Title: Naruto – Ballad

Genre: Drama, Romance, Shotacon, Yaoi

Pairings: SasuNaru

Chapter 8:

-:- -:- -:- -:-

Tsunade returns home bringing with her various souvenirs for her brothers. She didn't notice the changes on the relationship between Sasuke and Naruto thinking that they were their usual selves.

She sat on the sofa; spoke in a commanding tone asking Naruto for a drink. She always asks for sake morning or night wherever she is, a habit hard to break even as Sasuke and Naruto came into her life.

Tsunade has always been alone. She lost a lot of her relatives in the past that she decided to cut her ties with them; though it changed everything when she met Sasuke, an orphan who has a same situation as her. She pitied the child and so adopted him. She wanted to help children who have the same situation as her; and so, she used all her time, money and connection to do what she can. She later met Naruto, thought that she could be the one to help him in his induced trauma of losing his father before his eyes.

'No.' Sasuke said sighing; he took away the cup that Naruto is about to hand to Tsunade. He set it on the center table, faced the older female with a serious expression. 'It is way too early for you to drink sake. Would YOU look at the time?' He points at the wall clock above the television after speaking in a command tone.

The hand on the wall clock set is 0650.

Tsunade glanced at the wall clock. She didn't care about the time. She ignored Sasuke, leaned forward towards the center table and took the cup filled with sake that Sasuke took from her. 'It's alright. It's just a cup.' She said as if drinking sake so early is no big deal.

Sasuke eyed Tsunade as she held the cup of sake. 'You always say that! When will you break that habit? Don't tell me you drank sake even for breakfast there? '

'It's alright.' Tsunade said as she watched the sake swirl inside the cup as she gently shake it. She glanced at Sasuke, chugs down the sake down her throat as if it were water; the warm feeling as it smoothly passes her throat. She liked the expression on Sasuke, annoyed.

Naruto stared at Tsunade; he recognized the face that she has that moment, the face that always like to tease them.

'Naruto I told you a couple of times not to give her sake even if she asks.' Sasuke said reminding the young male blond. 'Sake for breakfast? That's unheard of!' Though he understands the reason Naruto complies to Tsunade; he and Naruto owe Tsunade their current life, if not for her, they would either be on the streets or in the orphanage, OR he and Naruto would have not met which he prefer that they did.

'By the way,' Tsunade's tone changed. She sounded more serious. She put down the cup she drunk from back at the center table, looked at Sasuke with eyes that could pierce. 'I found something during my travel, it's about HIM.'

Sasuke's attention perked as soon as he heard about HIM. He looked at Tsunade with a serious expression mixed with disbelief. He remembered Naruto is in the room thus his expression reverts back to normal, glanced at the young male blond oblivious to the words Tsunade spoke. 'I see.' His attention returned to Tsunade, showed a bright smile hiding his interest to HIM. 'Let's talk about your travels later. We got a lot of time before your next one anyway.'

Tsunade eyed Sasuke, noticed the mask that the dark hair male put on. 'Ok. By the way, you two are late for school.'

'Ah yes!' Naruto responded, scrambles away into his room upstairs to get his bag.

Sasuke looked at Tsunade, gave her a cold look. 'Be careful of what you say. I don't want Naruto to worry.' He spoke in a soft voice so that it would not reach Naruto's ears even if the young blond is close.

Tsunade smirked. She waived her hand, 'Yeah I will be more careful.'

-:- -:- -:-

'What's wrong?' Kiba asked noticing Naruto distracted, not even touching the lunch the blond brought.

Naruto sat with his friends like usual at the hallway in deep thought. He couldn't erase from his mind who is HIM that Tsunade spoke to Sasuke.

'You lot again?' a familiar voice uttered. The footsteps stopped before Naruto's group where they sat on the hallway.

Naruto looked up; saw Tenten and Shikamaru standing before them. 'Shika!' he called with a smile as his eyes met with Shikamaru.

'Yo!' Shikamaru greets back with a smile. He noticed the lunch before Naruto untouched. He bent down, his posterior almost touching the floor. He points to Naruto's lunch, 'As always, well loved.' He faced Naruto, 'Did your brother make it again?'

Naruto nods timidly, 'Yeah.' He stares at his lunch, picked it up and then reached out to Shikamaru handing his lunch to Tenten's companion. 'You want to try? Niisan's food is always good, you've tried it already.'

Ino suddenly appeared pushing Shikamaru aside causing him to fall on the floor.

'Shika!' Tenten exclaimed at the sight of Shikamaru falling to the side. She bent down and helped her companion back on feet. She glares at Ino speaking to Naruto as she helped Shikamaru. She calls Ino's attention with a rude remark, '

Ino turned around, glares at Tenten. 'What's with you? She showed a haughty attitude towards Tenten.

Shikamaru and Naruto could tell that as Ino and Tenten's eyes met spells trouble not only for themselves but around them; neither boy know what to do in the situation. They weren't exactly accustomed to a cat fight.

'Enough Ten.' Shikamaru reached for Tenten's shoulder, tried to pull her back away from Ino. 'It's fine.' He tried to calm Tenten down, stop her from stirring up things.

'Mind your own business!' Ino raised her voice glaring at Tenten. She showed to Tenten that she have more power over the others.

Naruto picked up his lunch, awkwardly approached Ino. 'I'll give you my lunch.' He showed an awkward smile as he tried to force Ino accept his lunch.

Ino looked at the lunch presented to her. Her expression changed. She smiled and accepts the lunch.

Kiba leaned towards Naruto and whispers as his eyes locked on Ino, 'I see she hasn't change.'

