SasuNaru yaoi, OOC and unbeta-read

Author's notes: While reading Chapter 402 especially the Itachi-Naruto conversation, I was so happy to know that this fic is on the same track as the manga. We're so lucky.

Title: A Prima Vista

Tsunade sighed the second her gaze fell on Naruto. Even after three weeks, the lad still continued to dress in black clothes as he continued mourning for someone who thought so little of him. Naruto hadn't been like this when Sandaime and Jiraiya died and she wondered where his resilience went.

She clucked her tongue. Despite the frown on her face, her voice held warmth and gentleness when she said, "Look, Naruto, there is a time of mourning and a time to move on." Naruto shifted his gaze downward and focused it on a document tray beside her desk. "I'm sure that if Sasuke ever saw you like this, he'd be calling you a loser." Seeing that it didn't garner a response, much less a reaction, Tsunade decided to just proceed to the reason why she called Naruto to her office in the first place. She placed a scroll across her table.

"A team sent on a long-term mission had gotten hold about talks of the annihilation of Konoha. A week ago, they managed to confirm that this isn't a rumor and that there really is a plot against Konoha." In a commanding voice, she continued, "Uzumaki Naruto, you are hereby sent on a mission to find the conspirators and eliminate them at all cost." Tsunade didn't expect the lad to accept the mission, so it had been a slight surprise when Naruto did.

Keeping the smile from her face, she said, "Read the scroll first and you're expected to leave today."

"Roger that," Naruto replied. He was about to step out from the room when his superior's voice stopped him, "Be careful."

"Sure," he quietly replied.

Tsunade let out a deep sigh the moment the door closed.

"Tsunade-sama, is it okay to send him on such a mission?" Shizune asked worriedly. "It looks like that he isn't stable enough to do this kind of mission. It might put his life in danger."

"Konoha had been Sasuke's home. If Naruto stays here, he won't be able to get over his friend's death," Tsunade replied. She slightly doubted her decision, but she hoped with this plan, she would be able to kill two birds with one stone.

-SasuNaru is love-

The first place Naruto went to investigate was a small village near Sound where according to his mission scroll, the rumor had been confirmed. Without further ado, Naruto started snooping around. However, much to his disappointment, what he had gotten hold of was no different from what was written on the scroll, but that meant that he was on the right track.

One day, after almost three months since he had received his mission, he finally found a new piece of information that led him to another village - something which didn't happen once. Sometimes, he'd stay in a town for a maximum of a month or a minimum of three weeks before he left for another village.

Of course, it wasn't always that things went smoothly or went according to his plan. There were times when he would get frustrated and times when he would come to suspect that he was being led on a wild goose chase. Oftentimes, he would end up spending what little money he had for getting information which thankfully would lead him somewhere. Seldom, he was forced to threaten or beat up the person just to have them spill the beans.

Naturally, his weekly mission reports didn't include what he underwent and what he did to attain information. His reports were brief and concise. Just as Tsunade had wanted.

After four and a half months, for the first time, Naruto had two leads - both of them pointing to a different location.

He was currently in his cramped room he rented while looking at his map. He shifted in his position, careful not to move his sprained arm- the result of a ring fight he won just to get such valuable information. Although Kyuubi was already healing it, pain still shot out at the slightest movement.

Naruto studied the map. He noted the distance between his next two destinations and his current location. Taking into consideration that the demon country was closer, he decided to go there first. He quickly wrote a report to Tsunade, summoned and asked Gamakichi to deliver before he started packing.

By daybreak, Naruto was already on his way to the Demon country.

"Thanks for the food," Naruto called out over his shoulder to the ramen shop owner while he brushed past the shop's noren. He stood outside and patted his stomach. It was good to be the last customer. He gazed up at the sky, silently admiring the stars. Today, he concluded, hadn't been productive information-gathering wise, but he knew from experience that first days were always like that. Regardless how hard he asked around, he'd be empty-handed. He sighed, inserted his hands in his pockets and walked. Because he was already exhausted and the streets were empty, he walked without paying much attention.

He took a sharp turn and when he bumped into someone, he spoke first before he lifted his eyes.

