Hmm… I'm a bit late for this chapter so sorry.

To those anonymous reviewers: If you don't mind please leave your email address so I could reply to your reviews. I don't want to post the answers together with the chapters as it would take up space. Frankly, I always feel bad every time I won't be able to answer your questions. But if you don't like to give it, then it's okay. What choice do I have?

-----oo-----

Chapter 53: Separation

A year ago since her husband's death, Reiko- the beloved daughter of one of the powerful lords of Earth country had stop being alive. She had preferred to live in the past rather than moving on towards a future where her husband didn't exist. Time had forgotten her and she had forgotten it as well. She was untouchable by changes and she had become an apathetic observant of life.

Against her wishes, Renji, her older brother dragged her all the way to Konoha because he thought a new surrounding would be good for her. And as they walked down the busy streets of Konoha, Reiko never bothered to glance around. To her, everything had turned dull and uninteresting until her tangerine eyes fell upon someone. Her heart leapt in her throat and her time started moving sluggishly at first. She wasn't mistaken. Black hair, black eyes and pale skin.

"Hajime," she whispered reverently.

Renji looked down at his imouto to find life filling her once dull eyes. He followed her gaze and got his answer. The dark-haired man who had just left the Amaguriya was a spitting image of his brother-in-law. He quickly ran to the store.

"The man who had just left, who is he?" he demanded without preamble.

"The leader of Uchiha clan, Sasuke. Uchiha, Sasuke."

Thanking the cashier, he left. He took her sister at their hotel room before going to Hokage tower.

Naruto was sympathetic when Renji narrated about the sudden demise of his brother-in-law and how it affected his sister greatly. But when he made a request to the hokage, the latter didn't shout, he screeched, 'what!' Did he hear it right?

"I want Uchiha Sasuke to be with my sister during our one week stay here," Renji repeated.

Naruto wasn't dumb. He knew what the man really wanted. He wanted Sasuke to play the role of his sister's husband and that meant...

Seeing the hesitation in those blue eyes, Renji decided that a reminder was needed.

"My father loves Reiko so much and if he knows that the Rokudaime won't grant my request, he can make your relationship with the Rock village strained."

The hokage didn't need the young lord to remind him about that. He was fully aware that their father had a very strong friendship with the Tsuchikage. But…

Naruto frowned. "Wait, that's impossible. I can't agree-"

"Because he is your husband?"

The hokage looked away but his silence was his affirmation.

"But kages don't have spouses or family. Am I right?"

Naruto nodded. As a hokage, Sasuke was just a subordinate nothing more nothing less.

"If you refuse... I know Konoha is stronger than Iwagakure but your people would still suffer the effects a war."

"Do you think Tsuchikage would really start a war with us?"

"What do you think?"

Naruto knew the history between Iwagakure and Konoha. And their spies in Rock village told him Tsuchikage was just waiting for any reason to renounce their peace treaty and attempt to destroy Konoha. Although their forces were nowhere as great as Konoha's, it was possible that the Tsuchikage wanted to crush the village indirectly - through the effects of war. And while Konoha would be coping up with the damages, another village an ally of Rock would attack and hopefully annihilate Konoha directly.

Naruto mentally sighed. The village welfare against his own. There was no need to decide. His position had already decided for him. Taking a clean mission scroll from his drawer, he wrote all the mission information before affixing it with his official seal. He presented it to the pleased gentleman who also affixed his signature.

"Udon," Naruto called out the moment Renji walked out.

"Yes, Hokage-sama?"

"Bring Uchiha, Sasuke here."

"Right away, sir." And the jounin disappeared.

Naruto leaned back on his chair and sighed as he tried to calm down. But the warning tone in Renji's voice and his smiles kept coming back, making him seethe. With a growl, he threw the scroll just in time Sasuke appeared in a poof. The captain would have been hit if it weren't for his fast reflex.

"Sorry," the blonde said knowing behind that mask, Sasuke was scowling. "No need to give it back to me. It's your mission scroll anyway," he said. He then waved his hand in dismissal and the captain nodded.

-SasuNaru is love-

Sasuke went home to pack. But before going to his room, he went to the kitchen to grab a drink. Sitting down, he unrolled the scroll. He choked when he read the mission description. He read it again just to make sure he wasn't mistaken. Then he read it once more just to make sure his understanding of things was correct. And when he was really certain, his left hand tightened around the glass, shattering it and injuring his hand. A string of colorful words exploded from him before he got up to clean his mess and took care of his injury.

Akemi passed by the master's bedroom and saw his otousan almost angrily stuffing few things into his bag.

"I'm home," he said in a voice laced with tiredness.

"Welcome back," the older Uchiha nodded.

"What happened to you?" he asked, wondering what could piss his otousan so much. He easily caught the scroll thrown at him. He read it once the twice before asking, "Chichiue approved of this?" What was his other father thinking anyway? For him to lend what he always referred to as his greatest treasure to a stranger was utterly ridiculous and unbelievable.

"You should have turned it down," Akemi said. He knew his dark-haired father loathed the mission and for him to accept it was insanity. What was the world coming into?

"Everything isn't about your wants."

"But both of you are going to suffer, or are already suffering," he pointed out.

"We're shinobis. We're trained to endure anything," Sasuke countered.

