Have you ever Chapter 10


Have you ever loved somebody so much
It makes you cry?
Have you ever needed something so bad

You can't sleep at night?
Have you ever tried to find the words
But they don't come out right?
Have you ever, have you ever


Kayashi no Kuni = Land of Wood

Kusagakure no Sato= Village hidden in the grass

Shunshin no Jutsu= Body Flicker Technique


Konoha. House of Kakashi and Gai

For the third time, Gai read the scroll he had received in the morning. Kakashi kept him informed about his long-term missions outside Konoha, and he did the same for his lover. He smiled to himself, happy that he had been right about Naruto and Sasuke. He was especially glad his lover had prevented the worst from happening. Kakashi's description of their fight was what he was expecting from these two, especially Sasuke. From the tragedy that had plagued his youth, this boy had suffered so much. Except for a blond boy who never gave up on him, no one had been there for him. Gai suspected Naruto was the reason why the younger Uchiha fled the village for so long. As a result of such a character in his life, Sasuke was not able to sink into the darkness he thought he needed to become powerful.

His eyes welled up with tears as he rejoiced for the two young men. He remembered how difficult it had been to persuade Kakashi that he could be happy with him. Gai knew the copycat ninja since he was a child. He also knew how deeply affected and hurt Kakashi had been by the loss of his father, Obito, and Rin. So, the Hatake had convinced himself that it was best to stay alone rather than fall in love. Gaï had to work for months to convince the copy ninja to take a chance on being with him.

It had taken him just as long to realize that he could choose anyone else in his life. It was okay for the gray to be happy and in love as long as he allowed himself to be. For Gai, the first months were painful. Kakashi was always trying to come up with a way to end their story. Eventually, the beast of Konoha lost his patience. Like two teenagers they got into it on a training field. Thanks to heaven, Kakashi finally opened his eyes. After Gai had tried to open one more door, the door of life, the copy ninja had become terrified. They had made love for the first time that night, a moment Gai would never forget. As long as he had known Kakashi, this was the first time he had seen him without a mask. The man had completely surrendered to him, giving up his heart, body, and soul. They have been in a strong relationship since that day, and their love only grew stronger over time.

If the master of taijutsu understood the missive correctly, his lover would soon return with the two young ninjas. Gai wondered how villagers and other ninjas would react when they returned to the village. Gai was glad he wasn't their Hokage, because she'd have to make some hard decisions about the child prodigy's return. A jounin knew one thing about Naruto: he could be unpredictable. He wouldn't let anything bad happen to his soul mate. But what would happen to these two young lovers? Gai knew that Sasuke could get back into the good graces of the village and the ninjas. However, it all depended on how he would act once back in Konoha. Gai hadn't been around the Uchiha much, but noticed that he was unapproachable, often perceived as cold and distant. The young man's dominant features might be softened by Naruto's positive influence? Gai looked briefly outside. It was time for him to train with Lee. The scroll was set on the coffee table of the living room along with his other received missives, and he set off for his daily training session with his former student.


Konoha. Hokage's office

Tsunade and Shizune arrived at Tsunade's office at the same time.

"Hi, Tsunade-sama."

"Shizune, good morning"

Through the large bay window, sunlight was streaming in and bathing the two women as soon as they entered the room. Seeing the pile of documents waiting for her, Tsunade sighed. A scroll caught the blonde's eye as she walked over to her seat. This scroll was from Kakashi. As she had received one two days earlier, the blonde furrowed her brow in concern.

Hokage-Sama

My last letter informed you that I was returning to Konoha. I would rather wait for our two ninjas. Bringing everyone back at the same time will avoid any unpleasant surprises.

As for the two teens, they're doing well, and they've gotten close. We're on the way to Konoha. I'll send you another letter if there are any more changes.

Hatake Kakashi.

Tsunade looked at the scroll in front of her, wondering why Kakashi had changed his mind. How could he avoid unpleasant surprises? Did he think anything could happen between the two ninjas? The Hokage couldn't do anything. Hopefully she will not receive any more letters from the former Anbu and looks forward to their return. When Shizune placed a hot cup of tea in front of the blonde, she smiled and handed her the letter. After taking it from her, her assistant looked at Tsunade puzzled. What was Kakashi scared of? Nasuto must have been looking forward to going back to Konoha with Sasuke. He'd done everything he could to get Sasuke back to Konoha. So, what was going on that made the copycat ninja doubt? Tsunade wanted to go there herself but she knew that wasn't possible. It would be too late by the time she got there. She would have to wait patiently until they returned. Taking a sip of tea, Tsunade smiled. The liquid was warm and comforting. She shook her head and sighed heavily at the pile of paperwork in front of her. She hated doing this part of the work. Shizune laughed at her friend's look of discouragement. Then she sat down at the desk Tsunade set up for her in the room and looked at her friend.

