A/N : First attempt at a fanfiction. Constructive critism appreciated, and - Flamers? What flamers? Whoever they are would be laughed at. Hehe, be nice.

Warnings: Light, light, light!shounen-ai you won't be able to see it unless you squint. That's about it.

Disclaimer : I own some of the Naruto graphic novels, and yet to collect them all. The concept and characters aren't mine, kiddies. Conteplate that, now, would you:)

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Of Naruto's Musings and Sasuke's Kids

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The stars were shining brightly that night. A familliar mop of blond hair could be seen - almost as if glowing - somewhere near the edge of a cliff. The moonlight was bright enough to illuminate the figure possessing that blond hair - the one and only Uzumaki Naruto. Now, he wasn't having his usual look of determination, whatnot - only to have a face that somewhat looked forlorn. His once bright blue eyes seemed so distant since he shed off the cheerful mask he used to wear whenever anyone else is around. Nobody ever saw him like this, save Jiraiya, the toad sennin. Being Naruto's sensei for two and a half years did expose the pervert towards one of Naruto's emotional angsty states, asking to be left alone, contemplating his future and so on. What was happening to Konoha, the world, Sasuke - those were only some of the questions Naruto used to have.

And now he was having one of those moments again, sitting by the cliff, wondering if anyone would save him if he were to tip over the edge and fall into the dark, never-ending depths before. Wondering if he had made the right choice to chase after Sasuke rather than stay for his own development and growth. But then, without the motivation to save Sasuke, he would never have come this far... This much powerful. He looked down at his own battered hands, fingers a bit rough from the training he had with the toad sennin. Yes, only a bit - thanks to Kyuubi's overflowing chakra. They would heal the second Naruto left the training grounds to rest. That was the past, this is now...

He then layed down on the soft grass, pillowed by a round rock behind him, to look at the stars above. Hm, they were duller than usual... Maybe reflecting the feeling everyone had - dread, doubt, with a dash of hope. Just a dash, not really much... And that was the feeling he had now. Naruto was simply losing some of his motivation. Maybe he should just leave Sasuke alone, that was what he wanted anyway. Alone and ignored, so that he could advance by himself, not by anyone's help. Maybe he should blame Itachi, the psychopathic freak who took Sasuke's family away. He always looked too feminine for his own good anyway. Or maybe he should blame the perverted snake sennin for hypnotizing the Uchiha into becoming his body. Yeck.

Yes, this is Naruto's angsty mind. All very dreadful at first and then he would steer it towards humor-land. But then that was only for a second before his mind would switch back into contemplating his worries. And that was what he did at that very moment, eyes darkening. Maybe, just maybe, Sasuke didn't care? Of course he didn't... He didn't care about his life in Konoha anyway, he only wanted to get stronger. But, pray tell, what would he do after killing Itachi, if he ever will? That would simply lower the Uchiha count to one. Nothing more, nothing less. Naruto hoped it was nothing less because he would probably cry at the sight of Sasuke's body. He knew the reason, of course. Sasuke had been his first true friend, whether he acknowledged it or not, and he knew Sasuke felt the same way. What else would be apparent since Sasuke didn't kill Naruto instantly? Naruto's eyes brightened a bit at this, but was shoved back into the hazy, distant look he had before.

Well, of course, he simply didn't want to become like Itachi. Killing his best friend just to obtain the Mangekyou Sharingan. He would probably be that way. Naruto sighed and thought a bit more. Then how? How would Sasuke obtain his Mangekyou Sharingan? Why - of course... Naruto's eyes darkened much more, if they even could. Sasuke would simply sever the bonds tying himself and Naruto together, to run off, find a new best friend, pretend he feels that same way towards him or her and then kill off that person so very easily... But then. That would be cheating, heh. The feeling must be mutual, and anyway, it would simply reflect that Sasuke was the same as Itachi, one way or another, either by looks or techniques. By his lonely persona, sharing his life with only one person. Naruto somehow felt a bit grateful, but then it was overlapped with sorrow. Oh sure, it made him feel special, but somehow it also made him feel used. Being brought into one's life for the sake of one's own advantages.

