Thanks to everyone who reviewed so far! Wow, I didn't think this story would be as popular as it is! I'm two away from 100 reviews, something I've only come halfway to doing:3 I guess people really like SasuNaru! ;D Sweet! Well, enjoy Chapter 10!

Still shaken by his strange, disturbing dream, Uchiha Sasuke found himself taking an early-morning walk with Hikitsuko through the still-sleeping village. It was still early enough that the sun, while it could just barely be seen in the horizon, had not had a chance to blaze summer heat over the land. The faint, warming light of dawn turned Konoha shades of pink and pale yellow. Over in the west, the sky was still dark, and a few of the brighter stars could still be seen. The sky, aside from a few wispy cirrus clouds, was perfectly clear.

Sasuke sighed quietly under his breath. He didn't go in the direction of Naruto's house. After his "breakdown" the previous night, he didn't think he could handle being with the blonde boy just yet. Something told him the overpowering emotions that had led to his tears were related to time spent with the Uzumaki youth. Besides, he felt like he needed some time alone with Hikitsuko—even if it meant not understanding what the young fox was saying to him. He glanced down at the fiery-red kit trotting beside him and smiled. "Hikitsuko, why have I been thinking about Naruto so much?" he asked. He kept his voice at a whisper, conscious of just how quiet the village was so early in the morning. "Why does he keep showing up in my dreams? Is it just because we've spent so much time together?...Or...is it something else?"

Hikitusko's ears pricked up at his name and the sound of Sasuke's voice, and Sasuke knew he understood what had been said. His only problem was speech. He could not answer in a way Sasuke would understand, at least not without Naruto around to translate. His furry face held a look of apology as he rubbed his body against Sasuke's leg. Sasuke sighed again, wondering why he had expected an actual reply from the fox kit. "Well, it doesn't matter. He's not here right now. It's just you and me. You know, ever since our fight against Kiba and Akamaru, I've been thinking. We need to really pull together and develop some kind of jitsu that we can use together. I know Kiba can do things like that with Akamaru, but—"

He dropped off right there when, as if on cue, Inuzuka Kiba appeared across from him on the road. The brown-haired boy hadn't seen Sasuke, and when he felt a breeze on his face, Sasuke knew Akamaru couldn't smell him. What's Kiba doing up so early? Sasuke wondered. He crouched down and put his hand flat to the ground. Hikitsuko recognized the signal and scurried up the arm to rest on his shoulder. Keeping downwind as much as he could, Sasuke sneaked along the road behind Kiba. Curiosity drove him to find out just what the boy was up to.

;-:-;-:-;

"Are you ready, Akamaru?" Kiba asked. Akamaru barked softly. "All right, one more time, then. Jinjuu Konbi Henge: Sotoro!!"

The boy and his dog were standing in the training clearing, while Sasuke and Hikitsuko crouched in the forest behind them. Sasuke watched in interest as a massive, double-headed wolf took shape, and managed to catch every detail. He couldn't help smiling. He had been waiting to see Kiba use something he could duplicate, and now he had it. It would be so easy, now that he thought about it, to combine with Hikitsuko in the same way. But it had to be perfect, and it had to look original. He decided to tweak it later. For now, he just needed to learn the basics.

With a loud pop, Kiba broke the jitsu and dropped down in an exhausted heap to the ground. He was breathing hard, and for a moment, Sasuke wondered if he would have to run for help. Kiba had done nothing to endear himself to the Uchiha boy, but he was still a classmate, and if things turned bad for Konoha, an ally; besides, if something bad did happen to Kiba, and people knew Sasuke hadn't done anything to help, he would be in serious trouble. But after a few minutes of panting and puffing, Kiba pushed himself shakily up off the dirt and sighed. "We're doing great, Akamaru," he breathed. "I think we've just about got it down. How are you feeling?" Akamaru barked a reply, sounding just as tired as Kiba. He scratched behind the puppy's ears, smiling tiredly. "Great. You think that's enough for now?" Again, Akamaru whimpered a reply.

No, thought Sasuke, disappointedly. I need to make sure I got it all! Don't give up just yet, Kiba!

He concealed himself against the bark of a tree as Kiba got to his feet wearily, holding Hikitsuko close to his chest. The boy passed right by him, presumably too worn out to bother scenting the air. Sasuke wondered just how often Kiba came out here to practice that technique. In the time he had been in the clearing, Kiba had performed it at least five times. It looked to Sasuke to be a draining jitsu, but one he was willing to try with Hikitsuko. He clung to the thin tree with his shoulderblades and waited for Kiba's footsteps to fade into nothingness. Finally, he relaxed, letting out the breath he had been holding in a sudden whoosh. "Hikitsuko," he whispered, "I hope you were paying close attention to that, because some day, we'll be using that jitsu on our own."

Hikitsuko tilted his head up, grinning up at Sasuke as if to say, If that's what you want me to do, then I will.

;-:-;-:-;

Sasuke clasped his hands together in front of himself, reviewing in his mind over and over again what he had seen only hours ago. He took a deep, steadying breath to calm his nerves. As much as he tried to tell himself otherwise, it still felt like stealing. It's not stealing because I changed it, he told himself over and over again. It's going to look different from what Kiba does. Very different. I made sure I changed it. It's not stealing because it's not identical.

