Wow, it's been…forever. I won't bore you all with the details of my extraordinarily busy summer. It was…painfully busy. But now I have returned and shall attempt to continue this story. NO! I am not discontinuing it, and there is nothing you can say that will make me. -nod emphatically- Wow, over 100 reviews. Arigato gozaimasu. Okay, reviewer comments…

Kawaii kitsune-kun: :gets shaken completely up: Uh…well, you'll just have to wait and see. And um, no, you can't marry me, sorry. I'm…interested in someone. :mutters: Danged star-crossed curse…
Kurosaisei: Hmm, that's very interesting. I'd never heard of the Sharingan being matrilineal. Then…it still works. I'll just weave a bit more into it. Thank for the tolerance of the fluffiness. I usually dislike it too, but for some reason this came out as rather sappy. Oh well…
Frontier of Darkness: Yes, the dynamics are much different, because this chapter signifies the end of "oh, we're in love" fluff-and-roses. Now life kicks in.
Bitenshi: You're welcome.
Kazoua: Hmm, thanks, I guess. Not everyday you get complimented for being corny. Danged corn factor.
Prosopopeia: Haha, yes, Jounin trials will be much fun. But a few things have to happen first.
Mercury Chaos: Arigato gozaimasu.
Kurosaki Aniko: Thanks…I think. Turn off the missiles; I'm here now.

Alright, ladies and gentlemen, I now continue this great saga. I really hope these two months of absence haven't completely destroyed my story, but we'll see.

Chapter 12- "Day of Decisions"

Sasuke leaned back against the tree trunk, letting his foot hang off the branch he was seated on. The sun had just lifted over the horizon, casting a warm glow over Konoha. He let out a frustrated breath and looked over the sleepy village. It was only last night that Neji had told him to choose between the village and him. Sasuke had spent most of the night sitting in this very tree. Life was complicated. He didn't want to lose the respect of the village by forsaking his duty. He didn't want to lose the one he finally loved. He didn't want either at the expense of the other.

"Ohayo, Sasuke-teme!"

Sasuke turned his head slightly to see Naruto bound up the path, "Ohayo, dobe."

Naruto stopped, looking curiously at Sasuke, "Eh, what's up with you?"

"Nothing."

Naruto took a chakra-aided leap onto the branch above Sasuke. He hooked his legs around the branch and hung upside-down in front of Sasuke.

"You don't look like nothing," he grinned, squinting his eyes for emphasis.

Sasuke fixed him with a placid look, "You do."

Naruto stuck his tongue out, "Baka!"

Sasuke poked him in the forehead, pushing him off balance and making him plummet to the ground. Naruto sat up, rubbing his shoulder.

"Ow! That hurt, Sasuke-teme. Come down and fight like a real man. Stop hiding up in that tree! Just cause I'll kick your butt is no reason you should be afraid like that."

"Dobe," was all that came out of Sasuke's mouth.

Naruto stopped rubbing his shoulder and stared up at the tree. Something was definitely wrong with Sasuke. Naruto couldn't call him 1) less than a man, 2) a hiding coward, 3) a weakling, and 4) a fearful loser without Sasuke coming down to try to take him on. It just wasn't natural. Naruto 'humphed' to himself and jumped back into the tree.

"C'mon, Sasuke. Tell me what's wrong," he pleaded, putting just enough puppy eyes and serious tone in it to make any sane person spill all his guts to him.

Sasuke just watched.

Naruto stuck out his lip, "Well, if you want to be miserable and lonely forever, then fine with me."

He turned to leave before it hit him, "Ano sa, ano sa…does this have to do with Neji-sempai?"

The freezing look Sasuke shot him was answer enough.

Naruto seated himself heavily back on the branch, "Oh…"

Sasuke lifted an eyebrow, "That's it? Just 'oh'?"

Naruto shot back defensively, "Well, what else am I supposed to say?"

Sasuke shrugged.

"You gonna tell me what's up?" Naruto said hopefully.

At Sasuke's silence, he just sighed, "Didn't think so."

Silence reigned supreme for a moment or two, punctuated only by Naruto's fidgeting and general restlessness. Sasuke was staring off into the distance, caught up in his own thoughts. Naruto shifted around a little more before going completely still. Had Sasuke been watching, he would have seen Naruto's eyes brighten considerably.

"I gotta go, Sasuke-teme. Don't worry; I'll beat you next time."

What should have gotten a thorough pounding from Sasuke merited only a distracted wave of his hand. Naruto gathered chakra and blasted off at high speeds. Sasuke still leaned back against the rough tree trunk.

I don't know what to think. I've never been truly happy with my life; I've lost everything I've ever wanted. But now…I have the chance to be happy with someone I love. Yes, I think I am really in love with Neji. But for years the only thing sustaining me has been the death of my brother and the restoration of my clan. One is taken care of; the other…can I truly give it up? It's all I've lived and worked for. Can I replace it so easily?

