Naruto sat upright, eyes glued to the door of the bus. He could do this. He got this. All he had to do, was yell –

"Naruto!" Ino grinned beautifully at him as she chose the seat next to him. "You saved me a seat, didn't you?" She pinched his cheek. "Cheeky," she purred and leaned into the cushions. "Oh my, Sakura, I didn't see you there!"

Sakura, who sat behind her, kicked Ino's seat. "Like hell you didn't, you pig!"

Ino pouted, still beautiful. "Being jealous isn't good for your skin, forehead." She batted her eyelashes at her.

"Why, you! – "

The girls continued to fight, pretending, for some reason, that they weren't best friends. Sasuke, who sat behind him, ignored the bickering and glared at the view of the parking lot instead.

Sensei climbed on the bus – eye glued to his book – and sat in the front with the rest of the teachers. Iruka climbed last, and after counting all the students twice, sat beside him.

Naruto scowled and leaned into the cushions. Fuck.

Ino scoffed and sat back down, flickering her hair in his direction. "Naruto, do you have Instagram?"

Naruto was still annoyed with her, so he grumbled back. "No, I don't."

Ino looked up from her phone. "What's with the attitude? You should be thankful that I chose to sit next to you." She took out her phone. "I know! Let's make you one!" She giggled. "But then you have to follow me, and like my photos, you hear?"

Naruto wanted to argue that he had no use for one, but then he saw Sensei muttering something that caused the rest of the teachers chaperoning their trip to laugh – and Iruka to clap his shoulder.

Naruto gritted his teeth. "Fine," he agreed.

The bus rumbled as it began to move, taking them away from the village and, by the looks of it, away from civilized life in general. The view soon changed from dusty streets to forests and mountains. Despite his curiosity, Naruto didn't have time to focus on that – not when Ino took a thousand pictures of him, telling him to do this and look over there and hold that, which was actually kinda fun. Sakura helped too, popping from the back, and Sasuke also joined in to comment something snide every once in a while, and Naruto suddenly realized he was sitting with the popular kids.

Those around him wanted to talk to him, and they even laughed at his jokes (except for Sasuke, who did not laugh at anything) and cared about his opinions.

That was new.

It almost made up for Sensei not sitting next to him during the three-hour bus ride.

Eventually, the bus parked in the national park's parking lot, and they all had to climb off.

"All right," said Iruka cheerfully after counting them for what must have been the fourth time. "Get your bags! We are going to hike for eight hours – "

Annoyed groans.

" – Until we reach the sea. Then we will make camp and test your cooking and tent-building skills," he continued, less cheerful. "Get ready and be energetic! Our guide will tell us many interesting things, so stay close to the front of the group!"

More groans.

Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke carried their bags. Ino ordered Choji to carry hers and hooked her elbow with Naruto's. "Let's take lots of pictures, Naruto! Remember, I prefer my left."

Naruto stared. "Why? It's the same as your right."

The girl blinked, then cooed. "Are you saying I'm beautiful from every direction?"

"Or ugly," snickered Sakura.

"Um, the first one," Naruto quickly said before the girls started fighting,

Ino smirked and tossed her hair. "You're so sweet! I can't believe I didn't discover you before!" She tugged on his arm. "Let's go."

Naruto shook his head, confused, and followed her direction. This was not what he had expected.

Iruka led the front, and Sensei picked up the back, so Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke deviated toward the end. Sensei read his book, ignoring them, and Naruto felt his irritation growing hot in his stomach and pulsing through him. The more he tried to ignore Sensei right back, the angrier he got.

Ino talked nonstop about… something, but Naruto could no longer listen. "You'll walk into a tree," he interrupted her with a grumble.

Sensei hmmed. "You mean me, Uzumaki?"

"Obviously," Naruto seethed, his annoyance prickling further. "You're the only one reading."

Sensei turned a page. "Well, as you can see, I have not run into any trees."

"Yet."

"Yet," the man agreed. "But if I survived the last two hours, I hazard a guess I'll survive the next six."

Naruto purposefully kicked rocks into his path.

Sensei ignored them too.

Naruto started kicking bigger rocks.

Ino took out her phone and started filming. Sakura muttered something that caused Sasuke to snicker.

Naruto threw a branch.