"Watch where y-" His annoyed tone gave way to surprise as his eyes lifted to meet familiar black orbs that appeared to see right through him. "S-Sa...suke?!" He gulped, unable to understand why he was there. He was supposed to be dead. If he was supposed to be a ghost, he should look paler than he would when he was alive. If he was just an illusion, he shouldn't be staring at him as if he too was surprised to bump into him. He took a step backward and ended up losing his balance, falling to the ground on his butt. He continued staring at Sasuke who disappeared into dark flames and even when his supposedly dead friend was gone, he continued staring, unable to move... refusing to move. Still gripping with the possibility that Sasuke was alive. Oh! The hope.

By the time the sunlight softly colored the edges of the mountains, Naruto finally snapped out from his stupor and it was with the thought that Sasuke, his dearest friend was still alive. Sasuke was alive and his heart soared. Sasuke was not dead and he was here. His mouth split into a grin, realizing how just lucky he was. He stood up, all fired up to find his friend and take him to Konoha... their home.

Without sleep, he started asking around. Not about the information he should've been gathering for his mission, which he seemed to have momentarily forgotten, but about his missing friend. Because it was still early morning, there were only few people whom he could ask. His desperation in finding Sasuke ate whatever hesitation he had and he shouted Sasuke's name while running through the streets.

"Sasuke!" Naruto shouted once more, his voice ringing clear throughout the streets.

"Keep your voice down!" A woman, leaning over the window, shouted back. "It's too early in the morning!" She added while furiously waving an arm at the blond who ignored her. She cursed under her breath while straightening. She looked over her shoulder and smiled at the occupant of the room. "Kids, these days! It's nice to know there's still a youth like you, Uchiha-san," she commented.

Sasuke just nodded and handed to her the weekly payment of the room he was renting. "If I'm going to stay for another week, I'll inform you on Thursday."

The woman smiled and excused herself. Sasuke looked outside through the window and sighed. Naruto was bringing trouble. 'No,' Sasuke silently thought to himself, 'Naruto is trouble.'

Naruto splashed water at his face to get rid of his exhaustion. It hadn't been easy running around and asking for a person who obviously didn't want to be found. Stupid Sasuke. If he thought he would give up looking for him, then he would be very disappointed. He had a lot of questions to ask him and he would never stop unless he got the answers he was looking for. He looked to the west. The sun was halfway down and there was still no proof of Sasuke's evidence. He was tired. He admitted that, but he couldn't stop now. He none-too-gently patted his cheeks, stretched his body before resuming his search.

"Like I said, he has this duck-butt hairstyle," Naruto explained to a hostess who was taking a break. "If you're viewing from behind, it's like has a duck on top of his head. He's arrogant. He talks in monotone voice and using monotonous words."

"Like I said, boy," she paused to take a drag of her cigarette. "I'd seen him only once. I bumped into him and offered him some services but, he just glared at me like I'm the dirt at the bottom of his sandals." She scowled while remembering that moment. "And I don't care if he's Sasuke or Keisuke or something," she continued while dismissively waving her hand. "As much as I want to help you, I can't and my break is over." She gave him a smile. "Thanks for the drink and smile." Saying that, she leaned over and suddenly pressed a quick kiss on Naruto's forehead making Naruto stutter and blush. She chuckled and paused, "If you need anything other than your friend's whereabouts, you'll know where to find me." With a sensual wave of her hand, she disappeared into the crowd.

Naruto sighed and was about to leave when a hand grabbed his wrist and he heard a deep voice that said, "Your friend's name is Sasuke, no?" Naruto looked at the man and then nodded. "What do you know about him?"

"I know he arrived here a week ago," the man said, his left pointer finger tracing the rim of his empty glass.

"And?" Naruto who immediately seated himself across the man, leaned over the table, asked.

The man snorted. "Are you new to this business of information sharing, boy?" He asked, eyes suddenly guarded. "People in this business called it Equivalent trade. We'll give you the information you need and you give us what we want. In my case, money." He openly studied the boy who remained quiet and looking speculative.

Naruto mentally sighed because he was financially tight right now. In fact, he probably need to skip few meals before he would receive the money Tsunade sent to him. However, he couldn't let this opportunity pass him by. "Look, mister. I swear on my honor, that I'll pay you once I received my money. I'm broke, you see."

"I want that necklace," he said, pointing at it. A tanned hand immediately wrapped around the pendant, giving the man an idea how important this particular necklace was to the boy.

