Naruto and Shikamaru stood at the Leaf's gates. The blond was starting to fidget. His hands twiddled with the strings if his Hokage's hat. The white coat lay on top of his shoulders fluttering around the wall he leant against.
"Do we have to wait here for long? If I knew we would have to wait I would have brought a scroll to study or even some paperwork to do." Naruto moaned.
Shikamaru lifted his head up to look at the whining man. "If I be honest here I expected you to be more like the fifth than anything. But here we are been waiting for ten minutes and you are moaning about studying or paperwork you would have like to have brought." He rested his head back in his clasped hands. "What happened to the Naruto we all used to know? The one that would skip class and didn't study a day in his academy years. Or even the one that didn't think so much and just jumped into action."
Naruto scoffed and Shikamaru let out a low hearty laugh that only Naruto seemed to bring out.
"I thought you would have liked a break, so that's why I dragged you out a little earlier than needed. Sorry for the wrong calculation." Shikamaru told him as he began to stand and walk over to the blond. He flung his arms around him and pulled him into an embrace.
He loved how Naruto always smelled warm and sweet. He had noticed that he was touching and cuddling the blond a lot more than anyone else. Naruto felt perfect in his arms, and Shikamaru felt protected in his. They broke apart as they heard foot steps in the distance.
"Oh Shika I forgot to tell you. I haven't told Gaara I am Hokage yet. All I told him in the letters was a new Hokage was chosen and then moved on from the topic." Naruto pulled his hat down so you couldn't see his blond hair or face. Then Shikamaru noticed that the blond had no sign of that bright orange, he loved to ware, on him. If Shikamaru hadn't know he wouldn't have thought it was Naruto either. "So please don't tell him until I do, I want to surprise him."
Shikamaru nodded and stepped partly in front of him as the three sand ninja approached.
Shikamaru rubbed the back of his head as the ninja smiled at him. "Hello Kazekage, Temari and Kankuro. Nice to see you back in the Leaf." Shikamaru smiled and signalled his head back the way. "This is the sixth Hokage and I am his right hand man. Blah de blah introduction all over. Now may I ask why you are visiting our village?" Shikamaru raised his eyebrow and waited for an answer.
"Nice to meet you sixth Hokage. I am Gaara the fifth Kazekage. We are here just to insure our alliance with the new Hokage in place." Gaara told him as he stood eyeing up the new Hokage.
The Hokage just nodded in response. "First though we would like to meet with Naruto Uzumaki. Do you know where he is at this time?" Kankuro asked.
Then the Hokage finally spoke. "And may I ask what you want with our jinchūriki?" His voice sounded struggled, like he was gargling nails or holding in a laugh.
"Well he turns out to be a close friend of mine." Gaara stated a slight tint to his cheeks for admitting it aloud to the new Hokage.
The Hokage burst out laughing. "Aww Gaara it is so nice to hear you say that aloud about me." He lifted his hat to show a blue eyed and whiskered cheeked boy grinning wildly at them.
"Naruto you fly fox. Your the new Hokage?" Temari asked shocked to see the blond.
"Yeah the Sixth, cause I am just that amazing. What did you not believe me with the many times I told you I would become Hokage?" Naruto asked while he put on a hurt expression walking up to the trio.
"Here Naruto I got you a present." Gaara said shoving a small orange bag in the blonds face.
Naruto took the bag and pulled out three books his expression changed to one of absolute delight.
"Are these really the books I told you about in the letters? The ones I said were so rare? How did you get these?" Naruto shot the quick fire questions at the siblings.
"One was already in our village. The others he made us look for while we were out on missions." The puppet master told them.
"Yeah and he refused any colour of bag but orange. He said he would not hand them over unless the bag was your favourite colour." The wind Kunoichi said while nudging her brother. Gaara flushed a scarlet red.
Naruto jumped and embraced Gaara into a tight hug. "Gaara I think I might just love you." He pulled back and looked back at the red head with adoring eyes. "Now only if you were gay." Naruto laughed as the red head wriggled out of his embrace.
"Well if I ever become gay you will be the first to know." Gaara laughed and dusted himself down. "So I guess the alliance is still in tact then since you are the Hokage?"
"Yeah why would I ruin the perfectly good friendship that the five top villages have?" Naruto gave the question out not expecting an answer.
