Chapter 9

Sasuke paced back and forth restlessly.

His shadow, distorted by the flickering light, chased him as he went. He bitterly cursed his own restlessness as he paced, the slow crawl of time seeming to mock his impatience. He couldn't help but feel melodramatic as he concluded that these were the longest two days of his life. Sasuke paused to glance at his untouched meal, wondering idly how long ago it had been brought to him.

At some point, Sasuke had realized that despite his senses being so numbed, he could clearly sense Naruto's chakra. At first, he had thought it was only his imagination. However, every so often he would feel Naruto's chakra growing stronger, and would stray from the usual path of his pacing and dart over to the bars of his cell. Distracted by his impatience and excitement, it took Sasuke a while to realize that the chakra he was sensing came from the freshly made seal on his shoulder.

Sasuke lowered himself onto his bed, his eyes drifting shut as he focused on the warm chakra. It fluttered softly like the wings of a small bird, pulsating to a different beat than his own heart.

Every so often, Naruto's chakra would flare, sending trails of heat shooting up and down Sasuke's spine. He smiled as he ran his fingers over the twining symbols, feeling that perhaps this was another small gift that Naruto had given him. A part of Naruto was now laced into his own skin, as warm and soothing as Naruto's own presence.

With every soft beat of that chakra, Sasuke felt as if Naruto was reminding him that he wasn't alone.

Sasuke's acquired collection of literature had been taken away earlier that day, so he had no means to distract himself from the task of waiting. The clothes he had arrived in Konoha with had been brought to him with his meal, but all of old clothes were slightly too big on him now. Sasuke examined his pale, thin fingers, wondering just how much of his muscle mass he had lost.

The seal on his shoulder throbbed.

As Sasuke ran his fingers over the markings again, he wondered if this link to Naruto would eventually fade, or become less noticeable as time went by. He had just begun organizing his feelings regarding this possibility when the sound of footsteps echoed down the hall. Sasuke remained seated, resisting the urge to run to the bars for the sake of not seeming too eager. He glanced up when a pair of guards came into view.

"Get a move on Uchiha." One of them said gruffly as he unlocked the door to the cell. "Seems that someone's bailing you out tonight. We have to move you to one of the holding rooms upstairs."

Sasuke sighed monumentally, as if he was being interrupted from an important task. Any effectiveness this gesture may have had was completely void when he walked over to the bars, standing cooperatively while the guard handcuffed him. The younger of the two guards grinned widely; guiding Sasuke down the hall while his partner locked the door to the cell.

Sasuke glanced over his shoulder at the boy. "No blindfold?" He inquired in a voice so disinterested, he might have been asking about the weather.

The young shinobi shook his head, still smiling. "Naruto-sensei promised us that you didn't have enough chakra to activate the sharingan, so he asked us not to blindfold you. Also, he promised to give me an autograph if I made sure you were treated well until he got here!"

Sasuke smirked. "I'm really starting to like this new Naruto."

The older guard joined them as they reached the end of the hall, opening the door that led to the staircase.

The deepest level of the building where Sasuke had been imprisoned housed the most dangerous criminals, who all had their own isolated sections. They made their way up the dimly lit staircase, emerging into the hall that passed through a large room full of cells that housed criminals who had received life sentences. Beyond this was the larger area where most of the prisoners were detained. They ranged from shinobi to civilians, all of them leaning against their bars and heckling loudly as the trio made its way through their territory.

"That Uzumaki boy of yours is creating a lot of trouble for us, Uchiha." The older guard said bitterly as he glared at the prisoners. "Suddenly, the other villages want their prisoners of war returned to them. Tons of people are appealing to the court for retrials or to have sentences reviewed. It's like some goddamn justice revolution. That damned Jinchuuriki should have left well enough alone, even if it meant that his boyfriend would have gotten a death sentence."

Sasuke stopped dead in his tracks, the young guard yelping in surprise as he bounced off his back.

