Shukaku: Here's another chapter everyone! Enjoy it!
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto
"..." Normal talking
'...' Thinking/Dreaming
"..." Connection thoughts
The days following Naruto's awakening were awkward and embarrassing. The fox still found some things unbearable, such as loud noises, especially if they were coming from Itachi's room.
"How did I not hear them before?" He growled one morning as his master dressed for school. Sasuke now found changing in front of his pet very awkward and now changed in the bathroom with the double doors closed.
"If you don't stop complaining about it, I'm going to kick you out of this room, dobe." Naruto pouted, Sasuke now called him dobe whenever he went on a rant that lasted for more than a day or so.
"You're such a bad liar, Master Sasuke-teme," Naruto of course retorted with the use of teme whenever his master called him dobe.
"Am I now?" The fox gave a startled gasp when the raven darted from the bathroom and pounced on him.
"Yes, you are," He laughed as the Uchiha rolled away. "You should be going soon," He nervously fingered the pendent on his collar as well as the necklace Tsunade had given him.
"I'll see you later, Naruto," He ruffled the blonde's hair and got off the bed, snatching up his bag on the way out. "Don't let Kyuubi spoil you too much today," He warned.
"I won't, Master," Naruto smiled, they used their connection a lot these days. The fox stared up at the canopy, arms out beside him as he thought about the last few days. Neither boy stood very close together, it was as if they were magnates that repelled instead of attracted. Naruto never slept in human form and if he did it was probably because he was too tired to shift forms. He enjoyed the fact that Sasuke allowed him to do just about anything he wanted though he still wasn't allowed outside unsupervised.
"Ne, Naru-chan, you awake yet?" The blonde cringed when he heard Kyuubi say his new nickname. Since he could technically no longer be called kit, he now called him –chan which got on his nerves; he was no female.
"Yes, I'm awake, Kyuubi," He answered holding back a growl. The kitsune poked his head into the room and pounced on his brother who gave a startled cry.
"Quit being such a grouch," He laughed. "You're acting like Sasuke and that's no fun."
"Leave me alone, niisan," Naruto whined trying to push the larger fox away. He yelped when Kyuubi grasped his wrists, pinning them to either side of his head.
"I know why you're so down, otouto," He purred. "You can't stand being away from Sasuke for long amounts of time," Naruto stopped struggling. "It happens to us all, not just you. This phase will pass after a while, don't worry."
"It's just a phase?" The older kitsune nodded and released his wrists. 'Then what are these other feelings mixed up with it?'
"Come on, let's go watch T.V. okay," Kyuubi got off the bed and gave a wicked smirk. Naruto squealed loudly when the fox threw him over his shoulder, wrapping an arm around his legs to keep him from falling.
"Kyuubi put me down!" He desperately clung to the back of his brother's shirt.
"Nope, cause I know you'll just sit right back down and not move until Sasuke returns."
"You never had a problem with me doing it before," Naruto retorted as Kyuubi made his way downstairs.
"That's because you still acted like a kit," He snapped back. Naruto fell silent and stopped struggling; he knew the older fox was right. He gave a loud 'oof' when he was not so gently deposited on the couch by his brother. "So, what movie do you want to watch?" Kyuubi asked over his shoulder as he looked through the wide collection of movies.
"I don't care, pick whatever you want," He sighed. The blonde pulled his knees up to his chin and wrapped his arms around them.
"Then we'll watch this," He tossed the case over his shoulder without looking, Naruto caught it easily in one hand.
"What are you trying to pull, niisan?" He raised an eyebrow at the case in his hand. "Out of all the movies we have you had to pick The Fox and the Hound?"
"Go ahead and pick something else if you don't like it," The fox moved out of the way after hearing Naruto's feet touch the floor. The younger boy ran his eyes over the various movies before settling for Underworld Evolution, he'd always wanted to watch it. "Good enough," The fox got the CD from the case and popped it into the DVD player, hopping onto the couch with Naruto.
"You can't cover my eyes now," The blonde teased his brother.
"Say anything to Itachi or Sasuke about this and I'll never let you watch it again." The fox shut his mouth at this. "I'm kidding, Naruto."
