Disclaimer: I own nothing, damn it all. I don't own Naruto, belongs to Kishimoto-sensei.

So much his hearts years
The heart loves and burns
As the pain cast him in flames
The world begins a game
His heart, only a toy
He feels like naught but a boy
But the fire in his heart
Continues to burn, even as life
Threatens to fall apart

From my Poem "Flames of Life"

Chapter 22

Naruto woke by the rays of dawn's early light, it wasn't a blinding light at the early hour he awoke, but a gentle light. He blinked the sleepy haze from his blue eyes and turned his head slowly to look at the beauty asleep, his head laying on his chest, his healed right hand resting on Naruto's stomach. A gentle smile curled his lips at the sight, so peaceful, so calming. The rays of the sun that had seeped into the room cast a softer look to the pale raven's face. His hair had a midnight blue effect in the light of the sun, much as it did by the light of the moon.

Seeing that face, normally with hard glares, glowering frowns, and furrowed brows with a calm, almost serene expression was something he found he cherished more than anything. He felt love swell in his heart at the sight because he knew it was due to the fact that Sasuke trusted him enough to let down his guard, at least while he slept. Sasuke was still a stubborn ass that refused to let Naruto know what was going through his head, how he felt. Even with the Kyuubi to tell him Sasuke's thoughts, Naruto still wanted the words from Sasuke's lips, wanted Sasuke to tell him his thoughts with his own voice.

Naruto tightened his arm around Sasuke's shoulder, his line of thought stirring a possessiveness in him. He would never let Sasuke go, Sasuke was his, always his. Sasuke stirred, but he didn't open his eyes, he curled into Naruto more, curling into his warmth. Naruto smirked, I never would have pegged you to be a cuddler Sasuke.

It was as though Sasuke had heard Naruto's thought, his eyes snapped open and he moved to pull away once he noticed he had curled around Naruto even more than he had when he'd fallen asleep. But Naruto held him in place and smiled at him, even though Sasuke was currently glaring at him.

"Sasuke," Naruto whispered softly in a tone that made Sasuke's glare soften.

"What," Sasuke found himself whispering back.

"I'm glad I wasn't too late. I'm glad to have you back."

Sasuke sighed and turned his head into Naruto's chest, "Hn."

Naruto grinned at seeing a slight blush show up on those pale cheeks. He shifted, turning to lay on his side with his head resting on his hand while he leaned on his elbow to face Sasuke. Sasuke was forced to lay on his back and look at Naruto with his head turned.

Naruto's other hand moved to caress the soft, pale cheek of his lover, "I'm really glad you're back."

"Baka, what is wrong with you?"

Naruto grinned, "Nothing."

Sasuke glared, turning his head to meet Naruto's eyes, "There's something on your mind."

Naruto's grin faltered, "Yeah, there's a lot on my mind."

"Well, let's hear it, it's not like I can do much anyway."

Naruto moved his hand up into Sasuke's hair and whispered softly, "I'm being nominated for Hokage. It's not as though I've been named Hokage as of yet or whether it may happen . . . "

Sasuke sat up and looked at Naruto, "Of course you'll be Hokage."

Naruto smiled at the conviction and confidence in Sasuke's tone and sat up himself. He sat with his legs tucked under him facing Sasuke and his hands on his knees, "Thanks teme."

Sasuke sighed, "Hn, what are you talking about?"

"For having so much faith in me."

Sasuke looked away, "Hn."

Naruto jumped when Kyuubi suddenly laughed in his mind, Kit, you've no idea how much faith he has in you. Naruto looked at Sasuke's questioning expression with a sheepish grin and scratched the back of his neck.

For the first time Sasuke suddenly noticed the red highlights in Naruto's hair. He looked sharply at Naruto, "Kyuubi I take it?"

