Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

A/N: Part four is finally finished!! Yaay! I hope you're as excited about it as I am cuz I had to struggle through some serious writers block here folks. Anywayz, this chapter is a lot longer than any of the others, so I hope you like it!

The one good thing about being the demon kid of the village was that Naruto never got hangovers. The ninetailed fox simply would not allow it. Apparently, since he was trapped in Naruto's body, the fox demon could only see whatever Naruto saw, and headaches annoyed the hell out of him.

Now, Naruto had to admit that, when he woke up naked and in sexy-jutsu form the next morning in Sasuke's bed, he was scared shitless. Especially when Sasuke was next to him and had his arms wrapped around his waist… and not only that but there was also a foolish little smile on the Uchiha boy's sleeping face. Needless to say, Naruto had jumped up and out of the place as fast as his legs would take him. It was only back home in his own apartment, his clothes wrinkled and hanging all a mess, did he realize that he had still not changed out of the jutsu.

Breathing hard, he quickly made the hand signs and muttered under his breath. Nothing happened. He must've done it too fast. He made the hand signs again.

…Nothing. Naruto stood in front of a mirror. He tried again, even slower. Still, nothing.

The blonde boy (or girl - for the moment anyway) attempted over and over and over again, each time going through every little hand motion a little more slowly, trying to pick up on where he kept messing up. Finally, with an aggravated growl, he gave up and prowled the apartment. Not only had he probably had sex with Sasuke last night, but now he could not even change back out of his own jutsu. What the fuck was wrong with him? Seeing the old bowel of ramen from a few nights past still sitting on the dresser in his room, Naruto hit it as hard as he could. The bowel went flying across the room and crashed against a wall.

It was Sasuke's fault, he finally concluded. The Uchiha had fucked him, and that had done something to Naruto's chakra. That had to be it. Ninja boys were just not meant to be together! But you wanted to be with Sasuke, a voice in his head reminded him. Naruto growled some more.

I wonder if I can use my chakra at all? Naruto thought. He went outside and attempted to walk up a tree. He accomplished it, but not with as much ease as he would have been able to before. What is the matter with me?!

Maybe you should go see Tsunade, the voice in his head advised.

No way! Then I'd have to tell her I got drunk and slept with Sasuke!

You won't have to tell her that… just tell her you can't change out of your jutsu.

Naruto decided to ignore that voice.

The blonde boy considered doing a lot of different things that day. He had even thought about barging his way back into the Uchiha mansion and demanding of Sasuke what the hell had happened that night… but that idea was definitely out of the question. The truth was, if something had happened between them, Naruto didn't want to know about it. Or at least, not yet. He could almost foresee a conversation that was awkward as hell. Damn you Sasuke, Naruto growled.

Go see Tsunade, the voice recommended again.

I can't!

Stop being so immature, Naruto. Go see Tsunade.

Now you sound like Sakura… and no!

Naruto…

Shut up!

Well, that was the end of one conversation between him and the mysterious voice. He didn't even want to think about that at the moment.

Trying to clear his head, Naruto plopped himself down on his bed, shoving away a few shattered pieces of the broken bowel as he did so. He rested his elbows upon his knees and played with his long blonde ponytails for a moment. Something would definitely have to be done about this. He couldn't just go walking around Konoha as a woman all the time. He had to think of a way to disguise himself for a while, but only until he figured out what was wrong with him and was able to transform back.

Slowly, he stood up and left the room. In the living room of the apartment, he stood in front of the mirror, frowning at his very female reflection. He considered then what life would be like if he were to never change out of this form again.

Be a woman… forever? he wondered.

Well… it had its pros and cons. He was surprised to find himself actually… sad. Being sad was not really a surprise, it was the reason why he was sad that didn't make any sense. As a girl, he'd probably never be able to get near Sasuke ever again. Sasuke despised fan girls. Too excited and giggly and talkative for his own tastes. Sasuke would probably never be able to accept Naruto like this.

Suddenly the reflection in front of him became hazy, and he wiped a hand across the glass only to find that it was not the mirror that had fogged - there were tears in his eyes. He blinked and bowed his head, sniffling. Get your act together Naruto! he commanded himself weakly. Now you're even acting like a girl. Wiping his eyes, he took a deep breath.

