Author's Note: I'm really really really sorry for disappearing! Consider this extra long chapter a peace offering!
Warning: YAOI (Rating will go up and content will be more explicit in later chapters), some swearing.
Disclaimer: I do not own 'Naruto' or any of the characters from the anime/manga.
Bold and Italics flashbacks
The Art of Fabrication (cont.)
(now also known as 'Taof' – brilliant idea of JD01)
By: Nine1991
Chapter 6: Of Threats and Guilt
Ever since the arrival of the Kazekage, the normally comfortable, laid-back village of Konoha had been locked tighter than an S-class criminal jail cell. The idea was that all activity taken place within the vicinity of Konoha's walls were to be tightly monitored, basically achieving the result that anything inside remained inside and anything outside remained outside. Missions were postponed to a later date or simply not assigned at all as a measure to decrease ninja movement across the village border. And whatever movement there was, was scanned and evaluated to such a detail that the people were nothing short of being strip-searched on the spot had they wanted to even step a toe across Konoha's gates.
The hosting of another village's Kage had been and always will be a delicate and tense affair. The fact that they held another village's ruler within their walls was easily the equivalent of housing someone else's heart within their own body. At the off chance that even a single hair on the visiting Kage's head was harmed while within their domain, the corresponding village would not hesitate to act on that as a reason to attack and wage a war. Countless alliances and years of carefully maintained peace have been reduced to dust before due to accidents during Kage meetings that were, amidst the panic and alarm, perceived as an offensive move. Blood would be spilt and buildings razed to the ground, and, in the end, no one really won.
No, Konoha would not risk such a war. Not when their alliance with Suna was still on shaky terms, having been formed not even a decade ago. Which was why these measures were being taken, and why many Leaf nins suddenly found themselves with nowhere to go and nothing to do.
And this was exactly what Sasuke blamed as cause for his current predicament. He sat, perched on some random person's apartment balcony – an old lady it seemed, if the oversized pink underwear hanging on the clothes line were any indication – looking down on the steady traffic of people below him.
It was a boring day, with simply nothing to do. He had woken up in the morning with full intentions of embarking on a full day of hard, satisfying training, but by midday had been left feeling restless and fidgety. When his shurikens had started to gradually veer off course from the center of the target he was aiming at, Sasuke admitted defeat and let his feet take him to wherever it is they wanted to go so much. And that was how Sasuke found himself, twenty minutes later, sitting on some old lady's creaky balcony with the largest undergarments he'd ever seen swinging not five metres from his face. Never in all his short life had he thought he'd have to put up with so much humiliation (he was an Uchiha, damn it!), but five minutes into the crowded streets of Konoha's market square and after the twentieth accidental collision – nineteen of which were female, peculiarly – he'd finally decided to use his brain and taken to the closest window ledge/roof/balcony/anything really as long as it got him off the streets and away from human interaction. This old balcony just happened to have the perfect shade that kept him away from curious (long-lashed, simpering) eyes and allowed him complete, unhindered view of his surroundings.
For that, he'd put up with the hideous underwear.
Sasuke sighed as he rested his chin on his arm, which lay across a bent knee. 'Well, this is the last time I trust my feet to lead the way.'
His eyes flickered to the quaint ramen stand situated below every time someone entered or left the shop, the momentary parting of the entrance flaps allowing brief glimpses of a loud orange shirt and bright golden hair. He could hear the hearty laughter all the way from where he was sitting. He rubbed his palm against the sudden dull ache in his chest.
It never ceased to amaze him how easily Naruto seemed to draw people in. And though he did notice how the older generation always grumbled and sneered whenever the blond was within hearing distance, the same could not be said for the younger generation of Konoha. They all simply adored him – everyone from his fellow peers to the younger children. He remembered that trio of brats that cornered Naruto the other day – Konohamaru or something was the leader's name – and they had begged and begged for the blond to help them train. 'Boss', they had called him. And it didn't take much whining and tugging before Naruto gave in and sacrificed almost an hour (much to Sasuke's amazement) of his ramen-eating time to supervise the young ninjas in target practice and chakra control. Personally, Sasuke would have just flashed them a glare and they would have run straight for the high hills. He snorted. Who in their right mind would want to look up to such a dobe anyway?
