Title: Parallels
Authors: Lazuli and Questofdreams
Rated: R
Comment: Thank you to both proud snapist and Tabby for beta-ing.

Chapter 10

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

"Most things are," Sasuke said.

"Huh." Naruto didn't respond, thinking about how his time here with Sasuke was similar--being able to see what at least a part of him had.

Sasuke turned to him again after Naruto had put away the last dish and watched him carefully, assessing him for something that Naruto couldn't see. "I'll be nearby, Naruto, but try and talk to him alone first."

Naruto nodded, nudging Sasuke in the direction of the stairs. Sasuke reciprocated by shoving Naruto towards the living room. Naruto chuckled, muttered "jerk" under his breath and waited until he heard the door to his bedroom upstairs close before joining his father in the living room.

The Yondaime was sitting on the sofa, scrolls piled up at his feet and one open on his lap.

Naruto's attention was immediately caught by what he was doing. "What is that for?" he asked, kneeling beside one of the scrolls and picking it up.

The Yondaime smiled at him. "Just looking over some old laws. I'm meeting with a dignitary from Lightning later this week." He sighed. "Lightning and Leaf have never been on the best of terms."

"Oh. I thought maybe you were trying to find out how to fix our...situation."

The Yondaime put aside the scroll at the inflection in Naruto's voice. "I've been sparing as much time as possible to look up old legends. But I'm still Hokage, Naruto. I have duties."

Naruto blushed and looked away. "Yeah, I know that," he said. "Tsunade-bachan tried finding ways to help me with Kyuubi and all, but she never expected to actually be Hokage." He grinned at that. "I tricked her into coming back to Konoha."

"I wouldn't put that past you," the Yondaime remarked with a matching grin. "Maybe you should start reading these too, eh? Good preparation for the future."

Naruto made a face. "Tsunade-bachan said the same thing to me a few weeks ago."

"Well, Naruto, if two Hokages are advising you read up on your laws, then it's probably a good suggestion."

"I can always read it later. I'm younger so my mind will retain information longer and quicker than yours or the old hag's." He dodged a swipe of his father's hand.

"It's a hint, brat." He thwacked him on the head. "I doubt Tsunade would have you reading up if she wasn't preparing you for something."

Naruto gaped at him for a moment, a little stunned at the sudden realization. "Heh... I guess it wouldn't hurt."

As much as simply reading next to each other appealed to Naruto, he wanted to learn more about this man. There were questions swarming in his head about the Yondaime's youth and his team and...and if he mustered the courage, about his mother.

But for now, he appeased himself with saying, "I was always curious about Kakashi-sensei and how he got the sharingan and why he's so perverted and always late. Has he always been that way?"

His father grew silent for a moment, obviously weighing his words. "Most of that he got that from his teammate, Uchiha Obito." He nodded with a faint smile at the way Naruto started at the name. "Yes, Kakashi had an Uchiha on his team as well. They were friends, but...the kind of friends that you and Sasuke were. They appeared to dislike each other more often than not." Settling the scrolls aside, he considered how to tell Naruto. "And he received the sharingan from Obito as well."

"But that means..." Naruto said softly.

"Yes. Obito died very young," he said with a small shake of his head, a strange look in his eyes.

Naruto knew what it was like to lose a comrade, but he wondered what ghosts haunted his father for having lost someone he was supposed to have been responsible for.

"Kakashi blames himself. I think maybe as a way for Obito to live on, Kakashi sort of took on some of Obito's habits. You'd have to ask him yourself, of course, to be certain." The Yondaime smiled ruefully. "Obito's parting gift for his friend was the sharingan."

"He talked about how people that don't take care of their teammates are trash." Naruto fiddled with one of the scrolls. "But he never told us why or anything." He forced a smile on his face. "So Kakashi-sensei picked up his friend's habits? That's an odd way of remembering someone."

He couldn't imagine losing Sasuke... much less acting like Sasuke. He shuddered. He didn't think he could ever be such a prick, even if he was mourning.