Sensei ducked and, finally, looked up. "Tripping me on purpose won't prove your argument." His voice was annoyed, which only irked Naruto more.

Ino put down her phone. "But it will make you pay attention," she smirked, then groaned. "No reception?!" She stomped the ground. "I could have been trending right now!"

"There, there," muttered Sakura. "I'm amazed you didn't run into a tree yet, Ino-pig."

"I'm amazed you hadn't either, what with that big forehead of yours!"

"Shut up, pig!"

"Back at you, forehead!"

"Ino.…" Choji joined their group, looking sweaty and disheveled. "I can't…." He licked his lips. "Your bag's too heavy." He dropped the extra bag.

"Oi, be careful, you fatso!" cried Ino, running to save her stuff.

"Don't call me that," the kid objected. "You're so mean. I'm not helping you."

"What?!" Ino tried to lift her bag and grab the boy at the same time. "Come back here! Oi, Choji!"

"You should carry your own stuff," muttered Sasuke. "And not be a burden."

"What are you talking about?" the girl objected, cheeks hot. "I'm prime entertainment."

Sakura scoffed. "Well, whatever you are, we aren't going to carry your bag for you. We each have our own."

Naruto, hands in his pockets, observed the scene. Ino was mean, and Choji was sometimes nice to him. She should not have used him or said what she said. And yet… he watched Ino as the girl struggled to pick up her bag despite pretending to do anything but, and his chest rang hollow.

He ran his fingers through his hair and balanced his bag on one shoulder, then marched toward the girl and picked up her bag with the other.

He got up – and tilted dangerously to the right. "What did you pack?" he hissed as he steadied himself. "Boulders?!"

"No," the girl protested, hands on her hips and cheeks slightly pink. "Just clothes, makeup, tent equipment, food, my hair drier, my hair straightener – "

"Those need electricity," Sakura pointed out.

"And a small generator."

Naruto gritted his teeth, then lowered Ino's bag. He carried his bag on his chest and balanced the second monstrosity on his back. He hunched forward, got up, and started to march. "Well, let's just go," he hissed.

His blood drummed in his ears. Walk, he ordered his legs. Just walk.

He heard a book being closed. "Uzumaki, hand me – "

"Shut up. I'm fine." Naruto marched faster, fueled by anger and frustration and fuck. "Come on, already!"

He was used to carrying heavy burdens when he worked for the boss. It was all about setting a pace and not doing anything except sticking to it. Not thinking, not listening, not doing anything except focusing on the right leg, then the left, and then the right again –

A hand gripped his shoulder. "We're taking a break, Uzumaki."

Naruto blinked. "Already?" he protested, feeling his cheeks heating up. "I don't need a break."

"We do," Sakura panted. "It's been two hours! What the hell are you made of?"

Naruto felt slightly lighter and suddenly noticed Sensei's hold tightened, supporting his weight. He scowled, freed himself from Sensei's touch, and crouched to remove Ino's bag, then his own.

Slowly and carefully, he sank to the ground, trying to even his breaths. His body pulsed with pain.

Someone offered him a water bottle. Ino. "I'm sorry, Naruto," the girl said quietly. "I didn't think it would be this heavy."

His hand floated to accept the water bottle, slightly uncoordinated, and brought it to his lips. He said nothing as he gulped down the water. Damn, he was thirsty.

"You mean, you didn't think there'd be consequences," Sasuke glowered. He tried to lift the bag and flinched. "I think it weighs more than Naruto."

"Told you, s'fine." Naruto lay on the grass, staring at the sky. His breath slowed back to normal. Everything hurt. "I used to lift heavier stuff at my former job." He blinked. "Why's the forest so quiet?"

"We're slightly behind," Sensei replied, his voice so close –

Naruto's eyes shot up, surprised, only to realize the man still stood close to him – but Sensei didn't meet his gaze.

Instead, he stuffed his hands into his pockets. His book, Naruto noticed, was gone. "Eat your lunch and relax as much as you can. In fifteen minutes, we will carry on and pick up our pace."

Naruto's heart jumped at the sound of his voice. Something about it was off.

Sakura looked up. "But… Sensei.…"

"I'll carry the bag," the man said simply. "Well, I'm going ahead to see how far behind we are. Don't move from this spot." He walked away.

Naruto sat up as his eyes followed his receding back. Damn it. Nothing worked like he imagined it would.

