Annnnd, here's the fifth chapter! Also, we're back on track! I'm not really fond of the fourth chapter but I felt it was necessary for the flow of the rest of the story so I apologize for those of you who disliked the backtrack, and Yamato being slightly out of character... but, anyway, I really enjoyed writing this chapter and I hope that you enjoy reading it.

Again, this is my first story so please be kind ... please?!

Also, I still do not have a beta so any and all mistakes are mine and mine alone.

And I still do not own Naruto. And yes, I still cry about that fact... T^T

Now off to the story!

After four days of near non-stop traveling and intermittent breaks Naruto decided that it was high past time they took a well deserved rest. Upon reaching the familiar village fondly called the Cow's Den by the locals, (this was a prosperous farming village after all) he headed confidently toward his destination, knowing the way from memory.

"We'll stop and rest here for the night," Naruto announced as he looked up at the Speckled Hen Inn with a look of nostalgia on his face. He and Ero-Sennin had once stayed here for a full three weeks whilst they'd been on their training journey. He held many fond memories of the time they'd spent here.

Sasuke turned and glanced at the blond, a puzzled frown on his face.

Naruto gave him a reassuring smile before turning to open the door of the establishment.

"I'll be right with you," a cheerful, yet somewhat harried voice rang out.

"No need to rush Kaede, you can take your time," Naruto called back.

The sound of breaking dishes came from the direction of the kitchen, causing the blond to chuckle in amusement. The sound of running feet followed the crash and a woman came running into the room at full tilt. She let out a shriek of joy and launched herself at Naruto who, luckily, was able to catch her.

"Naruto!" she exclaimed, a bright smile on her lovely face.

The blond laughed at his old friend's exuberant welcome. "It's nice to see you again too, Kaede!"

Upon catching sight of Sasuke and Yamato she delicately extracted herself from Naruto and shoved her mane of red curls out of her face. She eyed the two with interest before turning back to Naruto with a pout. "I haven't seen you in nearly three years and all I get is a 'nice to see you, Kaede'? Hmmph, I see how it is!" she exclaimed, a playful look in her silver-blue eyes.

Naruto laughed. "Sorry, sorry!"

Kaede shook her head at him. "And what is it, dare I ask, that has brought you into my neck of the woods?"

Naruto sobered. "Well, it's complicated. I can't really get into it with you, as the mission we're on is classified. We just need a place to stay for the night."

Kaede put her hand on her hips and eyed him with her all too mysterious eyes. She let out a sigh before waving her hand in exasperation. "Fine, fine. Keep your secrets. I don't need them anyway."

Sasuke cleared his throat bringing her attention to him.

"My, but aren't you a pretty one," she announced with a grin.

Naruto snorted out a laugh, which made Sasuke shoot him a withering look. The blond cleared his throat, a huge smile on his face. "These are my friends Sasuke and Yamato," he stated, his voice still shaking with suppressed laughter.

Kaede's eyes widened markedly as she turned to stare at Sasuke in amazement.

Sasuke scowled at her.

She let out a delighted laugh and clapped her hands in glee as she shot Naruto a look of supressed amusement. "He's exactly as you described him to me!" she blurted out.

Naruto looked at the ceiling innocently when Sasuke shot him a look of disbelief.

"You've been speaking of me to strangers?" he asked incredulously. Yet oddly enough, he didn't sound angry. Which is why Naruto thought it safe to look at him.

"Of course he spoke of you! You're his best friend, after all," Kaede declared causing Naruto to turn red in embarrassment.

An hour later Naruto stepped into the outdoor hot spring, a commodity which had made the Speckled Hen famous by the locals, and settled down to unwind. It was so tranquil that he was beginning to nod off. When he felt someone settle next to him he didn't react at all, not even to glance over to see who it was. It would have taken too much effort and he was just too relaxed.

"You look exhausted dobe," Sasuke stated, as he observed his friend in amusement.

Naruto shuddered at the sound of Sasuke's voice and his eyes popped open in dawning horror. He and the Uchiha were in a hot spring ... naked ... where he couldn't hide his reaction to his friend. Naruto flipped around and hugged the lip of the pool, propping his hands up to cradle his head so that his action wouldn't look suspicious to the Uchiha. Sasuke couldn't find out that the blond got an erection from just the sound of his voice. He would kill Naruto if he learned the truth, of that, the blond had no doubt.

"Or perhaps I was mistaken," Sasuke added in bemusement, unable to figure out why his seemingly innocent comment had caused such a reaction in his friend. There were so many changes in Naruto that it was hard to grasp what made him tick sometimes. He'd once believed that he knew exactly who Naruto was and understood him completely but now there were so many changes to him that he was learning new things about him constantly, and the more Sasuke learned of the blond, the more drawn to him he became.

"I was just thinking..." Naruto murmured quietly.

"About?" Sasuke asked, puzzled.

"The past. I was just thinking about the past, and how different the present is to what I once believed it would be," Naruto blurted out on the fly. He mentally patted himself on the back for coming up with this excuse since it was really a very good one. One he was actually curious about now that it was out there.

"Hn. I've had that on my mind as well."

Naruto turned and stared at the Uchiha in surprise.

"What? I'm not allowed to dwell on the past? Even I have regrets dobe. A great many of them, if truth be told," he murmured with a somber look in his eyes.

The blond sucked in a breath as he stared at the man next to him. Sasuke was confiding in him, something he'd never done before. He was not going to do anything that could ruin this moment.

"And what is it you regret the most?" Naruto asked quitely, hoping that he would receive an answer to this very important question.

Sasuke sighed. "I regret th-"

"Here you both are! I've been wondering where you disappeared to!" Yamato interrupted.

The blond growled at Yamato, completely frustrated at the interruption. Every damn time! Every time the blond got close to finding out something important about the Uchiha he was disrupted. It was disheartening.

At the appearance of Yamato, Naruto's erection withered as if it had never been. Naruto shot Yamato an irritated glare before pulling himself out of the hot spring. He grabbed his towel, wrapped it around his waist, and stomped inside.

Sasuke smiled as he watched the blond retreat. He knew that his friend was angry over Yamato's interruption but-perhaps it was for the best. Right now they had to focus on their mission, not on Sasuke's regrets. Or of his growing feelings for Naruto.

"Was it something I said?" Yamato inquired as he watched the blond stomp away from them.

Sasuke shook his head and gave the man an uncharacteristic smile. "We were just talking."

Yamato sighed as he settled into the hot spring. "I see. I suppose I understand why he's angry with me then."

Sasuke raised a brow.

"You were talking. You rarely talk to him. The fact that I disrupted the two of you is what made him angry," he stated, enlightening the young man before him.

Sasuke nodded. It was true that he didn't speak to Naruto much, but then, he rarely spoke to anyone. He wasn't a people person. Never had been, never would be.

Sasuke shot one last glance in the direction that the blond had gone before releasing a sigh. When this mission was over he and Naruto needed to sit down and talk. Until that time they both needed to focus on the mission.

Sasuke sank down further in the hot spring.

Edited: 6/22/2016