Naruto was startled by the question and caught off guard by the sharp look he was receiving from Sasuke. "Ne, what makes you think . . . "

"Baka, the red highlights in your hair, the distant expression that crosses your face, like you're talking to someone else. What is going on, did the two of you fuse together?"

Naruto sighed, "Kind of, it's not a full fuse, but according to Kyuubi it is turning out that way."

"What makes you think that the demon fox isn't going to end up pissed about losing his existence when your souls fully fuse together."

"He's already pissed, but there's nothing he can do about it, besides it was his idea so I could save you."

"Save me, the demon fox wanted to save me?" Naruto glared at Sasuke at the sarcasm in his voice, the skepticism that seemed to be taunting him.

"Yes, I was losing it, and Kyuubi was getting sick of it, didn't want his damn vessel to die from being completely lost from what I came back from Suna to find. So he suggested fusing, giving me the inner strength and the power I would need to defeat Madara. You think I could have used all those damn techniques without the power of Kyuubi? In my state of mind and my desperation to find you I would have ended up getting both of us killed if I even made it to Madara alive."

Sasuke had tensed at the first mention of Madara's name, the serious tone in Naruto's voice caught him off guard. That tone, his words, they twisted his heart, he'd almost lost Naruto? He didn't want to believe that, and then the next time Naruto said Madara's name Sasuke found that he was starting to turn his mind inward.

Naruto grabbed his shoulder, "Sasuke," Sasuke's eyes snapped up to lock with those blue eyes. "That was just what had to be done, I would have done anything to get you back. And here you are, you're alive, you're home, and I'm being considered for Hokage."

Sasuke closed his eyes, "Yeah, I'm alive, you're alive, we're in Konoha, and you're finally being considered for Hokage. But that doesn't mean that everything is all well and good, that doesn't mean it's perfect now and we don't have anything to worry about."

Naruto sighed, "No, but life isn't perfect, come on Sasuke, you of all people know that."

Sasuke opened his eyes to glare at Naruto, "Of course I know that, my life has never been perfect," he snapped back. At least it wasn't until I finally found that you felt the same way I did, the same way I still feel. But look at what it led to. You nearly lost yourself to your despair, despair mostly caused by an insane shinobi that had it in for me. My past came back and nearly cost me everything, my soul, my heart, my mind, my life, you. What would I do if I lost you, I couldn't handle that, then I would surely have no reason to live, no reason to continue on . . .

Sasuke wasn't aware that his thoughts suddenly turned to a small whisper, a whisper Naruto heard every word of as his thoughts continued.

"After everything I've already lost, after it all, you were always want meant the most, what would hurt me the most to lose . . ."

Naruto's hands fell from Sasuke's shoulders in shock at the words, though whispered, though he could tell that Sasuke wasn't aware he'd said the words out loud, the shock of hearing them was followed by his heart swelling with love. Naruto was naturally possessive, protective, and he cherished his friends, and cherished the love he felt for Sasuke. It was a love so damn strong it was painful at times, painful when something threatened to rip them apart, painful when Sasuke suffered, and achingly painful in a good way when they were together.

Naruto waited to hear more, but Sasuke said nothing else, he just stared at his lap. They were facing each other on the bed, Sasuke leaning back while his hand rested on the bed to support his weight, his legs curled under the blanket and sheet, his other hand resting in his lap.

Naruto cupped his chin and tilted Sasuke's head up and locked eyes with Sasuke. "Teme, you do know that you mean everything to me, don't you?"

Sasuke realized by those words that his last train of thought had been spoken out loud and felt an embarrassed blush heat his pale cheeks. He averted his gaze, but Naruto's thumb caressing his cheek made him meet Naruto's eyes once more.

He could get so lost in those impossibly blue eyes, his own emotions were always reflected back to him in those eyes. It was amazing that after so long of living within a protected existence, never letting anyone get truly close to him, Naruto had shattered his protective walls and shell and had seeped into his heart, claiming it as his own. But even so, he would never have it any other way, he had grown to cherish the emotions Naruto invoked in him, it made him feel alive, so very alive, unlike anything he had ever felt in his entire life.