Ino sat next to him and retrieved her bento. "Open up, Naruto," she cooed as she tried to feed him. Then glowered. "I said, open up!"

Naruto blinked, then parted his lips and accepted the food, chewing in confusion.

Ino smiled beatifically at him. "So? What do you think?"

Naruto coughed. "It's good." He chewed some more. "I've got food, y'know."

Ino tossed her hair. "Yeah, but it's different when someone else makes it for you, right?"

Naruto tried to think of a way to escape his situation and spotted Sakura trying to feed Sasuke, who looked about as uncomfortable as Naruo felt.

Huh.

"Aww, how cute!"

Naruto tensed, glowering, as two men approached their circle. They looked slightly older, perhaps in their twenties, and wore expensive hiking gear. They waved their hands, smiling as they came closer and closer.

Something about them reminded him of the boss's men. His muscles shivered and tightened, ready for a fight.

"Hello! Are you guys on a school trip?" yelled one of them. His smile was wide, yet his eyes lazily traced each of them, traveling up and down their bodies.

"Yes," said Ino, toying with her hair. "What about you guys?"

"On a break from college," said the other. Both of them focused their eyes on Ino. "We wanted to soak in the wonders of Mother Nature, and, look at that, we stumbled upon a rare flower."

Ino angled her shoulders. "My, aren't you smooth." She flickered her hair again. "Too old, though. Move along."

"Oh, come now, don't be so cold," said the first man, his smile gone. "Look who you're hanging out with. It's not like you can do any better."

Ino, despite always having something witty or snarky to say, suddenly had none.

She grabbed his sleeve, so Naruto leaned forward, crouching in front of her, and stealthily picked up a rock.

Gai said, when you fight, you gotta be smart. Sensei said, don't start fights you cannot finish.

"She's not interested," hissed Sakura, glowering at them.

The man continued, "See, your friend here is already jealous." He smirked. "Bet she wants a ride in my jaguar." He didn't take his eyes off her.

Sensei wasn't there.

The man took a step forward, so Naruto jumped up. He could feel Ino's mask shuttering as the girl hid behind him. He could see Sasuke, from the corner of his eye, reaching for his bag. "Move. Along," he growled.

The two men looked at him – and started to laugh. "Oi, check this out. The gay brat is trying to pick a fight."

They continued to laugh.

And Naruto saw red.

"I. Am. Not. Gay!" he snarled and threw the rock he picked at the laughing man's head.

The first man fell, screaming in panic as he held his bleeding eye. The second man stumbled back, searching his pocket for something –

Naruto jumped forward, picked up another rock, and threw it at his arm – the man squealed, dropping his Swiss knife – and Naruto lifted his hand to punch –

Something iron-clad grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back. Something –

Naruto looked up, ready to face his new opponent, and stared at Sensei's one black eye.

The man smiled, but the grin looked oddly ferocious, sharp like a blade. "Why are you bothering my students?" he said calmly.

Naruto still stared, his breath quickened and agitated, because he forgot.

He forgot the brutality the man was capable of.

He forgot what he looked like when he was violent.

The man standing held his arm right where Naruto's rock hit him. "Your students are crazy!" He pointed at him. "That – that gay fuck just attacked me and my friend out of nowhere – "

Naruto's blood boiled again. He resisted Sensei's grip, trying to free himself, but Sensei pulled him close against his chest and wrapped his hands around his arms, restraining him.

Naruto clawed at his fingers, drawing blood. "Lemme go," he growled. "I'm not gay! I'll kill you!" He glared at the man, every fiber of his being roaring with rage. "I'll smash your head against the rocks until your brain's nothing but a soup for crows – "

Sensei shifted his hold. One hand gripped his wrists, crossing his arms against his chest, while the other covered his mouth. His hold was as ironlike as before – Naruto could not resist.

Though dazed with confusion and raw fury, he managed to notice Sensei's hold was protective. He did not let him go.

"They harassed Ino!" cried Sakura. "Naruto was just defending her!"

"I see," Sensei said quietly. "Well, it seems your friend was badly hurt from a fall. I suggest you take him back to the parking lot for treatment."

The man standing opened his mouth.

"Or we can call the police."

He closed it.