Then, suddenly, he was irritated. He was supposed to be angry with Sasuke, so why the hell was he crying over him?! "Stupid Sasuke," he muttered. "Stupid Naruto!" He looked up at his reflection again, baby blue eyes staring back at him. The face in the mirror wasn't one of anger or hate, like he had expected it to be. There were dry streaks where tears had run down his face, and his eyes were a little red. His long blond hair was a little muddled, and his lower lip quivered slightly.

Naruto gave an aggravated sigh. He kind of hated being a woman.

Naruto jumped down from where he was dancing around on the bar down in the basement of the Uchiha mansion. No longer giggling, he walked away, giving Sasuke a little suggestive smirk on his way out. The men in the room all gave exclamations of disappointmet as Naruto exited, for he was in Sexy Jutsu form at the time, and the men of Konoha all liked that very much. The women in the room, however, applauded his departure. They, at least, were glad to see him go.

Naruto waited out in the hallway, glancing over to see two lovers making out not too far away. Obviously they had come out into the hallway to get away from the crowd, but they were so into each other at the moment that they didn't even notice anybody else was around. Naruto crossed his arms over his breasts and smirked.

As suspected, it only took a few minutes for Sasuke to come stumbling out of the room and into the hallway, a mischevious gleam in his eyes as he roughly grabbed Naruto by the waist.

Naruto and Sasuke, both very obviously drunk off their asses, twirled in a sort of dance on their way to the bedroom, passing the kissing couple who didn't even look up to see who they were. The dance was a dangerous one though, because neither Sasuke or Naruto were paying any attention to where they were going, and they kept slamming into walls and falling to the floor, still kissing as if their lips were super-glued together.

Finally they somehow managed to find their way upstairs and into Sasuke's bedroom. Sasuke scooped the blond up into his arms, and Naruto was quickly spread across the bed. He felt like a king. Or even better, a queen.

Naruto gasped, sitting up so fast that he fell off the couch. He landed on the hard wooden floor with an "oof!" and stood while rubbing his behind. What the hell is that all about? he demanded of himself, referring to the dream he had just had. Memories of something that actually happened? Or was it just a dream brought on by the thought of... He shuddered slightly. The shiver was not for the fact that he was now pretty much sure he had had man-sex with Sasuke, but more for the fact that he had actually enjoyed the memories of it.

You're still a woman you know, that voice in his mind noted, interrupting his thoughts.

Naruto gave a huff and looked down at his body. I know, he replied, a little annoyed by this voice that kept invading his privacy. Apparently he had fallen sleep while thinking of a way out of the situation he was in. But the sex dream had shaken him. Perhaps it was time to take the advice of that voice and just go to Tsunade.

Smart thinking, the voice commented with approval. No doubt that would be the best thing to do.

Shut up before I change my mind, Naruto snapped.

And so, Naruto had decided. As much as he hated to admit the voice was right - because that voice was always so infuriatingly right - he had to confess it had a point; perhaps Tsunade really was his best chance at the moment. Naruto went over to stand in front of the mirror again. He was defiantly going to have to do something about his appearance first, though. There was no way he was going anywhere looking the way he was.

So, Naruto took down his hair from it's usual ponytails, surprised to see that it actually almost swept the floor. He wondered how it would affect his hair in his natural form if he cut it while in Sexy Jutsu form. Walking away from his reflection, he snatched his belt pouch from his room and reached inside for the sharpest kunai he had.

Standing before the mirror once again, he winced as he snipped off a lock of that long hair, and watched in fascination as it floated to the floor. Naruto spent the next several minutes cutting away, the pile of blond hair at his feet growing larger and larger with every snip. Finally, he stopped.

The hair was now barely shoulder-length, but was it enough? If he left the apartment like this, would people still be able to recognize him? He frowned, seeing as being recognized was what he was currently trying to avoid.

Perhaps... Perhaps if he didn't try to change completely out of the jutsu, just tried to alter it a little bit….

Naruto made a few simple hand signs, and surprisingly, something actually happened. His hair was curly now, and stringy as if he had used plenty of hair gel in it. Of course, it was also a bit shorter now, seeing as curls seemed to have that affect on hair.

Naruto touched the golden locks with a curious hand. He had never had curly hair before.

That will do, the voice in his head commented. Now try changing something other than your hair.

Naruto nodded determinedly and prepared for more hand signs. A few moments later, and his look was flawless. His hips were no longer so prominent, his breasts not nearly as large, and - at the suggestion of the voice in his head - he had also made his eyelashes a little longer, so that they fluttered gracefully with every blink. He had a theory that if he blinked slowly enough, and tried to look as cute as possible, he could definately catch a few eyes.