"Even with heartaches?" Akemi asked an eyebrow rose in a challenge.

The older man nodded, "even that."

The boy shrugged his shoulders. As his father passed him by, he wanted to tell him something but realized there was nothing to say. Even 'good luck' seemed inappropriate.

"I met otousan by the gates," Kisho told his older brother as he entered the house. "He seemed to be breathing fire. What happened to him?"

"A stupid mission," was Akemi's dry reply.

-SasuNaru is love-

Sasuke stood in front of the hotel room stated in the scroll. He took four deep breaths to stifle the urge of killing the young lord before he knocked on the door.

Renji's smile widened as he led the Uchiha inside.

"I'm sure the details of the scroll are enough for you to know what your role is," the noble said. To this, Sasuke nodded.

"Good. While you're with my sister, I don't want you to see you seeing your spouse nor wear you wedding ring."

It took a lot of effort from Sasuke not to make a kunai/shuriken cushion out of the bastard in front of him.

There was no way he would take off his ring for some ridiculous mission. He had never taken it off since his wedding even when his marriage had been on the rocks one time. He raised his left to show that there was no need to do such thing because luckily, he had bandaged his left hand so his ring wasn't visible. The lord nodded and led him to another room.

Reiko gracefully sat by the window. Her eyes were glazed as her soul traveled back to her glorious days. Even the firm knock on her door was lost on her but her brother's voice brought her back. She looked at him with dull eyes until she saw who was standing beside her brother. She stood up abruptly and approached her past, her present and her future. Afraid that he was just an illusion or an apparition that would disappear the next moment, she warily and gently touched his face.

Sasuke's immediate reaction was to grip her hands - an action misunderstood by the lady.

She wept as she threw her arms around his neck. "Hajime," she murmured. Sasuke never returned the embrace as he was too busy stopping himself from pushing her away.

"I'm Sasuke. Uchiha, Sasuke."

The lady leaned back and smiled. She remembered that back then Hajime's voice was deeper but that didn't mean his current voice wasn't pleasant. It wasn't only his voice that had changed but even his hairstyle. His silky jet black hair had been long almost reaching his waist and he always tied it in ponytail. But now, his hair was now gelled in a shape that reminded her of duck's butt. She chuckled lightly before she shook her head.

"You'll always be my Hajime."

The shinobi had to remind himself that this was just a mission. He couldn't wait for these visitors to get out of Konoha and out of their lives.

-SasuNaru is love-

Dinner in the Uchiha was less enjoyable as Naruto's cheerfulness was too strained not to be noticed by Kisho and Akemi. Some moments, Naruto would be toying with his food before attacking it like some wild animal.

"Guess what I saw today?" Miki stepped inside the dining room. She was too disturbed at what she saw to say 'I'm home.'

Akemi and Kisho looked as they were thinking. The older brother then arched an eyebrow and said, "Your teammates doing some perverted-"

"That's not it," she said as she took a seat. "I saw Otousan and some lady dining at one of the finest restaurants in Konoha. The lady looked aristocratic…"

She trailed off when their chichiue stood up.

"If you need anything, I'm at the study room, working," Naruto said with a smile before he left.

"What's wrong with him?" Miki asked.

Akemi sighed and told them about the mission.

"Really?" both of his younger siblings asked in shocked.

"The lady is beautiful but she and otousan don't look compatible. Trust me."

-SasuNaru is love-

"I had fun tonight," Reiko giggled as she plopped on her, no, their bed. "And the black clothes suit you well. You should wear civilian clothes more often."

"I'm a shinobi," Sasuke stated for the nth time. And you're just a mission. He didn't find the dinner date pleasant. It was awkward but he endured it all because it was an order.

"But more than anything else, you were a swordsman. Kimono looks better on you than those uniforms." Then with a smile and her hand stretched, she said, "Come, let us sleep."

Sasuke looked pale but remained calm. He shook his head. "I'm not sleepy yet. Go ahead." Ignoring the pained look, he left the room and saw a frowning Renji.

"It seemed that one of Konoha's best ninjas is failing," he mocked.

The Uchiha scowled. "Do you know why shinobi are the most feared warrior?" he asked in a clipped tone. "Because they execute missions without emotions. Your sister is a mission yet order states that I must deal it with emotions." It just went against what ninjas especially ANBU members were ordered to do… were taught to do.

"And all you could do is put on an apathetic look," the other man snarled. "You're incompetent."

The scowl on the Uchiha darkened but he didn't say anything because he was incompetent for this mission. He walked away and sat on the couch, completely ignoring the displeased lord.

-SasuNaru is love-

Naruto tossed in their bed, unable to fall asleep. He went to the meadow that existed in his mind. Even before his feet could touch the grass, a golden red tail curled around his waist, carried and settled him beside the demon's belly.

If it saddens you then you should have denied that brat.

But you know what he has against us.

If the Rock village wants to attack us, we can annihilate even before they could use any of their ninjutsu. We'll annihilate their allies as well.

Naruto smiled. Tempting, Kyuubi. But the efforts of my predecessors-

Would be wasted, an exasperated Kyuubi finished his talk. That was always Naruto's reasoning.

The blonde snuggled closer, seeking warmth and comfort. Why is my heart always at odds with my heart most of the time?