The Yondaime seemed to know exactly what Naruto was thinking because he started chuckling. "You and Sasuke are different like Kakashi and Obito were. You'd be surprised how much death can change a person."

He surveyed a scroll thoughtfully, letting the silence linger a little while longer, not exactly sure what else his father wanted to talk to him about, and uncomfortable about initiating another painful topic.

"How is Konoha in your world, Naruto? Peaceful?" he asked, genuinely curious.

"It's alright. Things are always uncertain, but at least we're not at war," Naruto said with a light shrug.

Since Sound had been defeated, there had been few disruptions in the past years. Naruto was entirely grateful for the quiet, but he knew that underneath the political protocol was a ripple of discontent, a restlessness that would soon break the silence. He told none of this to his father, though. The man was the Hokage; he already knew how tenuous peace was.

He instead looked at the scrolls. "Are you training your son to be Hokage one day?" he asked curiously. "I mean, I guess it'd be strange for you to have me reading these laws and all if you didn't think I was ready for them."

"Naruto," his father sighed heavily and put aside a larger collection of scrolls, wanting to avoid the question, but still answered it with another. "Do you think that you'd be ready for such a position?"

Naruto appeared to be seriously considering his answer. "I do," he said finally.

The Yondaime nodded, pleased with the firm belief he heard in Naruto's voice. "Well then, you should be spending as much time training as learning the laws, even the minuscule ones," he said, gesturing to the scrolls lying at his feet. "You never know when a minor law might make the difference in a dispute."

"Has it ever?" Naruto asked mildly, eyeing the scrolls with apparent distaste. Naruto had never had the patience for reading and there were just too many kanji to remember for Naruto's taste.

"Brat." He ruffled Naruto's hair affectionately. "Even the smallest things can make a difference." His mouth twitched and it was obvious he was trying to hold in a chuckle. "Even a midget like you were as a child."

Naruto stared at him, mouth opening for a moment, but no sound emerging until he tackled his father. "Now that's not fair!"

"But true nonetheless," the Yondaime said with a laugh, tossing Naruto off him with embarrassing ease. "You were the shortest male in your class until you were 15. Even Sakura was taller."

Naruto crossed his arms, chin jutting out petulantly. "Well, if I've anyone to blame, it's you. I've got your genes after all."

"Ooh, that's all you can say, brat?" The Yondaime snickered and poked him in the side. "At least you're a respectable size now." He looked proud. "And looking more like your handsome father every day."

Naruto groaned and clapped a hand over his eyes. "Thank god I have more brains."

"I thought we agreed the night before that that was where you were lacking," his father said with a decidedly teasing gleam in his blue eyes.

"Do you like the idea of having a stupid son?" Naruto asked.

"Don't be silly, I know you're not stupid. You just tend to leave that impression on everyone else." When Naruto continued to stare at him blankly, he grinned and said, "Just ask Sasuke. He'll be happy to explain it to you."

Naruto crossed his arms over his chest at that. "Hrm. Well, I'm not stupid and I'm going to make sure everyone realizes what a good job I'll do protecting them." He made a face. "Even if reading these laws are boring."

Naruto reached out for one of the scrolls and opened it as his father watched him. He frowned down at the contents.

"This is..."

"What is it?" his father asked curiously.

"...so boring!" Naruto cried incredulously, his eyes scanning down line after line of printed laws in the most boring and overly complicated language he'd ever read. There were words there he'd never even heard of before.

The Yondaime smacked him. "You're treating the laws of the town you're going to look after one day like they're a chore." He tried to act serious, but a grin suddenly broke out on his face. "I can't stand them, either," he confided. "But look on the bright side," he added with a wink. "After reading one of these, you can impress everyone with your expansive vocabulary."

Naruto gave him a look that clearly said he thought his father was insane for considering a broadened vocabulary as the 'bright side.'

The Yondaime shrugged. "Well, it impresses foreign dignitaries anyway."

