Chapter 4

A northern wind swept through the peaceful evening streets of Konoha, stirring the blazing red leaves of October. However, this herald of the coming winter went ignored by the increasingly boisterous group within the warm restaurant where Naruto's birthday was being celebrated. Two hands bearing drinks appeared above the crowd as Sakura made her way back from the bar, swaying gracefully through the mass of bodies to where her old teammate was arm-wrestling with Lee.

The pink-haired kunoichi stood and watched with amusement as the taijutsu master, who had thankfully foregone his green spandex jumpsuit for the evening, became increasingly redder in the face as he put all his effort into making the tanned forearm of his opponent budge. Naruto, on the other hand, continued to sip his drink, respectfully delaying the inevitable defeat of his old friend. The table groaned threateningly, straining against their combined strength.

Sakura climbed past Naruto to return to her seat at the table, placing one of the drinks in front of Sai, who was watching the match with open-mouthed awe.

"Incredible!" Lee cried out suddenly, his dark eyes sparkling with youthful energy. "You are a worthy opponent indeed, Naruto-kun! However, I do not think you should celebrate my defeat just yet!"

The lights gleamed off Lee's hair as he inhaled deeply, mustering his determination. Just as he opened his mouth, a curtain of thick brown hair slipped down the booth beside him. They looked up to see Neji leaning over from his own booth, looking down at his former teammate critically.

"Lee, if you are planning to open the Inner Gates in here, I will not hesitate to deal out the proper counter-measures." The Hyūga prodigy held out one threatening hand, chakra glowing on his fingertips.

Naruto nearly spit out his drink, choking with silent laughter. Sakura smiled as she patted him on the back, watching the crestfallen expression on Lee's face.

"Troublesome." The familiar catchphrase floated in the smoke that rose from the booth behind them, where Shikamaru was sitting with the members of the old team ten, Ino and Choji. Shikamaru appeared over the booth, his expression bored and a cigarette hanging from his lips. "If you destroy this place, I'm the one who'll be getting hell for it."

"Sorry 'bout that, Shikamaru," Naruto tilted his head up to look at the shadow-nin, grinning widely. "Guess I'll just end this now."

Lee cried out in shock as his bandaged fist hit the wooden table with a loud crack. Shikamaru disappeared with a sigh, muttering, "And now he's going to start yelling."

"Another excellent match, Naruto-kun!" Lee yelled, rubbing his fist as he nodded enthusiastically. "Youthful rivalry is truly invigorating! As punishment for losing three consecutive times, I will do three hundred laps around the village on my hands!"

"Come on, there's no need for that." Sakura laughed.

Neji muttered something inaudible as he sat down once more. Naruto grinned to himself, tuning out Lee's ramblings about the 'eternal flame of youthful' as he looked around the room. He had been so busy with his Hokage Training and missions for the past few months that he had completely forgotten about his eighteenth birthday. This, of course, had made it easy for Sakura and Shikamaru to plan a surprise party with all of their comrades.

Kakashi sat at the bar with Gai, Iruka, and Yamato, their cheeks becoming redder as the evening went on and the number of saké bottles in front of them multiplied. Tsunade was leaning haphazardly to the side as she drunkenly complained about the amount of paperwork she had to anyone who would listen. Kiba was religiously focused on removing Shino's sunglasses, which had resulted in an interesting scuffle. Akamaru and Hinata chose to ignore this display - the large hounds head rested on Hinata's lap as she scratched behind his ears.

These were the people for whom Naruto had fought. This was the peace that he had longed for. As Sakura leaned against his side while she spoke to Lee and Sai, Naruto inhaled deeply with an overwhelming sense of happiness.

"There's only one thing missing." The blond thought, his eyes straying out the window towards the bright, rising moon.

Ever since the last time he had seen Sasuke, Naruto's mind had continuously slipped back to the memory of Sasuke's eyes, usually so coldly detached, sparking to life. The memory of that sensual gaze kept pulling Naruto's imagination into dangerous places. It had gotten to the point were Sasuke haunted Naruto's dreams, leading him through the darkness until Naruto found himself waking with a start.

Naruto had learned to accept the desire that coursed through him. There was no use fighting it.

He downed the rest of his drink, sliding out of the booth and stretching grandly. Pulling his Sage cloak on over his Jounin vest, he smiled down at his friends.

