So, um. It's been a while, and all that. I had a lot of trouble writing this. Like, to the point of being ridiculous. And then there's my busy life, sigh. Honestly I feel a little shocked that I finally managed to finish it up.

There's a bit of switching between worlds and POV's in this, hopefully not too confusing. If you want to know what the hell I've been up to, there's an update on that in the end notes.

As always, I'm amazed and grateful to everyone still reading this, and to all new readers. I'm sorry for being shit at updating.

Chapter 40: You move me

xxx

Menma stayed in bed, falling in and out of consciousness as someone who was supposed to be Konohamaru sat in a chair uncomfortably close to guard him. He hadn't spent much time with the kid in his own world – and at least he'd come to terms with the fact that he was now, apparently, in Naruto and the other Sasuke's version of their home. The Konohamaru in his world didn't show much of himself; he was still in school and Menma spent even less time with his underclassmen than his classmates. This one cheerfully assured him that he'll be Hokage after Naruto – before him if he can – and that Menma was very offensive when calling him a kid.

He tried not to think too hard on it.

It didn't help that his headache returned sometime during the day, possibly because Konohamaru seemed completely unable to stay silent for longer than three seconds, unless Menma fell asleep (though maybe he kept talking and Menma just didn't hear him then). The windows were covered, so he had no idea how much time had passed when Sakura came back to see him.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, and Menma gave her a small shrug.

"He's been sleeping on and off," Konohamaru dutifully supplied, "and he wouldn't tell me what Naruto and Sasuke are doing in the other world."

"Because I don't know what they're doing," Menma muttered, shifting until he was sitting up a bit against the headboard instead of having to strain his neck trying to look at them. "And I don't know what I'm doing here, either."

"Well," Sakura told him in a no-nonsense voice, "we've got a plan to get you back soon so no need to worry about it."

"Oh, great. Can't wait."

She frowned at him, but Konohamaru was the one who leaned in closer, eyes wide in surprise.

"Don't you want to go home?" he asked, and Menma wished he could lean away from him.

"Not particularly, no."

Sakura looked like she might say something before changing her mind, busying herself with the small bag she brought. Menma hoped they would leave him alone soon, and that whatever plan they had wouldn't work. Not because he was very eager to stay here, either, but it was probably better than going back.

Safer, at least.

"Anyway," Sakura said, still frowning but holding up a small bottle of medicine, "put a drop of this into a glass of water if you feel any pain, okay? But only once every two hours. Konohamaru will stay here and keep an eye on you so let him know if you need anything."

"But I have stuff to do!" Konohamaru complained, Sakura silencing him with a scary look.

She really was a lot more composed than the Sakura in his world, even though they both seemed to be medic nins.

"You know how to reach me," she told the boy, and with a small smile towards Menma she turned on her heels and left the room.

"Ugh," Konohamaru said, sinking low in his chair. "She's so bossy."

Menma didn't reply.

"But kinda pretty, right? Naruto totally likes her but she's not my type."

"Sure."

"What, you don't like her in your world? Naruto's like, toootally in love with her."

At this, Menma really had to give Konohamaru a look.

"I'm gay," he said flatly, completely unprepared for Konohamaru to gape at him like a fish.

The kid kept opening and closing his mouth in shock, and several seconds later let out a loud "WHAT?" before all but falling off his chair.

"You- you're- but that's- but Naruto loves boobs!"

"No," Menma sighed, closing his eyes and wishing he were anywhere else. "Naruto loves Sasuke. As far as I know he has a completely flat chest. Now shut up and let me sleep."

It was only as Konohamaru kept flailing and babbling incoherently, that Menma was struck with a thought. Did these people not know that those two were disgustingly happy together? Not that Menma had seen it up close that much – but rumors traveled fast and his mother had talked about it so much that he wondered if she suspected things. He'd been so certain that their lives were perfect, what with obviously being together, and Naruto on the way to becoming Hokage…

Well, it didn't matter. This world didn't matter to him, and while he wasn't eager to go home, he didn't precisely want to stay and find out what it was like here, either.

xxx

Sakura left Menma's hospital room and headed for the Hokage tower, an uneasy feeling in her stomach. Menma wasn't what she'd expected. Of course, he'd been something completely different when she and Naruto went to his world, but she'd gotten the impression that he was just a pawn in Obito's strange plan to obtain the kyuubi. The Menma in the hospital bed seemed, well, resigned. Unhappy, too. There were dark circles under his eyes, and Sakura had discovered signs of his body being worn down by lack of sleep and overworked muscles, with some hints of chakra paths that had seen a bit too much healing, the way Naruto's had looked when he kept losing control of the kyuubi. And there was just something about him that her gut feeling said wasn't right…

In the meeting room, Tsunade sat deep in thought at the end of a long table. The file Sakura had given her on Menma's condition lay opened by her elbow, her arms crossed over the table as she stared at nothing on the far end wall.

"Tsunade-sama?"

She nodded, a sharp movement towards the empty chairs at the table. The door opened again behind Sakura, Shikamaru entering and closing it quietly, face as impassive as ever.

"I've got a really bad feeling about this," Sakura sighed, slumping down on one of the rickety chairs. "But I can't help but think that as long as Naruto's fine, things will work out somehow."

"They usually do," Shikamaru agreed, but he didn't sound very happy about it.

The village seemed to have finally recovered from the war, things slowly returning to normal. There had been hope in the air, Naruto becoming Hokage inspiring a sense of change in people who had seen too many horrors. Sakura wondered where that hope had disappeared to, lately.

"Well, it's hardly the end of the world," Tsunade mumbled, straightening up. "But I'm not so sure we can trust that Menma kid. Not when Ino couldn't get into his head. If people find out we're planning to let Obito roam free…"

"Then they'll accept it if it's to find Naruto."

