Naruto still shaking with laughter got up grabbing a burp cloth on the counter and used it to clean Sasuke's hair.

"Maybe we should give it up for now." He says a bit breathless.

"Has he been fussy all day?" Sasuke asks taking the cloth from his blonde's hands and wiping his face. Naruto slumps against the table again.

"I don't know what's eating him! He woke up early and refused to nap all day then I took him out to play and try and tire him out but he kept getting into everything! He finally fell asleep as I rocked him but if I tried to put him down he'd cry and cry. I thought he might be hungry again but…" He gestured to the fussy little boy with a blush across his cheeks slapping around baby food and ramen broth.

"Naru did you sleep at all today?" Naruto shot him a guilty look and shook his head. Naruto slunk from where he was leaning and wriggled onto Sasuke's lap resting his head underneath the raven's chin.

"I'm alright. Really it's just another sleepy Tuesday evening for the Uzumaki-Uchiha okay?" Naruto closed his eyes. He really was tired, had been all day with the munchkin on his hip. He felt the easy breathing of Sasuke as he attempted to wipe off Koichi's hands and his booster seat's table. The sound of Koichi gurgling in slight discontent while blowing small bubbles with his saliva graced his ears. He smiled softly when Sasuke spoke softly to the chibi urging him to try and eat again. Soon his shoulder was being gently jostled.

"Naru? Are you awake?" Sasuke was whispering. Naruto's eyelids fluttered.

"S'uke?" came a garbled reply. An amused chuckle resounded in the raven's chest.

"Naruto you are exhausted. It's alright, go to bed." The blonde snuggled in closer to Sasuke.

"Family time…you are always…" he yawns slumping even more into the body supporting him, "missions…all of us…together….so no bed Sasuke." Sasuke sighed above him. They were quiet for a few minutes. Sasuke finally convinced Koichi eating was a good idea and Naruto could feel himself falling asleep. He wriggled.

"What are you doing dobe?" Sasuke sounded amused.

"Trying to stay awake." Sasuke shook his head and started to hum a lullaby the two often used on Koichi when the babe would wake in the middle of the night. Koichi cooed softly. A yawn was emitted by the ball of sunshine in the raven's lap.

"You're not helping teme…" came Naruto's sleep filled voice. Sasuke smiles and continues to hum until he feels the slow even breathing of his dobe against his own chest. Silently he stands carrying the blonde bridal style to the couch, covering him with a burnt orange blanket. Sasuke looks down at Naruto, there are dark circles under his eyes and he looks exhausted. Sasuke sighs brushing a hand through his hair. A soft coo echoes in the kitchen and Sasuke returns to his son. Koichi reaches his hands up asking to be lifted into his father's arms. Sasuke obliges after wiping down the high chair one more time. Quietly he sits on the floor with a blanket and some toys for Koichi to play with. Naruto sleeps on silently laying in the same position Sasuke had left him in. His lack of movement was a sign of how exhausted he really was. Koichi giggles softly and Sasuke smiles down at the babe he holds up in a sitting position with one hand. The three sit in soft silence for a while. Koichi chewing the edge of the blanket hanging off the couch, Naruto sleeping, and Sasuke watching with warmth the family he'd manage to find. His thoughts drift to his older brother.

"Aniki," He whispers softly, "would you be proud of me now?" It's then Sasuke hears a soft moan. He glances in the dobe's direction. His face is scrunched up as if in a nightmare. Sasuke pets the soft locks hoping to calm the blonde without having to wake him. Soon it gets late enough to pick up a dozing Koichi and put him in his crib beside his and Naruto's king size bed. Then out he goes to carry in his sunshine. Once he removes Naruto from the couch he carries him chuckling lightly into the bedroom. With a smirk he undresses him and puts pajamas on him before tucking him in. Next Sasuke changes for bed. He peeks into a carefully concealed corner of his sock drawer where a small box is hidden. Smiling he closes the drawer and goes to bed.

"Aw famous Uchiha hospitality!" Kakashi stated leaning on the doorway smelling the freshly brewed pot of coffee and spotting the bowl of plump red tomatoes on the table. Sasuke turned to glare at his sensei. They had agreed Kakashi needed to come over early that morning to discuss Sasuke's new mission but that didn't mean Sasuke had to greet the morning or that masked man either with a smile. The cooing early bird in his high chair reaching out for his morning juice however was worth at least a grin. Sasuke quickly pulled out a premade bottle of tomato juice from the fridge and handed it to Koichi. Sitting in the seat beside him and holding up the bottle for his still weak little arms.

"Here you go." He says softly watching the boy chug.

"Wow he definitely is your son Sasuke." Kakashi chuckles. Sasuke rolls his eyes.