Slowly, Sasuke turned to glare at the older guard, dark and poisonous hatred finding its way to his wide eyes. The guard stepped back automatically when that gaze landed on him, a chill ripping violently down his spine.

"You might want to be careful when you talk about your future Hokage." Sasuke said, his voice a venomous hiss. "Or else you might end up in one of these cells yourself because of your insubordination."

He started walking again before the guard could remember that his chakra reserve was completely empty. After a moment, the man shook his head, following behind them at a safe distance. It was then that Sasuke realized that the guard who was holding him was shaking. He glanced quickly over his shoulder, and to his immense surprise, he discovered that the young guard was having a fit of silent laughter.

He was unable to contain himself, even after they had left the noisy cellblock. The guard continued to choke on silent laughter as he guided Sasuke down the busy hallway, inhaling deeply as they stopped outside a locked room.

He had managed to calm himself by the time his partner joined them, the older man's face a mask of pure rage as he unlocked the door. Before they could enter the room, the guard leaned down until Sasuke could clearly smell the alcohol on his breath.

"You'd better watch yourself, boy." He threatened in a low voice.

That statement marked the end of the younger guard's control. He snorted once, and then the laughter exploded out of him. He continued to howl with laughter as he shoved Sasuke into the room, shutting the door behind them. Sasuke turned to stare, bemused and slightly annoyed, as the boy bent over and gripped his stomach as he continued to laugh. When he finally straightened up again, there were tears rolling down his blushing cheeks.

"That was amazing, Uchiha-sempai!" He exclaimed as he walked over, fiddling with Sasuke's handcuffs. "No one's ever had the guts to stand up against old man Kent before. Not even the other guards!"

"Kent?" Sasuke repeated as his handcuffs were removed. He rubbed at his wrists absently as he glanced down at the boy. He couldn't help but smile as he realized that his cheerful disposition reminded him of a younger Naruto.

"Yup, he's been working here for a long time." He said as he put away the handcuffs. "Actually, if I report this to the higher-ups, they might finally have enough of a reason to fire him!"

Sasuke observed the boy curiously. "What's your name?"

"Milo!" He exclaimed, thrilled that Sasuke had even bothered to ask.

"I see." Sasuke said, his cold voice unable to darken Milo's glowing mood. "Why is it, Milo, that you aren't afraid of me?"

Milo's dark brown eyes widened in shock. "Why would I be, sempai? Not only have you been released, which means that you're innocent as far as I'm concerned; but you're also the best friend of my hero, Naruto-sensei! I heard all about how you helped him out during the war, and I'm totally impressed! I mean, I had just made Chunin when the war started, so I never actually got to see any action. While I was guarding Konoha, you and Naruto-sensei were teaming up to win the war for us! If it wasn't for you guys, a lot of my friends wouldn't have come home."

After a moment of shocked silence, Sasuke Uchiha smiled. Warmth bloomed in his stomach, chasing its way to his cheeks as he smiled from the bottom of his heart.

Milo stared in awe.

"Thanks," Sasuke muttered, slightly embarrassed by this unreserved display of emotion. Before now, only Naruto had seen him smiling like this. "It's actually really nice to hear that our efforts are appreciated."

Milo nodded enthusiastically, his brown eyes swimming with emotion. "I think you'd be surprised how many people feel that way since hearing your story, sempai!"

Sasuke took a few steps back until his legs hit the bench that lined the wall opposite the door. He sat down slowly, continuing to map the smiling face of the young shinobi.

"Is this the extent of Naruto's influence?" He wondered as his dark bangs fell in front of his eyes. "He is so respected that the excess is projected onto me, who has achieved nothing greater in life than being a friend of his. Naruto, you've became a very powerful man, haven't you?"

"Hey, Milo," He said suddenly. "I'll be sure to mention you to Naruto."

This small gesture of kindness was instantly rewarded by the look of pure joy on the boy's face. He plopped himself down in front of Sasuke, positively glowing as he said, "I've been ordered to stay here and guard you until Naruto-sensei comes to get you. Do you think it would be alright if I asked you a few questions about your battles and stuff?" The latter he asked shyly, with a blush creeping up his neck.