"Ready, Hikitsuko?" he asked, and felt the fox's familiar weight land gracefully on his shoulder. He took another deep breath and flashed his hands in a few quick signs. He wanted fire in his jitsu. It seemed fitting. After all, he was an Uchiha. He felt the air around him pulse with energy—chakra, he knew—and tried to keep his focus. If this was to go without a hitch, he needed to pay as close attention as he could to the transformation process. Hikitsuko's paws on his shoulder gave a nervous quiver, and he heard the fox whine. He's scared, of course. The whole idea is still new to him.

Sasuke squeezed his eyes shut. He could feel his legs lengthening, feel warm hair spreading across them. With a grinding pop, his knees flipped backwards, forcing him down on his hands. He growled as a stone dug into his palm, and marveled at the deep, reverberating rumble. The sound was far from human. It's working! He looked up and saw his field of view change. His eyes began to focus differently; he found himself shifting focus from leaf to leaf as the waves of chakra pushed them around. Motion was everything to him now. He could really only see something if it moved, but even the slightest shifting caught his eyes. He heard a soft whimper beside him and turned to give Hikitsuko a soothing nuzzle.

He held the jitsu in place, enthralled by how well it had gone. He could feel the heat coming off his body in ripples, smell the strength of his new form. Then, as he felt its steady drain, released it, falling down to the ground in a tired heap. Hikitsuko licked his face. Sasuke opened one eye, smiling tiredly. "That was good for a first try," he rasped. "God, it takes a lot out of you, though." He pushed himself up with one hand. "Give me a few minutes, and then we'll go home, Hikitsuko. I don't think I could do that one again today."

When he left the small clearing soon after, Sasuke didn't bother to look back. It didn't occur to him that his transformation would have any sort of effect on the tiny glade. As he made his way home to rest and eat, a gentle breeze started up. As it brushed past charred, black-edged leaves, bright orange cinders flared up and smoked. Sasuke didn't see, but if he had, it would have amazed him. He of all people would have recognized just how much heat was needed to burn green growth.

;-:-;-:-;

"Are you ready?"

"I'm ready. Let's do it!"

Sasuke clasped his hands in front of himself, forming the familiar signs. He could feel Naruto standing beside him, and knew it was a dream. He hadn't seen the blonde boy all day, being too worn out to be sociable. He was a little reluctant to use his newest jitsu with a human rather than a fox, but Naruto had assured him nothing would go wrong. He felt Naruto's hand on his shoulder and nodded. The weight was exactly like Hikitsuko. It didn't feel so different now.

He shut his eyes tightly as the transformation began. It was exactly like what had happened earlier that morning. Sasuke relished the overwhelming power surge, letting the roar of energy full his mind. Naruto was stronger than Hikitsuko, with a bigger body and more chakra. The incredible rush filled his veins with a wild, ceaseless song, a song of running in the night in pursuit of small, dumb prey. He let out a feral snarl of pleasure. He could almost taste warm blood. Beside him, he heard Naruto echo his growl with an earth-shaking roar of his own. Their eyes met, and they exchanged a brief nod. With a sinuous whirl, they raced off into the woods, snapping and yelping in the voice of fire.

Sasuke liked to run. He felt free and proud. Nothing could stop him now. Together with Naruto, he could outrun anything so foolish as to challenge him. The unbelievable adrenalin rush lifted him out of his mundane, human life and placed him into the wild and exciting life of a fox. He raced the wind and yipped a haunting challenge to the moon above. The Uzumaki boy's voice rose and fell with his own, harmonizing in a bold song that no mortal ear could hear the beauty of. Just when Sasuke thought he could feel no more freedom, energy, or excitement, the surge ended. Naruto broke the jitsu, and Sasuke followed suit.

"Incredible," Sasuke breathed, his eyes wide in wonder. Naruto grinned his cocky smile.

"I love working together with you like this, Sasuke," he said. "And it's so perfect. Foxes are creatures of the fire, and Uchiha are ninja of it."

"We belong together," Sasuke told him, unable to keep a smile from his lips. "You are the fox, I am the fire."

They were getting closer and closer to each other—physically, Sasuke realized. Standing so close that they almost touched didn't feel wrong. He had never felt so full, so wonderful, than when he was standing this close to Uzumaki Naruto. He didn't want to back away, and from the look in those deep blue eyes in front of him, neither did Naruto. The blonde boy was practically leaning against Sasuke now. They sat down, still panting from their frenzied run in the moonlight. Sasuke acted again on an impulse as he reached out and took hold of Naruto's arms, just below the elbow. He leaned closer, and touched his lips to Naruto's. Then he pulled back. "You don't mind...do you?" he asked softly. Naruto's grin softened.

"I've been waiting," he whispered. "Again, and this time don't back away. It doesn't feel bad...Actually, I liked it."

