Disclaimer: "Naruto" does not belong to me and I don't earn any money with this story.

I did not try again to make them walk faster. Walking even one kilometre seemed pointless now, but after breakfast they packed their stuff, got ready to leave and looked at me for directions, and as every morning, I chose the direction where I expected Itachi and Kisame to be.

Walking had become part of our daily routine, just like cooking and eating and washing up and sleeping and having fun in the evenings and, in the case of Sasuke and Naruto, making love.

The nature of their love-making had changed, judging from what we could see, because one of the things that had changed was that they had become more discrete about it. They seemed to me more relaxed about it, sure now of their own and the other one's feelings, and of our acceptance as well, and when they kissed, they were not shying away any more, or forcing their tongues inside the other's mouth in order to show that they were stronger, but they were both playful and confident, knowing what they both enjoyed.

Later it changed again – we saw it only when they were kissing and holding each other in their arms: How they could not be near enough each other, so much that at times they even seemed to dissolve and become one single being.

In the evening I talked to them: „We have made no progress at all in hunting down Itachi", I said. „We are circling each other like two angry cats, but we have not got any closer. He is afraid of attacking us, knowing that now we are too strong for him, and we are too slow to catch up with him."

„What? Why are we too slow?" Naruto asked.

„Because you spend more time making love than actually pursuing him."

I should not have said this. Both looked at their feet.

„There's no need to hurry", Sasuke said. „He cannot wait indefinitely. His superiors at Akatsuki will get impatient."

Love had truly changed him.

„I don't know about you, but I don't want to wait indefinitely either. I want to return to Konoha, sleep in a real bed, have a shower, or, even better, a bath, put all my clothes into a washing-machine so that they will get really clean again, and then see my friends and colleagues and have a nice chat with them."

Sasuke grew silent, and his eyes got blank. This had been an even worse mistake.

„So what do you suggest?" he asked.

„I see two possibilities. We can try to move during the night, and move really quickly, camouflaging ourselves well – but I have little trust that we can do this. Or the two of you can set out on your own and hope that Itachi will underestimate you and attack."

He thought a bit before he answered. „We will set out on our own, then you can return to Konoha. But give us some more time – we want to visit that little town down in the valley."

We had passed it more than once while we had been moving in this area, but we had never entered it. I did not ask why they wanted to visit it now, but I did not mind to visit it myself. While the team had been chatting and having fun in the evenings, I had spent my time reading, and I really needed a new book. Having been to the town earlier, I even knew where to get the books I preferred.

We got to the center of town and divided into groups: Juugo had volunteered to do the necessary shopping to refill our supplies while the rest of us could do as we pleased. The girls would have a look at the fashion boutiques, Sasuke and Naruto told us that they had to do some shopping for themselves, Suigetsu did not tell where he was going to go, and I only told them that I was looking for a new book.

Searching for the store, I met Suigetsu again.

„Stay here – don't disturb them!" he said. „Don't you see them – over there – our little lovebirds, our great heroes, who want to take out Itachi by themselves, walking up and down, hesitating and doubting and summoning all the courage they have in order to enter this dragon's lair that in the eyes of all other people just looks like an ordinary drugstore."

Thank goodness they sometimes do listen to advice, I thought.

We met again in the center of town. When I arrived I saw that Suigetsu had talked the boys into showing off their purchases to the rest of the team. By now they had overcome their embarrassment and Naruto was teasing Sakura.

„Shall we give you one? You may want to have a look and see how they work so that you won't be afraid when you have found a boyfriend for yourself."

„You – you are such a nuisance" she answered. „Don't you know what tact is? Or decency? Are you not ashamed? You should really leave me alone."

I ordered some tea and began to read.

We left the town before nightfall and returned into the wilderness. Itachi and Kisame had not moved.

We moved little either. We saw almost nothing of Naruto and Sasuke, as they only turned up for the meals and, as they had promised, the washing-up.

„They are happy now", Suigetsu said to me. „Nobody knows how long it will last: They might lose against Itachi, and even if they win: what will happen to Sasuke when he returns to Konoha?"

„I don't know", I answered. „I will find out as soon as I return myself, and then send a message."

„If they are unlucky, they will have to be on the run for the rest of their lives. Let them enjoy themselves now."

The next day it happened: Itachi and Kisame did not move away from us, nor sidewards, but in our direction.

My ninja dogs informed me about it.

„Get packed", I told the team who were sitting lazily around the remains of the cooking-fire. „We are moving. That direction!"

For the first time Itachi and Kisame had moved towards us, and for the first time we were moving away from them.

„What about our lovebirds?" Suigetsu asked, because as usual they were some hundred metres away – just on the line between us and Kisame and Itachi.

„We will leave them. They can look after themselves."

„Doing what they are doing at the moment?"

„Yes. Itachi must think that they're helpless, or he won't attack. It's that or taking him and Kisame in surprise, which is not possible, behaving as we do at the moment. I have talked to them – they have agreed to set out against Itachi on their own."

„But not to be left alone when they are busy making love."

„It's safe, trust me."

„Maybe against Itachi, but not against Kisame." He took his sword in his hands. „Itachi does all this genjutsu fighting, and for this he needs Sasuke to turn away from his sweetheart and look at his dear brother and focus on him, and you say that then Sasuke will be strong enough to defeat him. I trust you – but what if Kisame simply chops their heads off while their attention is elsewhere?"

„It won't happen. It's Itachi's task to catch the Kyuubi's Jinchuuriki, and he won't leave it to Kisame. Also, he needs to capture him alive."

„So the most intelligent plan for them would be that Kisame chops off Sasuke's head while Itachi catches Naruto in a genjutsu."
I shook my head. „It is not a question of intelligence. It's a question of pride. Itachi will want to prove to himself that he's still stonger than his little brother."

„I hope that you are right, but I want to make sure", he replied. „You and me will see that Kisame does not come in between when Itachi is fighting our little birds. It's what I joined Sasuke for in the first place."

„And why are you staying with him now?"

„Because I like him of course. Him and his cute lover. And pretty Sakura of course. - Let the girls and Juugo pack and make as much noise as possible. We will camouflage ourselves and move behind Itachi and see that nothing happens."