I'm sorry! I know this chapter is very, very late. I got behind with school starting up and everything. But, on the other hand, it ended up longer than I intended, so that's a bonus. Also, just a note - I realized that I had made Danzo the DA in a previous chapter - though he was only mentioned in passing. I have since changed the DA to Homura - one of the Konoha advisors. Sorry about any confusion, but it's hard to keep track of these smaller characters sometimes.
Anyway, thank you all for your patience and for your reviews. I hope you enjoy this chapter! On we go!
24. Drinking My Vodka and Lime
Naruto awoke the next morning in a daze. Everything that had happened the night before, from his walk home with Sasuke to their fantastic make-out session seemed like a dream – a mere fantasy of the blond's and nothing more. Even when he realized that he was still lying naked in bed, his arms wrapped around Sasuke with a sheet barely draped over their bodies, Naruto insisted he was still in a dream. There was simply no way Sasuke Uchiha would have done what they did the night before, right?
Glancing over at the nightstand, Naruto was surprised to find his clock reading Saturday, September 25. It was 11:00 am. Suddenly, the blond realized that he might not have imagined the whole outing after all. Turning his head back on the pillow, Naruto gently pressed his face into the back of Sasuke's head and breathed in deeply.
I know that smell… it really is him! I can't be imagining that!
Of course, no sooner had Naruto reached this conclusion than he realized yet another pressing matter – he was lying naked in bed with his boyfriend. Something about the reality of this situation made Naruto freeze up, as if he didn't know what to do. He wanted to just maintain his embrace and fall back asleep, but there were other urges standing in the blond's way. Even though he closed his eyes and tried to count backwards, just ease himself back to sleep, Naruto found his mind wandering back to the naked teen in his arms.
Not that anyone could blame him, exactly. He was a teenage male with raging hormones, and as much as he wanted to lie with Sasuke and drift into eternity, he also wanted nothing more than to ravage him. Thus, though Naruto kept his eyes sealed and tried to think unsexy thoughts, the rest of his body seemed to act on its own. His arms caressed Sasuke's lithe frame, moving up and down the teen's arm from shoulder to wrist, while his nose took in more of the Uchiha's musk. Most problematic, though, was the blond's crotch, which was very much aware of its proximity to Sasuke's butt. Naturally, it was only a matter of time before Naruto found himself quite hard once again, and he soon gave up on getting back to sleep anytime soon.
Stupid sexy Sasuke…
Deciding that it was best to get up and remove himself from the temptation at hand, Naruto cautiously removed his arms from Sasuke and slipped out of bed, carefully covering his boyfriend with the sheets. Tiptoeing towards the door, Naruto placed his hand on the doorknob and hesitated. He glanced down at his prominent erection and turned towards the room. Soon, he found his discarded, red boxers lying in the corner, which he retrieved as quietly as possible.
Better at least put something on… just in case Kiba came home while we were asleep…
After slipping into his underwear, Naruto once again started for the door, which he cautiously opened, wincing with every creak of the hinges, and sealed shut just as delicately. Once on the other side, he almost instantly felt something wet and rubbery run along his toe. It only took a quick glance to find it was Akamaru, who was apparently quite eager for some company.
"Hey, little guy," Naruto whispered, picking the puppy up by the armpits. He cradled the white dog in his arm as he started towards the kitchen. "Let's get you some breakfast, huh?"
Akamaru yipped happily in response, causing Naruto to cringe. He paused, looking back over his shoulder at his bedroom, and waited for the worst. When Sasuke did not emerge wielding baseball bat, however, blond heaved a sigh of relief. Apparently Sasuke was a heavier sleeper than he remembered.
Thus, continuing with Akamaru to the kitchen, Naruto dug around in the cabinets for a bag of puppy chow, which he poured in the general area of the bowl. Naruto never bothered to be neat with the puppy's meals, since Akamaru tended to eat the little kibbles rolling along the ground before those actually in his dog dish. To him, it was food either way.
"There you go, Akamaru. Eat up," Naruto said with a yawn as he collapsed onto one of the nearby chairs. Naturally, the puppy barked happily and dug into its food, practically inhaling chunks of the kibble mountain with every bite. Naruto watched Akamaru go to work with amusement, amazed that such a tiny creature could eat so quickly.
I swear, it took Sasuke and I even longer to eat that one bowl of ramen between the two of us last night…
Suddenly, it occurred to the blond – he hadn't eaten anything since that bowl of ramen, which had hardly been filling itself. His stomach rumbled, causing Akamaru to back away cautiously. Naruto patted his trembling tummy and groaned.
"Hurry up, Kiba. How am I supposed to eat if you're not back to stock the fridge?"
Almost as if in response to the blond's question, there was a knock at the door, causing Naruto's mouth to curl up in a grin. He gently patted Akamaru's head and rose from his seat, saying, "That would be Kiba, right on cue."
With an excited Akamaru following at his heels, Naruto walked to the front door, hoping he could get there before a second knock. As soon as he arrived, the blond hastily undid the lock and threw open the door, eager for some form of sustenance. Gazing out the door in anticipation, however, Naruto's enthusiasm was almost immediately replaced by dread. Standing on the other side of the door was not Kiba at all. It was Iruka.
"Hey, Naruto! Did I wake you?" the man asked with an unusually wide smile, staring down at his son.
"N-no, not at all," Naruto replied, still too stunned by his dad's presence to process everything.
"Really? You always walk around like that, then?" Iruka laughed, indicating a bit further down the blond's body.
Naruto glanced down in confusion, only to realize that he was in just his underwear. Worse yet, his case of morning wood had not completely subsided, leaving him with a noticeable bulge in his boxers. He turned a shade of red that almost matched his shorts. "Oh, right – it's laundry day. Haven't quite finished yet."
"Well, why don't I help out? Might as well, since I'm here," Iruka continued, stepping into the apartment despite Naruto's stutterings. Akamaru was quick to try to climb up the man's leg, causing him to laugh and pick up the puppy. "And how are you, Akamaru? Haven't seen you in a while."