Sasuke obeyed, kissing the blonde boy again full on the lips. A jolt of pure fire surged through his body like lightning. It excited him, and he put his whole soul behind the gesture. It felt wonderful, so wonderful. It was like a release to him. What the hell! So what if he was kissing Naruto? He accepted it now. It felt too good to ignore. "Oh...Naruto," he murmured dreamily...

;-:-;-:-;

"Yeah?"

Sasuke snapped open his eyes fearfully, the warm dream leaving him. He found his lips pressed against Hikitsuko's snowy muzzle. The fox kit was staring curiously at him. The Uchiha boy broke the kiss, swearing violently under his breath as he scrubbed his lips with the back of his hand. He heard wild, whooping laughter from beside his bed, and recognized the laugher as one Uzumaki Naruto. Terrified, he looked at his open window. A gentle night breeze ruffled the curtain. Naruto must have come in through there after he found the front door locked.

"N-N-Naruto!" Sasuke stuttered. He edged too far away from the boy and landed with a harsh thud on the floor. "Wh-wh-what are y-you doing here?" He was breathing hard now, his breath coming in fearful pants. Naruto kept laughing.

"Oh-oh, Sasuke, you were t-talking in your sleep!" he managed. "Neheheheh! I heard everything...Ohh..." He shook his head and wiped his eyes. Slowly, his laughter quieted. "Ohh...Actually, I came here to talk to you. See..." He dropped his eyes to the floor and rubbed behind his head. "...I can't help but admit something...I've been thinking about you a lot, and I...I...Well, recently...I've been having these...feelings, y'know? Well, maybe you don't..."

Sasuke rubbed his sore back as he crawled back into bed. He sat down and motioned for Hikitsuko to sit in his lap. He fox obeyed, his black eyes flicking from boy to boy curiously. Naruto sat down on the edge of the bed, licking his lips nervously. The silence that followed was so strained, so awkward, that Sasuke thought he would die. What could he say? What could he honestly say? Finally, he gazed up into the same blue eyes that had haunted him in dreams and waking for so long.

"Naruto, I...I've been feeling the same," he whispered. "It started out as just friendship. I just thought of you as being a friend, a really good friend. But then...then it turned into something else. I've been having dreams about you for a while now. I didn't know what to think of them at first, but now..." He sighed. "Now I think I know." He reached out and took gentle hold of Naruto's arms, just below the elbows. The blonde boy gasped softly and leaned a little closer. Sasuke could see the excitement in his eyes, hear his rapid panting, smell his sweat. They sat side by side on the bed, Sasuke still holding onto Naruto's arms. They leaned closer until their noses touched. Fear flicked through the blue eyes, but it was gone an instant later. Sasuke touched his lips to Naruto's gently at first, then with all the passion he had felt in his dream. Naruto did not back away, but rather leaned even closer.

It's real, Sasuke told himself over and over again. It's all real! All this warmth, this goodness...It's really happening to me. Oh, God, it feels so good. I don't ever want this to end...Never. I could stay like this forever.

But he didn't. After a few moments, the two of them fell back, eyes wide. Naruto was the first to speak. "That was...that was incredible," he breathed. "It's happened before, but never like this. Oh, my God, Sasuke-kun, that was great!"

Sasuke smiled, nodding. He didn't mind Naruto calling him 'Sasuke-kun.' After a kiss like that, he could have called him 'Mud', and it wouldn't have mattered. "I'm glad. I thought it was wonderful." He looked down into his lap, where the wild-eyed Hikitsuko was watching the whole thing. He groaned. "Great. I forgot about Hikitsuko. He's probably scared out of his mind right now. He's so human, you almost forget he's a fox."

Naruto looked down at the fox and gave a few questioning barks. Hikitsuko smiled his foxy smile and replied. Naruto smiled even wider. "What did he say?" Sasuke asked, a little anxiously.

"I asked him if it bothered him that we kissed, even though we're both boys. He said no, he isn't bothered by it at all. He says that he loves us both as family, and if it makes us happy to kiss, then it makes him happy."

Sasuke heaved a happy sigh and put his arm around Naruto's shoulders. "Naruto-kun," he began, using the affectionate honorific, "I love you. I'm not afraid to say it any more. I love you." Saying the words increased his heart rate, as well as his feeling of relief. Naruto kissed him on the cheek before snuggling closer.

"I love you too, Sasuke-kun," he murmured. Sasuke thought his heart would burst. He was happier than he had ever been before. He glanced up at the window, half expecting Inuzuka Kiba to be there, watching them. Fine, he thought, even though the window was empty, let him see. I couldn't care less if he did.

"I can't help wondering why we've come together," he said aloud. "I mean, before I found Hikitsuko, I never would have wanted to do any of this with you. I would have died sooner than kiss you."

Naruto giggled. "Maybe you just like foxes," he replied, and Sasuke smiled at the double meaning.

Whoo!!! Finally, we get the real tender scene going! For those of you who were waiting for the drama to end and for the slash to begin, you have been rewarded. I wanted to cry when I was writing this. Seriously. I just thought it was so cute and fluffy. :D By the way, can someone tell me if this chapter would be considered yaoi, so I can put a warning if so. I don't want people to be scarred when they read it.