His eyes focused back on the entrance of the ramen stand as a portly man exited the shop, carrying what must have been at least three days worth of packaged food. The flaps parted widely behind him, and Sasuke looked past the man's bulky form and into the shop, only to stiffen as his gaze did not land on Naruto's grinning face, but instead was met with a pair of cold, green, not-very-friendly eyes. Sasuke's eyes narrowed dangerously as he glared back. And he continued to do so even when the flaps fell back into place, blocking the interior of the shop from view.
Quite frankly, he was getting sick of the Kazekage acting like some sort of disgruntled guard dog. The market place was public property (well, maybe not the balcony he was sitting on, but he was sure the owner wouldn't mind), and if he so wanted to overlook the busy crowd of people in his spare time then he was very well entitled to.
Sasuke straightened when he saw a pair of sandal-clad feet linger just behind the curtain of flaps. If the Kazekage was game enough to confront him in the middle of the market square, then he would eagerly accept the challenge with open arms.
With his shoulders tensed and a hand poised, hovering over his weapons pouch, Sasuke's eyes were trained on the stationary flaps of Ichiraku Ramen. His heartbeat started to quicken in excitement as the flaps parted, and someone stepped out into the glaring sunlight.
Someone with…pink….hair.
Sasuke let out a disappointed sigh as his muscles relaxed and he slumped back onto the wall he was leaning on. He blew an irritating stray strand of dark hair away from his eyes. For a moment there, he thought he was going to be in for some fun. It had been a while since he was able to pit his strengths against another ninja (he winced as he remembered just when that last time was), and he supposed a part of him was hoping for the Kazekage to snap and make the first move.
"Uchiha-san! Uchiha-san!"
Sasuke glanced to the side at the sound of his name, an eyebrow quirked almost on reflex. He grimaced as he saw the pink-haired girl who had just previously exited the ramen shop waving enthusiastically up at him from across the street. Now that he thought about it, she did look rather familiar. Where had he seen her before?
"Oh my gosh! It's that guy!"
"Sugoi! He's gorgeous!"
"Isn't he the new Suna transfer?"
"Should I go introduce myself? How do I look?"
Sasuke started to feel uneasy as he noticed the sudden amount of whispering and admiring gazes directed his way. He silently cursed the pink-haired kunoichi for giving away his position.
"Uchiha-san!"
And it seemed she was not quite yet finished ruining his day as she was still calling him, still making her way towards him, and still so unbearably loud! For god sakes, she might as well start waving flash beacons at his balcony if she continued to screech his name any louder.
Sasuke stood up calmly, stretching his legs a little as he encouraged the blood to resume its usual flow, blatantly ignoring the gushing remarks of "He's so cool!" and other idiotic girlish cries that sounded in the background at his movements. His lips pressed into a straight, thin line, and he checked to see just how far away that pink-haired girl was (she was enthusiastically weaving her way through the crowds of people at quite a fantastic rate). Not looking forward to a meeting with a person of the female variety just yet, Sasuke swiveled on his heel and darted off into a nearby, shadowed alleyway before taking to the roofs and away from the market square.
-LineBreak-
Uzumaki Naruto was in heaven. Sweet, euphoric heaven. If this was a dream then he dearly wished he was in a coma with no preordained recovery date, for he wanted to spend the rest of his life right here, right now, in this dream. Whoever said that the best things in life could not be bought must've never had ramen, and he was sure thankful that Gaara was the Kazekage (and therefore wildly loaded), able to treat him to a ramen spree every time he came to Konoha for a visit.
He slurped up the rest of the noodle dangling from his mouth, flicking broth everywhere, and Sakura cringed back in disgust as she saw a stray glistening droplet fly through the air, only to land in her own bowl. She blinked a few times, before bringing a fist up to crash it back down on the blond mop of hair beside her.
"Itttaaii!!!" Naruto yelled, toppling out of his stool and onto the floor, both hands nursing his bruised scalp. "What was that for, Sakura-chan!?"
"That was for your disgusting eating manners," Sakura snapped, primly placing her chopsticks on the bowl and pushing it away from her. She was full anyway.