Sakura couldn't help but raise her voice, fingers clenching into fists. The words and Sasuke were on the tip of her tongue, unsaid. She still had conflicting feelings about him, but she wasn't going on a mission like this without being prepared to bring both of them back home.

"If all goes well, they won't know," Shikamaru sighed, leaning his chin on the palm of one hand. "And if not, we have a different kind of problem to deal with."

"More importantly, Sakura. Are you prepared for the possible consequences? Shikamaru isn't giving you very good odds."

Smiling faintly, Sakura drew in a deep breath, slowly letting it out and relaxing her shoulders. She was sure now that Menma had arrived, but there was no knowing if she would succeed, or that Obito wouldn't take the chance to escape. Or if she would return, at all. It would take a few days to prepare, but what else could she do but go?

"I've had worse odds," she said, glancing at Shikamaru. "And I'm still alive. We all know I'm the only one who can do this with Obito."

"And we all know what it will look like if you disappear, as well." Tsunade made a face, tapping a finger onto the table. "It's either our best shot or an obvious walk into a trap. I'm trusting your gut feeling on this one, Sakura."

"I'll make it," she promised, sounding surer than she felt. "I'll bring them back, no matter what. You two focus on Menma instead. If we're lucky, this will be over in the blink of an eye."

Neither of the other two replied, but Sakura could tell from their faces that they wished they could believe her. She stood up, gripping the back of her chair with one hand and wishing, for the umpteenth time, that she didn't have to be the part of team seven that kept getting left behind.

"We've had worse, haven't we?" she asked lightly, pushing away from the chair and heading for the door.

I just wish the scale didn't keep tipping from bad to nightmare scenario all the time, she thought.

xxx

It's not that Gaara was a bad person, or even a dislikeable person. He was nice, and polite, and Sasuke hated him a little.

Dinner was a tedious, outdrawn affair with speeches and waiting time between courses. It was entirely unnecessary for him to be there, except he was there for Gaara's benefit. His brother kept ignoring his glances asking for help, cruelly leaving him to fake smiles whenever Gaara tried to find a topic to hold his attention. Sasuke could barely remember what they ended up talking about.

There was a churning feeling in his stomach, growing with each forced piece of food. Even though he'd told his brother that Gaara was a reasonable person, he didn't seem bothered anymore by being pushed together at all times. He told Sasuke tidbits about his home that might have been interesting, if he wasn't too busy wondering if everyone around them were calculating the chances of a successful political marriage.

His knee kept jittering up and down, his fingers playing with whatever was closest. Too often he sent those increasingly desperate glances towards his brother, hoping uselessly that he would be allowed to leave early. With each passing second he felt his patience wither, counting down the minutes until either he or something else would snap. The chopsticks were definitely living in the danger zone.

"Have you ever seen a cactus?" Gaara asked, and Sasuke tried not to twitch noticeably. "I have a lot of them in my room. Probably because most other plants have a hard time surviving the hot weather, so we need greenhouses for that…"

"Sure," Sasuke said, gaze falling onto someone weaving between tables too quick for it to be another guest.

The woman was dressed in the standard blue uniform, jounin vest strapped tight to her chest. Her face was carefully neutral, but she wouldn't apologize or slow down. There was something vaguely familiar about her, and when she stopped by Itachi's chair and leaned in to whisper into his ear, it clicked.

Intel and communications. Specifically, delivering encrypted messages. If she came all the way to a formal dinner with the visiting Kazekage, it had to be important.

Itachi nodded and stood up, leaving his half-finished dessert without bothering to put everything together neatly. There was only a moment of hesitation before Sasuke followed suit.

"Sasuke?"

"Sorry, something came up."

He ignored Gaara's frown, as well as the small voice telling him he'd be scolded for leaving like this. But if something had happened to his father's mission… He tried to walk at an unhurried pace,

pretending to be headed for the bathrooms. As soon as he left the huge dining hall he slipped out of the nearest window, heart pounding as he considered which way Itachi could have gone. His brother was too skilled at hiding his presence, and all Sasuke could determine was that they weren't still nearby.

Considering that Tsunade hadn't risen from her seat at the dinner, and if it did have something to do with the mission… His best bet would be the Uchiha compound.

It didn't take him long to arrive at his house, and he didn't bother trying to conceal himself as he hurried down to the secret council room in their basement. There was no hiding from Itachi, so his only hope was to confront him before he had time to hide the evidence.

He could hear a faint murmur of voices, but when he touched the door to the room it was silent again. Still, he had a feeling his brother hadn't left. As quietly as he could, he eased the door open, finding Itachi with his back towards him. He was tapping impatiently at the back of a chair, and when Sasuke stepped inside he turned almost abruptly.

"You weren't supposed to leave dinner," he said, Sasuke huffing at him. "How am I supposed to explain this, hmm?"

"I don't care about the politics," Sasuke told him, taking a few steps forward.

The fact that his brother acted casual gave him some hope that he might get some information out of him. Itachi sighed, motioning towards Sasuke's usual chair, pulling out their mother's and sitting down as well. He looked weary, the dark circles under his eyes more prominent than usual.

"We'll wait for Obito," he said, and Sasuke hesitated only a moment before sinking into his seat. "It's better if I only have to say this once."

Not being told to get out while the adults talked was a new and heady feeling. He just hoped it wouldn't be as bad as last time. He spent the time waiting by staring at Itachi, who stared rather resolutely at a small scratch on the table.

"Well?" Obito asked even before he'd fully opened the door.

"Something's happened. Sit."

Obito raised his eyebrows, glancing at Sasuke. He did sit down, at the edge of his seat, arms crossed over the table. Itachi looked at each of them, and something dreadful started building in Sasuke's stomach.

"Menma has disappeared."

The pitch of dread simmered and died, only to be replaced by something more resembling crashing waves of nausea.

"What do you mean?" Obito asked, brows knitted into a deep frown. "And what about the rest of them?"

"We won't know for sure until they get back, but it seems he turned into the kyuubi and fought Sasuke. The other Sasuke, that is. And then simply disappeared."