"Well who knows you like to go on a whim and love fights so.." Kankuro answered the rhetorical question anyway.
"Actually he has become surprisingly responsible the last month. You just missed him moaning that we were waiting for ten minutes and he should have brought a scroll to study or some of his paperwork." Shikamaru told them as he took an unconscious step towards the blond man.
"Don't tell me you thought I wanted these books for decorations? I actually need them to study, they might even be the help I need to crack Neji's seal." Naruto nearly jumped in excitement.
"Neji's?" Temari asked confused because she had seen the Huga man die in Naruto's arms.
"It is what he calls it for short sometimes because it was because of Neji he started to work on it. Plus easier than saying the Huga's branch families curse seal." Shikamaru informed the group.
"Shika can you do me a favour and stay with our guests for today? Just show them to the hotel and then do what ever you want with them. I will give you a day off next week plus a game of shoji if you do." Naruto looked up to the lazy man who was slightly taller with pleading eyes.
"Sure whatever." Shikamaru answered sounding board. "But I might ask for something more for the trouble." He leaned in close to the blond an breathed softly on his ear. "And whatever I say you have to do ok?" He pulled back enough to look at the blond as he answered.
Naruto just let out a laugh and nodded trusting Shikamaru completely. "Whatever you want Shika. Now Gaara are you staying with me again or the hotel? If you stay with me though we will need to share a bed not got enough room for a spare anymore, but my bed is now a double."
"I will see how I feel." Gaara didn't seem fazed by the sharing a bed bit.
"Ok well Shika will show you the hotel just in case so can you three go with him. And if you need me I will be in my office, but I will be working so if you come to be entertained I hope you brought your own book. Tonight at seven we will meet up and go for a drink or dinner ok?" Naruto waved and walked off in the direction of the tower.
"He seems a little too responsible for Naruto." Temari thought aloud as she walked with the group heading towards the hotel.
"Tell me about it he even brought some work with him to the gathering we had last night, didn't even drink any alcohol."
"What are you talking about Naruto has always had a responsible side, he just didn't let it shows as much as he does now. What did you think they would let the hyperactive Naruto take control of the leaf? No there are a lot of sides to him and no one knows them all. I really don't think anyone really knows the full personality of Naruto Uzumaki." Gaara continued to watch the path the blond had walked seconds ago.
"Wow Gaara deep." Kankuro stated tapping his brothers back.
"It's a drag but he is right there are sides of Naruto that people have seen glimpses of but never the full extent. Naruto is really very private about himself the only one that knows the full him is Kurama and maybe the rest of the tailed beasts now." Shikamaru said ending the conversation and heading towards the Sand siblings hotel.
There was a small knock at Naruto's office door. The blond didn't even bother to look up from his work. "Come in." The loud bubbly voice shouted.
Sasuke opened the door and peered through. He scanned the room looking for any sign of Gaara or his siblings.
"I though you were with Gaara today?" Sasuke stepped through the door heading towards the blond. It was his day off so his uniform has been replaced by normal clothes.
"No. He can come visit if he wants but I have scheduled work for today. I meet them tonight though for a drink and tomorrow I have the whole day to hang out because we were supposed to have a meeting about the alliance but none of us has had a change of heart so day off for me." Naruto pumped his fist in the air then slouched back to work.
Sasuke planted himself down on Naruto's desk. His greyish shorts made a chafing sound as he leaned closer to the working blond. "What to go have some lunch then. I will pay of course."
Naruto smiled up brightly at the raven man and propelled himself at him. There was a bit too much force behind it so they both tumble to the floor in laughter. The way they had landed the blond was under the Uchiha.
Sasuke stopped laughing while the blond just kept giggling on. 'He looks so happy. He really is beautiful when laughing.' Sasuke's hand moved and stroked Naruto's cheek when the blue eyes landed on him, he acted as if he was moving some hair away.
"Ok teme lets go for lunch but you need to get off me first." Naruto pushed at Sasuke's black top covering his chest. His voice still light from laughter. The raven haired man grunted and rolled off of Naruto he got to his feet and helped the blond to his.
Sasuke straightened his black shirt that was left open. 'Shame. I was happy looking down at you there.' Sasuke's face turned into a pout as he turned away from the blond.