Title: Parallels
Authors: Questofdreams and Lazuli
Rated: R
Comments: Huge thanks to our beta, proud snapist.
Disclaimer: Yep, they apply.

Chapter 9

Sasuke's other brow rose, but he didn't say anything. "I take it that things were the same again?" he questioned dryly. He knew not to push the subject of Naruto's father. The 'other' Naruto, as he had begun to call him, had chattered non-stop about how he'd make meals for his father like this with Sasuke's help, and the results usually ended up inedible. That was when they got on the subject of ramen being a good back up in case things messed up.

Naruto nodded, a smile on his face. "Sasuke, the other one, helped me make yakisoba for my... father." It was weird talking to this Sasuke about a father he never had. "The results weren't too good."

Sasuke grunted softly. "That's no surprise." Sasuke leaned over the table and scooped some rice into his bowl. "Well, eat."

Naruto followed suit, his motions more mechanical than anything, as his eyes and his mind was still roving over the kitchen and the familiar furnishings of Sasuke's clean apartment.

"So you're actually spending time with this other Naruto?" he asked.

Naruto tried not to be jealous of himself. How many times had he been over to Sasuke's apartment, eaten dinner with him?

Sasuke snorted. "Tsunade said that it would be best if I looked after him," he said. "He's confused, because to many things are different for him."

Sasuke gave him a curious look when Naruto looked away.

After a moment, Naruto looked back at him, fiddling with his chopsticks. "So what do you and the other me talk about?" he asked tentatively. "Or do you do the silent routine like you do with everyone that doesn't know you?"

Sasuke flicked a lock of black hair out of his eye and met Naruto's curious gaze. "Tricky thing about this situation is that he does kind of know me. Or at least, part of me. And he looks like you and he acts, for the most part, sort of like you. I don't know. He asks a lot of questions so I just answer him when I can because he won't shut up if I don't. It's annoying."

Naruto pursed his lips. "What kind of questions?"

"You know, things about the village, the Hokage, history. A lot of personal questions too," he said, with a little frown.

Naruto blushed and looked away. "Well, the other you and me are a lot... closer than we are," he said. "Things aren't always the same between the two worlds or realities, I guess. Circumstances..." He gave a faint smile. "I guess I can apologize for my other self since your other self apologized for ... other things."

"I know what the circumstances are between our other selves," Sasuke said briskly, averting his gaze.

Naruto looked back at him. "Do you?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes impatiently. "Well, after we figured out what was going on, it didn't take long for me to reason out why he jumped me yesterday morning. And didn't you confess to the same thing happening to you in Hokage-sama's office earlier?"

"Oh, right," Naruto mumbled. "And... have you two..." Naruto felt his cheeks burn and shoveled more food into his mouth, muttering, "Never mind."

Sasuke stared at him for a moment before shaking his head quickly. "No, we haven't," he said bluntly. "Although you didn't say anything before about not letting the other me kiss you."

Naruto felt his face redden further, stuffing his face with food to keep from having to reply.

Sasuke lifted a cup of tea to his lips and snorted into the drink.

Swallowing thickly, Naruto crossed his arms over his chest and glared at Sasuke. "For your information," he said, standing up and poking a finger into Sasuke's chest. "You were the one that pinned me to the wall and said that it would be okay." His cheeks darkened further as he recalled what Sasuke did to him against the alley wall and chose not to mention that incident.

"And I suppose you just nodded your head and listened to whatever I had to say?" Sasuke smirked as he set his teacup back down. "I can't recall you ever being so cooperative."

Naruto made a small strangled sound of frustration. "And why are you so keen to hear about the details anyway?"

The smirk fell from Sasuke's lips and he pinned Naruto with his blank, but all too effective glare. "I find it peculiar that you allow that person to get away with doing such things."

I'd let you get away with them too, Naruto thought, but wisely kept that to himself.

"You should have heard the encouraging comments that my father made." Naruto snorted and a small, amused smile crossed his lips. "It wasn't like a great deal happened, Sasuke." His expression turned inward. "You wouldn't take no for an answer and you were determined that I had lost my mind because I told you... the other you... that you never liked me like that... hell, never much at all." The smile fell away for a brief moment.

Sasuke opened his mouth, as if to say something, before he closed it again and took another sip of his tea.

"Why are we friends, Sasuke?" Naruto asked quietly, his voice barely audible but for the silence of the room. He thought he should know the answer, and perhaps, he had at one time. He wondered when it was that he had lost sight of those reasons; when reasons had suddenly become unnecessary for him to stay by Sasuke's side.