"Hero by association with a hero." Sasuke thought with a smirk. "Just wait until that idiot-blond hears about this."

"Moon will be transported by his Guardian at twenty-two hundred hours. I repeat, twenty-two hundred hours."

The regal voice of ANBU Captain Neji Hyūga crackled through the earpieces of a dozen masked shinobi, their cloaks flapping sharply in the breeze as they darted along the rooftops.

The moon shone brightly in the cold winter sky, making the snow gleam as if it was laced with millions of diamond shards. Neji crouched low on the back of Sai's illustrated bird, marking the progress of his Black Ops unit as they took their positions around the prison.

A familiar chakra caught his eye, and he turned to focus of the form of Shikamaru, who had just sauntered onto the prison grounds. Within seconds, Naruto had appeared directly behind him, startling the Nara genius. Neji turned down the volume on his transmitter as a stream of curses burned through his earpiece. He couldn't help but smile when he heard Naruto's very insincere apology, followed by Kakashi's low chuckle.

He redirected his attention, scanning the village made black and white by his dōjutsu. He located Kakashi on the rooftops in the business district, his chakra flowing calmly and undisturbed. Neji scouted out the locations of his ANBU subordinates, nodding to himself when he determined them all to be in their positions.

He had just noticed the bright flare of chakra that indicated Naruto had gone into Sage Mode, when the blond's low voice crackled through the earpiece.

"Neji, an unfamiliar chakra just appeared out of nowhere in the business district. It's heading this way fast."

Captain Hyūga's eyes flicked in the indicated direction, immediately picking up on the strange chakra. He reached up with one gloved hand, pressing the button on the small radio device as he responded. "I've located it. Sai and I will intercept them now. The rest of you, stay in your positions."

"I'm close to there." Kakashi's voice crackled through the radio. "I'll come help you two out as soon as you find him."

Shikamaru's lazy drawl eased its way through the airwaves and into Neji's ear. "Oi, Neji, shouldn't you have noticed him sooner? You're the sensory-type here."

Neji frowned. It was true: even if Naruto was quite capable when it came to sensing chakra, it was meant to be his area of expertise. He focused on the target, whose chakra network was blazing strongly.

Naruto came to his defense, his voice growling through the earpiece. "Give him a break, Shikamaru." He said. "This guy literally appeared out of nowhere a second ago."

"Sealing Jutsu!" Neji exclaimed suddenly as Sai's bird began descending. "That's why we couldn't sense him! His chakra was sealed until just a moment ago!"

"That makes sense." Shikamaru muttered. "This is turning out to be more troublesome than I thought."

"Do you need help, Neji?" Naruto asked, worry obvious in his tone. "This guy has a lot of chakra."

Neji and Sai exchanged a quick look. The artist smiled, nodding in affirmation. "Sai is with me." Neji said. "The two of us will be able to handle him easily. Carry on as planned without us."

Neji focused on the target, trusting Shikamaru to keep Naruto on track. He reached up for his transmitter once more. "Kakashi, the target is hiding in the alley between the teahouse and a magazine shop. If you keep heading in that direction, you'll be able to cut off his escape route. Sai and I will take the front. Capture him if at all possible."

"Roger that." Kakashi said, his tone as disinterested as usual.

"Hold on, Captain." Sai said as his bird tucked in its wings, falling into a spiraling dive.

Neji channeled chakra into his feet and hands, the world spinning sickeningly. As soon as the bird spread its wings to slow the descent, Neji jumped off, barely making a sound as he hit the ground. The few people left on the street scattered in alarm as soon as Sai's giant bird landed, the updraft of air catching Neji's thick mocha bangs. They danced widely against the painted mask that covered his face.

There was a barely audible rush of air, and Neji leaned slightly to the side to avoid the shuriken that were hurled his way. The weapons lodged themselves into Sai's bird, which promptly exploded in a wash of dark ink. The artist landed beside his Captain, his dark eyes watching in amusement from beneath his cat-like mask.

