Cruel Summer

By: Kibou32

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Summary: AU The Fourth Hokage doesn't die due to the fact that he didn't do the sealing. So the Kyuubi comes two months before Naruto is born and Kushina decides that the seal her husband is about to do on her still unborn son, should be done by her. If she's an ANBU Captain, and her duty is to her Hokage; then it stands to reason that she should leave the strongest of the two to care for their only child.

Author's Note: This scenario has been bugging me awhile. I've read stories in which Naruto is so ukeish it's not even funny sometimes. So… here's my take on a seemingly uke-looking Naruto.

Pairings: Undecided

Ratings: 18 and Above.

- / 4 / -

Kakashi was correct. By having them working in the mornings to fix their taijutsu and then after lunch having them do D-level missions and the occasional C-level mission, Sasuke and Sakura didn't have enough of a time to relax, so it was with great surprise that they were told to do so on a Friday afternoon and that he'd see them on Monday.

The chunnin exams were to be held here in Konoha in no less than a month. After a particular gruesome sparring session that Kakashi hadn't initiated them on – between Sakura and Sasuke, Kazuki was reading on seals – they found themselves thinking of going out for lunch as a team. Kazuki only accepted because he wasn't sure he wanted to be on Sakura's bad side if he turned her suggestion down. As they made their way to Ichiraku's – Sasuke had found out that Kazuki had gone there with his father once – they found themselves staring at another team from Suna. Kazuki narrowed his eyes at the redheaded genin standing in front of him.

Sakura bristled inwardly – she was sure that a girl who was taller than her, blond and with a better and curvier physique than hers meant trouble – and Sasuke looked pensively at the Kabuki painted male.

"Hn." – was all Sasuke deem to say. Kazuki bowed once to who he knew were the Kazekage's children: Temari – the girl who was the oldest with fifteen years of age under her belt, Kankurou – the oldest of the two boys who was fourteen years old and Gaara who was twelve.

"Hajime mashite, Temari-san, Kankurou-san and Gaara-san." – he said softly.

Temari blushed at the sight of the younger boy in front of her. She had liked the eye candy that was Sasuke Uchiha, but no other boy in the whole village had captivated her in one go as the blond haired boy that had bowed to them.

"Domo." – Kankurou said in response to the greeting. He found he didn't like this boy all that much. His quiet but bright nature brought shivers to his skin. It filled him with dread as to what would come if he ever engaged in battle with this cute little boy. Appearances could be deceiving in ninja life, after all.

Gaara just looked at the boy in front of him and thought. He didn't project killing intent because he knew the boy wasn't likely to fight him. From the scrolls in his right leg pocket, he could surmise the boy was into seals and wasn't too shabby at it. His soft features were elegant and precise, his small body belied the strength Gaara could feel running through him and the nature around them, he wasn't cowed by him or his looks… Gaara wanted to… he wanted to be worthy of talking to this boy.

Sasuke saw the look of interest that sparked into Gaara's eyes when the redhead looked at Kazuki. He didn't like it one bit.

"We were looking around the village. Are you here for the Chunnin Exams?" – Kazuki deigned to ask, ever-the-polite host sensing the hostility between Sasuke and the redhead who Kazuki surmised showed the deep want of some sort of friendship with him.

"Ah. I'm sorry, but I didn't quite catch your names." – Temari said in a flirting manner.

"Gomen nasai! We – but all forgot about introductions – are Team 7: this is Uchiha Sasuke, Namikaze Kazuki and I'm Haruno Sakura. Hajime mashite." – Sakura responded in a sweet saccharine tone of voice trying to tell the other girl not to mess with her two teammates.

Gaara's eyes widened at the name of Namikaze Kazuki. He felt the beast inside of him stir and he shuddered imperceptibly. Kazuki turned to look at him and narrowed his eyes in response.

They sat at the stools provided by the Ramen bar, with Kankurou seated far away from both Gaara and Kazuki, Sasuke seated next to Kankurou and Sakura to his other side, Temari sat besides Sakura and Kazuki, and at last Gaara seated next to Kazuki.

The Ramen's bar Chef greeted them all warmly and put in front of Kazuki a plate of vegetables and a bowl of noodles. Sasuke noticed this and wondered why this special treatment to the Hokage's son, but neither Temari or Sakura bothered with that piece of knowledge.

Gaara began to eat his ramen slowly fearing that it'd be poisoned. His fears were unfound and he began to get into it, happy with that type of comfort food. Kazuki watched the redhead attentively from the corner of his eye while patiently listening to all the blond haired girl talked about. The lunch was almost peaceful in its entirety until Temari deigned to ask Kazuki of the white stole around his neck. She poked it once with her index finger and gasped when it moved away from her touch.

"What is that?!" – she said after a minute of the shocked that thing moving induced in her.

