Chapter 16

"You want me to do what?" Naruto screeched, his voice rising several octaves in disbelief.

Kakashi and Tsunade flinched in unison as the noise assaulted their ears. The Hokage frowned, her laced fingers propping up her chin.

"Did I stutter, Naruto?" She asked in a dangerous tone. "I said, you are going to take a leave of absence. A month should be long enough."

The Jinchuuriki's mouth fell open. This was definitely not what he had expected to hear when he was urgently summoned to the Hokage's mansion first thing in the morning. He turned his shocked gaze towards his silver-haired sensei in a silent plea for help. Kakashi pointedly avoided his eyes, tugging his mask higher up across his cheeks.

When no rescue came after a long moment of silence, Naruto sighed. He glanced towards his toes, running his hands through his unruly blond hair. "I can't just take a vacation, Granny." He muttered. "Not when I've got so much stuff to do, you know."

"I am aware of that," Tsunade replied, her voice stern. "But that is precisely why I am ordering, not asking you to do this."

Naruto frowned, but didn't look up until Kakashi cleared his throat.

"Actually Naruto, it was my idea." He admitted nervously, tilting his head to the side. He couldn't help but smile at the look of utter betrayal on Naruto's face, his mouth popping open. "But believe me, we have good reasons for ordering this! We are well aware that you're in demand, and that it isn't really practical for you to be taking time off work. That's why you should realize that we would only tell you to do so, if it was extremely necessary. Right?"

Naruto frowned, his sky blue eyes darkening. After a minute, he shifted his stance, crossing his bare forearms over his chest. His black undershirt was wrinkled and stretched, having been scooped up from the floor and yanked haphazardly over his head when he had rushed to answer the summons. In his haste, Naruto had left his vest and cloak, as well as a soundly sleeping Sasuke, at home.

"Alright, I'm listening." He finally said, his voice low and soft.

Tsunade lowered her hands from her chin, wrapping her slender fingers around her tea cup. "As Kakashi said, we have a few reasons for passing on this order." She began, her amber eyes studying the scratches on the surface of her wooden desk. "The first being to appease the Elder council. Even though it was just fated coincidence, the fact remains that both a member of the council and his heir died this week. And since Akira Yokozawa was one of the few who strongly opposed the verdict from Sasuke's trial, it makes it look like the whole thing was a revenge project."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "As if I have time to take revenge on everyone who thinks Sasuke's a jerk." He muttered.

The Hokage smiled. "Precisely. However, the council members have been coming to me to complain that you are not taking your role as Sasuke's Guardian seriously enough. And I must admit, I wonder if you really realize that your actions directly effect Sasuke. So, when the Elders ask, I will tell them that you took the time away from your other duties to focus on your important role as a Guardian."

"Now for the second reason," Kakashi said, continuing from where Tsunade left off seamlessly. He held up two gloved fingers for emphasis. "The Kou are becoming a bigger threat every day, especially since we found out about their method of silencing allied outsiders. If Sasuke is correct in his theory that the Sharingan is able to see through their tricks, then we're going to need his eyes before long. That's why the main reason for you taking this time off is to begin re-strengthening Sasuke. It hurts your old sensei to admit this, Naruto, but Sasuke's eyes are much more powerful than mine. He will be invaluable in our upcoming confrontation with the Kou Clan."

"Sasuke."

Naruto's heart skipped a beat every time someone said his name. It was almost as if they added reality to the phantom Uchiha which constantly lingered in the back of Naruto's mind.

Ever since he was a child, Naruto found that whenever he was alone and had time to think, it was always Sasuke who ended up occupying his mind. But the thoughts were different now. The pain was different. No longer did he obsess over the pursuit, constantly yearning to bring him back home. Now Naruto thought constantly about ways to keep him; to make him want to stay. His resolve to complete his missions would waver when he remembered the delicate colour of Sasuke's skin, his petal soft lips - the way they parted softly when he leaned in for a kiss. Naruto would recall the way Sasuke walked quietly through the halls of their house, passing as gently as the seasons. It was in these moments that Naruto would realize just how much of Sasuke he had committed to memory, from his slender fingers to the way the ends of his feather-soft hair danced across his shoulders; to the way he rested his hands on his hipbones when he was angry.

Upon remembering all that, the only thing that remained, growing in potency until it dominated everything else was love, chasing away his doubts and concerns. This one emotion would course like fire through his veins, burning deep within his chest and pulsating like the wings of a flock of birds.