Because your heart thinks of Sasuke only but your mind has to consider a lot of things.

If only I could sleep through this situation.

I could put you in a deep slumber.

Naruto shook his head. I'm a shinobi. I don't run away. I have to suffer too just like Sasuke is suffering right now.

-SasuNaru is love-

When Sasuke had woken up from the couch, there was already breakfast on the coffee table and a smiling Reiko was in front of him.

"Good morning," she greeted. Her cheerfulness just made Sasuke sick. It was so different from Naruto. Hers was sweet and he hated sweets. Naruto's was just as strong as the sun and it always made his skin tingle in a good way.

He nodded and greeted back. Remembering his manners, he excused himself and went to the bathroom. When he returned, he was served with a cup of steaming coffee. He thanked the woman. He drank it and almost spit it out. His coffee was too sweet. It was Naruto who drinks sugar-concentrated not him.

"Is there something wrong?" she asked innocently. "Was the sugar not enough?"

Reminding himself that he was a shinobi, he shook his head and emptied the cup in few gulps. God! He was dying and he still had six days to endure this torture.

"Tour me around Konoha, will you?"

"Of course," Sasuke said in a forced gentle voice. He wanted to just stay inside the hotel and suffocate himself to death.

-SasuNaru is love-

In the end, Naruto never managed to sleep for more than three hours. He couldn't because Sasuke's scent in their room was haunting and mocking him. He decided that for the next six nights, he'd be sleeping in the hokage room that smelled with antiseptic. It was better that way. He was sure he could sleep.

-SasuNaru is love-

"I'm hungry," she said.

Sasuke nodded. "I'll take you somewhere. It's one of the most popular food stores here." Not to mention, the place where his dobe would frequent too often. He missed him.

"Thank you for the food," Naruto called out as he stepped out from the Ichiraku.

"Ramen? I hate ramen," he heard an almost whining voice. "I'm allergic to ramen, remember?"

Naruto was about to scold that person for her hatred for his food when he realized who she was. He gave Reiko his one of his fake beautiful smiles then looked at Sasuke who was being half-dragged by the noble. The two looked at each other miserably before Naruto disappeared in a poof. He couldn't stand to see Sasuke being with someone else just as latter dislike the idea of staying away from his blonde.

The captain looked at his mission then at the sky. I will see you soon.

-SasuNaru is love-

Sasuke smiled when he saw the figure he had been looking for. But it wasn't a surprise because he knew Naruto's daily routine. He knew where to find the blonde anytime. And right now, Naruto was at the lakeside near the Hokage Mountain.

"Naruto," he said the name longingly. It had just been one night and yet such longing was almost too much to bear.

Wide blue eyes looked at him in surprise and Naruto asked, "What happened to Miss Reiko?"

"I shook her off temporarily," Sasuke said. The two continued staring at each other before they moved forward. They crushed their bodies together and sealed their lips in a hot and furious kiss.

The wind blew causing the hokage robes to flap around their figures before wrapping around Sasuke's lean body.

"It's hell, Naruto. Worse than my time back in Otogakure," Sasuke said between nips on those luscious lips. Back then he had his revenge to remind him of what must be done unlike now.

"I know but we have to endure it," Naruto replied with a moan. He threw his head back as pale fingers slipped into his pants and caressed his opening. He ground his hips against his spouse's, eliciting a very wicked groan from Sasuke.

"Are you aware that you're killing us?" the older man asked as he laved the tanned neck.

"I know and I'm sorry." A wicked tongue snaked out to trace Sasuke's ear shell.

The dark-haired man gyrate their hips together while leaving a damp trail on Naruto's exposed skin. "If you're sorry, then give me permission to pull out from this damned mission."

Naruto slid his hands under Sasuke's shirt and let them go wild on pale skin, trembling as the muscles beneath such perfect skin shuddered at his slightest touches. Naruto wanted skin contact so badly that he was furiously rubbing their hips together as if such friction would burn the clothes that were an obstacle. "It's not something I can do."

"I know and I understand." Sasuke understood and that was the reason why he hated it more. He understood perfectly why Naruto couldn't. Damn. They were married and they were in the same village yet they couldn't see each other until his mission was over. He leaned his forehead on Naruto's exposed shoulder and took a shuddering breath.

"God! Dobe, I ache to be inside of you now," he confessed before he started sucking the skin on the side of his neck.

Naruto's left hand cradled Sasuke's head as he replied, "I want to be with you too but…"

The two looked at each other, drowning in each other's limpid pools of wanting. The sane part of them informed them that Reiko was coming. The woman was more or less one a minute away. It was enough for them. They meshed their lips once more, their hands quickly groping what they could. After forty seconds, they pushed away from each other knowing they were so close to losing control.

Naruto looked at the side where he knew Reiko would appear. She was just few steps from them. He leaned forward to disappear and then appear right in front of Sasuke.

"Make her happy," he said brushing his swollen lips against Sasuke's before he was gone.

Hearing such statement, Sasuke felt like he had been splashed with freezing cold water, making his stiff shaft go limp. That idiot! How could he say that when his taste was still in his mouth?

"There you are," he heard Reiko exclaimed and he gritted his teeth. He mentally took deep breaths before he turned around to look at her.