"There's no point hiding in the dark," He said in a pleasant tone as he drew his short sword. "I'm afraid our Captain can see you just fine."

Neji turned his head slightly towards his comrade, his voice low. "Kakashi is in position."

Sai nodded, holding up two fingers as he released his beasts from their scroll. A dozen hissing snakes, which he had quickly drawn as they were descending, made their way towards the lurking opponent.

Suddenly, Naruto's voice reached their ears. "Two more chakra's that I don't recognize just appeared to the east, about two blocks over from my location. A third is heading this way fast from the west. Oh, and Neji, I think that guy you tracked down is a -"

"Clone." Neji concluded in irritation as Sai's snakes reached their target, which promptly exploded into a cloud of chakra smoke. "Quickly, Naruto, can you find the original caster of the clone?"

Naruto hummed low after a moment of silence. "No, sorry. They're either two far away or too sneaky for me to sense them."

"Damn," Neji cursed as he and Sai took to the rooftops, heading east while Kakashi made his way west. "Do you sense any more, Naruto?"

"No, that's it for now." The Sage said decisively. "I'll get Sasuke out of here while you keep them busy."

Naruto and Shikamaru practically ran up the prison steps, breezing past the guards who saluted as they went by. They didn't bother stopping to check themselves in, as Naruto followed the trace of Sasuke's cold chakra through the halls.

Shikamaru followed a few steps behind Naruto, watching his cloak flapping in his wake.

"I don't understand how they knew we were moving him tonight." Naruto said, his voice rough with irritation. "I thought we were the only ones who knew?"

"Well, us and a handful of the prison guards." Shikamaru said, panting slightly in the effort to keep pace with the disgruntled Uzumaki. "It's likely that one of them let the information slip."

Naruto growled with frustration, his hand flying to his earpiece as they rounded the corner. He startled a group of shinobi who practically threw themselves out of the way as the Jinchuuriki stormed past, his voice urgent as he spoke into the transmitter. "Neji, there's another one to the north now."

Neji's slightly breathless voice crackled through the airwaves. "Yes, I sensed him. However I c – get to him ri – dammit! Rotation!"

The signal disappeared into static. "Shit!" Naruto exclaimed as he stopped dead, suddenly torn.

Shikamaru stopped beside him. "Should I order a few of the ANBU to pursue that other one?"

"No," Naruto said as he began walking again, taking a few steadying breaths. "They need to stay where they are for now. It should be fine, though. The guy to the north is going past the Inuzuka residence. I'm sure they'll pick up on his scent right away."

He stopped suddenly outside a closed door, turning to face his companion. "Shikamaru, can you go and make sure everything's sorted out? Tell them I'm sorry, but I can't wait around while they sort through their paperwork. I'm getting Sasuke out of here now."

Before Shikamaru could respond, the door was wrenched open. A young guard came bursting out of it, blushing all the way up to his ears as he cried, "Naruto-sensei!"

"Uh, hey Milo." Naruto said. He glanced past the boy, his eyes immediately locking with Sasuke's.

After a moment, Sasuke nodded, seeming to read the entire situation instantly. Naruto was faintly aware that Milo was talking as he turned back to Shikamaru, who nodded once before running off down the hall. As soon as he was out of sight, Naruto beckoned to his raven-haired friend.

"Sorry Milo," He said as Sasuke heaved himself up from the bench. "I don't have time to talk right now. I promise I'll come back to see you another time, okay?"

The Chunin nodded, his eyes practically sparkling as Sasuke came to stand beside Naruto. They were both at least a foot taller than the young guard. "It's fine sensei; I know how busy you are! I have to guard Uchiha-sempai until he leaves the building though."

"Great," Naruto said as he fiddled with his transmitter, trying to re-establish his connection with Neji and Sai. "Could you take us up to the roof?"

"Right away!" Milo exclaimed as he took off down the hall. "Follow me!"

Naruto glanced sideways at Sasuke. "Since when are you a 'sempai', Sasuke?"