Their moment was broken when there was a light knock at the door and they both recognized Iruka's voice calling out; "Morning, either of you awake yet?"

Sasuke turned away from Naruto, breaking his hold and moved to get out of the bed. Naruto put a hand on his shoulder and with a serious tone and look in his eyes said, "Stay."

Sasuke looked at the gown and sighed deciding to stay in the bed only because he wasn't in decent clothing, not because Naruto had told him to do so.

Naruto smirked as he turned on the bed and got out of the bed then walked over to the door opening it for Iruka.

"Morning Iruka-sensei!" Naruto said in a cheerful voice with a huge grin.

Iruka smiled, "Morning Naruto-kun, are the two of you awake?"

Naruto held the door open and moved so that Iruka could walk into the room. Iruka was carrying a bundle of clothes in one hand and a bag from Ichiraku in the other. Naruto grabbed the bag from his favorite ramen shop before Iruka was fully in the room.

"Naruto!"

Naruto grinned at him and was already seated in the chair next to Sasuke's bed rummaging through the bag when Iruka closed the door behind him. Iruka sighed with a shake of his head and walked over to Sasuke's bed. He set the bundle on the end of the bed and smiled at Sasuke, "Clothes for you, courtesy of Sakura-chan."

Sasuke nodded his thanks and noticed out of the corner of his eye as Naruto was setting the ramen on the bedside table, his chair twisted to face the bed so that the table was beside rather than behind him. Sasuke swiped the miso ramen just as Naruto pulled it out with a hungry expression fit with drool. He glared darkly at Sasuke upon noticing the ramen had disappeared from his grip.

Sasuke glared back and Naruto growled, "Sasuke . . . give that back," Naruto had a warning tone in his voice and looked like he wanted to kill him. Sasuke smirked, "Make me."

Naruto growled louder and Sasuke leapt from the bed managing to grab the clothes Iruka brought for him as he ran over to the bathroom. Naruto had lunged as soon as Sasuke moved, but he'd missed and had to run around the bed. He was met with the bathroom door being slammed in his face just before he could reach Sasuke.

"Teme!"

Iruka chuckled and set to taking the other container of miso ramen from the bag. Naruto faced him and he was there in a flash, the ramen in his hands and sitting back down. Iruka sat down on the bed, "Naruto-kun, are you sure Sasuke-kun is well enough to shower on his own?"

Naruto pouted, "He ought to be if he can move like that."

Sasuke leaned back against the door with his hand on his forehead, he still felt so damn weak and the sudden movement had nearly made his faint after the fact. He took a few shuddering breaths and stood up fully, his legs were still shaky, but he could manage. Without the immediate pain, they were only weaker than usual, the phantom pains he would deal with as they came. He caught his reflection in the corner of his eye and averted his gaze. His sickly demeanor was not something he wished to look at.

He set the bundle of clothes on the sink and using the counter top of the sink to keep his balance made his way over to the toilet and flipped the lid down so that he could sit down. He unattached the chopsticks from the side of the plastic container and ripped off the top taking in the scent of the ramen. He hadn't really like or dislike ramen before, but all those years away from Konoha, away from Naruto had made him develop a personal reason he like ramen, especially from Ichiraku. It always reminded him of home, of the blond he'd fallen for.

He smirked at the thought and started in on his ramen, finding that he could stand to eat most of it. Once he'd eaten at least three fourths of the ramen he set the remainders of it on the sink and turned where he was sitting to start to run a shower.

He pulled the curtain away and turned on the hot water. His hand froze on the nozzle, a flash of the hot springs within one of the caves making him close his eyes for a moment. He shook the memory out of his mind, the thoughts and emotions the memory invoked were deeply unwanted. Because of his time there, because of all he'd endured, he found that he craved for Naruto's touch on more than a lusting, desired level, it was what helped to keep out all his dark thoughts.