Naruto shot a hefty glare at Kiba, who was busy guffawing at the blonde's expense, and threw a scrunched up ball of napkin at his ungrateful friend. "Shut up, dog-breath!"
"Or you'll do what, fox-face?" Kiba's grin was all teeth. "Wipe your mouth on me?"
His response was another napkin in the face.
Naruto grumbled as he grabbed onto Gaara's seat and hoisted himself up, perching back on his own stool. He looked at Gaara, who had remained characteristically silent throughout the entire ordeal, and grimaced when he saw his friend was calmly dabbing at an array of dark splotches on his vest. Naruto smiled sheepishly. "Heh, sorry Gaara. Did I do that?"
Gaara slowly placed the used napkin back on the counter and turned his piercing jade-green gaze on the blond. The owner of the shop and the other customers sitting within the vicinity stopped to stare, their legs tensed and ready to bolt at the first sign of hostility from the feared Kazekage. Naruto frowned and glanced around confusedly at the suddenly quiet atmosphere.
Gaara blinked. "It is fine," he said, before turning back to his bowl of ramen. It really was fine. He was well accustomed to Naruto's messiness by now, and knew never to wear one of his good outfits when treating the blond to ramen. There was a collective sigh of relief as people went back to what they were doing. Teuchi discreetly wiped the sweat from his brow, glad his shop wasn't going to be obliterated, and went back to wiping the dishes.
"Say, fox-face, when was the last time you went on a mission? I haven't seen you get off your lazy ass since last month!"
Naruto huffed angrily. "Shut up, dog-breath! Of course I've been doing missions. The old hag's just been limiting me to ones that are inside the village. I think she's pissed at me about my apartment blowing up or something." He swirled the broth in his bowl with a chopstick dejectedly. "Don't know why. It's not like I wanted my apartment to blow up."
Sakura, who was just about to chastise the blond for referring to the Hokage so disrespectfully, felt her annoyance dissipate immediately at hearing Naruto's unhappy tone. Her face softened as she gently touched the blonde's hand with her own. "She's just worried about you, Naruto. We all are."
Naruto glanced up at the kunoichi, his brows still knitted in a slight frown. Sakura shouldered him gently, a reassuring smile on her face. Slowly, the blonde's lips quirked into a small grin.
"Aaahh, Sakura. Speak for yourself. Like I care what happens to fox-face over there."
Thwack! "Kiba! You insensitive jerk!"
"Itai! What! What!"
Naruto laughed loudly. He didn't know where he'd be without his friends. And frankly, he never wanted to find out.
Kiba stumbled over, a hand rubbing his sore shoulder and muttering grumpily under his breath. "Damn it, Sakura, you should go easy on the protein."
Sakura shot him a venomous glare, and Kiba shrunk back perceptibly. He slipped in between the kunoichi and Naruto, keeping as close to the blond as possible. He gave Naruto a friendly punch on the shoulder. "Nah, man. We're buds! Of course I care!"
Naruto grinned crookedly. "You comin' on to me, man?"
Kiba shot the blond a dirty look, rolling his eyes and throwing his hands in the air in a dramatic display of exasperation. "Dude! Completely killed the moment, man! You don't go and shoot down a guy's masculinity like that when he's tryin' to have a heart-to-heart!"
Naruto snorted and even Sakura couldn't help but let out a small chuckle.
"Ah, just joking, man. Hey, you wanna help me play a prank?"
Kiba's neck swiveled so fast that Naruto was sure it must have caused whiplash. A wide grin was plastered on the ninja's face. "Who, what, where. I'm all ears, man. All ears."
Sakura scowled as the two boys huddled head-to-head, conspiring in low voices. Honestly, would they ever grow up? She ordered another drink. If they were up to mischief, then someone had to hang around and act the chaperone.
Gaara watched his blond friend laugh and chat merrily, watched him smile his bright smile as if daring the world to throw at him all it had and that he'd take it head on with his hands tied behind his back. Naruto truly was an enigma, and Gaara never could quite fathom what logic caused the blond to grow up so cheerful even after all the hate that had been directed his way, after all that he'd been through. Gaara knew what it was like to grow up in such a bitter environment, knew what it felt like, and knew that there was absolutely no way he himself could have grown up any less hateful. So just how had Naruto done it?