Naruto let out a small soft laugh unheard by anyone. And thank goodness for that, he thought that Ino's admiration towards Sasuke saved him from seeing a cat fight.

'An idiot to be happy receiving lunch from a male.' Tenten muttered, loud enough to be heard by Ino though.

Meanwhile, Sasuke got his own problem to solve. Sakura, Sasuke's classmate, has been pestering him more for quite some time.

'And there she is now.' Neji muttered accompanying Sasuke walk towards the next class. He noticed Sakura has been tailing them since they left the class a while ago. He pretended he did not see the pink hair female stalking from the distance. 'I don't know if there will be a time I will envy you.' He imagined the face Sakura is making as she stalks Sasuke. 'She is cute I admit but… Over obsessive… You should try to be more frank with her you know. Girls like her should be taken more serious, I mean, you know.'

'I already did.' Sasuke muttered. He looked troubled, his head lowered. 'And I've done it many times; all the ways I know how to.'

'Then tell her about Naru.' Neji suggest. 'She'll give up then.'

Sasuke eyed Neji unconvinced. 'I did try to use a lot of girls as an excuse but do you know what happened to them?'

'Oooh.' Neji looked away from Sasuke. 'She wasn't convinced; forced them to admit the truth that they all have a one-sided crush on you and willingly sacrificed for you.'

Sasuke looked gloomier. 'Besides, I don't want him to be harmed in any way. I already decided that I'll be the one to suffer.'

'OR you are worried that they may look at you differently if they learn that the male they fantasized is GAY.'

Sasuke stopped walking. He glares at Neji. 'WHAT?' He couldn't believe his friend assumed he is scared. 'Let me tell you, it is only Naru who I want. I'M GAY… That's fine for me if it would rid me of the stalkers. But if it would cause Naru to be harmed I won't.'

Neji scratched the back of his head, realized the mistake of wording he choose; Well I guess that is very insensitive of me. He changed topic so as not to stir Sasuke's emotion more than he already did. 'So what do you plan to do? Continue the charade as the older brother in your sister's sight? How about Sakura?'

'I'll think of a way.' Sasuke mutters lowering his head once again.

Back to Naruto's school. Naruto and Shikamaru stood side by side in between Ino and Tenten in fear of them suddenly fighting. They faced the principal sitting on the table. They were summoned as soon as the principal gist of the news of the fight.

Shikamaru, Tenten, Naruto and Ino were famous in some way so the principal is greatly concerned of the cause of the fight. He hid his face from the students in fear of hiding the fact he is gravely troubled by what happened.

Shikamaru and Naruto couldn't help think that a petty fight would lead for them summoned. They recalled how they tried to hold back Ino and Tenten from fighting or even touching. They couldn't help thing how convenient it is that they were the ones with wounds when they were the ones who tried to stop the fight.

'This situation more looks like the boys were the ones who fought.' Ebisu, the principal's secretary uttered as he eyed Shikamaru and Naruto filled with scratches.

Naruto and Shikamaru couldn't help think the same thing. Their eyes met for a moment, smirked at each other how things turned out.

'Well from what I heard, the boys were the ones who tried to stop the fight.' Kurenai, the female advisor of Naruto spoke in a soft voice. She spoke near the wall at the principal's right side.

'You are always lenient, especially on Naruto.' Ebisu uttered with a bitter expression. He eyed Naruto unhappy, 'He is grouped with delinquents after all so he must be the one who stirred things up.'

'We should really listen to them first before giving judgment to their action.' Asuma defended. He is Shikamaru and Tenten's advisor. He leaned against the wall on the principal's left side. He showed a carefree attitude.

'You are as bad as her.' Ebisu said tilting his eyeglasses; his voice strict. He always thought that he is one of the few who is rational and with logic when it matters. 'Don't be too lenient on them.'

'Well I would like to listen to their part of the story.' The principal uttered. He turned his attention to the others in the room; everyone gave a response of agreement.

And so, Naruto and Shikamaru told what happened. They spoke right after another filling in the events the other might have missed.

'Seems like the two of you agree.' The principal uttered after listening. He were content with what he heard he side glance at the females who kept quiet as the males told what happened. 'So the two of you have nothing to say?'

Tenten and Ino took the chance to look at one another and then snubbed.

'Well it's a simple problem.' Shikamaru said. 'We will solve this on our own. Naruto surely agrees with me.' he turned to Naruto waited for an agreement.

'Yeah.' Naruto said meeting with Shikamaru's eyes for a moment. He turned to the principal. 'Don't worry. It's normal to fight, right?'

'I trust that you solve it then.' The principal uttered content that the students made an adult like decision. 'You may leave.'

'Principal!' Ebisu exclaimed eyeing the principal.

The principal smiles towards Ebisu. 'Do not worry, there is nothing we can do but trust them.'

-:- -:- -:-

Tsunade walked pass the living room coming out from the kitchen, saw Sasuke and Naruto slumping. She took a step back, eyed the two males sighing almost at the same time on the sofa. 'What's with you two?'

Sasuke and Naruto raised their head reacting to Tsunade's voice. They looked at Tsunade wide eyed as if they weren't expecting the female blond to take notice of them or that she would be present in the house. They ignored the fact that she carried a bottle of sake.

'What?' she asked eyeing them; she anticipated a reaction from them, a scolding or something since she carried a bottle of sake.

'It's nothing.' Sasuke muttered; his voice barely heard by Tsunade.

Tsunade eyed Naruto in a slump that didn't appear to care of her presence. 'Geez you two are too gloomy!' she said. She left the living room and head back to her bedroom.

Sasuke and Naruto recalls how troublesome their day have been for them to be.