"Like last time?" The words tumbled from Sasuke's lips before he could stop them. "If someone is controlling him-"

"We don't know," Itachi sighed, passing a weary hand over his face. "What do you think, Sasuke? Is someone controlling him? Think about it. I know you're angry, but any clue might help."

Sasuke bit his lip. He didn't want to, because the pain returned fresh every time he did, but he forced himself to think about the past weeks and Menma's behavior during them. He'd always been a bit strange, in that his mood seemed to swing back and forth a lot. Menma had never said it in so many words, but it was obvious that he didn't like himself very much, and sometimes it showed. Other times he was rude and acted superior, and now and then what Sasuke thought of as the real Menma could be glimpsed between the darker moods. He wasn't the type to talk about his feelings, and Sasuke didn't really ask.

"I think," he started cautiously, mulling the thought over in his head. "I think that if he was being controlled, he sort of knew about it. Or at least he knew something was going to happen to him."

The other two watched him, alert. If Itachi had spent time with Menma, training him, and still couldn't tell if something was controlling him, then there was at least something that Sasuke wasn't useless at.

"I just thought he said it because he was, um, because I'd told him I never wanted to see him again. But last time I saw him he said that it would be the last time, and that I could forget about him completely."

All the anger Sasuke had felt before turned into anguished regret. He should have noticed, shouldn't he? Menma's sudden lashing out, the whole thing with Sai… Maybe Menma knew shit was going down and decided that Sasuke shouldn't be part of it. It was awful to think about.

"He didn't tell you anything else?" It was Obito who asked, an unhappy look on his face. "This is why we needed you to tell us things. I knew we should have locked him up and questioned him instead."

Sasuke glared at him, but Obito didn't seem to notice.

"Either way, it was decided that we wouldn't." Itachi rose from his chair, watching Sasuke for a long moment before continuing. "Let's wait until they return. Until then, little brother, try to think of anything that could help us find him, no matter how small or insignificant it seems."

"Fine," he mumbled, a headache starting to form behind his eyes.

He would think about it – the news that Menma was gone made sure of it. Whether or not he would tell them anything was a different matter. He wasn't going to simply forget the way they'd treated him, or what they thought of Menma. How could he be sure that they wouldn't kill him on sight if they found him?

Mind filled with dark thoughts, Sasuke went to his room and curled up in bed. He felt like punching something, or maybe blow things up with a few fireballs. He knew that Menma wasn't evil, or even a

bad person. He had done some bad things, however, and not all of them had been suggested by the masked man.

Wrestling with the thought of whether or not he was angry at Menma, his family, or just angry in general, he tried to ignore the small voice that told him it was all his fault.

It took him a long, long time to fall asleep.

xxx

It was not a lot of fun to pretend to be Menma. For one, he had to be quiet, and two, he couldn't cuddle with Sasuke when they slept. Not that they slept much as they hurried back to Konoha, but it was the principle of the thing that made Naruto so annoyed. It had been his idea, but that didn't mean he had to like it.

Stop feeling so sorry for yourself, Kurama told him. It's grating on my nerves.

No one's forcing you to listen, he shot back, a permanent scowl on his face as they jumped from tree to tree on the outskirts of Konoha. It's just unfair.

What is?

Everything!

Kurama scoffed, and Naruto could sense him swishing his tails in irritation. Sometimes it was extremely irritating to never be alone with your thoughts.

It's been almost two days, and sooner or later you'll need to make some decisions. Moping about it isn't going to help.

Oh, shut up.

Hey! I'm trying to give you some good advice here. If Menma went to some different dimension we're probably in trouble.

Naruto mumbled a few curses, glancing at Sasuke. He didn't seem to be bothered at all, and only rolled his eyes if Naruto tried to plead with him.

I thought we were already in trouble.

Sure, Kurama said drily. But as far as the others know, we're the only ones who know how to move through dimensions. And Sasuke is the only one who saw him disappear. We don't know what they're thinking, so try to use your brain instead of crying like a baby.

I'm not crying like a baby!

Still, he had to admit that Kurama had a point. And it's not like they were any closer to going home, either.

Just try not to do anything stupid.

Like what?

But Kurama didn't reply. He could hear him ignore him, though, and grit his teeth as they continued their hurried pace towards Konoha. They'd pop in, Naruto would send a clone off with Itachi to the Akatsuki hide-out, and then he could finally work on convincing Sasuke that they really needed to kiss for a while.

It went pretty much as they'd planned. They came through the gate in plain sight, making sure people could hear Fugaku and the others call him Menma. They delivered a fake report at the Hokage tower, and it was decided that Itachi and Menma would go to Akatsuki for reasons that he didn't bother listening to. The problem came when they were just about ready to leave. Naruto had created a clone to look like Menma, instructed it to go with Itachi (and to try not to spend too much time with the Akatsuki members), and was just about to teleport them to his bedroom at the orphanage when one of his other clones popped out of existence.

The clone's memories dropped into his head like a puff of smoke, and he groaned out loud, making a face. Sasuke gave him a concerned look, but Naruto sighed and shook his head.

"Let's go," he said, feeling very reluctant as he grabbed Sasuke's arm.

He supposed he could have teleported them somewhere else, but Charasuke had seemed prepared to wait until they returned. Maybe Sasuke could deal with him while Naruto sort of… drifted away and hid in the kitchen.

"Where is he?" Charasuke demanded the second they arrived in the bedroom.

"Ah, Sasuke, maybe you can explain?" he suggested, inching towards the door, but Sasuke nailed him to the floor with a single glare.

"He could be anywhere," Sasuke said, continuing to glare until he was sure that Naruto wouldn't escape. "I didn't manage to get a good look through the portal."

"The portal?" Charasuke seemed to waver, arms wrapped around himself as he looked between them. "Tell me what happened."