"Yo! Chouji!"
A large teenager who had just entered the ramen shop smiled and walked over to their area of the counter at hearing Kiba's shout. He settled himself down on the seat at Kiba's right, swiping his sleeve over a sweaty brow, his cheeks with their peculiar swirly marks tinted red from a combination of the weather's heat and the walk to the ramen shop. "Hey, guys."
"Here for lunch?" Naruto asked with a knowing grin, placing an elbow on the counter and leaning over to survey Chouji around Kiba's obstructing form.
Chouji shook his head. "Nah, just here to pick up my dad's order." And right on cue, a plastic bag housing the largest stack of food containers Naruto had ever seen was placed on the counter. Naruto's mouth watered.
Kiba shot an amused glance at the blond. "Hey, Chouji, you better get going before Naruto here dies of dehydration."
Chouji chuckled, grabbing the plastic bag and swerving it away just as Naruto lunged. "No can do, man. Dad would have my head." He gave one last sweeping wave of the shop, shouting a "Thanks, Teuchi-san! See you guys later!" over his shoulder as he left.
Naruto sighed as he collapsed onto the surface of the counter, his arms splayed out in front of him lazily. He looked at the old shop owner and grinned, lifting one pointer finger into the air as he said, "One more, Oji-san!"
"Huh!? Naruto! Haven't you had enough!?" Sakura remarked disapprovingly as her eyes lingered on the surrounding empty bowls of ramen, piled high and scattered wide.
Naruto shooed the question away with a dismissive sweep of his hand. "Maah, you could never have enough ramen! And besides, Gaara doesn't mind. Do you, Gaara?" Bright, blue eyes turned onto the Kazekage expectantly.
Gaara, who had been staring intently at the shop entrance, calmly turned back to Naruto. "I do not mind," he said, his gaze slowly moving from Naruto to Sakura, as if daring the kunoichi to voice one more protest.
Sakura blanched. Sometimes it was so very difficult dealing with the Kazekage.
Naruto idly watched the shop keeper bustling around preparing his order, eventually switching his focus to his red-headed friend, who had in turn switched his focus back on the shop entrance. Naruto clucked his tongue a few times, his fingers tapping impatiently on the smooth wooden surface under it before slapping flat with a sudden thump. "So, Gaara, whatcha lookin' a-"
"Uchiha is outside."
Naruto blinked. "What?"
"Your bodyguard is outside."
Naruto was silent for a minute, and the shop owner chose that exact moment to place the blonde's steaming bowl of ramen on the counter. Naruto turned to his meal, coolly breaking apart a new pair of chopsticks and swirling it around the broth. He was fully aware that Gaara's piercing gaze never once wavered from his face. "So what?" Naruto muttered, taking a huge mouthful of noodles.
"What did he do?"
A pause. Chew and swallow. "What are you talking about?"
"You get along with everyone." Jade-green eyes narrowed. And Gaara's voice turned sharper, more statement than question. "What did the Uchiha do."
Naruto's brows lifted and his lips quirked into a lopsided grin. He picked up a fishcake between his chopsticks and shoved them into his mouth. "Gaara, the Uchiha did nothing."
Gaara emotionlessly stared at the blond. However, he didn't get the chance to respond as Sakura's face snapped away from her chat with Kiba at the sound of a familiar name.
"Eh? Uchiha? As in your bodyguard-Uchiha?"
Naruto waved a chopstick in the air. "Yeah. Gaara says he's outside."
Sakura's face practically lit up with excitement. "Really!?" she squealed, but stopped short and blushed when she realized all eyes were looking her way. She cleared her throat uneasily. "Erm…well, guess I should go say hi then!" Jumping up from her seat, Sakura walked (with perhaps a little more bounce than she intended) to the store's entrance.
"Whaaattt!" Naruto whined, "Why do you have to leave, Sakura-chan?"
Sakura paused before she exited the ramen shop, turning back to the pouting blond with a small frown on her face and her hands on her hips. "Don't be silly, Naruto! It'll be rude if we don't greet him!" And with that, she left the store, the flaps of the entrance cascading back into place behind her.
