The library was mostly empty, just a series of round tables set across from the rows of shelves. Naruto was going to have to enter this building for the first time in his life because the shelves were restricted according to rank and Sasuke was technically a genin. He didn't feel like bypassing those restrictions when Naruto, having been in Anbu, should have free access to everything here. The chunin at the front desk took his information, telling him that while the books could be 'checked out,' the scrolls couldn't be taken out of the building. Sasuke settled at one of the tables with a book that appeared to be a generic history of fuinjutsu he would be taking with him, and the only three scrolls he had found that detailed anything about storms. A quick comparison told him the science wasn't there yet, just lots of conflicting theories that would be difficult to test. He drew out the more interesting charts on a scroll of his own, and kept most of his attention on the people watching him.

There were three kids at the table to his left, two boys and a girl, no forehead protectors so they were probably pregenin, and their whispers weren't nearly as quiet as they thought they were. They were very excited to be this close to 'the Uchiha' and were trying to dare each other into approaching him. It was rather amusing, really. He still flicked them a cold look when one of the boys stood up, a look that had the kid paling and sitting right back down again. Sasuke wasn't interested in being approached by excited kids when there was an actual ninja eyeballing him from the other side of the room. The man had entered just a few minutes after him, had loitered in the chunin stacks for a while before going to stand in the bit of shadow thrown by the special jounin stack. It was the only real shadow in the room and the man's muddy green hooded jacket wasn't nearly dark enough for him to do anything but stand out. Conspicuous was an understatement. Sasuke couldn't imagine what the guy was trying to do. Was openly staring supposed to make him feel intimidated? Or did he really think he was blending in with the brown shelf behind him? Maybe he was just as shy as the kids and trying to work up the nerve to approach him, Sasuke thought with amusement.

He closed the first scroll and jotted down the points where the other two authors differed. One thing all three authors agreed on was that there were fronts, layers of air of differing heat and humidity and it was the interaction between layers that determined whether or not clouds formed and what kind. The speed and direction of the air was where they went into conflict, with one insisting that a certain combination caused tornados while the other claimed that particular combination created thunderstorms. Both were convinced that sleet could occur even in dry and hot environments if the air currents passed in the wrong way. He had to wonder if any of the three authors were shinobi, or if they had considered hiring one to test these theories. A large bird summon would take a person high enough to get the samples they claimed were needed. Further study was required, yet they hadn't bothered to do the studies? It was frustrating. Having a place to start was better than nothing, since he certainly didn't want to accidentally create a tornado, but he had really hoped to find there was a simple answer.

His observer finally moved. Sasuke waited until the man stopped right beside him before looking up. The man held out a closed hand, only his black sunglasses visible above the high collar of his shirt. Sasuke's eyes flicked from the hand back to the glasses.

"I'm Aburame Shino," the man said.

One of Naruto's friends, then. A member of one of the 'real clans', according to Sakura. "Uchiha Sasuke," he said in return. He lifted a hand and recalled what else Naruto had told him about this person. Something about bugs. He stared at the little white worm that had been placed on his palm and gave a mental sigh. These Konoha people were so strange. "A worm?"

"It's a snake," said Shino.

Sasuke took a closer look at the thing. It was hard to tell the head from the tail. If it was a snake, it wasn't an infant one. It was also clearly blind. He had never heard of a fully grown snake being this small. The skin was so thin and translucent it really did look more like a pale worm. "Where did you find it?"

"I'll show you. When you're finished here."

He watched Naruto's weird friend leave. Then he looked back at the little creature curling around his fingers. What was he supposed to do with it? He listened to the heated whispers being exchanged by the kids for a while, tempted to give it to them. But the Aburame clan was one of the noble clans here. Sasuke knew very well how strange clan customs sometimes appeared to outsiders. No point offending the man. He stored the snake in his arm cuff and went back to writing down anything from the scrolls that might be useful.

.-.

Fire boiled away the last of the water in the pond. The stench was awful. Sasuke kept the flames hot until the mud dried completely. He had considered that there might be things living in that muck, but Naruto insisted even Gamakichi would refuse to gulp a mouthful of that filth in order to dump it somewhere else. If anything had been alive in there, it was dead now. He had suggested Naruto have his toad dump water in there, since that had worked so well at the lake. Naruto insisted he had a better idea.