While Sasuke described the mission, including what he called 'Naruto's dumb interference', Naruto dug through his closet for the shirt he would make Sasuke wear. He was absolutely sure that Sasuke would argue about it – especially since he'd sent a clone to Akatsuki and not himself – but if he talked fast enough and relented that it would be enough if Sasuke slept in it for one night…

"He really is gone, then," Charasuke said, his voice toneless. "I'll never see him again."

"I'm sure you'll see him again," Naruto said, contemplating the pros and cons of a t-shirt versus long sleeves. "Whoever grabbed him and hauled him off probably just wanted to keep him out of Sasuke's reach. He gets awfully strong when he's irritated."

When he turned back from the closet, he found Sasuke giving him a disappointed look.

"What?"

"You're taking this lightly," he said, glancing at the shirt in Naruto's hand and apparently deciding to ignore it.

"Well, unless we figure out how to dimension-hop after him, I don't think there's a lot we can do."

Now that he was back to being himself, all Naruto really wanted was to curl up in bed with Sasuke and not think about the outside world at all. Charasuke, on the other hand, seemed on the verge of tears.

"And what would you have done if I was the one who disappeared?" Sasuke asked, an icy note to the question.

"How would I know? It hasn't happened yet."

"You could have let me follow after him and we'd know where he went."

Naruto straightened up, face hardening.

"No, you might have known where he went, but the rest of us wouldn't. Besides, he was trying to kill you. I went through too much trouble to keep you alive to just let you jump into some unknown enemy territory."

Silent tears now streaming down his cheeks, Charasuke sat down on the bed and clenched his fists over his lap. It was obvious that he didn't like what they were saying, but Naruto pushed his feelings of sympathy aside. Sasuke was his top priority, and that hadn't changed simply because there was another one of him now.

"I told him I never want to see him again," Charasuke sniffled, and it was really disturbing to watch someone with Sasuke's face – well, a version of Sasuke, really – crying out in heartache.

"If he survives, you can apologize," Naruto told him, trying to sound comforting. "Hell knows Sasuke said a lot worse stuff to me."

To his great surprise, Sasuke went over to sit beside Charasuke, frowning as his hand twitched to reach out to him.

"This isn't about you and me, Naruto," he said, settling for an awkward hand on Charasuke's shoulder. "And it could be our fault, anyway."

"You know, Sasuke," Naruto said as the initial shock wore off, "that sounds scarily like you've started caring about other people."

Charasuke kept crying, and the look Sasuke directed at him clearly said what he thought of Naruto right then.

"Moron. I care about other people, just not anyone in our own dimension."

Naruto knew that to be a lie, but decided not to say anything. Having Sasuke admitting to something like having feelings was a huge enough step on its own. Instead he sighed, grabbed something to sleep in, and headed for the door.

"I'll just sleep on a couch," he mumbled.

Coward, Kurama accused as he headed towards the living room, but Naruto was too tired to argue with him. Something about Charasuke always rubbed him wrong, and maybe it had to do with how he displayed his emotions openly and so obviously thought of himself as weak. If Sasuke wanted to handle it, fine. Naruto didn't have the patience for people who sat around crying, and a small part of him didn't like that he had such problems with caring about Menma, either. Menma had everything, a loving family, a Sasuke who cared about him, but he was still feared and treated differently. Even in this world people treated the bijuu as something dangerous, and he wondered how much of the whole story of them losing consciousness and turning into beasts was true, and how much was justification to treat them badly.

Am I supposed to feel touched? Kurama snorted as Naruto rearranged pillows into an acceptable bed on one couch. You didn't care much for us either before you figured out the truth.

No, but everything was supposed to be the opposite here, right? Well, this part isn't the opposite, it's the same.

Between one heartbeat and the next, Naruto blinked his eyes open in front of Kurama's open cage. There was water sloshing around his ankles, and everything was clouded in some sort of yellowish haze.

"Oh, come on," he complained, but Kurama tsk'ed at him with his head supported by one giant paw.

"I hate to admit it, but you might be onto something, kid."

"Uh-huh, well I don't know about you but I want to sleep."

Kurama reached out and poked him in the stomach with a sharp claw, eyes narrowing to slits. Even if they were friends, Naruto didn't feel like testing the limits of that friendship with those claws so close to him.

"Sometimes you say things in such a stupid voice that I miss how important it might be. Now shut up and listen," Kurama growled, three of his tails swishing angrily behind him. "This world is supposed to be opposite, right?"

"I don't know, but everything seems opposite."

"Let's pretend we know it's true. So, everything and everybody is the opposite more or less. But, the prejudice against the bijuu is still there. And we were told that it was only recently that they became unable to control. So, where does that leave us?"

Naruto pouted, not bothering to answer. Obviously Kurama already knew what he wanted to say.

"I think it means that anything that is the same, is something that somebody has tampered with."

"Huh?"

Kurama rolled his eyes, sighing so deeply that Naruto felt the wind from it tear at his clothes.

"Think, boy! If this is a mirror-world or whatever, people shouldn't be afraid of me and my siblings. But they are, and it only started a while ago. Obviously someone made us go crazy. And Menma has

me inside him, but a crazy version of me, so wouldn't it be logical that whoever did something to the me inside Menma, could also do something to Menma?"

He thought about it, hard enough that his head started hurting. Sasuke would probably know, but he was busy with Charasuke.

"I guess," he said eventually, huffing a little. "But even if you're right, it doesn't help us figuring out who's behind it all."

"Does it matter?" Kurama scoffed, and then his lips spread in a terribly evil grin. "We're going to kill them anyway, aren't we?"

"This is why you have such a bad reputation," Naruto sighed.

Kurama only laughed.

xxx

Sakura wasn't making much progress with Menma. He mostly refused to answer questions, and often pretended he didn't know at all. Sometimes he grudgingly admitted something, only to backtrack and say that he was probably wrong about it.

