thinking about Shikamaru," she admitted finally. "I uh...we..."

"Something happened?"

The puppy's eyes were closing as they petted him, content, full and warm at last. Naruto breathed a silent sigh of relief; the puppy needed the rest so he could heal properly and forget what it was like to be abandoned.

"We...kissed tonight." She looked up at him, her eyes sparkling and a smile playing about her mouth. "And he...I know he seems like he's lazy and doesn't care about anything but himself, but he's...He's an amazing kisser, so caring and attentive and...And I'm rambling. Sorry."

Naruto smiled at her, pleased beyond relief that they had finally gotten over the friendship barrier. For almost a year they had been dancing around each other, neither making the move that needed to be made. Naruto could honestly say that he was glad. He couldn't imagine one without the other, and had known all along that if they could move past their own doubts and insecurities, that they would make a great couple. They were perfect for one another, and he couldn't remember ever seeing Tenten so happy.

"That's okay. I'm happy for you guys," he said. "Do you think you guys are dating now, or what?"

"Yeah. We're going steady. I'm having trouble believing it." She beamed at him, and he grinned. "I'm so happy I can't sleep."

"You're in love with him?"

She nodded, setting her chin in her hand dreamily.

"Yeah, I am. It's funny, all girls grow up dreaming about the man they'll fall in love with and marry. The whole knight in shining armor thing, you know? But no one ever tells you exactly how amazing it is. It's so different from how I always imagined it would feel, but it's still the same. It's weird."

Naruto just nodded, loving the way it felt to be sitting up in the kitchen in the middle of the night just talking. He'd never been able to do anything like it during his childhood, or even his teenage years, and it struck him how special it was. Somehow he had been able to overcome his own past, and had a home, friends and someone he loved, and he was sitting in the kitchen talking to one of his closest friends. At the very least, he had friends who loved him, and that was enough. Everything around him was starting to fall into place, and for the first time in a long time, he felt secure.

Tenten nudged him gently.

"What about you? How's things with you know who?"

It was Naruto's turn to blush brightly.

"They're good," he murmured. "Better than good, I think. I really..."

"You really what?" she prompted gently.

"I really love him." he finished quietly, his throat constricting as he thought about just how much love he had in his heart for the man. "I couldn't ever imagine what I'd do without him. I know you guys think he's unemotional and self-absorbed, but you should see him when we're alone. He's intelligent, and funny and...I just can't believe that he's mine, you know? He's way too amazing for me."

Tenten had been watching him as he talked and when he finished she rested her head against his shoulder, her eyes on the puppy.

"No one's too amazing for you, Naruto." she murmured.

A nagging voice weaseled its way through his happiness.

But he's not yours, is he? And he won't ever be. He belongs to a different world, and you...you're just a stable boy. An average person...

But the voice of doubt had faded somewhat as his confidence grew, and it wasn't too hard to push that particular unpleasant realization away.

"Naruto, I'm happy for you. I am. I never imagined that it would be someone like him that you would fall for."

She didn't seem to require a response to this, so he sighed quietly, his hand that was resting on the puppy's back rising and falling slowly as he breathed.

"Still, I don't think I've ever seen you so happy. It's good to see you smile."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

That morning after he'd completed his morning chores, Naruto snuck the puppy into one of the trucks and headed for town. Despite his reluctance to do so, it was only right that he make sure the puppy didn't have owners that were looking for him.

The vet was a regular at their stables, and was good friends with them all. She ran the only clinic in town, and was known for her skill with animals. It was still early, so they weren't open yet, but the receptionist, Shizune let him in immediately.

"Hi, Naruto. Long time no see," she greeted him. "What brings you to this neck of the woods so early?"

"Hey Shizune," he smiled at her, slipping in the door. "I've brought you a patient. Is Tsunade in?"

"Yeah. I'll take you through."

Naruto slipped into one of the examination rooms and set the small puppy down on one of the tables. The black bundle of fur hadn't left his side much at all since he'd been given to Naruto's care, so he whimpered as he was set on the cool metal. He kept a hand on his back, smiling as the puppy sniffed at the surface beneath him and tentatively took a few steps. He was favoring his sore leg but that wasn't much of a surprise.

At least he was more alert and lively looking. That was a start.

The door opened and Tsunade stepped in, her blond pig tails mussed and her coat creased and wrinkled.

"Hey Naruto. How's life treating you? Still working for that idiot Kakashi?"

