Chapter 28: All Eyes On You

Author's Notes: I want to thank you all for such positive feed back on the entire scene between Naruto and Anko concerning love. It was the most difficult scene to write in the fiction, and it had been the part I had been writing for two months. I just wanted to state though, for the people who have never experienced love before: please don't expect love to be like that. I did say in Naruto's speech (which was all my views) that its something you have to experience for yourself. Naruto didn't say it out loud, but he did imply that it was scariest moment of his life. Love is wonderful guys, but I want you all to realize it isn't storybook. Now that I'm done mini-ranting, thank you all so much again. It meant a lot.

- I know this is a quick update, and no, I don't know if it's going to happen again. Enjoy, with love.

ALSO (IMPORTANT): The next chapter is going to be the longest yet (when you get the e-mail alert (if you have it on alert)) please don't freak out. If you didn't see the announcement on the website, you can now bookmark a page in case it's too long for you. And the next chapter, to give you an idea, is going to be almost as twice as long as this. It is going to be the last chapter and the there will be an Epi.

Warnings (it's been awhile): Man oh man is there OOC-ness… then again, there has been. Ah, AU at its best. Fluff-ness?

Dedication: Every one of you who reviewed. They all meant so much, it was very sweet, all of them. And again, my muses. Thank you.

Chapter 28: All Eyes On You

"I love you, not only for what you are, but for who I am when I'm with you."
- Roy Craft


Naruto didn't have time to gape.

He was guessing it was because his brain didn't know how to process what was going on. He was pissed, that was for damn sure. He was considering seriously hurting Sasuke, and breaking that bastard's face and destroying the living room for a good damn cause. He could get he was mad, and damn did he understand that Uchiha's could hold grudges, but it just hurt more when it involved him – them.

Naruto had made attempts to explain what happened, explain what he meant when he said that to Sakura, and right all his wrongs. Sasuke didn't let him. They both had been hurting because of something, because of a mistake and because they weren't together, and because of that damn Uchiha they were hurt even more.

And so, Naruto finally said the first snappish thing he could think of, "I should hit you over your fucking head in hopes your balls will drop you fucking bitch."

"Well, Na-Na, you're one to talk in that outfit…" Kakashi called as he made his way down the stairs.

Naruto turned to glare at his father, pointing an accusing finger and stomping a heel, "Do you know what-!"

"Ah-ah!" Kakashi wagged his finger playfully in his son's face before tapping it on the end of his nose, "You should listen to my advice, son."

The blonde went rigid, and completely ignored the other teen in the room, "I always do, dad. You might have gone senile at a young age, but I always listen to your advice. You can at least dish that out without messing me up. Mentally."

"Then," The grayed man stated with a wave of his hand and a rocking of the feet, "remember that mistakes were made with both parties. No matter what they were, you are both here now to talk them out, and that, I suggest you try and do. Because if not," his eyes flicked and met Sasuke's for a moment, "you will regret it. So… think about that before snappish remarks and irrationality. Talk."

Naruto watched as his father walked past him, calmly grabbing his keys and spinning them absently on his index finger as he walked out the front door.
The blonde flinched as the front door slammed closed, and silence washed over them eerily.

The blonde turned and walked calmly as he could down the hall, walking into his door when he didn't turn the door handle all the way, and stumbled into his room when the door was flung open.

Naruto changed slowly and thought through things carefully. He was mad – check. He could understand why Sasuke didn't want to talk to him – check. He could understand why Sasuke needed some time – okay. He was upset Sasuke dismissed him when he tried to explain himself – check. But when it boiled down to it, after all this, he knew they need to ta-…

Damn Kakashi.

The blonde wiped the make-up carefully from his face and thought about the young Uchiha in his living room. If he was angry about Naruto still cross-dressing, he didn't show it, either that or he just simply understood it. And, well, Uchiha's are supposed to know and understand everything, so if not there is just a grunt and an impassive face.

Naruto took a deep, not-so-calming breath in and let it out shakily before walking back out into the hallway. He ran his tan fingers down the orange shirt and then adjusted the blue jeans before coming to a halt in the mouth of the room.

Sasuke looked over from what he was looking at, studying something or the other and locking dark onyx eyes with pools of summer-sky blue.

Naruto felt his heart rate double from just a simple look, his breath barely hitched, and his stomach knotted.