"Let's continue with our tour," he offered. Naruto had ordered him to make her happy and that was what he was going to do. He was a shinobi for Christ's sake. He can pull this off.

-SasuNaru is love-

Yuuzuki had just arrived from a mission when he invited Yukina to dine with him at some restaurant and had never heard about his otousan's predicament. So when he saw him and his lady companion entering the establishment, his eyes bulge causing his girlfriend to follow his gaze.

"Don't misunderstand it," Yukina said. "He's on a mission. I don't exactly know what the mission is all I know is that the lady's brother hired him to be her companion because your otousan was a dead ringer of her late husband."

Yuuzuki nodded, discretely looking at the lady.

"Everybody is trying to avoid the hokage and going to his office," she continued. "They said they could feel the murderous vibes. While Aunt Ino and the others are coming up with plans on accidentally bumping on them so they could check Miss Reiko out. This is all I heard from the shinobi circuit"

"For her to get what she wants she must be a brat or her brother is." He finally caught his otousan's gaze and he titled his head towards the restroom. The older Uchiha gave a slight nod before he excused himself.

Yuuzuki watched his otousan walked into the room before he excused himself and disappeared quietly.

"I heard about it," Yuuzuki said. "Must be tough."

Sasuke nodded, "but there's nothing I could do but obey the orders. Send my regards to chichiue." And then he left.

-SasuNaru is love-

Sasuke had stuck to his reputation for being efficient. He showed emotions that were needed in the mission regardless how insincere and forced they were because in the end, Reiko and Renji were convinced. But he still never joined the lady in her bed. He slept in the couch and he slept late. It was during that state, when Naruto would haunt him to awakening until the core of his very person tingle with emptiness. He would toss and turn until he fell asleep again. And not wanting to drink Hajime's kind of coffee, he made sure he woke up early to prepare his own.

Everyday he would tour the lady around Konoha and endure all her intimate gestures. The only gestures he could return were embraces and holding hands. But his embraces were always loose and the way he held her hand was half-hearted. It wasn't her hands he wanted to hold. She wasn't the one he wanted to embrace. They were near yet so far but he continued on because that was what his profession required from him. That was what Naruto expected from him.

Reiko didn't seem to notice Sasuke's discomfort. All that mattered to her was Hajime was with her once more. She was slowly reliving her glorious days but this time in a more real way.

Naruto, on the other hand, could not fall asleep even when he was sleeping in the hokage's quarters. No matter how many times and no matter what Kyuubi did, he couldn't sleep. And as hours went by, Kyuubi's suggestion of annihilation became more and more tempting, making his body tense.

Due to his lack of rest, he was easily pissed off and he was growling in any chances he got causing his subordinates to scurry out of his way when they could feel his presence. The more they tried not to provoke him, the more they committed mistakes. As small as such errors were the whole building shook every time Naruto roar in anger.

Naruto knew it was very unbecoming of him and knew that when he calmed down, he had a lot of apologizing to do but at that moment he didn't care. He was pissed. Royally pissed. And his sadistic demonic side seemed to prowl in its desire to kill two certain people and then some.

Blue eyes tainted in red as he looked at the report submitted to him by a chuunin cell. The format was wrong, some sentences were vague and others were too detailed for a mission report. He slammed his hands on the table causing the ninjas to jump.

"Rewrite it once more," he ordered. "Did you read the correction I wrote last time?"

The three nodded numbly. This was the first time they were asked to rewrite a report and worse this would be the fifth time they were going to rewrite it. Like everyone else who bore the brunt of Naruto's unreasonable anger, they blamed their suffering to those two noble from the Rock village.

"If you won't get it right next time, I'll demote you," Naruto warned. When he huffed in his chair, the three took it as a dismissal.

Shino was climbing the stairs when he met the pale chuunin. He could smell pure fear from them and sighed.

Naruto looked at the different reports and information spread out on his table. Figures and characters were swimming in front of him, merging and entwining like some animated film. Growling, he all swept them away from his table in disgust. His hands ached to tear them to shreds or burn them.

The sudden crash made the stationed ANBU guards to appear, thinking of an attack only to find a messy floor with a coffee mug broken. Luckily, the mug had been empty so it didn't do any damage on the carpet and on the documents.

The two guards looked at the hokage who was pressing his forehead against the cool window glass. They were about to start picking up when they heard him say, "I'll do it. Just leave."

Knowing it was better to follow than argue, they nodded and left.

There was only a knock before Shino walked inside.

"Naruto," he started and crouched down to help his friend gathering documents. "Don't you think your temper is too much? I understand what you feel. Everybody understands that but don't you think it is unfair when you lash out to them?"

"I feel pretty bad about it myself but I couldn't help it. I'm getting crazy and I couldn't fall asleep."

Shino could see that because there were dark circles under his eyes. "It's not only that, Naruto. Being cocooned in this place for too long also affects your temper." Most people were aware that Naruto never stepped outside the administration building because he didn't want to see Reiko parading his husband around town as if the Uchiha was her own.

"Where can I go?"

"Sasuke and that woman could only be in one place at a time," Shino stated matter-of-factly.

"True. But when you wanted to avoid someone, the world becomes smaller," the blonde countered.

Shino sighed. "Just don't lash out too much. If the councilors would learn about this…" he trailed off because he knew Naruto was fully aware of things. He sighed once again before he looked at his friend and said, "Just be careful and control your temper, okay?"

