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

Chapter 15

Naruto awoke that morning determined to spend as much time as he could with his father--he only had a few more hours and the degree to which it hurt was something he kept carefully hidden so his father wouldn't worry.

He watched as his father moved around him, so confident and strong, and it shook him that this man was nothing more than memory in his world. He wondered if, once things were fixed, he would retain the memories of the other Naruto, memories filled with his father.

Naruto refused to dwell on it. Like he'd thought before, there was probably even another reality where the Uchiha clan was still alive. It was the same soul, but countless different circumstances.

"So you think I did well?" Naruto asked eagerly, referring to their practice the morning before.

They were having a casual breakfast in the living room, Naruto and his father taking up the majority of the couch while Sasuke, having just returned from an early morning practice (during which he'd practiced the jutsu he'd have to perform at noon), lounged in an adjacent armchair. The Yondaime settled his chopsticks on top of his plate and grinned at his son.

"I was very impressed, Naruto. The fact that you even managed to move at all was amazing. Of course," he said with a wink, "it does help that you've got Kyuubi's chakra, but the willpower was all your own."

Naruto frowned at the reminder that it was Kyuubi's chakra that fueled most of it, and he asked what he'd been wondering for a long time. "So if I didn't have Kyuubi's chakra, I wouldn't be strong?"

The Yondaime looked momentarily startled by the question before seriously contemplating it. "It's not that you wouldn't be strong, Naruto. You've just spent the majority of your ninja training learning to access and harness Kyuubi's chakra, while sort of neglecting your own. Without Kyuubi's chakra, you would have been left to learn how to push only your own chakra to its limits and I have little doubt you would have done just as well."

"Yeah, but I sucked at the beginning," he pointed out, setting aside his bowl. "I mean. I could do kage bunshin, but I couldn't even pull off a regular bunshin."

"You learned mass kage bunshin in one evening, Naruto, on your own. Without Kyuubi's chakra. With that kind of determination paired with proper training, you would still have been an excellent ninja," his father insisted.

Naruto blinked at that. He'd forgotten that he hadn't been using Kyuubi's chakra at that point yet. He scratched his head in thought. "Ero-sennin said that it was because I had so much I couldn't control it. I just thought he was referring to Kyuubi's and not my own. He said that because there was so much there, I couldn't distill it for the little stuff."

"Well, you've learned though, right? And you've had two sets of chakra to sort out. If you only had your own, you'd be even better than you are now at controlling how you use it. Naruto, I won't lie and say that you'd be just as powerful. Frankly, Kyuubi's chakra gives you an advantage few could overcome; but even so, you'd still make a formidable ninja without it."

Naruto looked pleased at that, eyes brightening at the compliment. "Well, I'm your son, right?" he asked with a grin. "It'd sure suck if I didn't have some of your talent."

Sasuke snorted discretely into his bowl. Naruto decided to ignore him; his father had his attention right now, thank you very much.

"We could get into a debate again over what exactly you inherited from me," his father began with a chuckle.

"Let's not," Naruto muttered, not quite hiding his smile, as he dug into his breakfast.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Scared to admit you might not have inherited brains along with the features?" He smirked at Naruto's annoyed look. "You're not very quick on the uptake."

"Well, you must have inherited some egotistical gene because you always seem to think you're so clever," Naruto snapped irritably. To be honest, he had only ever met two Uchihas (the last surviving Uchihas, to be exact) but Itachi had also seemed exceedingly arrogant.

Sasuke wasn't offended however. After all, he really was rather clever sometimes. Naruto gave him a disgusted look, obviously realizing what the man was thinking.

Naruto groaned and rubbed a hand over his eyes. "And just as overbearing and too damned sure of himself," he snapped. "It's nice to use that thing called 'modesty' every once in a while."

"Right, because you're so modest yourself," Sasuke quipped.

Naruto bristled. While it was true that he was sometimes overly enthusiastic about his own abilities, Sasuke's silent arrogance was far more overbearing at times—at least according to Naruto.

He poked at the remainder of his food and let his thoughts drift over what had happened over the past few days.

