Same old drill. Same old.

To Koneko-chan: Thanks for pointing that out.

Reviews are always greedily welcomed. Thanks, guys.

Chapter 60: Ribbon of passion

Although nothing had changed, Konoha and its streets seemed strange and all because it had been too long since they had walked these paths. It had been too long since they smelled the scent of their village; too long since they had met their loved ones and too long since they stood in front of the hokage, presenting themselves.

It had been two long years away from their home.

"Welcome home, everyone," the rokudaime greeted them with one big grin. They returned the gesture with a smile of their own. "I'll give you a one-week off so enjoy and relax."

They all bowed and chorused, "Thank you."

"Thank you for your hard work," the hokage told them and they bowed once more before Tomo, Kazue and Taiyo left leaving father and son.

"Welcome home, Yuu," Naruto greeted once more but this time it was a greeting from a father to his son. "I'm glad you're looking healthy and fine."

"I'm glad I'm home," the younger Uchiha said. "I hope nothing happened during my absence."

"Well it's more than 17 months since your otousan almost died due to mission."

"Is he okay?" he asked with slight panic in his voice.

"He's more than okay. Thanks to the best medical staff we had," he replied. Yes, until now he was still grateful for what Hinata's and Sakura's team did. "Your siblings especially Akemi did a good job, too."

"Well, that's expected from Akemi." Yuuzuki made a mental note to talk with Akemi for more information. Unlike his chichiue who tended to summarize every solved problem, his little brother would narrate the whole event in painful detail making him feel as if he was there.

Naruto was about to say more when his son yawned. Chuckling, he waved his hand in dismissal, ""Why don't you go home and sleep? We have a lot of things to talk and probably your siblings too."

Yuuzuki just nodded and lazily waved his hand before he disappeared. And although he was tired, he took the streets wanting to take his time walking towards his residence. He had missed the place… missed Yukina whom he was going to visit later on. But fate had other plans as he heard a gentle and painfully familiar voice calling his name.

He slowly turned his head over his shoulder and his eyes dilated to see Yukina, more beautiful than he remembered.

Yukina looked at him as wave after wave of different emotions crash against her. He's here. He's finally here.

Yuuzuki gave her a heart-melting smile, "I'm home."

"Welcome home," she replied and let the lad took some of the grocery bags she was carrying.

"No work?"

"It's a school holiday," she said. "No, you're going to the wrong direction."

That confused the shinobi. "Your house is this way, right?"

Yukina chuckled. "I'm living in an apartment for three weeks now. I wanted to try living on my own," she explained. But it was difficult to live on her own when her brunette father was always checking up on her and bringing her meals. It was frustrating at the same time touching. Even her daddy seemed to develop a habit of dropping by on a daily basis but at least his visits were always announced unlike his father's.

When they reached her new home, Yuuzuki arched a brow in amazement. The place was cozy and homely and it reflected his girlfriend's warm personality. He watched as she started preparing snack.

Whether it was coincidence or not, Yuuzuki didn't know but it was ironic that the kind of tea and cake they partook two years ago was the same one Yukina offered to him.

"How are you?" he asked affectionately as he started eating his slice cake.

"Fine. Nothing had changed," was the indifferent reply but the lad could detect disappointment in her voice. Yukina knew that but she didn't care to explain that such feeling had stemmed out from the fact that she hadn't gotten pregnant when they did it for the first time. She had been hoping to be pregnant so she had someone who'd take her mind off from Yuuzuki but when she had her period, she had been so disappointed that she had become short-tempered much to her friends and parents' worry. Obviously, she hadn't gotten over from what she called as a failure.

The couple continued talking, trying to make up for the lost time of their relationship. They wanted to get as comfortable as possible before they'd start touching each other which was what they wanted.

When they had consumed their cakes, both of them stood up with the intent of cleaning the table and washing the plates. Yuuzuki volunteered to do the latter. When the kunoichi handed him one plate, their hands brushed softly causing them to gasp and pulled back as if being scorched. Their gazes clashed just as the plate crashed to the floor and shattered into pieces. But none of them mind because the crashing sound had happened somewhere outside their small world. In a split of second, they were furiously kissing each other, tasting each other's sweetness and mapping out the once familiar hot cavern.

Yuuzuki pushed Yukina towards what he supposed was her bedroom and let themselves tumbled over the soft bed while remaining the passionate contact.

When they pulled apart, they were breathless and flushed but still hungry.

"Yukina, can-"

"Don't ask. Just do it," she replied, her hot breath fanning against his face. And he never did. He took and offered and his girlfriend returned the favor. The first punch of their passion was so powerful that none of them paid attention that they were tearing each other's clothes and tossing them to the floor haphazardly. All they wanted was to feel each other without any obstacles. The second punch of desire hit them as their flushed skin pressed against each other. Hard and lean body against soft and pliant one.