Lest any more passersby see him standing in the doorway in his underwear, Naruto shut the apartment door and turned toward Iruka bewilderment. "Dad… what are you doing here?"
"It's Parents' Weekend, of course. Besides, since when do I need a reason to visit my son, huh?" Iruka asked with a laugh as Akamaru greedily licked his face.
"You told me you couldn't make it this year. Something about Danzo forcing you to supervise detention. What happened to that?" Naruto asked, crossing his arms over his bare chest.
"Turns out he didn't need me after all," the man replied with a hint of bitterness as he set Akamaru back down on the ground. "And since I had the free time all of a sudden, I thought it would be nice to see how you're doing. Is that a crime?"
Naruto eyed Iruka suspiciously for a moment, trying to see through the man's bizarre grin. He knew that smile too well – it was the same one he used when trying to cover something up. Iruka was hiding something, and he didn't like it at all. Still, there wasn't much he could do at the moment – at least not until Iruka was willing to open up.
"You weren't kidding, Naruto. Just look at all of this dirty laundry lying around. It's a pig sty!" Iruka said, picking up what was quite clearly Sasuke's black shirt from the edge of the couch.
Naruto felt a surge of panic. "Wait, Dad! I can handle it, really!"
"Hey, it's my job to fuss over you, right? You just relax – watch some cartoons or something," the man replied with a dismissive wave of his hand, adding Naruto's own discarded shirt to the growing pile in his arms.
While Naruto tried in vain to dissuade his father from tidying up any further, Iruka simply continued down the hallway towards the blond's room, picking up articles of clothing as he went. With every piece of clothing added to the pile, Naruto felt his heart sink even further.
Why didn't I pick these up when I had the chance? There go my socks – I don't even remember taking them off… Shit! Not Sasuke's shorts!
Holding the Uchiha's black shorts in one hand, with a full pile cradled in his other arm, Iruka stood before Naruto's bedroom door. The blond's heart was racing – he knew perfectly well what was on the other side. Iruka seemed to sense his son's anxiety, however, and turned to the teen with a soft smile.
"No need to be so nervous, Naruto. Whatever you're hiding in here can't be that bad, right?" Iruka chuckled, causing the blond to fidget awkwardly. "Besides, if it's anything like your room back home, I think I know what to expect."
If only you knew…
With a loud creak, Iruka pushed the door open, sending it flying into the doorstop with a thud. Naruto's eyes immediately darted to his bed, where he found Sasuke still fast asleep, the sheets still draped over his body. By contrast, Iruka's attention was fixed entirely on the clutter lying around the room, and he seemed completely oblivious to the teen in the middle of his son's bed.
"Naruto! I know you don't like tidying up, but you could at least try to pick things up every once in a while. I'm amazed you can find anything in here!" Iruka exclaimed, picking up a wrinkled pair of shorts from the ground. "Do you honestly wait until the last minute to do your laundry or something?"
"Well… it's easier to do a few big loads. And cheaper," Naruto admitted, scratching the back of his head as Iruka made his way through the forest of discarded clothes and papers.
"Hmm… I'm not going to be able to carry this. Go grab a laundry basket, will you? Oh, wait, never mind. Here it is," Iruka said, plucking a jacket from the aforementioned bin in the corner. He proceeded to dump his collection of clothing into the basket before picking it up with a grunt. "In all seriousness, though – how were you planning on doing your laundry if all your clothes are dirty, anyway? Isn't the laundry room all the way downstairs?"
"I guess I hadn't thought about that…"
The frantic man rolled his eyes and set the nearly full basket down on the floor before tossing in a few discarded pairs of boxers. He then turned his attention to the bed, where he seemed to notice Sasuke for the first time. "Oh! I didn't know you had a friend here."
"Yeah, he stayed over last night – I couldn't just send him home in the rain, right?" Naruto said, pulling out a reasonable excuse from nowhere.
"Well that was nice of you," Iruka replied as he placed a hand to his chin. "Now, let me guess… this must be Sasuke, right?"
Naruto blinked. "H-how did you know?"
"You were talking to him the other night on the phone, right? Call it a hunch," the man said, a sneaky grin crossing his lips. "What do you say we wake him up? I'd like to wash these sheets while I'm at it, anyway."
The vulpine boy felt his blood run cold. "Wait, Dad! Don't!"
Unfortunately, he was too late. With a single tug, Iruka yanked the covers off Sasuke, revealing him in all his glory. Naruto blushed profusely, while Iruka simply stared, clearly taken aback by the sight of the naked teen.
"He… sleeps in the nude," Naruto explained, placing a hand over his burning face.
"I see," Iruka replied, biting his lip awkwardly.
Meanwhile, on the bed, Sasuke shivered briefly as his body was exposed to the cool, morning air. He reached around blindly for a sheet to cover himself before rolling onto his back. Naruto blushed even harder at his boyfriend's new position.
"Mmm… Naruto?" the Uchiha murmured with a smile, his eyes still sealed shut. When there was no response, he cracked one eye open, only to find Iruka staring back at him. Suddenly, he was very much awake.
"Who the hell are you?" Sasuke exclaimed, scrambling back until he was pressed against the headboard. His eyes were wide with momentary panic, and his legs were primed to kick, should he need to defend himself.
Naruto quickly stepped forward, waving his arms apologetically. "Sasuke! Calm down, it's okay! This is my dad… Iruka."
Sasuke looked back and forth between father and son, trying to piece it all together in his morning daze. When it finally sunk in, however, he simply nodded, watching the stranger curiously.
Iruka waved and smiled sheepishly. "Nice to meet you, Sasuke. Sorry to wake you… well, like this."
"Like what?" Sasuke asked, still somewhat confused from his sudden awakening. It was then that he noticed Naruto's blush, at which point he glanced down to find he was still quite naked. He quickly covered his crotch with his hands.
Iruka coughed uncomfortably and averted his gaze. "Ahem, like I was saying – sorry to wake you like this. I didn't realize you were… well, you know."
