All right! New chapter, guys! This one's longer than the last one, and it's also significantly lighter in tone. I wanted to break things up again after all of the dark seriousness of the previous chapter. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the first chapter of 2010, and please remember to review! Now, without further ado, on with the chapter!
30. Counting the Cars on the Konoha Turnpike
Sasuke stared out the window of the bus, watching as the trees passed by in a green blur. It was Friday evening, and he and Naruto had just left to go spend some time out by Lake Konoha. Over the horizon, Sasuke could just see the sun setting, casting an orange glow over the sky as they drove onward. It felt strange, being outside of Konoha like this. Even though Sasuke had lived in the city his entire life, he had never really explored the outskirts of the city, and was now surprised to see all the wildlife that was growing just miles from his home.
"Nice, isn't it?" Naruto asked, poking his head over the Uchiha's shoulder with a grin. "Just wait till we get to the park – it's amazing."
"I wonder if Shikamaru's ever come out this way," Sasuke asked absent-mindedly. "I'm sure he'd love to look at the clouds out here…"
Indeed, even from the speeding bus, Sasuke could clearly see the swirling clouds overhead. It was much easier to take them in without the skyscrapers clogging up the sky – made everything seem more peaceful.
So this is why he's always watching them…
"You could always give him a call, you know," Naruto said, glancing over at his boyfriend amusedly.
Sasuke shrugged. "He won't answer, anyway. He's on a date with Temari tonight – apparently they're going shopping or something."
"Oh, he's gotta be loving that," the blond responded, rolling his eyes.
"He probably thinks of it as a break – as long as he's away from home, he doesn't have to worry about Gaara harassing him."
Naruto considered this for a moment. "You don't think Gaara would actually interfere, do you?"
"Nah, he probably just wants to scare Shikamaru more than anything else. Still… I wouldn't put it past him. I think if you push him far enough, Gaara's capable of just about anything," Sasuke responded, finally tearing his eyes away from the window.
"You may be right," Naruto replied, staring vacantly at an old woman across the aisle. "I really think Gaara's mellowed out in the past few weeks, though. I mean, he isn't trying to kill you anymore."
"As far as we know, anyway," Sasuke said enigmatically.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, for all we know, Gaara could be using all of us – earning our trust before finally turning on us…"
"Don't say that, Sasuke!" Naruto exclaimed, raising his hands in mild outrage. "Gaara's been trying really hard – just look at the progress he's made with Lee!"
Sasuke chuckled at his boyfriend's indignation. "I'm joking, I'm joking. Look, everyone can tell Gaara's changed – it's like night and day."
"Then why would you lie about something like that?" Naruto pouted, his arms crossed seriously.
Sasuke burst into laughter. "Because your reactions are priceless!"
As Naruto became quite animated in protesting Sasuke's claims (and, ironically, proving them in the process) the Uchiha maintained his mask of amusement. Though he'd insisted he was only joking, the truth was Sasuke still had some reservations about Gaara. It wasn't just because the redhead had basically sexually assaulted Naruto, either – though that certainly was a part of it. The real problem for Sasuke, though, was much harder to put a finger on. To him, something about Gaara simply seemed… unstable. Sure, having Naruto and Lee around helped Gaara psychologically, but Sasuke couldn't shake the feeling that any sort of turbulence would shatter that apparent calm in an instant. And if it was something particularly traumatic…
No! I don't want to think about that. There's no sense in being negative – just focus on the present… with Naruto.
"And another thing! Just because I get a little excited about things doesn't mean I'm worse than you Mr. Ice King…"
"We're here," Sasuke interrupted in a monotone, pointing out the window.
As the bus turned to the left, Naruto pressed his face up against the glass excitedly, forgetting all about whatever point he was trying to make. Meanwhile, Sasuke leaned back in his seat, resting his head on his head as he, too, admired the view.
I'll be damned… he was right!
Truly, Lake Konoha National Park was a sight to behold. Even from the parking lot, Sasuke could tell that the area was just as majestic as Naruto had described – if not more so. With its scattered pine trees towering up on the hills to the massive oaks stretching high into the orange sky, Lake Konoha was the definition of picturesque. Though it was not quite night, Sasuke could see a few deer prancing on the outskirts of the forest, pausing only briefly at the sound of passing vehicles. There was just one thing that seemed to be off about the whole scene, and it didn't take Sasuke long to put a finger on just what that was.