In her wish to please her lover, she had got down and engulfed his throbbing, hard length. And the deep and throaty moan that rumbled from him made her more hot and wet.

"Fuck," Yuuzuki breathed as Yukina started humming, intensifying the pleasure flowing through him. The vision was getting blurry and all he could hear now was the furious and loud beating of his heart. For each second that passed, the boiling lava that was pooling at the pit of his stomach was increasing until he couldn't take it anymore. With a muffled shout, he came so hard that most of his essence dripped from Yukina's sweet mouth.

All he could manage was breathed her name and then followed by, "that was wonderful." The girl blushed. She didn't want her boyfriend to know that she was reading porn magazines once in a while in preparation for this moment. She wanted it to remain her deep and dark secret. But she had nothing to worry because Yuuzuki wasn't interested with that because he was now planning on returning the pleasure ten-fold. That was his plan when he pushed his love on her back and started playing with her supple breast before burying his face in her womanly mound.

Pleasure exploded within her when Yuuzuki alternately licked and nibbled her intimate part. It wasn't long when the lad was sporting an erection. Her moistness, heat and scent had caused that.

"Please," the girl begged. She couldn't take it anymore. She wanted to feel Yuuzuki. She wanted him inside her, moving and plunging. She wanted them to be one - a proof that he was finally with her.

Perhaps Yuuzuki had understand her unspoken wants because he positioned himself, raised her hips a bit then plunged into her welcoming tight heat.

His eyes crossed as he sheathed himself inside her. Their mouths met as they started moving towards their completion. He made sure that Yukina would find more pleasure than he did. He wanted to give her an orgasm- a nerve-wracking one and he knew how to.

Having been working as an errand boy in a whorehouse gave him a very good advantage. His job had given him close contact with whores and when he conveniently slipped that he had a girlfriend, the whores he had befriended started giving him tips on how to give his girl her orgasm.

He changed his angle and made sure to touch the patch of nerves his whore friends mentioned. And he knew he hit it when Yukina cried out. With that pace and position, they continued rocking against each other until everything exploded beautifully. And when there were so much happiness, Yukina fell in a deep slumber in the arms of the source of such feelings.

-SasuNaru is love-

When Yukina became aware of the world, the noise outside her place told her that it was now past three in the afternoon. She rolled to the other side of the bed hoping to find Yuuzuki there. The smile faded when all she felt was air. Was it just a dream? No, it wasn't. Her body was too deliciously sore for it to be just that. She opened her eyes and sat up, her blanket pooling around her waist. She was about to rub her eyes, when she realized that she had an audience.

"Yuuzuki?" she murmured sleepily while grabbing the sheet to cover her chest. She suddenly turned shy seeing that her boyfriend was now wearing boxers.

The lad was sitting on a chair, looking at her with an unreadable expression. He had been watching throughout the time she had slept. For that time only one thought kept coming back to him: he wanted her with an illogical need. At least to him, it was illogical. He didn't want to let her go after thinking that beyond her, he saw nothing. He didn't want her to be with anyone else. He wanted her to be his in every aspect. He didn't understand why he had become this possessive. Was it because of the time they spent apart? Or was it because he was influenced by the possessiveness of his friends back at his working place? After all, there wasn't a day those women never fought because one party had stolen her customer or something and most of the time, it was him who settled those full-blown cat fights.

"What's wrong?" she asked a bit alarmed and scared. She had never seen Yuuzuki like this nor had he emanated this almost dark aura.

Yuuzuki leaned forward towards her and said without preamble, "Marry me."

The girl could only gape at him as her brain slowly registered the sudden proposition.

Yuuzuki pulled out the small box he had been holding and presented it to her. He had bought it during his mission with a plan to give it to her a year or two later. However, after what happened between them few hours earlier, he had grown impatient.

"Yukina?" Impatient for her answer and scared that she would decline.

After what was like an eternity, she smiled and nodded.

"You scared me," Yukina confessed as her arms wrapped themselves around him.

"That's my line," he whispered as he closed the gap between them and she pulled him back to the bed.

-SasuNaru is love-

The Hatake couple was pleasantly surprise when their daughter waltzed into their dining room. The two shared a look seeing that very strange goofy smile on her face.

"Something good happened?" Kakashi bothered to ask when it was so obvious.

The girl's smile just grew wider.

It was only when Iruka sat back on his chair after preparing another set of plate for their daughter, did the latter displayed her hands on the table.

Both males didn't miss the glittering stone perched on her particular finger.

"W-what's that?" Iruka dumbly asked. What could he possibly say other than that when his vision focused on that object alone?

"It's an engagement ring," Kakashi dumbly pointed out as well. Although he looked calm, his mind raced from torturing the man who dared propose to his girl to crying that they would be losing her then finally to mirroring her goofy smile.