Sasuke made no response, but instead shuffled awkwardly to the side of the bed, keeping one hand on the goods at all time. After hopping down to the floor, he marched up to Iruka with determination, his face quite reddened. Soon, he was standing mere inches from the man and, shooting him an icy glare, snatched the pair of black boxerbriefs from the laundry basket. Without another word, he then stormed out of the room, giving both Naruto and Iruka a glimpse of his bare backside before disappearing around the corner.
"He's not exactly a morning person," Naruto explained with a weak smile. "I think he'd prefer to meet new people when he's dressed, too."
"It's all right… I shouldn't have yanked the covers off to begin with," the man responded shamefacedly. "I'll go take care of this laundry, then. Maybe he'll calm down by the time I get back."
Naruto seized the opportunity and grabbed Iruka by the wrist, practically dragging him out of the room. "Great idea! I'll try talking to him, and then I can properly introduce the two of you. Sound good? Great! No time to argue – just go, go, go!"
Completely ignoring Iruka's protests, Naruto ushered his dad out the door and slammed the door shut with a sigh. Leaning against the door, he wiped some of the nervous sweat from his brow, trying to think of some way out of his current predicament.
Why'd he have to pick today to show up? Now what am I supposed to do? Sasuke's clothes were in that basket – it'll be at least an hour before they're done. Wait – I'll just loan him some of my clothes! Iruka'll never know the difference!
With that, Naruto raised his head and pushed himself away from the door, ready to go scrounge around in his room for some clothes. Before he could get far, however, he was greeted by very angry Sasuke, now at least partially clothed in his underwear, standing with his arms crossed in front of the hallway. Naruto gulped.
"M-morning, Sasuke. Sleep well?" the blond said with a half-smile.
Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "Why didn't you tell me he was going to be here?" he snarled.
"I didn't know! I swear!" Naruto said, waving his hands defensively. "You honestly think I would've answered the door like this if I knew?"
"I wouldn't put it past you," Sasuke sighed, shaking his head in frustration. "You could've at least stopped him from coming in your room, you know. I didn't want to meet your dad for the first time in my birthday suit."
"Believe me, I tried. But I was afraid if I made too big a deal out of it, he'd only get suspicious. Right now, all he knows is that your name is Sasuke, you're a friend of mine, and you have a habit of sleeping naked. Nothing more," Naruto said reassuringly, partially to ease Sasuke's fears, but mostly to assuage his own.
Sasuke appeared somewhat relieve, his eyes losing some of their iciness as he took a deep breath. "Even if that's the case, Naruto, just think of what could've happened if you hadn't been up. What if Kiba was here to let him in? What if he saw us… together?"
Naruto's eyes widened. "I hadn't thought of that."
"Exactly! You're sure you had no idea he was coming? He didn't say anything on the phone the other day and you just forgot…"
"No! That's what's so strange about it, Sasuke. He specifically told me he couldn't make it for Parents' Weekend. If I'd known… I would've been more careful," Naruto concluded, looking noticeably hurt over his boyfriend's mistrust. Sasuke seemed to notice this, however, and soon his anger melted away completely.
"Well, all right then. I guess there was nothing you could do about it," the Uchiha conceded. "So, what happened to the rest of my clothes? Did you put them somewhere, or what?"
"That's the thing," Naruto began sheepishly, fearing his boyfriend's inevitable wrath. "When Iruka came in this morning and saw me in my boxers, I had to come up with an excuse on the fly, so I told him it was laundry day and that the rest of my clothes were dirty. He decided to help out… and started gathering all the clothes he saw."
"Tell me you stopped him from taking mine," Sasuke interrupted, though the guilt in Naruto's eyes was enough of an answer for him. "What the hell, Naruto! Why didn't you say something?"
"It all happened so fast! Besides, how would it look if I told him your clothes were lying in the middle of the hallway! It's already suspicious enough that you're lying naked in my bed, you know," Naruto argued with his usual stubbornness.
"But now what are we supposed to do? You don't expect me to walk home like this, do you?" Sasuke asked in exasperation, snapping the waistband of his boxerbriefs.
"It's okay, Sasuke – I've got it all figured out. I only told Iruka that all my clothes were dirty. He just took my word for it. We'll just get you a new outfit out of my dresser."
"Well, why didn't you say so in the first place?" Sasuke replied with a relieved laugh. "Let's go. Maybe once I'm decent you can properly introduce me to your dad."
Naruto nodded and, filled with relief, started down the hallway, his boyfriend following close behind. He'd been afraid that Sasuke would still be furious with him, but it appeared the Uchiha was taking the whole situation rather well. Yes, it had been a humiliating couple of minutes for everyone involved, but it was over now. All they needed to do was grab some pants, have a little chat with Iruka, and go on their merry way.
With a cheeky smile, Naruto glanced at the Uchiha as they walked towards the bedroom, "So, I couldn't help but notice you were whispering my name when you woke up this morning. Were you having one of those dreams?"
"Don't push your luck, Naruto," Sasuke replied, struggling not to look embarrassed. "It's not like you're completely innocent yourself, you know. Something kept poking me all night, and I'll bet you anything I know what it was."
Naruto laughed and leaned in close to the raven-haired teen. "Oh, come on. You liked it and you know it."
"Yeah, you know me. Nothing pleases me more than feeling your hard on rubbing up against me all night," Sasuke said, rolling his eyes. "I was worried I'd have to take you to the hospital after a few hours…"
"Hey, I can't help it if the little guy has stamina, all right?" Naruto responded with a shrug though his face reddened slightly. "Besides, if you were focusing on it for hours, then something tells me you enjoyed it even more than I did."
"W-what else could I do?" Sasuke stammered, looking quite embarrassed at being caught. "You practically had a death grip on me the whole night."
"You could've tried to swat it away, or something," Naruto argued as he pushed the door open to his room.
"Are you kidding? After last night, I was afraid I'd set you off again."
Naruto flushed and turned his head to the side with a humph. "It's not like you lasted much longer!"