"Where's the lake?"
"Through the woods, of course," Naruto replied, turning to Sasuke with a grin. "You didn't think we'd be driving right up to the shore, did you?"
"Well… no," Sasuke replied somewhat embarrassedly. "I just thought we'd be able to see it, at least."
"What's the fun in that, though? It's all about the journey, Sasuke!"
"The journey?" the Uchiha asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Right! Hiking through the woods, surrounded by nature – it's incredible!" Naruto said, waving his hand through the air dramatically.
Hiking? Tell me he's joking…
"How far is it, then?"
Naruto placed a hand to his chin in thought. "Hmm… maybe fifteen minutes? Twenty tops – and that's only if we take the scenic route."
"Which we won't," Sasuke interrupted with finality.
"Right – I wouldn't want to get lost out here anyway," the blond said reassuringly. "Trust me, though – it'll be worth the trip."
Sasuke gazed out the window once more as the bus rolled to a stop. He sighed. "Well, you've been right so far. Let's go."
With that, the duo rose from their seats and exited the bus, along with the old lady, a middle-aged man who looked like a maintenance worker, and a trio of older teens who clearly had a case of adolescent boredom. While these other passengers immediately headed for the rest area sitting just beside the parking lot, Naruto dragged Sasuke by the arm to a nearby trail that delved into the woods.
"Please tell me you know where we're going," Sasuke asked, scanning the surrounding forest worriedly.
"Of course I do! They make these things idiot-proof, Sasuke. As long as we stick to the main path, we'll be just fine," Naruto responded, glancing back over his shoulder as the couple pressed onward.
They walked along in this manner for some time, with Sasuke's reluctance fading just from the proximity to Naruto's abundant enthusiasm. It was like osmosis, with Naruto's excess joy gradually filling in the Uchiha's deficit. Though Sasuke remained indifferent to some of the forest's attractions, like "the leaf that kinda looks like Jay Leno," for every odd looking pinecone he pointed out, Naruto had several genuinely interesting things to say about the surrounding wildlife. The massive oak that had been split down the middle by lightning, the speckled owl perched on a low-hanging branch, the crystalline stream trickling alongside the path – they were all fascinating stops on Naruto's tour of the forest.
By the time the young couple made it through the forest's winding path to the lake, the sun was just disappearing beneath the hills, sending off a final flash of purple over the calm water.
"And this," Naruto began, placing both hands on the Uchiha's shoulders, "Is Lake Konoha."
Sasuke stared out at the water for a moment as the stars popped into existence overhead, coating the lake in specks of light. "It's… beautiful…"
Taking a seat on a nearby tree stump, Sasuke and Naruto sat in silence, taking in the spectacle of Lake Konoha on that tranquil autumn night. A gentle breeze blew a cool mist past the duo, causing them to huddle together for warmth. With his head resting on Naruto's shoulder, Sasuke stared up at the moon overhead – it was only half-full, but it still seemed to shine brilliantly, giving the land below an almost ethereal quality.
"This is nice," Sasuke murmured, breaking the silence in spite of himself.
"We have the whole place to ourselves – no one else in the world." Naruto replied in a hushed tone before planting a quick kiss on his boyfriend's lips. Before Sasuke could truly start to enjoy this kiss, though, Naruto pulled back quite abruptly with a devilish smirk. "Want to have some fun?"
Oh boy…
"What are you planning, Naruto?" Sasuke asked with a concerned expression.
"The other day we were interrupted by Itachi, right?" Naruto began, leaning towards the Uchiha as he spoke, his voice barely a whisper. "Well, there's no one around here for miles. So… I say we finish where we left off."
"Are you crazy? Out here in the middle of nowhere?"
"Not out here! Down there," Naruto responded, indicating the lake with a bob of his head. "Come on – I won't take 'no' for an answer!"
With that, Naruto rose from the tree stump and immediately removed his orange jacket, tossing it towards a nearby bush casually. Within seconds, he had removed his shoes, socks, and shirt as well, and began to rush towards the lake excitedly. Sasuke simply shook his head and followed after the blond, calling after him as he ran.
"Naruto! Wait up!"
The vulpine boy completely ignored his boyfriend's call, opting instead to drop his black pants and hop out of them awkwardly, all while maintaining his forward momentum. Soon, his sky blue boxers were kicked off as well, leaving Naruto completely naked as he rushed into the lake, instantly breaking the still waters with excessive splashing.
