It was interesting to say the least, having people to play with around you and seeing how they react to you. Naruto inserted himself in Sasuke's bed the second and third night as well, but the stubborn Uchiha still didn't admit he didn't truly mind, but it did already take longer before Sasuke kicked him out or left the room himself.
Sakura was getting more hungry, and thus more cranky. She even didn't seem to care much about how she acted around Sasuke anymore, but what was most interesting was that she pretended she was fine. Even when others offered her snacks, she kept insisting she didn't want any, because she ate breakfast, lunch or diner, whichever was the last meal they had. And of course, as long as Sasuke had no plans to eat out, she didn't either.
Over the three days, they had made use of Sasuke's backyard for training purposes. After Sakura tactlessly commented that the yard was a mess and Sasuke snapped at her that if it bothered her she should clean it up, Naruto had roped Jiraya into fixing the yard with him. When Sasuke noticed what they were doing, he started helping too. Sakura and Tsunade opted to sit on the porch watching them work. In the very least, Tsunade got drinks and snacks for them, but Sakura didn't even get up all afternoon.
It irked Naruto. Not that she didn't do anything, but that she commented on something and then didn't act on it. For Naruto, that was most offensive. He never understood it when people complained, but didn't act. As long as it wasn't seriously hurting someone, just do what you feel needs to be done. Don't wait for others to solve it for you while whining.
One exception, if whining gets you what you want, whining is validated if done correctly.
They all went to the Hokage at the called upon time, somewhere in the early afternoon. On Naruto's request, in the form of whining to get you what you want, he subtly convinced the party to eat at Ichiraku's for lunch. See, whining to get what you want, okay. Whining to get something that has been and always will be denied to you, in other words Sakura's insistence with Sasuke, not okay. Well, at least she was less cranky now that she ate something.
Sarutobi and Kakashi wasted no time upon their arrival to set out the issues as hand. "The Ame nin has told us that there is an organisation called Akatsuki that has been rounding up Jinchuuriki. The fact that the Ame nin was here means that they are looking for you, as I told you before. What we want is to be preemptive and strike them before they can strike us, At the insistence of Sarutobi-sama that includes you, Naruto. The mission you will be sent on it to seek out a pair of them that is travelling in this direction as we speak, Akasuna no Sasori and Deidara. We have little to no information about either of them, but we do know that Sasori originates from Sunagakure. This means that capturing or killing him will help us in establishing a connection to the Sand in hopes of smoothing over differences and opening at the very least trade possibilities." Kakashi took a deep breath and sat back. "You'll all understand the gravity of this mission. Sand and Leaf have been on shaky terms for a while. Having an incentive to re-open negotiations could bring great advantages in the years to come."
Jiraya and Tsunade took the words seriously, Sasuke seemed indifferent but certain, Sakura looked dreadful and Naruto was staring out the window, intently watching a bird fly by, "Sakura, Sasuke and Naruto, for this mission you will be joined by Shikamaru, Choji and Ino and the commander for the whole group will be Shikamaru." Sarutobi said. There was a small flinch from Sasuke, that went unnoticed by most. Naruto caught it and grinned at him. Uchiha pride being stepped on. Nice.
"So neither Jiraya nor Tsunade will be joining us? I thought they were supposed to be a part of our team." Sasuke questioned.
Sarutobi nodded. "That was the original intent, but there is a new need for information and Jiraya's network is essential for that. Jiraya will set out again shortly and Tsunade is needed to set up a training facility within the hospital to train any Shinobi that wants to learn medical jutsu. Even having a grip on the basics could mean the difference between life and death when on a battlefield. Moreover, their original purpose in your group was to strengthen any lack of power in the group, but since Naruto has proven to be quite as capable as any Jounin, most likely being on par with most ANBU, we thought it to be better to spread out our forces as most efficient. Having said that, Naruto, your official rank is Genin. There is no way around that and to rise your official status, you'll need to take the exams. However, we will appoint you the unofficial rank of Jounin." Sarutobi smiled at Naruto and Naruto smiled back. He didn't really care about this and just accepted it as a gift from Jiji.
"Team Asuma will be waiting for you at the gates at 8 o'clock this evening. Go pack and be ready to leave the village then." Kakashi said as he threw a scroll at Sasuke, who caught it without problems. "Here is some extra details that we got from the Ame nin. This is just a start, so be prepared to be on the road a lot in the coming months." With that and a bow, they all left again. Jiraya and Tsunade went their separate ways, leaving the three of them standing alone. "Uhm. If it's okay, I'm going to go home. You know, say goodbye to Ojisan, get my gear ready. I'll meet you there, Sasuke-kun." Sakura said as backed up smiling, before turning around and running towards the flower shop.