Naruto smiled, feeling a little overwhelmed as he always did in the boisterous woman's presence.

"Yeah," he replied. "Things are good."

"And who's this you have with you?"

"He doesn't have a name yet. We found him on the side of the road." Naruto replied, running a hand down his back. "I treated his wound as best I could but I figured you should look him over."

Tsunade nodded as she ran critical eyes over the pup.

"Well, better get started then, hadn't we? I've got several surgeries this morning, but this won't take more than a few minutes."

Surely enough, a few minutes later Tsunade straightened up and pulled off her latex gloves.

"He seems pretty healthy. No worms, or ticks, and you dressed that wound just fine. I'll give him some basic shots to make sure he stays that way," she told him as she turned away.

The puppy had grown a little bolder over the last few minutes, and was investigating the entire surface of the table with his nose down. Naruto had to keep picking him up and bringing him back in front of him. Seconds later, the pup would he off again, undeterred, but he didn't mind in the slightest. At least he wasn't scared any more, and that was something that gladdened his heart considerably.

"He hasn't got a microchip either," Tsunade said, then paused. "Are you planning to keep him?"

"Well," Naruto licked his lips, hesitantly. "I haven't checked with the others yet, but...yeah. I'd like to."

"Alright then. We'll give him this, then I'll microchip him for you." Tsunade turned around with a loaded syringe in her hand. "Hold him still will you?"

Naruto held the wriggling puppy still in front of him, wincing as he yelped when Tsunade injected him. She rubbed the spot vigorously for a moment.

"There you go. That wasn't too bad was it you brave boy," she said to the puppy.

Naruto released him, and the puppy was nudging his stomach a few minutes later. He smiled and stroked his head as the pup started to chew on his ratty old t-shirt.

"Don't you think I should check with the others first?" he asked doubtfully.

"Screw that. If you want to keep him, then do it. If Kakashi has a problem with it, then send him to me. I'll set him straight."

Tsunade was grinning, and Naruto smothered his laughter. No one knew exactly how Tsunade and Kakashi had first met, but it was always amusing to witness the friendly rivalry and banter that existed between the two.

Ten minutes later, the puppy was micro chipped in Naruto's name, and they were back in the truck and heading home. The puppy was sitting on the passenger seat, trying his hardest to tear a hardy old blanket to pieces. Naruto smiled as he focused on the road once more. Black storm clouds were building up, and he hadn't missed the cold wind that was whipping up. They were in for a hell of a storm if those clouds were anything to go by. He only hoped that the weather would hold until later that evening; he had horses to exercise and outdoor work that needed to be done.

Still, Naruto couldn't seem to wipe the smile off his face as he leant an arm out the window, feeling the cold breeze on his skin. He felt like the happiness that had been dominating his soul would burst free at any moment.

Beside him, the puppy left the blanket and ventured closer to him, nosing his jean-clad thigh and asking for attention. Naruto grinned and dropped a hand onto the small head.

"Still gotta name you, don't I?" he asked aloud, not taking his eyes off the road as he turning onto the Uchiha drive.

He looked down at the puppy, who was resting his head on his leg and looking up at him with liquid eyes. For a long moment, Naruto just looked at the puppy, stroking the inky black fur before returning his eyes to the road.

"I think I'll call you Chance."

The puppy whined a little and tried to climb into his lap, licking at the softened fabric of his jeans.

"Yeah. Chance is a good name."

Naruto gently herded the puppy back over to the passenger side with one hand, and the puppy started to play with his blanket once more, rolling over onto his back and snuffling.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The others were instantly enchanted with Chance, and Chance was basking in the attention. Sakura and Tenten were cooing at the rolling puppy, rubbing his belly and talking nonsense to him.

He felt at ease leaving the puppy in their care as he rode out on Sora. She had completed her warm up and exercises well, and was quickly learning the dressage test he was teaching her for the competition. He figured it would be best to teach her the dressage test, and get that out of the way before he started teaching her to jump. He'd tried to trotting poles once more, and had made her walk over them.

She had fussed and grumbled about for a bit before grudgingly completing the task with little difficulty. He had cut the ride short because dark storm clouds hung low in the sky, and the wind was freezing, howling through the stables and buildings unpleasantly. Kakashi had called for him to help bring the horses in from the fields so he hurried to get Sora unsaddled and back in her stall.

He was walking towards the tack room when Chance barreled from the doorway, bouncing towards him on his unsteady puppy paws. Genma and Raidou were close behind carrying a dozen halters and lead ropes. Naruto crouched down and scooped a wriggling Chance up into his arms, who was desperately trying to cover his face in puppy kisses.