Sasuke was sitting near the engawa when Naruto came rushing into the yard.

"We need a teleportation seal for this place," Naruto complained.

"If we do a joint one, you'll have to learn to draw it out first," Sasuke reminded him.

"I know. But I'm back. Now watch and be impressed!" Naruto sauntered over to the dry pond, held his arms out over it and released two giant gushes of water from his wrist bands. "Oh, damn. Only half full. But it worked. See! And look," he turned and summoned a kunai from one of his wrists. "Still dry! How cool is that?"

Sasuke dropped his head into his hand so hard that the forehead protector bit into his left eyebrow. Only Naruto. Why hadn't he thought of that? Would he ever have thought of that? The seal stored giant snakes and trees so why not a giant amount of water? No. Never would that have occurred to him. Storing water in the same place he stored his weapons? Even if someone had suggested it he would have refused to try it.

"Oh, come on," Naruto complained. He came over to crouch in front of him, his tone taking on an annoying whine. "I thought you'd like it. It could be really useful! Just think, if you had done that with Kakashi that time you could have soaked him and then fried him like you did to us at the stream. Storing water could be great for someone who uses lightning. You might even be able to-"

Sasuke's hand shot out, grabbing Naruto's shirt and pulling him into a quick and frustrated kiss. When he relaxed his grip, Naruto was staring at him with wide eyes, a tentative smile pulling at his lips.

"Happy?" Naruto asked hopefully.

"Very useful," Sasuke admitted tiredly. He shouldn't begrudge it so much. This was why he had decided to teach Naruto how to do that seal, after all, just in case Naruto thought of things he wouldn't have. He just hadn't expected him to quickly think of something so obvious it was both frustrating and embarrassing. "Useful and creative. Keep it up."

"Got it," Naruto grinned. "Trying new things is good. Learning new things is good. Happy Sasuke is very good."

"Don't ruin it," Sasuke muttered.

Naruto nodded quickly. "Shutting up is good, too. Got it." He was grinning when he ducked in for another kiss. "I knew you'd like that," he murmured against his lips.

That smug tone of voice was almost as annoying as the whine. But, yes, he was happy to see Naruto's eagerness to please prove useful to him. His mind was already racing with possibilities. Well, his mind would be racing with possibilities if it wasn't currently being distracted by Naruto's libido. He had only invited a bit of kissing, not another groping session. Naruto's hand slid under the back of his shirt and he decided a bit of touching was acceptable. Naruto was warm from the sun and this was the only privacy they were likely to get outdoors these days. He had a hand buried in Naruto's hair when he remembered the yard wasn't entirely private.

"Did you forget I was coming back? I didn't need to see that."

Sasuke wrenched away with a furious blush and his upper lip curling. What the hell had he been thinking? His clone had halted a few feet away and was pointedly not looking at them. Sasuke didn't blame him. He was dreading the memory he would get when he dispelled him. Neither of them needed to see something like that.

"What?" Naruto asked, a confused grin curving his lips. "Are you embarrassed by your own clone? He's just you. It's just creative mastur-"

"You two can have this conversation after I'm gone," the clone said sharply.

"We're never having this conversation," Sasuke glared at Naruto. The grin that answered him said they would be, at great length, when he least expected it. He turned away with a grimace. Naruto was incorrigible. His clone, on the other hand, didn't deserve to be tortured this way. He accepted the scroll and book the clone had brought with him, and then frowned at the worm. Snake, he corrected himself after dispelling the clone. He held it up when Naruto came over to him. The way Naruto grimaced away from it in disgust made him feel a little better.

"I met Aburame Shino," Sasuke explained.