Sasuke closed his eyes, a smile crossing his lips. "Hmm… I guess you're right about that one."
"I know I am," Naruto said, pounding his bare chest with his fist. "It can't be helped, you know? We're two horny teens in love – what do you expect?"
"What do I expect?" Sasuke said, stepping up beside Naruto as they approached the teen's dresser. "Well, for starters, I expect to be able to sleep over here without having your dad see me naked."
Naruto glanced at his boyfriend, only to find the Uchiha smiling softly. He returned it with a grin of his own before throwing open the dresser drawer. "Fair enough. Will some spare clothes do for now?"
Sasuke paused momentarily, his smile fading to a look of annoyance. "They would if you had them."
Raising his eyebrow quizzically, Naruto stared down at the drawer in shock. As the Uchiha said, it was completely empty save for some dust. In a panic, the blond yanked open the other drawers in his dresser, only to find a single sock and a tattered undershirt. He held the sock up in dismay. "I guess I really did need to do my laundry today…"
"What do we do now, Naruto?" Sasuke asked, his eye twitching in irritation.
"Calm down, calm down – I've got it all under control. I'm sure Kiba has some spare clothes in his room. We'll just head over there and look, all right?"
Sasuke shook his head and followed the vulpine boy out the door, muttering to himself as he entered the hallway. "So help me, Naruto…"
Pushing open Kiba's door, Naruto stormed inside, hurriedly scanning the vacant room for some clothes. Naturally, there were numerous sweaty shirts lying around from track practice, along with a couple of magazines sticking out from beneath the dog-boy's bed, but otherwise the floor was relatively clean. Deciding to simplify his search, Naruto headed straight for the dresser, where he again tore into the drawers.
"Okay, looks like we're in luck," Naruto said in relief, tossing a pair of shorts over his shoulder. "We'll just borrow these for today – Kiba'll understand."
Sasuke caught the shorts coolly in midair, only to have a t-shirt smack him right in the face. He pulled it off, eyeing his boyfriend in annoyance. "Naruto, it just occurred to me – where did you say Kiba was last night?"
"Track practice. Why do you ask?" Naruto asked, holding a borrowed pair of shorts in his hand.
"And… I assume he came home afterwards, right?"
"Nope – he was going to stay with Lee last night. I asked him if we could have the apartment to ourselves."
Sasuke looked positively shocked. "Wait… so he knows?"
"Of course not," the blond said coyly, shooting the Uchiha a grin over his shoulder. "I'm sure he has his suspicions, though."
Suddenly, Naruto saw it. Standing in the doorway just behind Sasuke was a familiar boy with brown hair and red, fang-like marks on his cheeks, with Akamaru standing patiently by his side. The blond smiled sheepishly. "I'm guessing those suspicions were just confirmed, too."
Sasuke spun around, only to find himself standing face to face with Kiba, whose surprise was slowly shifting to amusement. Flashing his usual cocky smirk, the dog-boy stepped forward, eyeing the nearly naked pair with exaggerated interest.
"Well, well… what have we here? Naruto and Sasuke, caught with their pants down…"
"Now's not the time Kiba," Sasuke warned as he hastily pulled his shirt on.
"I'll explain later, okay? Right now, we need to borrow some clothes though," Naruto interjected while pulling up his pilfered shorts. "I promise I'll return them later."
"Hey, it's fine by me," Kiba said nonchalantly. "You have to promise to tell me what exactly happened here, though. Deal?"
"I'll tell you what you need to know. How about that?" Naruto offered, now fully dressed.
"Fair enough. Now come on outside – my mom wants to see you while she's here," Kiba concluded as he turned to leave the room. "Oh, and your dad's here, too. We let him in."
Whew… dodged the bullet on that one. I don't know what we would've done if his mom had seen us. As if today wasn't awkward enough already…
With Kiba out of the room, Naruto turned towards Sasuke and grabbed the teen's hand, squeezing it gently. Sasuke snapped his head back towards his boyfriend, only to find Naruto's lips rushing towards him for a kiss. His eyes widened, but they soon closed shut as his evident edginess faded. Before he could savor the kiss any longer, however, Naruto backed out and gently touched the Uchiha's face with his index finger.
"Sorry, can't go any further for now," the blond said, tugging on his boyfriend's hand. "I know it's awkward, but just come out and talk with them for a few minutes. For me? Who knows, you might even enjoy it."
Sasuke wiped his lips briefly, removing the lingering wetness from Naruto's kiss. "That wasn't very fair, you know."
"Oh, believe me, I know. I'll pay you back for it later, though."
"You don't need to bribe me, you know," the Uchiha continued as he followed the blond out the door.
"It's not like I won't enjoy it myself," Naruto replied with a smirk, walking out into the hallway.
Before Sasuke could say another word, he and Naruto stepped into the living room, where they found Kiba and Iruka standing beside a rather frightening woman with wild hair and similar red fang marks on her cheeks. The woman waved to the two teens, calling out to them in a gruff voice.
"Hey, Naruto! You weren't planning on hiding from me, were you?" the woman exclaimed, rushing forward to embrace the boy tightly.
"Hi there, Mrs. Inuzuka," Naruto replied, his voice muffled by the woman's bosom. "Sasuke and I were just getting ready."
"I see, I was wondering who this stranger was," Kiba's mom said, eyeing the Uchiha curiously. She extended a hand, loosening her grip on Naruto enough for the blond to breathe. "A pleasure to meet you. I'm Tsume Inuzuka."
"Sasuke Uchiha," the raven-haired teen murmured, clasping the hand in kind.
"So, I take it you're a friend of Naruto's, then?" Tsume said, taking a step back towards her son.
"You could say that," Sasuke said cryptically, avoiding eye contact with the woman. "We only really met a few weeks ago."
"Well, you certainly seem to get along well enough. Kiba tells me you spent the night here, is that right?"
"Mom, I don't think we need to interrogate him, okay?" Kiba interrupted, placing a hand on his mother's shoulder. Akamaru yipped in agreement by his feet. "Remember when you scared Dad off that time…?"