While he was glad that Chance was better and more lively, he hadn't quite bet on just how exuberant the puppy would be. He smiled fondly down at the pup and tucked him into his jacket, zipping it up a little so that the warm body was cradled against his stomach with only his head visible as it poked out and looked around.

Genma and Raidou laughed as they handed him several halters.

"C'mon, we've got horses to catch." Raidou clapped him on the shoulder and they started off down the road towards the fields.

"Are you sure you wanna bring him?" Genma gestured towards the puppy huddled in his jacket, Chance was squirming against him occasionally, but seemed to have settled down a little. Naruto knew that within a few minutes, the puppy would be asleep. The warmth of his little body against Naruto's stomach was more of a comfort than he would've thought. It was like he had his own personal water bottle.

"He'll be fine," Naruto replied. "It's not like he can get into any trouble where he is at the moment."

"Unless he decides to chew through your jacket. The little monster has a thing for biting," Raidou grumbled.

Genma laughed. "You're just upset because he chewed up one of your sneakers earlier."

"It was my favorite pair too."

"Those ratty old things? I'm glad he did. I've been trying to get rid of them for years."

"Whatever he destroyed I'd be happy to replace," Naruto told Raidou quickly. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize..."

"Ah it's okay. They were old anyway." Raidou waved a nonchalant hand. "Besides, it's hard to stay upset with him. He's too darn cute, the little mutt."

"Ah, before I forget..." Genma rummaged around in his pockets and produced a white envelope, slightly crumpled and handed it over to him. "Kakashi told me to give this to you. It came in the mail today."

Naruto looked it over, puzzled. He never got mail from anyone, seeing as he had no family or friends outside of the ones he had found at the Uchiha Stables. His name and address were handwritten, and in a script that he didn't recognize. Frowning, he shoved it in his pocket to read later. A sudden gust of wind took him by surprise, and he looked up at the daunting clouds above.

"We'd better get a move on," Raidou noted. "I think Iruka sent dinner down in case it rained.

"Good. I don't fancy having to walk back in the rain," Genma replied.

They split off then, and Naruto opened the gate, whistling shrilly to the two fillies he was in charge of.

- - - - - - -

The weather held until well after dinner time that evening. The stable hands had already headed back down, and Naruto had made the excuse of visiting with Iruka when the rain started pouring down. He excused himself from Iruka's place, claiming that he would make a run for it down to the stables before it got any worse. Tenten and Sakura were keeping an eye on Chance for him, so he wasn't worried about the puppy in the slightest. No doubt he would be getting doted on to his hearts content.

He felt rotten for lying to the people who trusted him and thought him honest. It felt as if he was betraying them in a way, even though it wouldn't hurt them.

As he made his way upstairs towards Sasuke's rooms, he vowed to himself that he would make it up to them somehow, whether that be by working harder or doing something nice for each of them.

He made sure he wasn't noticed by keeping to the servants staircases. Briefly he wondered where Itachi and Lady Uchiha were hiding themselves, as no one had seen much of the recently, but dismissed the thought as he approached Sasuke's quarters.

Naruto pushed back a surge of uncertainty as he knocked tentatively on the door. It still felt sometimes as if he was imposing on Sasuke and clinging like a love starved child.

Within moments, the door was pulled open to reveal a half dressed Sasuke. His hair hung down freely, the inky black strands framing his face and hanging down around his shoulder in a dark cascade. A tight singlet top covered the his chest, and a pair of loose, light gray cotton pants hung low on his lean hips, revealing a strip of pale skin that had Naruto blushing and swallowing back a surge of desire.

"Uh...hi. I thought...since I hadn't seen you earlier that I would come, but if I'm interrupting you I can leave..." he managed awkwardly.

"Don't be stupid. I told you to come, didn't I?" Sasuke quirked an eyebrow at him and pulled him inside before shutting the door behind him.

Naruto opened his mouth to say something, but Sasuke silenced him with a heated kiss, pulling him against his chest and wrapping his arms around him. He could do nothing but submit, sliding his arms around the broad shoulders and letting Sasuke deepen the kiss automatically.

Sasuke's scent and the way he tasted was enough to make his heart race in his chest. He had been longing to see him all day, wanting to touch him and kiss him.

Hours could have passed by the time Sasuke released him. The taller man didn't move back though, just raised a hand and brushed it through his hair with a faint smile on his mouth.

