Three times when Sasuke wanted time to go faster, and one time when he wanted it to stop.

Many thanks to all reviewers and to my beta extraordinaire, Kantayra.

Resting a hand against the bark of the tree, Sasuke stretched to the tip of his toes, reaching for the kunai that had missed its mark and hit the tree too high. His fingers just brushed against the handle, but he couldn't get a grip on it. He tried to make himself taller, but all he managed to do was lose his balance and stumble back.

Gritting his teeth, he glared at the offending weapon. He wished he was taller. Stronger. Better at what he was doing. He was tired of being a little boy, of everyone seeing him as a little boy. He would show them how good he was – just as soon as he got a little older.

Determined to try again, he approached the tree and this time jumped. He touched the kunai, but still couldn't grasp it.

"Let me help."

Itachi was there, suddenly, and pulling the kunai free with no effort. Sasuke sulked as he took the kunai from him.

"I don't want help," he muttered. "I want to grow up."

Itachi poked his forehead with a finger, smiling indulgently even as Sasuke glared at him. "You are growing up, silly. Didn't you have a birthday just last week?"

Sasuke huffed. "And that changed nothing! I want to be bigger like you! And be stronger. And join ANBU, too!"

He stopped himself before letting slip that maybe, then, their father would praise his accomplishments, too.

Itachi's smile wavered. He looked away, his eyes suddenly darkening. "If that's why you want to grow up, take your time, little brother. It's not as much fun as you think, believe me."

Sasuke watched him go away, shoulders slumped and head low, wondering what that was about. Remembering the kunai in his hand, he turned to face the tree again. Whatever Itachi said, he had no time to lose.

…

Sasuke wiped blood from the corner of his mouth and stood again, ready to parry the next attack, or to launch his own.

On the other side of the room, Orochimaru looked at him with a calculating look. "We're done for today, Sasuke-kun. Have Kabuto heal you, then get some rest."

Letting out a small noise that might have passed for agreement, Sasuke left the training room and limped back to his bedroom. He had learned that it was useless to argue with Orochimaru when he decided that Sasuke had had enough training for a day. That didn't mean he intended to follow his instructions. He was not going to ask for Kabuto's help, and he certainly wasn't going to rest when he had several jutsu scrolls to study.

As he cleaned up, he was scowling at nothing in particular. More and more often, lately, he'd been taken by the irksome feeling that Orochimaru was not training him as hard as he could have and instead was deliberately holding Sasuke back. The thought maddened Sasuke. The faster he learned, the faster he could kill Itachi, the easier it might be to be accepted back in Konoha – not that Orochimaru knew about that particular plan.

When, still limping but feeling somewhat better, he went to sit at his desk and opened the first scroll, his mind insisted on drifting back to Konoha. He wondered what Naruto was doing, and whether he was still running senselessly after him. It had been two years already, and Sasuke was a little surprised – a little hurt, too – that his ex-teammate hadn't burst through the door yet with the laughable claim that he'd bring Sasuke back home.

Two years that time had slowed down to a crawl. Something had to break soon or he'd turn as insane as his so-called sensei.

…

Hawk finally left, with much grumbling from Karin's part and much eye-rolling from Suigetsu. Sasuke sat, his legs dangling over the edge of the statue. Water rushed by him, the sound deafening. He hadn't remembered the water being so loud. In his memories, all he could hear were Naruto's shouts and his own, and the crackling of chakra when their attacks met.

He hoped Naruto would arrive soon. He was getting antsy. He'd been waiting for this moment for years, it seemed. He wanted it done and over with, already – even more so since he needed to lose this time.

Something changed. Sasuke smiled before schooling his features. He stood. Things were about to start.

…

Naruto's ears were buzzing. They'd been buzzing for a little while now – although he couldn't have said if it had started before or after the bed had made that ominous cracking sound. They'd have to check if it was broken.

Later.

They could check later.

For now, Naruto was happy to lie in Sasuke's maybe-broken bed. In their maybe-broken bed. With Sasuke. With a very naked, kinda sticky, nicely warmed-up Sasuke.

He definitely could get used to this. Although he wished he'd had enough energy left to move a bit. Sasuke's shoulder was just a bit too bony to be comfortable for long.

"We should be training."

Naruto's answer to that slightly morose pronouncement was – just a bit – on the incoherent side. How could Sasuke still form complete sentences, let alone suggest moving?

"At least," Sasuke continued, apparently determined to ruin Naruto's afterglow, "we should go see what the plan is."

Naruto grumbled. Sasuke was just an insensitive jerk. Which, granted, was nothing new, but couldn't he see that Naruto had no desire to move or leave the apartment? Not ever again?