Naruto huffed, swiping a lock of golden-blond hair away from his eyes as he turned back to the counter and lifted the bowl to his lips, draining it of its remaining broth. He glanced at Gaara, who happened to still be staring at him.
Naruto sighed as he placed the now-empty bowl back on the counter. He pointedly looked at Gaara. "Nothing. Happened."
He signaled for the bill.
-LineBreak-
Haruno Sakura inwardly gave a triumphant cheer as she swerved her way past one last villager (the old man she cut in front of gave her a particularly nasty glare as he grumbled something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like 'Kids these days…'). She paused to catch her breath, resting her palms against her knees as she took in big gulps of air. Once her lungs had been sufficiently supplied with oxygen and the piercing stitch in her side had dulled to a gentle ache, Sakura straightened up, her lips pulled into a shy smile as she lifted a hand to wave to the handsome ninja that had caught her eye.
She paused, the smile on her lips morphing into a frown, her hand frozen comically halfway above her shoulder as she stared in confusion at the rickety balcony that had, until recently, housed one gorgeous dark-haired nin.
'Eh? Where'd he go?'
-LineBreak-
It had been a comfortably warm summer's day when Naruto had been asked by Iruka to assist him in a class presentation. Which of course left Sasuke with nothing to do and nowhere to go for seven hours or so, since he couldn't very well stand guard in a school classroom. Kids just weren't his thing. And besides, what possible harm could come to the blond in a classroom full of inexperienced Genins save misaimed kunais and poorly-thrown shurikens?
He wandered aimlessly down the corridors of the Hokage tower, his muscles aching pleasantly from his earlier morning training after having escorted Naruto to the academy. He had to admit, for one thing, Konoha really did have a pleasant training ground. With their extensive acres of forest, he was able to train in seclusion, without being bothered by other ninjas or the like.
Sasuke paused for a fraction of a second as he passed the Hokage's office, his ears catching the muffled sound of something crashing closely followed by low, harsh voices. He took note of the deserted guard posts beside the large oak doors. No sooner had he thought that the situation seemed peculiar when the Hokage's angered voice sifted through the seams of the timber doors.
"…am responsible for the citizens of Konoha…do not make the mistake…thinking I do not do my job well…"
Sasuke moved to continue down the hall – after all, whoever the Hokage had a meeting with was no concern of his – but froze mid-step at hearing the next snip of conversation.
"…village is holding him back…Naruto is not an object to be possessed…" The Kazekage's cold voice was easily recognizable even through the thickness of the timber.
Sasuke stood stock-still as the voices inside the office escalated and whole sentences rather than just bits of conversation were more easily heard.
"Do not make the mistake of thinking that you are the only one who cares for Naruto!" The Hokage sounded furious.
"And yet you still cage him in this prison you call a village," the Kazekage's voice was as hard and chilly as ice, "This place is bleeding him dry."
"I take care of all my people! Are you accusing me of negligence towards any one of my citizens?"
"It is because you take care of all your people that I believe you have chosen to preserve the village over Naruto. He is not a sacrifice for you or anyone to make-"
A harsh thump, like fist upon wood.
"And neither is he yours, Kazekage-sama! As the Godaime Hokage of Konoha, I reject your proposal and I will not be transferring Uzumaki Naruto to Suna. This discussion is over."
There was silence, for only a moment, before the large oak doors of the Hokage's office flung wide open with a whirlwind of raging sand, the torrent of particles cascading like an unblocked dam into a flood along the floor, the grains moving, swirling, travelling at a terrific pace. And before Sasuke knew it, he was backed against the opposite wall, buried neck-high in a cocoon of sand that immobilized every limb of his body, not allowing even the slightest inch of movement.
The Kazekage appeared through the doorway, silently walking up to Sasuke's trapped form with something akin to cold indifference if it weren't for the slightly manic glint in his eyes. Eyes which, Sasuke now realized as the Kazekage stopped not even a meter away from him, were no longer its usual pale green but a rich gold, the pupils strangely diamond-shaped. Sasuke took small satisfaction in the fact that he was at least a couple of inches taller than the red-head in front of him.
"You were listening."