Naruto's touch was never something Madara could mimic, never. Sasuke knew Naruto's touch, knew the warmth his touch invoked, not just on his skin, but in his heart and soul. He was able to sleep soundly because his touch prevented his memories, all his nightmares from rising up in him. But now, his hand was shaking violently as he let go of the nozzle.

He clenched his hands in the bottom of the hospital gown, his eyes clenched closed just as tightly. The memories were coming back even as he tried to fight it, the feelings, everything. Sasuke's shaking hands moved up to fist in his hair as he shook his head violently, his heart racing, his body trembling. He could feel a anxiety attack coming, it was maddening how much control he had lost on how he felt, on his emotions, his reactions.

His eyes burned with frustrated, tormenting tears that he refuse to shed, he fought to regain control, but the harder he fought for control the more control he lost.

Naruto stopped eating abruptly as did Iruka, both of them looking sharply at the door, at the spiking chakra coming from the bathroom. Naruto discarded his ramen, Iruka luckily catching it before it hit the floor as Naruto ran to the bathroom and opened the door. He took the few steps into the bathroom to get to Sasuke's side in a blink.

Sasuke's shaking form, his shaking head, his hands fisted in his hair and the tears running down his face stabbing at Naruto's heart. But Naruto knelt down in the small space between the toilet and the bathtub. The hot water still running behind him vaguely registering with his lover suffering, being tormented by nightmares and memories he couldn't get out of his head.

Naruto wrapped his arms around Sasuke's shaking form and pulled him down into his lap. One hand rubbed his back while the other combed through his hair in an attempt to sooth Sasuke. Naruto didn't have to say any comforting words, his touch alone had slowed the shaking and trembling immensely until it stopped all together. The tears continued to slide down Sasuke's cheeks even with his eyes closed.

Sasuke lowered his hands from his hair to wrap them around Naruto's neck, clinging to him desperately. Naruto could feel Sasuke's racing heart with him clinging to him so tightly. He took deep, calming breaths trying to get Sasuke to do the same. After a while Sasuke's erratic, short, panicky breaths started to slow and soon he was taking calming breaths, each gradually getting deeper and deeper.

After a few minutes his tears stopped, his heart calmed, his grip loosened, and his breathing returned to normal. Naruto continued with the deep breaths to slow his own racing heart. Sasuke pulled back, his arms still around Naruto's neck, but he kept his eyes closed and rested his forehead on Naruto's chest as he fought to push down his dark thoughts and fought to regain complete control again.

Naruto slowly removed his arm from around Sasuke as the other moved from his hair to cup his cheek. Naruto held the other hand on Sasuke's shoulder as he tilted Sasuke's head up to look at him.

"Sasuke?"

The concern and softness to Naruto's voice gave Sasuke the drive to open his eyes and a few tears fell down his cheeks only to be wiped away as Naruto brought both hands to cup his cheeks. Sasuke sighed and Naruto kissed his forehead gently then shifted and lifted Sasuke off his lap to sit on the toilet seat once more. Naruto walked over to the bathroom door and closed it then turned and made his way to sit on the edge of the bathtub.

Sasuke reached out and took his right hand, Naruto glanced at him, smiled and set to adjusting the water to a comfortable temperature. Once he turned on the shower head and stood Sasuke was calm once more and still holding his hand in his own.

Naruto leaned down and lightly kissed Sasuke on the lips and pulled his hand away to reach up and remove his shirt.

"What are you doing?"

Naruto grinned at him as he folded up his shirt and set it on the sink next to Sasuke's clothes. "Taking a shower, both of us could use one anyway."

Sasuke made to protest, but Naruto pressed a finger to his lips, "I promise, just a shower. We're on a time limit anyway and I can't be tardy for this meeting."