I swear this kid's going to get me killed…
Sasuke was soon following just a few yards behind his boyfriend, struggling to remove his clothes in the process. His navy jacket had been easy enough to remove – same with his black t-shirt – but he found the pants to be another issue altogether. Without thinking, he dropped them mid stride, causing them to bunch up around his ankles. Since he hadn't removed his shoes, this sent Sasuke tumbling down the hill unglamorously – much to Naruto's delight.
"Good move, Sasuke!" the blond shouted from the water, cupping his hands around his mouth for increased volume.
"Very funny, Naruto," Sasuke muttered as he sat on the grass, removing his shoes and socks before finally shedding his pants.
It was just a short distance more to the lake itself, so Sasuke decided simply to walk, removing some of the grass from his bare shoulders as he moved. When he finally got near to the water's edge, he looked around cautiously with both hands on the waistband of his black boxers. Once he was sure the coast was clear, he dropped them to his feet and kicked them towards a nearby boulder before finally darting into the water. Within a few seconds, he had dived beneath the surface – a move he instantly regretted as he reemerged gasping for breath.
"Geez! It's fucking freezing!" the Uchiha shouted, rubbing his arms vigorously as Naruto looked on in amusement.
"Oh, poor Sasuke – is it too cold for you?" the blond asked tauntingly before playfully splashing the other teen. "Come on! It's the middle of October, what did you expect?"
"L-like you have any r-right to talk," Sasuke retorted, his teeth starting to chatter as he struggled to keep warm. "Y-your head isn't even w-wet."
"So what?" The point is you're freezing your ass off while I'm perfectly comfortable," Naruto responded with a content smirk.
"We'll see about that!"
With a sinister look in his eye, Sasuke dove beneath the surface, effectively vanishing from sight in the dark night. Naruto, seeing exactly what the raven-haired teen was planning, panicked and tried to flee, kicking furiously as he swam for shore. Underwater, though, Sasuke had a perfect view of Naruto's thrashing legs, which he honed in on with predatory intent. As bubbles gradually escaped from his lips and drifted upwards, Sasuke grew ever nearer to his boyfriend's flailing feet, until he could feel them speeding past his nose. Just when it seemed as if he'd be kicked in the face at any moment, the Uchiha lashed out at his prey, seizing Naruto's foot with both hands. Then, with a single thrust, Sasuke yanked the blond underwater in a fog of bubbles and swinging limbs. When the couple finally emerged from the frigid depths, it was Naruto instead who was gasping for breath, while Sasuke laughed triumphantly.
"What's the matter, Naruto? Too cold for you? Oh, poor baby…"
"All right, all right – very funny," Naruto muttered, his teeth chattering as well. "Truce?"
"Truce," Sasuke replied with a smile. "But now we're both screwed. I don't want to get hypothermia out here."
"Oh, it's not that cold," the vulpine boy said with a roll of his eyes. "Besides, I can think of at least one way to stay warm."
"I'm not letting you pee in the lake, if that's what you're thinking," the Uchiha interrupted, his eyes narrowing hesitantly.
"No, stupid! I was thinking something more… intimate," Naruto said softly as he gently swam over to his boyfriend. "Nothing like body contact to keep the heat in, right?"
With their feet just barely touching the ground, Sasuke and Naruto found themselves wrapped in a tight embrace, the moonlight glistening on their wet skin as they kissed. Thought they were both freezing in the water, their lips beginning to turn blue, both teens found themselves suddenly warm and satisfied by the other's presence. And, of course, their faces were positively burning with delight.
Sasuke could felt Naruto's arms entangling around his body, with one draped over his shoulder while the other clung tightly to his waist. The Uchiha himself wrapped both hands around Naruto's back, with one moving upwards towards the blond's neck, the other traveling further south, until it was resting on his butt. All the while, both teens closed their eyes and focused on their mouths, savoring the other's flavors as their tongues met.
After about a minute of this, Naruto pulled back out of the kiss, gently sucking on Sasuke's lip before disconnecting entirely. Without a word, the blond moved on to his boyfriend's neck, resting his head on Sasuke's shoulder as he kissed the new area tenderly. Sasuke followed suit, moving his own head to the side so he could suckle the skin just beneath Naruto's jaw. From there, he moved down until his lips found Naruto's once again, and their kiss resumed with renewed vigor.