Sasuke quickly set his cup down, glad he hadn't taken more than a sip or he'd have embarrassed himself by coughing all over their food. Their friendship--if it could be called that--had never been questioned before, much less by themselves.

"What the hell are you talking about, idiot?" he demanded. "I never thought our friendship was in such poor shape that you had to question it before."

Naruto just gave him a stare that was reminiscent of his own.

"I can think of a few reasons," he said dryly. "But... I mean, it wasn't like you had anything to see in me like I did you. I told you that I wanted to be like you when we were kids but you never told me why you considered me your friend." He fiddled with his own cup of tea, not drinking it.

Sasuke's expression darkened. "I didn't willingly become your friend, if you remember. We just happened to be placed on the same team."

Naruto winced at the cutting tone of Sasuke's voice.

"But shit, Naruto, we've been through enough together that it should be a given by now that we're friends, shouldn't it?" Sasuke's voice remained quiet and controlled, and yet Naruto was given the impression that Sasuke was building momentum.

Naruto stood and gave him an angry look. "I never forced you to be my friend," he bit out. "In fact, I never even knew you thought of me as your friend until right before you ran off. Hell, you certainly never gave me any indication you did." He was trembling with anger, eyes dark as he glared at Sasuke. "No one held a kunai to your throat and said play nice with the monster, Uchiha."

Sasuke watched Naruto's balled fists and thunderous expression with one of deep interest, a look he rarely donned. "Has living with the other me and your father turned you into a bigger moron than you already are?"

Naruto's blue eyes flashed red. "No, you jackass, it's just made me question things."

"What the hell for?" Sasuke asked, his voice noticeably louder. "You have doubts now because I'm not pushing you up against a wall?"

Naruto flattened his lips. "I have doubts because you still treat me with so little regard despite this 'given' friendship of ours."

Sasuke stood and Naruto could tell he might have overstepped his boundaries. "I came back to this village because of you," he said, voice so low Naruto had to strain to hear.

"Did you really?" Naruto asked. "Or did you come back because you were so confident that someone would be waiting for you? You killed your brother and so you were certain that the Uchiha prodigy could come back home because of who you were. Everyone loved Sasuke, everyone would want to be with him again. Even your supposed friend--how the fuck were you so certain that I'd accept you back after you punched a goddamned hole in my chest?"

"I wasn't certain," Sasuke admitted, although he didn't break eye contact. "And what the fuck do I care about what the village thinks of me? I came back because I thought...I hoped..."

Sasuke spun on his heel and stalked away. Naruto reached out, grasping Sasuke's sleeve. "Don't walk away from me, Uchiha. What were you hoping for?"

"Do you know, Naruto, that while I was with Orochimaru, I never gave Konoha a second thought?"

Naruto dropped his grip on Sasuke's shirt, surprised by the remorseless way in which Sasuke spoke of that time. "Is that so?" he asked.

"Yeah, that's so," Sasuke repeated coldly. "But what I did think about surprised me."

"How you didn't finish the job?" Naruto asked. "You know, even though you were trying to kill me, I was still happy because you said I was strong enough to fight you equally, that you saw me as a worthy opponent... then you called me your friend." His eyes regained a little more of its original spark.

"I did think about how I couldn't finish that fight," Sasuke murmured. Naruto's lips twisted into a poor attempt at a smile. "And I thought about how I should come back to Konoha and see if I could."

Naruto swallowed, his nails digging into his palms. He didn't really want to hear this, did he?

"That's what I told myself, Naruto. But," Sasuke paused to give a humorless smile, "I've never been good at deluding myself. I couldn't kill you the first time around. I knew I wouldn't do it the second time."

"Then why did you come back at all?" Naruto asked softly, a bitter ring to his tone. He looked up at Sasuke, shaking his head. "You know, I could deal with it because everyone wanted me dead. It would figure my only friend would want me dead, too--and you were the only one who really tried." He turned his face away so Sasuke couldn't see his growing misery.

"Naruto, I came back because..." Sasuke swallowed and tried to get the words to come out. "I came back because you were here--and I wanted... I don't know what I wanted, but it wasn't to kill you."

Naruto's hands, shaking at how tightly he was clenching them, stilled at Sasuke's quiet words. He was still confused and his chest ached with memories best left in the past, but he felt perhaps all this resurfaced pain was worth that one small admission.