"What do you suspect Kakashi is up to?"

Tsunade grunted and looked up at Shizune. She was sitting at her desk, filling out paperwork. She wasn't deterred by the paperwork, though.

"Honestly, I have no idea. Kakashi must have doubts about Sasuke for him to decide to wait for the two ninjas. Perhaps he thinks the Uchiha will eventually change his mind and disappear again. I would not be shocked if that happened."

In such a scenario, she promised herself that she would hunt down and destroy the Uchiha herself. Tsunade would never allow him to break Naruto's heart again. For now, she will let things happen and act accordingly. As a result of Sasuke's potential return to the Council, the blonde had no choice but to test the waters. In exchange for a minimal jail sentence, they would accept his return. With the promise to rebuild the clan with a kunoichi of their choice. If he refused, he'd face a trial and a lot of jail time. Then they'd try to coax him in a more subtle way. Tsunade didn't like this kind of behavior, but the Council still had too much power.

Those old fogies may have been her Hokage, but they didn't love her. This was especially true since Tsunade publicly supported Naruto. He was nothing more than a weapon for the village's defense in Council's eyes. The Hokage rubbed her temples. A headache was brewing. Had Naruto not been so attached to the Uchiha, she could have handled this case like all the others. Tsunade knew her love for Naruto would eventually get the best of her. But the Hokage didn't think it would happen so soon. She shook her head; she couldn't get distracted at the moment. Tsunade bent over the documents to continue working.


Tetsu no Kuni

As Sasuke awoke, he was cold and the place next to him was empty. Sitting up, he carefully examined his room. It was still dark, and the room was empty. There was no sign of Naruto. His clothes were nowhere to be found, and there was no sign of food. Trying to get up from the bed, he remembered what had happened earlier and blushed in the dark. Did Naruto simply use him to enjoy his body? Did he realize that having Sasuke in his life would only cause problems for him? Sasuke's eyes sting in pain. Trying to push back the few tears that had managed to escape, he ran a hand quickly over his face. Nukenin bit his lower lip violently as he clenched his fists tightly. Even though he was in pain, he stood up and noticed the clothes that the blonde had brought him earlier, and put them on quickly. But he couldn't find any sandals or boots to wear. Before he ventures out in this blizzard, he should get some. Naruto's absence made Sasuke think all that had happened was a mistake.

He mentally kicked himself for believing that the jinchûriki could truly love him. He accepted all he represented. The ninja silently approached the door to discover that it wasn't locked. When he opened it, he felt no presence. After entering the hallway, he turned to the left. It seemed to go up, so the exit shouldn't be far. He would have liked to get his katana back, which was somewhere in the temple. He had to hurry before being spotted, as time was running out. Sasuke hoped he wouldn't run into any samurai. It was because the place was silent that Sasuke walked as quietly as a cat. When he reached the end of the T-shaped corridor, he chose to follow his instincts and turn left. He started running again with light, quiet steps. Sasuke believed he was lucky not to have run into any patrols. His goal was to get out of there quickly and avoid a fight at any cost. Until Naruto realized he was missing. Sasuke then left this story behind and forgot about it. Because he had lowered his barriers and believed the jinchuriki statement, he hated himself. Being alone in this cold room indicated only one thing: Naruto had realized that going back to Konoha with Sasuke would only cause him trouble. It would mean losing the respect he had worked so hard to reached another fork in the road, looked hastily to one side, then to the other. He decided to turn right and continued to run through the silent corridors. After about two minutes, he noticed on his right a kind of armory where armor, weapons and clothes were at his disposal. The brown entered the room quickly. Boots, as well as several doubled capes, were aligned along the left wall. He seized a cloak which seemed to him the warmest as well as a pair of boots with his size. Once he had the clothes on, he pulled the hood over his head, which completely concealed his face. Then he noticed a sword hanging on the wall. Sasuke approached it and grabbed it with its scabbard and tied it to his waist. He was finally ready to leave this place of woe, he should never have come. If he hurried, he could be back with Orochimaru in two days. Before leaving, he looked around and made a dash for it. He added a little chakra to his strides to gain more speed.