"I'm glad you came." he said, breaking the silence. "How's the puppy?"

Naruto smiled shyly.

"He's fine. I took him to the vet and she gave him the all clear."

"And what have you decided to call him?" Sasuke asked as he released him and led him into his living rooms. Naruto followed, missing his heat already, and touching his moistened lips reverently for a moment.

"Chance. I called him Chance," he replied distractedly.

"That's a good name." he could hear the smile in Sasuke's voice, even if he was facing away, and Naruto applauded himself on his odd ability to read a man who was supposedly an enigma so well.

"I thought so too."

Sasuke's room looked exactly the same as it had the last time he had visited, if a little messier. Books were everywhere, as were a few piles of dirty clothes, and sheets of music. Small lamps were lit around the room, giving it a golden glow that made it seem comfortable and relaxing.

"Sorry about the mess. I haven't let anyone in here for a couple of days. I don't like my art to be disturbed when I'm working." Sasuke said over his shoulder as he slid onto the piano bench and picked up a pencil.

He turned his attention to various easels standing in one corner of the room. What he saw fairly took his breath away.

It was a watercolor portrait of a horse, the colors so vivid and the detail so sharp and realistic that if he hadn't known better he would have said it was the real thing. A dark horse, possibly Taira was throwing up his heals as he raced across an endless field of green, underneath a sky so blue and big that it seemed to go on forever.

It was one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen, and the detail so fine that it was hard to believe it had been hand painted. Another easel supported a charcoal portrait of a horse's head, its eyes displaying everything he loved about horses; warmth, compassion and gentleness. The next was a more abstract portrait of a horse and rider. Naruto was entranced and a smile was playing on his mouth.

"You like them?" Sasuke asked from directly behind him, before a pair of arms slid around his stomach.

Naruto entwined his fingers with Sasuke's as he leant back against the solid wall of his chest.

"I love them. You're a wonderful artist, Sasuke," Naruto murmured, distracted yet again by the heat of his body and the chin resting on his shoulder.

Soft hair tickled his neck, and Naruto closed his eyes, savoring their closeness as a soft kiss was brushed over the skin of his neck.

"I'm not sure where I'm going with them yet, but you're welcome to keep them if you like them," Sasuke whispered into his ear.

Naruto shook his head though. "I couldn't do that."

"Consider it a gift."

Sasuke's hands were stroking over his stomach and hips, and his heart was fluttering in his chest, his breathing deepening as lust curled down into his belly like smoke.

One of Sasuke's hands brushed over his hip, resulting in the sound of crinkling paper. Frowning, Naruto opened his eyes and looked down, reaching a hand into his pocket and pulling out the crumpled letter Genma had given him earlier.

"What's that?" Sasuke asked lazily with his chin still resting on Naruto's shoulder.

"I don't know. It came in the mail today," he replied turning it over and tearing the envelope open. He unfolded a letter several pages thick and fumbled for a metal object that fell out of the folded pages. It was a key, which looked to be unused and plain.

Naruto stared at it for a moment, puzzled before turning his attention to the letter.

Dear Naruto,

I write this letter not knowing if you remember me at all, and in the hopes that you'll be able to read this letter all the way through. My name is Kenji and I was a very close friend of your father's.

Naruto felt his hands start to shake as he stopped reading and stared at the letter in shock. He felt Sasuke pull away a little and straighten up.

"Perhaps you better sit down while you read this," he suggested quietly.

Naruto let himself be led over to the couch and as soon as he had been pulled down against the warmth of Sasuke he started to read once more, suddenly desperate to know what horrible truths the letter held.

You first met me when you were nothing more than a little tot at your father's side. Not long after, I left for the other side of the country with my wife. We always kept in contact though, through letters and telephone calls.

Your father was always extremely proud of you, Naruto, and I was so very sorry to hear that you lost such a brilliant father in such a tragic way. But before I get to the point of the letter, I feel I should explain a few things to you.

As I said before, I was a friend of your father's back when we were kids. We grew up together really, and I was the best man at his wedding when he married your mother, and what a fine lady she was. I had never seen anyone as deeply in love as your parents were. And it hardly seemed possible that he loved anyone else even more. But he did, and that person was you.

When your mother passed away, you and your father stayed with me for awhile before he got back on his feet. We worked together on a few jobs and I watched you grow up into the bright and sunny little boy that your father loved so much.