Almost instantly, Tsume shot the dog-boy a frosty glare, causing both him and Akamaru to cower in fear. With a nervous laugh, however, Iruka stepped forward and dispelled the tension. "I know, why don't we sit down and have some lunch? I think I saw some ingredients for sandwiches in those groceries you two bought – I can cook up some BLTs real quick."
"That sounds great!" Naruto exclaimed before Tsume could offer any protest. Kiba was also quick to join in, though he could only nod dumbly.
Realizing her sudden surge in temper, Tsume took a deep breath and smiled. "All right – I suppose I could have a bite to eat. I still want to hear more about the two of you, though," she said, indicating Kiba and Naruto with a nod of her head. "Don't think you're off the hook either, Sasuke."
Naruto bit his lip as the group moved into the kitchen. He knew how Tsume worked – she wouldn't stop asking questions until she was satisfied. If she suspected there was more to his and Sasuke's relationship than met the eye, she wouldn't keep it to herself.
This could be a disaster…
Glancing over at Sasuke, however, Naruto found he was almost eerily calm. For a moment the blond thought Sasuke might not have noticed the danger they were in, but he quickly shook the thought from his head. Sasuke wasn't that thick – even in the short time he knew the Uchiha, Naruto had figured out that much. The only explanation was that Sasuke had a plan, which left the blond with no choice but to put his trust in his boyfriend.
Sitting down at the dining room table, Naruto sat beside Sasuke, leaving an empty chair on his other side for Iruka, while Kiba sat between Tsume and the Uchiha. While Iruka began frying up some bacon and chopping lettuce, a thin smile crossed Tsume's lips. Naruto gulped.
"Now, where were we? Oh, I know – you were about to tell me how the two of you came to be friends," the woman said, leaning back in her chair as she eyed Naruto and Sasuke.
"Mom, don't embarrass me…"
"It's all right, Kiba," Sasuke interrupted, his eyes shut in concentration. "I think it's only fair that to tell her about us, don't you?"
"You see, Kiba? They have no problem talking about it with me. Stop making such a big deal of everything," Tsume teased with an exaggerated roll of her eyes. "Please, go on, Sasuke."
"Thank you," the Uchiha replied with a courteous nod. "To tell you the truth, Naruto and I bumped into each other on the first day of school. Literally."
There was a moment of awkward silence, during which Naruto stared stupidly at Sasuke. When the blond finally noticed the urging look in Sasuke's eyes, however, he sat up straight and resumed the tale.
"I-It's true – I wasn't paying attention and a plowed right into him," Naruto stuttered, unsure of what exactly Sasuke wanted him to say. "Gave him a bloody nose and everything."
"Needless to say, I wasn't too happy."
"I'd imagine not," Tsume added with a chuckle. "So, did you give him a bloody nose in return?"
"No, I just hurled a few insults before walking away. I didn't want to make a bigger deal out of it than it already was."
"But later that day, I went over to apologize to him," Naruto continued, feeling more confident in where this was going. "I felt really bad about what'd happened, but Sasuke wasn't quite ready to forgive me."
"I said some things I shouldn't have and kicked him out," Sasuke said shamefacedly.
"Oh, please – I'm sure it wasn't that bad," Tsume laughed, slapping her hand on the table. "We all say mean things when we're angry – nothing to get so worked up about."
"I said he was nothing but scum – the son of a murderer that no one wanted around. It was a low blow."
Tsume's smile shifted to a serious frown, her eyes narrowing. "I see. You brought up Kyuubi, then?"
"I regretted it almost immediately. Something about that had really struck a nerve with Naruto – he started crying before he could turn his back on me."
"I wasn't crying that much!" Naruto protested with a pout. "There was just something in my eyes…"
Sasuke's lip curled up in amusement. "Well, in any case, I wanted to apologize. I talked to Naruto the next day – well, I tried to at least. Your son's fist wanted to do some talking first, though."
"Good for you, Kiba!" Tsume exclaimed, ruffling her son's hair. He quickly swatted the hand away and blushed.
"I stepped in before he could do any real damage, though," Naruto chimed in. "I accepted his apology, but Sasuke wasn't satisfied. He wanted to pay me back with dinner, so we went to Ichiraku."
"Geez, kid – that must've cost you a fortune!" Tsume commented, her eyes widening in surprise.
"Oh, it did, but it was worth it. I felt much better after that," Sasuke replied, patting the wallet in his pocket. "Of course, I also thought for sure I'd never see Naruto again after that. Apparently Kakashi had other plans, though."
"And Kakashi's… your teacher, right?"
"Exactly – he had an assignment planned where the students would pair up, learn as much as they could about each other, and then write their life story from the other's perspective. Naturally, Naruto and I were paired up," Sasuke continued with a shrug of his shoulders.
"It wasn't exactly the smoothest week for us, trying to put together that project," Naruto said in amusement, throwing an arm over Sasuke's shoulder. "We had a pretty big fight on one occasion, and Sasuke ran off in a storm. When I saw him the next day, he was in the middle of a fight at the track meet. I stepped in to help."
"After that, we came back here to work on the report, and we've pretty much been friends ever since," Sasuke concluded, placing his hands on the table. "Once you've learned everything about a guy, it's hard not to grow at least somewhat closer to him, you know?"
Tsume eyed the two of them for a moment, taking in both what they had said, and everything that was being said in their eyes. When she finally did speak, it was just as Naruto feared. "You're hiding something."
Sasuke blanched. "What are you talking about? I just told you the whole story from start to finish!"
"Yeah, that's what you want me to think. I have a teenage son, Sasuke – I know how you boys work. You told me what you thought I wanted to hear, but there's something else going on that you're keeping secret. Now out with it!"
Neither boy knew what to do. They simply stared at each other, hoping the other would have a 'eureka' moment. Just when things seemed lost, however, a new voice entered the conversation, along with the aroma of cooked bacon.