It didn't seem like a question, so he didn't bother to grace it with an answer.
"You did something to him."
Sasuke kept his voice toneless as he enquired, "May I ask what you are talking about, Kazekage-sama?" He knew that his disguise was precariously on the edge. Ever since the Kazekage had stepped foot inside Konoha's walls, his position had become increasingly risky. It would be so easy for everything to fall apart at that moment if he didn't act calmly.
"Know this, Uchiha," the Kazekage took one step closer, and the sand encasing Sasuke's neck tightened exponentially, "Naruto saved my life…" The grains crawled upwards, tendrils creeping up his chin and cheekbones threateningly. "…And, Suna-nin or not, I have no qualms about taking yours."
The Kazekage's eyes bore into his own, and Sasuke had to fight to suppress his Sharingan from activating at the almost overbearing killing intent. He reigned in his urge to fight, the urge to pit his strengths against a powerful opponent, that acute urge that could ruin everything.
All of a sudden, the tight grip on his body lessened, the grains melting away to a loose, harmless pile on the floor before gathering smoothly and collecting into the large gourd strapped to the Kazekage's back. The Kazekage gave Sasuke one last piercing look before striding away down the hall, his steps calm and silent.
Sasuke slumped against the wall behind him, sheer stubbornness being the only thing that kept his legs from giving out. He took a deep breath.
"You alright, Uchiha?"
Sasuke looked up. The Hokage was standing by the doorway, looking at him with a bored expression on her face. It seems she had gotten up to close the doors that the Kazekage had left ajar at his exit.
Sasuke nodded. The doors to the Hokage's office closed firmly shut.
-LineBreak-
"I'm gonna go and spend the day at Ichiraku's with Gaara, so…yeah." Naruto stood awkwardly by the doorway, shifting his weight from foot to foot uneasily as he waited for some sign that Sasuke had heard what he had said. When his dark-haired bodyguard remained unresponsive, Naruto left, taking the silence as an affirmative.
Sasuke stared blankly at the scroll in his hand, his eyes seeing but not comprehending what was written on its pale surface. When he heard the door slam shut, he rolled the scroll up and placed it aside, grasping the cup of tea beside him and holding it so that his hands wrapped around the whole circumference, enjoying the warm, almost scorching heat of the ceramic against his palms. He took one sip, then two, before downing the rest in one gulp, ignoring the harsh burn of the scalding liquid as it surged down his throat, leaving a numb, tingling feeling in its wake. He got up, deposited the cup in the sink, grabbed his weapons pouch from the dining table and left the room.
Sasuke walked purposefully along the forest path to the training grounds, reveling in the peacefulness of the nature around him. He really did enjoy his solitude, enjoyed being away from the wagging tongues and prying eyes of other people, enjoyed being alone. 'And yet…' Sasuke thought, as he rubbed the heel of his palm against that dull, persistent ache in his chest, 'It doesn't feel quite as good as it used to.'
He settled himself down against the foot of a nearby tree, suddenly not quite in the mood to be hurling shurikens at targets or punching at logs. A gentle breeze swept past and Sasuke closed his eyes and leaned his head back, enjoying the cool relief. He opened them again a minute later.
Against the clear blue sky, peaking just over the green of the surrounding tree tops, Sasuke could see the tall mountain containing the carvings of the heads of Konoha's previous Hokages. On the far right he could see the face with a stark likeness to the Godaime's, the expression stern just like its four other counterparts and looking down upon the village. He paused when, as he scanned the mountainside, he laid eyes on the face beside the Godaime's. Wild, gravity-defying hair and intense eyes. In his mind's eye he painted those locks gold, and those eyes a vivid, striking blue, and thin whisker-like marks lining each chee –
Sasuke blinked. That was it, wasn't it? He subconsciously rubbed the intensifying ache in his chest. That was the problem all along! The reason why he had recently been finding it difficult to concentrate, the reason for this damn annoying pain he was experiencing…
Was it because he was feeling – dare he say it – guilty?
He brushed his bangs away from his forehead, scrabbling onto his feet and feeling like he'd just solved a particularly difficult puzzle. So, really, all he had to do was apologize to the idiot. Barring the fact that he had never, not once in his life, apologized to anyone before – if that was all it took to get his focus back in check, then he was willing to put his pride aside for a sliver of a moment.
