Hey guys! I loved all the reviews. Lately, I've been getting more and more, and from new people too, so it makes me really happy!
Well, let's recap. Sasuke scared the elders to death, finishing his goal of revenge. Now all he needs to do his finish his other goal. BUt first Konoha needs to decide if he can stay in Konoha or not. And to make the drama thicker, Sasuke is growing feelings for his friend, who unbeknownst to him, is in love with him too. God, not only are they oblivious to their actions, they're oblivious to the obvious. Sigh.
So ONWARD!! Chapter 21!
Italics are thoughts and dreams/flashbacks.
Disclaimer: I had a dream the other night where Naruto and Sasuke were...well, you know. But even I know I only own Naruto and co. in my dreams.
Warning: Yaoi. Soon Lemons. Oh, did I forget to mention before hand, more Itachi! *turns to Itachi* Go get ready. *Itachi scowls but goes to get ready anyway*
And he finally said goodbye to his past and hello to heartache. How was he caring now?
"Okay, everyone settle down," Tsunade said loudly. She looked over the court room and smiled fakely. "I know we've been through a lot this morning, but once we get this decided, we can head home."
A hush came over the crowd again. It must have been close to noon by now. It took time for the ANBU to write reports and move the Elders' bodies to the mortuary. Even so, most of the time was taken up by Tsunade drinking sake.
"Alright, so is Uchiha Sasuke allowed back to live in Konohagakure no Sato?" Tsunade slightly slurred.
Naruto jolted up when he felt something lean on his shoulder. Sasuke had fallen asleep and that caused him to fall to the side. The blonde smiled.
Sasuke was peacefully in slumber. It had been a big day so Naruto wasn't really surprised.
"You must be really uncomfortable," Naruto whispered. He moved to sit differently, so that Sasuke could lay down. The blonde moved the other to be more in comfort. Gently, he began to twirl the long raven hair around his finger. Sasuke's hair was so soft and silky.
How could I live, if you had to leave again, but forever this time? Naruto questioned to himself. I couldn't just drop everything and run after you again. It would break me.
A low hush of noise came from the room on the other side of the wall. Naruto could only wonder what was being said. He didn't want to go in there, he wanted to be with Sasuke right now.
Sun shined near the window. It was warming.
The kitsune took a deep breath. He wasn't really tired, more worried. His mind kept thinking about the vague dream during his coma. It was hard, but he remembered some. Like him and Sasuke kissing.
He wouldn't say those things, though, Naruto frowned.
Some one opened the door. Sakura came in. She smiled instantly. "Naruto-kun we're almost done, but Lady Tsunade needs some papers from her office, can you go get them?"
"Believe it!" he replied.
Sakura left behind the door. "They're on her desk."
"Che, I guess I'll go," Naruto said. He stood and stretched. Looking back down at the Uchiha, his heart clenched. He bent over and placed a soft kiss on the other's temple.
Sasuke let out a silent gasp through his slumber. Naruto didn't notice.
He walked down the hallway, disappearing around the corner.
"Come on, Aniki, let me try it!" a young raven boy whined to his older brother.
The older man gave a soft smile. The spring wind blew sakura leaves around them. "Not today, Otouto. It's almost lunch time, mother wants us home."
The small boy pouted and his eyes became glassy. "I know I can do it," he said as if trying to convince the other.
"If you remind me, when I'm back from my mission next week, I'll watch you with the course. Okay?" the other said.
He had ebony eyes and long silky hair to match. Then he crouched down and put his hands on his younger brother's small shoulders.
,br>
The bot nodded excitedly. "I won't forget!"
Not too far off, on the back porch to the Uchiha main house, sat two men. They sat kneeled, watching the younger versions of themselves walk from out of the shrubbery.
"You never remembered," Itachi laughed. His Akatsuki cloak was draped over his this, but strong, shoulders. His eyes were calm and sweet.
Sasuke looked over at him in a small surprise. But, he realized what was going on. Well, some of it. "I guess I was more focused on father," he said honestly.
Itachi nodded slowly. His eyes never left the scene of a small Sasuke smiling and jumping around. Itachi was smiling back, just like he was as his younger self. "He would be so proud of you. You worked so hard and honored the Uchiha name."
A huge smile spread across the younger raven's face. Making his father proud had always been a goal as a child.
"Life can go easier for you, now that avenging is dead," Itachi said, finally looking at his brother. "Clan revival is next?"
"Yes," Sasuke nodded softly.
Itachi suddenly changed the subject. "Remeber that time when I started going off to long term missions? Kami, you wouldn't let me go."
"No." Sasuke raised a fine brow, giving his brother a look.
"Of course," Itachi smirked. It was more perfect then Sasuke remembered. "You were only 3. But you held onto my leg and never let go..."
Itachi continued on. Eventually they told stories about whatever crossed their minds.
After all the tales were told, the brothers ended up watching the peaceful evening arrive. The sky turned a hazy blue. Soft sparkles of the faraway stars gave the sky its delicate detail. There wasn't much light, but to a strained vision the Uchiha's could be seen.
Darkness had never been so enlightening.
"I never thought I would be sitting here again," Itachi's baritone voice broke the silence. he was leaning back on his elbows, his cloak was below him.
"But you're not really," Sasuke retorted. His thin lips twitched into a frown. He knew, since the start, that this was only a dream.