"I can't give it to you," Naruto said. He didn't have to think about this decision. Not only was it given to him by Tsunade, but it also was a means to control Kyuubi when things would go out of control.

"Then our talk is over," the man replied and stood up. He had only taken two steps when Naruto grabbed his arm. "Wait, mister, don't go yet," he pleaded. "I need to find Sasuke..."

The man growled and swung his captured arm, sending Naruto few meters away and to hit against the wall. Because moments like these seemed to happen often in this particular area, none of the patrons paid attention. They just moved to get out from what they assumed to be a full-blown fight.

Naruto stood up and while pretending to take his time dusting himself, he was deciding what to do. He didn't have money, but that didn't mean he wouldn't pay. It just meant that the payment would be delayed. He couldn't let the man go because he didn't know when he'd be able to find another lead. He ran after the man who immediately noticed him and swung his fist. By instinct, Naruto ducked then blocked another punch. "I'm going to pay once I have it, but I need the information you have right now!"

The man looked at the persistent blond. He didn't want a late payment, because truth to be told, he was just trying to swindle the blond using the information he picked up from the streets. He didn't know Sasuke Uchiha and he was lying when he said that Sasuke arrived a week ago. However, telling this to the boy... He mentally sighed. The blond wouldn't believe him. What trouble did he get himself into? He gave another attack hoping that he would knock the blond unconscious and make his escape.

Naruto huffed. He finally made his decision. He just had to beat the information out from the man. He held his ground and returned the punch, taking the man by surprise. Sending the man crashing through a table of inhibited hotheaded guys wasn't part of his plan. Especially when said hotheaded guys started lunging themselves towards him.

Great. Just great.

He ducked, leaned to the right, leapt, flipped back and balanced on the top of the back of chair while looking for his lead. The man was crawling towards the door. "Hey, mister!" He shouted over the din that had gripped this den of worldly pleasures. He did an acrobatic move, leapt from table to table and threw himself the rest of the way and ended up landing on the man. That wasn't exactly his plan, but he achieved his goal, so it didn't matter. "Please, I need to find him."

"Get off!" The older male shouted over and over again while he persistently bucked against the blond to knock him over.

Naruto was confused when he felt himself being lifted. He looked over his shoulder and his eyes widened upon seeing the muscled man who was lifting him up like it took no effort at all. He struggled. He flailed his arms and legs while discouraging himself to use any ninjutsu. It wasn't the time or the place. Besides, these guys were just ordinary citizens... crazy citizens.

A cry slipped past his lips when he found himself sailing through the air and through the bar's swinging doors. He landed gracelessly on the ground, groaning. Dizzily, he pushed himself up on his elbows and shook his head to clear his mind. He glared at the men standing by the door. Who was he kidding anyway? These guys were more than crazy, but he would never lose to them, not when Sasuke...

He lunged towards them, fangs bared and his battle cry echoed. He swung his fists only to be caught before he could deliver a strike.

"That's enough, dobe," he heard that longed-for voice say as the hand that firmly grasped his fist tightened his hold. He whipped his head and just as he thought, it was nobody else but- "Sasuke?" He looked at his opponents and strangely, he felt emboldened. It would be easier with Sasuke around. Defeating these guys wouldn't even take a minute now.

His opponents stepped forward and seeing the smirk that made its presence knowns on the blond's lips, Sasuke looked at the hotheaded patrons in the bar and in a cold biting voice, he growled, "That's enough."

Naruto immediately nodded while slipping his fist free from its prison. He took on his stance and shouted, "Yeah, bring it on, bastards!" Such challenge provoked the other party.

Sasuke looked at Naruto and asked, "Ready, dobe?"

He felt his spirit soar. This wasn't one of his dreams nor one of his imaginations. He missed those words spoken with confidence that bordered near arrogance. Hell, he missed that arrogance. Unable to fight back the smirk from his face, he replied, "I was born ready, bastard."

Once again, he felt Sasuke's hand and this time, it was gripping his left wrist and the next thing he knew, Sasuke was dragging him away from his opponents. Sasuke... They were running away.

WHAT?!

Wide-eyed, he looked at Sasuke and shouted, "Why the hell are we running away?"

"Because we can," Sasuke answered back calmly.