"Sasuke, did you ever want to shout out loud, so that people noticed you? Even if they turned to you to tell you to be quiet, would you be happy because they spoke to you?" He still didn't look at Sasuke, but kept his eyes trained on his bowl.

"No," Sasuke said without pause. "When people talked to me, they tended to ask questions I didn't want to answer. So people stopped talking to me. And I don't particularly care. Saves me from having to carry on pointless conversations with people I don't care to talk to."

Naruto made an effort of trying to divide his childhood memories into two parts--one overrun with images of his father and the other of an empty apartment cluttered with scrolls and weapons because no one had ever scolded him about picking up after himself. "That's awfully lonely," he said quietly.

Sasuke shot Naruto a brief look of surprise, eyes narrowing slightly. "Why do you ask, Naruto?"

"I don't know, just trying to get into your head, I guess," he said, grinning brightly as if the past minute had not occurred. "Surprisingly more difficult than getting into your pants."

He snickered at the venomous look Sasuke gave him. Naruto chortled even louder, encouraged when he caught his father hiding a smile behind his cup.

"What?!" Naruto demanded, eyes bright with private amusement. "A few years ago, either idea would have been equally impossible to entertain, but I rather like the idea of knowing you more than getting into your pants."

Sasuke's eyes grew wary, wondering what Naruto was getting at. He glanced at the Yondaime, who gave him a neutral smile, enjoying the exchange between the boys.

"Unlike you, I'm not always thinking about sex," Naruto said flippantly, grinning when Sasuke's wariness changed to offense. Before Sasuke could retort, he turned back to his father. "What were you planning to do until noon? I noticed you didn't rush off this morning to the office like usual." He kept his tone light although the Yondaime knew what he was really getting at.

"I thought we'd spend the morning together," he said.

Naruto's eyes brightened and he sat up straighter, but tried not to seem too eager over the news. "Really?" he asked. "The whole morning?"

Sasuke cut in, lips curling upward with amusement. "If he tries to eat your cooking again, he'll need the whole morning to recover."

"Astounding as your wit is, seeing as I didn't cook this morning, your concern for him is misplaced," Naruto said, head tilted as he looked down his nose in an imperious manner that Sasuke sometimes affected.

Sasuke smirked and gave him a look that said, 'you think you've won but just wait.'

"What did you boys want to do?" the Yondaime asked, interrupting their staring contest.

Naruto blinked and looked a little confused. He wasn't sure what families really did together, how they interacted or whatever. And he was trying his hardest to ignore misplaced memories and concentrated instead on what he recalled other families doing.

"I don't know," Naruto finally admitted. "Um... what sort of stuff can we do?"

The Yondaime looked thoughtful. "Well, I guess we could take a look around the marketplace." He laughed when Naruto wrinkled his nose in distaste. "Well we haven't really been out together, just as father and son, for a long time."

When his father put it that way, it really didn't sound so bad, Naruto thought.

"Shall I leave you two alone, then?" Sasuke asked dryly, already getting up. "I should practice that jutsu more anyways, and you can spend some time alone with your father, Naruto."

Oddly enough, Naruto almost reached out to grasp Sasuke's sleeve to keep him from leaving. Sasuke would still be there when things were fixed; he wasn't going to fade back into history like his father would.

Naruto stood and lifted his hand, fingers brushing Sasuke's cheek. Arguing or exchanging banter with the man seemed incredibly trivial right then. "I want... " Naruto smiled, a little sadly, as all his memories with this Sasuke, although they weren't his own, reeled through his head. "I want to say good-bye properly later."

Sasuke smirked and arched an eyebrow. "Really?" he asked, gaze running down the length of Naruto's body.

Naruto felt his cheeks burn. "Not like that, geez." He shoved at Sasuke, ignoring his father's not so discreet coughing. "I meant, I know that we'll see each other or whatever, but... you... I..." Naruto felt his cheeks darken further. "You're different from the Sasuke I know and deserve something more than a simple 'see ya later' or what have you."

Sasuke's smirk faded into a blank expression. "I know what you meant, Naruto. I'll meet you two at the Hokage tower at 11:30. You can have a whole half hour to say good-bye to me."