Sasuke met Naruto's eyes and then his tongue swept across the finger pressed to his lips in a light caress. Naruto grinned, "Unless you want more than a shower of course."

Sasuke smirked as Naruto pulled his finger back. Naruto undid his pants and swiftly removed them along with his shoes. Sasuke leaned back to watch him. Naruto grinned at feeling those molten black eyes watching his every move and hooked his fingers in the hem of his boxers before slowly pulling them down revealing those toned, bronzed legs and the half erect organ that Sasuke's eyes were transfixed on.

Naruto licked his lips and he bent to step out of his boxers, It would seem his time spent in captivity didn't effect his sex drive at all.

Naruto stood up fully picking up his boxers as he did so to fold them and his pants and set them atop his shirt. Sasuke stood on shaky legs and Naruto grabbed his wrists before he could touch him. He turned Sasuke around and still holding his wrists crossed Sasuke's arms across his chest under his own arms, pressing Sasuke into him.

Sasuke inhaled sharply at feeling Naruto's cock swell even more at the feel of being pressed between his back and Naruto's stomach. Naruto adjusted his hold on Sasuke's wrists to hold both in one hand as his other moved lightly along his arm up to his shoulder and then to the tie of the hospital gown pulling it lose before pushing one shoulder of it down and leaning down to kiss lightly at the exposed skin.

The light kisses started to slowly, tantalizingly spread warmth through Sasuke's blood. Naruto released his wrists and swiftly removed the gown from Sasuke leaving him only in the light colored boxers. Sasuke turned around, locking his lips with Naruto's and rolling his hips seductively so that their erections briefly touched one another, the fabric of the boxers causing a friction that aggravated Naruto and he removed them immediately. Then Sasuke was turned back around and Naruto wrapped an arm around his waist, pressing him into him and causing a tremble of heated lust course through Sasuke at the feel of Naruto's thick, swollen, already leaking tip pressing against his ass.

Naruto moved them to the shower using his own strength to support Sasuke and closed the curtains. He released Sasuke and stepped back to grab one of the washrags and lathered it with water before adding soap to it. Sasuke found himself relaxing slowly at the feel of the water against his usually cold skin, and Naruto softly washing his body helped to ease the shakiness he'd felt only minutes ago.

But those light touches, knowing it was Naruto, feeling those light kisses up and down his back, slightly coiled that tightness of desire in him. Sasuke jumped, startled when Naruto grabbed his ass cheeks with both hands and spread them. His hands shot to the wall for support when his back arched and a silent cry coursed through him from the pleasure that flooded his senses as Naruto's tongue circled around his pucker. Naruto smirked from where he was on his knees behind Sasuke.

Sasuke bit down sharply on his lip, tasting blood when another cry threatened to pour from his lips as his back arched again when the tip of Naruto's tongue pressed inside him. His hands fisted against the shower wall when a little more of that tongue plunged inside him. He felt the smirk on Naruto's lips when his back arched again, this time a low moan escaping his lips as Naruto plunged his tongue fully inside Sasuke.

Sasuke found it harder and harder to hold in his moans as Naruto tongue plunged in and out of him with increasing speed and he found himself panting, his eyes closed tightly in pleasure. He growled then groaned in protest when Naruto pulled back and he felt Naruto's hands move to grip his hips.

Naruto turned in the shower, holding Sasuke to him as he did so to move Sasuke with him. Sasuke was turned around to face Naruto and his back was pressed to the shower wall as Naruto once again knelt down before him. Sasuke looked down at him, his eyes glazed in lust, seeing desire in those blue eyes as Naruto met his gaze. Naruto continued to hold his gaze as one hand moved from his hip to cup his ass cheek in his hand.

