Notes: I'm back! WOW, that was a long absence. Sorry! I got onto a really, really big Disgaea and Kingdom Hearts II kick (I love Roxaaaaaaaas). But I'm back! Be aware that this chapter will be a little strange, because I wrote half of it before my temporary hiatus, and half of it yesterday. XD

6

One of his cold hands pushed up the black shirt and caressed one hardened nipple, evicting a startled yelp from the blond and making the dark-haired Anbu smirk.

"Sa-Sasuke!"

Riding up the cloth, the Uchiha lowered his lips from Naruto's quivering ones and latched them onto his chest, slipping the flat of his tongue across the smooth, light-skinned muscles and chuckling as his partner's protests fell to stuttering moans.

"Don't talk," he said. "Just enjoy it."

Uzumaki Naruto flinched at the rush of hot breath that glided across his wet skin. He tried feebly to push the other man off with his hands but they fell uselessly into his thick, silken hair and onto his bare, scarred shoulders. Naruto let his hands settle there as Sasuke's tongue danced across his torso and let himself be taken, his usually sharp blue eyes unfocusing. Scars… He traced the ghost markings unconsciously, making Sasuke shiver pleasurably but not really noticing. I caused some of these. Some of my decisions cause Sasuke to get these. My decisions don't just affect me and my teammates anymore…they affect an entire nation.

An entire nation. The Lightning Nation was falling apart because their leader simply refused to heed the masses. The Sand Nation had almost fallen into chaos because their leader had extended a hand of friendship to an enemy. So powerful, was the influence of a kage. How scary. He began to shiver with the thought of it and Sasuke's arms came around his body and held him tight. His embrace was surprisingly warm, which the blond found slightly surprising. But he had to give Sasuke credit—he'd made huge changes to himself ever since the marriage and the children. I've made changes too, haven't I? he wondered.

"What's wrong, Naruto?" Sasuke asked him. The blond looked up into his lover's face and actually tried to seek the answers there. Sasuke's eyes were concerned (and still hazed over with a little bit of lust) as he gazed back, a puzzled frown marring his usually calm face. Naruto's anxiety welled up inside of him, like a bubble of worry and indecision that was threatening to explode at any minute. He willed himself not to cry, he couldn't cry, not in front of Sasuke… If I can't cry in front of him, who can I trust?

"I… Sasuke, I…" he gulped, trying to force it out. He tried to tell him, he really did try, but the words got lost from his brain to his lips and the tears were getting bigger and burning and dangling from his eyelashes, blurring his vision, heating his cheeks and neck. He opted instead to simply tighten his arms around the other man's shoulders and bury his hot face into the curve of his cool neck, his own shoulders shaking up and down. He felt Sasuke's confusion and wished he could clear it up with an explanation, but nothing would come and he felt so terrible. He fought hard with his tears, but when the first ones did fall, Sasuke didn't criticize him or pull away in disgust, but simply held him tighter and began stroking his hair back from his wet face with one gentle hand.

"It's okay," he whispered against Naruto's ear. "Shh, it's okay." He said this over and over again, despite being naked from the waist up, despite what had been interrupted by Naruto's wandering thoughts, despite the moment of absolute weakness. The kindness made the blond cry harder.

When his fit had subsided, Naruto lay quietly in Sasuke's arms, his eyelids halfway closed. Sasuke held the other man, looking like he wanted to ask about what had happened but not wanting to bring it up if it would make the blond uncomfortable. So, he waited.

"I…want to help the Raikage," Naruto said.

"Mm," Sasuke made a non-committal noise.

"I was thinking…of going myself."

"Why you?" he asked, not angry or exasperated, just curious.

"I don't…want to put anyone else in danger," he said.

"Who will run the country while you're gone?"

"Tsunande baa-chan, most likely."

"Mm," he made the same reserved sound.

"Sasuke…?"

"Hm?" he idly ran a few fingers through the blond strands atop the man's head.

"…if I asked you to come…"

"I already told you before, Naruto," he didn't let the other man finish. "I'm going to be with you for as long as I live. I'm going to protect you, and the country that you love so much." He kissed the top of the blonde's head. "Even if all the nations turn on us and we stand alone in an onslaught of hatred, I will always stand by you."

"When did you get to be so eloquent?" Naruto blushed and buried his face against the raven-haired man's smooth bare chest.

"When did you learn to use a word like 'eloquent'?" Sasuke grinned and planted another affectionate kiss on his blond hair.

"Shut up," he blushed harder, tightening his hug.

They remained silent for a few moments, each of them contemplating what had just passed between them.

"When?" Sasuke finally asked.

"After the Chunin Exams," Naruto replied as if he had made this decision months ago. Sasuke nodded. Naruto thought for a moment: "What about Hana and Haku?" he frowned.

"I've discussed this with them before," he shook his head. "They know I go out on dangerous missions."

"…What if something happens?" the blond squirmed uncomfortably. "How could I face them if…?"

"Naruto," he sighed, "don't be ridiculous."