"This is Ichigo." – Kazuki said.

Gaara looked at the animal – for it had finally deigned to show its features to all of the people around him – and smiled a tiny smile that no one but Teuchi and Kazuki were privy to.

"What is he?" – Sakura asked bewildered that this was the first time she'd seen it let alone acknowledge it.

"It's a fox." – Gaara said calmly.

Kazuki turned fully to face Gaara and smiled a blinding smile and Gaara blushed. Kankurou knew right then and there that things had changed for the worst, which wasn't such a good thing for them in the end.

:-:

Sasuke was pouting. Sasuke was upset. Sasuke wasn't sure what he could do to change things between the redheaded genin from Suna and his teammate, who he had begun to like more than a teammate should like another. He decided that night under the covers of his bed to sleep on the problem and decide the next morning what he wanted to do.

But it didn't help. His dreams were filled with chaotic images of Gaara and Kazuki engaging in activities that ranged far beyond his usual PG-13 sensibilities could handle. He woke up in the wee hours of the morning with his first real erection. He wanted to cry.

:-:

Despite being two years older than Kazuki, Gaara and he got along pretty well. Walking together through the village garnered a lot of awed expressions that would have cowed the biggest and most terrifying enemy ever. Except… that even though they were as opposite as day and night are, there was nothing going on between the two. Gaara just liked Kazuki because he was quiet and humane towards him whilst Kazuki only liked Gaara because he didn't react like a pervert whenever their arms would touch.

Two days before the chunnin exams, Gaara – after deliberating for hours upon hours – decided to sneak into Kazuki's room. Kazuki let him into his bed and Gaara fell asleep for the first time in years and was not accosted by Shukaku inside of him.

:-:

In the morning, when Kazuki's father decided to surprise his quiet and cute little genin with pancakes – he was having a rare off morning – he almost had a heart attack when he saw a redheaded genin sleeping soundly next to his only son. He prepared to yell out and was surprised when Kazuki made the universal sign for 'Shh'.

It was a surprise for him to see that. His son defending someone else from him. So he waited until a kage-bunshin of his son made his way towards him.

"Otou-sama… he means no harm." – he said confidently.

Minato knew that sometimes his son was very smart and at others – much like the 'Porn' incident – he was also very much naïve. He sighed as he knelt on his knees to be able to see eye to eye with his ten year old son.

"Naruto… Gaara-kun… we don't know what he's capable of. There has been multiple assassinations at the hands of young Gaara-kun."

Kazuki's clone looked to the side and gnawed softly on his lip for a second and then said…

"He's lonely. He's a jinchuuriki and he's very afraid of the demon inside of him. When he came to me tonight, he came because he couldn't sleep, because he doesn't sleep. He feels safe with me… he isn't trying to hurt me."

Minato looked at the figure lying next to his son, how he slept as if he had never slept before. And from what he knows of the biju inside of him, he knows that his son isn't lying. Could he fix the seal?

"Ok. How about we reach a compromise Kazuki? If he lets me take a good solid look on his seal, then I will see that it is okay for him to hang around you, okay?"

His son's clone smiled a big one that had Minato smiling as well. He just couldn't find it in his heart to say no to his one and only son.

:-:

That morning was clearly the brightest day that had ever reached Gaara's eyes. It had started with a hug from his first true friend. Then, breakfast that wasn't poisoned and followed by a trip around the village. And then it ended when he saw his sensei talking to one Yakushi Kabuto and he frowned.

Kazuki who was privy to the change of mood in his new friend, took him aside and asked him if something was wrong. Gaara wondered if he could still keep his friend and still be loyal to the village from where he came from. He was startled to think that he would betray his village for the sake of staying with Kazuki forever more.

"Take me to your hokage." – he said in a determined soft voice and Kazuki agreed.

:-:

Minato was surprised to see his son with the Kazekage's youngest in his office. After all, he hadn't expected for Kazuki to tell the older boy about him. But there they were and the boy before him was determined.. to do what, he couldn't say, but he wished to know.

:-:

A impromptu meeting with his most trusted council-members: Hyuuga Hiashi, Uchiha Itachi, Inuzuka Tsume, Aburame Shibi, Akimichi Chouza, Nara Shikaku, Yamanaka and his sensei were there, along with Tsunade-sama and Kakashi-kun. Sarutobi Sasuke – Sandaime Hokage – was also there.

He cleared his throat and began telling them of the new information that came forth just that morning. For two hours they argued back and forth, and after the next hour; they reached a conclusion. Prevent the invasion from happening, and find the culprit before it was too late.