"You came for me...and I went back with you. I didn't know what I'd do once I got back here, but somehow, I just sort of hoped it'd be ok...because you were here. And I didn't take that for granted. I honestly didn't know whether you'd try to kill me or arrest me when you got me into the village, but I thought it was worth the risk."

Naruto's lips quirked up slightly. "There probably weren't any cute girls to fawn over you in Sound," he teased a little shakily. "You missed your fanclub."

Sasuke smirked, the tension seeming to drain from his shoulders. "One thing I didn't miss--being worshipped by the female population."

Naruto laughed and punched Sasuke's arm, carefully siphoning away his brief anger and frustration. He looked at Sasuke and saw there a warmth reminiscent of the other Sasuke, and his chest tightened, the echo of Sasuke's admission still ringing in his ears.

He knew it wasn't going to happen here--it hurt to admit it, but he told himself that he was used to it, that he had accepted a long time ago that this Sasuke, his Sasuke was his friend and nothing more. No matter how much he loved him.

A strange expression had wandered across Sasuke's face. His eyes were contemplative as his hand rose, callused fingertips just ghosting over Naruto's cheek. Naruto stepped back, he was so surprised by the gesture.

He regretted it immediately as Sasuke blinked and, seemingly reeling himself in, smirked and said, "Let's finish dinner."

"Sasuke," Naruto said, wanting more than anything else to question the look in Sasuke's eyes.

Sasuke ignored him and sat down again, avoiding looking at Naruto. Naruto was about to pursue the issue when a wave of dizziness assaulted him. He was starting to figure out the cues by now. "Fuck."

"Naruto?" a concerned voice asked as a cool hand touched his arm. He was still standing in a kitchen, but his surroundings had once again blurred into the Yondaime's house, and the gentle touch was his father, who was peering questioningly into his face.

Naruto shook his head. "It happened again."

He looked over at Sasuke, who was watching him just as closely as his father, and... for the first time since the madness had begun, wished with all his being for his Sasuke back, stick up the ass and all. Naruto slumped into a chair, rubbing a hand over his face and looking up at Sasuke with vague amusement.

"We had a heart to heart," he said dryly in answer to the questioning look. "I hope my other self jumped you or something. My Sasuke isn't exactly brimming with affection." Sasuke looked away, a curious expression on his face, and Naruto knew he'd guessed correct. "Don't look away, Sasuke, he is yours after all. It's not like you're cheating."

Sasuke frowned at him as they all retook their seats around the table.

"Well, Naruto, seeing as you switched before I got back, I wanted to say how impressed I am at your dinner."

Naruto's eyebrows rose skeptically.

The Yondaime laughed. "No, really. It's better than usual."

Naruto blinked at that and stared at the mess on the table. "You have to be joking." His voice sounded pained. "I cook for myself all the time. While it's nothing this...elaborate, I can usually look at what I eat." He looked over at Sasuke and gave him a genuine smile. "I'm glad that you got to reassure Naruto," he said sincerely. He snorted at the look Sasuke gave him. "Sheesh, it's like you expect me to be angry for kissing your boyfriend."

Naruto had to question, though, whether or not he could engage in... intimate activities... with this Sasuke again and not feel even guiltier than he did already. Same souls or not, this was still not the Sasuke he knew. This awareness, one he had foolishly pushed aside in light of the moments of happiness he'd been able to grasp here, brought back all the uncertainty and fear he'd felt upon first appearing in this world.

The Yondaime snickered. "There's a reason why we haven't touched any of the food until now," he pointed out, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "You pushed Sasuke up against the counter and I had to call your name three times to get you away from each other and to the dinner table."

Sasuke snorted, but a faint blush was on his cheek. "Then you latched onto your father." He looked vaguely embarrassed. "I think you were crying."

Naruto blinked at him. He felt even guiltier now.

Naruto wasn't very hungry anymore, both from having already eaten with Sasuke, and from the growing distinction between himself and his other self. He wondered if he should voice his doubts. He knew the Yondaime would just shush him and tell him he was still his son, and while he admitted to himself that he and this other Naruto were parts of the same person, he could never take the place of the Naruto who had grown up as the son of a hokage.

He smiled sadly into his lap. Just as this Sasuke, free of the grim past that Orochimaru had given him, could never replace the Sasuke he had grown up with, the Sasuke he loved, darkness and all. It was strangely calming to finally resolve this with himself.