The raven scooted down slightly on the couch, hinting for Naruto to join him on the couch, but the blonde remained where he stood.

"Will you sit down?" Sasuke asked lightly, their eyes still locked.

Like some spell put on him, Naruto slowly stepped towards the couch slowly with careful and calculated steps before unceremoniously flopping on his spot next to Sasuke.

The blonde studied his tan fingers as they tangled together on his lap, trying to ignore the awkward air that fell over them and fight away the terrible feeling in his stomach that made him feel as though he was falling over and over again.

Sasuke studied the ceiling, his pale silk arms were crossed over his chest while he absently tried to will away the anxiety and awkward air.

"When you really laugh, your eyes close," Sasuke mumbled.

Naruto's fingers gripped themselves when the raven next to him began to speak, and patiently waited for him to continue or acknowledge him.

"Your hair…is unnaturally soft." The raven grumbled.

Naruto held back a snort at his attempt at a complement, and knew that he was uncomfortable, "Sasuke…"

"Your smile," He continued, looking over at the blonde who was looking at him, "your real smile, Naruto, is breath taking."

The blonde's mouth snapped shut with such force you could hear his teeth smack together.

"Your balance exists in some alternate universe, because the day where you don't trip or fall is the day hell freezes over." Sasuke continued.

The blonde let out a breathy, nervous chuckle, his breath coming to tickle the flawless pale face next to him that he was facing.

"I swear if I see you go a day without ramen dobe, I know the world is ending."

Another chuckle escaped Naruto's lips, and the nervousness was leaving with each sentence Sasuke uttered.

The blonde went rigid when he felt a hand cup his cheek, his eyes finally locking with dark pools, and a thumb grazed at his cheek tenderly before he realized that Sasuke's soft hand was the one that was doing it and he instantly relaxed into the touch.

"Your scars, damn Naruto your scars…" The blonde's eyes flashed with hurt as a thumb grazed over three scars, "are so beautiful."

Naruto's brow furrowed as his heart pounded at the whispered, soft, sincere words that came from the teen that he swore didn't know how to compliment, and here he was…

"You scrunch your nose when you try not to cry."

Blue eyes blinked at notice when his nose was scrunched, and clenched his jaw and willed away the prickling at the back of his eyes and the emotions that threatened to become too much.

"I hate how you make me…different. You drag things out of me. Words, smiles, even a thing called laughter which didn't even exist in my life till you came around."

The blonde blushed lightly under the touch, and his eyes searched the flawless face of Sasuke.

His Sasuke.

"I hate when you dress in drag, because you cover up and change something that looks perfect to begin with."

Naruto's blush deepened, and the blond muttered insults and things under his breath to try and will away the embarrassment.

"You're laughter rings, your eyes shine, and damn dobe does your voice make me smile."

Naruto looked away, clamping down on the inside of his cheek unconsciously and tried to pull away from the touch for some reason or another.

"And you do that." Sasuke stated lightly, making the blonde turn to look at him.

"You chew on the inside of your cheek when you're uncomfortable because you don't think anyone will notice," Naruto bit down on his tongue to move from his cheek, "and you look at everything you can to try and distract yourself."

Aquamarine eyes snapped to attention when the young Uchiha stood from the couch and blindly reached out his hand for the blonde to accept or ignore.

Naruto stared at the pale hand that he had held too many times to count, and more times than not, it was simply out of habit than anything else. He wasn't sure when it turned to comfort, and neither was Sasuke.

"You can actually blush. Who knew assholes had blood instead of ice?"

Sasuke's glare was empty when he threw it, and dropped completely when the blonde grabbed his hand and waited for the tug to pull him up.
The pull lifted the blonde completely in the air for a split second, and had the two of them bumping chests and grabbing hold to each other to keep balance.

Naruto didn't know why he felt the need to say it here and now.

"I won't forget her, because she made me see you."

A delicate brow raised slightly before quickly falling, and Naruto felt the hands that held his waist and upper arm try to recede till he gripped onto the front of Sasuke's shirt that he was holding onto.

"Not like that, and you know it. If I didn't try to get to her, I …."

"…can be such a blonde."

Naruto wasn't sure when he had closed his eyes, but he was guessing right around the time when he was in the middle of trying to make sense of the entire situation and get his head on straight.