"Sasuke," the blond frowned. "You're not invincible."

The Anbu looked down at the Hokage, a slightly condescending look twisting his lips into a proud sneer. "What are you talking about?" he said in a haughty voice that suddenly flung Naruto back into the past—where he was twelve and Sasuke was twelve kinds of bastard—"I am invincible, dobe," he scoffed, flicking his hair out of his narrow eyes arrogantly. Naruto stared in amazement at his companion, then started laughing.

When he slid the door open he was greeted by a surprising sight. His young daughter, Hana, lay curled up in her bed sheets on the entrance step, asleep. Kicking off his shoes quietly, he crouched down and slid his arms beneath her tiny form, lifting her up against him sheets and all. She stirred, wrinkled her face up in the most adorable manner (it made Sasuke's heart swell) and slowly opened her eyes.

"Mm…mie, wanna wait for da…" she yawned hugely and snuggled deeper into his chest, closing her eyes again. He wasn't aware of it, but Sasuke's face broke out into a radiant smile, directed down tenderly at his sleeping daughter. It was the first admiring stare he had ever given anyone since his childhood and his brother, Itachi. No one was there to witness it, but in her sleep, Hana smiled back at him.

No sooner had Uzumaki Naruto fallen asleep than he was awake again, sweating and shaking and clutching at the bed sheets as if he had been having a nightmare but he couldn't recall what it was. He looked around his room blearily, trying to summon it to mind; had it had something to do with the past? The kyuubi? No, the only thing he could remember was the feel of Sasuke's warm and comforting arms around him, his soothing voice and gentle fingers assuring him that everything would be fine, just fine.

…fingers, dripping with dark crimson blood, trembled, reached for his cheek…

He shook his head, trying to clear his mind. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and his bare feet touched the cold hardwood floor.

…his feet were planted in the dirt, he couldn't move, couldn't run, couldn't stop it…

Stop what? What had that dream (nightmare) been about? It was unsettling for some reason, even though Naruto never really dwelt on dreams he couldn't remember. It gnawed at him as he showered and dressed, as he locked the door to his apartment and headed for the square. What was it that I dreamt? Did it have to do with—?

"Good morning, Hokage-sama!"

"Ah," he looked down at the four children swarming him. "Good morning," he smiled.

"Is it true that Hana-chan and Haku-chan fought two genin?" a small, short brown-haired girl peered up at him with her school books clutched to her chest.

"I heard that Hokage-sama protected them from a lightning jitsu!" a wild black-haired boy that reminded him strongly of Inuzuka Kiba at that age waved his arms excitedly over his head.

"Really, Hokage-sama?" the third—another girl with a sky blue braid—gave him large eyes of admiration. "I wish I could be protected by Hokage-sama like that!"

"What are you talking about, Yuri-chan?" the last girl (curly red hair and freckles) "The Hokage-sama does protect us! He's so powerful, he even protects other kages!"

"Now, now," Naruto laughed and tried to urge them to calm down, smiling nervously. "That's not quite…"

"The Hokage will always protect the village!" the only boy—the Kiba look-alike—rolled his eyes. "That's his job!"

"Nuh-uh!" the red-head leapt to counter him vehemently. "The Hokage does it because he's made of awesome!"

Naruto took a mental step back. Made of awesome? His lips curled in amusement.

"You are so awesome, Hokage-sama!" the blue-haired girl affirmed with a shy nod.

"And you're powerful too!" the boy agreed.

"And so kind," the brown-haired girl with the books nodded.

"And totally handsome!" the red-head flashed him a cheeky grin.

Naruto could only blink at the children as they waved at him and ran toward the school, still chattering. He waved back, both amused and preoccupied. Made of awesome, huh? The smile stayed as he walked into the shade of the Hokage's Tower, the nightmare from earlier completely forgotten in the onslaught of thoughts the children had stirred within him.

He stuck his head inside the room and glanced around. Something quivered beneath the covers. He padded across the room—pre-dawn bars of light striped across the wood panel floor—and pulled back the comforter. Her little black head burrowed deeper into the darkness of the sheets and after half a moment of consideration, he climbed into the bed with her. He pulled the sheets over his head and immersed himself in her darkness, one of his little hands searching for her. He felt her hot, wet cheek and then she cringed away. He curled in deeper, reaching for her.

"Hana," he whispered to her. "What's wrong, Hana?"

She mumbled something in a tear-choked whimper that sounded like 'it's nothing', but he knew it wasn't nothing because her pure terror had woken him from his own slumber and summoned him here. He finally found her fragile, shaking shoulders and pulled her into him, inhaling her sweat, kissing her damp scalp.

"What did you dream of, Hana?" he asked, already knowing it had been a nightmare, just as she had known he'd had the nightmare about the blond woman with the bright eyes. She couldn't voice it, though. He waited, sending soothing vibes into her through him, trying to calm her enough to talk. She fought with a few sniffles, and then…

"I dreamt…" she took in a deep, shuddering breath, "…that Daddy died."