Sasuke snorted, his breathing already labored as they mounted a flight of stairs. "Don't get started on me, dobe. It's you that he has some sort of hero crush on."

By the time they reached the top of the stairs, Milo was flicking through his keys. After a moment of muttering, he found the correct one, shoving it in the keyhole. A heavy bolt rattled when he turned the key, followed by several clicking noises. Finally, the door creaked open, a gust of cold air rushing into the stairwell.

Sasuke felt his eyes widening as he followed Naruto out onto the roof. As he looked out at the snow-covered village, Sasuke was suddenly struck by the reality of the situation. The last time he had breathed fresh air, it was the height of summer. And now, as his breath danced white in the faint breeze, Sasuke realized just how much time had passed.

He glanced over at Naruto, slightly shaken. If Naruto noticed his turmoil, he chose to ignore it for the moment, his Sage eyes staring off at some distant chakra. Milo watched quietly from the doorway, admiring his heroes from afar.

"Okay." Naruto said as he finally turned, the moonlight casting half of his face into shadow. "Let's go."

In one fluid motion he stepped forward, scooping Sasuke into his arms as if he weighed no more than a small child. Before Sasuke could protest, there was a strange lurching sensation, and then the world was gone. It was both nauseating and liberating at the same time: they were in a void of nothingness, a tangible nonexistence rushing past them at the speed of light.

And then, just as suddenly as the world had vanished, it came slamming back as Naruto's sandaled feet hit the ground.

As soon as the cloud of churning snow had cleared around them, Naruto carefully placed Sasuke on his feet. However, dizziness struck Sasuke as soon as he tried to stand on his own. He covered his eyes as his balance wavered, reaching out with the other hand to cling to the front of Naruto's cloak.

Naruto's blue eyes flicked down to examine the shaking hand that clung to him, widening slightly when he noticed the goose bumps running up and down Sasuke's pale arm.

"Maybe I should have warned you," Naruto mumbled as he rubbed the back of his golden head. "That it feels really terrible the first time you teleport."

Sasuke forced down his feelings of nausea. "A warning would have been nice, dobe."

Naruto's laughter echoed off the surrounding trees, startling several bids from their roosts. Sasuke slowly lowered the hand that covered his eyes, feeling his gaze pulled towards Naruto's smiling face. As his eyes followed the trail made from Naruto's sharp jaw down to the lean muscles of his neck, Sasuke's own pale hand caught his eye. It stuck out in sharp contrast to the fiery red of the Sage's cloak, the fabric twisting between his slender fingers.

Feeling suddenly conscious of this action, Sasuke released his grip and allowed his arm to fall.

He didn't expect his hand to be caught. Both of Naruto's large, warm hands clasped around his, tugging on it gently. "You can be mad at me later." He said warmly. "But for now, I just want you to see your new home."

Realization struck Sasuke, and his head whipped around. His mouth fell open in awe.

They stood on the edge of a barely defined road, the soft snow revealing just as many deer tracks as human tracks. Mounds of shoveled snow lined the path that meandered from the road towards a warmly lit house.

It was built in the traditional Nara style; a single floor with a sprawling layout, sliding doors leading out to the porch which surrounded the whole house. A large garden, including a small fishpond, surrounded the house, although for now it was silent under the watchful eye of winter. A tall bamboo fence shielded the entire property from the curious eyes of people walking by.

"Look, Sasuke." Naruto said, his deep voice rich in the silence. Sasuke's eyes followed the path of his pointing finger, coming to rest on the symbols carved into the archway that introduced the path from the road to the house.

"This is one of the locations for the teleportation jutsu. I had it carved into the front gate, so it's pretty much permanent. That way, I'll always be able to come home as soon as you need me."

"You're always so concerned about reassuring me." Sasuke thought with a twinge of guilt.

"What could I possibly need you for that is so urgent, it requires you to teleport?" Sasuke asked as coldly as he could. It was a futile effort, however. Even though Sasuke had mastered the art of lying with his voice, Naruto could still see exactly what he was thinking simply by glancing at his eyes.