He slept most of the time, sometimes tossing and turning, muttering under his breath. The only thing he kept insisting was that Naruto and Sasuke were in his world, and that he had no idea why. Sakura did some tests and Ino tried again to read his mind, neither with any helpful results. Menma's mind was blocked, and his body didn't give more clues than her initial examination had. Though, if she could find Naruto and Sasuke, Menma himself wasn't of much interest to her.

"I don't know how he does it," Ino complained, slumped in an armchair in Sakura's office. "There's an invisible wall somewhere and I can't find my way in."

"Maybe because he's from a different dimension," Sakura suggested, rifling through notes on her desk. "When we get Naruto back we'll let him deal with it."

"Wait." Ino sat up, narrowing her eyes at Sakura. "You're not bringing Menma back there with you?"

She shook her head, tossing a few papers in the trash. She'd gone over it with Obito, considering the effort it would take to transport them there and back home.

"It drains too much chakra. He's not in any danger here, but if it's a trap, I'd rather not have him next to me when I spring it."

"I guess…"

Ino sighed, sinking lower in the armchair again. There were dark circles under her eyes, and her hair hung almost listlessly from its usual ponytail. Everyone who knew was sleeping badly or not much at all since Menma's sudden appearance. Nothing else had happened, but they were all tense and irritable. They only had his word that Naruto and Sasuke were safe, and releasing Obito wasn't exactly something to look forward to.

"This is a gamble, you know." Ino sighed, tugging at a few strands of hair. "I thought we could finally have some peace and quiet, but Naruto just had to get pulled into something again."

"Maybe all the peace and quiet made him bored," Sakura tried to joke, but it was a feeble attempt and Ino only sighed again.

"I actually thought he'd eloped with Sasuke," she said, rolling her eyes when Sakura choked on air. "Oh, come on. You know what I meant. But I bet if he had a reason for it, Naruto wouldn't hesitate to grab Sasuke and hide him away."

Sakura cracked her knuckles ominously, glaring at nothing in particular.

"He better have a good reason for it," she muttered, making a face when there was a knock on the door.

It was Konohamaru, and he blanched a little at the sight of her.

"You're not angry at me, are you?" he asked, hesitating in the doorway.

"Depends. What do you want?"

"Just reporting. Shikamaru took over for a bit, he wants to try questioning him again when he wakes up."

"Alright."

Konohamaru turned to leave, then paused, seeming to argue with himself over something. Eventually he squared his shoulders and turned back to face her.

"Are we sure it's the right Naruto that went to his world?"

"What do you mean?" Ino asked, sharing a look with Sakura.

"I mean, if there's one more of Naruto out there, maybe there's several more of him?"

Sakura stared at him. She had a feeling that thinking about it would just give her a headache.

"I guess it's possible, but why? Did he say something?"

Again Konohamaru seemed to struggle with himself, hands seeming unable to stay still as he looked anywhere except at her or Ino.

"Well? Spit it out!"

"Yes!" Konohamaru straightened up as if saluting her, staring resolutely at the floor. "I thought he was joking at first, but then I thought about it, and it would make more sense if it was another Naruto that ended up in his world."

Sharing another look with Ino, Sakura waited for him to continue, tapping her foot on the floor.

"We were, um, talking about you, and he said he doesn't, he doesn't-" He paused, wringing his hands in front of him. "He said he doesn't like girls, and I said that's impossible because Naruto loves girls, right? But then he said no, Naruto loves Sasuke, and that doesn't make any sense. Right? So it has to be some other Naruto and Sasuke there."

Ino gaped at him, but Sakura felt something heavy sink in her chest. She tried to laugh, but even to her own ears it sounded a bit shrill.

"I'm sure he was just messing with you," she said, clearing her throat. "And either way, we'll find out soon if it's our Naruto or not."

She ignored the strange way Ino looked at her, noting the relieved sigh from Konohamaru.

"Yeah, you're right!" he said, scratching at the back of his head and grinning, eerily similar to Naruto. "There's no way Naruto wouldn't be into girls!"

She smiled just a little bit strained, and ushered him out of her office. The plan was for her and Obito to leave in the morning the day after tomorrow, and hopefully they'd be back before anyone started missing them. That gave her several hours to torment Menma into answering some relevant questions.

"Ino," she said, grabbing her gloves from where she'd tossed them on a chair. "I'll go out for a bit, and then I think I'll pay a visit to Menma. Try to get some sleep."

She had a few rocks to pound into obliteration before she trusted her temper.

xxx

It was later, and Naruto had made himself comfortable on the couch. Iruka had been by with some food, raising an eyebrow at Naruto sleeping there but not commenting. Even if Kurama was right, at least Iruka was the same in all the ways that mattered. He hoped that the Iruka of his own world wasn't too worried about him.

He'd barely managed to doze off when he heard the door to his and Sasuke's bedroom open, and felt more than heard Sasuke making his way over.

"He went home," Sasuke said, staring down at him through the dark. "No need to be an idiot and sleep out here."

"What if I want to sleep out here."

"You're a terrible liar. Come back before I change my mind."

Naruto shot up out of bed, and threw his arms around Sasuke's neck before he could escape. He'd be foolish to waste this opportunity. Sasuke inviting him to bed by himself? He couldn't help the heat blooming in his belly, or the bright smile tugging at his lips.

"Aww, did you miss me?"

"No, I just don't want to hear you complain all day tomorrow."

Ignoring that, Naruto hummed to himself as he kept one arm around Sasuke's neck and steered them both toward bed. Sasuke didn't object, but when they entered the room he firmly pushed Naruto towards the bathroom.

"Shower, idiot. You smell."

"You smell."

Sasuke started making the signs for chidori, and Naruto decided not to push his luck. He took the world's fastest shower, dutifully brushed his teeth, and even tried to work out the knots in his hair. He grinned at himself in the cracked mirror. The issue with Menma aside, things were going pretty well right now. Of course, it's not like Sasuke could have resisted such a handsome face, could he? He flexed a few times before the mirror, not having bothered to put on a shirt. He'd totally grown a bit taller the past months, hadn't he? Maybe soon he'd be taller than Sasuke.