Right around when he realized he was trying to confess…

Blue eyes came into view at the snapping open motion of his eyelids when Sasuke rested his forehead against his, and his nose brushed his, and his lips ghosted his own.

…Sasuke did it for him.

"I love you."

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Naruto liked the idea of Sakura, but was in love with the thought, the feeling, of being with Sasuke.

Naruto finally managed to stutter back an 'I love you' after a moment of exploding thoughts, relief and fighting back tears that he wasn't sure why tried to fight their way forward. They shared a kiss. Nothing hot or steamy or awkward. A light, building, pressing kiss; one that felt like they were trying to merge together. Sasuke's hand had moved from Naruto's shoulder into his hair, and pulled him forward by the waist before cupping his face. Naruto's arms were thrown around Sasuke's neck, holding him close, pulling him in hopes the moment would never end.

For the moment, their hearts pounded together, their lips refused to part, and nothing else in the world mattered.

Love was, at that moment, perfect.

It was a moment they were sure to never forget.

Their foreheads rested together when they finally pulled apart, their breaths mingled in the intimacy of the moment as their eyes locked in a stare. Not intense, not heated, not lust filled, not awkward; a stare full of an emotion that wasn't held back anymore.

Love
.

Then they pulled back, and Naruto smiled one of his breath taking, room engulfing smiles and Sasuke smirked with a shake of his head, and they continued on.

Moments were moments, and they knew, it wasn't going to be like that always and forever. They knew they weren't always going to get along, they knew they were going to fight, and they knew that they were only human.

They accepted the moment, they locked it away in their memory, and they went on.

Naruto's stomach grumbled loudly, and the blonde laughed when Sasuke shook his head and grabbed his hand and dragged him to the kitchen.
The blonde sat on the stool while Sasuke made him ramen, and they caught each other up on the past two weeks.

Apologies would be said later, when the time was right, because right now wasn't the right moment.

It was like it always was; Naruto laughing and making a mess and Sasuke poking fun at him.

Kiba and Hinata made there way back over only because they wanted to see Naruto, and Hinata was in an overload of giggles when she saw the two together. Kiba, still on the defense, glared himself into a fit.

Kakashi came home at the end of the night, walking through the front door intent on making his son build him a new living room if something was just a hair out of place.

He found Naruto curled up on the couch, his eyes closed peacefully and obviously asleep. Sasuke's pale hand was stilled in blonde locks, his head resting peacefully against the back of the couch, and his eyes closed while his chest rose and fell in his slumber.

Kakashi plucked Sasuke's phone from the couch cushion as he finished covering the boys up, and scrolled through the contacts till he found the man Naruto had talked about before.

The grayed man pressed the phone to his ear, smiling when the dead tone identical to Sasuke's met his ear.

"And you must be Itachi!" The man chirped.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Sasuke woke to the feeling of a crick in his neck, and quickly adjusting, he tried to dive back into the comfort of glorious sleep.

That is, right before Naruto's curse startled him to the point of dragging him back out, "Shit!"

Onyx eyes snapped open just to focus on Naruto rolling off the couch and wrestling with a blanket that he had become entangled in throughout the night in his sleep.

"Dobe?"

"We fell asleep, teme! School jackass, school!" Nauto barked as he kicked the blanket off and hopped up.

Sasuke smirked at the rumpled clothes and wild hair that usually seemed as crazed as it could get, "Hey, idiot, did you look at the clock?"

"I…W-what?…Well, no." Naruto's shoulders dropped slightly before he turned to eye the large clock on the wall and rubbed the back of his head in a tired manner.

'5:47 AM'

"Oh…" Naruto chuckled.

Sasuke eyed the tabled near the front door with a glare, "Naruto…?"

Said blonde took a step back at the dangerous tone in the teen's voice, "Y-yes?"

"Why is my phone charging next to yours and how did it get to charging without a charger? And damn it all dobe, how in the fuck did my uniform get here?"

The two snapped their heads towards the kitchen when Kakashi's laughter rung out like gunshots, danger clearly ringing through the air and the two simply threw caution into the wind as they simultaneously walked slowly towards the sound.

The two ended up walking into their worst nightmare and froze.

"Oh hell." Sasuke deadpanned upon seeing the scene in front of him.