Much to Sasuke's relief, Naruto didn't reply with the honest answer.

He didn't lower his voice; he didn't frown and say, "Your life is in more jeopardy now than it was when you were an international criminal." No, if there was one thing Naruto had learned in his eighteen years, it was that sometimes you had to avoid the truth in a delicate situation. And since Naruto knew better than anyone else that Sasuke himself was a delicate situation, he kept smiling and avoided the truth.

"You might miss me." He said, as he allowed Sasuke's fingers to slip away from his own.

Sasuke's snarky reply was just blooming on the tip of his tongue when Naruto's head snapped in the direction of the village. Sasuke's voice died in his throat as he took in the blond's profile. A deep frown chased the happiness from Naruto's face, concern flashing across his eyes. Sasuke watched, entranced, as Naruto clenched his jaw, the simple action causing the muscles in his neck to ripple beneath his skin. He pulled his eyes away, following Naruto's gaze.

"What's going on?" Sasuke asked, using a tone that was meant to hide the warm knot that had appeared in his stomach. Naruto noticed the chill in his voice, but at the moment his attention was elsewhere.

"There's a bunch of chakra disturbances all over the village." He muttered. As he continued to stare in the direction of the unrest, Naruto's eyes transitioned from blue to a glowing, fiery gold.

"Kurama, what's going on?"

"I can only sense as much as you can, kid." The fox replied, sniffing at the distant chakra. "But those chakra's only started acting up about a minute ago."

Naruto's eyes continued to blaze, alluding to the brilliant flame that appeared when he tapped into his full power as a Jinchuuriki. He glanced over at Sasuke, who was visibly shaken by the intensity of his gaze. "Neji, Sai, Shikamaru, and Kakashi-sensei are all involved in something right now. I can't tell what's going on from this far away."

Sasuke swallowed, his mouth suddenly dry. "Do you need to go and help them?"

Naruto shook his head. He smiled reassuringly as he stepped forward, laying a firm hand on Sasuke's shoulder. "My first priority is you."

Sasuke refused to blush. Instead, he turned his face away, hiding behind the fall of his dark bangs. "And what if something happens to one of them?"

Naruto hummed in mock thought, holding his chin as he cocked his hips to one side. After a moment of feigned musings, the blond said thoughtfully, "Well we wouldn't want that, you know. I guess I could send a clone or two to help them out."

Without another moment's pause, he had made the hand sign for his trademark jutsu. Instantly, two perfect clones appeared in a cloud of snow and chakra smoke, saluting to their original before disappearing in twin flashes of yellow. As soon as they had vanished, Naruto turned back to Sasuke, the smile plastered onto his face once more.

"You get to keep the original me." He said as he bobbed his eyebrows, earning an exasperated sigh from Sasuke. "Let's go inside for now and take a look around. I haven't been inside since it's been completed."

Sasuke nodded, leading the way up the path as the compacted snow crunched under their feet. The moon reflected off the frozen surface of the pond, the mirror disturbed only by the small ripples and leaves immortalized in ice. A dark sprawl of bamboo took up a corner of the garden, while a stand of dark, naked cherry trees inhabited the other corner. The tangled and seemingly endless trees of the Nara forest were visible beyond the roof of the house, and Sasuke was suddenly wary of their watchfulness.

When he had climbed the two steps that led to the porch, he turned to Naruto. "Are there any ANBU watching us right now?"

He waited patiently as Naruto pulled himself out of his thoughts; his eyes, although blue again, were unfocused as he processed the question. He glanced around at the trees. "There are three or four of them. I'm pretty impressed that you could sense them, you know."

Sasuke crossed his arms, glaring accusingly at the blond. "I may not have any chakra, but I'm still a ninja." He grumbled.

Naruto blushed, lifting his hands in mock surrender. Sasuke observed him quietly, secretly marveling at how bright he was when the snow surrounded him. Even under the paling moonlight, Naruto was a flame as warm as the afternoons in summertime.