"When you say something you usually mean it," Naruto mumbled as the movie started. When the sex scene began his blue eyes widened and his ears pricked.
'He hears Itachi-sama and I faking it all the time but he gets curious when he sees this? He's gonna end up like me, the horny little idiot.'
"I heard that, Kyuubi-niisan," Naruto growled.
"Oops, I didn't mean for you to hear that," The kitsune immediately blocked his mind off from the blonde. 'I have to be more careful now that Naruto can link with others at will….. Though it isn't without its advantages.' He smirked wickedly.
Xxxx
Sasuke sighed as he stared out the classroom window; he couldn't help but feel as though a piece of him was missing.
"Sasuke, are you okay?" The Uchiha jumped at the sound of his friend Shikamaru's voice. "You've been spacing out a lot today."
"I have a lot on my mind today, that's all," Shikamaru gave him a skeptical look as he pulled up a chair, straddling it to rest his arms on the back.
"I know that look, Sasuke, now spill it."
"What are you talking about? What look?"
"You know what I mean, now spill it," The Uchiha sighed as he leaned back in his chair, tilting it onto its back legs with his left foot on the desk and the other on the floor to support him.
"It's not really something to discuss at school," The Nara boy nodded.
"I'll come over after school then."
"No, meet me on the roof during lunch," Shikamaru nodded and sighed, muttering his usual 'what a drag' as he got up to go to his own desk. The roof was Sasuke's get away during lunch, he said it cleared his head when he ate up there but Shikamaru knew better. Sasuke only went up there to escape from reality, especially if it was something he didn't want to or didn't know how to deal with.
'If I had to bet it's something that has to do with Naruto,' another sigh. 'How troublesome,' a balled up piece of paper hit him and bounced onto his desk. The Nara boy looked around but he already knew who'd thrown it to him. He straightened out the paper and read the message it held. After doing so he took out a pen and wrote on it before tossing it back to Gaara. 'Looks like he's interested too, might as well have him come along,' He saw Gaara give a slight nod and did the same. He looked over at Sasuke who had returned to staring out the window and muttered to himself.
Xxxx
Kyuubi gently stroked Naruto's hair; the poor boy had fallen asleep right after the movie, leaving his innocent mind unprotected from the older fox.
'Time to have some fun,' He replayed the scene from the movie to the sleeping boy. Instead of the two actors, he replaced the image with that of Sasuke and the blonde making love. Naruto's face contorted and he groaned softly as the scene continued to play out in his dreams. A blush worked its way up his neck and soon his face was a light pink. 'I think he gets the point now,' He blocked his mind and Naruto shot up, panting softly and his face flushed. "Have a nice nap, Naruto-chan?"
"That dream felt awfully real," He sighed.
"Oh, what dream are you talking about?" The young fox blushed a deeper red at the question and he hid his eyes behind his bangs. "You can tell me, otouto," He looked up a little.
"I-I dreamed that I had…" Kyuubi raised an eyebrow. "You know with Master Sasuke."
"Is that why you're so red faced?" He nodded shyly making the fox laugh. "I knew it, you have feelings for him!"
"No I don't!" Naruto blurted his face an even deeper red.
"Your red face says otherwise, little brother," He snorted. "And Sasuke has the same feelings the possessive little idiot," Naruto puffed his cheeks out childishly when Kyuubi said this. "You don't think so? I'd like to see Sasuke deny it," He snorted again. "Well, I'll let you think about that for a while, I'm off to bother Itachi-sama as usual."
Xxxx
Sasuke looked up at the clear blue sky blankly; he hadn't spoken with Naruto all day and was beginning to think he was ignoring him.
'No, he wouldn't ignore me,' He argued with himself. 'He never ignores me….'
"Oi, Uchiha, stop spacing out and eat your lunch before I eat it!" Kiba laughed loudly, catching the pale teen's attention. The boy's hair was messy as usual and his jacket unbuttoned.
"Touch my lunch and I'll break your arm," Sasuke smirked.
"Whatever ya joker, I'll se you guys later. I promised I'd eat lunch with Shino today," The Inuzuka boy grabbed his food and darted down the stairwell.
"Are they going out yet?" Gaara asked after a moment.
"Yeah, since like last week," Shikamaru snorted. "Ino was with Kiba when he asked Shino out."