…but not any of the eyes that he wanted to catch. Oh sure, people would notice him but… not Sasuke.

He shook his head vigorously. Stop it Naruto! You're supposed to be mad at that guy for fucking you up, remember?!

With a sigh, and praying that this would work, he crossed the room to the nearest window and jumped out as quickly as possible. (No one should see him leaving his apartment, because then that would defeat the whole purpose of the disguise). He made it to Tsunade's place quickly enough, jumping nervously whenever someone looked his way, his legs shaking as he wondered whether he might run into Sasuke. Instead of barging in on her as he usually might have done (he needed to act as un-Naruto-ish as possible, after all) he politely knocked on the door. When Tsunade answered, he put on a childlike face and tried to look as innocent and as harmless as possible.

The woman simply stood there and looked at him for a moment, frowning slightly and rubbing her forehead. "Come in," she barked finally, swinging the door open wider and walking inside. Naruto followed her in curiously. She was in an even worse mood than usual. She was at Sasuke's party, he suddenly remembered. Then he winced. She was drinking harder than any of us! …She's probably got a headache from hell.

"What do you want?" Tsunade demanded as soon as they were in the same room together.

"Um… well," Naruto stared slowly.

"Get on with it girl, I've got no time for games today."

Apparently, this wasn't going to be as easy as he had thought it would be. "Well… it's just that…" His mind raced as he tried to find the right words to say. For the first time he could ever remember, he called out to that little voice in his head? What do I do? he demanded. You were the one who bullied me here, now give me something to say!

Somehow he knew the voice was laughing. Demanding my help now, are you? That's too bad. You've shut me out far too many times in the past couple days… you're on your own kid.

Naruto wanted to growl. "It's me, Tsunade-sama," he managed to say. "Naruto."

Tsunade stared at him for a moment, disbelieving. "Dont' be silly. Seriously, who are you and what do you want?"

"No, I am serious! It's really me, Naruto! I haven't been able to change out of this form ever since Sasuke's stupid party!"

She looked at him for a long moment, studying him carefully. Then, she began to laugh. "You're stuck like that?!" she demanded through her laughter. "Oh my god, Naruto…"

"Are you going to help me, hag, or not?" Naruto demanded, putting fists on his hips and glaring. "I would like to know what's wrong with me. My chakra seems to be running low or something… I don't know why. I almost wasn't even able to walk up a tree."

Tsunade suddenly became eerily serious. She put a hand on her chin, lost in thought, and frowned while studying him. "Have you done anything… strange lately?" she asked, all traces of previous laughter now gone. "Exactly what did you do at that party? That may have something to do with it."

Naruto bowed his head slightly, trying not to let her see him blush.

I feel bad for you kid, the voice in his head commented. I'll help you out. Don't freak out, just stay calm and be yourself.

What do you mean? Naruto wondered, a little worried at what exactly the voice was going to do.

"I don't really remember much of what went on at the party," Naruto answered. His eyes widened in shock. He had spoken, but he hadn't been the one to move his lips. What are you doing? he demanded of that voice.

Stay calm, I said! the voice snapped.

"Ah yes…" Tsunade replied, rubbing her forehead again. "I can relate."

Are you done yet? Naruto demanded. The voice taking over his body was just… too freaky.

Do you want my help or not?

Not anymore. I can handle it on my own, thank you.

The voice hissed angrily, but backed down anyway. "Well…?" Naruto asked, relieved to have full control of his body back. "What should I do? What do you think's wrong with me?"

The woman heaved a great sigh, still rubbing her forehead, and spoke. "Fine, I guess I'll help you. But you owe me one."

With a sigh of his own, he nodded. "Alright then, hag."

She frowned at him for that, but continued on anyway. After several tests dealing with his chakra flow and many other things he wasn't sure of, Tsunade finally gave him an answer. Once the tests were complete, Naruto was beginning to get excited… and a little anxious too. Maybe he could change back into a guy now and everything could go back to normal. "Well?" he asked the woman seriously. "Can you tell me what's wrong with me? What'd you find out?"

Tsunade looked at him gravely for a moment, a slight frown on her face. They just sat there for a minute, looking at one another in silence, neither making a move or speaking a word. Finally she said, "I have absolutely no idea."

Naruto fell off the table she had him sitting on. "Tsunade!" he complained. He moaned in frustration.