Naruto grinned, rubbing at his nose shyly. "Sasuke's going to be really happy to hear about this." He said. "He keeps saying that he can't wait to be strong enough to beat the crap out of me."

"Just like the good old days, hm?" Kakashi said, laughing softly.

Tsunade fought to hide her smile as Naruto burst out laughing, the warmth of his voice completely at odds with the cool, pale morning light coming in through the windows. She waited patiently for him to compose himself, his tousled bangs falling around his face and framing his strong features. Tsunade frowned as she studied his face, noting that exhaustion had hollowed his cheeks, making his bone structure seem even sharper.

"Our last reason," She began gently, "Is the one that, we think, is the most important."

Naruto blinked curiously. "Those other reasons were pretty damn good." He admitted. "I don't really need to hear all of them, you know."

"That may be true," Kakashi replied, "But we want you to know. Everyone in the village appreciates how hard you've been working over the past few years, Naruto, but we're worried about you. You've been working yourself too hard lately, between your missions and lessons and everything else."

"But, Kakashi-sensei -" Naruto began, before the copy-nin quickly cut him off.

"I understand that you have no choice but to push yourself, but please take my advice on this." Kakashi continued. "The nature of our work is already extremely tiring and unforgiving. If you run yourself ragged and lose your edge, you won't really be helping anyone. I've seen so many fine shinobi try to distance themselves from their needs as humans, but eventually there's something in them that snaps. More often than not, they end up dying in battle because they've lost their focus. I can't allow that to happen to you, Naruto. How could I ever face your parents or Lord Jiraiya in the afterlife if I did?"

"Putting aside the student-teacher sentiment," Tsunade said, cutting Naruto off before he could respond with a heartfelt speech, "If you lose you cool, Naruto, the rest of the village would be in serious trouble. We don't have the resources to deal with another Kyuubi rampage."

The Jinchuuriki pinched his lips together as Kurama slipped his eyes open, a seemingly endless stream of curses directed towards the Hokage breaking the silence of Naruto's mindscape. Not trusting his voice, he nodded to show that he understood.

Tsunade smiled tightly, her lips a thin line. "Well then, from here onwards you are on an official leave of absence. You will not be accepting missions, and your Hokage training lessons are postponed until a later date." She said commandingly. "However, I would like you to continue working with Shikamaru and whomever else you'd like to investigate the Kou. Any new information you come up with will be valuable. But most importantly, get some rest, and get Sasuke's training started. It's almost half a year since his trial, already. Make sure he's strong enough to be of use to me when the time comes."

"Sure thing, Granny Tsunade." Naruto replied with a quick bow, turning sharply and breezing out of the room.

By the time the door shut with a deep boom, the blond was at the end of the hall. Already, the building was beginning to buzz with activity. Naruto rounded the corner swiftly, maneuvering quickly to avoid colliding with Shizune, who was too preoccupied with the stack of paperwork she was toting to even notice that he was there. Naruto raised his eyebrow at her retreating back, glancing over his shoulder when he heard a muffled laugh behind him.

A team of Genin sat on one of the benches that lined the hallway, waiting for their sensei. Naruto recognized the look of excitement in their eyes, smiling at them as he walked over.

"First mission?" He asked brightly, smiling as the three young shinobi turned bright red simultaneously.

The team sat closely together on the small bench, a pretty brunette kunoichi settled comfortably between her male comrades. On her right side was a thin and lanky redhead, his dark eyes quietly watchful. To her left was a nervous looking boy with long dark hair and deeply blue eyes. It was the young girl who answered.

"You bet, Uzumaki-sensei! Well, first real mission." She replied loudly, nudging both of her teammates. "No more chasing cats or doing chores!"

Naruto laughed. "That's good!" He praised. "I'm sure you'll all make the Leaf proud. Where's your sensei though?"

"Ino-sensei is always late in the morning." The tall redhead answered in a surprisingly deep voice.

"I see," Naruto said, glancing up and down the hall. "My sensei was late all the time, too. I know how it feels."

He smiled warmly at the young ninja, displaying his trademark thumbs-up. "When your sensei finally shows up, tell her I said hello, okay?"

Before the Genin could respond, a familiar female voice echoed down the hall.

"Sorry, sorry, I'm here now!" Ino said, waving to her team as she ran down the hall. She beamed even wider when she saw Naruto. "Hey there, Naruto," She said as she came to stand beside him, looking him up and down critically. "You look like you just rolled out of bed."