"I'll keep that in mind," Naruto mumbled.

Who in town would be impressed that I would know the meaning of big words? he wondered idly. Even Sasuke would say something about how even monkeys could imitate things around them. "What else do you do as Hokage?" he wondered aloud. "I mean, since everyone is all like, 'the great Yondaime' type thing around you."

"Do they?" he asked in an offhand sort of way.

"Now you're trying to be modest. Yeah, it doesn't work after you already called yourself handsome."

His father laughed outright at Naruto's condescending tone. "Well, no one has ever said it in my presence, but I've heard the rumors."

"Most of it is because of your sacrifice with the Kyuubi," Naruto said, abruptly sobering. "You died that day."

"Naruto." His father grew solemn and reached out to rest a gentle hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry I left you with such a heavy burden," he murmured. "I never thought of the terrible things that might happen if I left you."

Naruto shrugged it off, embarrassed now. "Hey, I can deal with it, alright?" He forced a smile. "It's not like I'm totally alone. I mean, Kakashi-sensei cares a little, I think, and Iruka-sensei, and... and Sasuke." He laughed nervously. "And the old hag is a little harder on me than she is with the other ninjas but that's because she expects more out of me, because it's her odd way of caring."

He thought of his Sasuke, how they always exchanged cutting remarks when sparring but trusted the other to know that their insults were meant to be challenges, fully expecting the other to rise to their expectations.

"And Sasuke is there to make sure you don't lose sight of yourself," the Yondaime said wisely. "Even if you're not as close. Well, physically anyways, in your world, Naruto, you and Sasuke share something very special in the way you connect."

Naruto blushed slightly and looked off. "He's my best friend," he said quietly, and then jumped up, trying to break the solemn mood. "I... I'm going to um... train or something. Those scrolls are putting me to sleep." He didn't want to look like he was running away but it was disconcerting how everything they talked about seemed to return to Sasuke, one way or another. He promised himself he'd have a proper conversation with his father once he'd settled things with Sasuk.

"Naruto, you're not even reading them," his father said, smiling.

"Just looking at them and thinking about it is enough to knock me out for a week," Naruto said, crossing his eyes to demonstrate just how serious he was.

The Yondaime laughed again and stood to pull Naruto in for a hug. "Not so sure you should be training at this hour, but do what you will."

Naruto nodded into his father's shoulder and hated the sting behind his eyes. It was either train or head upstairs where Sasuke was (hopefully) sleeping.

Training was always his way of releasing tension, directing his energy so he wouldn't get down by the depression that tugged at him when he was younger. It was better now, he didn't train so much to forget as to really drive towards his goal. "You'll come and watch me tomorrow, right?" he asked hesitantly.

"I said I would, didn't I?" his father said.

Naruto nodded and smiled, rubbing the back of his neck, embarrassed at having needed to be reassured. Like a child.

"Uh, yeah, well. Good night," Naruto said and pulled away from his father's arms. The Yondaime told him to be careful and Naruto, warmed by his father's concern--something he wasn't used to--nodded before heading out of the house into the dark street.

There were very few villagers out now that the sun had gone down and Naruto found he rather liked it that way.

He could pretend like things were normal, that he was leaving his apartment to go train and avoid the gazes of everyone. He needed to vent his confusion, uneasiness and make sure he prepared himself to fight Sasuke when the other boy would appear.

Naruto shrugged off his vest and decided the best way to warm up would be to run laps around the field, just enough to get the blood pumping. His green vest fell with a soft hiss of material against dirt just as a twig snapped to his left. He crouched low and twisted, realizing belatedly that he had not worn a weapon's holster since he'd arrived in this world and was, therefore, unarmed.

Good job, Uzumaki, he thought dryly. You're a real genius. A ninja didn't rely on weapons alone, though and he posed his hands in preparation for a jutsu. His senses were trained completely on the sound, but he wondered if it could be a ninja, since they normally didn't make any sound.