She just smirked at him. "I'm completely serious - I have not a clue. You'll just have to stay in that form a little longer Naruto, and keep coming in for check-ups every now and then."

"What?! But that's just not right! I don't want to be a woman! What if people find out?"

She laughed. "Well that's what you get for using that jutsu in the first place."

Needless to say, Naruto was not in very high sprits when he left. For a while he wandered the town, wondering what his next move should be. He couldn't go back to his apartment, of course, for fear that someone would see him coming and going and would suspect something. And he couldn't talk to the people he knew, or tell them what was wrong, because they would just laugh at him like Tsunade had.

Sitting on the edge of the too-familiar bridge, he heaved a sigh. Maybe I should go get some ramen. And while the thought was mouth watering, going out to eat ramen was something Naruto Uzumaki would do, and he was still trying to be as un-Nartuo-ish as possible.

Finally, a decision was made for him as a tiny raindrop landed on his nose. It was then he realized that he had to move; he couldn't just sit here all day. Naruto glanced up to see that the sky had turned dark and cloudy. A gloomy sky for a gloomy day. Another raindrop followed the first, and before he knew it he was standing soaked in the middle of the street, freezing.

Naruto's emotions were running wild today. It was the one reason why he hated his jutsu so much; in becoming a woman physically he also became a woman emotionally. The rain was cold and he felt dirty all over. He held himself to keep from shaking as he stood near a building in hopes that he might somehow become warmer or not get as wet. His hair was drenched and all a mess, and he hated the way his clothes clung to his body.

Miserably, Naruto sank to the ground in tears, hugging his knees.

It wasn't long before he felt a light tap on his shoulder. He raised his head and wiped the tears from his eyes to see Sakura crouched down beside him, a concerned look on her face. Without thinking, Naruto almost said her name out loud. He opened his mouth to speak, then quickly snapped it back shut.

"Are you alright?" Sakura asked him. She was wearing a yellow raincoat and holding an umbrella over her head. "You're not from around here are you?"

Good, the voice in his head whispered. She hasn't recognized you. Just play along.

He wiped his nose and shook his head, trying to put on an innocent face. (At least that could be accomplished easily enough). "Who are you?" he asked meekly.

The pink haired girl smiled. "My name is Sakura." She offered a hand. "Come with me to my apartment, if you have no where else to go. I can give you some clean clothes, and a dry place to stay." She glanced up at the umbrella. "I'm not sure how much good it'll do seeing as you're already drenched, but you can share my umbrella too, if you want." Sakura gave another reassuring smile, and Naruto found himself genuinely shocked at how nice she was. Why had he never noticed it before?

Taking her hand, he stood and walked beside her beneath the protection of the umbrella.

Sakura talked a lot on the way to her apartment. Mostly she told him about the village, things that she didn't know he already knew, and she asked him questions too. She asked for his name and where he had come from, why he was in Konoha… things like that. He knew it was an idiot move, but seeing as he couldn't come up with anything better to say, he faked amnesia. He claimed that he couldn't remember any of his past life, his home, or any of his family members, not even his own name. According to his lie, the only thing he could remember was wandering into the village. Surprisingly, Sakura believed him.

The pink haired girl was sympathetic.

"So what shall we call you?" the girl mused while unlocking the door to her apartment. She smiled suddenly. "Perhaps… Maria? Or maybe Ayako. Hm."

Naruto smiled and nodded, not really caring what name she picked for him, just as long as she believed him not Naruto Uzumaki. "Ayako is a lovely name," he commented shyly. He hoped he was acting like a woman should. He just wasn't used to it. The only reason he had ever used sexy jutsu before was to flaunt his stuff, not to actually fool people into believing him a woman.

Well, looks like things were about to change for him.

"Well, alright then Ayako," Sakura said with a reassuring smile as she finally pushed the door open. "This is my apartment. Perhaps tomorrow I can show you around and introduce you to some of the other girls here…."

Naruto was surprisingly content with the new lifestyle he had adapted. It was a bit unnerving at first, with all those girls around him all the time, and sleeping in the same apartment as Sakura and all… Oh sure he had been on missions and things with her before where they had slept near each other in sleeping bags, but on missions Sakura had never broken down. She had never showed up at his bedroom door crying, had never laid down with him and expected him to take care of her, to hold her and make the pain go away.

Naruto had found that particular experience sufficiently awkward.

He was learning quickly, though, the art of being a woman. It really was an art. He was actually surprised at himself by how eager he was to join in the excited little gossiping sessions and small squabbles that girls sometimes had.