"You're late again, sensei." The little kunoichi cut in disapprovingly. "And that's no way to be talking to Uzumaki-sensei."

"Eh?" Ino exclaimed, ruffling her student's hair. "Don't worry about it, Aya-chan, me and this dummy go way back. I've known him since our academy days. Which reminds me," She turned to Naruto, her tone growing serious. "Sakura wanted to see you for some reason. She has a surgery scheduled for today though, so she told me to tell you that she'd be dropping by your place tomorrow morning."

"Alright, thanks Ino." Naruto replied, the tone of her voice making him nervous. He made to walk away, but Ino stabbed an accusing finger to his chest.

"Don't you start taking her away from her work at the hospital for your little research project, Naruto." Ino said critically. "You're already working Shikamaru to the bone. He hasn't had time to hang out with Choji and me for like, a month!"

"Sorry about that, Ino." Naruto replied nervously, glancing over at the wide-eyed Genin. "Tell you what, you can give me the whole lecture when you get back from your mission. Granny's waiting for you guys."

The blond kunoichi narrowed her eyes. "Fine." She muttered. "But don't think I'm through with you, Uzumaki!"

She turned quickly, almost hitting Naruto with her long ponytail. Naruto watched as she herded her team down the hallway, arguing with them loudly about whether she was late or not. Turning to continue down the hallway, Naruto's smile faded.

A few weeks before the beginning of the school year in September, requests from the academy had been issued out to many of the members of the Konoha Eleven to become team leaders. Naruto, having been made a Jounin only recently, didn't receive a request. But even if he had, Tsunade had strictly forbidden him to accept, saying that it would be unfair to the students if he became a sensei. He could understand where she was coming from. Naruto knew that, with how hectic his life was at the moment, he wouldn't be able to properly raise his students. Not to mention that danger seemed to hunt him down wherever he went.

It wasn't like he was the only one of his academy-mates who was without a team of Genin. Shikamaru and Sakura had turned down their offers because of their other duties, while Neji and Sai had decided to focus on their positions in the ANBU ranks. Choji also turned down the offer, on the grounds that he wasn't suited to be in a position of leadership. Hinata, too, turned down her offer in order to complete her own training.

However, Lee, Kiba, Shino, Ino, and Tenten had all accepted the academy's request, proudly leading the next generation of Leaf shinobi. He had received several requests from his old friends to come out during their training sessions, to inspire the Genin and assist them in any way he could. Even though he truly liked the idea, the Jinchuuriki had yet to find the time to meet any of the young teams.

"Maybe this month," He said to himself, nodding politely to a group of ninja who bowed as he passed them. "I'll be able to find the time."

He made his way out the doors, blinking against the bright morning sunlight. The cold air bit at his skin as he descended the steps to the Hokage's mansion, waving back to a couple Jounin who were making their way up the snowy path.

"First things first," He thought, "I've got to tell Sasuke that we can start training!"

With a grin, Naruto jumped the last remaining steps, disappearing in a flash of yellow before his feet hit the ground.

Sasuke had long since grown accustomed to the nuisance of Naruto coming and going constantly, no matter what time or day of the week it was. Often, Naruto would stumble home from his endless missions as dawn was breaking, stubble on his chin and worry in his eyes. He would barely have enough time to place a lingering, sighing kiss on Sasuke's lips before news got out that he had returned and someone would come looking for him. He would vanish again in a flurry of sunshine and flame-embroidered fabric, taking the warmth and the light away with him.

Sasuke had far too much pride to entertain the thought of staying awake to wait for Naruto's return. But even so, he would lay sleepless in his bed; tormented by his longing for the gentle touch of those warm hands, tainted by the roughness of war. The nights would pass in endless silence, while Sasuke waited for Naruto to return and breathe life into him once more.

When Naruto did have time to linger within the walls of their house, Sasuke found himself wary of the blond's sudden and drastic mood swings. Every so often, clouds would drift across Naruto's sky blue eyes, darkening his smile and chasing him into morose and pensive silence. This, however, troubled Sasuke significantly less than the nightmares which occasionally shook Naruto from the warmth of his bed.

It was because of their shared weakness of vivid dreams that they gave up on the idea of sleeping in separate rooms. Sasuke would sometimes wake in the night to discover that Naruto's side of the bed was cold and empty. Sasuke would rise from their bed, pulled through the silent house until his feet were whispering through the snow as he hunted for the blond among the naked cherry trees.