"I'll be back in a bit," He said as he slotted his hands into his pockets. "I just need to get a bit of air, you know?"

Without waiting for a response, he turned on his heel and headed for the door. A path cleared for him through the crowd, his resonating aura surging on ahead of him. The air in his wake seemed charged with static energy, lingering around the people who had parted ways to let him pass.

Sai placed his cup down gently, his dark eyes slipping sideways to take in Sakura's profile. "You don't suppose he's going to go see him, do you?" He asked, quietly enough that the still-rambling Lee didn't hear him.

The medical ninja shut her aqua-green eyes, smiling sadly. "I have no doubt."

The air within the halls of the ninja prison was chilled and stagnant as Naruto passed through them, his red cloak billowing slowly behind him. It grew increasingly more silent as he made his way to the lowest level of the prison, where Sasuke was being held. As he reached the bottom of the same steps he had descended months ago, the guards on duty jumped to attention.

"Well, if it isn't Uzumaki-sensei!"

Naruto glanced up, smiling when he recognized the guard. "It's been a while!"

The older man nodded, the lights from the lanterns gleaming off his hitai-ite. "I thought we would be seeing you quite often, if I may be honest."

"Yeah well," Naruto rubbed at his head uncomfortably. "I've been really busy lately."

"Of course." The guard said with a knowing smile, turning to open the door. He allowed Naruto to pass, sealing the door securely behind him.

The young guard who was his partner for the evening stuttered in shock. "Wait, sir, he didn't have a visitors pass! And how did he even get in here this late at night? Not to mention that it's basic protocol for visitors of high-security prisoners to be escorted by two or more guards."

The other guard laughed loudly, leaning back against the wall. "I'm glad you know your stuff, kid, but that guy's an exception. You can't really stand here and ask the one-and-only Naruto Uzumaki-sensei for a visitors pass, can you?"

Eyes flying wide with shock, the young ninja looked over his shoulder, as if he would be able to see through the thick metal door. "That was Naruto-sensei?" His cheeks flushed a deep shade of red as he looked at his partner. "Do you think he'll give me his autograph?"

Naruto looked over his shoulder curiously as laughter echoed faintly behind him. He shook his head, smiling as he muttered; "At least those guys don't get bored down here." He continued to retrace the path he had taken months ago, the ball of nerves in his stomach growing larger with every step. Finally, he came to a halt outside Sasuke's dark cell, smiling meekly as he glanced down at his feet.

"I thought I told you not to come here, Naruto." Came Sasuke's deep, silken voice.

"Sorry." The Sage said, his hands fisting tightly within his pockets. His heart was racing, his mind replaying the moment of intensity that had rattled the air between them the last time he was here.

He heard a deep sigh, and then the sound of footsteps as Sasuke made his way into the light. He looked like the apparition of a ghost, paler than moonlight with eyes of gleaming black: striking and beautiful. "Don't apologize about it now, idiot."

He stopped when he was a foot away from the bars of his cell, crossing his arms across his chest. "Any specific reason why you're here?"

Naruto shook his head, slipping a hand out of his pocket to rest it on his stomach. Sasuke's eyes flicked down to that hand, widening when they noticed the green vest.

"They've made you a Jounin?" He asked, trying his best not to sound impressed. He got the feeling that he hadn't fooled the blond, however, as a secret smirk found its way to Naruto's lips.

"Yeah, a few months ago now. It was an honorary promotion, or something like that."

"Don't be too flattered, dobe." Sasuke said, turning his face away. "They probably just couldn't stand the idea on a Genin becoming Hokage."

Naruto laughed softly. "I won't say that's not a possibility."

The sound of that laugh sent a shiver up Sasuke's spine. His fists tightened, his face set in a disinterested mask as he told himself, "It's not like that. I DO NOT want Naruto that way. It's just because I've been alone for so long."

Naruto finally looked up, the motion drawing Sasuke's eyes. He raised one of his dark eyebrows, smirking as he studied the flush in Naruto's cheeks. "Have you been out drinking, dobe?"

Naruto smiled like a little kid caught red-handed. He nodded, the hand that had been resting on his stomach now pounding against it as a fist. "Did you know that Kurama's a light weight? Can't handle his alcohol at all."