"And he gave you a worm? Ugh, that's so creepy and wrong. Why did he have to go up to you alone? And to do something weird like that? First impressions are important, especially with you. I told him that! All I asked is that he at least try not to be weird and creepy and...Shino-like. We're used to it, we know that's just how he is and we're okay with it, and it can be really cute sometimes, well, creepy cute, especially when he blushes because it's really disturbing when someone creepy is cute, but...um. Anyway, the point is he wasn't supposed to give you a worm! Why would he do that? Why does he have to hold a grudge so bad? Yeah, I know he was upset that he didn't get to go to dinner with us, but my clone looked all over for him. He did! It's not my fault he-"

"It's a snake," Sasuke interrupted, "and possibly a house-warming gift." He hadn't asked, so he wasn't clear on that point. "He says they're all over the place in your forests, especially near dead and dying trees. They eat termites. Hopefully this house doesn't have any of those, but if it does they won't be an insect Genji can exterminate." He went to the edge of the barrier surrounding the porch and dug a shallow hole in the dirt. The snake vanished immediately. "A few of these will help beneath the house, assuming Genji doesn't eat them. Shino says that's unlikely. If there are termites inside the house he offered to draw them out for us."

"Wait," Naruto said slowly. "Are you saying you bonded? With Shino? Over bugs? The fuck?"

Sasuke shot him a quelling look. "We didn't bond. We had an interesting discussion. Can you attract domestic frogs with your chakra? It turns out I can attract domestic snakes with mine. I didn't know that. That explains why the snake in the forest is so interested in me. It's a chakra affinity." He raised an arm to look at the pale veins visible in his wrist. "And possibly the sugar level in my blood. I'm not sure I understood that part. He says insects can smell the type of blood they prefer to drink and they don't like mine. That's probably why I was never able to summon insects myself."

"Stop," Naruto cringed. "Wait. Slow down. You tried to summon insects? Bugs? When? Why? No! Bugs are Shino's thing. Your snakes are bad enough. You leave the bugs alone right now! That's it. You're not allowed talk to Shino ever again. I forbid it!"

He almost laughed at Naruto's face. But he didn't, because looking at him encouraged the part of him that was still trying to remember what they had looked like to his clone. He had been all over Naruto. So much for not being attracted to him. He had certainly looked attracted to him. He grimaced in embarrassment and let Naruto's absurd protests distract him.

"You're being ridiculous," Sasuke pointed out. "I tried to summon insects a long time ago. I was never able to get anything. I tried to summon them because they're everywhere and attract far less attention than snakes. If it's the potential sliminess that disturbs you, not all insects are slimy."

"They don't have to be slimy. They're bugs! They suck blood and eat chakra. Wait." Naruto's face relaxed slowly, a smile tugging at his lips. "Did Shino tell you about his bugs? The special ones only his family uses?"

"I didn't ask."

Naruto heaved an exaggerated sigh. "Okay. You're okay, then. That would freak even you out. Wow. That was scary for a second there. You and Shino bonding over bugs? No way. But you didn't, he just gave you a bug-like snake. Creepy and weird, but not too bad. I mean, it is Shino. That was probably just his way of being friendly. And, hey, you didn't hate him on sight, so...that's a win. Yeah." He sighed again and then beamed. "That's a win. Okay. Yeah."

"You are as weird as everyone else in this village," Sasuke informed him. "Stop thinking other people here are stranger than you. They aren't. You're all equally bizarre to me."

"Hey!" Naruto yelped.

"Anyway," Sasuke said, as he pocketed the scroll his clone had given him, "Shino sought me out in order to invite me to dinner with his father. Just me, not you."

"What? That's not fair! I've never even been to-"

"I declined."

Naruto looked confused, but he didn't ask until they had teleported to the apartment. "Why did you decline? Because I wasn't invited? I was just exaggerating, Sasuke! Honest. If his dad invited you because of a clan thing, then I wouldn't be offended by that. I'd be disappointed, but I'd understand."

"It would have been a formal meeting with the head of the Aburame clan. I declined because I don't have permission to speak on behalf of the Uchiha clan. I told Shino that. He said he would inform Hinata. I assume the Hyuuga clan intended to make the same gesture. It's good to know they really are in favor of the truce between Konoha and my clan, but your father needs to tell them what I'm really doing here. The clan sent me here to die, not to represent them."