"Good for them," Sasuke mumbled. Shikamaru and Gaara exchanged glances before looking back at the Uchiha.
"Okay, Sasuke, spill it, what is your problem today?" Gaara growled at his friend. "You've been acting like a damn zombie all week."
"Does it have to do with Naruto?" Sasuke swallowed slowly confirming Shikamaru's earlier assumption. "You know you can talk to us about it right?"
"I know that, Shikamaru," He sighed. "Ever since he woke up everything's been so awkward between us, I can't even change in the bedroom anymore."
"The same thing happened to Lee and I after his coming of age ended." Gaara said, "That feeling will leave soon, after you finally accept that Naruto is still the same pet you bought ten years ago."
"I have accepted that," Sasuke ground out angrily.
"If that awkward feeling is still there then you have not!" Gaara shot back, growing annoyed.
"Once you get over that, everything'll be back to normal," Shikamaru sighed ignoring Gaara's annoyed growls. "Is there anything else you want to tell us?"
"Do you have feelings for your pet?" He hissed, narrowing his eyes at his friends.
"You know the answer to that," Gaara snorted. "I do, I've liked Lee since I bought him. He isn't rare in the same sense as Naruto or Neji but he's rare. Most pets actually have three forms but Lee only has two and has the strongest fighting skills ever seen in this nation."
"Same here, Neji and I hit it off as soon as he gained his human form. Trust me when I say we haven't gone any farther than a kiss."
"Is it right to have those kinds of feelings for… Your best friend?" His onyx eyes became sad. Gaara and Shikamaru knew for a fact that aside from them, Naruto was his closest friend, almost like another brother."Sometime's its right and sometime's its not," Shikamaru sighed. "Sometimes it's just a phase due to the scent."
"It hasn't spiked since Friday."
"Then you have to decide whether your feelings are right or wrong on your own, Sasuke," Gaara muttered. The whole conversation lasted until the end of lunch; Sasuke had a busted lip from Gaara who'd decided that talking wasn't enough and that the raven needed a good punch to bring him to his senses. Sasuke had thanked him after he got over the initial shock, saying he'd needed a good punch.
'I wonder what Naruto is doing,' Sasuke thought after turning his work in first as always.
Xxxx
Naruto whined at Lin who shushed him as she made him some instant ramen. He'd developed a craving for it after he woke up for some reason.
"Well, your appetite sure hasn't changed," She laughed setting the bowl down in front of the fox.
"My appetite will never change!" He laughed as he began to eat. "You're the best, Lin, thank you!" The woman smiled, Naruto was like a son to her and she loved him like one.
"So, how are things between you and Sasuke-sama?" The boy nearly chocked on some ramen. He beat his chest a few times and swallowed, sighing as he set the bowl down.
"It's the same," He mumbled. "Whenever he looks at me I get this weird feeling in my belly and it makes me want to hide from him." Lin laughed lightly earning a confused look. "Did I say something funny?" He cocked his head to the side.
"No, but I know what that feeling is like," She smiled brightly. "I felt it the first time I saw Marcus."
"You mean…..." He trailed off but his ears remained pricked and alert.
"That feeling in your belly, well to say it simply it's love," The fox turned bright red. "So, you're in love with Sasuke-sama huh? I knew you two looked cute together," She winked and his face darkened a shade.
"I don't know if he would feel the same," He whispered. "Technically I'm not human."
"Sasuke-sama doesn't care that you're not human, Naruto," She grasped his shoulders. "Trust me on that," He cocked his head again. "Women's intuition," She laughed.
"Do you really think so?"
"He came to me a few days ago but he was really stingy about his feelings, so I can't give you an accurate answer. I can tell you that he's just as confused as you are though."
"Thank you, Lin-chan," He hugged the woman before darting away. Lin crossed her arms and smiled, Naruto was beginning to understand his feelings at last. Now she only had to coach Sasuke into doing the same before long. Out of all the mansion staff, Lin was the only one who knew about the game, thanks to a certain fox…..
Shukaku: I'm evil to Sasuke aren't I?
Sasuke: You're a bitch!
Shukaku: No one asked you!
Tsunade: Give it a rest! Ignore those two fools and plz R&R