Seeing Naruto in this state never failed to shatter the cold walls within Sasuke's chest. It made him forget about his own troubles completely.

Naruto was strong. He was strong enough to be called a saviour and a hero: strong enough to force a smile onto his face when he noticed the dark-haired ninja approaching. He was also foolishly in love enough to say that he was fine, that he just couldn't sleep; foolishly caring enough to frown at Sasuke's naked arms, worried about the chill chasing across his ivory skin.

As much as Sasuke wished he was strong enough to protect Naruto from the world outside, he knew that Naruto's pride would not allow such a thing. Part of him was relieved, because Sasuke suspected that seeing even a single tear slip from Naruto's eyes would probably destroy him.

And so he would coax the Jinchuuriki back to bed, his dark eyes promising escape. And when they once again found each other between the sheets, their bodies would tangle desperately, offering and accepting comfort in shuddering breaths and soothing fingertips.

Allow me to be yours. Allow yourself to be mine. If nothing else, let us have this moment; this silence.

Unspoken, save for within the whispered breaths which passed in the space between their lips, this desire had settled into them. Sasuke would lose himself beneath Naruto's tormenting fingertips, colour blooming under his skin like the petals of flowers. His drug was the low murmur of Naruto's voice as he repeated Sasuke's name, holding him so gently that it ached. They would remain oblivious to the sunrise and the waking world, as they merged together again and again.

Sasuke could feel himself falling deeper into something he didn't care to name: a need so intense it was terrifying.

"Stop making me love you more and more, idiot-blond."

He sank down lower into the bath, the warm soapy water cleaning the musky scent of sleep and sex off his skin. As usual, he had woken that morning to an empty house, the sheets on Naruto's side of the bed cold. Sasuke sighed deeply in the steamy air, tilting his head back to stare at the ceiling. The light got caught in the beads of water that danced in his hair and on his extended throat.

Sasuke hated sitting around. He hated feeling like some eager little housewife, waiting restlessly for her husband to return. He hated that he had memorized the rhythm of Naruto's steps as he walked up the garden path, and often sat caught in daydreams revolving around a deep chocolate-rich voice and a gentle touch.

"Stupid." He muttered, frowning darkly. His obsidian eyed strayed down to his chest, which was marked in several places with bruise-like blotches. Sasuke ran his fingers over the spots, small reminders of the places where Naruto had been. He poked one of the marks irritably. "Stupid blond."

He glanced up at the faint sound of hollow footsteps on the wooden porch. Sasuke heard the front door opening, followed by the faint slap of sandals on the floor in the entryway.

"I'm home!" Naruto said brightly as he shut the door, kicking off his footwear roughly.

"Welcome home." Sasuke replied in a detached tone, twisting his torso to rest his elbows on the side of the tub.

He waited patiently as he heard Naruto step into the hallway, humming to himself. As expected, Naruto yanked open the bathroom door, entering the warm room without invitation. Sasuke raised his eyebrow as he placed his chin on the back of his hand, his face remaining stony even when Naruto grinned at him widely.

"Would it kill you to knock?" Sasuke asked rhetorically with a sigh. "Where did you go?"

"Hokage's office." Naruto hummed in response, sitting down cross-legged beside the bathtub. He reached up to steal a few delicate droplets of water from Sasuke's cheeks, his bright blue eyes dancing excitedly. Sasuke felt his expression softening as he observed the blond, glancing down at the stretched and wrinkled black undershirt that clung tightly to Naruto's broad chest. He immediately recognized it as the shirt that he himself had torn off roughly the night before.

Sasuke averted his eyes, asking gruffly, "Isn't that the shirt you wore when you were training yesterday? Please tell me you didn't wear that to your audience with the Hokage."

"Eh?" Naruto's eyes widened as he looked down at the shirt, tugging at the black fabric. "What's wrong with it? Does it smell?" He asked, pulling the collar of the shirt up to his nose and sniffing dubiously.

"Of course it does, dobe." Sasuke said irately, reaching over to tug the fabric away from Naruto's face. "Whatever, we need to do laundry today anyways, so just take it off."

Naruto's eyes narrowed, examining the dark-haired ninja accusingly as he muttered, "Pervert."

