Title: Mendokuse
Summary: Sasuke and Naruto's relationship has always been so troublesome. SasuNaru drabbles.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

~Protection~

"Kakashi-sensei? Why do we always have to do boring missions?" Naruto whined.

Kakashi took a deep breath. They were still two and a half days away from Suna but already the blond had managed to irritate everyone with his own personal version of 'are we there yet?'.

"I've told you already, Naruto, we do the missions we are assigned," Kakashi replied calmly.

Naruto puffed out his cheeks and pouted. "But whyyy?" He moaned.

"Shut up, baka!" Sakura finally snapped. She had tried to ignore the loud-mouthed blond ninja for the past hour but it was practically impossible.

Naruto's shoulders sagged. "Sorry, Sakura-chan," he muttered.

A few minutes of silence passed and Naruto was bored again. "Hey Sasuke-teme, I bet you can't beat me in a race..."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed at the challenge. "Want to bet on that, dobe?"

Kakashi shook his head in amusement as the two boys proceeded to race ahead. What was it about Naruto that caused the stoic Uchiha to act...childish?

"Is that as fast as you can go?" Naruto taunted as he took the lead.

Sasuke saw a flash of silver speeding towards the blond. "Naruto, look out!"

Naruto snorted. "Pft, as if i'd fall for that one, Sasu-" his eyes widened and his body crumpled to the floor. "-ke," he choked on the last syllable.

"Naruto!" Sasuke collapsed to his knees beside his friend. He looked at the wound, the shuriken had sliced his stomach, and exhaled shakily when he saw it wasn't serious.

Sasuke knew he considered Naruto to be a 'friend' now but why did his heart seem to stop completely the moment Naruto's body crumpled to the floor?

Cerulean blue eyes stared up at him questioningly. Sasuke could practically hear Naruto's mocking voice, 'Anyone would think you were worried about me, bastard'.

"What sort of a ninja doesn't notice a shuriken coming towards them?" Sasuke taunted. Naruto scowled and turned his head to the side.

Sasuke needed to get stronger, faster and better to avenge the death of his family.

Now he had another reason to get stronger, faster and better - to protect an important person, to protect Naruto.

Owari