"Hey, knock it off." Sasuke said exasperatedly, stepping forward to grab Naruto's fist through the bars. "You'll make yourself puke."

As soon as their skin made contact, Sasuke could sense Naruto's entire body stiffen. Immediately, the space between them sparked with tension. Sasuke glanced up, freezing when his eyes met with Naruto's own vividly blue ones. Sasuke was struck, yet again, by how attractive Naruto had become - by how attracted he was to the blond. He found himself staring at Naruto's lips, wondering if the blond had ever kissed anyone before.

"Why?" He asked himself, horrified.

For a moment, they simply stood in silence, but then Sasuke sighed, studying the scarred fist held in his pale hand. Without knowing why, he rubbed his thumb over Naruto's knuckles, reveling in the warmth of his skin. When he spoke, his voice came out in a rough whisper, raw with emotion.

"Why did you come here, Naruto?"

"I don't know." The blond replied, his voice a low, gravelly hum. He inhaled deeply, making an obvious effort to relax himself. He leaned forward until the side of his forehead rested against one of the bars, the light from the lanterns gleaming in his depthless eyes. "It's my birthday today. I really wanted to see you."

"His birthday?" Sasuke thought, eyes widening. "I didn't realize I'd been in here for so long already."

"Well, Happy Birthday then, dobe." He said, still looking down. "Sorry, but I don't have a gift prepared at the moment."

Naruto laughed as he reached up and, after a moment of breathless hesitation, gently lifted Sasuke's chin. His cheeks were bright red when he whispered, "Just being with you is enough."

The ache that had been growing duller over the past several weeks suddenly returned with a vengeance, chasing heat from Sasuke's stomach straight up into his cheeks. Sasuke was shocked to discover that he didn't mind Naruto touching him this way – in fact he enjoyed it. He could feel his heart beating in his throat, making it difficult to breathe, as a sudden and intense desire filled him. Sasuke's mind was, without warning, filled with images of himself reaching for Naruto, touching him, kissing him and tasting him on his tongue.

"Don't go there." Sasuke warned himself. "You're probably reading the situation wrong. Naruto's always been grabby. If he rejects you…"

Despite his own warning, Sasuke let his eyes drift shut as Naruto's calloused fingers softly traced his jawline before slipping into his smooth, black hair. The strands slipped through his warm fingers as fluidly as water.

"Your hair's grown." He said softly. "It looks nice on you."

"Naruto."

Sasuke frowned, the corners of his mouth quivering as his voice came out in a broken whisper. "Why did you come, Naruto…"

Unable to resist the intensity of his need any longer, Sasuke took a deep, shaking breath against the nerves writhing in his stomach. He stepped forward until his chest was against the bars of his cell, his nose brushing against Naruto's. He stopped just before their lips met, hesitating; terrified that Naruto would back away from him.

For the briefest moment their gazes meshed, and Sasuke thought he saw something flash in Naruto's eyes, like a burning ember.

Desire.

Naruto's hand slid around to the back of Sasuke's head, pulling him forward. At first, their lips met in a soft, questioning brush; they lingered nervously, neither one of them confident enough to jump into this moment of vulnerability. But as pain radiated from Sasuke's chest, he abandoned his fear and reached up to roughly grasp the spiky strands of Naruto's hair.

"Naruto, please." He whispered, before crushing their lips together.

Heat exploded between them, churning up a tension that rushed into Sasuke's limbs and made his skin tingle. His heart leapt, butterflies fluttering in his stomach, as he realized how right this felt; and how desperately he needed it.

"How long have I been repressing this?" Sasuke wondered.

Naruto responded enthusiastically, leaning forward until he was completely pressed against the bars as he tilted Sasuke's face upwards. Sasuke felt himself being overwhelmed by the intense heat that radiated from his childhood friend. He released his grip on Naruto's hand, grabbing onto his vest instead. He nipped at the blond's lower lip sharply, blushing when he felt Naruto's mouth smiling against his own. Naruto's tongue slipped over his lips fluidly, teasing him with the taste of saké and something sweet that Sasuke couldn't identify.

In that moment, Sasuke felt himself disconnect from the world - from the pain and the uncertainty - and all that mattered was the sensation of Naruto's full lips moving against his. In that moment, Naruto was the only thing that mattered.