He found that he liked this new feeling. As much as he would hate to admit it, he liked being a woman.

Girls stuck up for each other. They seemed to see past everything else and find what was really important (unless of course, they were really really pissed). They understood things, they knew things, and they were sly and devious. Naruto had never before known how pathetic men were compared to women. They truly - and once again this is something he would never admit otherwise - dominated.

It was nice to be on the winning side for a change, even if before - as a boy - he had never quite realized that he was on the losing side.

(A/N: haha, sorry people. I hope I'm not offending anybody by this, I just couldn't resist.)

Also, as promised, Naruto (AKA "Ayako") stopped in with Tsunade once a week. He had been worried about how to come up with an excuse for visiting her for his new girl-friends (Hinata, Ino, Sakura, TenTen… etc), and he had been quite surprised when they made the suggestion first. So, to them, he was stopping in to see Tsunade so often because of his amnesia. But he and Tsunade knew the truth.

When the old hag learned what he was up to, she hadn't stopped laughing and berating him for weeks. She playfully called him "Ayako" all the time, and grinned amusingly at the different outfits he wore, his different hairstyles, and she was especially unbearable whenever he wore make up. It was those girls' faults really. At first, he hadn't wanted glitter and nail polish, he hadn't wanted blush and hairspray and mascara and eyeliner… but with his near-perfect complexion they had absolutely insisted. He had been bullied into it, but was surprisingly pleased with the results.

It was almost exactly two whole months since the night of the party when Tsunade finally had a breakthrough. She was doing her usual checkups, testing certain parts of his body for chakra flow and such. Naruto found that he didn't really mind being poked and prodded like this once a week; it was almost like a free massage or something. Tsunade's hands slipped from his shoulders to his chest and to his stomach, as they always did, the look on her face stating clearly that she did not expect to find anything new.

At first when her hands came over his stomach, fingers moving in small circular motions, her expression didn't change. Suddenly, though, she stopped. The woman looked up at Naruto sharply, surprise slightly widening her eyes. "There is…" she started to say, then shook her head. "There is another… source of chakra within you, Naruto. Like a baby in your belly. I get a lot of pregnant women in here, so I know what a baby's chakra feels like but… you don't think it could be the…?"

There was no need for her to say it. Naruto had frozen in shock at the words "baby in your belly," but what Tsunade was truly referring to was the fox demon.

The voice in Naruto's mind burst into a small spell of laughter. The laugh sounded like malice mixed with glee, and was in a deep, hoarse voice that gave Naruto chills. You can tell that woman that it's not the fox demon's chakra in there…. She was right about a baby in your belly.

Naruto took a moment to let what had just been said sink in. That he was shocked beyond words was an understatement; he was torn between demanding the voice's true identity and the thought of being pregnant. W-Who… are you the-?

Yes, the voice answered before the question was out. I am the Kyuubi.

…Ah. Things were suddenly starting to make some sense. And I am…?

Pregnant. Yes.

Naruto wanted to cry. Is that why my chakra level is so weak?

Yes, Kyuubi answered. But don't worry about that, kid, I've got enough chakra to spare, if needed.

Taking in a deep, shuddering breath, Naruto snapped back to reality; to Tsunade who was still standing over him with a worried little frown. "I-It's not…"

Tsunade sighed before he could spit the words out. "You're pregnant…?" It almost wasn't a question.

"…Yes."

Tsunade sighed again, a look of what appeared to be sympathy on her face. "…oh Naruto…"

When Naruto got 'home' - well, when 'Ayako' got home - he headed straight for his bedroom. Sakura appeared in the kitchen doorway. "Ayako!" she exclaimed. "Good to have you back." She smiled sweetly, continuing to wipe the pan she was holding with a dirty rag. "Did Tsunade make any breakthroughs today?" 'Ayako' walked right past her.

Once in 'her' bedroom, 'Ayako' collapsed on the bed in tears. Pregnant. 'She' was pregnant. So, obviously, he could not be considered a man anymore.

There came a knock on the door. Naruto ignored it. He heard it open a crack. "Ayako?" Sakura came in and crossed the room over to him. "What's wrong, honey?" the pink haired girl asked sweetly, concerned.

"Tsu-Tsunade…" he was sobbing too hard to continue for a moment. "She did make a breakthrough today," he admitted weakly. He hated his girly voice. Looked like he'd have to get used to it now.

"Well, tell me about it. What happened? What's wrong?"