Finally, he noticed the front door in the distance as he increased his speed. When he noticed two sleepy guards, he activated his sharingan and put them in a light genjustsu. He didn't want them to wake the others. As he advanced toward the huge door, his sword was drawn out of habit than necessity. The door opened without a sound as he pushed with all his strength. Wind and snow mixed in an icy storm that hit the ninja. He immediately froze due to the difference in temperature. After being disoriented for a few seconds, he quickly recovered and continued his advance. The snow sank his right foot until it was below his knee. This was the most snow he'd ever seen. To walk on the snow, he put chakra in his feet and walked forward head down. Cold was penetrating his cloak, and his hands, feet, and face were already frozen. Still, he pressed on. This was the coldest he'd ever felt in his life. He couldn't see anything else, not even a single tree. It was impossible for him to tell the difference between the sky and the ground. He wouldn't give up though, he'd make it out. And he'll never see Naruto again. Even after what had happened, he couldn't kill him. So, he stopped hiding. Sasuke would have to get used to his feelings for Naruto. And accept the lost they provide.

His pace was ridiculously slow as he moved against the wind. He motivated himself by thinking about revenge. Sasuke couldn't find the motivation he sought for the first time since leaving Konoha, and it left him bitter. His ears were ringing so hard from the icy wind that he wondered if he had become deaf. He also wondered if the whistling was just an echo from outside.

"S'uK..."

Despite knowing that it was impossible, he thought he heard his name. Naruto did not come for him this time; Sasuke continued moving forward. The way he disappeared after using his body had made it clear to him. His eyelashes were frozen and covered with tears that he didn't even realize he'd dropped.

"S'SKE..."

His frozen hair hit his face unpleasantly as he shook his head violently. He felt a cold river running down his face as a warm liquid ran down his cheeks. His right foot rose first, then his left, as if he were giving himself instructions. He hoped he would continue to progress. His body was hurled forward, and he fell face-first into the snow. With a crushing weight preventing him from rising, Sasuke had the feeling that he would freeze to death in the next few minutes if he didn't manage to get up. Suddenly, he was placed on his back. Naruto glared at him with a ruddy red gaze and a dull anger in his eyes. Sasuke would be scared if it was any other ninja. He knew those eyes could show so many wonderful emotions, especially hope. Suddenly, a fist smashed against his cheek, jolting him out of his thoughts as he tried to fight back, his stiffened muscles refusing to move.

"Why did you leave me again?"

Sasuke shivered when he felt Naruto's warm breath against his ear. He tried to push Naruto off him, but he was unable to.

"You left me! I woke up alone, the bed cold, and you weren't there! I clearly understood your message!"

He felt tears running down his cheeks as he felt the warm weight pressing down on him. His tears quickly became small diamonds of ice. His lips were softly brushed by Naruto's warm ones.

"Teme."

In the roar of the wind around them, Naruto's voice was almost inaudible, but Sasuke could detect the affection in his tone of voice.

"You are an idiot. I didn't abandon you; I just went to get my things and Kusanagi so that we could leave together tonight!"

Sasuke's eyes widened in surprise. Naruto had planned to leave with him in the middle of the night, but why? His brain seemed frozen; he didn't understand what was happening. As soon as the blond boy noticed, he stood up and grabbed Sasuke's cloak. He felt bad seeing his lover's bloodied face and the marks left by his punch. He felt guilty for leaving without speaking to him. He saw that his man was trembling, his teeth were clenching, and he was cold. Taking Sasuke's hand, he placed it on his forearm before waving briefly.

"Shunshin no jutsu!"

They were teleported into a cave that the Jinchuriki knew about. After they were inside, the blond man took a second-lined cape out of one of the two backpacks he was carrying and wrapped it around Sasuke.

Would you be able to light a fire for us?"

Naruto's worried voice jolted him out of his stupor. His hands came out of his cloak, and he drew a few signs a bit slower than usual.

"Katon: Ryūka no jutsu."

In the middle of the cave, a small fireball landed gently on a pile of wood and quickly ignited. The Uchiha didn't dare to look at Naruto. Embarrassed by his lack of trust, the Uchiha did not dare to look at Naruto. Once again, he had disappointed him, and even more so, hurt him. He regretted being carried away so easily. It was a mystery to Sasuke how he could have imagined Naruto abandoning him so easily. It was especially as he had worked so hard to find him. On the other side of the cave, Naruto's figure could be seen moving. Trying to figure out what he was doing, the brunet raised his head. In the blond's case, he was reorganizing the backpacks in front of him, his face was closed, and he was biting his lip. It was clear that Sasuke was in the wrong and that he needed to explain himself to the Jinchûriki. However, his voice seemed to be stuck in his throat.