Naruto briefly wondered if that would be enough time. He looked to his father who was sitting patiently, sipping his morning coffee. It had to be enough, he decided, because any time lost with his father was time he'd regret later.

He promised he'd hurt Sasuke later if he made fun of him now, and lifted a hand to brush across Sasuke's cheek before cupping it in his hand. "I will miss you," he said softly. "I really got to like you, you know?" He gave an embarrassed laugh, but didn't look away. "Don't think I'm all sappy or sentimental or whatever, but I really will miss you, Sasuke."

"Ready to go?" his father asked cheerfully, standing and making a show of putting away the dishes to give Naruto time enough to rein in his emotions.

"Yep," Naruto said, grinning again. He felt the brush of a hand against his own and turned back again to find Sasuke standing close.

"I'll see you later," he said.

Naruto had a small smile on his face as he left the house with his father, but he couldn't help the unconscious tension his body took on when they moved further down the street and he felt all eyes on him.

Probably just my father, he reassured himself. Can't let anything ruin this moment.

"So, ramen first?" he asked with a knowing smile. So what if they had just had breakfast? There was always more room for ramen.

"You got it," his father said and they veered their way through the streets toward the ramen stand.

Naruto looked over at the Yondaime, smiling at how his father still stood almost a head taller than him. Naruto figured he still had a couple growing years left and, while he was currently at an admirable height, if he was lucky, he'd be as tall as the Yondaime.

His father turned his head and caught Naruto's eye. "What is it?" he asked, smiling.

"Just thinking how nice it'll be to be taller than Sasuke," Naruto said with a grin. "Like as tall as you." He tugged at the ends of his hair and smirked. "I already know I take after your good looks, why not throw in the whole package?" His eyes brightened with amusement.

"You want to lord your height and good looks over Sasuke?" His father shook his head. "Now, Naruto, it isn't fair to flaunt everything." His look said otherwise and it was obvious he was repressing a grin.

Naruto's identical grin set them both into laughing fits. He was no longer aware of the looks any of the villagers gave them, even the fond ones from those who found the pair endearing. Naruto felt a warmth in his chest when the Yondaime threw a fatherly arm around his shoulders and ruffled his hair affectionately.

"I've been thinking," Naruto said, "of growing out my hair. What do you think?"

His father considered that for a moment as they settled next to each other on the stools at Ichiraku. "I think it would suit you," he said seriously. "I've asked before, but why do you always keep it so short?"

Naruto shrugged. "You've never asked me actually," he said with a crooked smile. "I keep it short so it doesn't get in the way. But you do just fine with how long your hair is so," he shrugged again, as if that were enough to justify his wanting to change his look.

"You said you didn't want other people thinking you were trying to be me," his father said with a raised eyebrow.

Naruto grinned. "Aw, but what's wrong with that?" he protested jokingly. "You're my dad, after all; I would think that it'd be a kind of compliment." His voice turned more serious. "And now that I know, I think I'd want that. I mean, I thought about it before and tried it once." At his father's confused look, he explained. "A henge, you know? Just to see what I looked like with longer hair and I saw how much I looked like you. I never told anyone."

"Mmm," his father said noncommittally. "And now you aren't afraid of what anyone else might say about your resemblance to me?"

"I have nothing to be ashamed of," Naruto said.

He let the Yondaime order for them and propped his chin in his palm, letting his father's image replace Iruka's in his memories of childhood trips to Ichiraku.

"It was never really shame," he continued. "Just--" his eyes were slightly pained "--you know that people were still hurting over the Kyuubi attack." An ironic twist to his mouth showed the vast understatement to that little fact. "They saw me as the Kyuubi when I was younger, and when I got older, I think they saw me as the monster that..." He didn't want to actually say 'the monster that killed you.'

"They placed you responsible for my death," the Yondaime said shrewdly.

Naruto, unable to lie to those sharp blue eyes, nodded. He accepted the bowl set before him with a grateful smile and snapped his chopsticks apart, prepared to dig in, but not before saying, "I think I like looking like you."