"Naruto."

Naruto straightened, abandoning his stance. He knew that voice. "Shikamaru?"

And just as he suspected, the ninja strolled out of the trees as if lurking around the training grounds at night was perfectly normal.

"What are you doing here?" Naruto asked.

"I was beginning to wonder if you ever go anywhere without Sasuke attached to your hip," Shikamaru drawled. "I've been waiting until I could get you alone so I wouldn't have to deal with Sasuke's temper."

Shikamaru looked at him expectantly. Naruto raised an eyebrow, wondering what the man was expecting to hear.

"The mission, Naruto," Shikamaru finally said with impatience. "How are you doing?"

Naruto blinked at him in complete confusion. "The mission?" he asked blankly. He scanned his brain from what he knew of missions involving Shikamaru and it suddenly clicked. "Oh! The one with that idiot who couldn't perform a jutsu?" he asked brightly. And the one that sent me to this parallel world and is messing with my head as we speak?

Shikamaru nodded, the moonlight just enough to illuminate his head and the expanse of his shoulders.

"I'm all right, all things considered."

Naruto couldn't see his face clearly but he imagined the tilt of an eyebrow was probably Shikamaru's only reaction. "And what is that supposed to mean?"

"It means that if I were to sum it up for you, the condition of my physical well-being would not be an issue."

Shikamaru grunted softly. "Since when did you start avoiding straight answers?"

Since always, Naruto thought to himself, but just shrugged. "Meaning it scrambled a few things up here." He tapped his head. "But nothing else was harmed."

Shikamaru grunted softly at that answer, but his deceptively lazy gaze was focused on Naruto, as if he knew something.

"I've spoken to your father," Shikamaru said softly, gauging Naruto's reaction.

Naruto's blue eyes grew sharper, but if Shikamaru could tell in the darkness, he gave no indication of it.

"He called me into his office the day after our mission. He said you were acting peculiar...couldn't remember things."

"Well, no need to worry anymore. We've got things figured out," Naruto said, turning his face up towards the moon so that his expression was lit by the soft glow of moonlight. He looked strangely wistful.

"I see." Shikamaru paused and considered his next words. "That jutsu was meant for me, Naruto. You know very well I was on that mission with you so you wouldn't be harmed." His voice was matter of fact. He never hid from Naruto the reason why people watched him so carefully.

Naruto's eyes widened a fraction. "I never asked for anything stupid like that," he bit out, turning away from Shikamaru and crossing his arms over his chest. "I'm glad I protected you. Payback for all those times you helped me."

"I was supposed to protect you, Naruto. I didn't do my job." Shikamaru sighed. "It's such a hassle having to protect you when you're always so bent on protecting everyone else."

"Are you trying to tell me your priority on this mission was just to keep me safe?" Naruto asked incredulously.

"Well, no. The Hokage just asked me to keep an eye on you before we left."

"What?" Naruto's hands dropped to his sides. "Did he think I'd need protecting?"

Shikamaru held up his hands, sensing Naruto's building anger. "Naruto, you're his son. It's not like he shouldn't worry about you."

Naruto growled, shaking his head in disbelief. "I'm not someone who needs to be coddled and protected and I'm not just going to let that happen! People getting hurt over me... " His eyes closed briefly as he remembered Sasuke's limp body in his arms. "I'm just as strong as anyone else here."

He had a lot to talk to his father about. After he told Naruto he was strong, he sent people to babysit him?

"And your father knows that, Naruto. Don't go blowing up at him just because he was a little worried. Look what happened; he had a right to worry, didn't he?"

Naruto spun on his heel and began to pace. Shikamaru winced. When Naruto started pacing, it was always a bad sign.

"I'm his son; you'd think he'd know my strengths the best," he muttered, prowling across the dark lawn.