Sasuke smiled.

"I'm going to take a look at the house." He said as he turned and walked across the porch. "You can sit out here and worry if you want."

He slid open the front door, stepping into the warm and silent entryway. "I'm home," Sasuke said in a low voice as he stooped down to pull off his sandals.

He straightened up, stepping into the hall from the entrance. The walls and sliding doors were all the same soft off-white colour, some of the doors featuring the light and natural murals that the Nara clan was so fond of. The light gleamed on the polished dark wood floor. Immediately to the left of the entryway was the kitchen and dining area, its round window looking out at the silent forest. The bathroom was across the hall, featuring a large porcelain bathtub.

As he made his way down the hall, Sasuke discovered two large bedrooms. And finally, a large sitting area and library covered the back end of the house, its many sliding doors leading out onto the porch and the back garden. The hardwood floor was broken up in this room by woven mats, meant to make it comfortable for lounging in.

The large and fully stocked bookshelf caught his eye. He walked over to it quickly, examining the many titles, some of which he recognized. There were thick historical volumes, a collection of biographies and works of fiction. There was also a large collection of scrolls, which featured everything from detailed maps of foreign villages to flowing and rhythmic poetry. Sasuke couldn't help but notice that their library also included every novel written by Lord Jiraiya, Naruto's beloved 'Pervy Sage'. He glanced over his shoulder as Naruto leaned against the doorframe, smiling somewhat nervously.

"Do you like it?" He asked. "I heard that you had been reading a lot while you were locked up, so I had Sai and Sakura go hunting for things to put in our library."

Sasuke simply nodded, not trusting his voice at the moment as he continued to scan the books.

Naruto walked over to one of the black couches, sitting down heavily with a sigh. "Damn, I'm exhausted."

Sasuke didn't respond, preferring to examine the blond silently.

"You can have whichever bedroom you prefer." Naruto continued as he leaned his head back, pulling off his headband and closing his tired eyes. "You'll be here a lot more than I will, so you can pretty much do whatever makes you the most comfortable."

Naruto had started dozing off when the sound of footsteps pried his eyes open. He watched warily as Sasuke made his way across the room, weaving silently through the furniture in his direction. Sasuke came to stand in front of him, frowning slightly as his fingers traced the dark circles under Naruto's eyes. His hand slipped into Naruto's spiky blond hair, pulling his long bangs away from his eyes in a surprisingly tender gesture.

"Even if I had to sleep in the bathtub, it would still be better here than it was in prison." Sasuke said in a low voice. His gaze glided slowly over Naruto's face, coming to rest on his lips.

"Glad to know you choose me over a cell." Naruto mumbled, half asleep.

Sasuke laughed softly, leaning down to place a lingering kiss on Naruto's lips. His heart skipped a beat when Naruto hummed in satisfaction, reaching up to rest his hand on Sasuke's arm. After a moment, Sasuke made to pull away, but the hand on his arm curled ever so slightly.

"Not yet," Naruto whined tiredly. "Come back here."

"Idiot-blond." Sasuke said fondly as he leaned down, granting Naruto another quick kiss.

He pulled himself away from the blond, unable to shake the feeling that the places where Naruto had touched him were burning. He glanced over his shoulder when he had reached the doorway, marveling at how surreal the situation was when he locked eyes with Naruto once more. "Don't fall asleep on the couch. You'll catch a cold."

"Yes dear." Naruto muttered.

He remained where he was while Sasuke plodded quietly around the house, familiarizing himself with his surroundings while he got ready for bed. An hour later, when the house had gone completely silent, Naruto stood with a groan, his back cracking loudly as he stretched. He made his way to the front door, pulling on his sandals and his cloak. Before he left the house, he formed the hand signs that called into being a perfect clone of himself.

He slipped quietly out the door, his presence desperately needed elsewhere. As the original Naruto made his way down the path, his clone settled cross-legged in front of the door like a sentinel dog, prepared to wait until his original returned.

A/N: Edited