"Yo…"

Had Sasuke been anything less than jounin-to-be material, he would have jumped clear of the tree. As it was, he only bumped his head slightly on the branch.

"Kakashi-sensei, ohayo gozaimasu."

The jounin waved a hand, "Yeah, ohayo. Now, what's the matter with you?"

Sasuke looked blank.

Kakashi scratched his head in a bored motion, "Naruto came flying up to me, practically in a panic, yelling his head off that you needed me. So…seeing that you're not being attacked by reborn Akatsuki or demons, what exactly is the crisis?"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes, I am going to kill Naruto.

"Neji?" Kakashi said, without much doubt in his voice.

Sasuke gritted his teeth but nodded once anyway.

The silver-haired man nodded slowly, "Ah, I see. Did you two have a fight?"

Sasuke shook his head, "Not exactly."

Kakashi lifted an eyebrow, "Did he try to make you do something you didn't want to?"

Try as he might, Sasuke couldn't keep the blush from tinting his pale skin, "No, not at all."

Kakashi sighed, "Anytime you'd like to pitch in, feel free."

Sasuke looked away and said, almost inaudibly, "I don't know what to do."

"You don't know if liking Neji is what you want?" Kakashi asked.

Sasuke nodded.

Kakashi let out a prolonged breath, before disappearing and reappearing next to Sasuke on the branch, "So. You're afraid of what people will say?"

"No," Sasuke growled.

"Yes."

"Fine. So I'm worried about my duty and shirking it."

"Duty?"

Sasuke fixed him with a burning stare.

"Ah, yes, your clan's resurrection."

Sasuke looked away.

Kakashi took another breath, "So. You're caught between your love and your duty. What a situation."

Sasuke glared at him, "That's it? No story with a moral about some ancient truth that will radically change the way I live my life?"

Kakashi shook his head, "Nope, I don't have one."

Sasuke rolled his eyes, planting his chin firmly on his palm.

"But I do have a few questions."

"What?"

"How do you feel about Neji?"

Sasuke used yet another glare; at this rate, he'd run out of venom. Kakashi just looked back at him blandly.

Sasuke sighed, "Fine. I love him, alright? He makes me happy. Being with him is better than anything I've ever known. Does that answer your question?"

Kakashi shrugged, "I should think it would answer yours."

While Sasuke gaped at him in pure shock (mixed with the last vestiges of venom), Kakashi stood and vanished in a puff of smoke. Sasuke glared at the location the jounin had last occupied. Damn him and his tricks. Sasuke breathed out again, looking across the horizon one last time before he jumped down to head for his home.

As Sasuke walked home, he passed through the center of town. Of course, girls waved and shouted his name in greeting. He ignored them for the most part, waving to the most insistent ones so they'd faint and leave him alone. He strolled along, buried in his thoughts, hands in his pockets. When he looked up, he saw three figures coming towards him. No, not him. Not now, damnit. Indeed, coming towards him was Lee, Tenten, and Neji, in team uniform, talking as they moved down the street. Sasuke tried to walk as he had done before, without stopping but still at a leisurely pace. If he was lucky, they wouldn't…

"Ohayo, Sasuke-kun!"

…see him. Damn Lee's sharp eyes, "Ohayo, Lee-san."

Tenten bowed, "Ohayo gozaimasu, Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke nodded in greeting.

Neji smirked a little, looking him up and down, "Ohayo…Uchiha."

The knot in Sasuke's throat tightened considerably, This is what it will be like if I turn him down, "Ohayo, Hyuuga."

Lee flicked his gaze back and forth between the two geniuses, misinterpreting the tension, "Well, we had best move along. We're on our way to train for the strengthening of our bodies and minds. See you later, Sasuke-kun!"

The other members of Gai's squad nodded and followed after the energetic taijutsu practitioner. Sasuke stared after them, jerking only when Neji turned his head slightly. The brief look told Sasuke that Neji was sorry for having to address him like that. But sorry or no, it would be the tone of the interchanges should Sasuke choose to give up his relationship with Neji. Only then, Neji would actually be cold to Sasuke. The Uchiha couldn't banish the cold pang that had penetrated his heart at Neji's formality. It seemed to linger, taunting him. He swallowed the knot, or at least attempted to, and turned towards his home. He had to choose soon.

Back at the Uchiha manor, Sasuke paced restlessly. He knew he should do something to burn the energy he was accumulating. The tension was starting to get to him. He'd train. That's what he'd do.

As he came down the stairs, buckling on his holsters and scrolls, he heard a sound in the front yard. He slid the door open to see Naruto on the ground, apparently just sitting.

"Oi, dobe. What are you doing here?"

Naruto jumped up, "There you are. If you hadn't come out soon, I was about to go in after. Don't want you doing anything drastic."

Sasuke growled, "What are you talking about?"

Naruto ignored the warning signs, "Well, what with the break-up between you and—mmph!"

Sasuke had lunged across the courtyard, covering Naruto's mouth in one smooth motion, "Dobe! Don't advertise it. And we're not breaking up. We're just…taking some time off."