He turned to glare at Shikamaru. "And nothing happened other than I had a few memories scrambled." As far as Shikamaru knows, he thought. He started pacing again. "I won't let him do this to me. It's not like me being his son makes me any more special than any other ninja."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes, wishing he'd waited another night to seek the blond ninja out. "I thought you'd settled your issues with your father's protectiveness a long time ago. Remember when he used to refuse to send you on solitary missions? Be glad he's gotten past that point."

Naruto only continued to glare into the shadowy trees as he paced. It was good to know that the other Naruto didn't like being put under unnecessary protection either. If he's me, why would he? he thought grumpily.

"It's still not needed," he said fiercely. "I'm strong and I'm going to protect other people. I don't need other people going out of their way to protect me." He gave Shikamaru a proud, confident look. "After all, one day I'll be the Hokage."

Shikamaru started slightly--Naruto had no idea how much he resembled his father at the moment. "I'm sure," he said dryly. "But it is our job to make sure that you can eventually get to that point."

"If I can't keep myself alive during a simple mission then I don't deserve the position," he snapped.

Shikamaru shrugged, conceding the point. Both men turned their heads as another presence approached. Naruto sighed and Shikamaru grew tense and debated disappearing back into the darkness.

A moment later, it was too late as Sasuke's figure broke away from the shadows. He glanced between the two men.

Naruto directed his glare towards Sasuke next, and Shikamaru was glad to be out its range. Dealing with Naruto always was troublesome, but Sasuke's presence made it more so.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Naruto demanded, stepping up to Sasuke and poking a finger into his chest. "That my father didn't trust me enough that he had to have people babysit me?"

"Don't be a moron. I didn't tell you because you knew..." Sasuke's voice faded as he immediately realized this Naruto didn't know. He rolled his eyes. "Well, in any case, you're overreacting again. Nobody babysits you; your comrades just want to keep you alive. Which--" Sasuke added quickly upon seeing Naruto open his mouth to protest, "you always manage to do yourself, even if you tend to come away a little worse for wear."

Naruto reached down for his vest, brushing it off roughly before shoving past Sasuke. "It's my job to keep them alive," he said shortly. He was no longer in the mood to train so he shrugged his vest back on. "No one is going to go out of their way to save me."

Sasuke rolled his eyes at that. "You're overreacting as usual and making a scene as well. Let's go back, Naruto." He nodded briefly at Shikamaru.

Shikamaru, having assured himself of Naruto's well-being, was only too eager to leave. He returned the gesture and disappeared.

Sasuke took hold of Naruto's arm and led Naruto away from the training field. Halfway down the road, Naruto finally wrestled free of Sasuke's grip and just barely resisted the urge to childishly shove the man away.

Sasuke, too irritated by Naruto's absurd behavior, let Naruto walk ahead of him, biding his time before Naruto ran out of steam.

Naruto's hands trembled at his sides. "So the reason my father said that you had to come with me on simple missions was because I need a keeper?" he snarled. "What is he so afraid of?"

"Use your head, Naruto," Sasuke finally snapped. "You're his son. How would you feel if you had to send your son off on dangerous missions? Be glad he's let up on you the last couple years."

Naruto knew, of course, that if he had to watch his own son go off on a mission where loss of life was always a possibility, he'd probably send an entire team just as back up. He sighed. He was still annoyed, and certainly still angry, but he also felt a little contrite.

Still—

"I've never had anyone do that for me," he snapped back, annoyed at Sasuke's tone. "You expect me to understand what it's like, Sasuke?" he demanded.

"Well you just had a talk with your father, didn't you? If the last couple days haven't told you how it's felt to be cared for, then you're just as stupid as you let everyone think you are."

Sasuke increased his pace, walking past Naruto, not quite caring if he left Naruto behind.

"I think I will go home tonight. Apparently, everything we've done and said to each other hasn't sunk in because you're still acting like you're alone, like you can't believe anyone might love you, like any second now you expect me and your father to just..." Sasuke suddenly came to a stop. "...disappear," he finished, his voice whisper soft. He turned to Naruto, who had paused beside him.