As their lips went to work once again, Sasuke decided to do some more exploring with his hands. While his topmost hand planted itself on the back of Naruto's neck, brushing against its short, fuzzy hair, his other hand squeezed the blond's butt. This caused Naruto to inhale sharply, but he never removed his lips for a moment, but only responded in kind, sliding his own hand along Sasuke's butt before tightening his grip. Sasuke could feel Naruto's lips curl into a slight smile.
So… he likes that, huh?
"How are you holding up, Sasuke?" the blond asked, pulling back ever so slightly from their kiss.
"Good," the Uchiha moaned in response, cracking an eye open as he spoke. "You?"
Naruto nodded, his breathing noticeably heavier from their activity. "Good."
Encouraged, Sasuke pulled the blond back into another impassioned kiss. This time, however, he brought Naruto closer at the waist as well, so that their whole bodies were pressed up against each other. It was then that Sasuke felt a distinct poke down below, making his eyes snap open in surprise.
Very good, apparently…
Again, Sasuke opted to remain silent, resisting every urge to make some sarcastic response at Naruto's expense. Instead, he simply continued his kiss, moving his upper hand away from the blond's neck and sliding steadily down his back all the while. Soon, it joined Sasuke's other hand at Naruto's butt – still, its journey was not complete. With a naughty smile, the Uchiha shifted his hand from Naruto's backside to the front, where it arrived at its protruding destination.
"Wait, Sasuke!" Naruto exclaimed, abruptly breaking out of the kiss.
"What is it?" the raven-haired teen asked, sounding mildly annoyed by this interruption.
"Umm… are you hard, too?"
Sasuke blushed and glanced to the side. "Well… yeah…"
"So… can we?"
"What?"
"Just… move your legs up here…"
"Like this?"
"No, wrap them around my legs more."
"So… this?"
"Yes! Perfect!"
Sasuke was unsure of his current position, to say the least. He was, in a way, sitting on Naruto's thighs, with his legs wrapped around his boyfriend's support. This left him at eye level with Naruto, his arms resting on the blond's shoulders so that he wouldn't fall back into the water. The key aspect of this stance, though, was further south, for the two teens' crotches were effectively pressed up against each other. On the one hand, this was nice (for obvious reasons), but it left Sasuke unsure of what exactly to do.
"So… do I… move, or something?" Sasuke asked, looking back and forth between Naruto and the water.
"No, just stay where you are. I'll do the rest."
With that, Sasuke closed his eyes and rested his head on Naruto's shoulder, taking deep breaths as his boyfriend went to work. With Naruto's distinct, pleasant musk filling his nostrils, the Uchiha was already in a state of bliss, but his pleasure only grew as the blond began to gently thrust his hips back and forth. This created just the perfect amount of friction in all the right places, which in turn made Sasuke shudder briefly ecstasy.
"You like that, huh?" Naruto asked as he slid forward once again.
Sasuke nodded briefly and took another deep breath. He wasn't sure how Naruto knew just what to do in these types of situations. It was possible that he just knew because Sasuke was a guy, too – they knew exactly how to please each other because they knew how to please themselves. On the other hand, there was more to these intimate moments than sex – Naruto knew when to lead the way, and when to let Sasuke take charge. It was like they had some unspoken connection, a link that told them just what the other was thinking.
Oh, God! That was a good spot…
They continued like this for several minutes, with Naruto gradually speeding up his movements, until his rubbing against Sasuke was producing enough heat to completely distract them from the cold. With every increase in speed, Sasuke 's pleasure grew in kind, until he could no longer contain his ecstatic moans. It was around this point that the Uchiha felt a distinct twitch, at which point his eyes snapped open once more.
"Wait, Naruto! Stop! I'm…"
"Me too," Naruto interrupted, biting his lip in intense focus.
Their eyes closed, both teens let out a final moan, at which point Naruto's movements stopped, along with the rest of the world – or so it seemed. They were both practically panting, simply resting in each other's arms as they gradually returned to reality. When they finally opened their eyes again, they stared at each other for only a moment before bursting into laughter.
"That… was different," Sasuke said, wiping a tear from his eye as he climbed off Naruto's legs.
"Don't pretend you didn't like it," the blond replied, scratching his head awkwardly.