"Maybe at first," Naruto frowned, "maybe your dad even believed that. But not the entire clan. Some of them must be old enough to know better. Konoha doesn't do things like that. They should at least know my dad wouldn't do things like that. But they know you're alive and they haven't complained about it. We're not hiding the fact that you're here as proof of the truce. You are the Uchiha representative in Konoha. Unless the clan wants to send someone else to represent them, you're all they've got here."

Sasuke shook his head as he settled at the kitchen table. "That's politics. I'm speaking of clan business. You wouldn't understand."

"You could help me understand," Naruto said quietly.

"Not today," said Sasuke. He opened the book his clone had 'checked out' and grimaced at the grainy ink. The thing was ancient. But he was hoping it would give him some insight into how fuinjutsu was viewed by shinobi, and this village in particular, before he had to ask directly. "How is your chakra, Naruto?"

"What? It's fine." Naruto gave him a worried look. "Why? Why did you get a book on seals? Don't-"

"This book is for me, not you." He untied his forehead protector and made a bunshin. He handed it to him. "If you have plenty of chakra, you can use it to practice going to my forehead protector while I read. Go chase him around for a while."

Naruto gaped and then grinned. "Seriously? Oh, that's so much better than seal work. And an actual clone to chase?" He gave a playful snarl at the clone. "Run, you sexy little thing. And hide. I'm coming for you." He gave a weird giggle that was very disturbing.

Sasuke shared an exasperated look with his clone before it teleported away. Naruto was ridiculous. But if it kept him busy and out of his way, he might get a little work done.

A half hour later Sasuke was interrupted by the return of his clone. He looked over just in time to catch the forehead protector the red-faced clone flung at him. He was standing when Naruto arrived and greeted him with a full-force fist to the gut. He watched as Naruto stumbled back a few steps before sinking to his knees. The surprise and pain on Naruto's face wasn't enough to hide the disappointed pout. Sasuke snarled at him, "Don't you ever waste my chakra like that again!"

"You dispelled him?" Naruto whined. He rubbed his stomach and pouted furiously. "I wanted to see how much he could take before dispelling. It's good practice!" he insisted, when Sasuke took a sharp step toward him. "It's useful! Honest! Even if you never want to use one for sex, knowing how to make some that can last longer than normal clones could be really useful! I was just-"

"Naruto," he growled, "keep your hands - and mouth - off my clones."

Naruto grinned deviously. "You liked that, huh? I knew you would."

Utterly unrepentant and an absolute pervert. Sasuke clenched his teeth, turning away with a furious blush. "If you want sex that badly, we can do it tonight. Later. Right now you're supposed to be practicing, using up your own chakra, not wasting mine. I'm trying to study."

He sat down again and waited. He didn't look over until Naruto finally stood up. As expected, the shameless bastard was grinning.

"Can we do it on the couch?" asked Naruto.

"No," Sasuke snapped. "Guests sit on that couch. When Kakashi teleported in here, he arrived in full view of that couch. I will never do anything sexual with you on that couch." He watched as Naruto wilted. He could almost hear the whine working its way up his throat. "Think like a shinobi, Naruto," he said scathingly. "If you want to have sex on a couch, just henge the bed into a couch. As long as you can maintain the henge it should be simple."

"Oh, Sasuke," Naruto gushed ridiculously. He rushed over and hugged his shoulders, rubbing his cheek on Sasuke's head. "You're creative, too! I love how kinky your mind works!"

"There is nothing kinky about my mind," Sasuke muttered. "It's standard practice to make the most of one's ninjutsu. Or it should be standard practice."

"Yes, you're right. Standard practice. Making the most of one's ninjutsu. I learn so much from you. See? I said you'd be a good influence on me. And if I can henge the bed into a couch I bet I can turn it into a tree! And a kitchen table! And-"

"Naruto."

"Yes?"

"If I make another clone will you practice teleporting to it? Without molesting him?"

"Yes. I won't touch him. I promise! And when I get back-"

"Stay gone until nightfall," Sasuke told him. "When you get back we'll eat. Then we'll discuss some things, and then later this evening, after a shower, we can go to bed and you can try turning it into a couch. Not another word about sex until then or I'll be sleeping on the real couch. Alone."

He saw them off and then put his head down on the table. His shoulders shook in what was either silent laughter or whimpers.

.-.
TBC