"Have you lost your mind? We can defeat them!" He looked behind them and saw his opponents chasing after them. He planted his feet on the ground, indirectly telling Sasuke that he wanted to finish the fight, but Sasuke harshly tightened his grip and continued pulling him along.

"You're the one who's crazy! Fighting won't solve anything."

Naruto stared at his friend. What was wrong with him? The Sasuke he knew would never run away from a fight. He was born to fight; to make his distinction known in the battlefield. He lived to fight, so why? He swatted Sasuke's hand away when they turned around the corner.

"Do you know what you are talking about?" Naruto demanded. He was panting more from his confusion and anger rather than the physical exertion he partook a second ago.

Sasuke cooly looked at him and retorted, "Do you know what you're fighting for?"

Naruto casted his eyes downward. Yes, he knew what he was fighting for. He hadn't forgotten about it, but that didn't mean he should run away from a fight. What honor was there in running away? "I know," he murmured. He looked up when he felt a flurry of movements beside him just in time to see Sasuke leaping over a wooden gate.

"H-hey, wait a minute. You-" he trailed off when Sasuke, who was standing on the shabby gate pointed something behind him. He followed that finger and found his opponents closing in on him.

"Have fun then, dobe," Sasuke said before he jumped from the gate and over to the other side.

"Sasuke!" Without further thinking, he quickly propelled himself into the air and leapt over the gates. So much for not running away, he rolled his eyes and he thought his embarrassment was over until, out of bad timing, the tip of his left sandal slight snagged an object protruding from one of the wooden boards, upsetting his balance.

Shit!, he thought. He readied his body for impact with the ground.

When he opened his eyes, he wasn't lying on the ground. In fact, he was standing. Standing and pressed close to Sasuke's warm body. His instant reaction was putting a distance between him and Sasuke. It was just so wrong.

Sasuke snorted. "I just saved your ass from a disgraceful fall, usuratonkachi," he stated. "Be grateful."

"It's your fault," Naruto murmured. "I had been looking for you the whole day."

"I know. I heard you calling my name and asking people around."

Naruto glared at him. "Then why didn't you respond?" he demanded. It was just so wrong to see Sasuke so indifferent, as if it didn't matter to him that someone was looking for him... someone from his hometown.

"I see no point." Sasuke sighed as he calmly looked at the hand that gripped his arm.

"Is everything pointless to you now?!"He had found him and yet it was still burning within him... this feeling of being left behind; of not having found his friend at all.

Sasuke shook tanned hand off and turned around. "As a reward," he said in a sarcasm-tinged voice, "I'll humor you, but I suggest that we shouldn't be standing here. Let's go to your place."

Although he was pleased to hear what Sasuke said, he didn't make any indication and just crossed his arms over his chest. "My place is far from here. Let's go to yours."

"After the noise you made this morning, my landlady won't be happy to have you near her place."

Naruto solved that problem by changing into another boy with sandy brown hair and reddish eyes. He also changed the color of his clothes from black and orange to blue and white. He cheekily grinned at Sasuke who rolled his eyes and started walking.

A few minutes later, Sasuke stood by the window of his room while Naruto settled on the edge of his bed, hands hanging between his legs.

Without further ado, Naruto asked what had been bugging him. "How are you still alive, Sasuke? A team found a corpse and identified it as yours."

Sasuke shrugged. Without taking his eyes from the sky outside, he said, "I planned it. I manipulated a dying man to perform Kabuto's and Orochimaru's forbidden techniques to make him look like any Uchiha. Then I left him as a prey for bounty hunters who did the rest of the job for me."

Naruto let out a shaky breath. Sasuke... Sasuke was cruel and manipulative. "Why go that far?"

"I want Konoha to think of me as dead so that I can start a new life."

"Why?" Naruto asked with his voice louder than normal. The moment Sasuke was defected was the moment he threw him and the village away. Yet, hearing him saying those words made his chest clench. It still hurt to be disregarded as someone unimportant. Why was it so easy for Sasuke to throw things away? Why was he capable of doing such cruel things?

Sasuke turned to him, eyes unconsciously pleading for Naruto to understand. "I'm tired of a shinobi's life. I want to live where things are less difficult."

Naruto swallowed the lump of tears that welled up in his throat. He didn't understand why he wanted to cry. Was it because of the way Sasuke looked? Or his words? Or because Sasuke left him for a new world? He let out a heavy sigh. "You've changed, Sasuke." There was pain and disappointment in his voice that made the other man flinch.