"Go ahead a grab some coffee Kakashi." Koichi makes short work of his bottle before deciding to chew on his bib.

"I thought you said he was being a fussy lil monster?" The masked ninja sat stretched out across the table from his ex-student. He hadn't eased into being around Sasuke all that much but his adorable nephew made it so he wanted to try. After all the kid was over at his and Sakura's place all the time.

"He was. He's just trying to be a flirt for his uncle." Sasuke blew a lock of his bangs out of his eyes in a huff. "He was crying most of the night. Naruto…he didn't wake up once and he's still sleeping now."

"Isn't he usually up with the kid all the time? Maybe he's just tired. He always did over exert." Sasuke rubs at the bridge of his nose.

"He can't afford to over exert. I don't mean to cage him in but I want to…" He pauses sighing, "I want to make sure he's around to see your wedding, the drooling dog lover's wedding, and Koichi go to academy…our wedding." A tense silence fills the room before Kakashi decides he should speak. After all maybe Sasuke's old sensei still has a few pieces of wisdom to pass on yet.

"Sasuke, maybe Naruto could come with us on the mission. We won't be far from Suna. He and Koichi can stay there and visit with Gaara. You could also go there for retreat and reprieve after we are done. It might help being away from Konoha with its constant reminders, for both of you." Sasuke's face was priceless.

"Are you crazy?" He hissed so as not to yell and wake Naruto. "One we cannot guarantee both of their safeties outside of this village, two Naruto can't fight or even run the long distance and then with Koichi! Three at the end of this I'll probably be a huge burden and Naruto will never want to have Gaara babysitting all of us!"

"Yes but we will have a large party with us who can ensure safety throughout the journey, you can pick the men Sasuke. Gaara will protect Naruto while we take care of business and who else can you trust with that responsibility ne? Suna is the perfect place for you both to heal." Sasuke is silent, his gaze on Koichi.

"Sasuke the execution of this mission is simple. We move in drop off your family, we go get the remains; I take them in a sealed scroll and drop you off at the hospital in Suna. Tsunade will come visit in three weeks from the return to mark you unfit for duty and then you take a well earned vacation. Just, well, trust us Sasuke." Still nothing. The masked ninja sighs pulling out a baggie with cheerios for Koichi to snack on. The silence stretches on before it is suddenly interrupted by a bloodcurdling scream from the bedroom.

Naruto was sitting in his mindscape. He hadn't been in this sewer way in a long time, Kyuubi must be gaining energy. The thought made him smile. He got up slowly he still felt very tired. Hadn't he fallen asleep on Sasuke's lap? Tch that teme singing him to sleep! Suddenly he was before the wide gates, something however was wrong. Instead of the orange chakra leaking from between the bars, a black mist was floating towards Naruto.

"Ky...Kyuubi!" Naruto takes a step back in his mind a bit unnerved. "Kyuubi?" The mist was racing at him now covering his limbs making his body feel heavy. Suddenly he could see the blood red eyes of his demon.

"Kit! No!" Then everything went black as the mist totally covered him. He opened his eyes in a shadowed place. He felt as if he were floating.

"Sasuke! Kyuubi!" His voice echoed. "Teme! Somebody answer me!" This time a low chuckle answered him.

"I wondered when we would get to talk little jinchururki."

"Who's there?" Naruto still couldn't see anything but formless shadows creeping around him. Suddenly from the dark came two blood crimson eyes sharingan emblems on the irises.

"Uchiha Madara at your service." Naruto could practically see the monster who'd destroyed his life perform a mocking bow in front of him.

"What...What do you want?" He was scared. He wanted to wake up. He wanted to touch his son and his boyfriend, know he was awake.

"I wanted to show you something."

"What is it?"

"This place! This is what it will be like when I suck the Kyuubi from your body, from the seal. You won't move on. You'll be stuck here with the shadows. You my little Sasuke's ball of sunshine will become the darkness."

"That's not true!" Naruto couldn't live in a place like this alone, and cold. He just now could feel himself shivering. His lips must be blue by now. He shook his head. Wake up Naruto wake up! He told himself frantically.

"Hear that Jinchururki? It's the others, other monsters like you stripped of their demons, only empty husks to be thrown away! He could hear it now a loud ear shattering keening. It was breaking him down. He wanted to curl up in a ball but his body was like lead and couldn't move. A loud laugh brought his gaze back to Madara's eyes.

"Well I hope you enjoyed this glimpse of your future Jinchururki. I'll be seeing you and your quaint little family very soon." The eyes disappeared. Naruto couldn't breathe he couldn't move he felt like he was being smothered. The keening grew shriller closer. The shadows were going to take him, claim him for their own right now. Where was Sasuke, why wasn't he waking him from this nightmare. Suddenly a roar filled Naruto's ears and his vision swam with orange chakra. A scream ripped through his throat. He was awake.