Naruto didn't want to tell her; he wasn't going to. At first, he was going to make up another lie. He was going to smile and suddenly say that everything was alright. But that is not what happened. The words poured out of his mouth before he had time to stop them. "I-I'm pregnant," 'she' sobbed.

Sakura sat in stunned disbelief for a moment, not saying a word or even seeming to breathe. "How is that even possible?" she finally asked quietly.

"Apparently I-" he sniffed and wiped his eyes, only to have fresh tears replace the ones wiped away. "Apparently I'm two months along or so. I-I think I got… pregnant… around the time I first met you." He began sobbing again, even harder this time.

Sakura wrapped comforting arms around him. "Well… do you know who the father is? Do you have any idea at all?"

Naruto's whole body suddenly tensed. Why hadn't he thought of that before? Sasuke…. His eyes widened, and he began to cry that much harder.

Naruto ("Ayako") went for a walk around the town the next day. He had done his share of crying, with plenty of comforting embarces from Sakura and other friends that came to visit, and plenty of smeared make-up and naps and bed-hair…. He had woken up late in the day (seeing as he had been too upset to sleep the night before) feeling grimy all over, and his eyes were sandy from where he had cried himself to sleep. He had taken a shower, and then ultimately decided that a walk would do him good.

Ramen, he thought. Suddenly, he didn't care if it was a "Naruto-thing" - he was sad and he wanted ramen dammit.

That was… until he saw Sasuke sitting at Naruto's favorite booth.

Shit! he cursed silently. This was turning out to be a fine day. But wait… what was Sasuke doing in a ramen shop? Didn't he hate ramen? …well, he had eaten a whole bowel of it in front of Naruto that one time.

Oh god, Naruto suddenly thought, his eyes widening. What if… what if he remembers having sex with me? What am I supposed to say to him? How can I possibly… Naruto stopped there. What the fuck am I thinking? I can't tell Sasuke I'm pregnant!! He shouldn't even recognize me in this form! Hopefully he won't.

Shut up, Kyuubi growled then, and Naruto jumped from being abruptly shaken from his thoughts. Stop being so foolish. He has a right to know about his kit.

Naruto winced. Um… couldn't you just say "baby?"

Kyuubi gave an aggravated sigh. Alright then, if it will make you happy. The boy has a right to know about his… "baby." He sighed again, and made like he was rolling his eyes. Humans, he growled, annoyed.

Aside from the fact that Naruto was still a bit shaken at the fox demon talking to him directly, he found that maybe… just maybe… Kyuubi was right. If Sasuke was going to be a daddy, he had a right to know about it.

That was when Sasuke came out of the ramen shop. Naruto realized that he (himself) was shaking all over.

He followed Sasuke to the bridge, and stood behind the Uchiha for a while, studying him quietly.

Sasuke appeared to be watching the sky, which was growing darker by the minute, and he hadn't seemed to have noticed Naruto standing just behind him. Naruto took the chance to admire Sasuke- because of course, as a girl, he could do so and get away with it.

Sasuke looked… tired. It was hard to tell from behind but, somehow, Naruto just knew. Something was wrong with Sasuke. His muscles looked tense, and usually he would have noticed if someone was standing near him the way Naruto was. Naruto found himself wanting to rub Sasuke's shoulders, to make him relax and….

Stop it Naruto! he told himself.

Oh will you just talk to him already? the Kyuubi demanded.

You shut up too!

Naruto gave a quiet sigh. Perhaps… perhaps it wouldn't be so bad. Maybe… maybe Sasuke would understand. Maybe everything would turn out okay between the two of them and….

And what? he asked himself seriously. He was glad when the fox didn't try to interrupt again. I can't ask Sasuke to stay with me. He's really… he's not… He just doesn't like me that much. I'm just a thing to him.

If you're just a "thing," the Kyuubi said quietly, then why did he sleep with you? Why did he let you take care of him that night he was sick? And after he left that day, why did he come back? He… loves… you more than you think, kid. I know this boy - through you. He shows affection in his own way, and he's pushing it as it is. So give him a little credit, okay?

Naruto gave a little smile. Kyuubi had never talked to him like this before. Oh sure, the fox was still a little awkward with human words such as "love" and "friendship," but Naruto had a feeling that Kyuubi understood better than he did himself. Thanks... you sly old fox, Naruto said playfully. Kyuubi growled at him a little.

Naruto took one last deep breath. "Um… Sasuke?"