Succumbing to his own desire, Sasuke allowed Naruto to dominate the kiss, using the opportunity to greedily explore the Jinchuuriki's body with his hands. Every ounce of baby fat had melted away from Naruto's lean body, his back a defined "S" curve as he bent slightly to meet Sasuke's lips. If it weren't for the cold bars, their bodies would have been pressed flush together.

Naruto smoothed his hands down Sasuke's sides, resting his hands on narrow, angular hips. Using his height and the cool press of the bars to his advantage, Naruto kept his lips just out of Sasuke's reach, whispering, "Sasuke, are you sure…this is okay? We can stop."

"Stop?" Sasuke thought, his eyebrow arching. His heart was pounding so loudly in his ears that it took him a moment to collect his thoughts. But when his scattered brain had sorted itself out, realization hit Sasuke like a tidal wave. "Holy shit. Stop…stop."

"Yeah," Sasuke muttered coldly, averting his gaze. "We need to stop. This…is insane."

"Hm." Naruto mused, his hands stroking back up to Sasuke's hair. "Maybe it is. Maybe I'm insane, because I sure as hell don't want to stop."

Sasuke swallowed his immediate response, closing his eyes as he tried to control the frantic beating of his heart. After a few seconds, he managed to shake his head. "Allow me some dignity," He whispered, reaching out to grip one of the cell bars pointedly. "I want us to be on equal ground."

Although Naruto looked disappointed, he nodded. "I understand." He said, pulling himself away from Sasuke's sensitive body. But not far enough away that he couldn't recapture Sasuke's lips.

His warm, rough hand rested gently on Sasuke's nape as he kissed him slowly. His mouth was gentle, sensual. Sasuke felt his frantic heartbeat slowing, his hands coasting over Naruto's body lightly.

Finally, they broke apart, cheeks red as their eyes met. Naruto smiled warmly, cradling Sasuke's face in his hands.

"I know that, technically, this is our third kiss, but -" He leaned forward, laying a soft kiss upon Sasuke's lips. "Let's say that one is the first."

He leaned forward again, his lips brushing from one cheek to the other, then back to Sasuke's mouth. "And that one can be the second." He whispered before kissing Sasuke once more. "And that one can be the third."

Sasuke turned his face away, hiding his blush behind the fall of his hair. "You're embarrassing, idiot-blond."

"Good." Naruto muttered with a grin. He pulled back, hands clinging to the bars. Sasuke followed his example, quickly dropping his hands as he realized how tight his grip on Naruto was.

Heavy silence fell, only their breathing and the echo of dripping water disturbing it. Not entirely sure what he should say after such an intense display of emotion, not to mention a confusingly passionate kiss, Naruto stared at Sasuke's face and waited for him to speak first. It was a long time before he complied.

"You'd better get going." Sasuke said softly, looking down so Naruto wouldn't be able to see the pain in his eyes. "You ditched your birthday party to come see me, right?"

"Busted," Naruto said, taking a step back. The silence that followed was excruciating, ringing with the words neither of them would say. Sasuke scrambled to reconstruct his protective walls, retreating into the darkness of his cell. When his back hit the wall he slid down, hiding his face in his hands. But even at this distance, Naruto's warmth was burning through his skin and electrifying his nerves, sending currents sharper than lightning straight into his chest.

When Naruto spoke again, his deep voice was shaking. "I know this is probably the last thing you want to hear right now, but I miss you. Every day, I miss you. And I swear, I'll do anything I can to get you out of here."

After a while, he tore himself away from the bars, turning to leave. That's when the voice that haunted so many of Naruto's memories came drifting from the dark, soft and weaving as the shadows that concealed its source.

"Thank you, Naruto. Happy Birthday."

The party had long since ended, but Naruto found himself prowling the quiet streets of Konoha like an animal patrolling the borders of its cage. Restlessness courses through his limbs, fuelling his steps as he warred with his desire to run beyond the walls of the village, race through the trees and disappear into the dark. Sasuke's taste still lingered on his tongue, his scent still clung to his clothing, and Naruto felt his sanity slipping every time he inhaled that scent.