The thought made him throw his head back and cackle out loud, and he almost choked to death when Sasuke ripped the door open.

"Do you have to be so stupid?" he said, eyeing Naruto with something like regret. "Why are you laughing to yourself?"

"I, uh, thought about being taller than you?" Naruto coughed while Sasuke glared murder at him. "What, it could happen!"

"It's like you only have two brain cells and they only work half the time."

"Hey!"

Anything else Naruto was about to say died on his lips as Sasuke grabbed his face and kissed him, as if intending to never let him breathe again. It wouldn't be a bad way to die. He snaked his arms around Sasuke's waist, angling his head so that their noses wouldn't be in the way. The way his bare chest almost but not quite pressed against Sasuke was maddening, a few teasing brushes of Sasuke's shirt, the heat of his body just out of reach. He wanted to rip Sasuke's shirt off and feel him, heart to heart.

He bunched his fists in Sasuke's shirt, making a noise somewhere deep down his throat as their tongues met. If only he could kiss Sasuke forever – just find some quiet corner of the world and hide him away from both the past and present. Sasuke kissed him with some urgency, licking into his mouth and dragging his fingers through his hair, keeping him in place and unable to do anything but kiss him back. He wanted to ask what the rush was, but Sasuke wasn't leaving him any room to talk. He turned them around, slowly forcing Naruto to walk backwards towards the bed, and it felt like every kiss was an unleashed fire technique burning through his chest.

When Naruto's knees touched the side of the bed he fell down backwards, eyes wide as Sasuke glared down at him.

"Jeez, what did I do?" he asked, voice cracking at the end.

Sasuke had taken a step forward, flicking his hand, and Naruto scurried up the bed until his back hit the wall.

"Shut up and touch me," he said, even though there was now lots of air between them.

Well, regardless, if the reward was touching Sasuke, then Naruto didn't mind shutting up for a while. He spread his arms and Sasuke stepped onto the bed, actually walking on it until he reached Naruto. Then he sat down, straddling Naruto's thighs, still staring at him intently.

"Not a single word," he warned again, and Naruto nodded eagerly.

Sasuke relaxed, not enough to slump his shoulders, but enough that Naruto could feel the tension leave him. He appeared to think for a moment, shifting his weight a little. Naruto couldn't hide his grimace, hoping Sasuke wouldn't notice the slight discomfort in his pyjama pants, blushing bright red when he glanced down and then raised an eyebrow at him.

"All this time I thought you were thinking with your muscles when you were actually thinking with your-"

Naruto slapped his hands over Sasuke's mouth, glaring at him. He tried not to think about the fact that Sasuke had noticed his muscles. He was probably just making fun of him anyway. Rolling his eyes, Sasuke pushed his hands away and placed them on the mattress, then proceeded to gaze up and down his chest, contemplating something. It had the hairs at the nape of Naruto's neck stand up in (probably) pleasure, and a small shiver made its way down his body.

"Turn your chakra on," Sasuke said, as if that was a totally normal thing to say in bed. When Naruto gaped at him a little too long, he pressed a palm against his chest, glaring again. "Just do it."

If there was one thing Naruto knew, it was that Sasuke rarely, if ever, asked for things. But this was clearly one of those times, even if the reason was extremely obscure (and Naruto would probably never find out, anyway). He brought the chakra forth even before consciously deciding to go along with it, feeling it hum with power underneath his skin, wide-eyed as Sasuke finally let go of the last tension still obvious in his limbs.

Well, he did use his chakra to calm Sasuke down in emergencies, but wasn't this going a bit far?

Sasuke started palming his chest, running his hands slowly up and down, tracing chakra paths. It was startling, but not surprising, that Sasuke had his sharingan turned on. He wanted to talk so badly, biting his lips against the words threatening to spill over. There was something about the way Sasuke looked at him, something almost soft. Like he was pleased about being here, just the two of them.

Not that Sasuke was looking into his eyes, more like he was eating his body up. At least that's how Naruto felt, just sitting still, his pants growing tighter every second. If Sasuke meant to tease him he was definitely doing a great job of it. He kept tracing patterns over Naruto's chest, sometimes touching his collarbones, sometimes brushing just above the fabric of his pyjama pants. It was maddening, but strangely nice.

Then, Sasuke slid his hips forwards, and Naruto's body exploded with heat.

It was just a light pressure, some of Sasuke's weight shifted to where he needed it the most, but god could Naruto feel it. He couldn't help the gasp escaping him, and he clutched at the sheets with both hands, struggling to stay still. Sasuke met his eyes, just briefly, and there was something terribly triumphant and knowing in his gaze.

"Don't even think about talking," Sasuke reminded him, and then his hands slid up over his chest to cup his face, thumbs putting light pressure on his cheeks. "If you talk, I'll stop immediately."

Was it just him, or was Sasuke really hot when he threatened him like that?

There's something wrong with you, Kurama said. A lot of somethings.

But Naruto was used to ignoring the voice in his head, so he nodded, sucking in shallow breaths and desperately wishing his lungs would work properly. Sasuke watched him for a few more seconds, contemplating something, and then he ducked his head to the side and touched his lips to Naruto's neck. It was the first of several butterfly kisses, landing haphazardly all over his throat and the underside of his jaw. He wanted to move his hands, to grab Sasuke and kiss him. The heat and arousal rushing through his body felt like too much, like excess energy threatening to burst out of him.

Sasuke shifted on his lap, and Naruto had to bite his lip in order not to whimper pathetically. He was so hard that he might just make a mess of it in his pants, and when Sasuke shifted again he couldn't stop his hands from shooting up to grip his hips.

"Shit," he hissed, and Sasuke pressed a thumb over his lips to silence him.