Most would have expected a murder, or perhaps, a kitchen destroyed from a battle of epic proportions. Except, seeing one grown grayed man who took great pleasure in mentally torturing his son and best friend and one older brother whose favorite past time was tormenting his little brother by any means possible; seeing them together in one room could only mean one thing.

"Death is coming, huh teme? I thought cats can sense it, but I think this is a special case." Naruto whispered, eyeing his father suspiciously while he put down his cup of steaming hot whatever it was on the counter.

"Have you made a will, dobe?"

"Left that off of my 'to-do' list." Naruto muttered as he watched Itachi put down his own mug of something.

"Naruto-kun," Itachi began, flicking his low ponytail over his shoulder, "so good to see you again."

"It's so good to see you two finally woke up." Kakashi chimed.

The two teens shared a look, one of worry, and one glare.

"What are you two doing?" Sasuke growled, turning back to the two men.

"Oh!" Kakashi immediately began, "I was just telling Itachi about my Iru-chan."

Naruto groaned and Sasuke spared a raised eyebrow to show his confusion, "His boyfriend. My ex-principle."

"It seems as though you two solved all your problems." Itachi droned on, running a perfect index finger around the rim of his mug, "Here I thought the sex just wasn't good."

"More like lacking, Itachi-kun." Kakashi smiled on sweetly.

Naruto's face quickly morphed from a look of worry, to mortification, "Geez, dad! Ever heard of a thing called shame?"

Sasuke smirked a little at the flame of a blush that covered a once tan face before Itachi chimed in or really, continued to drone on.

"I was sure they had done something."

The younger Uchiha turned to glare at his older brother, who simply did nothing having seen the look and had thrown it too many times to be affected.

The blonde yelped when his father smiled to the point his eyes had closed, "Dad! Shut up! Just shut the hell up for the sake of whatever is left of my sanity."

The two grown men faced each other; Itachi raising a perfect eyebrow out of place on his perfect face while Kakashi continued to smile on brightly while his eyes were still closed.

The dark haired man turned back to the teens lingering in the doorway, "So I was right, you have done something. Hn. I knew you were more of an ass these past couple of weeks, little brother, simply because of the lack of a little blonde play toy."

Naruto didn't even bother to try and stop Sasuke as he lunged for his brother, only because he himself lunged for his father when Kakashi voiced his agreement.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Naruto walked hand in hand with Sasuke towards the school, still thanking Hinata for doing his make-up while Kakashi continued talking to Itachi. It seemed they had taken great pleasure in talking about the most embarrassing things they could think of that consisted of Naruto or Sasuke at the top of their lungs while the subjects of the matter readied themselves for school.

Or, really, silently plotted two murders.

The blonde swung their hands flamboyantly between them and flashed a smile when Sasuke turned to throw him a glare at too much movement at such an early hour.

"Say, teme?"

"Hn."

"No, it doesn't involve Itachi." Naruto said, decoding, and not catching the completely confused and almost impressed look Kiba gave him over his shoulder.

"Hn."

"Oh, well, can I meet you at my house after school. I need to stay after." Naruto continued on in his usual cheery morning voice.

"Why? What's wrong?" Sasuke inquired, sparing a few words.

"Nothing."

"Hn."

The blonde stuck his tongue out playfully, too joyful to hide his childish antics, "I'm not lying!"

"Alright!" Kiba exclaimed, stopping the four in the middle of the sidewalk and turning, "I have to know how the hell you know what he's saying."

Naruto tapped his own nose, "I can decode bastard. I've been training for this moment my entire life living with Kakashi."

Kiba snorted, pointing a finger, "Okay, too true."

The four began walking again, Naruto and Kiba chuckling at the thought of what passed as it flitted through their mind before Sasuke enquired on what the blonde had spoken on.

"Why do you have to stay after dobe, and don't lie. You blink too much when you lie." Sasuke stated matter-of-factly.

"Ever think I had fucking mascara in my eye, teme?"

"Hn. Defensive." Sasuke mumbled as he let Naruto drag him along towards the school.

The blonde sighed roughly and stomped his foot, the two of them stopping before Naruto told Kiba and Hinata to continue on who had also stopped.