The blonde nodded. "Shino?"

"Hm?"

"Please send Hinata or Sakura to me, right now."

A few minutes later, Hinata appeared in his office.

"Y-you sent for me, Naruto-sama?" she asked. She was scared to provoke the man in front of him.

"Hinata, give me some sleeping pills will you?"

"Eh?" Her friend looked so desperate and she knew that such pills were dangerous. The hokage might overdose himself with it. "I'm sorry but I couldn't give you those."

"But I need it so I could sleep tonight and improve my temper."

"May I suggest something, Naruto-sama?" The blonde nodded, "I could make you sleep through chakra application. If you want, I could do that on you when the night comes."

"You don't trust me to drink the pills?"

"N-not really. I worry that you might overdose yourself."

Naruto just chuckle dryly. "Very well, please come here around seven in the evening."

The kunoichi nodded and left.

-SasuNaru is love-

Sasuke seemed elated by the knowledge that by tomorrow he was a free man and he could go back to where he belonged. But there was something about the way Reiko looked and dressed that made him feel uncomfortable. In fact, his instincts told him that he might as well run away but he was a shinobi and an Uchiha too and being those meant he must never run. He was not a coward.

Tapered fingers lightly ran across his cheeks as Reiko stood in front of him. "I'm leaving tomorrow."

"I know," Sasuke said.

"Won't you miss me? Won't you come home with me?" Her tangerine eyes were now smoky and seductive.

"I'm already home," Sasuke said and stepped away when those pink lips came too close for his comfort. Unable to take it anymore, he said, "I'm not your husband. I'm Sasuke, the husband of the hokage." As if to prove it, he unwrap the bandage from his left hand and showed his wedding ring.

Reiko smiled, "I know you are married. Our little bumping with your friends told me that. Never underestimate woman's instinct or intuition." She wasn't stupid. She could understand the looks his lady friends were throwing at him. It was a gaze that was telling him to hang on or telling him how the hokage was doing or asking him how he was faring. She also aware of the annoyance the ninjas especially his friends were emanating towards her.

"I know you're Sasuke too. An Uchiha. But you reminded me of Hajime and that is good enough for me."

"You are selfish," Sasuke said, his voice lacing in irritation. He no longer cared if such emotion was unneeded.

"I'm in love."

"Then you should learn to let go," he snapped although he knew his condition would be worse if Naruto dies. But he didn't mind telling such statement to the lady who was making him miserable.

"Come with me. I can give you anything. Everything"

"I already have more than everything."

"I can't change your mind, can I?"

Sasuke shook his head.

"Then as a parting gift; as a way for making up for your incompetence and rudeness," her smile was now calculating, "make love to me."

Obsidian eyes widened, he was gaping at her.

"Isn't it your mission to make me happy? Isn't that what you are paid for?"

She was right. He was known for his success and efficiency. This was mission. If he would do it with her… He could do it with her. Emotions weren't needed in this mission. As long as he could give her the pleasure she seek, then it was okay. To have sex with her was part of this fuck up mission. Naruto wouldn't mind. No, Naruto would mind but he would understand. The blonde even told him to make her happy.

He looked at her straight in the eye and said, "Let's do it."

And the bitch smiled victoriously.

-SasuNaru is love-

Naruto was sitting on the front porch of the Uchiha mansion. His mood had improved since he started receiving chakra application from Hinata and then from Miki who had volunteered to do it as long as his chichiue would come home. But there was no need to sleep tonight because tonight was when his Sasuke would return to him- a reason why he was staying in the front porch.

He smiled as he saw a silhouette walking towards the mansion and immediately identified it as Sasuke. But the smile on his face vanished as he could smell, even from the distance, the woman's perfume. He squinted his eyes and realized that Sasuke's hair was damp.

Bath after sex… Perfect but it won't fool him.

He gripped the ledge too tight as realization dawned on him – Sasuke had completed the mission. He felt sick and he was in pain but he knew he shouldn't be. What they had was sex. It was only sex yet why did his chest seem to explode in pain? Because he thought such intimacy could only be shared by the two of them. He should have known that it would end up like this because Sasuke always made sure he accomplished his mission. He had been like that since when he was a genin.

With a sob and without waiting for Sasuke to reach him, he turned and went inside. He hurriedly discarded his clothes and soaked in the bath tub.

Stupidstupidstupidstupidstupid. Bitchbitchbitchbitchbitchbitch.

He scrubbed his skin in anger until they were red in irritation. So hurt was he that he didn't know Sasuke was already inside the bathroom until long pale fingers gripped his hand to stop his movements.

"Naruto," he said in a very quiet voice and he didn't miss the apologetic tone.

If Naruto doubted such tone, the guilty look Sasuke was sporting blew those doubts away. The dark-haired man looked away as the pain of betrayal shot though Naruto. But instead of lashing out as Sasuke expected, Naruto attacked his pants and nuzzle his dick against his cheek.

"Naruto!" Sasuke gaped. His knees trembled as hot tongue snaked against his growing member, awakening it.

The blonde concentrated in roving his tongue all over Sasuke's shaft paying more attention at the underside vein. He moved his lips forward to drop a kiss and lick his balls before he suddenly deep-throat Sasuke.