Naruto, his anger suddenly fizzling at the remorse in Sasuke's dark eyes, reached out to skim his fingers across a pale cheek. He gave him a rueful smile. "I'm sorry if I still can't seem to grasp the idea of being protected, as if my life holds value above others. I have been listening to everything you and my father have said to me these past couple of days. And I...I've been happy. But I can't pretend that this is how things are because any moment now, this could all become nothing but a memory for me and I can't let myself think that it won't. And also," he said, brushing his thumb across Sasuke's lower lip, "I know you're still Sasuke, but I kind of miss the other you."

Sasuke didn't reply, merely looked contemplative as he turned to continue walking, Naruto matching his pace. "I guess," he finally said, "I have to confess that I miss the other you, too."

Naruto stared downward, watching the dirt pass beneath his feet, and wondered why he didn't feel the pang in his chest that he had expected. Instead, a sort of warmth curled comfortably in his gut as if that was how things were meant to be.

And perhaps they were.

Naruto smiled and turned to Sasuke again when suddenly the world tilted beneath his feet.

Sasuke, having noticed the signs, calmly remarked, "Moron, you look a little green."

"You try switching back and forth various times a day and see how you look," Naruto muttered, holding his head, a little nauseous from the transition.

Sasuke, taking the switch in stride, continued walking, trusting Naruto to hurry along when he was ready. Naruto, settling his stomach, caught up fairly quickly and looked around the dark street.

"So what were you two doing out this late anyway?"

Sasuke ignored Naruto's suggestive tone. "Naruto wanted to train to take his mind off of things and I figured I should accompany him in case he accidentally killed himself."

Naruto gave him a dirty look at that. "Jeez, Sasuke, it's still me and you trust me enough to play with sharp, pointy objects."

Sasuke gave him an assessing glance and asked, "And since you don't look tired enough for training, what were you two doing out so late?"

"Concerned?" Naruto asked, arching a blond eyebrow.

Sasuke shrugged, indicating that he probably didn't care if Naruto replied or not. Naruto rolled his eyes. "I was going to train and I ran into Shikamaru. He just wanted to check up on me after what happened on the mission. Did you know he went along as my babysitter? And then when I asked you, you told me you had known all along that Shikamaru's purpose was simply to watch my back! And then you told me that you often accompanied me on missions for the same reason! As if I'm incapable of taking care of myself!" he shouted indignantly

Sasuke gave him a flat look. "Shikamaru was assigned to go with you because you needed his intelligence on this mission. Don't be an idiot. Hokage-sama knows you're capable of taking care of yourself."

Naruto snorted. "At least here I can do things without the fear of someone watching me from behind the bushes. I can go on my own missions. No one cares if I die—er, wait," he shook his head at Sasuke's dark glare. "That's not what I meant."

"You meant," Sasuke said impatiently, "that here, we understand your capabilities and won't underestimate you."

Naruto nodded and smiled appreciatively. "Exactly. So, how about the other me? How's he been acting since we switched earlier?"

Sasuke shrugged. "Like I said before, full of questions. Unfortunately, the Hokage has insisted I keep him company so I haven't been able to get rid of him. He's so demanding and clingy; it's aggravating."

Naruto looked mildly insulted, considering Sasuke was technically insulting him as well. He also clearly remembered the other Sasuke calling his other self clingy as well. "What do you mean clingy?"

"Well, considering he isn't as well adjusted to being as alone as you normally are, he never lets me out of his sight."

Naruto snickered at Sasuke's disgruntled look. "And since you've hardly been the attentive boyfriend, is he still trying to jump you or has he moved onto new pursuits?"

Sasuke frowned a bit. "Moved onto new pursuits?"

"Yeah, like Neji or Gaara," Naruto said offhandedly. Something akin to hatred flashed across Sasuke's face. "What, don't tell me you're still sore about not getting the chance to kick Gaara's butt."

Sasuke lifted his chin haughtily. "I could care less about Gaara."