"I know that," the chuunin almost snapped at him before looking at their daughter again. "Who?" Another dumb question but Iruka wanted to hear the name from Yukina just so he could really make sure.

"Yuuzuki." Her dreamy look intensified but disappeared when both of them sported a frown. "You don't approve?" she asked in a tearful and disappointed voice.

They immediately denied her accusation.

"You're going to marry Yuuzuki," Iruka stated almost forcefully.

"So? Is it bad?"

Kakashi sighed. Yukina was too wrapped up in her own happiness to understand while his spouse was too worried that he crammed all the things he wanted to say in one statement.

"Yukina," the jounin started. "Yuuzuki isn't an ordinary ninja. He is the heir of a prestigious clan. By marrying him, you're marrying into the clan. Expectations from you as the heir's wife are great. And that would intensify together with pressures once Yuu became the leader. More or less that's the trouble you're getting at." He ended his explanation with a smile.

To be honest, she had never thought about the implications and consequences of marrying an heir. Although she was aware of what her man was, she tended to forget it because Yuuzuki never made a fuss about his future role. In fact, Yuuzuki never brought up any topic related to being an heir. It was as if, he was silently renouncing his position. But she knew Yuuzuki would never do that. Something told her that he accepted his future role and was aware of the responsibilities and consequences that came along with it. The promises he whispered to her on her bed were the proof.

It's going to be tough but I'll be with you. I'll protect you with everything I have and will have. I'll be your strength.

She looked at her parents with determination flaring in her eyes. "I could only guess what lies ahead for me but I'm not alone. Yuuzuki, both of you and my friends would be there for me." Then she gave them a beautiful smile before she added confidently, "Besides you brought me up to be strong."

Both parents sighed in defeat and relief.

"Yuuzuki will come here tomorrow night," she informed them just when Iruka was about to ask for details. Hearing such announcement sent the chuunin into a frenzy of planning what dishes to cook and what tableware to use.

His husband looked at him with lazy amusement before one eye focused on their daughter. "Congratulations," Kakashi said.

-SasuNaru is love-

When Yuuzuki was reunited with his family, he had acted normal as if he hadn't screwed his girlfriend nor had he proposed to her. He acted and looked normal that nobody could tell how tensed he was inside and he wanted it to stay that way. Trying to stop himself from thinking of how to break the news to his parents and siblings, he invited Miki to a spar which the girl immediately accepted. Then he observed the spectacle spar between his two younger brothers before proceeding inside to play Goh with their otousan while their chichiue was cooking their supper.

He really thought no one would know because his actions didn't give him away until he noticed that the remaining two dark-haired of the family were staring at him as if he had grown another head while the rest of the family were laughing.

Kisho was kind enough to explain to him between guffaws what he had just done before he could ask or demand.

"You just poured a lot of soy sauce into your miso soup."

Yuuzuki blinked and before he decided to deny it and make a fool out of himself (if he still hadn't), he looked at his soup which was now taking the color of soy sauce instead of its usual color of light caramel.

"He must have picked that habit during his latest mission," Miki commented as she held her stomach. This time around, Akemi was now chuckling.

"Is there something wrong, Yuuzuki?" Naruto managed to ask.

The eldest Uchiha sibling took that inquiry as a perfect opportunity. He took a deep breath before he said what nobody in the family had expected for sometime.

"I asked Yukina to marry me."

And the sudden silence that crushed like Tsunami over the place was overwhelming for all of them. Nobody moved nor dared to make any sound. Nobody but Naruto who was choking with his own saliva.

Miki was quick enough to hand him his glass of water while gently thumping his back. "You mean marriage as in…" he trailed off, letting his hands which were moving wildly to do the talking.

"Yes as in…" Yuuzuki replied imitating his chichiue's hand movements. Sure, he was nervous beyond reality but he had to make things light because the atmosphere was too uncomfortable.

And then everybody or at least his siblings, was talking.

"Does that mean I get another sister?" Kisho asked their still silent otousan.

"Hey!" Miki protested at her younger brother's statement. "Are you telling me I'm not enough?"

"Not really but with more sisters that means more fun."

The blond girl nodded. With another female in the family, she would never be so alone, right?

"Does her parents already know about this?" Akemi asked. Trust that boy to be so serious in everything.

Yuuzuki stood up and bowed to all of them and in a voice that carried over the din his siblings were causing, he said, "Please allow me to marry Yukina. Please recognize her as my fiancée, my wife and soon to be member of this clan."

The request made in an almost desperate and pleading voice caused the other 3 kids to shut up and looked expectantly at their surprised parents.

"Are you aware of the responsibilities that come with marriage, Yuuzuki?" Sasuke asked seriously, his obsidian eyes alert for any small change of his emotions.