Itachi chuckled. "So foolish, Otouto." The younger gave him a quizzical look and even if Itachi couldn't see it, he felt the stare. "I may have not been here physically but, in soul, I've sat here, everyday, watching you grow."
Sasuke's subconscious scanned all those years. All that time he held grudges against his older brother, but deep inside he did miss him. Itachi was one of the few to notice him, really him. "I missed you."
The older Uchiha reached over to his younger brother. His long fingers gently skimmed the other forehead. "I love you, little brother," Itachi said easily. "Stay strong."
With that, Itahci flicked Sasuke against the forehead and the younger only then saw black.
He opened his eyes. He wondered if he had been sleeping long. He was feeling kind of cold at the moment. It felt like something was missing.
Suddenly, a movement caught his onyx eyes. A slow flash of black and blonde passed him by.
Naruto sauntered to the court room door from down the hall. He was mummbling something about Tsunade and being a lazy drunk. Sasuke smiled. Cute dobe.
Sasuke's eyes ventured to the Kitsune's strong hands, gripping papers. He suddenly felt a strong urge to feel those rough calloused hands run down his body. But the raven shook the thought from his head.
Naruto disappeared behind the door. It had been several quiet minutes before the door opened again and the blonde came back in. He sat against the wall opposite the bench. His lovely eyes closed as he leaned back and took a deep breath.
He never once noticed Sasuke was awake, watching him.
Naruto was in a daze. He wanted to stay away from Sasuke the person and think about the dream Sasuke. The man that held him and kissed him. Was it what he wanted? He fell in love with a cold bastard, the thing he could never get. But what if sasuke did act caring, something Naruto never knew, would he feel the same way?
Of course! Naruto screamed in his head. I will always love Sasuke, Believe it!
Love.
Sasuke's heart started to ache when he looked at the other man being so far away. The frown on Naruto's face made the raven sad. What was the dobe thinking? Wait, why did Sasuke care? Sure, he admitted to loving Naruto, but it was just a spur of the moment right? Sasuke didn't really love the dobe, right?
He was starting to think that he might actually care for Naruto.
Suddenly Sasuke sat up and started coughing. He was choking on the thought.
"Sasuke are you okay?!" Naruto jumped up and frantically looked at the raven. He walked over and lay a hand on the other's broad shoulder. Sasuke looked up at him, while covering his mouth with a pale hand.
His eyes were distant. Naruto looked at them with worry. Sasuke was still in his train of thought.
What is Naruto to me? the raven thought.
"Sasuke?" Naruto's voice was soft but it was strong enought to snap the Uchiha back to real world. "Do you need something? Water?"
"No," he shook his head. "I'm fine."
Naruto crossed his arms over his chest and huffed. "You made me get worried for no reason." It was a quiet mutter, but Sasuke's trained ears still picked it up.
He smirked. The blonde saw the familiar twitch of his lips and a shiver ran up his spine. Naruto let out a small gasp at something touching him.
Looking down he saw Sasuke's long thin fingers gentaly touching his arm. the tan skin prickled. Unconsciously, Naruto closed his eyes and let out a shivered breath.
"I worried you dobe?" Sasuke asked. His onyx stare held onto the tan skin he was touching. The skin was burning under his touch. He looked up to check the blonde for a shocked reaction, but instead he was the shocked one.
Naruto's long eyelashes caressed his light pink scarred cheeks. Pink lips slightly agape, were looking welcoming. Sasuke wanted to kiss them again. Those damn urges were coming back. Kami, it was killing the raven.
It was like Naruto was purposely taunting him. Was it right for Sasuke to find Naruto... Sexy? Delectable? Sasuke wanted to just sink his teeth in.
Sasuke trailed his fingers in incoherant shapes on the arm. It tickled Naruto a little.
The hot moment quickly changed. Naruto swiped his arm away and started to laugh. When he was done with the cute laughter, he opened his sky blue eyes. They narrowed lovingly at Sasuke.
"Yeah, I was worried," he said. He grinned foz-like. "I didn't need to go through this trouble, just to have you die on me teme."
"Really?" Sasuke stood only inches from Naruto. He was smirking again, but cockier this time. "I'm only causing you trouble?"
"Believe it," Naruto challenged.
Even if it was true, both men were too occupied with the fighting scene in the air to feel sad.
"You're such a dobe."
"At least I don't have a duck butt for hair!"
"Great comeback, Usurontonkachi."
"Baka!"
"Scaredy-cat."
"Jackass!"
Just as they began to really get into the argument, someone coughed behind them. They were so dazed to each other that they didn't even hear the door open and close.
"Sasuke-brat," Tsunade smiled knowingly. Naruto looked away from her, frightened she would tease him. "We're ready for you."
Sigh, another cliffie!!
So I was supposed to do something in this author's note....?
Itachi: You were supposed to tell us a secret about the story.
Natsuki: Oh yeah! Well here's the secret. I originally was going to end the story just 2 or 3 chapters after this point. but I decided that I wanted to cover some other stuff, like Sasuke having kids. And I didn't want to write a story that ended with a lemon. Sigh. That's why I decided to add more to the story which led to alot more!
Itachi: That's the secret?
Natsuki: Yeppers. It also explains why Naruto and Sasuke get pretty touchy feely in the last 2 chapters lol. Well thats it for this chapter. Please review. And no Tourniquet can't talk to us till ...I know I said last time that she can't talk here until Chappie 22 but actually it's chappie 23 lol... my bad!
Love Natsuki Lee