"You're a very bad influence on me."

That got Naruto's attention enough that he cracked an eye open. All he could see was Sasuke's chin. With a groan, he pulled back, resting his head on a pillow that was softer yet less comfy than his lover.

"Bad influence?" he mumbled. "Me?"

Sasuke turned his head toward him. He looked dead serious.

"You make me stay in bed when there's an attack coming."

Naruto snorted into his pillow. Sasuke's logic seemed to have flown out a window. He needed to be set straight.

"I make you feel good," he pointed out, smugness coloring his words.

Sasuke's eyebrows twitched. His voice turned almost accusing. "You make me bottom."

"Only half the time."

Sasuke huffed. "That's still way too much."

With a light groan, Naruro pushed himself up, resting his weight on his forearm. He looked straight at Sasuke, daring him to lie. "You're saying you don't enjoy yourself when I top? You seemed to really like it in the shower when I did that thing with—"

The barest hint of pink colored Sasuke's cheeks. He sputtered and interrupted Naruto. "You made me hold hands with you!"

Naruto's eyes widened in outrage. "I made you? You held my hand first, you girl!"

It was Sasuke's turn to try for smugness. "As I recall it, you were the one screaming like a girl when I—"

"I…I make you smile!" Naruto stammered.

"Only more proof that you're corrupting me."

Naruto grinned and delivered the fatal blow. "But you're cute when you smile."

Sasuke did not say a word. His glare, on the other hand, promised Naruto many different kinds of torture – and none of these the pleasant kind.

"And I make you talk, too," Naruto pushed his luck, turning serious suddenly. "You've talked more to me in the past four days than the entire time we were teammates."

Sasuke rolled his eyes at him. "The last proof if need be that you're messing up my mind. Who would want to talk to a dead last like you?"

Without batting an eyelash, Naruto replied deadpan, "A bastard like you?"

They stared at each other for a moment longer. At the same time, they leaned in for a kiss, battling for dominance. The brief thought flittered over Naruto's mind that he couldn't remember whose turn it was to top. It didn't really matter, though. They'd figure it out.

Naruto woke up to find himself alone in bed. He grimaced. Why was Sasuke gone? And more importantly, where was he?

He sat up and blinked sleep out of his eyes. Grabbing his boxers from where they'd fallen under Sasuke's assault, he walked out of the bedroom. It wasn't long before he found Sasuke. He was in the bathroom, standing in front of the sink, washing his face. Quite sadly, he was dressed. Naruto crept closer, already thinking of ways to remedy to that when he noticed that the water swirling down the sink was pink.

"Sasuke? Are you all right?"

Sasuke straightened and met Naruto's eyes in the mirror. Naruto flinched when he saw the unusual red pinwheels, but they soon disappeared.

"I'm fine," Sasuke said blankly. He turned and faced Naruto. "Did I wake you? I didn't mean to."

"No, you didn't." He couldn't help grinning goofily. "Not this time."

The shadow of a smile danced over Sasuke's lips. "I was going to leave you a note. I'm going out for a while."

"Oh. OK. Just give me a minute—"

"No, I mean… I need to be alone for a bit."

The words stung a bit, and it must have shown on Naruto's face because Sasuke sighed. "What I mean is, I need to think. And having you nearby makes it kind of hard."

Naruto couldn't resist; the opening was just too good. "Only kind of hard?" he said, tongue in cheek.

Sasuke snorted. "Idiot. I'll be back before night falls."

His amusement disappearing, Naruto backed away from the door to let Sasuke out of the bathroom. "Where are you going?"

"Not far. I'll stay in the district."

Thinking fast, Naruto could only think of one place where Sasuke might be going: his parents' house. Though why he'd want to go there alone…

"Don't send a clone after me," Sasuke asked, glancing back from where he had stopped at the apartment's entrance to put his shoes on. "The ANBU guard will make sure I don't do anything stupid."

His voice dripped with sarcasm on that last part, as though he didn't believe ANBU would stop him from doing anything he meant to. Seeing how they hadn't stopped him from leaving the village to meet with his team just a few nights back, Naruto had to agree with him.

Fingers on the door handle, Sasuke was already slipping out. Naruto said his name, but the words of concern that had been on the tip of his tongue vanished when Sasuke looked at him askance. Not only would Sasuke scoff at those words, Naruto didn't think he could say them without blushing like an idiot, and he'd been doing that far too much in the past days. So instead of asking Sasuke if he was all right, he pursed his lips and batted his eyelashes at him. "Aren't you going to give me a goodbye kiss, Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes at him before leaving, the door slamming shut behind him. Naruto laughed for a few seconds, but his amusement faded fast. He had half a mind to go after Sasuke – after all, he had asked Naruto not to send a clone, he hadn't said Naruto himself shouldn't follow him. And there was something wrong with his eyes, Naruto reminded himself. What if he needed medical help, and there was no one there for him?