Before he realized it, he was running back to the Hokage Tower.
This guilt was slowly eating him away, and he'd be damned if he'd let it get in the way of his goal of destroying that man.
-LineBreak-
The first thing he noticed when he finally reached his room was that someone had entered it, and it was probably recent as well considering Sasuke had left the Hokage Tower not even half an hour ago. The door wasn't closed properly, something Sasuke was sure he had done before he left. It pushed open before he even had the chance to turn the knob.
Opening the door slowly (he silently thanked himself for having the initiative to oil the hinges last week), Sasuke stepped carefully into the room, a hand swiftly pulling out a kunai from his weapons pouch. He cast his senses wide, trying to pick up any chakra signatures within the vicinity, and frowned when he picked up Naruto's in his room. 'The idiot.' Sasuke sighed, and was about to put his kunai away when his senses picked up a spark of unfamiliar chakra next to the blonde's. The fact that Naruto's chakra seemed to suddenly fluctuate as well caused Sasuke's mind to jump to the worst possible conclusions, and he was across the living room in the blink of an eye, throwing the door to Naruto's bedroom wide open. At the back of his mind, a voice was telling him that he was acting irrationally, that he was panicking and throwing all his training out the window and since when the hell did barging head-first into a situation count as a well-calculated plan? But that voice was silenced immediately when Sasuke saw the sight before him.
At the sudden disturbance, Naruto's head snapped to the side to look over his shoulder from where he was standing in front of the Kazekage. At seeing Sasuke's frozen form framed in the now open doorway, Naruto cursed under his breath and pushed Gaara's hands away from their position on his waist. He lunged to the bed, grabbed his shirt and proceeded to shove it onto his torso, keeping his back to the dark-haired man who had just barged into the room.
Sasuke watched, stunned as he struggled to get his act back together. Whereas any normal person would have lost their jaw to the floor or started stuttering incoherently, Sasuke's expression remained composed and the only thing that signified his shock was the minuscule widening of his eyes. When he was able to gather his senses back together, Sasuke's gaze focused on the Kazekage, who was staring at him blankly from his seat by Naruto's desk, an arm leaning calmly over the sheaf of papers and scrolls scattered across the wooden surface.
He switched his focus to Naruto, who still had his back to him and was fiddling with his shirt. If Sasuke looked closer, he could see the telltale signs that the blond was blushing, from the pink-tinged skin of the back of Naruto's tanned neck.
He blinked, then calmly stepped out, closing the door gently behind him.
-LineBreak-
When the Kazekage had exited Naruto's room five minutes later with his gourd in place and a sac slung over his shoulder, Sasuke had already busied himself with the task of re-sharpening his weapons. He looked up at the Kazekage and their eyes met, and Sasuke, for the life of him, couldn't understand the sudden burning hatred and animosity he felt towards the red-haired Suna leader. He tore his eyes away from that blank, green gaze, and went back to sharpening the kunai in his hand, perhaps with a little more strength than was necessary.
As he heard the door click shut, signaling the Kazekage had left, Sasuke ceased his activity. It was only when his eyes cleared of their furious haze that he realized the stinging in his hand came from a large cut where the kunai he had been sharpening had cut in so deep that it almost hit bone.
-TBC-
-LineBreak-
I'm sorry that it seems like every time I update it always ends up being later and later. I was hit with school exams and I didn't have the time to write anything at all! Anyway, everything's all over now and I should hopefully be able to get on track with this fic again.
So, I hope I haven't lost any of my readers during my two months of no update. If I did then…what do I have to do to get you guys back!!! - sobs –
For all of you patient people who are still reading this story…thank you thank you thank you thank you!!!
For any newbies that have just started reading – welcome and please bear with me.
And I would also just like to inform you guys that I'll be changing this fic rating to 'M' by next chapter, since I don't want anyone freaking out when I do dish out a lemon. Heh heh, you heard right. A lemon! But it won't be anytime soon, though.
Please review! It helps me know if you guys enjoy the story so far or if I'm just boring you. Plus, I simply just love reviews.
- Nine1991 -