His father smirked. "Of course you would," he stated. "Who wouldn't want to look like me?"

Naruto snorted around a mouthful of ramen. "Glad to see I didn't get my modesty from you," he said with a snicker, completely avoiding the issue of the blame. "But yeah. I guess it'd be sort of a way of... honoring you? Respecting you?" He shrugged. "Keeping you with me?" he added softly.

"I think those are perfectly reasonable excuses to grow out your hair," his father said, his large hand resting warmly against Naruto's shoulder. "I grew mine because I thought it was rather flattering."

Naruto laughed, choking down his mouthful of ramen. "You are," he gasped for air, laughing in between his wheezes, "so full of shit."

His father chuckled and clapped Naruto hard between his shoulder blades.

They ate amiably for several minutes until the Yondaime asked casually, "So how have you and your Sasuke been getting along since the switch started?"

Naruto was promptly reminded of a smooth, moist tongue plunging into his mouth. He shivered, not at all wanting to feel aroused by such memories with his father sitting beside him. "Er. We're fine."

His father smirked, leaning his chin on one hand. "Really?" he asked, one eyebrow raising and a knowing look on his face. "Just fine?"

Naruto blushed and turned back to his meal and tried to concentrate on matters that didn't involve Sasuke shoving him into a wall or other surface. "Yeah, we've had a lot of good talks."

The Yondaime nodded seriously. "Is that what you're calling it these days?"

Naruto resisted elbowing his father as that would probably be inappropriate. "I'm serious," he said, although his blush made it rather unconvincing. "We talked about things. We're...good."

His father laughed at how evasive his son was being. "Not terribly lucid this morning, are you?"

Naruto's flush deepened and he avoided looking at his father for several long moments. He spoke only when he felt collected enough to speak. "Well, the other Sasuke and I had a long talk about what we're going to do and this Sasuke and I talked about the differences and how we became close."

His father nodded. "I see. So then this switch has been good for one thing at least."

Naruto turned to the Yondaime, blinking in surprise. "One thing? As screwed up as it is, it's been the best thing that's happened to me ever." He smiled at his father, a little embarrassed by his admission.

His father's eyes softened at that and he gave a small smile. "I'm glad to hear it, Naruto, that you enjoy being here. You know, you'd always talk about becoming Hokage and doing what I did for the village, but I think hearing it from you again, in this way means a great deal more. Naruto, I really am proud of you."

Naruto blushed again, this time for an entirely different reason. "Thanks, Dad." The word slipped easily from his lips, misplaced memories of years of having called the man by that title easing the way.

The Yondaime seemed pleased at hearing this and Naruto could hardly believe how at ease he felt spending time with a father he'd only just discovered and, in a matter of hours, was about to lose again.

The thought sent a painful jab to his heart, but he reminded himself that he'd at least have memories to sustain him, the knowledge that someone cared for him and loved him, the thought of what life could have been like. It wasn't as bad anymore, but he was still going to have a nice, long talk with a few teachers of his. Kakashi wouldn't say a thing, but he could probably blackmail Ero-sennin for days.

He had a wicked mental cackle at the thought.

"What are we going to do after this?" he asked eagerly, already slurping up the last of his noodles.

"I thought we could wander the marketplace for a bit. Maybe we'll find something interesting for the house. You can pick it out and we'll always have it as a reminder of your time here."

Naruto gave a smile at that. "Hehe. I'll never be out of your minds!" he said gleefully. "It's a shame I can't visit or bring pictures back with me or something." He made a face at that. "Or can I?" He looked thoughtful at that. I'd give up my dream to become Hokage to have a picture with my father and me in it.

The Yondaime gave him a sad little smile. "Seeing as the transition occurs on a spiritual plane rather than a shift of your physical body, I don't think that's possible."

Naruto shrugged, pretending that the disappointment wasn't as acute as it felt. "Well, it was just a thought," he said with a lopsided grin. "You better believe I'm snagging a picture of you, even if I have to raid Kakashi-sensei's house to do it." He grinned and rested his hands behind his head, eyes crinkling up with amusement.

His father snorted. "And I'd love to see what my student would do to you when he catches you rifling through his drawers."