To be inside that warm and hot cavern made Sasuke threw his head back and plunged his finger into those wet golden locks to maintain his balance. He gulped as those intense blue eyes locked on him. Slowly he bucked his hips according to the rhythm Naruto established.

He didn't last long. He couldn't endure the pleasure that eager mouth and smoky eyes evoke in him. With just a deep moan as a warning, he came.

Naruto tucked him back and Sasuke thought it was over and he would have wept but in a flick of a tanned arm, he found himself sitting in the bath tub, clothes and all. And a naked Naruto was straddling him.

Naruto brushed his lips against his then pulled away when the man was about to respond. He trailed his mouth against Sasuke's face and asked huskily, "Was she tighter than me, bastard?"

"Huh?" Sasuke could only stare at him.

He nibbled his ear before plunging his tongue into it. "Did she manage to elicit those sinful sounds from you?"

Sasuke wanted to talk but all that his voice could produce were those sinful sounds the blonde mentioned.

"Was she better than me? Was she able to reduce you into a mass of lust, desire and need?" Sharp teeth grazed his shoulders before sinking into his flesh. Sasuke threw his head back both from pain and pleasure. Naruto's hands traveled over his skin, singeing it with his desire and jealousy. Thumbs played over the dark-haired man's nipples making it hard and erect just like his manhood.

"Was she able to satisfy you?" Fighting back the sob making past his throat, Naruto finally snarled the question he really wanted to ask, "Did she momentarily make you forget about me?"

Understanding dawned and settled over Sasuke's pleasure-hazed mind. Naruto was horribly jealous, bringing out his possessives.

Was this the possessiveness Orochimaru off-handedly told him when he had angered the blonde during one of their encounters?

Don't talk about Sasuke as if he is yours.

No it wasn't. The possessiveness Naruto had shown that time was mixed with anger, desperation and frustration, while the possessiveness Sasuke was now seeing was tainted with jealousy.

How lovely.

Sasuke gripped and pulled his blond hair just so he could stare at those stormy blue eyes. "She's beautiful but you're breathtaking." His right hand cupped Naruto's face. "Her body might be soft but yours is pliant and made for my touch." He brought his face closer so he could lick those drop tears on his cheeks, "Her skin looks flawless but yours is perfect. She might be a demi-goddess but you, without a doubt, are a god. My god." He kissed him deep until their lungs became to painful to be ignored. He licked the saliva trailing from Naruto's lips as he murmured breathlessly, "but I liked your jealousy and possessiveness.

"You ruined your talk with the last line," Naruto retorted. "Wouldn't you feel the same if I'll do it with…" he trailed off to think of the person that would threaten or anger Sasuke. "Sai or Gaara?" Those two and Neji had been too close with the blonde for Sasuke's liking during their bachelor days and the fact that Sai and Gaara were still unmarried and dote on his wife don't sit well with Sasuke even now.

Naruto knew Sasuke's reaction would be strings of curses and violent plans on how to torture them. Sasuke was predictable when it comes to jealousy, when it comes to him.

"Go ahead," the dark-haired man said indifferently that Naruto thought he was no longer as important to him as before until the former continued. "But you'll demand for more. Your body would. And even when they give you everything you will never fell satisfied. You know why?

The blonde could only shake his head mutely. He was so engrossed in staring at those obsidian eyes that seemed to shine like dark marbles. And that voice… It wasn't his bedroom voice. It was better and sexier. There was a dangerous edge to it that made him shiver to the very core of his being.

Take me now.

Sasuke kissed him and invited his tongue to come out from its place. He flicked his tongue against its partner before continuing, "Your mouth and tongue would coil at the intrusion." He trailed his fingers on flushed tanned skin in a butterfly caress that made Naruto's breath hitch. "Your skin would tingle not in pleasure but disgust." A pale hand wrapped around the blonde's throbbing appendage, "This would weep and tremble not in anticipation but in hunger… for my hand." He squeezed it before he let go to raise Naruto at the same time he dipped his head to suck on its tip. "For my mouth."

Naruto whimpered when Sasuke didn't continue his ministrations. He choked on his moan when a gasp slipped from his lips as he felt fingers rubbing against his ring of muscles before slipping inside him. His eyes immediately closed at the sensation.

"Your ring of muscles and your walls would submit to the foreign object while craving for my thickness; for my length and for my warmth." Sasuke grinded their hips together swallowing back his own moans that was threatening to leave his mouth. God, he wanted to pound Naruto now. He was throbbing painfully but tried to shake the uncomfortable pleasure as he moved his fingers, loving the moans that vibrated from tanned chest. He dipped his head to take an earlobe, nibbling it before suggestively plunging his wet and hot tongue.

Naruto shuddered. He wanted Sasuke to take him now. This was too much. He desperately wrapped his arms around Sasuke as he bucked his hips. He didn't want fingers. They were too small and inadequate for his satisfaction. He wanted the real thing.

"Even when you experienced mind-blowing orgasm, your body, every fiber of it would crave for me. It's a fact, dobe."

The blonde didn't do or say anything to deny it because he knew it was the truth. His body was Sasuke's. Everything he has and will have; everything he was and will be, belong to his husband. It was and always will be like that until the universe was no more and eternity came to an end.