He winced at the utter insipidness of that phrase. It was…disgusting. Naruto mumbled against Sasuke's hand. The Uchiha removed it warily.

"Fine. But still…I'm not leaving you alone."

Sasuke rolled his eyes, "Dobe. Fine, I'm going to train. Come or don't."

Naruto nodded and fell into step with Sasuke as the dark-haired boy started to walk. They continued to the training ground in silence.

"Hey, Sasuke?"

Sasuke grunted.

Taking that as an affirmative, Naruto continued, "What's it like…being in love?"

Sasuke shot a look at Naruto, but the blond seemed to be genuinely interested. The Uchiha shrugged.

"I don't know. It's…like wanting to be around someone all the time. Maybe more like needing to be around him all the time. You think about him a lot, and you are always trying to wait until you can next see him."

"Or her," Naruto said, with a grin. "You're the gay one, not me."

Sasuke glared at him, until Naruto's grin and stuck-out tongue showed he was just teasing.

"Usuratonkachi ga," Sasuke muttered to himself.

"Hey!"

They lapsed back into silence. For some reason, Sasuke felt better. Maybe the dobe is helping…that'd be a first.

"So, Sasuke…still don't want to tell me what's wrong?"

…or not. Sasuke swung a fist at Naruto's head. The blond flipped out of the way, glaring.

"I just asked a question, damnit. You don't have to go all psycho-killer on me."

Sasuke grinned, "You said you wanted to help me train."

Naruto grinned. The two boys leapt at each other with drawn kunai.

The two boys lay panting on the ground. Kunai, shuriken, and scorch marks surrounded both as they lay, sucking in deep breaths of air. Out of the battle, there was no clear winner, since both appeared equally bruised, battered, and bloodied. The sun was going down, and the lengthened shadows started to creep over their prostrate bodies.

Naruto pulled himself painfully up, "I've got to get home. Hinata is coming over, and I want to clean up a bit."

Sasuke smirked at him. Naruto glared back.

"Unless, of course," Naruto began, sweetly, "you'd rather we both came to your house so you won't be alone, Sasuke-teme."

The Uchiha's answer came in the form of a flying kunai. Naruto dodged, stuck his tongue out (again), and shot off, yelling a goodbye over his shoulder. Sasuke plopped his head back on the soft ground.

I don't have to go home yet…there's no one there. It's been hours since I last thought of Neji. Damnit, and here I just broke that streak. What am I going to do?

He just lay there, scraping his mind clean of all the possible choices and consequences before him. Finally, his own voice came back to him, Fine. I love him, alright? He makes me happy. Being with him is better than anything I've ever known. Does that answer your question, followed by Kakashi's I should think it would answer yours. He closed his eyes.

It does answer my question. I just…wish it wasn't so hard. But I can't give up what matters most to me. That's really what it comes down to, isn't it? What matters most to me? Neji or my clan? Or the village's approval? Could I be happy with Neji if I was ostracized from the village? Could I be happy with a wife and a clan if I rejected Neji? What matters most to me?

He pulled himself up, staring across the horizon. I don't know what matters most. Is it Neji's love? Am I just so starved for anyone's affection that I will give up my dreams, my ambitions, my goals, just to get it? Do I just have a crush?

He shakily stood, slowly putting pressure on his aching muscles as he started to walk home. I can't imagine life going on, seeing Neji on the street, but not being able to talk to him. Seeing him in training, seeing him on missions, meeting him at parties…I couldn't do it if I turned him down. We'd be forever separated…by my choice. He'd hate me. He'd never speak to me again. We go on without each other forever. He'd marry someone else, or at least start going out with someone else. For obvious reasons, that last part hurt more than anything. I can't bear to see him with anyone else.

He looked up to find himself standing before the gate of the Uchiha manor. If I stayed with Neji, not only would we be ostracized, this house would stay empty. There would be no Uchiha clan heirs, no Uchiha family…ever. My father's line would die with me, prevented from ever continuing. It would be gone, as if it had never existed. My family, my house, my honor would vanish…all with one simple choice.

He removed his shoes and entered the house, climbing the stairs straight to his bedroom. He slid the door open. Crawling onto his bed, still fully dressed, he pulled the covers over his body. Curling up with his knees to his chest, he shut his eyes tightly and tried to keep from crying.

Okay, everyone. Thus concludes…ha, you thought I was gonna end the story here, didn't ya? Admit it. Anyway, thus concludes my official "I'm back" chapter. You may now rejoice. In this chapter, I was really trying to keep the reality of life (shown by the fact that he still had to practice and interact with people) while still maintaining the tug-of-war in his heart. I really hate it when fics randomly allow main characters to stop time just so they have a huge angsting session. I tried to keep up the angsting while making him go through daily life. Tell me if I succeeded or failed in your opinion. Again, it's great to be back, ne? -koff- That means I want lots of "Welcome Back!" in my reviews.