Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to me, I write this story only for my own pleasure and (hopefully) for the pleasure of my readers and I don't earn any money with it, and the rights of the owners are not touched.

We saw him relax in Naruto's arms - Sakura's or Ino's attentions, or even worse, as Suigetsu told me, those of Karin had always made him stiffen or become limp like a rag doll. In Naruto's arms he could even talk:

„I am sorry for the fake embrace last time", he said. „I had to act your enemy in order to deceive Orochimaru. I am glad that now I hold you truly in my arms."

By the look of it it was rather Naruto who held him than the other way round.

It must have been ten minutes that we all stared at them, trying to understand what happened. Karin finally broke the spell:

„Sasuke, you're gay! Why did you not tell me? Why did you let me make a fool of myself?"

He pushed Naruto away. „I am not gay! It is not my fault that you made a fool of yourself!"

I had thought myself that they had been looking as if they were about to kiss, but they had only rested their cheeks against each other's. Now they let go off each other and joined our circle.

„Tomorrow", I repeated to Sasuke, „I want to see whether you are strong enough to beat Itachi." I showed him the bells. „The other two managed to get them."

He looked at Naruto.

„Really? How did you do it?"

„It's no use telling him", I said. „I won't fall twice for the same trick."

„Are you sure?" Naruto asked. „Even if there is a new novel by Jiraya?"

„Next time I will notice that you don't know the main character's name."
He told Sasuke what had happened, and if it had been possible, we would have thought that Sasuke was smiling. The tension had gone, Naruto and Sakura socialized with Sasuke's team-mates, I took out my book and tried to read it in the light of the fire, glad that everything was settled now: We would help Sasuke find and take out Itachi, but we would do it rationally, cautiously, responsibly. I was glad as well that Naruto had become his own self again, noisy, a bit hyperactive and with an enormous amount of self-confidence: At the moment he was telling Sasuke's team of his victories against Akatsuki.

„They are human after all", he said. „Just as ourselves."
I did not care to tell him that Itachi was on another level, nor did Sasuke, who remained silent during the evening. Contrary to Naruto with him this was a good sign, meaning that now he had come to terms with his new situation and would not try to protest against it any more. Yet underneath the surface was a tension that I had never sensed before. For years he had been talking about killing Itachi – now it was getting real.

After some time Sakura was fed up with Naruto's bragging about his great fights and told how he had been caught in Itachi's genjutsu and how Chiyo and herself had had to rescue him. This subdued his good spirits for some time, and when he had found them again, we were all ready to go to bed.

We did not care to set up guards – but it was difficult for me to sleep after a day as full of events as this one.

I was not the only one. Some two hours after we had laid down and wished each other a good night, I saw Sasuke walking over to Naruto.

„I cannot sleep", he said.

„Well, and what can I do about it?"

„We can sit together."

„Would this help you fall asleep?"

„It would be boring enough to make me want to sleep."

„And why should I do it?

„Because you were awake as well."

They were silent for a while, sitting side by side.

„Sasuke, are you really gay?"

„No, of course not. I don't want anyone to fuck my ass."

„As if I wanted to do that", Naruto answered.

They looked at each other.

„You wear your forehead protector even when you sleep", Sasuke said, lifting his hand tentatively to remove it."

„I kept yours", Naruto replied, pushing Sasuke's hand away. „Do you want it back?"

He rummaged for it in his backpack, not caring to be silent, and Sakura and Suigetsu woke up.

„Here it is."

„Keep it. With this scratch in it, I would look like a member of Akatsuki."

Like Itachi, I thought.

„But I was able to scratch it."

„Only because I did not care to defend myself well."

„They will have to give you a new one in Konoha."

„If they take me back..."

„They will have to. I will tell them. You can try mine now."

He removed his own forehead protector and put it on Sasuke. Sasuke did not stop him, but rather lowered his head so that Naruto could fix the bandana on the back of his head. When he had done, Naruto would not remove his hand from Sasuke's head – he caressed his temple, and his ear, and the hair that grew between ear and temple, and Sasuke did not push him away but lifted his own hand to touch Naruto's head.

„It suits you well", Naruto said. „You should return."

Sasuke did not answer, but after some seconds, he could not bear to look at Naruto any longer and broke the eye contact by pulling his friend into an embrace.

I could not see how they got from there to kissing each other, but I hoped that this would finally silence them, because I wanted to sleep now.

This time it was Naruto who pushed his friend away.

„I am not gay either", he said. „Not that you think that I would ever allow you to fuck you."

„Never fear that I would ever want to do that.", Sasuke answered, trying to pull down the zipper of Naruto's pullover. „But you should stop wearing orange. It looks ridiculous."

Naruto did not want his pullover open, so they fought a bit about it, and this made Karin wake up as well. Only Juugo would sleep like a boulder.

„Speaking of ridiculous, what happened to your shirt?"

„I ruined it while I fought Deidara."

„That's the best thing that could happen to it. By the way, you are still wearing that rope."

„I need it to hold my katana."

„Not now. Or do you want to tell me that you sleep with your sword?"

„I don't."

„So you don't need that stupid rope either."
He began to fumble with the knot.

„Stop it! What do you think!"

„I might take off my pullover when you agree to let me take off that rope."

Sasuke considered the deal. „I take off your pullover myself" he said, pulling down the zipper, pushing the fabric away where it covered Naruto's shoulders. He caressed the point where the neck met the shoulders. Naruto leant his head back in silent enjoyment.

„You still wear a t-shirt below it."

„Yes, it's normal, isn't it."

„Take it off!"

„No! It's too cold!"

„Even when I touch the Seal on your belly -"

„What are you doing with those cold hands?"

They were young, completely inexperienced, insecure about the other's feeling, surprised by their own feelings, they were cute, they were romantic, and they were really getting on my nerves, because I wanted to sleep.

At dawn they were finally too tired to keep themselves - and each other - awake any more.