Naruto had always been known for his unpredictability, his ability to go above and beyond what was thought possible. He was whimsical, and followed his gut and his desire with a single-minded recklessness. This was the norm for the young ninja, who lived every day with awe-inspiring passion. But in this moment, his entire being was focus on a singular desire: to return to the arms of a certain man, pale and beautiful and cloaked in darkness, who was even now waiting patiently below the earth.

"Dammit." Naruto muttered, rubbing at his head in irritation.

Kurama, who was recovering from the few festive drinks they had earlier consumed, lifted his head from his paws and growled.

"I know you're busy swooning like a school girl, Naruto, but someone's been trailing you for a few minutes now." He said, baring his impressive set of teeth as he looked in the direction of the foreign chakra.

The blond frowned, his eyebrow twitching in annoyance. "Yeah, thanks, I've already noticed him. I'm really not in the mood for this right now, you know?"

Naruto's internal dialogue with his monster tenant was interrupted by a loud, growling voice.

"Oi, Naruto!"

Kiba appeared from around the corner, his sharp animal eyes flashing and nostrils flaring. His shoulders were high and stiff as if he were raising his hackles, and Naruto immediately recognized his "Alpha Male" mode. The dog ninja stormed over, his leather jacket crackling as he pulled his hands out of his pockets.

The Jinchuuriki sighed, adopting an attitude of calm with effort. "Hey, Kiba. Where's Akamaru?"

It was odd seeing Kiba without his giant white canine. Kiba seemed to feel out of sorts as well, as he shifted defensively in response to Naruto's comment. "I sent him with Hinata, to make sure she got home safely. Now, listen up, Naruto, because it's Hinata that I came here to talk about."

He stabbed a long-nailed finger in Naruto's direction, his voice vicious and accusing. "Why haven't you acknowledged her yet? She finally confessed to you, didn't she? Not only that, but she put her life on the line to protect you when Pein had you pinned! I think that she deserves a damn answer from you, at the very least! You might be some big shot now, Naruto, but don't you dare forget about your comrades!"

Naruto blinked in shock. With everything that had happened since his fight with Pein, Hinata's dramatic confession had somehow slipped his mind. He suddenly felt despicably inconsiderate, a sharp pang of guilt flaring up in his chest.

"Hinata," He muttered, looking at the ground.

The image of her pale, lavender hued eyes danced in his memory. The softly spoken kunoichi was, undoubtedly, beautiful and sweet. Her quiet determination and grace added to her charm, and she was definitely a valuable shinobi and comrade. Naruto had acknowledged her abilities on several occasions, and he appreciated her company. However, when he thought of love, it was not her face that appeared in his mind.

"I'm sorry Kiba," He finally said, looking up to level the jumpy dog-nin with a sincere gaze. "I'm sorry if it seems like I've been neglecting my friends lately. I'll try to do better. And if Hinata has been suffering, then I'm sorry about that too. I know how much you care about her, so I don't really blame you if you hate me right about now, you know?"

He paused to inhale deeply, slotting his hands into his pockets and glancing towards the shadowy forms of the Hokage's figureheads. "I guess I'm not being fair at all, am I? Hinata deserves better. I'll be sure to talk to her as soon as possible."

Kiba appeared shocked by his response. But eventually, he growled under his breath, running a hand through his wild hair. "Yeah, make sure you do, bastard."

He turned sharply on his heel, storming away along the quiet street. Naruto stood and watched him leave, smiling despite himself.

"Maybe if I turn Hinata down, Kiba will finally make a move on her." He mused out loud, laughing softly at the thought.

"Yeah yeah, you're practically cupid, kid." Kurama interjected sarcastically. "Now go home and get some sleep. You have a lesson with Kakashi tomorrow, and I won't be able to give you any hints because of that blasted sharingan. Try not to make us look stupid."

"No worries!" Naruto responded as he turned, making his way home. "I can guarantee you that Kakashi-sensei will be hung over tomorrow. The training session will be a breeze!"

The demon fox nodded solemnly, ears flat as he said, "This alcohol that you humans drink is powerful, indeed."

Loud, honey-rich laughter echoed through the silent streets long after Naruto had disappeared for the night, climbing into his bed while he continued to mock the low alcohol tolerance of the feared, legendary Nine-Tailed Fox of Konoha.

A/N: Edited! I hope you enjoyed it :)