"You're right. The Sasuke you know is dead."

"You're wrong," Naruto said quietly then he repeated it again in a shout while he swung his right arm to make his point. "He's alive because I carry a part of him."

Sasuke snorted and looked away, finding that the fierce determination in those blues eyes made him feel weak. He remained quiet, preferring to take in the sight of the streets and the sky rather than his former friend. He didn't even notice that Naruto was standing beside him until a he felt a hand pressing against the area just above his beating heart. He whipped his head around and his eyes clashed against his friend's.

"I'm glad you're alive, Sasuke," Naruto said so softly that it made Sasuke's heart skip a beat. Staring into those endless pools of black, he continued, "And I'm glad I met you again." Slowly, a beautiful smile graced Naruto's lips.

Sasuke swallowed slowly before he slowly wrapped his long, pale fingers around a tanned wrist. Gently, he pulled that hand away from his chest and said, "I still haven't decided whether I should be happy to meet you again, dobe." His voice was laced with sarcasm, but that was because he felt vulnerable under that piercing blue gaze that seemed to have a meaning he didn't understand. He gasped in pain when an elbow slammed into his abdomen.

"That was for making me cry," a growling Naruto told him. He grabbed a flying fist and glared.

"It isn't my fault that you're such a crybaby, dobe."

Naruto kicked Sasuke's shin hard. "That was for making my hands bleed."

A smirking Sasuke stepped onto Naruto's toes, keeping them from moving. "It's not my fault that you're careless."

"Asshole, I'm not gonna cry again or spare any effort when you die for real," the blonde growled. Unable to move his hands and his feet, he did the only thing he could. He slammed his head against Sasuke's.

Despite the white pain that exploded behind his eyelids, Sasuke cursed and blindly moved to throw the stupid blonde across the room, unfortunately, Naruto had managed to escape from his hold and was now lying on his bed. Pissed off beyond reason, Sasuke marched to his bed and found Naruto sleeping. Sleeping? He rolled his eyes. As if, he would fall for that.

Without taking his eyes off from his prey, he pulled his fist and brought it down. When Naruto didn't move and his breathing pattern remained even, Sasuke relaxed his fist. The idiot was indeed sleeping. He let out an irritated sigh. What kind of person who suddenly fell asleep the second his body hit a bed? He glanced at the blonde. An idiot.

Sasuke should wake him up and tell him to go home, but the exhaustion written on the tanned face made him change his mind. While Naruto was sleeping, Sasuke sat on a chair and watched his friend - the fierce defender of Konoha. He snorted at that thought.

It wasn't long until Naruto's presence began to awaken Sasuke's memories of Konoha. Especially the scent of leaves after the rain. Those memories then shifted to darker thoughts and to snippets of Madara's words that still echoed within him.

He loved the village not wrapped up in clan differences. The village elders used that to their advantage.

Sasuke knew how protective Naruto was of Konoha. He also knew how far Naruto would go for him and he could use that to his advantage. Just as the elders took advantage of Itachi's commitment to the village. Indeed, he could. Let the village elders have a taste of their own medicine.

...Itachi entered the black ops as a spy on your father's orders... He was what they called a 'double agent'...

He had to convince Naruto to join him. He would use Naruto, or to be exact, use Kyuubi even if it meant killing Naruto.

...That trauma made him a peaceful man who hated conflict.

The trauma of losing his whole clan made him a man thirsty of nothing but vengeance and that was why, he would destroy Konoha.

His mission was the annihilation of the entire Uchiha clan.

Since his talk with Madara, he finally made up his mind. His mission, as the last Uchiha, would be the annihilation of Konoha.

Sasuke looked at Naruto and let out a dark chuckle. The gods had granted him an easy way to achieve his mission. Naruto was the pipeline that connected him to that village, just as his brother was the pipeline between their clan and the village made up of corruption and lies. He would put an end to that.

Eyes gleaming maliciously, he moved towards Naruto and leaned towards him. He lowered himself and pressed their foreheads together. He closed his eyes and when he opened them, there was a ominous gentleness in them.

"I'm happy to see you again, Naruto," whispered his voice, laced with sinister intent.

I'm so happy, my dearest weapon.

TBC