He stood up abruptly, shaking his head at the Yondaime and Sasuke. "We need to talk about what we have to do about this situation. As much as I enjoy viewing what this life is like, it can't go on like this. It isn't fair to any of us, on either side of the spectrum."

"Of course, Naruto," his father said gently. "But I don't want you to feel...unwelcome."

Naruto shook his head. "I don't feel that way. I actually feel really lucky that at least a part of me has what I've always wanted. And, with Sasuke... we really need to get some stuff out, I guess. I accused him of some bad things, he accused me of some things that were probably slightly truer--" Now a blush crossed his face.

"Sounds like just the kind of conversation you two need," Sasuke remarked knowingly.

Naruto made a face at him, but didn't argue. "Anyway, the next time I switch back, I'm hoping to continue where we left off." And next time, I won't step back, he thought, unable to help wondering what might have come about if he hadn't been startled by Sasuke's touch.

The Yondaime gave him a curious look. "It seems that every time you go back, you're with Sasuke. You and the other Sasuke are doing something similar in both realities--is that true?" he questioned. He smirked at the both of them. "Guess you two really are meant to be."

Naruto stared at him. "Just what type of father are you?" he demanded. "I thought you'd want me to have kids or something--not be so... agreeable about my relationship with Sasuke." There, he admitted there was a relationship. Big step for him. He was almost proud of himself.

"You should be happy I'm so supportive," the Yondaime said, looking indignant. "Not all parents are so understanding."

Naruto turned to Sasuke. "Has he always been like this?"

Sasuke smirked. "We had to convince him we were serious at first, but once he realized we were, then yes, he has always been like this."

"As much as I'd love to have grandchildren that look like me," he said with a grin, "who am I to stand in your way?" He said the last part with a wistful smile and Naruto had to shake his head and fill his mouth with food so he wouldn't laugh.

He hesitated and then asked something he had been wondering about for awhile. "Is there any chance... that we can train together?" he asked. He would never have another chance after he went back.

The Yondaime tilted his head and looked upward, appearing to think it over. "I don't know. I'm an awfully busy man."

Sasuke snorted into his teacup and Naruto couldn't help staring, abruptly reminded of his Sasuke doing the exact same thing.

"But I think I can manage to get away from the tower at lunch tomorrow for an hour or so."

"I mean, you're going to have to see if that old pervert taught me correctly, right?" he asked, smirking.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "As long as we do it far away from town, I'm game to watch. I don't want to see Konoha go up in smoke because you two went at each other with rasengan."

The Yondaime shook his head. "I am not going to fight you with rasengan. But you can show me your techniques so I can criticize you."

"You mean critique me," Naruto corrected.

"No," the Yondaime said with a broad grin, "criticize."

Naruto gave him a flat look. "Riiiight. Well, looking forward to it then, Dad," he said, a challenge accompanying the word. "The old pervert had failsafe teaching methods, most of the time. Like when he treated me to a last meal then shoved me off a cliff and the only way to save myself was to tap kyuubi's chakra correctly and summon a frog to help me."

The Yondaime gave a start. "Pushed you off a..." He muttered something Naruto was certain wasn't polite under his breath. "I'm making a list of everything I need to yell at him for."

"Well, to be fair, the Jiraiya who taught me isn't the one you know. I mean, you know him but...well, ah geez, you know what I mean."

"Be that as it may, I am unlikely to ever come face to face with your Jiraiya so mine will simply have to put up with it. I have little doubt he wouldn't do the same anyway."

Naruto snorted at that. "I'm sure," he muttered. "Well, it was enlightening talking to the fox as it was." He sounded vaguely amused. "Blackmailed him so that he'd give me his chakra until we synchronized completely." He fiddled with his chopsticks. "Ero-sennin never told me that you were my father--not once." He shook his head, a little annoyed. "Even when he taught me that move and told me stories about you as a genin." He forced a bright smile on his face. "So tomorrow you'll test me?"

"Sure. What kind of father would I be if I didn't make time for my son?"

Naruto shrugged and stared down at his plate. "If the other Naruto loves you so much, I'm sure you're a great father."

The Yondaime set down his chopsticks and Sasuke suddenly found the floor fascinating.

Naruto blinked, unsure why the room got so quiet and the Yondaime was staring at him so intensely. "Uh..."

"You're a good son, Naruto," his father said. "I'm sorry I can't be with you in your world." His voice was whisper soft but the honesty in his words still carried through.

Naruto shrugged and didn't reply, not quite willing to let the conversation become any more personal.

