A/N: Late? Yes, I know. I had a concert last night and wasn't able to work on the story at all, let alone post it.

And yes, I am aware that this chapter is readily short. Day Four, Seven, and Eight will all be fairly short too, as the only things that take place on those days is traveling back and forth from the Snow Country.

Anywayz, I tried my hand at a kind of limey joke, at the end. It makes it easier to start the next chapter that way.

Ja

Day Three--

"Mission? But aren't we on Christmas leave?" Sasuke shook his head.

"No, Tsunade said that we're the only two who didn't ask for vacation." Naruto cursed under his breath.

"What kinda mission?"

"Find and retrieve."

"So that's why she needs both of us."

"Yeah. So get ready. We're leaving in an hour." Sasuke eyed the shirt on the floor, before departing, leaving a very flushed Naruto sitting on the floor.

"AUUUGGGHHHHHHHH!" He screamed. "He's gonna tease me about this the whole mission, I just know it!"

How was he going to last with Sasuke on this mission?

------------

Bags packed, weapons set, and rations obtained, Naruto stood at the Konoha gates.

"Hn... Ready to go?" Sasuke asked from his perch at the top of the wall. Naruto nodded.

"Yeah. Let's go."

A quick jump, and they were off.

"So where are we going?" Naruto asked, realizing that he knew absolutely nothing about this mission.

"Ice country." The kyuubi almost missed a branch at those words.

"WHAT!" He screamed, flabbergasted.

"Keep your voice down." Sasuke hissed.

"It's freakkin' cold there!"

"Hn." Naruto let out a whiny groan. This would be hell.

"We're supposed to retrieve a forbidden scroll that the Yukikage is going to lend Tsunade-sama. One of us will carry the scroll, and the other will defend it."

"Alright! I get to kick some butt!" He grinned.

"Actually, you'll be carrying the scroll."

"What! Why!"

"Because you can use the Kagebunshin to lose the enemy." Naruto went silent with a small grumble.

Damn cocky bastard... always has to be right...

Several hours passed away in silence, and Sasuke was starting to get a little worried. Usually, Naruto wouldn't shut up no matter how many times you told him to, but recently he had been curiously quiet.

It unnerved him to see the boy quiet. As much as he didn't want to admit it, it was Naruto's constant bantering that kept him calm on these missions together. He could all ready feel his heart rate speed up.

Damnit, Naruto! Why won't you talk to me? Sasuke thought, as if this telepathic message would actually reach him.

A few more minutes passed, and Sasuke was groaning inwardly.

If he doesn't start talking soon, I'm going to--

"Sasuke...?"

Finally!

"Hn?" There was another pause, and Sasuke could feel his temple throbbing in irritation.

"Do you..." Naruto's face went downcast.

"Do I what?" The Uzumaki shook his head at his original question, and asked a different, more expected one instead.

"How far is it to the Snow Country?"

"You've been there before, dobe. You know how far it is." The older nin raised an eyebrow to his companion, but he only shrugged.

"I forgot." Sasuke sighed in mock-annoyance. Inside, he was glad for something to break the silence that threatened to smother him.

"It should only take us four days, round trip."

"Ah... right." Sasuke bit his tongue, knowing that Naruto wasn't going to speak again for a while. He really didn't want to, but the sudden change in Naruto's attitude was bothering him so much, that he was seriously considering starting a conversation -- something he hadn't done in a very long time.

"What's with you?" Bright blue eyes stared up at him.

"Huh?"

"You're quiet." Naruto's expression was comical, with wide eyes, and a huge blush that rivaled Hinata's.

"Hehhhh!"

"You haven't spoken in over seven hours." An open jaw was thrown into the facial mix.

"It's been that long!" He nodded. "Wow."

"What were you doing?"

"Thinking." Sasuke almost lost his footing. Now he knew that there was something wrong.

"About?"

"Stuff."

"That doesn't help."

"It's not supposed to."

"Well I can't help you if you don't tell me anything." Sasuke immediately regretted the words as soon as they came out of his mouth. Naruto's big, marble eyes gaped at his rival.

"I didn't know you cared... about that." Mentally, Sasuke was smashing his head repeatedly into a large brick wall.

"I don't." A teasing grin spread itself over Naruto's visage.

"You sounded like you did."

"Whatever, dobe."

"TEME! Don't call me that!" And the chase was on.

Sasuke was in the lead, the need to keep his smile hidden from his rival was driving him to keep moving forward quickly, but not too fast or the dobe would get lost.

"DAMNIT SASUKE!" A taunt flew harmlessly through the air, and the Uchiha was glad for the noise.

------------

It was only when the sun had set several hours afterwards that Sasuke stopped and Naruto followed suit, both tired from traveling faster then they had to.

"Teme..." Naruto wheezed.

"Dobe." Sasuke breathed so softly it was almost a whisper. All thoughts were halted as tiny white crystals floated softly from the sky.

"Waaaahh! Sasuke-teme! It's snowing!"

"We're closer than I thought." Sasuke mused.

"Snow! It's SNOWING!" The younger jounin jumped and danced around.

"So much energy..." Sasuke muttered.

"Dobe, stop jumping around like you've never seen it before." Naruto stuck his tongue out at him.

"Jerk."

"You'll be sick of it by the morning."

"Will not!"

"Hn." The banter was comfortable. Expected.

Sasuke activated his Sharingan, and, recalling a certain justu he had stolen a few years back, began forming katas at an alarming speed.

"Teme? What're you doing?" The ground split underneath Sasuke's feet, causing the ground the shake a little.

"Whooaaaa!" Naruto stared wide-eyed at the small cabin underneath Sasuke.

"Come on, dobe." He said, opening the front door and leaving it open for the other to enter. Naruto ran inside.

"Ehhh! Sasuke! When did you learn how to do Wood-jutsu!" The raven just shrugged.

"Stole it. I don't remember specifics."

"BASTARD! You could have TOLD me about this!"

"What're you--"

"THEN I WOULDN'T HAVE HAD TO BRING ALL THIS CAMPING STUFF!" Sasuke almost missed the silence.

"Slipped my mind." He busied himself with arranging firewood, lighting it with Kanton no Jutsu. Naruto tried to occupy his mind with laying out bedrolls and rations. Sasuke looked up from his work.

"Ramen?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes! Ramen!" The other smiled with a child-like joy, holding the package up like it was a holy relic.

"Weren't you going to eat more interesting things?" Naruto blushed and grumbled at the same time.

"I usually do!" He said, "But not on missions! Ramen is light and easy to make! It's perfect for-- GOMP!" His silted eyes looked down at the round object that had thrust itself into his mouth.

"Unhhh..." He moaned slightly, watching the older jounin bring the chopsticks to his mouth.

"Eat some sushi, dobe. It's better for you."

The boy swallowed with a big gulp.

Vocab -

Yukikage you-key-kah-geh Literally, 'Snow shadow'. It's the Snow country's equivelent to Konoha's Hokage (Fire Shadow).

Kagebunshin kah-geh-buu-n-sheen In the english manga, this is translated as 'Art of the Dopleganger'. It's the jutsu Naruto got from the Forbidden Scrolls in chapter one.

Kanton no jutsu Kah-n-toh-n-noh-joot-suu Fire breath. One of the Uchiha special abilities.

Kata kah-tah A hand sign used to preform Jutsu's.