:-:

Kakashi wanted his team to go to the chunnin exams. But the truth was that even though they had improved individually, they lacked what the other two rookie teams had in spades: teamwork. Kazuki was willing to work with both of his teammates, but Sakura was either too vain still to be a hardened kunoichi and Sasuke – although in peace with Kazuki – didn't seem that happy – at times – with his younger teammate. So, he didn't deem them ready to enter the exams, but now there was even the possibility of Orochimaru lurking around under the guise of any enemy shinobi, he might act like a genin, or like a chunnin or even a jounin… he knew what he had to do. He gave his team the choice to go to the chunnin exams.

What he didn't expect was that the day the exams started… only Sakura and Sasuke showed up. Kazuki didn't come at all! Sakura was in tears because her – still – precious Sasuke-kun was held back by the fact a 10 year old boy didn't want to enter the exams. Sasuke pouted at being unable to enter the exams, but shrugged and said that it was probably for the best. Kakashi silently agreed. He wondered why did Kazuki didn't come… though.

:-:

Shikamaru wanted to visit his young blond friend soon after the first part of the exams was over. They had gotten thrown out due to Chouji's loud crunching. He didn't want to become chunnin so easily, the written test was so laboriously troublesome that even though he could have passed it with his eyes closed, he didn't feeling put out that his blond friend hadn't gone and be part of it. They had to pass the test as a team, but he knew Chouji had sensed his hesitance at taking the test. Chouji might've been acting out on his own, but the truth was that when they didn't see Kazuki anywhere near… they decided it wasn't worth it at all.

If there was something that bothered Shikamaru was that things seemed to be turn for the worst as he made his way home instead. Chouji and he – after leaving Ino at her parent's flower shop angry at them for not passing the first test – had decided to head out home instead of searching for their young friend knowing that he'd come searching for them when he'd want to. He noticed then when after leaving Chouji at home, that things were changing. The shinobi were restless even if the civilians didn't notice. He didn't know why he felt like he felt, but the changes weren't necessarily good. It might've been fatalistic of him to believe so, but he knew the live of a ninja was hard and things were beginning to feel like it might end harder even.

When he went to see his father after purposefully failing the written exam… he found his mother crying a bit. They hadn't noticed him yet, so he hid from their sight. His stealth might've not been the best since he was still a rookie, but he made certain this time to not show himself before he knew what was really going on. He wondered why he couldn't remember ever hearing her cry, sure he had seen her angry and a bit sad, and sometimes happy and her worst nagging side, but he was sure that this was the first time he had seen her cry.

"… You said you wouldn't go back to it! Shikaku!" – she wailed harder than he'd ever heard his mother wail before, if ever in his whole life and was instantly on guard.

"Inoichi and Chouza have already agreed. After Orochimaru is dead and buried, we will go back to ANBU. The village needs it and I won't deny my village by being a coward. Control yourself Yen. You still have Shikamaru to think of." – he heard his father say seriously. He was being harsh with his wife to be sure, almost as dominant as Shikamaru had never seen his father be with his mother; but it belied his true sentiments. Shikamaru could hear the tremble in his father's voice. Knew that it meant things were really going to turn out troublesome, but couldn't understand why.

Shikamaru turned tail and walked away not knowing what to think of what he had heard. If things were changing, if this is how it would be from here on out, he wasn't sure he wanted it to change.

:-:

Kazuki found his friend sitting alone in the woods surrounding the Nara compound. He could tell he was sad. He had known something was wrong with Shikamaru even before Shikamaru's mom had called him while he was returning from the library and had asked him if he had seen his friend. His kit, Ichigo; had been adamant then that he sniff his 'troublesome' friend out.

Some would say he had run away from the future, but ever since he had heard Gaara's story – his new friend from Suna – he had been doing his duty. He had not run away from his responsibilities. His current teammates might have not like it that he bailed on them for the Chunnin exams, but he knew what was for the best. And he knew that as much as he wanted to become an Academy Instructor, he knew he had to bade his time. He just couldn't jump from genin-hood to chunnin-hood in less than six months. He needed to grow up a bit before he could become a Chunnin for while he were good in some skills, his mentality was still of a ten year old boy.

On the other hand, his tenant had bade him to think twice before going to the chunnin exams. He trusted Kyuubi-san. He might not have been his father's favorite person – Kyuubi that is – but he knew when Kyuubi-san had told him that he needed to center himself on his skills, that he meant he was doing far enough for now to suddenly embark on becoming a chunnin. He just wasn't ready for it.

He sat down next to his friend and laid his head on his shoulder giving comfort in the only way he knew how. By being silent.

The tears came unbidden from Shikamaru's eyes. He was just a kid. What did he know of life? That it was troublesome? Up until now he hadn't even considered the possible changes that could occur at home. His father seemed as lazy as they came, but he knew he had honor and was a damn good shinobi. Kazuki let Shikamaru let it all out never questioning or asking him anything and Shikamaru was grateful. He would have never been able to break down like this with Chouji. Chouji needed him to be strong, he was just a thirteen year old boy, what did he know about life? Nothing.