"Alright, fine, then how about Neji? He's pretty enough," Naruto said with a snicker. He remembered that thoughtless kiss they'd shared years ago and wondered if he would ever tell Sasuke. It was a testament to their friendship that he and Neji had been able to move past that embarrassing moment.

Sasuke eyed Naruto briefly. "I notice that you haven't mentioned Sakura, Ino--or any of the other girls in the village. Just the boys." He smirked at Naruto. "Something you're not telling me?"

Naruto flushed. "Well, I figured since the other me was hanging all over you, he wouldn't be interested in the girls."

"If he isn't interested in girls, does that mean you aren't either?" Sasuke asked lightly.

"I... none of the girls in this village at least," Naruto said. "And as you well know, my crush on Sakura went sour years ago." He turned to look at Sasuke's pale profile in the dim streetlights. "If the other you is interested in me and guys, doesn't that mean you are, too?" he asked in return. "I mean... not me, but.... other guys? You stare at Neji's ass or something?" He smirked.

Sasuke gave him an exasperated look. "Why are you asking? Do you stare at Neji's ass?"

Naruto managed to keep a straight face. "Of course not."

"Right. And if the other you is, as you put it, interested in guys, doesn't that mean you are too?" Sasuke retorted.

Naruto bristled. "What do you care what my preferences are?" He turned his face away. "I have enough against me as it is without giving the villagers more reason to hate me," he said.

Sasuke shook his head. "No one cares about your love life, Naruto."

"And I'd like to keep it that way, thanks," he said. He glared at Sasuke's calm veneer for a few moments before adding, "You know, Sasuke, you haven't exactly shown much interest in the girls here either."

Sasuke sniffed disdainfully. "As if I have time for something as mundane as romance."

Naruto blinked incredulously. "Mundane? How is romance mundane? Personally, I sort of like the idea of feeling that kind of affection for someone, and having it returned."

Sasuke didn't reply, his dark gaze staring ahead. Naruto continued watching him as they turned down the street to Sasuke's apartment. He remembered the last time he'd switched, earlier that day, and almost felt the ghostlike touch of Sasuke's fingers brushing his cheek again. He wished he hadn't stepped back and broken the contact. He wondered...would Sasuke let Naruto touch him like that?

He bit his lip. Sasuke's touch... it wasn't just a fluke. I have to prove it to myself. And if he beats the crap out of me for it later, I'll at least have my answer. Tentatively, he reached out, his fingertips brushing over Sasuke's shoulder.

Sasuke's steps faltered and then came to a full stop. He turned to look at Naruto, his expression curious. "Naruto?" he asked softly.

Naruto felt the warmth rushing to his cheeks but forced himself to meet Sasuke's gaze. "I'm just...returning your gesture from earlier," he said, wincing at how idiotic he sounded.

"I thought for a moment that you had switched back," Sasuke said, his voice quiet in the still night.

"What if I had?" Naruto asked, his heartbeat picking up speed.

"Then I'd probably be punching you about now." Sasuke swallowed audibly and Naruto made a mental note to tease him about it later when they were both acting more like themselves again.

"Why aren't you anyway?" Naruto forced his hand to remain steady as he took a step forward, bringing them closer, his fingers skimming up Sasuke's neck to trail along a firm jaw.

Naruto waited with bated breath as Sasuke's dark eyes peered into his own, as if searching for answers long denied. He gently cupped Sasuke's cheek and waited, wondering if he should just close the distance and kiss the man, hoping he wasn't misreading the signs.

"Should I?" Sasuke asked, something guarded suddenly flickering over his face. The last thing Naruto wanted right now was for Sasuke's doubts to win.

Sasuke's breath warmed his cheek, they were so close. His forefinger caught on Sasuke's lower lip, tugging just a breath, enough for his lips to fall open. He closed his eyes. Any second now they could switch again and this moment would be lost. Decision made, he leaned forward and pressed his mouth to Sasuke's.