So. Back to the Uchiha problem. Naruto might just as well amuse himself with thoughts than the real, sad truth. What would the child look like, anyway? The Uchiha was bound to romp with a girl to produce offsprings with Sharingans. That was his second goal in life, after finishing the first. Most probably the little kid would look like the father, dark hair, dark eyes, unbearable attitude... With a charming look to be able to swoon the girls or boys. And, of course, much more cheerful, since they will never experience the sad, sad massacre of one's family. But maybe it will repeat itself again... With the older sibling of the Uchihas killing off Sasuke, the mother, and leaving the younger siblings behind. Naruto chuckled softly, imagining Sasuke being threatened at knife point by a small kid.

Then, how about the bride? Naruto imagined Sakura being the worthy wife of the Uchiha, and froze. What if the kid has pink hair...? Well, girls are okay, but boys? Naruto pictured a miniature Sasuke walking around, being teased for his pink hair. That is just so wrong... Yet so funny. Hehe, the things his own kid would do after meeting Sasuke's kid. Tease him or her to death, maybe, at the pink hair. Or proclaim him or her as the kid's rival. Well, of course, only if Sasuke came back and raised up his kids along with Naruto, watching them grow up into fully-fledged nins.

And he could only dream so.

Hmm, what would Sasuke be doing anyway? What things other than training can he do? Sleep, most probably, at this time of night. It was already the next day. Naruto was supposed to be patrolling, but he could sense a ninja's presence kilometers away, and he knew that Kakashi-sensei was already doing his part of the job - if Naruto ever made a mistake, or get caught himself. He looked back at the campsite. It wasn't very far away, and it was in a clearing, so Naruto could see it clearly, illuminated by the moonlight. Kakashi sensei was leaning against a tree, his body tense like an animal. He wasn't really sleeping, ninja's aren't fit to sleep deeply, and could only rest like what Kakashi was doing right now. Chiyo-baa-sama was leaning against another tree, and unlike Kakashi, her body was relaxed in every which way. Must be her old age... Sakura was -

Naruto sat up, scanning the grounds. Eh..? Where is she? When he looked back earlier, she was sleeping beside Chiyo-baa-sama. But now she's nowhere to be seen -

"Naruto!"

"Ah YEEK!"

Naruto yelped and jumped to the other side of the rock, shaking. Even though he was stronger than most Chunnins his timidness at surprises wasn't really suppressed yet. Sakura sniggered at Naruto's reaction, and Kakashi relaxed. Chiyo-baa-sama twitched a bit before rolling over.

"Ha! Still as scared as ever, Naruto," Sakura said, sticking her tongue out. Naruto twitched and sighed, calming his rapidly beating heart. He could only take so much before he combusts and drills everywhere with Rasengan. Sakura might be one of them, and he would hate to think so. He shifted to the side so that Sakura could sit beside him, in which she did. "So..."

"So. You really scared me there, Sakura-chan!" Naruto started, pouting in his own unique way. Sakura could only give another tongue at that, and so messed up Naruto's blond spikes. He sniffed before turning away, sulking.

"Hey, hey! Don't be like that, now. I was only joking... And besides. You were sitting here for almost two hours now. Something bothering you?" Sakura asked quietly, so as not to wake the already grumbling grandmother, namely Chiyo-baa-sama. Naruto turned back towards her, and layed back down on the rock.

"Nothing. Just thinking about some stuff," Naruto said admittedly, staring up into the sky. Sakura sighed before laying down as well, just beside the blond ball of energy.

"Yeah. Me too, but not as deeply as you are. Honestly Naruto, you'll have to pile some of that stuff in your head out. They seem to be clogging your mind, since you didn't even sense me coming towards you," Sakura said thoughtfully, smiling. Give it up towards Sakura to cheer you up nowadays. With the threat of Akatsuki and Sound coming from all sides, being a Konoha ninja was as stressful as sitting down with a piles of paperwork everywhere. He did mind. He liked the idea of protecting his village and all, but as far as his desires go, he doesn't want to do the paperwork. He had seen Tsunade-baa-chan with the work, her eyes bloodshot and mouth with drool - and could only indulge in that once in a lifetime experience before being hit towards the wall. Nobody helped him out as far as he was concerned, because of the looks Tsunade was giving everyone who dared to go near him. It was a sad, painful experience.

"Yo, Naruto! I only said a bit and you started zoning out," Sakura joked, and Naruto snapped out of it, to scratch his head and nod vigorously. Sakura's smile faltered a bit before she started poking Naruto on the head multiple times, with a raised eyebrow. "You're still younger than me you know, so tell! I know something's bothering you." Naruto twitched before sitting up, giving her an incredulous look.

