Last bit of Chapter 15:

'Kakashi, get Mookie and Iruka! Naruto and Sasuke – help me get this lump back there!'

Kiba let out plaintive cries: 'Betrayal! Betrayal!' as they bundled him along.

xXx

Chapter 16:

Hot water, towels, clean linen, soap, everything sanitised. Naruto was learning that these things were essential, but he didn't know why. Hinata had just told them they were.

While standing against the wall, holding the buckets, the soap and so many things he couldn't see all of it – except for the towels, which hung over the chain which Kakashi had lengthened thoughtfully – Naruto was afraid he'd learn exactly why all of this was necessary. It seemed to have a lot to do with Asuma.

'Asuma!' Kurenai yelled yet again, 'You bastard! Where are you?'

Kiba sat in a corner, taking a deep breath and evidently relieved everyone was ignoring him. When Kurenai yelled 'Kiba!' he tensed, his eyes wide 'Come here!'

He obeyed, and his hand was caught in a death grip. There was no way he was escaping his captain now.

'You two! Towels!'

The mobile clothes line shuffled forward – Naruto still looking confused, Sasuke looking as if his dignity could not be attacked any more viciously.

The girl whipped off what she needed and gestured them away.

Kurenai yelled. She'd been doing that a lot. Pain, anger, confusion – all in one go. Naruto's eyes widened.

Mookie moved surprisingly fast – between the room and the galley - with vats of boiling water. Iruka was in the midst of everything, helping Hinata – a singularly and unusually brave man. Kiba was now arguing with Kurenai and not improving the situation, but at least she had discovered some way to vent effectively - or deafeningly.

Kakashi, oddly enough, was reading. Naruto thought about this for a moment and guessed it could be a midwifery book. He found it quite funny, whatever it was. Was going into labour amusing? The blond boy hazarded a glance at Kurenai. Its didn't look like it.

Three pirates had been ordered to find Asuma, and now dragged him in – the tall captain grabbed onto anything in his path to prevent entry.

Then Kurenai saw him. She yelled. He lost his grip on the doorframe and was pulled all the way in. He was pale.

Somewhere in all the confusion, Kiba disappeared out the window. Asuma took his place at Kurenai's side, wincing at the sudden grip.

'For god's sake, Kurenai, push!' someone shouted.

More people shouted. Kurenai screamed.

Asuma sighed.

Hinata hurried. Mookie hurried. Iruka shushed people.

Kakashi chuckled.

Sasuke grimaced.

Naruto stared wide-eyed.

And a baby was born.

xXx

An hour later towels were still needed, so Sasuke and Naruto were still there.

The heir to the Uchiren Empire was in shock. Why was he a towel rack?

And it was not a pleasant sight to see a baby some out a woman. He shuddered. In a dignified way.

He wondered what the baka thought of this. Naruto's eyes had been huge for hours now. Sasuke hoped he was remembering to blink.

Kurenai now held the baby boy in her arms, a tired smile on her face.

'Captain?' Hinata said hesitantly. She pulled a stool over and sat.

'Hmm?' Kurenai replied.

'You know how I . . . said . . . you wouldn't be able to drink for nine months?'

'Wha, but the baby's a week early, so it wasn't nine months . . .'

'Um, yes. It's not going to be nine months,' the girl said in a deceptively calm voice, 'It'll be until you stop breastfeeding the baby.'

Kurenai's features froze. 'What?' Her eyes moved over to Asuma. They narrowed. Asuma stiffened.

'What are you going to call him?' Kakashi cut in wisely.

Kurenai was still mouthing 'no beer'. She shrugged after a moment.

A soft voice came from next to Sasuke.

'How about Haku?'

The Uchiha's dark eyes darted to Naruto. The boy was smiling sadly.

Sasuke wanted to pounce on him, but he knew towels would go flying and that it would be very hard to explain.

Half an hour later, Sasuke was leaning against a tall crate (1) on Kakashi's deck. Naruto sat on it, his legs swinging.

The business and confusion seemed to be over and they were both quiet,

Sasuke looked at Naruto as the blond examined clouds and then Naruto looked at Sasuke as the Uchiha studied his bare feet.

They were still quiet.

Sasuke bit his lip.

Anything. Say anything. Naruto would pick now to be silent for the first time in his life.

Sasuke saw a gash on Naruto's hand and said, 'Give me that,' without looking at the blond boy's face.

Naruto held out his arm and watched as Sasuke bandaged it up. The blond-haired boy moved closer to see what the Uchiha was doing and looked at him, very close, once Sasuke was finished.

They stared at each other.

'Thanks,' Naruto said, not very loudly, because of the proximity made it unnecessary. Then he stood and walked off saying, 'God, I'm starving.'

The Uchiha stared as he was pulled along. His cheeks were red – whether from anger or blushing, he didn't know. He didn't care either way. All he could think was: bloody dobe! Food?!

xXx

Walking through the corridors of the empty ship, Sasuke made a decision.