Blue eyes turned to meet jet black, and Naruto knew what he fell asleep deciding was worth it. What plagued his sleep didn't matter. Nothing else in the world mattered save for this person in front of him right now, and he would be damned if he risked it again.

"I'm going to talk to Tsunade after school."

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

"So," Sakura began as nonchalant as she could pull off as they took their seats in English.

"So!" Naruto clapped his hands together playfully with an air of happiness he couldn't shake.

Uttering three words had changed him, and it was beginning to annoy everyone – his overly bright mood that is.

"You and Sasuke-kun are doing well again." Sakura propped her head up on her hand and began tracing patterns on the desk she sat at.

A tan face was alight with a smile that drew Sakura's attention away from her invisible doodles, "Yes, we are."

"Everything settled for good this time?"

A tan index finger began making his own invisible doodles on the desk top as he smiled faintly, "Almost. But I'm working on it. We're working on it together."

The girl smiled faintly, and began nudging him in the ribs, "You act like you love him Naru-chan."

Sakura listened to the hum of wonderment that came from the thought-to-be girl next to her and green eyes widened, "I have you to thank for opening my eyes to that, by the way."

The girl thought back only to when she drilled into her about what Naru-chan had meant when the class had been discussing the meaning of love, and Naru-chan had denied the feeling. Sakura, on the other hand, denied her denial.

She had no idea that Naruto was talking about him coming to this school to pursue her, and then finding Sasuke, and in the end falling in love.

"Oh, by the way, Sakura-chan," Naruto said straightening up in his seat as Anko walked in the room, sparing him a wink as she hopped up on her desk.

"Yeah, Naru-chan?"

"Kiba told me he was stopping by sometime today after school. He wanted me to tell you. He said he was thinking about having a big hang out day. So, please bring Ino along."

The girl's mood instantly sky rocketed, "He's coming over?"

"Yeah."

"You're coming too, right?" Her voice chirped at the thought of seeing this boy again, but Naruto had different intentions she had no idea about.

"Yeah, we'll both be there."


"Alright Uchiha," Shikamaru muttered, "why in the hell are you being a troublesome thorn in my side today?"

Sasuke turned around to glare at his best friend with all his might, silently hoping that he would burst into flames, "Hn."

"I will not let this go."

And something he must have picked up from Naruto, Sasuke threw up his hands in the air and smacked a hand on his face to drag it along to wipe away the disgruntled face.

When the hell did everyone begin to understand 'hn'?

"I've known you for a long damn time, I know what the damnable grunt means. Troublesome." Shikamaru said as if reading his mind. "And Naruto loves you, so it's easier."

Sasuke grumbled under his breath, turning to glare out the window as they waited for Neji to enter the classroom to begin lessons. Shikamaru followed his lead, his eyes scanning the clouds and settling his features peacefully.

"He's going to talk to Tsunade after school." Sasuke mumbled.

Sasuke's head rested in his hand as he stared out the window solemnly, waiting for Shikamaru's comments to follow about the clouds knowing the teen was easily distracted by them.

"So, Naruto's going to go to the principle? Hm. Looks like he really does love you after all, Uchiha, in case you had any doubt left I just hope you're prepared for the backlash after he tells the principle."

Sasuke snorted, "Troublesome."

Shikamaru chuckled, "Hn."

The raven sighed, "You are to stand by someone you care for, Nara. No matter how tough the times get. You can't get scared. Some lazy asshole drilled that into my head. So, even if that means your certain someone comes out to a prestigious school that he has been cross-dressing for whatever reason, you stick by them."

"Ah, young troublesome love." Shikamaru sighed.


Naruto walked into the Dean's office at the end of the school day, his mind playing through scenarios while his heart beat rapidly in his chest. The blonde faced the Assistant Dean as she sat at her desk, her head bowed as she was immersed in her paper work. Her fingers would come up occasionally and tuck a lock of dark hair behind her ear without breaking her concentration, scribbling on until the hair would fall in her face once more. Blue eyes flicked to the opened doorway to the left, glancing at the title above the door in bold letters that clearly read 'Dean' before clearing his throat.

The Assistant Dean looked up, a smile gracing her features and wiping away the concentration, "Hello Naru-chan. I hope you're staying out of trouble."

Naruto smiled back, reaching a tan hand up and rubbing the back of his blond wig and careful not to mess up the pig-tails. "Yes, Shizune-san. No more pranks."