"I think I can answer that, Tsume," Iruka piped up, setting down several BLTs on the table, along with glasses of milk. "You'll have to understand, Naruto and Sasuke were probably hoping to keep this a secret if at all possible, since it's a little embarrassing."
"Oh? Is that so?" Tsume asked, eyeing her BLT greedily. "And what's that?"
"Well, it's actually something that happened earlier this morning," Iruka resumed, taking a seat between Tsume and Naruto. "You see, last night, Sasuke was over here with Naruto when it started to pour. Of course, Naruto couldn't just send his friend home in the rain, so he offered to let Sasuke spend the night. Naturally, Sasuke agreed."
"Makes sense," the woman concluded before biting into the sandwich.
"When I arrived this morning, Naruto was collecting his clothes for laundry day. Apparently he was just letting the pile build up until he had nothing left to wear or something, because he was still wandering around in his boxers," Iruka said with a chuckle.
Kiba shot Naruto a skeptical look from across the table, causing the blond to turn a distinct shade of red. If there had been any doubt left in Kiba's mind as to what happened the night before, it had just been erased in an instant.
"Since I wanted to be helpful, I offered to help Naruto collect his laundry. So I went around the apartment and started throwing clothes in a laundry basket. When I got to Naruto's bedroom, I realized his sheets were probably getting dirty as well, so I decided to add them to the pile. The problem is I didn't realize Sasuke was still asleep beneath the covers. More importantly, I didn't realize Sasuke likes to sleep naked."
Tsume burst out laughing, sending small pieces of tomato flying to the center of the table. "Don't tell me you got an eyeful, Iruka?"
"I felt terrible about it – I'm sure he was embarrassed about it," Iruka continued, turning his attention back to a now-red Sasuke. "Sorry about that, Sasuke. I knew she wouldn't get off your case until she heard about it, though."
"It's all right," Sasuke muttered as he bit into his BLT, almost as if he were trying to hide behind the sandwich.
"That's too funny," Tsume sighed, wiping up some of the spattered sandwich from the table with her napkin. "Sorry you got all embarrassed like that, but it happens to all of us sooner or later."
"Is that so?" the Uchiha replied with a tone of disinterest.
"It happened to me," Iruka admitted, after taking a sip of his milk. He wiped some of the residue off with his napkin before continuing. "It happened not too long after I adopted Naruto. He was only 6 at the time, and was going through that "no baths" phase."
"Oh, I remember that phase all-too well," Tsume groaned, glancing over at Kiba.
"Yes, it was quite a pain," Iruka sighed, shaking his head at the memory. "He'd come home from school covered in dirt from recess, but he absolutely refused to go upstairs and wash himself off. There were a few times I tried to just put him in the bath, but he'd always splash me back as retribution and get my clothes drenched. Eventually I just decided to take a bath with him, so I could at least keep him under control."
"You have far more patience than I do, Iruka. If it'd been me, Naruto would've been going off to his bath with a red butt every day," Tsume added before roaring in laughter once more.
"And that probably would've worked for you. I couldn't bring myself to do it, though," the man replied, sitting back in his chair. "But, anyway – there I am one day after school, trying to scrub Naruto down, when he wriggles out of my grasp and starts running for the door. I hop out of the bath and start running after him, knowing I can catch him if I don't give him too big of a head start. He scurries out into the living room and dives behind the couch, and I follow right after him. When he realizes there's nowhere left to hide, he runs out the door and, not thinking, I go right after him."
"Oh geez," Tsume groaned, placing a hand to her forehead.
"Exactly. He ran all the way downstairs before I finally caught him out on the front lawn of the apartment. Once I had him secured, it hit me – it was the middle of the day, and I was outside in nothing but my skin. I don't think I've ever run so fast before or since," Iruka chuckled before picking up his sandwich once more.
Once she had finished laughing herself, Tsume turned her attention back to Sasuke. "You see? That's what I'm talking about. Happens to everyone sooner or later."
"I suppose so," Sasuke responded, taking a sip of his milk.
"Hmm… so Naruto was a little nudist when he was a kid, too, huh?" Tsume asked, gesturing towards Iruka. "I can remember Kiba doing something like that when he was just a little guy. He'd like to play 'cowboy,' which usually involved riding around on Kuromaru in nothing but a cowboy hat."
"Mom! Don't talk about stuff like that!"
"Please, Kiba – I'm pretty sure we've seen you in more embarrassing situations lately," Naruto said with a sly smile. Kiba's eyes widened, until they looked almost pleading.
"Oh? What's this, Kiba? Have you been holding out on me?" Tsume asked, ruffling her son's hair playfully once again.
"No, it's nothing. Right, Naruto?" the dog-boy said through gritted teeth.
"Yes, you're right – what you had on was nothing," Naruto said, his grin widening. "You see, we were having a sleepover the other day, just so we could all have a good time watching movies and stuff, and Kiba decided to play a little game. When the pizza delivery woman arrived, he dared Shikamaru to answer the door in just his undies. It backfired, though, when Shikamaru dared Kiba to chase after the pizza girl with the tip in similar attire."
"Ha! Hope she hadn't gone far!" Tsume laughed, patting her son on the back.
"No, she hadn't. Just down to the parking lot, and no one saw me. So like I said, it was nothing," Kiba snapped, now blushing profusely.
"Hmm… okay, sure, whatever you say," Tsume said, turning her attention once more towards Sasuke. "How about you, Sasuke? You must have something else to contribute."
Sasuke considered this for a moment before a smile crossed his lips. "Well, sure. Why not? I have one. It was back when I was just a kid – probably five or six. I'd go to this island in the lake by our house. It wasn't a big place – the lake itself is tiny – but I'd paddle out there in our canoe and hang out on there. One of my favorite games to play was Tarzan, but I could never make a loincloth or anything, so I just ran around naked. That all stopped when I fell in a bunch of poison ivy – that was hard to explain."
The whole table erupted in laughter, causing Akamaru to start barking in confusion. Their laughter lasted for quite some time, with tears coming to their eyes as they tried to control their breathing. When it was all over, they wiped their eyes and sighed, letting only a few more giggles escape.
