Moonlight Shadows

By: Kisu

A/N: I just found out that on chapter 1, I wrote the title as "moonlight dreamers"…hmm..o well…^_^; Thanks for all the reviews! You like my interesting twists? XD Oh, and the format in all the chapters have been crappy so I'm not going to indent anymore…

Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to me.

2.6: Trust

"That's why I decided that I'm going to marry you, Oniisan!" Cho exclaimed. Naruto coughed and Sakura's eyes widened.

"NANI?" Sasuke all but roared out in rage. Naruto placed a hand over his face in exhaustion. "What do you mean?"

"Oniisan would make the perfect husband for me!" Cho beamed. "He's way better than all the ones that that Raikage picked out for me."

"The Raikage picked out suitors for you?" Naruto stated with disapproval.

"Hai." Cho whispered. "I don't want to marry someone that I don't love."

"Cho-chan. He's your uncle." Naruto began slowly.

"Hardly related." Cho glared. "He married Obaasan's third cousin. He doesn't have any Tanaka blood in him."

"But he's the only relative you have left." Naruto sighed. He's been doing that lately. He really should go hang out with Shikamaru.

"I don't care. I have Oniisan and that's all that matters." Cho smiled, angelically. Naruto closed his eyes, admitting defeat. After a brief moment, he opened them.

"Ah, Sakura. Can you show Cho around?" Naruto asked. "She should get a new set of clothes. It's a bit warmer here then at Saba."

"Hai hai! Oneechan!" Cho cheered.

"Kawaii!" Sakura squealed, glomping the defenseless girl. They walked away, with Sasuke and Naruto watching their disappearing figures. Sasuke focused on a spot in the distance and clenched his jaw.

"You're not marrying her." He said, calmly.

"Mou…she's an innocent girl. You can't let her uncle exploit her." Naruto protested.

"You can't marry her." Sasuke snapped.

"I'm just kidding." Naruto replied, quietly. Sasuke blinked and set his mouth in a thin line. "Itachi destroyed her village."

"I figured." Sasuke stated. Naruto walked up to him and touched his face. Slowly, he leaned in a kissed him softly. Sasuke blinked in surprise. He closed his eyes as Naruto gripped his chin as if he was a delicate piece of glass and kissed him again, lightly sinking his teeth into his bottom lip. When he pulled away, Sasuke was flushed. "What was that?"

"An apology." He smiled. "For my crude sense of humor."

"I still haven't forgiven you." Sasuke smirked. Naruto raised an eyebrow and kissed him again.

***

Jiraiya turned the corner and his eyes widened. Quickly, he darted back and hid behind a tree, watching the scene before him. Naruto and Sasuke were sharing a kiss. Jiraiya stroked his chin with his thumb and forefinger. Maybe the next book should have a yaoi love scene in it! Naruto drew away from Sasuke and turned his head to stare straight at him. Jiraiya gulped and ducked skillfully behind the large tree. After a long passing moment, he looked back again and the two were nowhere to be seen.

"Where have you been, Sensei?"

Jiraiya turned around quickly and was faced with an upside down Naruto. The blonde Chuunin hanging from a branch, observed him with cool, collected blue eyes.

"Nothing, you brat." Jiraiya retorted. A small smile crept into his face. Naruto looked way better than he had seen him last. "What about you?"

"Let's spar, sensei." He smiled, pleasantly. "I need a good workout."

"Eh. You want to resume training?" Jiraiya asked.

"Yeah." Naruto nodded. His warm eyes turned cold and he narrowed them. "This time, Uchiha Itachi won't step out of Konoha alive."

***

Sasuke watched from his seat in the leafy canopy. Jiraiya and Naruto stood across from each other, both with serious looks on their faces. The Sennin grinned viciously and gave a dramatic sigh.

"If this holds out any longer, my hair will turn white." He remarked.

"It is white, sensei." Naruto replied with a confused look.

"So it is." Jiraiya smiled. In a blink of an eye, the two were traveling at great speed toward the other. Sasuke had to rely on his Sharingan to make the two out.