The other hand trailed down Sasuke's thigh and then moved along his leg to his inner thigh to cup his balls. Sasuke was already painfully hard, and the feel of those hands on him, arousing him even more made precum leak from his erection. Naruto smirked and held his gaze as he leaned forward and his tongue darted out to lick the precum from the tip of Sasuke throbbing, erect cock. The head was already purple and Sasuke found that he could only focus on those eyes, on that gorgeous, sexy, bronze body, the water from the shower caressing his skin, trailing down his skin seemingly taunting him.

Sasuke's hands moved to grip Naruto's shoulder and his back arched forcing one of his hands to move up to Naruto's hair, fisting it as one of Naruto's fingers pushed inside him. Naruto slumped against the wall panting heavily, his heart racing and impossibly even more aroused than before. He had missed this, craved it so very much.

Naruto grinned, a mischievous glint in his eyes and he kissed the tip of his lovers erect cock. He was throbbing painfully himself, Sasuke's reactions to his touch, to his actions, they were always enough to please Naruto, always enough to arouse him. The flush to Sasuke's skin from desire, from the shower, the silent screams, the low moans he couldn't hold in, the way his back arched and his hands clenched, gripping his hair, his shoulder from his actions were so enticing.

Naruto kept his gaze locked on Sasuke's face, smirking when Sasuke leaned his head back against the wall and looked at him through half closed eyes, his onyx eyes burning with lust and an emotion Naruto never could describe as love, it always felt so much more than that.

Naruto held Sasuke's gaze as he moved his finger, pumping it in and out and delighting in the way Sasuke would bite his lip to hold in his moan in, in the way his inner muscles clenched and unclenched around his finger. He missed this so much. All thoughts of the meeting lost to him now with the aroused and gorgeous Uchiha trembling and arching because of him.

Naruto moved the hand that had been massaging Sasuke's balls to grab his erection and hold it as his lips closed over just the head. This time he was awared with another low moan and Sasuke's hips bucking. Sasuke's hand in his hair clenched, fisting his hair once more as the hand on his shoulder dug into his skin.

Naruto moved his hand holding Sasuke's erection to his hip to keep his hips still, his finger had moved to two now. As his fingers thrust in and out and scissored inside Sasuke to prepare him Naruto flattened his tongue on Sasuke's head and lightly sucked, licking the cum in his mouth hungrily. As he lightly sucked and took more into his mouth, little by little and his fingers continued to move Sasuke's body began to thrust and buck towards the mouth on his cock and then back to impale the fingers moving inside him.

He still held his gaze with Naruto, the slow pace driving hims slowly mad and tightening the coil of pleasure and heat inside him at the same time. Even as his breathing was reduced to nothing more than desperate pants and low moans continued to escape his lips without him really noticing or caring, he stubbornly held his gaze with the one driving him slowly insane with desire.

"Nnnn . . . N-Naruto . . . " came a throaty moan as Naruto swallowed around him. Naruto sent another rush of pleasure through him by moaning around him and Sasuke almost came from the stimulation. Naruto slowly pulled back, leaving him on the very edge or reaching his orgasm. Sasuke glared, but the glare was half hearted. He noticed there were three fingers inside him now that his attention wasn't split between the mouth around his cock and the sensations of those fingers. Naruto closed his mouth around his cock once again, startling him. Then he felt his back arch as Naruto relaxed his throat and deep throated him as those fingers inside him brushed across that bundle of nerves within him.

His vision blurred in a flash of white and he clenched his eyes closed as he came in a torrent of pleasure. Naruto drank up all of his cum before he pulled back and waited for Sasuke to recover from his orgasm before he stood up and gripped his hips lifting him up against the wall.

Sasuke's arms wrapped around Naruto's neck as his legs wrapped around his waist.

Naruto cupped the back of his neck and kissed him hungrily and then whispered huskily in his ear, "You taste so good Sasuke."

Sasuke felt his erection coming back feverishly at the words. Naruto aligned himself with his entrance and pushed only his head in. Sasuke's hands moved to grip his shoulders and he rolled his hips and forced Naruto all the way in in one swift movement. His head lolled back at the pain that coursed through him and Naruto held still, panting along with him, waiting for Sasuke to adjust around him.