"What was that?" Sasuke exclaimed, tightening his grip on Naruto's shirt as he yanked the still-grinning blond forward. He sat up, gesturing towards the purple marks on his chest with his other hand. "Who's the perverted one here, idiot-blond? And anyways, you're the one that's always strutting around the house only wearing your underwear! It's winter, you know. You'll catch a cold!"

"Strutting? I don't strut!" Naruto cried in protest, his voice muffled as Sasuke pulled his shirt over his head. His headband was also pulled off in the process, his wild hair sticking out around his head when he emerged from the tangled fabric.

Sasuke ignored his pouting expression as he threw the shirt out into the hallway. "Alright, alright, you don't strut. Happy now?" He muttered, sinking back down into the water. "But seriously, would you just wear some clothes? It's really distracting when you don't."

Naruto responded with a smile. He ran his hand over Sasuke's arm, his skin as delicately white as the porcelain his elbow was resting on. The blond leaned forward with a sigh, resting his chin on Sasuke's forearm.

Sasuke continued to ignore him pointedly, his eyes closed. Only his increasing heart rate gave away his awareness of Naruto's presence. Naruto continued to ghost his fingertips along Sasuke's arm, tracing patterns on his skin. Sasuke felt the chakra seal on his shoulder fluttering quickly, a direct response to the closeness of its creator. A warm tingling shot down Sasuke's spine as warm fingertips traced over the mark.

"Hey, Sasuke," Naruto began in a low voice, his shuttered eyes following the movement of his fingers. "I hope you're ready to work up a sweat."

Before Sasuke could respond to the ambiguously suggestive statement, a shot of heat tore into his shoulder. Like a window thrown open on a windy day, his chakra exploded into his limbs, raging through his decimated muscles and making his fingers tremble. The painful aftershock of his returned chakra made Sasuke gasp, his spine arching. He closed his eyes, breathing heavily as his head leaned back against the tiled wall.

Strength: Sasuke had forgotten the feeling of flowing, surging power. His whole body trembled with adrenaline as his dulled senses suddenly returned to him. He could sense the hum of activity in the village. He could sense the hidden presence of the several ANBU who were guarding their house. But more than anything, Sasuke was hyper-aware of the man kneeling silently beside the bathtub.

He slipped his eyes open slowly, glancing over. Naruto held his gaze steadily, his face unreadable as he quietly observed the pale ninja.

"N-Naruto?" Sasuke said weakly, the bath water forming small waves as he sat up straighter. "What…?"

Naruto leaned back to rest on the palms of his hands, stretching out the stiffness that had formed in his legs while he was kneeling. "So, big news," He said with a grin. "Starting today, I'm off work for a whole month. No missions, no lessons. Granny Tsunade ordered me to start training you."

Sasuke was ecstatic. His whole body hummed with excitement and adrenaline. He even allowed himself to smile. "But why now?" He asked, leaning his body forward. "Why so soon?"

"It's already been almost half a year since your sentence was passed." Naruto pointed out as he handed Sasuke his towel. "The reason that it has to be now is because of the Kou. Those bastards are turning into a serious pain, Sasuke. We're going to need your help to deal with them."

Sasuke smirked. "When I'm at full power, there's nothing these eyes of mine can't see through. Let's start training right now!"

He stood up quickly, water sloshing onto the bathroom floor. He had just wrapped his towel around his waist, when his legs suddenly trembled violently. Without warning, he lost his balance, falling forwards as Naruto jumped up to catch him.

"Woah, take it easy Sasuke." Naruto said, his lips grazing Sasuke's ear. "The amount of chakra I released is only about eight or nine percent of what you have at full power. Right now, it's all your body can do to control that much chakra."

Sasuke gripped Naruto's forearms tight enough to bruise, his limbs continuing to tremble like leaves. "Shit," He muttered, fighting with his pride as he allowed Naruto to scoop him up into his warm arms. "Only eight percent? I doubt I can even activate my Sharingan with this much chakra."

"Probably not," Naruto agreed as he carried Sasuke down the hallway, placing him down carefully on their bed. "But, your body isn't used to the strain of chakra and training anymore. We have to take this slowly. Also, since your power isn't fueled by revenge or hatred anymore, you might find things more difficult than you did before."

Sasuke averted his eyes, staring accusingly at his thin limbs. He sighed, flexing his slender fingers in front of his face. "You might be right about that." He admitted quietly. "If that's the case, I hope you have a good plan for our training, sensei."