"Who says I won't go into them without his knowledge? It would serve him right if I did it behind his back though." He bit his lip, remembering his brief conversation with Kakashi the night before as he'd walked to his apartment. As much as rational thought told him that it wasn't Kakashi's fault he'd kept it a secret, that didn't keep Naruto from being royally pissed anyway.

His father raised an eyebrow at the vehement statement. "I take it that this has something to do with your last 'trip' back?" he asked mildly. "You asked a few questions of my stubborn student, didn't you?"

At Naruto's hesitant nod, his father sighed.

"I can't say anything for certain on Kakashi's feelings, but I've known him since he was very young. He lost his father early on," here an ironic smile. "And was very closed off, but very honorable. If he didn't tell you anything, Naruto, it was with good reason."

Naruto knew this, of course, but he still felt he was entitled to feeling a little bitter at being kept in the dark for so long. He also resolved to pay proper homage to the stone monument once his recently upturned life straightened itself out. Maybe he would even join Kakashi on his silent visits. His father wouldn't want him mourning for him, but wasn't that what he would have to do? He wasn't coming back after Sasuke performed the jutsu.

Naruto made a face as he finished the ramen and ran a hand through his hair. "Well, yeah, I guess so," he allowed. "But that doesn't mean I still can't wonder." Determined to put such melancholy thoughts behind him. He simply couldn't think of his father as dead. He forced a smile on his face. "So what next?"

"Market place, come on." Naruto stood and followed his father down the street. Just around the corner, the market was bustling. He stayed close to his father's side, not at all embarrassed at wanting to stay in close proximity to him. Besides, there was little else for him to do, as the villagers pressed in all around him as they scurried about their morning shopping.

He had to fight off a sudden blush as he recalled what happened the last time he was in the crowded market place, and hoped that no one else nearby had been there at the time and would remember him straddling Sasuke in public.

"So what do you do here?" he asked with a faint grin. "I, uh... don't really go shopping much and all."

"Oh, we'll just have a look around. Let me know if anything catches your eye."

Naruto bit his lip as they stopped at a shop that sold what looked like random trinkets. Naruto sighed and let the Yondaime look around as he loitered by the exit. He immediately straightened when he saw a man selling ice cream and novelties a few shops away. He bit his lip. It had always been a silly thing, wanting to share a popsicle with one's father, but that one time Naruto had seen it on his journey with Jiraiya, it had never failed to strike him as a reassurance that there was someone there to share it with you.

He rubbed the back of his neck in slight embarrassment. "Uh, it's awfully hot out, isn't it?" he asked casually. "There's someone over there that's selling ice cream. We could, um, share one." he said brightly, as if it was all the fault of the weather that inspired him to get ice cream.

The Yondaime gave his son a curious look before grinning and saying, "Sounds good. Lead the way."

They left the shop and Naruto couldn't help the bounce in his step as he let his father buy twin cherry popsicles from the vendor. He felt ridiculously childish and insanely pleased at the same time when his father snapped the pops apart and handed one to him.

"Thanks," he said, averting his face.

His father smiled gently and slowly ate the treat. "Tastes better when you're not eating the whole thing by yourself, hmm?" he asked. "Or at least, I always thought so. Of course, it's been a while since you shared one with me." He gave Naruto an amused glance.

Naruto, if he allowed himself to search the layers of memories still popping into his head at odd times, could vaguely recall doing this as a child with his father. But, naturally, this one, his own, he would always treasure.

"So, uh," Naruto said, as they continued. "Where to now?"

"Let's look here," his father said, taking a final bite of his pop. He gestured to a store in front of which a table was set where an old couple sat playing shogi.

"Ehehe. I was never very good at that game." He watched with interest though, vaguely surprised when they looked up from their game to smile at him and his father.

"Yondaime-sama, Naruto-kun." The elder man smiled widely at the two of them. "You two are looking more alike than ever."

Naruto flushed, pleased with the compliment.

"Kakegawa-san." His father inclined his head to them as they did likewise.

"Were you looking for something in particular, Hokage-sama?" the old woman asked, slowly pushing herself to her feet to assist them.