Before your father passed away, he sent me a copy of the key to his storage room. I've kept paying the rent for the storage, but had lost track of you once you were placed in the system. With no living relatives, I suppose the government had no choice but to put you up for adoption. If I could have taken you in, I most certainly would have. But it wasn't right for my family at the time, as much as I regret it.

I tried several times to find you and make sure you were okay, but all my attempts were unsuccessful. I hope you can forgive me for my failure to find you. I finally heard word from a mutual friend of your father's and mine of where you might be and made some phone calls to a couple of my contacts in your area. I am very relieved to hear that you are alive and well, and working in the same field that your father and I love very much.

The point of this letter is to return this key to you, for I doubt you would have been given the original. I've enclosed the address of the storage site (it's not too far from where you live now) and the relevant documentation. I hope that whatever you find there will bring you some measure of comfort, and help you learn more about what kind of man your father was.

If it's at all possible, I would like to keep in contact with you just to know that you are keeping well and that you are happy with what you're doing and the people you associate with.

Yours truly

Kenji

Naruto was trembling by the time he finished the letter and shocked to his very core. If he had known that someone had been looking for him during the dark years following his father's death...well, he wasn't sure what he would have done. Probably would have run to them and begged them to take him in, and rescue him from the people who were hurting him.

He could remember what it had been like in that orphanage. The chances of a family wanting to adopt a child in his early teens were very slim. Couples wanted kids young, so they could raise them as their own. And knowing that, the children forced to live in group homes were stripped of the hope that one day someone would love them, and such knowledge twisted people in ways the Naruto hadn't ever thought possible. It made the kids harder, more adaptable and resilient and defiant towards authorities and adults. Unless some of them were like him, in which case they just crashed and burned. Some were rescued from time to time, others weren't.

He had been trapped in that place for several long years, and it had become his own private hell.

The metal of the key in his hand had warmed, and he turned it over and over as he tried to wrap his mind around what he had just learned.

"Naruto?" Sasuke was asking softly. Two hands carefully took the letter and the key from him and placed them on the coffee table before them. Sasuke turned his chin so they were looking at each other.

"Are you okay?"

Twin streaks of wetness lined his cheeks as he blinked, and swallowed, trying to find the words to describe feelings he couldn't quite grasp.

"I..." he started whispered before swallowing once more. "I don't know..."

He was pulled roughly into Sasuke's chest, where he lay shivering and shaking like a leaf. Sasuke's face was pushed into his hair, and he focused on how warm he was, and the gentle fanning of his hot breath in his hair.

"That's quite a shock to deal with in one sitting, hmmm?" Sasuke asked quietly.

He nodded and brought a hand up to wipe away his silent tears. He wasn't really crying. He figured that he had cried more than enough tears for his father a long time ago. His grief for the only family he had known ran much deeper than tears.

It was just the suddenness that had gotten to him. But he felt stronger with Sasuke at his side, and not nearly as much of an emotional wreck as he would have been if Sasuke hadn't been there with him.

"So what are you going to do about this?" Sasuke asked calmly, pressing a kiss to his hair.

"I...I guess I'll have to go and...sort out all of his stuff." he replied slowly as he released a shuddering breath and tried to reassemble his thoughts. "I can't just leave it there forever."

"If you need me to come with you, I will."

Naruto sat back a little and rubbed his hands over his face before attempting to smile at him.

"I'd really appreciate it if it's okay. I mean, the others don't know...and I'm not sure they'd understand…."

"You don't have to explain yourself to me, Naruto," Sasuke told him, reached out and tracing his cheek bone gently. "If you need me to be there, I'll be there."

"Thanks, Sasuke." Naruto leant forward and pressed his lips to Sasuke's, needing something to help him soothe the shock, even if just a little.

Sasuke cupped his cheek and kissed him back, pulling him closer and sheltering him for just a little while.

A/N: This chapter just refused to be written. In between having an annoying head cold, trying to organize finances for a car I'm not sure I can afford, and trying my very best to not stomp my stupid ipod to pieces, I guess I'm a little stressed. And stress, I've found, tends to mess with my inspiration. My muse is back though, albeit under force.

So anyway, I hope you found this chapter satisfactory at least. I'm trying to move the plot along at a good pace as well as develop the relationship between the various characters. Thanks for reading, and I hope you're still enjoying reading this monster that is consuming my soul!

Edit to the above A/N: I just bought my first car! Celebrate with me, people! He's pretty and blue and he shall henceforth be dubbed "Tobi."