Naruto knelt down between Sasuke's knees, slotting their fingers together. He held Sasuke's hand to his lips.

"I do," He murmured, his voice taking on the dangerously soft undertone that made Sasuke's nerves tingle. "First, we'll work on your meditation. I don't want you reverting back to anger as a source of power, so through meditation you'll learn how to find your centre and develop a peaceful mind. This will also allow you to control and understand your chakra better."

He guided Sasuke's hands behind his back as he leaned in closer. "And also," He continued. "Hearing you call me sensei kind of makes me want to take advantage of you. Especially since you're so vulnerable and sensitive right now."

"You bastard," Sasuke whispered. Yet his voice was inviting as he leaned down, accepting Naruto's soft lips as they met his own. Naruto pushed forward slowly, his knee between Sasuke's thighs as he forced the raven-haired Uchiha backwards. Sasuke's towel dropped to the floor as he fell back into the sheets, his naked skin tingling as his newly restored chakra increased his awareness of Naruto. His skin, his scent, his touch; every sensation was more powerful than it was before.

Sasuke sighed shakily. "Seriously, you're a goddamn bastard."

Naruto hummed, his voice vibrating against Sasuke's throat as he traced the pale column of flesh with his lips. "Maybe," He agreed. "But don't worry, I'll let you rest today so your body can get used to the chakra. You can beat me up or whatever else you want to do tomorrow, okay? Sensei's orders."

Laughing softly, Sasuke ran his fingers through his damp hair, taking a few calming breaths. He craned his neck as Naruto propped himself up onto his elbows, snaring the Jinchuuriki's lips until the blond was flustered and breathless. His head falling back onto the bed, Sasuke smirked. "Well, whatever. If those are sensei's orders."

He felt Naruto's entire body stiffen at the word 'sensei'. "That's dirty." Naruto scolded, one of his hands straying down to Sasuke's thin waist.

"You started it." Sasuke responded, his smile widening.

Naruto's retort stalled in his throat as he looked down at Sasuke. For what seemed like the millionth time, Naruto found himself struck by the cold and intense beauty that Sasuke possessed. If Naruto was the brightly shining sun, then Sasuke was the pale and elusive moon. His hair spilled like ink across the pale sheets, long enough now that he had started tying it back with a thin red string. He cheeks were flushed from the sudden return of chakra flow, the faint glimmer of red showing itself in his eyes.

Transferring his weight to one elbow, Naruto gently traced his fingertips over Sasuke's dark eyebrows before dancing the digits over paper-thin eyelids. He followed the sharp contours of cheekbone until his fingertips discovered the smooth curve of lips, which parted under his touch.

"Fuck," Naruto whispered, inhaling sharply. "You're seriously testing my self-control right now."

Sasuke slipped his eyes open, hitting Naruto with a darkly smoldering look. "Good," He replied in a low murmur, smiling when he said again, "You started it."

Naruto laughed as he rolled over, laying on his back beside Sasuke. Silence stretched out between them for a time, but it was the comfortable quiet of a moment where no words need to be said. The blond took Sasuke's hand again, playing with the slender digits.

"Sakura-chan will be at the house tomorrow." Naruto said softly. "Do you think you're ready to see her?"

He heard Sasuke inhale sharply, but he continued to look at their entwined fingers. Sasuke shifted awkwardly, inching closer to Naruto's side as the air began to chill his bare skin.

Finally, he sighed, answering in a bitter voice, "No, not yet. I don't think it will end well."

Rather than question him, Naruto nodded. He pulled their joined fingers towards his mouth, kissing the back of Sasuke's hand before he sat up. "Alright," He said, turning to Sasuke with a reassuring grin. "In the end, it's your decision, you know?"

He rocked onto his feet, watching as Sasuke slowly pulled himself into a seated position. He groaned as his muscles spasmed from the effort. "Damn," He muttered, rubbing his abdomen. "This is total shit."

"It should be better by tomorrow." Naruto said cheerily. "Probably."

"Probably?" Sasuke parroted, narrowing his eyes. Naruto smiled guiltily, making himself useful by getting Sasuke his clothes.

Despite Sasuke's irritation, he couldn't help but feel relieved. After what had seemed an eternal stretch of slumber, his body was waking up. His strength, his senses, his abilities; Sasuke couldn't wait to put himself to use once more. He couldn't wait to experience Naruto, when he was strong and free once more.

But above all else, Sasuke couldn't wait for tomorrow to come.