With his normal eyesight, they were just blurs of colors. Naruto punched Jiraiya in the chest but the Sennin blocked it at the last moment. "Very good, Naruto."

He nodded in approval. Naruto merely gazed at him with emotionless eyes and swept his leg from under. Jiraiya leapt up and darted back a few feet. He launched himself at Naruto and phased out before he reached him. Naruto copied this gesture and disappeared from the place he had occupied. Jiraiya frowned when he reappeared and ducked as Naruto went straight at him with a kick. Jiraiya caught his leg and trapped it underneath his arm. His other hand pressed against his kneecap, threatening to break his leg. "Got you." He smirked. Naruto narrowed his eyes briefly as they stayed locked in that position. Jiraiya was fast enough to break his leg if he moved. But, the possibility that he would break his leg was highly unlikely. "How will you get out of this?" Jiraiya asked, solemnly.

Sasuke crouched on his branch, peering down at the two figures below. Naruto was trapped. In a real situation, it didn't seem like he would escape without a broken leg. His breath hissed out from his clenched teeth. He couldn't find any weak spots to attack.

"Well?" Jiraiya asked, pressing down on Naruto's kneecap with more force. "What will you do?"

"Did you think that, this was part of my plan?" Naruto asked, quietly.

"Eh?" Jiraiya's eyes widened and his gaze shifted quickly. Arms wrapped around his neck and placed him in a chokehold. With that moment of distraction, Naruto's leg was free and he delivered a roundhouse kick into his stomach, knocking him back several feet. The clone that was holding him flipped him over his shoulder and Jiraiya fell with a grunt.

"Rasengan!" The real Naruto yelled as he slammed down on him with a fist surrounded by chakra.

"HOLY SHIT!" Jiraiya swore, his eyes bulging from his sockets. He rolled away just in time and Naruto's attack hit the ground. Large cracks spread outward from the impact and the ground shook wildly. Sasuke jumped nimbly from the tree he was sitting on just as it started to fall. Naruto looked up and jumped away. Sasuke landed beside him and Jiraiya landed a few moments after the tree hit the ground. "Now, how am I going to explain this is Tsunade?" He muttered. "Naruto, you went a little ahead of yourself." He shook his head in disapproval. "I didn't know that you wanted a fight to the death."

"Gomen Sensei." Naruto replied, quietly. His head was bowed and his eyes were on the ground.

"Naruto." Jiraiya's hand clasped his shoulder firmly and Naruto looked up. The Sennin gave him an encouraging smile. "Believe in yourself." Naruto blinked and a relieved smile crossed his face.

"Hai." He nodded. Jiraiya smiled and slapped him lightly on the back. "Sensei, can I have a word?" Jiraiya hid his concern and Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "This will take a second, Sasuke." Naruto smiled, slightly. They walked off into the trees leaving a suspicious Sasuke staring after them.

***

"Naruto, what did you want to talk to me about?" Jiraiya asked with his back turned toward him. When he received no response, he turned around. Naruto stood before him. His shoulders were shaking and a wild look was in his eyes. "Naruto?" He asked, in a gentler tone.

"Sensei. I'm scared." Naruto whispered. All the masks were gone and were replaced with a vulnerable boy who looked like he had the world on his shoulders. "I'm afraid to face Itachi. I'm afraid Sasuke would get hurt." He drew a deep breath and closed his eyes. "I'm thinking of leaving Konoha. This will draw Itachi away from the village and won't involve anyone else. But I know that this means a lot to Sasuke. I'm not sure if Sasuke it strong enough." He clenched his eyes shut in despair. "I shouldn't have told him about the incident. He didn't need to know!"

"If you want to draw Itachi away from the village to protect the villagers, I support you all the way. I was thinking of the same thing." Jiraiya said. "But in Sasuke's case, I'm not sure what to say. It's between you and him and it is between him and his brother." He bent down slightly so their eyes could meet. "Everything lies in trust."

"I can't trust anyone." Naruto whispered, wrapping his arms around himself.