Immediately Sasuke was standing, a shadow clone picking Koichi up to rock him. Without even a glance the two shinobi ran to the blonde. Sasuke burst open the door to see Naruto finish his scream. His eyes wide with terror. He was shivering uncontrollably. The wide blue eyes caught obsidian pupils before becoming half lidded. The blonde boy's body slumped forward starting to fall. Sasuke caught him before he fell from the bed. Naruto grasped onto Sasuke his grip like a vice on Sasuke's arms. He was hyperventilating. Kakashi moved to grab the oxygen machine in the closet, having put it upon a hyperventilating Naruto before, and moving with speed. Sasuke rocked his dobe shushing and cooing rubbing along his back soothingly.

"Naru, Naru it's okay. It was just a dream. I'm right here. You are okay."

"Ko...Ko...ichi." His voice was raspy from screaming and he coughed a bit.

"In the kitchen with a clone. He is fine, was flirting with his uncle a few minutes ago." A small smirk graced the blonde's features before tears welled up in the crystalline eyes. Pushing his face into Sasuke's chest Naruto bawls. Sasuke rocks him holding tight for as long as Naruto needs. Kakashi stood standby feeling as though he was intruding watching Sasuke rock Naruto who's sobs broke their old sensei's heart. After a few minutes Sasuke reached out an arm for the oxygen mask.

"Hey Naru let's take a breath okay, here breathe this in for me." Naruto weakly moved his head so the mask could be held in place over his mouth by Sasuke. He took a few deep breaths hiccupping a few times as his body relaxed.

"It wasn't a dream." Naruto whispered.

"Of course it was. See we are here we are fine." Kakashi smiled at his former student. He shook his head.

"No it…it was warning. Madara, he contacted me through the genjutsu on the Kyuubi. Kyuubi broke his hold on me otherwise…" he teared up again and Sasuke kissed them away "If he hadn't, Sasuke I don't think I would have woken up." Sobs broke out again. Sasuke's sharingan whirled as he rocked Naruto back and forth. Within instants Sasuke's face paled five shades. His grip on Naruto tightened. Kakashi looked startled. However, before he could ask what had just passed through his genius student's mind Sasuke's clone entered the room with a strangely silent Koichi. The clone quickly handed the babe off to Kakashi. A silent nod was exchanged between the two ravens and the clone poofed from the room.

"Sasuke, what's going on?" Kakashi asked quietly aware of the still heavily crying Naruto clinging to his former protégé.

"Madara is coming." Rasped Naruto once he got a breath. Sasuke kissed the crown of his head. Kakashi gently rocked the babe who gripped his vest tight. Kakashi held his nephew close.

"He sensed this." Sasuke spoke evenly, coldly. Kakashi looked at him with confusion. "The reason Koichi had been so fussy, he could sense the disturbance in Kyuubi's chakra in Naruto. That also explains why he was so clingy." Kakashi's heart rate sped as Naruto broke into fresh sobs once again.

"Sasuke we can't stay here. Madara is coming, he's going to take Koichi and you from me, then he's going to leave me there in that horrid limbo of shadows. I couldn't breathe. It was cold and I could feel them Sasuke! All the other Jinchururki he'd gotten his hands on wandering in madness there with only him for company." Shivers racked the blonde. Sasuke picked up the comforter on their bed wrapping it around them.

"Don't worry Naru we will be leaving soon for Suna. Gaara and the other sand siblings will protect you well while I retrieve Aniki." Naruto was silent except for a few sniffles before nodding.

"I'll ask Tsunade-sama to write to him instantly okay Naruto?" Kakashi let one of his hands alight on his bright haired student's head. A shaky breath rattled through the blondie.

"Okay." He whispered. "Can I see Koichi Sensei?" Sasuke opened his arms around Naruto and then Kakashi placed the infant on the still scared boy's lap. Koichi reached up a hand to his father's tear stained face. Naruto smiled a bit for his baby boy hiccupping a bit. Gently he pulled him close petting his little raven curls.

"I sent my clone for Neji, Kiba, Lee, Sai (he grumbled the artist's name), and Shikamaru. They will be accompanying us to Suna. You can pick a few to stay with you while I am gone alright. Kakashi could you ask Yamato-san to also accompany us I believe he just returned form an anbu mission correct?" Kakashi nodded.

Once Naruto had safely fallen into slumber once again with Koichi napping beside him Sasuke and Kakashi left the bedroom in order to meet those who Sasuke had asked to come to their home. They all arrived relatively quickly and relatively worried over Naruto. Sasuke sat them all down in his living room. Well, he thought, this will be the epitome of awkward.