CHPT 22

Disclaimer: Is it really so hard to believe that I don't own Naruto? I do own Tohno, Ren and Tempori.

/Kyuubi, spoken aloud/

/Kyuubi, thought, not aloud/

'Naruto, spoken aloud'

'Naruto, thought, not aloud'

Tohno, aloud.

Tohno, thought, not aloud.

"Holy mother of fuck!" Iruka glanced at Sakura for a moment before remember that she wasn't the same young girl and could swear all she wanted. Her breathing was fierce, her nostrils flared as she grit her teeth and looked up at the large dome. She bent her knees, and let her hand fall down, slight burns running across her knuckles.

"Nice punch," Moegi commented, watching a ripple effect take place as the chakra was displaced and then bounced back.

"Yeah, it worked freakin' miracles," Sakura glared at the reshaped figure, tempted to punch it again just in defiance.

"No, Sakura, your punches did do something, the chakra is more dense and concentrated here." Neji glanced at the girl, watching her straighten and bend back. Her smooth stomach tightened and loosened, easing the muscles of her abs and back.

Kakashi made a sound in agreement, still not looking away from the dome, both eyes taking it in with unusual calmness- not that panicking would have been proper action.

"The chakra moved in defense, like a body fighting against infection, the chakra's gathered at the area as though fixing the wound and protecting in case of another attack, but-"

Sakura nearly jumped Neji, about ready to shake him and tell him to just get to the point, "but what?!"

"But it leaves the rest defenseless," Hinata looked to make sure her cousin and Kakashi-sensei nodded in accord. "The other side is weak because the chakra concentrated to this side to defend itself. It seems to be dissolving, but for the while the chakra did respond and make the structure vulnerable." Hinata's wide, pale eyes looked apprehensive.

"If we split up," Kakashi turned to the group, looking for any sign that one wasn't willing to take a risk. "One group can attack the barrier leaving it weak on the other side, and then the second group tries to break through. Simple, yet plausible."

No one in the group appeared unwilling, thoughtful, nervous if you were really looking underneath the underneath. In fact, they seemed to prepare, tugging at gloves, adjusting hitaites, tightening hair ties, and redesigning their faces into pure determination.

Sasuke threw his head around, trying desperately to look through the window of his cabin bedroom. It took a second of straining his eyes before he gave up using a normal approach and made an attempt to access his sharingan. It was awkward, the feeling behind his eyes as his pupils dilated and concentrated. Headache bloomed in the front of his head, centered around his eyes. He blinked and the feeling didn't leave, it was forcing itself through his skull, searing pain, as though the ruby that stopped him from using jutsu, didn't want him using his kekai genkai.

His sight turned to shades of red as he forced it forward, and for the briefest second he thought he might be able to see through the frost, snow blizzard, but his eyes faded back to black and he hadn't been able to see much of anything. Certainly not what caused the echoing bang that rang throughout what Naruto referred to as the biggest, fucking snow globe in the world.

He gave up. It barely mattered, if something was going to or was happening they'd know about it soon enough, and even if something was up- there was little he could do about it. No, it was much more important to wake Naruto up-

Sasuke gulped, looking down at the body underneath him. Naruto had apparently regained consciousness, his head just tilted to the side as he gave him the most helpless, and terrified look Sasuke had thought Naruto was capable of. Then it was gone, wiped away as Naruto just stared up, passively lifting his arm to move Sasuke to the side. Sasuke didn't need the push, instead jumping back and standing beside the bed.

"Naruto," Sasuke asked, looking over the blonde, everything seemed so complicated, and yet purely simple. "What the fuck is wrong with you?! If you're… if you're sick or whatever you have to tell…" Sasuke felt like punching something, possibly himself. 'Tell who? Me? Why the hell would he bother telling me how he feels, well he might, even if I don't care, but god. This is so stupid, he can't just fall unconscious and then rise again like everything is fine. He's not fine, nothing is fine he's-'

Sasuke's eyes gaped, eyebrows rising, his breathing stopped as Naruto stood up and leaned towards him. He couldn't describe it, much too confusing, Naruto was just so close, just looking at him, eyes looking confused and awkward. He was just close, looking as incredible as always with tan skin and ocean eyes. Only his expression marred the perfect appearance.

"What are you in my face for?!" 'Once again, Naruto brings out the worst in me and I resort to yelling and getting in a fight with him, good one…' Sasuke took a step back, knowing it would be too much to punch the blonde but wanting to do it anyways as it would serve as a perfect distraction.

"Hey, Sasuke-teme," Naruto seemed to snap himself out of his daze, looking away and then giving Sasuke a cheery smile, though it didn't reach his eyes. "We really hate each other, don't we?"