Naruto looked at Sasuke for a few seconds, before glueing himself to Sasuke's arm like Sakura usually did, looking up at Sasuke all doe-eyed and dramatic. "Take me shopping, Sasuke-kun, please?" He begged, adding a small pout and pressing his non-existent chest against Sasuke's arm.
Sasuke shook his arm and hit Naruto on the head. "Stop that. I hate that, even when it's you!" He said harshly. It took a few seconds to fully register what he just said. The spark of victory in Naruto's eyes meant that he hadn't missed it either. "Hn." He turned around and walked away, not sure how else to preserve the rest of his dignity in this situation. Naruto followed happily as he let his hands trail to the Hitai-ate around his neck. The last few days have been bliss, simply because he had something to grab onto and fulfill his need born from custom to do so.
"So, where are we going?" Naruto asked, nudging Sasuke with his arm a little. The Uchiha glared at him from the corner of his eyes, but Naruto just kept smiling hopefully. Sasuke sighed. He really did not like this at all. If it had been anyone else, he would have told them to shut up, go by themselves and leave him alone, but like with almost everything, Naruto seemed to evade and conquer that part of him with ease. He sighed again. "Depends on what you need." Why? Why did he cave so easily to Naruto? Wasn't it enough that Naruto completely ignored his privacy night after night? Why did Sasuke feel like it was important to keep Naruto happy and well?
"Well, I have nothing, so I need everything?" Naruto said awkwardly. Ah, yes, that was never discussed with the Hokage. Who was responsible for Naruto's equipment? When it came down to it, even the clothing Naruto owned were not truly his since he got them from Morino, who in turn got them from the department. There was no doubt there would be clothing that fit Naruto's skill and personality a lot better that the boring greyish clothing he was wearing now. Somehow, Sasuke also had trouble imagining Naruto in a standard Jounin outfit and he definity needed colour, so that took Sasuke's wardrobe out of the question... Not that Sasuke would consider letting Naruto wear his clothing, of course not. They would be too big and Naruto would probably... look so... damned cute... in them... No, nope, not going there. A clothing shop it is. Even if Sasuke needed to spend money on it, it was better than finishing that particular thought to its conclusion.
When they got to the nearest shop, Naruto went running around like a kid in a candy shop, leaving Sasuke standing near the changing rooms looking all broody, but slightly amused. After two hours, a lot of questions fired at Sasuke whether or not the clothing looked good on Naruto, they were at the register with three sets of new clothing, two pairs of shoes and enough underwear and socks to last a week. A few shops later, a travel backpack, a standard first aid set and food pill set and a few other useful items were added to the total.
Since it was nearing 6 o'clock, they were on their way back, but then Naruto stopped and looked at a small shop at the end of a street. "I know that shop..." He said and walked over. He looked into the window a saw a very familiar daishō displayed in the window. There was no crowd in front of the shop, and the inside looked empty as well. "I can't believe this set is still here. Why was it never sold?" He asked, looking at Sasuke.
"I don't know. I've never shopped here."
"Let's go inside!" Naruto chirped, pulling Sasuke's sleeve to get him to follow. The inside of the shop was pretty much the same as that day he pranked the owner. Everything was well taken care off and there wasn't a speck of dust on any of the weapons on display. The owner stepped out from the small back-room and greeted them. "Good day, can I help you with anything?"
"I was wondering. I've been... away for a while, but I remember that set being in the window when the shop first opened. Why was is never sold? People were lining up just to see it." Naruto asked in a perfectly polite voice and a pleasant smile on his face.
"That's a masterpiece. It was never meant to be sold. It's just to show the customers what they could expect from my shop." The owner told them.
"So, this is your best work?" Naruto asked.
"Yes. It is my finest work and I don't think I'll ever make something more beautiful than this set." The man said proudly, glancing at the daishō with fondness. "I made them with my brother, but sadly he died a year before I came to Konoha."
"Oh, that's sad. I'm sorry." Naruto looked down. "But you know, it's also kind of sad that the daishō isn't used at all. Wouldn't you be more proud of it if it were to be used for great things? I bet a masterpiece like that could sway the course of a battle or make the difference between life and death when in the right hands. Image the pride your brother must feel when his greatest work is made even greater with the feats they can perform..." He looked at the daishō as well, along with the owner.