He ducked into the closest open door – incidentally the deserted captain's cabin – and yanked on the chain. Naruto stumbled back into the room and Sasuke pushed him against the wall with a spread-out hand against his chest.

Naruto's eyes met his warily.

Sasuke gathered himself. 'You said something on Zabuza's ship, dobe, what was it?'

Naruto looked away.

'So? What was it?'

'Nothing.'

'All right.' Sasuke leaned closer, very patiently. 'You did something on Zabuza's ship.'

'So did you!' Naruto shot back, looking back at him and being surprised at how close Sasuke was. He tried to draw back. But hit the wall.

There was a long, awkward, stretching silence.

'And?' Sasuke asked, he felt Naruto's breath on his face.

'And what?'

Sasuke just kissed him. It was much easier that way. And it shut him up.

xXx

So maybe Sasuke did like him. This thought came to Naruto as he was half-naked, pressed up against a wall with someone's tongue in his mouth. The aforementioned person's tongue, to be precise. The aforementioned, unbelievably sexy person.

The little thought that was usually in Naruto's head fled at that point.

Again, the mouth, the lips, the soft feeling made his entire body react, contract. This time he could lean into it. He melted into it. And this time his hands were free. They were in Sasuke's hair – damp from the mist and wind-swept, soft. They were trailing down his spine, down the muscles of his arm. Naruto's hand found the chain and suddenly Sasuke was a lot closer.

Sasuke let out a half-gasp and smirked.

Naruto caught his smile and kissed him again, wanting the tongue back.

Sasuke moved his hand down Naruto's chest, his stomach, down to just above his boxers. He smirked again. Sasuke drew back slowly, and, his forehead resting against Naruto's, he glanced down as his fingers played along the top of the boxers. (2)

Naruto drew in a shaking breath. He had no idea what his body was doing.

Sasuke flicked his eyes up to Naruto's, almost as if suddenly shy, but he said 'baka' softly.

The blond boy pushed himself off the wall, flipped them round and pinned Sasuke's wrists to the wood with his hands. He moved his face close and said 'teme.' He moved his lips to Sasuke's – just brushing them, feeling Sasuke push forward, but then trailed his tongue along Sasuke's jaw, down his neck, sucking just above the collar bone. Sasuke emitted what could almost be called a moan.

Now Naruto understood why Sasuke smirked so often. It was very satisfying.

Obeying some sort of internal pull, the blond boy leant the length of his body against the Sasuke. Warmth was everywhere,

He needed a free hand. So, he lifted both of Sasuke's to above his head and held them there with one. Moving one hand down, Naruto pulled down the white cloth of Sasuke's shirt to reveal a pale arm. He was struck by an idea. He leant back, his hand continuing down Sasuke's body, until he found the hem of the shirt and amazingly smooth skin underneath.

Everything was hot. Everything was electric.

He felt dark eyes on him and lifted the shirt up, his fingers running up Sasuke's chest, up his neck, over his head , removing the offending material completely.

This was nice. He knew Sasuke wouldn't be stared at for long, so he got in as much admiring as he could.

xXx

The Heir to the Uchiren Empire wore a strange expression. He was used to being in control and he didn't know what to think.

Naruto had discovered nipples. With his tongue. He didn't know what to think of what he thought of this combination – he just let out a groan.

Even when the dobe let go of his wrists – running his hands down his chest – Sasuke knew he still wasn't in control. Looking down – he saw the deck-hand smirking. Smirking. This wasn't allowed. Naruto looked too god damn sexy doing that.

Sasuke's hand fell down to the back of Naruto's head, his fingers tightened around the blond strands, and he pulled Naruto up into a breathtaking kiss.

xXx

'Sasuke!' Naruto exclaimed in annoyance, breaking away from the kiss for a moment. He'd been busy! He had discovered a new game – currently his favourite-game: making Sasuke make noises.

But now he was being kissed again and didn't know which way was up. Or sideways. Or down.

xXx

Ten minutes later:

Adrenaline, nerves, compulsion, excitement and fear filled Naruto. All of it together and indistinguishable. All he could do was act on the entire jumble of emotions.

It was a very interesting night for the two of them – full of new and exciting and above all, surprising experiences.

So this is what Iruka meant by de-flowering . . .

xXx

(1) fred's learning chouji's enlarging jutsu!

(2) Big Pirate-sama fell into a ditch at this point :)

le fin! Anyway, if wlkwos has anything to say at this point - anything verging on a 'tut tut', we know exactly how to answer: -cough-cough- 'NIPPLE SUCKER!'

(ahem.)

The oh so-subtle-fade-out!

Hehe :)

Muwhahahahaha!

Again - thanks to the fans and to everyone who reviews. And, again - review!!!!