Sasuke didn't answer, instead snorting and rolling his eyes. He wasn't sure if Naruto was an idiot for not being able to figure out how Sasuke was… starting to feel for the other, or for just saying something out loud that was rarely spoken about. Didn't their rivalry and conflicting personalities go without saying?

"I'm going for Naruto and Sasuke-kun, I'm going to be part of the second group," Sakura thought the way she said it left little doubt, but it seemed as though someone was bound to question her.

"You already know that you're better suited for the first group with your chakra enhanced strength," Neji looked at her, pearly eyes raking over her.

"The first group," Iruka spoke up, a strategist coming out. "Should be strong enough that the structure weakens itself as much as possible, but also should be more defensive type, should something go wrong. The types to go in for retrieval missions are more offensive, hence, the second team." Iruka sighed, and then forced a smile. "I volunteer myself to be part of the first group," nobody thought it out of place for him to be on the defensive side.

"Hinata," Kakashi spoke to the purple-black haired girl who appeared to be quite surprised at being addressed by him. "Since there are two of your clan, you should go to separate groups." Kakashi didn't need to finish his line when he saw her smile and turn her head.

"And I get to stick with Iruka-sensei and Sakura-chan, I understand."

"I don't!" Sakura's hands fell to her hips, shoulders squared. "I can be offensive, and I'm their teammate! If anyone should go-"

"Sakura-chan, you're the only medic-nin, we need you to stay safe. You also just got back from a mission, and are the strongest. It's not to piss you off, it just makes sense that you be part of the first group." Moegi frowned and shrugged, knowing Sakura still wouldn't like it.

Sakura didn't like it, she grit her teeth and crossed her arms. "So what? I attack the dome, while Iruka-sensei and Hinata-chan keep an eye out. Then Neji-san gauges the affect Kakashi-sensei and he attack, and Moegi-chan will be needed to try and track down Naruto and Sasuke-kun and… and I just stay back and… hang out?"

Sakura's voice started to fade a little, she seemed lost, and it made sense. This entire mission decided whether or not she ever saw the boys she had grown with, loved. She might never see her brothers again. "Sakura, if you need a second, take it now, but then you need to get in the game. Forget the emotional issues, block it out and deal with it when we get back." Kakashi looked at her, without sympathy. He understood how she felt, but couldn't encourage it.

"We all want, and need, this mission to be a success. This will only happen if we move past differences," Iruka blushed at being reminded how he and Kakashi didn't always work well together. "Stop acting '

selfish, no matter how noble our intentions," Sakura's flush seemed awkward on her, too much pink. "And do everything we can to make this work." Kakashi gave them a new look, slightly reassuring he whispered "we have to save our future hokage and his 'rival.'"

"I missed you," Naruto looked away for a second, hoping Sasuke understood that he meant missing him when he left for Sound and its psychotic ruler.

Sasuke gave a 'hmmn' sound, unsure what Naruto was getting at.

"You were most important! I did everything for you! But you…" Naruto eyes looked bright, he leaned forward and grabbed Sasuke's shoulders, feeling him panic slightly, ingrained, ninja reflexes begging him to throw the other off. "You, you act so confusing! Sometimes you save me! You really save me, Mist wasn't a fluke, all those years ago, you saved me! But then years later, you just wrote me off. You hated me, you tried to kill me. I know you made a mistake, I forgave you! I just…"

Sasuke reached up to take Naruto's hands from his shoulders, his fingers spreading over Naruto's hand for a moment, calm and comforting. It seemed so vulnerable, nervous, but pure and real, yet intangible, everything was always going to be so complicated…

… but it was so simple…

"I have to know, that no matter what I feel for you, I just have to know how you… how you- oh kami," Naruto gave up on speaking, gave up on words that could never really convey exactly how he felt, what he wanted, or what he needed. And since actions speak louder than words anyways, it just made so much sense to lean forward and press his lips over Sasuke's. And it was perfect kissing Sasuke, because it didn't matter if he gasped and barely responded, it wasn't perverted, wasn't hot, but as great as any chaste lip-lock could be. So he just brushed his lips slightly, soft and thoughtful, emotional. Bumping them against each other, breathing slightly.

He had to know if Sasuke would kiss him back.

Does my writing style seem different from my last update? Hmmn…

I did write a Sasunaru lemon, you might want to check it out, it's good, and for the people who voted in my poll for a sasunaru lemon. If I sound weird, I'm exhausted, and a little unsure of this chapter, it's the first in a while actually, oops, sorry! So tired…

-Alika613