"Then do you trust me?" Jiraiya asked. He raised an eyebrow. "Do you trust Sasuke?"

"I trust you, sensei. But Sasuke—" Naruto shivered. "They have the same eyes. Those Sharingan eyes." Jiraiya studied his charge, helplessly. He had no clue what to say. The only thing he could offer with silent comfort.

"Well, Sasuke must be getting tired of waiting." Jiraiya said, cheerfully after a few minutes had passed. "Don't want to let him worry."

"Sasuke." Naruto blinked and a small smile crossed his face. "He's like a mother hen sometimes. Even worst then Iruka-sensei." Jiraiya smiled.

"What? The all mighty Uchiha?" He joked. "Has feelings? I thought that boy was like an ice cube."

"I guess every ice cube needs to melt sooner or later." Naruto replied as they walked back to their original location.

***

Sasuke was leaning against a tree next to the path that Jiraiya and Naruto had taken. Jiraiya waved farewell and disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Sasuke watched Naruto as he turned around and faced him. "Gomen Sasuke. Did we take too long?" He asked with a small grin. His hand went behind his head and Sasuke uncrossed his arms and stood up.

"Where is the real Naruto?" He asked, pinning the blonde's gaze with his own. "Don't act like that around me."

"Eh? Sasuke, what are you talking about?" Naruto frowned. Sasuke walked up to him and could feel the anxiety rolling off of him in waves.

"I heard everything." Sasuke said. He raised his hand slowly and touched his cheek. "Are you afraid of me?"

"Why would I be afraid of you?" Naruto laughed, edging away. "Heh, you're the one that's not acting like yourself."

"Naruto!" He said, sharply. Naruto tensed and stared up at him. "Don't think you can leave me here while you go fight my brother." He opened his hand and stared at his palm and at the scar that had reminded him so many times. "Even if you steal away in the middle of the night, I will find you. I will follow you to the end of the Earth."

"Sasuke." Naruto whispered, shaking from head to toe.

"Trust me, Naruto." Sasuke said, softly. "This is not just your fight. Depend on someone. Don't just depend on yourself."

Naruto closed his eyes and clenched his jaw. "I don't want you to get hurt, Sasuke!"

"Pain is inevitable." He smiled, sadly. "Being a Shinobi means we have to face reality. Naruto, things aren't the same as they were. You have people to depend on now. I understand that you will have a hard time learning to trust again. But just remember there are people that will stick by you to the end." He gave an arrogant smirk. "You have me." Naruto stared at him and snorted.

Sasuke blinked and narrowed his eyes. "What was that?" He demanded. "I'm trying to motivate you and what was that response?"

"You're so full of it, Sasuke!" Naruto laughed. He held onto his sides and tried to stifle the tears that rose in his eyes. "What was that speech? What happened to your cold demeanor?" Sasuke stared as Naruto continued on laughing. "Damn and that arrogant smirk of yours." He laughed. He was cut short when Sasuke took his arm and drew him around so his back hit the tree that Sasuke had been leaning on. His eyes widened as Sasuke planted his arms firmly on both sides of his head.

"I'm serious." He said in an even tone. His eyes glittered with emotion and Naruto's gaze softened. Reaching up, Naruto brushed the dark locks that fell into Sasuke's eyes.

"I know." Naruto smiled. Sasuke's eyes widened at the happy, content smile that graced his face. This was a genuine smile that he hadn't seen in awhile. The same one that had brought light and hope into his life. The same one that had thawed the ice he had purposely placed around his heart. Sasuke released the breath he was holding and buried his face into Naruto's neck. A giggle erupted from Naruto's lips and disrupted the moment.

"You have me." Naruto repeated, mimicking the smirk that had crossed Sasuke's face. He fell to the ground laughing and Sasuke's eyebrow twitched in irritation. He turned his back on the blonde Chuunin as he sprawled onto his stomach and pounded the ground with his fist. But, from the corner of his eye he watched Naruto and smiled slightly.

Naruto was coming back. The one he had loved was slowly returning.

WHEEE! TBC!