"Interesting," was all he said, which was not at all what Naruto had expected.

He opened his eyes, not sure when he'd closed them, and found Sasuke staring at him with an odd look on his face. He tapped his thumb to Naruto's mouth, seemingly thinking, and then he rolled his hips with obvious intent. Naruto couldn't help groaning, head falling back against the wall behind him, hips rocking up in search of more friction. He didn't care if Sasuke made fun of him forever, it felt amazing.

Digging his fingers harder into Sasuke's hips, he tried to pull him closer, to keep him moving. He almost regretted it when Sasuke did move, rolling his body sinuously on top of him. His throat felt like it was burning, heat prickling underneath his skin as Sasuke placed both palms over his cheeks, once again cupping his face as if needing to keep him still and in view.

"You're too warm," Sasuke muttered, hands sliding down Naruto's neck and shoulders, then lower, over his collarbones and chest. "Even your chakra feels warm."

Naruto was about to reply, forgetting all about his promise to stay silent, when Sasuke leaned in and kissed him again. His lips were so soft, such a stark contrast to his often harsh words. Kissing Sasuke felt like the thrill of a desperate fight, but also like the comfort of home. Unthinkingly, Naruto ran his hands up Sasuke's back, pressing underneath his shoulder blades until he leaned in more, chests slotting together. It put more pressure on his cock, too, and he twisted his hands in the fabric of Sasuke's shirt while his heart ran wild behind his ribs. When his legs bent at the knees to cage Sasuke in, holding them tighter together, it felt like something snapped inside him.

The kiss turned hungrier, tongues dipping inside and teeth scraping against lips. Sasuke dragged his nails down Naruto's sides, shivers erupting in their wake. He wanted to rip their clothes off, to have nothing separating them; everything felt tight and white-hot with anticipation. A glance at Sasuke's face revealed him flushed and pliant, head tilted to fit their mouths more comfortably. Finally, when Naruto wrapped his arms around the small of his back and ground them together, a loud, outdrawn moan spilled from Sasuke's swollen lips.

"Sasuke," he groaned, and decided that he couldn't take it anymore.

Separating for a brief moment, he pulled Sasuke's shirt off and threw it to the floor. There was fire burning in Sasuke's eyes when they met his, an intense desire so unlike anything he'd seen before. Naruto didn't hesitate, meeting his gaze head-on. He took Sasuke's hand, the one with the mark on his palm, and kissed the inside of his wrist. Even though Sasuke had touched him, he must have taken care not to let the mark touch naked skin.

"Don't even try," Sasuke told him, but some of the edge from earlier seemed to be missing.

Hiding a grin, Naruto kissed up the side of his palm, continuing up his little finger. Sasuke's eyes were narrowed, following his path with suspicion. The fire in them had simmered down, but when Naruto bit into the tip of his finger it returned with vengeance.

"Lie down."

He raised an eyebrow at the order, wondering if there would really be a reward following. Still, Sasuke was Sasuke, and he'd gotten better at reading him. He scooted down the bed a bit, Sasuke awkwardly standing on his knees as he moved, settling with his head on a pillow and making a show of putting his hands above his head. The new angle turned out to be perfect for ogling Sasuke, especially since he still half-stood above him, tall and imposing and terribly attractive.

Maybe if he was good, Sasuke would stop talking in such short sentences and say something nice instead. Maybe if he was really good, Sasuke would drop his pants and get them both off.

Sasuke's gaze burned into him, intensifying as he leaned forwards until they were face to face, breaths mingling. Naruto's heart beat too heavy in his chest, almost drowning out the steady pace of their shared rhythm somewhere just behind it. Maybe it was an extra heart. He sort of liked the thought of having a heart that beat just for Sasuke, that kept him alive as long as Sasuke was alive.

"I'm going to do things to you," Sasuke announced in a low voice, and Naruto was torn between a gasp and stunned laughter.

"Like what?" he blurted out, lungs struggling with Sasuke so near, his scent and presence almost overwhelming.

A second ago, Naruto had been in control. Now, he wasn't sure what to think. His fingers twitched, eager to comb through dark hair. Something tore at him; the desire to one-up Sasuke warring with the fear that pushing too much would make Sasuke back away again. He still wanted to touch, to draw noises out of Sasuke's mouth that he'd never admit to afterwards, and yet, when Sasuke put his thumb to his lower lip and pressed against his teeth, an entirely different emotion stirred inside him.

"You'll see," was the reply, which most likely meant Sasuke had no idea what he was doing.

Swallowing thickly, Naruto tried to suppress the shiver making its way up his spine. He'd never imagined something like this happening. Maybe, in his most secret dreams – the ones he refused to remember – he'd entertained the thought of being at Sasuke's mercy. He knew he could take Sasuke in a fight, that more often than not they were equals. Naruto's strength would be cancelled out by Sasuke's strategy, and Sasuke's plans would be thwarted by Naruto's surprise moves. The dynamics of their relationship had yet to reach that point, where every move was familiar. So maybe it was a little bit in fearful anticipation that he nodded, releasing a shaky breath as Sasuke slid his thumb down to press at his pulse point instead.

It rested there for a long moment, Sasuke's face unreadable. He hoped whatever Sasuke decided would take care of the slight problem he had between his legs.

The first thing that happened, was Sasuke turning on his Sharingan once again (though Naruto wasn't sure when he'd stopped using it).

Red swirled around his pupils before settling into the first stage, three little tadpoles swimming in each eye. Not that Naruto would ever call them that out loud, because Sasuke would most likely kill him slowly and painfully, but he'd spent too much time around frogs to not think about it – and because his thoughts had wandered down a back-alley he was completely unprepared for Sasuke's hand dropping from his neck to hook around the waistband of his loose pants.