"See what I mean? It happens to all of us," Tsume concluded before finishing the remaining bites of her BLT.
"Yeah, you're probably right. As long as you can laugh about it afterwards, it's not a big deal," Sasuke agreed with a slight smile. "Still, I can't help but wish this morning had gone a bit more smoothly."
"I'm sure Iruka wishes the same, isn't that right?" Tsume asked, nudging the man beside her with her elbow. Iruka looked startled, shaking his head as he snapped out of his daze.
"What's that? Oh, yes – I guess it was a little uncomfortable for all of us. It's all behind us now, though, so we can just laugh about it and move on," Iruka replied with an awkward smile, causing Naruto to shoot him a curious look.
"Is everything all right, Dad? You've been acting funny all morning," the blond asked, setting his sandwich down on his plate.
"Yeah, now that he mentions it, I did think something was up. What's the story, Iruka?" Tsume asked, leaning in towards the man. "You know you can't hide anything from us, so just spill it."
"It's nothing, I promise," Iruka explained as he hastily rose from his seat. "I think Naruto's clothes should be washed by now – I'll go put them in the dryer."
With that, Iruka hurried out the door, leaving the others staring at one another in confusion. Upon hearing the door slam shut, Tsume glanced at Naruto, her eyes filled with concern.
"You think something's wrong, Naruto?"
"I'm not sure. There's no sense in forcing him to talk about it, though. He won't talk until he's ready," Naruto replied, trying to mask his own worry with nonchalance. "Just give him some time – he'll come around."
Sasuke leaned over and whispered into his boyfriend's ear, "Do you think he knows something?"
"I doubt it," the blond replied in a similarly hushed tone. "He seemed distracted when I talked to him this morning. My guess is he doesn't suspect a thing."
Relieved, Sasuke sat back in his chair and finished off his glass of milk. Several minutes later, Iruka returned with his forced smile and sat back at the table. Not another word was spoken about his unusual behavior – instead, they simply ate in silence, trying hard to ignore the elephant in the room.
Once the meals were finished, they all helped clear the table and wash the dishes while Iruka went to get the clothes from the dryer. When he returned, Naruto and Sasuke got changed, while Kiba and Tsume left to do some shopping. Sasuke left shortly afterwards, knowing he had things to do at home, leaving Naruto all alone with his dad. They sat down on the couch, not knowing what else to do, and sat quietly, glancing around the room uncomfortably. Finally, it was Iruka who broke the silence with a sigh.
"Naruto… there's something I have to tell you," Iruka began, averting his eyes from his son.
Oh boy… here it comes. I didn't think he'd open up this quickly…
"What is it, Dad?" Naruto asked, trying to sound as casual as possible. "New girlfriend?"
"I wish," the man chuckled, sitting hunched over with his hands on his knees. "I didn't want to talk about it while everyone else was here. I thought it might be easier this way."
"What's the matter with you, Dad? Out with it already!"
This can't be good…
"I said earlier that Danzo didn't need me to supervise detention after all… well that was only half true," Iruka admitted, his eyes watering. "The fact of the matter is he doesn't need me at all. I was fired."
Naruto pumped a fist victoriously. "What're you talking about? That's great! Nobody ever liked that wrinkly old bastard, anyway. Now you can find a job at another school – a better school!"
"I wish it were that simple, Naruto," Iruka replied, chuckling at the teen's enthusiasm. "But with the economy the way it is, it could be months before I find a job. Plus, the school year's already started – most places aren't hiring."
"Hmm… you're right, that sucks," Naruto said, crossing his arms and nodding his head in thought. "You could always try to find another job in the meantime, right?"
"Yes, I suppose I could – but most part time jobs won't give me the salary I need to support both myself and your schooling," Iruka continued in frustration. "What I'm trying to say is… you can't stay here at Konoha High. Not now, at least."
Suddenly, it clicked. In an instant, Naruto's tone changed from one of support to one of outrage. He leapt up onto the couch, towering over his father as he cried out, "WHAT? No! You can't be serious! This is a joke, right? You're just messing with me."
"I'm sorry, Naruto. You have to understand this is hard on me, too. I want you to get a good education, and I know you've made some good friends here," Iruka continued, visibly struggling to fight back tears. "I promise it's only for a little while… just until I find a new job…"
Naruto began to sputter, struggling to cope with the new situation. No more Konoha High? No more Kiba? And Shikamaru?
And Sasuke…?
"You're serious, aren't you?" the blond whispered, his eyes widening. "That's why you came here, isn't it? To take me away."
Iruka nodded solemnly. "I wish there was some other way, but I was counting on that paycheck to pay your tuition. Without it… well, there's just not enough. I've already called the school to ask them if we can get some sort of loan, but they said it's out of the question. Until I can find a job, they won't even consider helping us out."
It's all over, then… I'll have to leave Sasuke, after we've come so far. He'll probably move on… or forget about me. By the time I'm back, he'll have someone new. And all because that fucking Danzo is too cheap to keep one extra teacher on his payroll.
Naruto clenched his fist, tears rolling down his cheeks. He quickly wiped them away with his sleeve and sniffled. Once he felt the tears were dry, he simply glared at the man who had raised him as his father. "Iruka… I know this isn't you fault, but I don't want to speak to you right now. So, if you'll excuse me, I have some packing to do."
"I understand. I'll be back in the morning to talk about this some more, okay?" Iruka concluded, closing his eyes guiltily.
Naruto made no response, but instead walked off towards his room, struggling to keep his emotions in check. As soon as he had sealed the door shut, however, the blond collapsed on his bed, staring up at the ceiling in numb disbelief. He didn't feel angry or sad – just empty.
