A/N: Sasuke keeps showing how important Naruto is for him. I don't know if he will start to seem out of character but I think of it as him maturing and improving as a person after his redemption journey.

Chapter 2:

Kindness

It turned out, the Dobe had been slacking off, after all. At least that was what he had grasped from everything Nara had said when he cornered him outside Kakashi's office.

"It's still too soon to elect the next Hokage, but the Council and Clan Leaders want to know he's taking the job seriously even now."

"Whatever he was doing, wasn't with me," Sasuke tried his best to feign disinterest. Inside, his mind, he was going wild with all the reasons Naruto might have to skip his training. Moreover, why would he hide it from Sasuke?

"It's a pain in the ass to deal with you both," Nara lit a cigarette and took a long drag. "I'm not accusing you of being the cause of him playing hooky."

"Do you want me to herd him everywhere he has to be?" Sasuke huffed. "I'm not his mother."

Nara's sole reply was to roll his eyes. "Talk to him, find out what's been distracting him."

Sasuke frowned. "How bad is it?"

As he took a piece of paper from his pocket, Nara's posture relaxed. "Once or twice a month," he shrugged. "As I said, it's not that serious, but people notice Naruto's absence easily."

"I'll ask him about it." Sasuke pushed himself from the wall and started to walk away. "I won't take responsibility if we destroy another training ground in the process," he added, enjoying every second of the other man's pinched expression.

The promise of breakfast was enough to quiet Naruto's protests at being woken up early, but that had been Sasuke's only success. He was mediocre when it came to holding significant conversations or persuading others into sharing something they would rather keep to themselves. The best he had managed was asking the Dobe about his training and felt stupid right after. Luckily the idiot was always happy to blabber about everything he did, especially in between bites of toast.

So far, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Sasuke was pretty sure that if Naruto had wanted to hide something, his attitude would have changed as soon as he asked, but he was as cheerful as ever. The only other reason he could think of was that Naruto simply needed a respite from time to time. All the academic training couldn't sit well with his characteristic hyperactivity. Sasuke decided the next time he saw Nara he would suggest clearing the idiot's schedule a little.

Sasuke returned his attention to his coffee only to discover Naruto staring at him. He must have spaced out for longer than planned.

Out of habit, he spat: "What are you staring at, idiot?"

Naruto swallowed with difficulty in his haste to retort —he was going to choke one of these days. He pointed at Sasuke with his chopsticks and said: "I was thinking you are being too nice, Teme."

Sasuke almost cringed. Of course, it had been suspicious. He took a long sip from his coffee to gain a few seconds. "It's called making an effort, Dobe," he said without looking at blue eyes. He was annoyed at his inability to be direct but really wanted to avoid another stupid fight.

"No, I mean, it's not-" Naruto shook his head and arms frantically. "I'm not complaining or anything. Nice Sasuke is amazing. I was just thinking, I like this."

It was a curious thing, Sasuke thought as they both tried to hide their ridiculous blushes. They had thrown hits, insults and loads of mean words at each other without blinking. Still, it was the kind words and sweet gestures that made them feel ashamed and confused.

Naruto, always the better of the two, was the first to break the silence. "Thanks for the food, Teme."

"Hn," was all he managed to reply because Someone has to make sure you eat something other than ramen was still too embarrassing to say aloud.

They walked together to the Academy. Well, he was walking while Naruto practically skipped beside him, the moron. Sasuke had just wanted to make sure he had not missed something before he talked to Nara. Even so, he felt like he reached the gates a little too fast.

Naruto hesitated a little, then turned to face Sasuke with a sheepish smile. "Thanks again for today," he said, lowering his stare. "I know I already said it, but- No one had ever made breakfast for me before." He scratched the back of his head. "I guess you wouldn't get why, but it made me happy."

More often than not, Sasuke forgot that no one had ever taken care of Naruto. After the massacre, no one had taken care of him either, but he at least had those first years with the Clan. The reminder made him wish he had made breakfast for Naruto for the sake of it instead of the prelude to a failed questioning.

Sasuke huffed to clear the sentiment from his voice. "I hope you don't get tired of it because I'm sick of eating ramen every time I visit, Dobe."

Naruto's eyes widened along with his smile before he started chuckling. "You are such a tsundere."

"Shut up, moron," he mumbled. He took it all back, he was never going to cook for the idiot again. "Aren't you supposed to be in class?"

"Don't be shy, Teme." Naruto jumped back to avoid Sasuke's swat and ran into the building. "See you later!" He shouted while blowing him a kiss.

Sasuke didn't move for a moment, reconciling with the fact that Naruto was an absolute idiot, and that he was going soft because of him. He was distracted from such embarrassing admissions, though, when he caught a flash of orange jumping over the lateral fence of the Academy. Really, Naruto? After examining the chakra signature, he realized it was not a clone, but the real Naruto running in the direction of the training grounds. He sighed, hoping this wouldn't end in another fight, and went after the moron.