He whined when Sasuke extracted his fingers out.

Glazed eyes stared at him, "Sasuke..."

Understanding the request before it was made known, he said, "be my guest." And he watched as Naruto eagerly release his straining manhood from its confines.

Naruto hurriedly gripped the edge of the tub and positioned his legs to support his weight as he lifted himself. His grip tightened and his head feel forward as he slowly sheathed Sasuke who seemed to be bigger than usual.

This fullness... this completeness… these sensations. Only him. Only Sasuke.

Sasuke grip on Naruto's butt tightened, his fingers digging into that taut flesh as he was being drawn in. He threw his head in delight. What he told to the blonde wasn't a lie. It was the truth. That tight ring of muscles immediately relaxed when his tip passed it. It was like it was recognizing him as the welcomed guest. He felt the walls inside drawing back, welcoming him and giving him space while adjusting to his thickness and length.

He could also feel the walls rubbing against, kissing and grabbing him desperately and impatient to participate the simple dance with an intricate rhythm,

Naruto wouldn't understand because he hadn't felt what he was feeling. The blond hadn't and will never experience what it was like to be inside him.

The blonde pressed his forehead against pale chest as his spouse's balls slapped his butt. Sasuke was completely swallowed by him and the former shivered at the contact. He gripped the blonde's slim waist as he helped him to ride.

Their movements were rough enough to cause water to splash on the tiled floor and their body heat was too much it was a mystery the water didn't boil much less evaporate.

Sasuke fisted Naruto's erection, his thumb rubbing and pressing against the slit causing the tanned body to tremble hard. Sasuke smirked. He was going to pay Naruto ten times the pleasure the latter tortured him with.

"Sasuke~" Naruto breathed, his hands cupping Sasuke's flushed face. The dark-haired looked up just in time to catch fallings lips.

Pleasure coiled and tightened in his stomach and Sasuke was seconds away from pleasure. He tightened his hold on Naruto's waist, stopping their movements.

Confused lustful and half-lidded eyes look at him in silent inquiry. Sasuke shook his head.

"I don't want for us to come yet," he explained. "Please grant me this selfish desire."

The blonde nodded and settled down to let the ribbons of pleasure to uncurl and loosened from them. A minute later they started moving again just as needy and wantonly as before. And when they were close again, they stopped. The third time, Naruto accidentally pulled the plug causing for the water to drain but they didn't mind. It was better. Nothing was in their way now

"Do you feel that, Naruto?" Sasuke whispered hotly as he thrust into that plaint body.

"Do you feel that also, bastard?" the other countered as he let his muscles clamped on Sasuke.

Before his husband could bury himself into his tight heat deeper, Naruto stood up and with his back against Sasuke, settled on his knees on the other side of the tub. He leaned forward, his hands gripping the tub's edge. He threw a sultry glance over his shoulder. He spread his knees, showing Sasuke his puckered opening.

Obsidian eyes followed the precum dripping from Naruto's penis and hole. This time, it was him who was mesmerized. At the memory of how his wife tasted in there, he gulped at the sudden increase of his saliva. He licked his lips hungrily. He could feel more blood rushing to his already very painful erection. He didn't have to hear Naruto's invitation to stand up and plunged into that tight cavern as if his life depended on it. Both of them moaned. Sasuke's tongue snaked to lick Naruto's ear as he started moving again.

Pleasure and happiness were too much that the blonde's arms couldn't hold him up and his upper body started slipping until it was lying on the bottom of the tub. But his hips were still thrust upward. His knees maintained that position and Sasuke's tight gripped had supported it. His chest was rubbing against the tub's floor as his dark-haired lover continued plundering his body sweetly yet mercilessly.

"Ngh. Naruto..."

"Hm?"

"This time I can't stop anymore," Sasuke informed him. He was too far gone to stop.

"Don't. I'm going insane if you do." His right hand covering Sasuke's that was fisting his pulsating member.

Sasuke turned Naruto's head and kissed him. The kiss smothered their shouts as they came. Later on, he draped his form over Naruto's and covered his other free hand with his own.

Naruto turned his hand and pressed their palms together, fingers entwined. His hand was still covering Sasuke's that was still around his limp manhood.

"Sasuke," the blonde said then halted. Asking him not to do it with anyone even if missions required him would be selfish and inconsiderate of him.

Sasuke read the silent request. "Of course. I won't. I hadn't even done it with Reiko-san."

"What?"

The two broke their union and sat on the tub, water now flowing to erase their passion.

"What do you mean you didn't do it with that widow?" Naruto asked. There was no reason calling Reiko 'bitch' if they didn't do anything.

"I didn't fuck her in any way," Sasuke said.

The widow smiled victoriously. Even if she couldn't take Sasuke with her, at least she'd have him tonight. Just one night with him and she'd have a child who'd look like Hajime. She led him to the bed, excitement coursing through her especially when his lithe body hovered above her. She gave him her most irresistible look.

"Let's do that. I'm sure you wouldn't mind if I would be sighing, calling, groaning and moaning my wife's name over and over again while thinking of him. Because that's the only way I can do it with anyone else."

He wasn't kidding when he said that. Naruto was the one for him because his world spiraled around N-a-r-u-t-o. His world was painted in blue, gold and bronze.