'Tis better to have loved and lost…
xxxxx
Late that night, Kakashi Hatake sat at the bar in a single's club of downtown Konoha, casually sipping on a glass of punch while watching the other patrons mingle. He had come with the intention of talking to someone knew, as Sasuke had suggested, but he was finding it was easier said than done. Sure, he had noticed more than a few people who weren't exactly unattractive, but Kakashi wasn't looking for a purely physical relationship. He wanted to find someone who he could connect with on a deeper level, and as far as the teacher could tell, not one of the patrons shared his feelings. They were all too busy feeling each other up and drowning their misery in booze to think of something like love.
"Need a refill, sir?"
Startled, Kakashi spun around in surprise to find the bartender staring at him with a raised eyebrow. "Pardon me?"
"I asked if you wanted a refill. You glass is about empty," the plump, balding man asked, pointing down at Kakashi's drink.
The silver-haired teacher examined the few drops of pink liquid at the bottom of the glass for a moment. "Sure – what the hey."
"You got it," the bartender replied, filling the glass back up with punch.
"Thanks," Kakashi murmured before taking a sip of the punch.
What am I doing here? I'm not ready for this yet…
Just as the teacher considered leaving, he heard the front door squeak open. Glancing over out of curiosity, Kakashi found a brunet with a long scar over his nose enter the building, his eyes showing the dullness of depression. He took a seat beside Kakashi at the bar, causing the bartender to sidle up to the newcomer.
"What'll it be, pal?"
"Vodka and lime, please," the man muttered, staring blankly at the polished wood before him.
"Coming right up," the bartender replied, taking a moment to mix the drink before sliding in front of the man. "Drink up."
Rather than make any sort of reply, the man simply took a long swig from the glass before setting it back down with a bang. He sighed.
"Rough day?" Kakashi asked, setting his own glass down on the bar.
"That's an understatement," the man spat, his eyes already reddish – though Kakashi wasn't sure whether that was from the booze.
"Want to talk about it?"
"If it gives you an idea, I pretty much ruined my son's life today," the man said, taking another drink of his vodka. "And the worst part is, it's completely beyond my control! I've never felt so helpless…"
"Well, what did you do to ruin your son's life, might I ask?" Kakashi pressed, turning towards the man. "If you don't mind me asking, that is."
Why do I care so much all of a sudden?
"He's a student here at Konoha High," the man continued, wiping his nose sloppily. "I sent him away here to make sure he gets a good education, but it hasn't been easy paying his tuition. Now that I've lost my job back home, though, there's no way he can stay here. I have to take him back to Mizu this weekend."
"You lost your job? Can you not find a new one, or something?"
"I'm a teacher – most of the jobs are already taken. They don't hire much once the school year starts," the man said with a faint smile. "Until then, all I can do is try to find a part time job to get by."
"Oh, believe me. I understand all-too well," Kakashi continued, downing the remainder of his punch. "I'm a teacher myself, actually. What do you teach?"
"English," the man muttered, glancing over at Kakashi.
"Same here. What grade?"
"Eighth grade, but I'm pretty flexible," the man replied with a hint of pride. "I once substituted for a high school course on Shakespeare. Managed to hold my own all right."
"So you're a middle school teacher," Kakashi murmured, rubbing his chin in thought. "You know, I think you might be in luck. One of our English teachers down at the middle school quit recently. Family issues, I guess. They've been looking for someone to take her place."
The man sat up straight in his chair and placed his hands on Kakashi's shoulders, his eyes filled with a sudden intensity. "Who do I talk to? Do you have their number? Can I call them tonight?"
Kakashi laughed and gently pushed the man's hands to the side. "I don't think they'd be up now – it's almost two in the morning. If you don't mind waiting a few days, you can come in with me on Monday – I'll put in a good word for you."
"Oh, thank you so much! You have no idea how much this means to me!" the man exclaimed, tears of joy welling in his eyes. "How can I ever repay you?"
"Well, you can give me your name, for starters. We'll figure the rest out later," Kakashi said, extending a hand to the man. "I'm Kakashi Hatake."
"Iruka Umino," the man replied, shaking Kakashi's hand vigorously. "Oh, I have to call my son! He'll be so happy to hear this."
Iruka… now where have I heard that name before?
As Iruka began to dig in his pocket for a cell phone, Kakashi placed a hand on his shoulder, causing the man to look up in surprise. "I think you'd better wait on that – I'm sure it's been a long day for both of you. Just head over there first thing in the morning and explain what happened – it'll be easier that way."
Considering this for a moment, Iruka slid the phone back in his pocket with a sigh. "Yeah, you're probably right. Let me at least give you my number, then."
"That won't be necessary – just tell me what hotel you're staying at. I'll ask for you at the front desk," Kakashi said as he placed a few bills on the bar for his and Iruka's drinks. When he heard only silence, however, the teacher grew concerned. "You do have a hotel room, don't you?"
"Well… with money the way it is, I've actually been sleeping in my car," Iruka admitted as he and Kakashi headed out the door.
Kakashi smiled and pulled out his wallet once again. He placed a few larger bills in the man's hand. "Take this, then, and go find a room down at the Konoha Inn. It's not the nicest place, but it's more comfortable than your car seat."
"N-no, I can't possibly take this," Iruka stammered, staring at the bills in shock.
"Sure you can. Just promise to pay me back sometime," Kakashi said, a smirk visible through his mask. "Now, I'll swing by on Monday to pick you up, all right? Until then, get some sleep. You need it."
"Thank you so much, Kakashi," Iruka said simply as he climbed into his car. After fumbling with his keys for a moment, he drove off, leaving Kakashi waving to him from the curb. He only stopped waving once the car had disappeared around the corner, at which point he tucked his hands into his pants pockets.
Iruka Umino, huh? I just loaned fifty bucks to him when I've only known him for ten minutes… and I promised him a job! Maybe Sasuke was right… maybe I am ready to move on.
Kakashi to the rescue! Yay! So, looks like things might work out after all, plus we can see some feelings growing in everyone's favorite masked teacher. How will Naruto react to this sudden change of plans? And what about Sasuke? How does he really feel about his awkward first meeting with Iruka? All this and more in the next chapter of For Naruto, Whenever I May Find Him!