Ran stood at the base of the Hokage Tower waiting for Naruto to finish up his training for the day with Lady Tsunade. The sun was warm and shining brightly over her face as she leaned back against the building crossing her arms over her chest. She closed her eyes willfully allowing it's warmth to radiate over her. In two days' time she'd be sent out on a three week mission so she wanted to get in as much down time as humanly possible. Ran had always found the little things uniquely indulgent where others found them mundane. Waiting for someone was not a chore but a stolen moment where she could breathe without worrying about anything. She could let her thoughts rest instead of her mind racing. Recently her mind had been racing a lot. Orochimaru had been growing in power and his body was beginning to take a more corporeal form. She'd had to increase the strength of the walls encaging him but there had been some residual chakra leaking into the ground. So far she was pretty sure that nobody had noticed it but if he kept gaining strength there wasn't much that her walls could do. Eventually the ANBU would have to decide if he were really an asset or if he should be killed. If they couldn't make the decision in time she'd do it herself. She wasn't risking this village if her shield broke.

Naruto walked down the spiraling staircase that would lead him outside with Sakura in toe. She'd followed him to training that afternoon because she needed to show him some things that Tsunade neglected in all her intelligence to keep track of. There were medical and unit files that Naruto needed to be made aware of if he would be the future Hoakge. Her friend wasn't by any means incapable of reading them nor was Tsunade but they both had seemed rather unimpressed by the filing room. It was to no avail to teach him much today. He'd been more interested in working with Tsunade on village defense tactics and escape routes in emergencies. There were a few streaking rays of sunshine leaking from underneath the door in front of them. Just as she reached for it they both stopped hearing two voices.

"What do I owe the honor?" Ran said with little malice but just a hint of edge.

"I wanted to talk…" Sasuke's voice followed. Naruto glanced at Sakura and placed his hand over hers on the door shaking his head. He didn't want to open it to disturb this.

"About?" was the short response. There was a long moment of silence stretching out like the calm before a storm.

"What you said to me last week." There was no response so after a moment he continued. "I do respect you."

Ran rose an eyebrow at the words that came out of Sasuke Uchiha's mouth. There was a brief point in time where she narrowed her eyes at him setting her shoulders straighter than they had been before. This was a highly unusual answer from this guy and she wasn't about to believe it for one second. She also knew that he was a skilled liar and would use his tongue to his advantage if it would benefit him.

"It doesn't really seem like it." She finally said letting the tone of her voice ebb just on the side of a gentler tone than before.

"I respect you. I respect a lot of people here that don't respect me." Now that gnawed at her nerves.

"People respect you Sasuke. I've never considered you less than a comrade but it's hard to be cordial with someone who's always speaking to you like your dirt on the bottom of their foot." But then she'd never really thought about it before. It was sort of his fall back defense.

"I don't…I…" he was trying to find the words to make sense. It was expertly hard for Sasuke to express what he felt like. That's why he enjoyed Naruto's company so much; he just knew what he was trying to say without using words. Naruto understood him.

"Know how to talk to people?" she asked tilting her head. Sasuke looked up at her sighing agitated.

"I don't like to talk to people. I know how." He snapped staring at the wall murderously behind her head.

"No you know the words. You don't know how to talk to a real live person. We've got to work on your people skills…look," she let out a breath before running a hand through her hair. "Naruto wants us to get along. I think you understand that I love him. Sasuke, I'm not going anywhere ok? But that doesn't mean that you're losing him."

"I'm not worried about that." He said stubbornly but she continued.

"He will always be your best friend. Naruto will always be there for you. Nothing about me will ever threaten that. If Naruto wants to go hang out with you, train with you, hell…" she laughed, "If Naruto wants to stay at your place like he used to for a few days, I don't care." Ran put her hands up gently.

"I never aske…" she smiled.

"You don't have to ask. A lot of things have been taken away from you in your life. I'm not going to add to that. I'm sorry I said what I said about Itachi at the Rally though…" she rubbed the back of her neck; a habit she'd picked up from Naruto.

"I know you didn't mean it. And you were sort of right. Sometimes I don't think and I just act like…"

"A jerk?" he made a small grunt like sound of recognition to her answer.

"Why don't you and Naruto head out tonight and grab some dinner and just chill?" she offered. She'd really been looking forward to having a night with the blonde but she knew that this was, in the end, more important. Bonds should never be severed and these two boys was a very special one that had defied a lot of odds.

"You won't mind?" she shook her head letting a smile fall into place across her face.

"Not at all." For the first time ever she saw the raven give a ghost of a smile in return.

"Thanks."

Later that night as Ran laid on the floor of Naruto's apartment feeling a sticky liquid leak from her chest she would gravely regret suggesting that he not be there.