"First and foremost... Why do you women have this kind of sixth sense? It's kind of weird knowing that your female friend actually knows what your thinking."

Sakura could only smile sheepishly at that. Naruto sighed before laying back down, giving a the same forlorn look he had earlier. It was a few minutes before Naruto's voice came out. "Well... You know... It's about Sasuke, and stuff that's happening around. It's kind of... Too fast for me to adapt to it. It's scary." Naruto saw Sakura flinch at Sasuke's name at one point, but no more. Sakura gave a small smile and layed back down again.

"Hmm, yeah. Me too. It was harsh, somehow, to be brought out of childhood - with no worries, everything - towards a the cold, harsh reality. It hit me on the face when I got hit by Tsunade-hokage-sama the first time," Sakura mused, remembering the pain she had to go through. She wondered if Naruto was the same.

"Well, I snapped out of it when ero-sennin was really shouting at me..." Sakura flinched. She knew he would rather have a painful beating rather than an emotional argument. So sad, yet effective, and she knew it well. "Oh! Well, you know, I was thinking about Sasuke's life... How he is... What he would do after he kills that... That, that..." Sakura nodded thoughtfully, feeling the same. Naruto then stretched a bit and relaxed. "I was wondering what his kids would look like."

"Kids..?" Sakura asked, giving an eyebrow at that.

"Well, yeah. Maybe you and Sasuke would marry, you get pregnant and all, and then suddenly these miniature Sasuke-lookalikes pop up from nowhere with pink hair," Naruto claimed, with a finger up. and grinning. Sakura laughed at that, with the thought coming into her head, but then gave a twitch after realizing the phrase, you and Sasuke.

"Hey, hey, how about you then? Have you ever thought of that?" Sakura asked, imagining little Narutos walking around, terrorizing the streets with their pranks and such. A certain shy white-haired girl popped up into her head. Hm. Little white-eyed Narutos, then... "Maybe you and Hinata could get hitched up ad then, before you know it, your little kids would be terrorizing the school and Hokage monument."

"H-h-hinata?" Naruto sputtered, indignant. "No, never! She's nice and all but Kiba would be for her, as far as I'm concerned... Kiba's have this ego things just bursting out every few seconds and Hinata should be the one to teach him some manners, at least. Not me, nu - uh!" Naruto said, shaking his head. Sakura gave a hearty laugh and sighed.

"Well, you could be right on that one. But then, who would you go out with, if not Hinata-chan?"

"Hm, well..." Yeah. who could he go with, anyway? He thought about it... "Well... Someone who's not really much of a talker... I would love to bring her out to this world... One who's strong, and able to take care of herself when I go out to missions. Oh, and someone who I can count on. She must be real pretty and she would only let me into her world!" Naruto stated happily, and Sakura smiled.

"Eh? Well you have just been talking about dear Sasuke there, Naruto," Sakura stated slyly, and Naruto, being Naruto, blushed, backing away.

"Ehh? B- But he's a guy! And he's not - pretty!" Naruto said, giving a look. Sakura shrugged, and stared up the sky. Naruto kept quiet for a while. Trust Naruto for not keeping his mouth shut at all times. "Well, you could say so... Maybe I miss him much more than I imagined. He is my first true friend, you know."

"Yeah... Okay, stop with this sappy stuff... It's almost ' in the morning and we better get up and kicking later on," Sakura stated, and stretched. Naruto nodded and looked towards the lands beyond the cliffs. Yeah. Yeah, maybe that's the thing that makes him go on. Sasuke being his one and only best friend ever, and they both know they could only let one inside in their lives. Sakura was okay but Sasuke would be the best to go with. He understood Naruto's loneliness more than anyone else, save Gaara. But Gaara wasn't his best friend, simply normal friends, so he had to live with that. Nobody could ever replace Sasuke. And the little idiot (namely Sasuke) knows himself that nobody could ever replace Naruto as well. So if he wanted the Mangekyou Sharingan, a helping hand or an ear to listen, Naruto would always be there to welcome him back or kick him in the face for being gone for too long.

Hm... The stars really were bright that night.

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A/N : Soo..? Like it? Hate it? Tell me. Flame me. Whatever. You're looking at solid-hard admantine here. :)