The woman smiled gently, "Then what can I do for you dear?"

"I was wondering," Naruto cleared his voice as it began cracking oddly from his nervousness, "if I could have a word with the old hag?"

Shizune gave him a stern look, "I'll go see if she has a moment."

Naruto nodded, his pigtails swinging wildly, and his sky blue eyes followed the woman as she stood from her desk and made her way to the opened doorway.

She knocked politely on the doorframe, lightly and quietly before looking over and flashing a quick smile before knocking again only loud and obnoxiously.

Naruto distinctly heard a snore erupt before something fell, and heard the dean begin yelling, "I'LL HAVE THE DAMN REPORTS IN FIFTEEN – oh. Shizune. What is it that you need?"

The woman nodded her head, and pointed to her face to signal her friend and boss to wipe the drool from her face, "A student would like to speak to you."

The blonde nodded, adjusting the undershirt to her blazer properly so it would cover her large breasts properly and patted down her low tied blonde pig-tails before slapping on the stern face of the Dean, "Send her in."

Shizune ushered the girl forward and waved him into the office before closing the door behind him, leaving Naruto and Tsunade to themselves.

"Hey granny." Naruto let out in his girlish voice.

"Look brat," Tsunade growled, "I'm in no mood."

Naruto waved his hands in front of himself in a defensive manner, the light sparkling off of the clear nail polish that littered his nails, "I know, I'm not either, I apologize Tsunade-sama."

The older woman stiffened, and her face creased with worry, "Alright kid, what's wrong?"

"Before I tell you, I need your word that I am the only one that suffers the consequences for the actions that I – myself – took, no matter how many people that I involved."

The woman paused very briefly before nodding, "Uzumaki, what the hell is going on?"

She never saw this thought-to-be girl before without a bright smile on her face.

"I'm sorry, Tsunade."

-0-0-

Kakashi sneezed harshly in the living room, Itachi turning towards him and passing along a tissue, the older man taking it with a nod of thanks.

The grayed man wiped his nose and turned to the dark haired man, blinking owlishly, "Have you ever sensed that someone is tattling on you? You know, something you deserved?"

Itachi sneezed suddenly, just holding onto his cup, before looking slowly over at Kakashi with one eyebrow raised.

"Hn."

-0-0-

Tsunade trained her eyes on the person in front of her after the apology was spilled, wondering why on earth she apologized, and why on earth her voice sounded so deep.

"Naru-"

A tan hand was raised to silence her, hoping silently he could still manage to hang on to the courage to get through this confession. Naruto let his eyelids flutter shut and pictured Sasuke, a rare moment when he smiled instead of smirked, before opening his eyes. Using the hand that was held up to silence the principle, he reach up and grabbed at the wig that was fastened to his head half-hazardly this morning since Kakashi hadn't helped at all.

Tan digits sunk into the fake hair and gripped at the hair, and then slowly with deep calming breaths, he pulled the wig away. Naruto held the wig limply by his side, and held his eyes tightly closed while he waited, and waited, and waited for what seemed like an eternity.

"Naru-chan, we all know about the cancer."

The blonde seized up for a moment, damning Ino to years of bad hair, weight gain, and blotchy skin.

"Ma'am." Naruto cleared his voice, sounding like he did when he would come home from school, "I'm Naruto, please don't call me Naru-chan anymore."

Honey eyes blinked, and then blinked again at the voice that admitted from the person in front of her. Sure, she knew her…his, whatever's name was Naruto, but…this was different.

"My name is Naruto Uzumaki. I'm an ex-student from Konoha Public High School. Male student. In a desperate attempt to get close to the girl of what I assumed was my dreams, I dressed as one of your students. I do not have cancer."

Tsunade shook herself out of her stupor, "Excuse me? Who got you in?"

"My father, Kakashi, who will not get in trouble for this."

"Did any other adults know about this?"

The blonde thought on it, and wondered if he should absently get him in trouble for this morning's antics, "Itachi Uchiha. He will…also not get in trouble for this."

"And your old principle doesn't know about this at all?" She growled.

Naruto shook his matted down head, "No," he sighed, "He was upset about the whole ordeal."

Tsunade straightened in her chair, "Why's that, brat. Surely one prank at my school meant fifty more at your old one."