"What made you leave?"

The jinchuriki's voice, barely audible above the wind, broke Sasuke's heart. He bowed his head in shame. He couldn't lie to Naruto. However, the truth would probably break his heart. The dark-haired man did not know what to say, so he remained silent. For several minutes, it went on. Naruto jumped up and crossed the distance in three steps. He lifted the Uchiha by his cloak collar.

"Sasuke, I asked you a question. I want an answer."

He looked at him with a brilliant blue gaze. His right eye was wet and a tear rolled down his cheek. While keeping his eyes on Naruto, Sasuke reached out and wiped it with his thumb without thinking.

"I was thinking..."

A ball formed in his throat. Trying to swallow his saliva, he answered.

"I thought you abandoned me."

As Naruto's eyes became filled with sadness again, he lowered his gaze only to raise it immediately. This time, however, his eyes were filled with anger.

"How could you possibly believe I could hurt you for even a second?" After everything we've shared together? After two years of me chasing after you?"

The end of the sentence was shouted; Naruto pushed Sasuke hard. The Uchiha was shocked by this reaction and almost fell backwards. His years of training prevented him from making a fool of himself. Because he was not comfortable with words and emotions, he didn't know how to rectify the situation. How could he make Naruto understand that he was afraid? It was much easier for him to run away than to express his feelings. And especially to expose himself and his weaknesses. However, he knew he had to try for him, this luminous being who had dispelled his darkness.

"I thought you realized that returning to Konoha would only cause problems. Naruto, I didn't mean to hurt you... but I got scared..."

The tears rose in Sasuke's eyes as his throat tightened. Rather than hide them, he let them flow freely. Taking him into his arms tenderly, Naruto approached him silently. Holding him tightly against his strong chest. Sasuke was quickly warmed by the warmth the jinchuriki was giving off. Sasuke could feel himself cracking and shaking. He was overcome by a sob that he tried to control, but in vain. He began to cry for the first time in years. Through this crisis, he seemed to lose all his hatred, bitterness, and rage. He let the blond man embrace him, whispering soft words that he did not understand. As a tongue lathered at his tears, his lips rested on his cheeks. In the end, he was given a kiss that was filled with tenderness and love.

"Teme. You have no idea how special you are to me. I went away so that I could get your katana and organize our bags."

He could not help smiling at the blue eyes filled with sweetness on this wonderful face in front of him. He leaned in for another kiss.

"It took me a while to get your katana."

Naruto wanted to kiss Sasuke until he was out of breath. But in order to clear up the situation with his lover, so the Uzumaki had to convince him of his importance.

"I did not want to meet anyone and explain myself. So, I waited for the patrol to pass. By the time I returned, you were gone."

The tears rolled down Naruto's cheeks as his voice broke. Sasuke imitated him by kissing him on the cheek, making his man smile.

"I am sorry, Naruto. Why at night, though? "

Between two kisses, Sasuke asks his question. It had been on his mind since his lover explained what he had done earlier that night.

"I don't want to go back to Konoha right away. I want to spend my two months off with you, so we can get to know each other better. We need to solidify our relationship before we are thrown into the lion's den."

The Uchiha heir was surprised, to say the least. Wouldn't it be wonderful to spend some time alone with his lover before returning to Konoha? Once again, he felt ashamed for thinking Naruto could have played him. Apparently, Naruto read his mind since he kissed him again before telling him.

"I didn't want Kakashi to find out. This time should just be for the two of us. The village owes me this time anyway. We need it. We'll come back to Konoha stronger after these two months. Then we'll be able to handle anything."

Taking a deep breath, Sasuke buried his face into Naruto's neck. He tried to hide the redness in his cheeks and the silly smile he knew he had on. That was the first time he felt this satisfied and happy in a long time. He felt his lover's hands on his back. Their movements were uncoordinated, but very pleasant and relaxing. Sasuke yawned loudly in Naruto's neck; he heard him laugh.

"Come on, let's get some sleep." It would be better if we were farther away, but I know you are tired. Honestly, I'm tired too."

Together with two blankets Naruto had borrowed from the temple, the two men wrapped themselves in their cape. They would then be back on the road and have the time they needed to repair and strengthen their bond. On these thoughts, the two ninjas snuggled up to each other and fell asleep.