Stiffening, he waited wide-eyed as Sasuke traced the skin just underneath, mapping out a path to his hipbone. He didn't dare move, holding his breath as nails tapped along the bone in an imitation of raindrops. It tickled, in the way that you want to beg for something more than teasing. Sasuke seemed fascinated by the goose bumps breaking out across his skin, straddling Naruto's thighs and looking like he couldn't decide where to start.

"Hmm, maybe…" Sasuke hummed in contemplation, and all of a sudden his fingertips sparked with electricity.

Naruto gasped out loud, body jerking reflexively, as those fingers touched chakra to a spot on the inside of his hipbone. He clutched at the sheets, heels grinding against the mattress as pleasure coursed through him. It felt like his chakra points had lit up one node at a time, spreading from the place where Sasuke touched him in shockwaves.

"Oh, fuck," he wheezed when he found his voice again, Sasuke's face mirroring his own surprise. "I don't know if I hate you or love you for doing that."

Sasuke went still above him, and Naruto realized a second too late what he'd said.

"I-"

Words were abandoned as Sasuke pressed all five fingers into his skin. Was it possible to die from too much pleasure? He groaned, throwing his head back, so close to coming he could feel his body tensing in anticipation.

And then the buzz of Sasuke's chakra was gone, leaving him empty and so, so frustrating.

"You bastard," he ground out, fists clenching over his eyes. "Oh, I'm going to get you for that."

As soon as he caught his breath and figured out the difference between up and down, that is. This wasn't going at all like he'd imagined it. It had felt insanely good, but in the same way it felt insanely good to start slurping down a cup of instant noodles while the water was still scalding hot – the taste was heavenly but the burn on your tongue made you wonder if it was really worth it.

Sasuke didn't move, didn't say anything until Naruto finally managed to open his eyes. He was looking at his hand in confusion, flexing his fingers open and closed.

"That shouldn't have felt good," he mused, and Naruto gaped at him.

"What do you mean that shouldn't have felt good, I thought I was going to die!"

"But not from pain."

"Well yeah, but-"

He lost his voice again as Sasuke's gaze flickered down to his groin, where he was still desperately hard. He should be angry, should yell at Sasuke to explain just what the hell he thought sex actually was, before realizing that whatever made Sasuke contemplate his dick right now was most likely not a good thing.

"If you put chakra in my dick-" he started, trying to sound threatening and not embarrassingly out of breath.

He was interrupted by Sasuke laughing.

Laughing, like the thought was amusing to him, like it hadn't occurred to him that this was a thing you could do and now he couldn't help but imagine it. And, oh, Naruto felt his heart sink in his chest, felt it settle somewhere deep in despair and elation, because if he could make Sasuke laugh like that, in this place, so wild and free and at ease…

He could never take him back home, could he?

"And what if I did?" Sasuke teased him, wiggling his fingers. His tone turned mocking, an eyebrow raised, just like he'd act while they sparred. "What would you do, hm? Enjoy it, maybe?"

"Yeah," he sighed, giving up entirely. "Probably."

What was the use in acting like he wouldn't? Sasuke could do anything to him and he'd want it. As long as Sasuke looked at him, touched him, noticed him. Like it always had been – Naruto chasing and chasing and Sasuke somehow, in the end, accepting him.

His admission earned him a frown, but then Sasuke eased down until they were chest to chest, legs and hips touching, his arms braced on either side. He felt helplessly trapped in Sasuke's gaze, eyes wide and lips parted, body limp and heavy.

"Is there even any room in your head," Sasuke whispered, breath tickling his mouth, "for anyone but me?"

Naruto wanted to kiss him so badly. His hands came up to tangle in dark hair, his whole body buzzing with need. He shouldn't say no, because there were people who were important to him, goals and dreams, an entire village counting on him now.

And yet.

Would he push it all aside, for Sasuke?

He was afraid of answering.

"You talk too much," he mumbled, and reached up to finally kiss him.

It was easy to think of nothing, to think only of Sasuke. The heat of his mouth, the wet glide of his tongue, how his body felt on top of him, heavy and firm. It was overwhelming enough on its own, without the complication of thought.

Then, Sasuke ground his hips down, tentative at first and insistent after that, and all Naruto could do was cling to him and bury his face in his neck and shout his name just a little too loud. He was overheating, trembling, desperate as he came undone. Distantly, he was aware of his chakra blazing across his skin, a forest fire where Sasuke touched him. Like before he teamed up with Kurama, when his skin would burn right off.

"Naruto," Sasuke groaned, fingers gripping him tight. "Naruto."

It was easy to believe, then, that nothing could take this away from him.

I'm sure you're all thinking, well, this is where the angst shows up. I promise it won't be too bad. I read a writing tip about trying to write just 200 words every day, maybe it works? I'll have to try it and maybe actually get something done (I'm procrastinating other things by writing this though).

You're all amazing and I love you and wow I feel very sentimental right now. Please never hesitate to poke me about updates, even though I'm a snail.

As for a life update:
- after graduating, I found a great job! It's keeping me very busy but mostly it just involves so much thinking and typing that my brain is blown out when I get home
- just as i started my new job, my sister moved abroad and left me to take care of her horse full time. it's like having a child, but you're never home. there was a month or two before she came back when my life was basically, get up at 5am, go to horse, shower and go to work by 8am, work until 5pm, go back to horse, come home at 9pm. slightly insane in hindsight
- when she came home, she bought another horse. what even
- idek
- we just recently moved the horses to a much better place where we don't need to be there 24/7 so i can finally "sleep in" every morning
- i just bought an apartment! so my entire summer was basically fixing things and moving in and now i'm still not done with it all but it's very cozy. trying to figure out how to live with my best friend lol and missing my cats (but really, really not missing living under the same roof as my sister)
- i'm cursed with sth that just makes me keep myself extremely busy at all times but i managed to read Carry On by Rainbow Rowell and the fanfics for it are really good, can recommend

Anyway, things have alternated between up and down but here I am, refusing to give up on this fic. I hope you're all doing okay!