"Oh no, return to your game. My son and I are just browsing." The Yondaime helped her back into her chair and led Naruto into the shop.

Naruto grinned, not able to keep the pleased expression from his face. "Other people notice we look alike, too?" he asked. His father nodded, eyes bright with amusement.

"Oh, yes. There was this one elderly couple that got confused between the two of us. She called me by your name and called you 'Hokage-sama.' You preened the entire day."

Naruto gave his father a dubious look even though he knew he had done just that. He wandered past a table covered in colorful shawls just as the old man shuffled into the shop. He gave Naruto a toothy grin (minus some of the teeth) as he disappeared into the back.

Naruto arched an eyebrow, amused. He felt his father's hand on his shoulder and smiled, turning to the Yondaime.

"Ready to go?" he asked.

"Just a moment, Hokage-sama," the old man said, reemerging with what appeared to be a camera in his hand. "Would you do the honor of letting me take a picture of both father and son together? Give you copies and everything."

Naruto felt his heart constrict suddenly, and he knew the perfect gift to leave behind. "This is what I'd like, Dad," he said, giving the old man a broad smile.

The Yondaime put his arm around Naruto and drew him up against his side. "I think I like this too, Naruto," he said, his smile just as bright as his son's. "Thank you, Kakegawa-san."

The old man waved it off with an excited grin and lifted the camera to look through the lens.

Naruto leaned forward, his father's arm a comfortable weight over his shoulders. He knew that he couldn't take this home with him, but he could leave this reminder that he had been here, so that, years from now, at least one half of the 'family' would have proof that it had all happened.

Father and son made identical smiles as the camera flashed. Naruto immediately jumped forward, practically bouncing as the picture slid out from the camera. He grinned at his father as they waited for the image to appear.

"Ah, a lovely picture," the old man said, handing it to Naruto. Naruto beamed down at the image of him and his father.

"Wow," he murmured. Looking at himself standing beside the Yondaime, he saw for the first time what others saw looking at them.

We really do look alike. It was hard to look at a picture or just himself in the mirror and make the comparison, but seeing them standing side by side like that. He turned to the old man and his smile was more sincere than it had been in a long time.

"Thank you," he said, eyes bright. "This is the best thing... I--" He blushed and rubbed the back of his head. "Thanks."

"You two ought to take more pictures together if you're so pleased with it," the old man said, chuckling.

Naruto handed the picture to the Yondaime. The older man smiled tenderly down at the image.

"It's curious," he said quietly.

"What is?" Naruto asked, looking from his father's gentle expression to the picture.

"That even in this picture, if I look closely, I can tell it's not the other you."

Naruto tilted his head, eyes squinting. "How can you tell?" he asked, after they moved a little away from the old man. "I mean, I know what I look like and the last picture I took was probably when I got my jounin license, but--" He smiled. "Do we really look so different, even in a picture?"

His father nodded carefully. "Nothing so obvious, but there is something there." He smiled down at the photo. It was in the way Naruto carried himself, the slant of his shoulders, the look in his eyes; tiny, insignificant things that revealed everything Naruto thought to hide, or didn't even realize was there.

Naruto grinned. "Then you really will have something special to remember me by."

The Yondaime pulled Naruto into a one armed hug as he pocketed the picture. "You do know I would have remembered you anyway, right?" he asked. They bid the old man good-bye, thanking him profusely again for the picture, and left the shop, Naruto still tucked under his father's arm.

"I should hope so," Naruto said sarcastically. They chuckled softly as they wandered through the marketplace.

His father looked up at the sun and winced. Naruto followed his gaze, and his expression faltered for a moment.

"I...I guess it's time," he said.

He knew he should be grateful that everything would go back to normal, that his father would have the son he knew back and that the Naruto who grew up with this father would have his family back. But it still hurt and part of him didn't want to let go--ever.

"I almost wish we didn't have to do this," Naruto murmured as they left the busy marketplace and turned down one of the many streets that lead to the Hokage tower.

His father squeezed his shoulders affectionately, but didn't reply. Naruto didn't mind. He knew the Yondaime was torn between the son he had always known and the son he'd only just discovered, and the paradox that they were one and the same.