"He and my father were – are – dating. My father told him we were moving to Suna and they had to go long distance. Talking on the phone opposed to seeing each other made him pretty upset. So Iruka doesn't need to get in trouble for this either since he didn't know about it."

"And, who brat, will be getting in trouble for this?"

Shoulders shrugged innocently, "I will. Whatever you see fit."

"And what pray tell, do you plan on doing now that I know your dirty little secret?" Tsunade asked in a dangerous tone.

Another shrug of the shoulders. "Make things right. That's why I'm here, because I needed to start with you."

The woman sighed, and then, she made her decision.


Sasuke stood outside of the large gate of Madame Francis's School along with Shikamaru and Temari. The lazy teen had silently explained the entire ordeal in less than two sentences, a shrug, and a mumble to his girlfriend while they waited. Kiba and Hinata stood right behind Sasuke, and occasionally, the small girl would touch his shoulder to show her comfort and support. To let him know they were all in this together.

Sasuke was too worried to even bother to tell her to knock it the hell off, not to mention he didn't want Naruto outrageously mad at him. Or Neji for that matter.
Onyx eyes impatiently scanned the front doors of the school while his heart pounded an unhealthy rhythm in his chest, while he mentally damned himself.

He felt like he should have just told Naruto to wait it out. To think of something else. They would think of something else together. Now he was worried something would happen to the point Naruto would be upset. He was waiting for the blonde to come out of the school; black lines of eyeliner and mascara running down his lightly powdered face, his forehead creased and his nosed scrunched. The raven's chest ached just thinking about those beautiful eyes filled with tears and his hands hastily wiping them away and causing his face to blotch. Then, the worst part of all, would be his smile not being there, being washed away in his tears.

He was just worried about…

"Naruto…" Sasuke breathed out as the blonde exited the school.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

The blonde walked hand in hand with Sasuke, the two walking silently with the troop of teens, chatting lightly, following behind as they continued on towards Sakura's house. He listened as Hinata barely let out directions and Kiba repeated them ten times louder as they continued. Before they left the school, Naruto politely asked Hinata to help him put his wig back on for the last time.

Naruto smiled as the raven squeezed his hand gently, and the blonde turned his head and looked over the see Sasuke looking at him. Really looking at him. It wasn't a stare or a glance or gaze or a glare. It wasn't creepy, heated, or passionate. It was a simple stare to show the raven truly saw him, and showed the love they admitted in his eyes. It was a look like one was given yesterday, and it made his heart flutter.

Naruto knew no one could see it through what always seemed like an impassive look to everyone else, but he saw the differences.
A tan hand squeezed back in response, a light smile lighting a tan face before Sasuke leaned over as they continued to walk and placed a kiss on his forehead.

"Get a room, Uchiha!" Kiba barked with a laugh.

The blonde tripped over his feet from prolonged exposure away from, but Sasuke tugged on his hand and silently helped him regain his balance.
The group turned down a pathway through a sweet manicured lawn to a large mansion, and then the group grew silent. Naruto silently counting each step and watching each crack and each blade of grass go by as he walked to the front door of Sakura's mansion, and feeling as though he was a dead man walking.

They group stopped in front of the door, and a tan hand squeezed a pale one gently before sparing a glance and raising his free one, Naruto knocked.
The front door swung opened, and Sakura and Ino stood in the doorway expectantly, their eyes bright and their clothes changed into beautiful outfits.

Sakura and Ino both looked over the group and the pink haired girl's face fell slightly as she addressed Naruto, "Naru-chan, I thought you said Kiba-kun would be here?"

All eyes turned to Naruto.


Author's Notes: I know I left everything opened and I know I left everything dangling off a horribly shitty cliff with nasty jagged rocks at the bottom. I know. I'm mean and nasty. But you love it.
-0-0- I'm sorry (that's a lie) if you weren't happy with the love confession. People tend to over due them (-raises hand-) and having experience with falling/being in love and confessing feelings, it's a moment, quick and short and then you go on with your life. I didn't want to over dramatize it.
-0-0- The confessing (about cross dressing). Yeah, still working on it, and I'm going to tell you right now, if you don't like the outcome/aftermath of his coming out party, then…I laugh at choo.
Now that I'm done ranting… I love you all. Read, review, and enjoy.