"I never said that. I mean… you were great and everything, it's just…" the Uchiha said, stumbling around his words as he caught his breath. "Well… it was exciting. A good kind of different, right?"
"Right," Naruto said, throwing one arm over his boyfriend's shoulder. "So… what do you say we get dressed before we both catch a cold out here?"
Hearing these words, Sasuke suddenly remembered just how cold Lake Konoha actually was that night. He again started rubbing his arms vigorously and nodded once. "Good idea – I'll race you there."
Together, they sprinted for shore, splashing wildly as they progressed. Soon, they were both on the shore, still laughing hysterically and arguing about who'd arrived first.
"I don't care what you say, my feet touched the grass first," Naruto said, pounding his bare chest proudly.
"Since when was the grass our goal? It was a race to shore, and I got to the dry sand first."
"Puh-lease - only because the waves were going out right there. I was at least a foot ahead of you then."
"Fine, we'll settle this with another race, then. First one to get dressed wins the whole thing," Sasuke concluded as another cool breeze blew by, causing him to shiver. "And make it snappy."
Naruto gave his consent, and at that the two teens scattered in search of their discarded clothing. After a few minutes, though, it became exceedingly clear that something was amiss. Sasuke stared at the large boulder by the shore in confusion – he could've sworn he'd left his boxers by there. The same went with his pants, shoes, and shirt – they were not where he'd remembered leaving them. In fact, they were nowhere to be found. His heart sank.
"Naruto? Did you move my stuff?" the Uchiha called out to his boyfriend a short distance away.
"I was gonna ask you the same thing," Naruto replied worriedly. He held up his sky blue boxers, waving them overhead like a flag. "These were all I could find."
Shit… this was just what I needed…
"Well that's just great – we've been robbed!" Sasuke exclaimed, slumping down on the boulder in frustration. "It's like God hates us or something…"
Naruto hurried over to his boyfriend and sat down beside him, holding the boxers awkwardly in one hand. "Look, it's not the end of the world. There was that rest area by the bus stop. We can go there and call for help."
Sasuke shook his head. "Naruto, we're butt naked. If we walk in there like this they'll just call the cops."
"Look, it's not like we don't have a decent excuse. Besides, I have my boxers, right? One us can wear them and go call for help, while the other hides in the bushes or something," Naruto replied, trying his best to keep a positive attitude. "Look, I'll even let you have them right now. Go on – it was my idea to go skinny-dipping in the first place, after all."
Without a word, Sasuke snatched the boxers out of Naruto's hands and slipped them on, relieved to at least have something covering himself. He then rose from the boulder and stared back at the forest. "Well, we better get going, then – the rest area might close soon."
"Right," the blond said with a forced smile. "Wouldn't want to be stranded out here, right?"
At this, the two teens started through the woods, neither one of them saying a word. Sasuke was too busy seething to even think of something worthwhile to say. Instead, his mind focused on images of him repeatedly stabbing whoever stole their clothes. Who would do something like that, anyway?
It couldn't have been that old lady – she probably would've called the police instead. That maintenance worker wouldn't be out here to begin with… I'll bet it was those three teenagers. They probably thought it would be hilarious to leave us butt naked in the woods. So help me if I see them again…
"Sasuke? Umm… do you want to go in and ask to use the phone?" Naruto asked suddenly, bringing the Uchiha back to reality.
The raven-haired teen looked up to find them standing just on the edge of the woods, with the rest area standing just a few yards away. "I thought you were going to? It was your idea, after all – you said so yourself."
Naruto scratched his cheek and blushed. "R-right… well, can I have my boxers back, then?"
Still fuming at the thought of the three teenage thieves, Sasuke turned to his boyfriend and glared. "Are you kidding? I'm not waiting out here butt naked for you to come back. You got us into this mess, you can get us out of it."
Naruto was clearly taken aback at this, but bit his lip and nodded. "Y-you're right. Just wait here… I'll be back."
With that, the blond about-faced and started for the rest area, both hands covering his groin. As he approached the windowed doors, he took a deep breath and pushed the door open with one hand. Even from his spot by the woods, Sasuke could hear a roar of laughter as Naruto stepped inside the building, which faded once more as the door swung shut.