Sasuke took in a few breaths and forced himself to relax, he looked at Naruto, meeting his eyes to let him know he was ready to continue. Naruto pressed into him even more to kiss him hungrily, his tongue invading his mouth as he pulled back, leaving only the tip in then plunged back in driving into Sasuke's prostate.

Sasuke pulled away from the kiss as a moan of Naruto's name escaped his lips. Naruto vaguely wondered if Iruka was still in the hospital room. He rolled his hips back and then drove forward aiming for Sasuke's prostate once more. Each thrust forced a moan or a hiss from those pale lips, now kiss swollen and slightly red, and each slowly took away Naruto's control.

Sasuke had a way of making it so hard to control himself, his moans, his grips, his hisses, everything about him, the way his back arched and his head lolled back. Naruto kissed and sucked at his neck as he continued to move.

Sasuke met him thrust for thrust and the friction of his erection pressed between their stomachs was driving him mad, pushing him to the edge once more. The coil was tightened and ready to break as Naruto drove him closer and closer with every thrust, each one loosing their control. Soon Naruto was slamming into him, the sound of flesh hitting flesh, of the water not enough to drown out Sasuke's mewls and moans or Naruto's moans and growls.

Sasuke came with a scream of Naruto's name, his cum shooting all over his and Naruto's stomachs as Naruto came inside him, feeling him not only with the hot seed but a feeling of completion he always found that he would never have with anyone else. Naruto had bit down on Sasuke's shoulder to muffle his own scream and he fell to his knees holding Sasuke to him tightly.

Once they caught their breaths and calmed their racing hearts they quickly washed themselves off, then washed their hair in the now cold water. Naruto stepped out first grabbing a towel from the rack above the toilet and wrapping the towel around Sasuke's waist and helping him out to set him down on the toilet.

He grabbed a towel for himself and dried himself off and then handed Sasuke the bundle of clothes as Sasuke took another towel from the rack to dry his hair and body while sitting down. They dressed in silence and Naruto went through the medicine cabinet and two drawers of the sink in search of a brush or comb and a toothbrush. When he didn't find one he took a step to the door and opened it darting out into the freezing cold room and running over to his pack.

He grinned sheepishly at Iruka sitting on the bed watching t.v. as he took a brush, two toothbrushes, toothpaste, and deodorant from his pack, all in the small pockets on the front of the pack. He then ran back to the bathroom and closed the door behind him.

Iruka smirked and looked over at the window across the room where Kakashi sat on the ledge of the window reading a copy of Icha Icha Violence, the sequel to Icha Icha Paradise. Kakashi lowered his book to look at Iruka and smirk. Iruka blushed and smiled then looked back at the t.v.

Close to twenty minutes later Sasuke and Naruto exited the bathroom, fully dressed, and Sasuke's hair was even tied back at the base of his neck. Iruka said nothing about the slight limp or the way he leaned against Naruto just a bit. Kakashi climbed into the room and Naruto and Sasuke looked at him. Sasuke's cheeks heated at the knowing look on Kakashi's face and Naruto scratched the back of his neck with a sheepish grin, "Eh, should we get going?"

Kakashi sighed, "You're late you know."

"Hai, but uh . . . "

Kakashi turned to the window, "Let's go you two."

Iruka looked at them and followed after Kakashi. Naruto sighed and gripped Sasuke's hand in his own before moving to the window. Naruto picked Sasuke up bridal style and jumped out of the window leaping across rooftops quickly. Sasuke glared, "Baka, I can walk on my own you know."

Naruto grinned, "Yeah, well we're already late."

"That's your fault dobe."

"Oi, you enjoyed it as much as I did."

Sasuke glared and growled, "Hn."

Naruto smirked and headed to the Hokage tower, he would worry about the paperwork from the hospital and all after he got this meeting over with.