Her eyes widened as he said those words. The feeling of making love with someone who was thinking of another was worse than the feeling of defeat settling on her. She sobbed.

"You're in love," she whispered achingly.

The shinobi didn't bother to deny it. He never talked about his life with strangers yet there was something in this situation that was encouraging him to do otherwise. He knew that he could make her believe that they did it with his sharingan but he wasn't tempted even for a second. He refused to give her that satisfaction even if it was only an illusion. He could have just walked out after refusing but his sympathy made him at least try to make the woman understand. That was the only thing he could do. If his attempt fails, then he had no choice but to walk out.

"As a friend, I had hurt him a lot. That's why as a lover; as a husband I don't want to hurt him or betray him."

"You're in love," she said disappointed. To have her husband's dead ringer said that was like having Hajime telling her that. "You're in love and it's not me. Why won't you come back to me?"

Sasuke sighed. "Because I was never yours to begin with. I could never be yours. I am and will never be your Hajime."

The sincerity and severity of the statements snatched her back to the present where reality and truth were waiting for her acceptance.

For the first time, she saw Sasuke for what he truly was.

Sasuke straightened and stepped away from her. Reiko settled on the floor and bowed deeply, "thank you for everything."

Naruto gaped at the smirking Sasuke.

"So what was the apologetic tone and guilty look for?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes, "dobe, that was for failing the mission."

The blonde blushed, ashamed for what he did to his spouse. "You should have told me earlier."

"Such plan evaporated when you nuzzled mine," the older man stated bluntly causing the other man to blush more. "Do you always think the worst of me?"

Naruto shook his head furiously. "I've always known you for being efficient in everything. You always accomplish missions and..." he trailed off as he saw the ever growing smirk and he realized in annoyance that Sasuke had known his reasons and was only teasing him. That bastard! He threw a half-hearted punch and Sasuke never bothered to block it.

Naruto stood on his knees and lazily draped his arms across Sasuke's shoulders. Pale arms snaked around his tanned waist.

"No matter how ridiculous the mission was, the subject was a VIP. Am I going to be punished?" Sasuke asked huskily.

The only form of punishment Naruto could think about was tying Sasuke on their bed and have his wicked way with him. But if that was the case, Sasuke might fail all his missions just so he would be punished.

Using what everybody called his hokage voice, he answered, "It's not appropriate for leaders to punish their subordinates for such things."

Sasuke chuckled.

"Thank you, bastard," Naruto whispered affectionately.

The dark-haired man brushed his lips against his wife's abdomen before he looked up with a wicked gleam in his eyes. "Since I didn't commit adultery, a reward is in order."

Naruto gave a throaty chuckle while nipping the tip of Sasuke's nose. "What are you? A child?"

And although there'd be people who would be gloating on his failure which broke his perfect record of successful missions, there would be others too who would approve and respect him more for his decision.

-SasuNaru is love-

When Renji went back to their suite, he saw Reiko sitting on the couch.

"Where's he?" he asked, frowning.

"Probably at his house."

That angered Renji. That Sasuke was supposed to stay until tomorrow.

Sensing her brother's anger, she said, "I sent him home, oniisama."

"Why?"

You're already gone now, Hajime.

"He wouldn't give me what I want. Couldn't."

He should complain this with the hokage.

"But he gave me something else," there was a sad smile on her face as she continued, "in his indifference and frankness, he made me realized Hajime is gone from this world but not from my heart." Sasuke made her looked at reality.

Hajime, I miss you. I really do but I'm going to move on. To the future you had built for me when you were still alive.

"And that losing Hajime wasn't a good enough reason to snatch someone from his beloved."

Please watch over me. I'll live for both of us so smile down at me from the heavens.

"Renji, even though the mission wasn't completed, pay the full amount."

"I can't do that. They have to keep their end of the deal," he snapped.

"You're going to drag him back?" What could her brother understand with his kind of lifestyle? He would never understand commitment.

"I'll exact fairness."

Reiko sighed at his foolishness. She knew he had no chance against Sasuke who she now respected for being firm. "Against someone like him, a promiscuous man like you won't last even a minute."

The opinion was stated with so much conviction that it stopped Renji from walking out. His eyes met hers and he saw truthfulness in her words. He sighed. "Very well."

You're lucky, Naruto-san.

TBC

-----oo-----

Most of SasuNaru fics have Sasuke as the possessive one. I enjoyed reading these fics especially when Sasuke would go 'kukukuku…' but I wanted to have a possessive Naruto too, especially in this fic.

In this chapter, I'm trying to show the loyal side of Sasuke as well as his single-mindedness or something like that. I always see him as a single-minded person when it comes to doing something very important to him. This side of him was shown when he was playing the part of an avenger. He had thrown everything away just to be one step closer towards finding revenge and now that he accomplished such task, he is now focusing all his attention and passion in loving Naruto. Yes, he is single-mindedly loving Naruto and would throw his reputation as one of the best ninja just to keep his marital vows. Yey! Way to go, Sasuke!

I learned from one of my Ethics classes that there are five planes of awareness and Reward and Punishment is one of them.

As for the statement that goes "His world spiral around…" I know it should had been 'revolved' but it's Naruto Uzumaki he was thinking and spiral/swirl is associated with the blonde.