What the hell am I doing? It's not his fault those jackasses decided to steal our clothes… I'm just taking it out on him because I can. If I keep this up, I'll only end up pushing him away…
Sasuke knew there was only one thing he could do. He emerged from the woods and rushed over to the rest area, stopping beside the door so he could peek inside. There, he clearly saw Naruto's naked backside as he talked with a skeptical man behind the front desk. To the side, the Uchiha could see the three teens that had joined them on the bus, who were gleefully recording the whole ordeal on their cell phones. From his position, Sasuke could just make out what appeared to be the leg of an orange pair of pants sticking out from one of their backpacks.
Assholes…
Hesitating only a moment, Sasuke found himself placing both hands on the waistband of Naruto's boxers and thrusting them to the ground, leaving him as naked as his boyfriend. Kicking them to the side, the Uchiha placed a hand over his goods and entered the rest area, his face already burning with humiliation.
"Hey, look! It's Thing 1 and Thing 2!"
"More like Little Thing, am I right?"
Sasuke resisted the urge to run over and gouge the eyes out of the three catcalling teens, and instead marched up beside his boyfriend, placing on hand on the front desk. The man behind the desk shot Sasuke a dirty look before turning his attention back to Naruto.
"I take it this was the friend you were talking about?"
Naruto glanced at Sasuke and nodded. "Y-yeah. See, we decided to go for a dip, and when we came out our clothes were gone."
"Uh-huh – and may I ask why you thought it would be okay to go skinny-dipping in our park here? You realize this is a public area – you can't just do whatever you want," the man muttered, glaring down at the two teens authoritatively.
"It was a spur of the moment decision," Sasuke interrupted. "To be honest, we only came here to walk around, but my friend here thought it would be a good idea to go for a dip. We didn't want to walk around in wet clothes all night, so we decided to swim naked."
"And now you have nothing to wear at all," the man concluded, rubbing his stubble in thought. "Well, I guess the two of you have suffered enough. Just make sure to bring a suit the next time you come by here, all right?"
Just as the man leaned over to pick up the phone, the doors behind them creaked open, causing Naruto and Sasuke to spin around in surprise. There, in full uniform, were two police officers, whose eyes instantly narrowed at the sight of the two naked teens.
"Well, well – what do we have here?" one officer responded, his boots clacking against the tile as he stepped forward.
"Oh, it's all right, officers. Everything's under control here – these two just had a bit of misfortune when they went swimming. You understand," the man behind the desk responded with a wave of his hand.
"Is that so?" the other officer asked as he reached into his back pocket. Moments later, he pulled forth a sky-blue pair of boxers. Sasuke's heart sank. "Can you explain why I found these lying right outside, then?"
Naruto and Sasuke exchanged a worried glance, but remained silent. The officer was persistent, however, and continued forward, dangling the underwear on his finger. "Well, boys? What's the story? Is this some kind of fraternity stunt? Or maybe this is just how you two get your kicks."
"No, no! We swear – we were robbed!" Naruto exclaimed, inadvertently raising both hands pleadingly as he backed up against the desk. With the blond's entire front now exposed, however, the officers seemed all the more intent on taking them both in. While the one still held the boxers, the other reached to his belt and pulled forth a set of handcuffs.
"Perhaps you two would like to come with us? You can explain it all on the way downtown…"
"Run!"
Sasuke's orders came so suddenly that the officers didn't quite know how to react. Rather than try to run in the opposite direction, the Uchiha dragged Naruto towards the policemen, pushing one aside as they hurried towards the door. By the time the officers had recovered, the two teens were already disappearing into the woods, jumping through the brush as they ran as fast as they could. For several minutes they could hear the policemen following behind them, and could even see the occasional glare of their flashlights. Soon, these sounds faded, and the wail of sirens told the young couple that the pursuit in the woods had been called off.
"Why did they stop, do you think?" Naruto asked, pushing aside a bush as he stepped through the forest.
"It's a Friday night in Konoha – they have more important things to do with their time than chase down some naked kids. They probably got a call about some other crime in progress," Sasuke said, his heart still pounding as dead leaves crunched under his bare feet.
"So… now what do we do?" the blond asked after a while, pausing by an oak tree to catch his breath. "No one knows we're out here, and it'll take us hours to get back home like this…"
"We'll have to hitchhike," the Uchiha responded simply, pushing aside a low-hanging branch as he spoke. To his relief, he could see the headlights of passing cars not far in the distance. "The highway's just over there. If we're lucky, someone will give us a lift back into town."