Sasuke stood, carrying his plate with him to the sink.

"It wasn't your fault," he said quickly, standing up himself and avoiding looking at him. It wasn't the Yondaime's fault that he didn't know how to deal with a father. The most social interaction he'd gotten was with his old genin team, and now Sasuke. And it wasn't like Sasuke was known for his great conversation skills.

"I think I should go home tonight. Let you two talk," Sasuke said, returning to the table.

Naruto immediately shook his head, afraid, for reasons he didn't want to acknowledge, of being alone with his father. Sasuke was his anchor, his reassurance, in this world.

Sasuke's brow rose at that and he stood in front of Naruto, one hand on his shoulder. "Naruto." He kept his voice low and reassuring. "You do need to talk to him. He is your father and if you don't have him in your world, talk with him now," he murmured. He could see the desperate need for reassurance. "We've had our talk and as much as I'd like to do more than talking with you tonight, you need to talk to him."

Naruto knew, of course, that Sasuke was right. But the fact remained that he didn't want to be left alone.

"We'll talk," he said, turning to his father, "but Sasuke...stay."

Sasuke opened his mouth to argue again.

"Look, I don't want to do anything more than sleep later, ok?" Naruto said, feeling the irritating warmth in his cheeks. "It's just...you being near is reassuring."

Sasuke smirked at that. "Can't live without me? Am I that irresistible?"

"I give up," he muttered.

His father turned to him. "I don't mind Sasuke being here while we talk, Naruto. I don't think we've had nearly enough time to do so--and I'd like to do more of that before I thrash you tomorrow in training."

"I'll go to bed early so you two can be alone," Sasuke said quickly, seeing Naruto rise to the intentional barb. The Yondaime stood, clearing away the dishes.

"Hey, let us do that," Naruto said, standing and taking the plates from his father.

"Ah, you're too good to this old man," he said, patting Naruto hard across the back.

Naruto shook his head and joined Sasuke at the sink. "Did you want to go home tonight?" he asked him.

Sasuke shook his head as he imagined his own empty apartment. When Naruto decided to 'stay apart for Sasuke's own good', he couldn't stand how empty the place was and came over to Naruto's place instead. He didn't explain any of that. "I like it here better," he said simply, handing Naruto another plate to plunge into the hot, soapy water.

Naruto nodded, satisfied with Sasuke's response. Given the choice, Naruto certainly wouldn't choose to be alone.

"I wonder what the other...two are doing," he murmured. Sasuke looked over at him.

"Nothing we wouldn't do, I'm sure," he said with a smirk.

Naruto snorted at that. "Trust me--nothing that we've done." He knew his Sasuke all too well. "Tsunade told my Sasuke to look after the other Naruto, but you don't know how you are in my reality. Sasuke isn't very talkative or very touchy. He ... he ...." Naruto recalled that fleeting touch again. "He said that the other Naruto asked a lot of questions and stuff, but I know that Sasuke wouldn't even touch ..."

"You don't want him to?" Sasuke asked shrewdly.

Naruto, still guilty over what they'd already done, shrugged noncommittally. It was awfully hypocritical of him. "We probably shouldn't do anything anymore. To be fair to your Naruto."

Sasuke copied Naruto's ambiguous shrug. "The more we figure out what's going on, the more complicated it gets between us."

Naruto could only nod. He washed the plates carefully, studiously not looking at Sasuke. "I... I'm sorry for screwing things up," he said. "I guess on both ends. I mean, both halves must have gotten hit by the same jutsu..." His brow wrinkled suddenly in thought. "Wait... that's weird..."

Sasuke looked over at him. "That you're in idiot no matter what world you're in?" he questioned dryly.

Naruto elbowed him. "I was protecting Shikamaru," he said defensively.

Sasuke elbowed him back. "Do you think this would have happened to Shikamaru if you hadn't gotten in the way?"

Naruto shrugged. "I don't know. He might not have had that extra chakra boost that kyuubi gave me." He grew silent at the thought of what could have happened to Shikamaru. "Good thing I was there to protect him," he said with a bright smile, drying the last dish and turning to Sasuke. "That's what being the Hokage is all about--protecting others at whatever cost."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "We know what it means, Naruto, but you are damn lucky to have that stupid fox in you. Who knows where you could have ended up?"

Naruto snorted. "It's ironic, isn't it? That this fox should be both a blessing and a curse?"

"Most things are," Sasuke said.