The boy nodded. He had watched both of his parents to have a very good idea what marriage means. Marriage wasn't a bed of roses or a walk through the park. It was a product of understanding, patience, hard work and most of all love from both parties. He had also seen enough what responsibility it brings.

"Can you do it?" Naruto asked. "Will you have no regrets marrying at this age?"

He shook his head. "I'm ready and if there would be any regrets it would be if I didn't ask her now."

"Then I expect you to go and talk to her parents tomorrow so the next day we can go and talk with them," Sasuke said.

And the relief that came from that statement made Yuuzuki tired but happy. He couldn't stop grinning and even returned his siblings' teasing with his own.

"Is there something else?" their chichiue asked when he noticed that their eldest boy was casting them furtive glances. The latter chuckled, rubbed his nape before he became serious again.

"I need to ask a selfish favor from both of you," he started. "I know my future role is but until then I want to live on our own. I want to live in the house next door." He noticed his otousan frowning. "I promise that when it is my time, we'll return to the main house."

After a few moments of uncomfortable silence and fidgeting on Yuuzuki's part, the Uchiha leader replied, "I trust on your words."

"Thank you very much."

-SasuNaru is love-

Naruto had a thoughtful expression on his face as he lie down on their bed on his stomach his hands cupping his face. "Ne, Sasuke?" he called out to his husband who was sitting on their desk writing something.

"Don't you think Yuuzuki is too young to marry?" he asked almost sadly.

The other man titled his head to his direction and said, "As far as I can remember we also married at the age of 19. You're being a hypocrite, dobe."

The blonde scowled. "Yeah but… what would you understand, anyway?" he asked before pouting. A second later, Sasuke was sitting on the bedside.

"Idiot," Sasuke whispered. Of course! He understood what the blonde was feeling. No matter how old Yuuzuki or any of their kids grow, to them, they will always be their little kids. And now one of them was going to start a new life- life that they could not participate but just watch from the sidelines. The fact caused a feeling of helplessness within him every time he thought about Yuuzuki getting married.

"I don't want to lose him," Naruto confessed. He had nothing against Yukina. In fact, he always thought that the girl was sweet and perfect for his boy but…. He wasn't ready to see him off yet. Wasn't it just yesterday that both he and Sasuke was cooing at and carrying him in their arms?

The blonde looked like he was about to cry that his spouse pressed a light kiss on his forehead. "We aren't losing him. He's just getting independent and we can still visit him anyway."

A tanned hand curled around his pale neck as his wife asked him, "Sasuke? Is this what it feels like to have your son marrying soon?"

"Dobe, this is my first time too so don't ask me stupid questions."

The feeling of sadness and joy merging together… they knew it was part of being parents but they didn't like the sensation or its novelty. To them, it sucked big time.

"If the loss is so big, we can make another one, y'know," Sasuke whispered huskily as his hot lips trailed along the left side of Naruto's face.

"I don't want to go through the whole wretched proceeding called pregnancy for the fifth time," the blonde replied with his thumb moving in circle on one particular pale skin spot.

"Liar" Kyuubi called out in a sing-song voice.

"He doesn't have to know so shut up."

"You can just tell him the truth."

"No and that's final."

"If you aren't tired, can you accompany me somewhere?"

"Where?"

Sasuke's answer was grabbing him and he 'poof'ed them into the house Yuuzuki was talking about earlier. He chuckled as he felt the other man tensed before clinging into his left arm. That was Naruto's reaction every time he accompanied Sasuke in his 'house visitation'. "Dobe, there's no ghost here."

"How can you be sure? Nobody had lived this place for so long."

"Hn." Sasuke reached out to the light switch to turn it on.

As the Uchiha leader inspected the place, his wife was busy looking around, ready to bolt if any ghost would appear somewhere within his field of vision.

"I think the reconstruction would be done within a month," he murmured.

Naruto gaped at him. "Are you nuts? The house is big. It won't be enough. And there's no point in hurrying, they won't get married for the next seven months."

"So? Besides there still interior decoration to be made. Not to mention, their moving in. The earlier this one is done, the better. At least, we can then focus on their wedding plans and all."

"But no carpenter would agree to your demands."

Sasuke wrapped his arms around Naruto. "You forgot a very important fact that the Uchiha is asking them and that the house they're going to reconstruct is my heir's."

"Arrogant bastard," he retorted but he knew it was the truth. The name 'Uchiha' held a lot of power more than anyone could fathom. Wasn't that the reason why few people who still hated him for having Kyuubi served him obediently and respectfully? Wasn't it because he was an Uchiha by marriage and the wife of the clan's leader?

TBC

Not much action because... I dunno.

It's Naru's birthday today and I don't have any SasuNaru nose-bleeding action. Sheesh...