"What if the police see us?"
Sasuke shrugged his shoulders. "Well, we can always hide in the woods again. We'll at least have a head start on them. I really don't think we have any other choice, though."
Naruto sighed and pushed himself away from the tree. "All right, then. Lead the way."
Sasuke nodded and stepped out of the woods, shivering as the cool air hit his bare skin once more. Unlike before, though, he wasn't bitter towards Naruto, the three teens, or the police – he was only angry with himself for being so stubborn. If he had just gone and asked to use the phone himself, or even just gave Naruto the boxers back, neither of them would be in this mess. More importantly, he knew he'd hurt Naruto, even if the blond did a good job of hiding it.
In just a few minutes, the two teens found themselves walking alongside the nearly deserted highway, with one hand covering their crotches as they stuck out their thumbs with the other. With just about every car that passed by, there was a series of honks and catcalls, but no one was willing to stop and pick up the two naked teenagers. After a few minutes of this, Sasuke decided to break the tension with an apology.
"Naruto… I'm sorry about before. I didn't mean to snap at you like that," the Uchiha said, ignoring the whistles emanating from another passing vehicle.
"Well, it was my fault. It's not like you were lying or anything," Naruto responded meekly. "I'm just sorry I got us into this mess to begin with."
"You have nothing to apologize for! It's those three teenagers back at the rest area who did it, after all. We were just trying to have some fun, right?" Sasuke asked with a slight smile. "And it was fun, by the way. I don't know how you got so good at… well, that kind of thing."
"Please – I was terrible. I felt like my legs were going to give out holding you up like that. Maybe I should hit the gym more…"
"If that's terrible for you, then I can't wait to see you at the top of your game."
Another honk briefly brought Sasuke's attention back to the road, where a red compact was speeding past. Much to the raven-haired teen's surprise, the brake lights came on moments later, followed by the car pulling over to the side of the road.
"Looks like we're in luck. Come on, Naruto!"
Both teens ran along the road for close to a minute, awkwardly covering their crotches as they approached the car. When they came up to the passenger window, however, they were both dismayed at the face awaiting them.
"Sh-Shikamaru?"
"Hey, Sasuke. Naruto," the Nara replied, nodding politely to both teens while wearing a smirk. "Need a lift?"
"Please," Naruto said, shivering as another breeze blew by.
"I don't know… what do you think, Temari?" Shikamaru asked, glancing over to the aforementioned driver.
"Oh, don't be an ass, Shika. Hop in, guys."
With a gracious nod, the naked teens clambered into the back seat of the car, where they buckled up and sighed with relief. Shikamaru looked back over his shoulder at the duo, raising an eyebrow inquisitively. "So, may I ask what the two of you were doing walking naked down the side of the highway?"
"It's a long story," Sasuke said, shaking his head in exhaustion.
"All right – I won't ask about it now. But don't think you're off the hook just yet," the Nara responded before turning his attention back up front. Moments later, he tossed a blanket back over the seat, which feel neatly into Sasuke's lap. "Here, use this to warm yourselves up. It'll probably take us another twenty minutes to get back to Konoha."
Naruto and Sasuke cuddle up beneath the blanket, grateful to finally have something to cover up with. Though they both knew they'd be harassed about this later on, for the moment they were happy just to be on their way home. After twenty minutes of warming up in the back seat, they finally arrived outside their dorm in Konoha, where they stepped out of the car with the blanket wrapped around their waists.
"Thanks for the ride, you two!" Naruto shouted as the car drove away before he and Sasuke scrambled up the stairs to his apartment.
They were relieved to find that Kiba had left the door unlocked, and thus hurried into the building and over to Naruto's room, where the blond quickly found them some clothes to wear. Finally dressed, they walked out into the living room and joined Kiba on the couch. Though the Inuzuka clearly had questions of his own regarding Naruto and Sasuke's bizarre entrance, he opted not to say anything, and instead the three of them watched the second half of Van Wilder in peace.
Little did they know that this peace would be short-lived, for just on the other end of Konoha, Shikamaru and Temari were discovering that Gaara had gone missing.
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Well, there you have it! Poor Naruto and Sasuke - will they ever catch a break? And what about Gaara? What's happened to him since his fatal encounter with his father? And what about Lee? All will be revealed in the next chapter of For Naruto, Whenever I May Find Him. And, as always, don't forget to review!