Alright, alright, I apologize for not updating for...4 months.

ducks from onslaught of sharp inanimate objects

The usual disclaimers apply, I do not own Naruto, nor will I ever, but that's ok.

Rating: PG 13-ish, yaoi (M/M) Don't like, don't read, now

On with the story

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Searing Soul
by Elegante

italics- thoughts

"" - words spoken outloud

Ch. 1

Oh god...what the hell happened last night? I'm so tired...
Naruto trudged towards the team 7 meeting spot at the bridge. He brightened when he saw his Sakura-chan and was about to holler a loud greeting when the pink haired girl decided to start their traditional morning greetings.

"Ohayo, Sasuke-kuuuun!"

"Hn."

Ok, I really should be getting used to this...Maybe I'm too tired to say anything this morning afterall...but really...what the hell happened last night? Naruto thought

Sasuke sighed in frustration. It was only 6 in the morning and already he felt the pangs of a migraine coming on. I knew I should have brought some aspirin today...Sakura is just too annoying for her own good at times..

Sasuke glanced over at his blonde teammate and was surprised to see him sitting quietly with his back leaning on the bridge post. Well this certainly is strange...

"Naruto! Have you finally realized that you're too loud and have decided to shut up?" Sakura asked jokingly.

Only a murmur was heard by the skilled ears of the blonde's teammates.

The two exchanged fleeting concerned glances.

The blonde appeared deep in thought.

He's actually thinking? How long is this gonna last? Sasuke snickered.

Surprisingly, all was quiet for another 3 hours.

POOF! A copy-cat ninja appeared.

"Yo, sorry I'm late, a mouse was chasing a cat which was chasing a dog which was chasing a walrus up the tree and I just had to watch..."

"STOP MAKING UP YOUR DAMN STUPID EXCUSES, YOU LIAR!"Sakura shouted.

Even Kakashi was surprised. Wasn't the usual morning accusation supposed to be a duet? He looked over at Naruto, who still appeared deep in thought.

"Ok, so as I told you yesterday, we have a B-ranked mission today. Our job is to escort the Sandaime's daughter to the Fire Country. (A/N: alright, humor me, and just pretend the old geezer has a daughter)

Sasuke smirked. This should be the thing to get Naruto loud and excited. He looked over at Naruto yet again.

He was asleep.

"Oy, dobe! We were just given the mission, did you even hear what it was?"

Sasuke picked Naruto up and was prepared to throw the idiotic blonde into the water when he saw that his teammate's eyes fluttered open. The baby blue eyes stared sleepily into cobalt eyes.

"Sasuke, why are you carrying me?"

Naruto swore that he saw a red tinge on his rival's cheeks for just the slightest moment and then disappear

A second later Naruto found himself on the floor with a huge bump on his head.

"Itai! What the hell did you do that for, teme!?" Naruto rubbed his sore head and gave a glare to the boy smirking at him.

"We don't have time for you to be catching some sleep, dobe. We got a mission, try to hurry up for once." And with that, Sasuke walked away.

Sakura sighed and rubbed her wide forehead. Well, at least Naruto's acting like himself again...

This was gonna be a very very long day.

Meanwhile...

"Daaaadddy!! They're late! I wanna go to the Fire country NOW!" the spoiled 16-year old said to the Sandaime.

"Now now, Taiya dear, they should be coming any min-..."

KNOCK KNOCK

"You see? They're here already! Let me go answer that, dear." The Sandaime hurried away from his demanding daughter. Sure she was his own flesh and blood, but damn, was she bratty...wonder where she got that from...

The Sandaime opened the door and was greeted with one scowling blonde, one cool and silent black-haired boy, a wide-forehead pink-haired girl, and a lazy ninja reading a perverted book.

Oh dear.

"So, you all are here. I'd like to introduce you 4 to my daughter Taiya."

The Sandaime yelled up the stairs. "Taiya dear! Come down to meet your bodyguards!"

Bodyguards? Tch... Sasuke sighed again, earning a poke from Kakashi and a stern reprimand to be polite.

Right. Sasuke glanced over at Naruto again (A/N: Doesn't he seem to do that a lot? ) and smirked inwardly when he saw that the blonde was still scowling at him.

A pretty girl came thundering down the stairs.

The Sandaime cleared his throat. "Alright, as Kakashi-sensei might have already told you 3, your mission is to escort my daughter Taiya-chan safely to the Fire country. This should not take you very long since the Fire country is our neighbor, so I expect this done by 1 week. Understood?"

"Hai, Hokage-sama."

When Team 7 and the girl got underfoot along the outskirts of Konhagakure, all was strangely quiet for the first 5 minutes. Kakashi noticed that something weird was going on from behind his Icha Icha paradise book...I wonder whats going on...This is going to be good...

Meanwhile, our spoiled girl Taiya was staring at Sasuke and Naruto with googly eyes. Sakura, immediately guessing what was going on screamed,

"DON'T YOU EVEN THINK ABOUT GETTING YOUR HANDS ON MY SASUKE-KUN! I DON'T CARE IF YOU'RE HOKAGE-SAMA'S DAUGH..."

But Taiya was already running towards Sasuke and Naruto. Sasuke closed his eyes prepared himself for an onslaught of female drooling.

He waited with eyes still closed.

And he waited some more.

Are?!

No female slobbering? Sasuke didn't know whether to be shocked or happy, but what the hell just happened?

No sooner did he see the truth did shock truly hit.

Taiya was latched onto our beloved blonde's arm AND was drooling at him.

It took all of Sasuke's ninja skills not to show his shock outwardly.

Naruto looked quite shocked as well, but he seem adjusted and started talking and laughing with Taiya.

Sasuke was about to ask Sakura what in devil's name was going on when he realized that the pink-haired girl was nowhere to be seen.

"Ore...Sakura?" Sasuke started to ask Kakashi-sensei where Sakura was, but all his sensei did was point to the ground.

Sakura had fainted.

A/N: I hope you liked this chapter...I think another one should be coming soon. My writer's block is gone...I think.

Kore kara no tabuni, futari ima yuuka yo
Nani ga atte mo, konobe sora sanai
Zutto...