This would be the last time he entered the tower with his father as the Hokage and Naruto abruptly shoved that fact out of his mind, especially when he was faced with Sasuke on the tower's grounds.

"Keep that picture close," Naruto said softly, bangs shadowing his eyes.

"I will, Naruto."

He felt the deep timbre of his father's voice, slightly strained, vibrate against his own chest as his father pulled him close for a hug. Naruto clung to him as they made their way up to his father's office.

They made the short trip in silence, the atmosphere thick with the grim awareness of what they were about to do. They all knew, of course, that fixing things was what was necessary and what they would have ultimately had to do even if they had been given more time, but that didn't make it any easier.

Naruto knew that he couldn't be selfish any longer, and he finally pulled away from his father to give the 'proper good-bye' he'd promised Sasuke. Even though neither of them was going to lose anybody, even if they were both going to get back who they'd lost originally, Naruto knew that a part of him would still miss this Sasuke.

It was this Sasuke, after all, who had shown him the possibilities of what he might have with his Sasuke, as well as showing him other things they would eventually be doing, if Naruto had anything to say about it. He supposed he'd have to tell his Sasuke about all the things he'd done with this Sasuke, but not until he had to.

His father shut the door behind them and Naruto approached Sasuke, his hands sifting through dark bangs before coming to rest on a pale cheek.

"I told you that I'd be back," Naruto said with a faint grin. Tanned fingers stroked Sasuke's cheek absently. "I wanted to give you a good-bye from me."

Sasuke nodded, dark eyes serious. He allowed his hands to rest loosely against Naruto's hips, gently drawing Naruto closer. Naruto swallowed and, ignoring the fact that his father was only a few feet away, leaned in and pressed his mouth to Sasuke's. He sighed as Sasuke's warm breath heated his lips. His other hand slid into Sasuke's hair before cupping the back of his head.

For either him or Sasuke, it wasn't going to be the same, and having a glimpse of what his love could have turned out to be, to know and understand—

In this Naruto, Sasuke saw someone who understood the pain and loneliness of never having had anyone and when the other Naruto returned, Sasuke would be able to still keep a little of that. With this Sasuke, Naruto knew what it was like to be loved and to be touched with love, to have someone desire him in that way. And to show him that it was possible when he went back home.

Naruto slid his mouth from Sasuke's and pulled Sasuke close, gripping him tightly in his embrace. He pressed his face into Sasuke's neck, kissing the skin there. He felt Sasuke do the same.

Then he strengthened himself and pushed away, his hands falling from Sasuke's body. He nodded once, firmly.

Sasuke took a few steps back to give Naruto room. Naruto turned to his father, saw the man's tender gaze, and couldn't help rushing into his father's arms for a last hug. He felt the tears prick the corners of his eyes and he took a shuddering breath.

"I'll miss you," he said softly. "And I promise that I won't forget you. I'll hound everyone for information about you, especially Ero-sennin and the problem child you must have been." He felt the laughter from his father and he gave a tremulous smile as he pulled away. "I guess this is it."

The Yondaime nodded, letting bare the emotions he had to, as the Hokage, keep in check. He gave Naruto's hair one last affectionate ruffle and stepped back, far enough so he wouldn't interfere with the jutsu.

Naruto stiffened his back and faced Sasuke, nodding to let Sasuke know he was ready. He let his gaze fall on his father, afraid to blink in case he missed even a second of his last chance to look into his father's face.

"Are you certain you're ready?" Sasuke asked. Naruto gave an impatient nod.

"Yes. Just.. just do it now, Sasuke. Before I change my mind." His faint smile said that he wouldn't, but some part of him wondered.

Sasuke nodded and his hands formed the deliberate seals. Naruto kept his eyes on his father, even when he half heard the words of the jutsu. He felt his eyes water, both from his refusal to blink and from the realization that his father was fading. He had the insane urge to run to him and cling to his flickering visage.

But a moment later, he felt a sharp twist in his gut as the Kyuubi lashed out against the jutsu and his world went black.