"Hey, keep your comments to yourself. You don't know my brother or what he wanted!" The owner's temper flared, almost growling at Naruto. Sasuke unconsciously readied himself to intervene by unfolding his arms and letting his hand hover over his weapon pouch.
Naruto looked at the owner with an impossible innocent look, still smiling. "I know. I didn't mean to insult anyone. It's just, I can only imagine a blacksmith couldn't be more proud then when what he made is used for what it's made for. Just image this daishō becoming a named set with an iron-clad reputation to back it up. It's not that unlikely. It would only be a matter of time."
"And I suppose you're going to tell me that you are the one to be going to build this reputation?" The owner asked sceptically.
"Oh, Kami, no. I have no experience fighting with swords, only unarmed combat since I wasn't allowed around sharp objects most of the time. I only have some experience with senbon and even that is very limited. I do want to learn, though. Fighting using high quality weapons like what you sell here is like a dream. There is nothing more beautiful than seeing someone dance with a sword, but there is very little chance I'd be able to buy anything any time soon. I'm already leaching off of him enough as we speak." The owner stared at him for a few seconds before glancing at Sasuke. He knew Sasuke, and the blond was slightly familiar to him as well. Sasuke had never been to his shop, but who didn't know the last Uchiha? The thing that bothered him was that the Uchiha was protective of the blond. If Sasuke's reputation was anything to go by, he was supposed to be a cold-hearted bastard, unsocial and with little to no friends. Yet here he was glaring at him for even considering hurting the blond. "But I do wonder." Naruto continued. "Is having your absolute best work in the window and not selling anything that is close to it, isn't that bad for business? Like, people will compare everything in your shop to that set and nothing will be as good as that, so they end up not buying anything, right?"
The owner scowled at that truth. There have been several cases in which people walked out of his shop, because they wanted daishō or equal, but he didn't have that. "Even if I was to sell them, I don't want just anybody to have it. They'd have to prove themselves first. With skill and not with money." The man straightened up to his full length to test and see if Naruto would be intimidated in any way, but the boy didn't so much as blink, just kept smiling politely. "Fine." The blacksmith walked to the back of the shop and came out with a set of boxes after a while. He dropped them in Naruto's arms. "You come back after you mastered these and I'll consider the possibility of thinking about selling those to you."
Naruto happily smiled up at the man. "Thank you! Oh, and I'm sorry about taking your candy!" He bowed and walked out of the store before the owner had a chance to puzzle the pieces together.
Sasuke followed him out. "You know, I would have bought you a set if you wanted swords." He said.
"Oh, I know. But now I have a chance of getting that set. If you would have just bought me a set, then he would never consider selling the set in the window." Naruto said smirking. Sasuke had to admit, it was kind of impressive how quickly Naruto manipulated the owner into not only giving him a free daishō, but also get a promise to be considered to buy the most prized set in the man's collection. It almost made Sasuke worry. Now that he thought about it, manipulation was something Naruto did all the time. Like with Sakura and him cooking the food, or Naruto getting in his bed every night and the way he persuade Sasuke to keep quiet about it. Hell, if you think on it, even his pranks from back in school were a form of manipulating. No wonder Naruto had a knack for Genjutsu. According to Shikamaru Naruto was able to do those when they were still in school, which was a feat in and of itself at that age.
Speaking of Genjutsu, had Sasuke ever seen Naruto use it and was it something he needed to know about for the mission? During the training sessions in the last few days it hadn't even come up, so maybe Naruto's capabilities of it didn't extent to a battle worthy premise. That, or since there were no Genjutstu users in their little group the skill got overlooked.
Since they had about two hours left, maybe Sasuke needed to look into it a little, to know how it could be used during the mission. "You can do Genjutsu, right? Can you show me to what extend? Maybe it can be useful during the mission." Sasuke asked while walking in the direction of the Uchiha compound. When Naruto didn't answer, Sasuke stopped walking and looked back. The sheer intensity of Naruto's red gleaming eyes and the monstrous grin on his lips made Sasuke immediately regret his request. He had no idea what he just invited upon himself and by the way Naruto omniously stepped closer to him, Sasuke knew he had made a huge mistake.
Instead of throwing Sasuke into a Genjutsu then and there, Naruto pressed a quick kiss on Sasuke's lips. "Race ya home!" He yelled and disappeared from sight, leaving Sasuke dazed and looking around to see of anyone had seen that. When nothing seemed different and nobody was around, Sasuke rubbed his lips together, quickly licked them and made his was home in a daydreamy haze.