Firmly avoiding thinking of the ANBU guards, Naruto dressed up and ran out of the apartment. He still wasn't sure where Sasuke might have gone, but he trusted his first instinct and ran through the deserted street toward Sasuke's home. He was almost there when he noticed Sasuke ahead of him and slowed down. He suddenly felt a little guilty for not having given Sasuke the space he had asked for. When Sasuke stopped and looked back, Naruto expected to be yelled at. Instead, Sasuke sighed and shook his head lightly before moving forward. Deciding that the lack of insults thrown his way was as good as an invitation to follow, Naruto did just that, soon catching up with Sasuke but remaining quiet. They entered the house together though Sasuke did a very good job at pretending to be alone. Now regretting having come forward, Naruto followed Sasuke through the house and to the dojo. There, Sasuke sat by the door, legs crossed and hands gripping his ankles, and just stared ahead. Naruto sat next to him and peered in the same direction, but there was nothing there that he could see. He wanted very badly to ask why they were there, but felt loath somehow to break the silence. A few minutes passed before Sasuke finally said, almost too quietly for Naruto to catch his words, "This is where they died."

And then, when Naruto didn't reply, he added, "My parents. This is where Itachi killed them."

Naruto swallowed hard. He had known, of course, that Itachi had killed them, but he had never stopped to wonder where, or whether Sasuke had seen them. He thought he could understand, suddenly, Sasuke's reluctance at the idea of living in this house again.

Because he couldn't think of anything else to say, he murmured a quiet, "I'm sorry." Sasuke did not reply, and a few more minutes trickled by in an even heavier silence. Naruto wished he knew what to say. He wished he had listened to Sasuke and not followed. He wished, more than anything, that he knew what was going on in Sasuke's head at that moment.

"I wonder if they knew," Sasuke said at last.

"Knew what?"

"Why Itachi…did what he did."

Naruto tried not to shrug. "Would it have changed anything if they did?"

"I don't know. But at least…" He shook his head slowly. "I spent years wondering why. Now I know why. It's not a good reason. It doesn't excuse him. It doesn't make anything hurt any less. But at least now I understand."

He turned frighteningly pleading eyes to Naruto, apparently expecting an answer. Naruto nodded jerkily and lied. "Yeah, I know."

All these years, Naruto had wondered what was going on in Sasuke's mind when he turned into his moody, silent self. He wasn't sure he wanted to know anymore. What he did want to know was how to make things better. Unfortunately, as much as he could change Sasuke, he didn't think it was within his power to fix this.

When Sasuke stood and bowed his head, Naruto slipped out of the room, giving him some privacy to pay his respects. He retraced their steps through the quiet house and waited for Sasuke outside, hands pushed deep inside his pockets as he looked around himself morosely. It had to have been a nice place to grow up.

The sun was slowly gliding toward the horizon when Sasuke walked out and joined Naruto. Without a word, they started toward the apartment. They were halfway there before Naruto managed to say what was on his mind.

"The clans will give their verdict tonight. What do they need to say to satisfy you?"

Sasuke's voice was perfectly even as he replied. "Death would be nice."

Naruto grimaced. That was what he had expected. "What if that's not what happens? What if they banish them? Or throw them in jail?"

Sasuke shrugged but did not reply. Naruto had a feeling his silence was a reply in itself. The odds of them becoming renegades had never seemed so high.

"What if they—"

"Naruto? We'll know soon enough. And until then, I don't want to think about it any more."

Kakashi was in front of their apartment, and quickly informed them that the clans were ready to pass judgment. He waited for them as they dressed once again in the Uchiha kimonos, and then they hurried to the Hokage Tower. The entire time, Naruto tried to imagine his life as a missing-nin. He'd miss Konoha, of course, and his friends. But he'd have Sasuke. He'd have a Sasuke that smiled, and talked to him, and wanted to protect him – not that he needed protecting, but it was the thought that counted.

All he hoped was that Tsunade would send people he didn't know to kill him and Sasuke, not anyone he had grown up or trained with. He knew it was unlikely, but he hoped. Helping Sasuke get justice was one thing, but hurting his friends would be beyond him.

When they entered the courtroom, when he saw the cold eyes of the clan leaders settle on him and Sasuke, what was left of Naruto's hopes vanished, and all he could do was wonder whether they'd be running from Konoha before or after Akatsuki attacked.