Naruto glared, his breath shattering against Sensei's restraining hand, as the man pulled his friend up, who was still sobbing and groaning, looking positively frightened. The man turned around and reached for his knife –

"Leave it," Sensei commanded. His voice was quiet and sharp and felt like a threat. "You don't need that where you're going."

The man shivered and dragged his friend along, ignoring his protests.

Naruto's body shivered as well, his rage tearing at his insides and demanding release. He wanted to hurt them. He wanted to kill them. He wanted to see their mocking eyes twisting with fear –

Sensei's hold of him did not ease.

"Come on, Ino," said Sakura quietly. "Let's go."

Suddenly, he noticed Ino was crying.

"B-but – "

"They'll join us later. Let's go," Sakura encouraged her softly.

Their receding footsteps slowly faded away, yet Sensei still held him close to his chest. He still did not let him go.

Naruto could not look away from the abandoned knife; he could not draw comfort from his touch. He clawed at the man's fingers again.

Sensei released him.

Naruto stepped away from him, glowering at everything his eyes could see. "Could've handled it myself," he grumbled as he marched, his hands still fists, toward Ino's bag.

Sensei's hand on his shoulder stopped him. "I'll carry it." He sighed. "Talk to me, Uzumaki."

Naruto shrugged himself free. "No."

He could feel the man's eye boring into his back. "You've been acting strange since the beginning of the trip," he said finally. "Tell me what's wrong."

Naruto scowled, but Sensei moved to stand in his path. Everyone else had already left.

"We should go," he muttered instead.

Sensei tilted his head. The gesture felt tense and… angry. His eye was a storm. "Uzumaki."

And the harsh word hit Naruto like a slap. He stumbled back. "M'fine!" he protested. "Everything's fine – "

"You threw a branch at me."

"You weren't paying attention – " to me, he wanted to say, but his words died on his lips and evaporated into a breathless gasp.

Sensei sighed. "I'm always paying attention to you, Uzumaki," he said quietly.

Naruto crossed his arms. "No, you weren't. You were reading your book and being totally boring." He kicked a small rock in the man's general direction.

Sensei's eye flickered down, just for a moment. "You were talking with your friends," he said quietly. "I did not want to interfere –"

"You wouldn't have been interfering," Naruto objected. "You could've told us… about trees and bushes n' stuff, like the guy in the front."

Sensei blinked. "I do not know much about trees and bushes, Uzumaki."

Naruto kicked another rock. "Liar."

Sensei looked at him, his eye penetrating and undecipherable. Something about him tensed. "I will tell you what I know if," he slowly, "you explain to me what just happened here."

Naruto stiffened and shoved his hands into his pockets. "I defended Ino," he mumbled.

"By threatening to turn that man's brain into a 'soup for crows,'" Sensei pointed out. "Very creative." His voice, however, was sharp and unimpressed. Angry, even.

Naruto looked away. "I'm tired of men like him," he spat. "Always trying to fuck with me. Thinking I'm just gonna shut up and take it. Thinking I'm weak and useless and dumb." His rage fluctuated again, flooding his body. "I'm not gonna run or hide. I'm gonna fight and – "

"Naruto – "

"I'm not gay!" The words burst out of him, furious and burning hot. He prowled the small clearing, kicking and breaking everything he could kick and break. "I'm not some man-obsessed feminine idiot with HIV and – and – "

"Naruto," Sensei said slowly. "Is that what you think gay men are?"

"Everyone says it," Naruto snarled, ignoring how his heart clenched at Sensei's quiet voice. "They are dumb and weak and they are perverts who think about sex all the time and – "

"Naruto," Sensei interrupted him again. His eye was stark, and his jaw clenched. "I am gay."

Naruto froze. His breath shattered against his lips, weak and spiraling out of control. His eyes, wide and desperate, sought Sensei's.

The man stood, hands hidden in his pockets, and for some reason, looked small. "Is that what you think of me?" he said quietly.

Naruto shook his head before he could finish processing what Sensei said. What he had just said. The next thing he knew, he was hugging Sensei's broad chest and hiding his face in the man's shoulder. "No," he choked. "No. M'sorry. I didn't mean that. I didn't mean that. I don't know why I said that." His fingers dug into the man's back as he pulled himself closer, shivering uncontrollably. "M'sorry."

Crying. He was fucking crying.

Slowly, Sensei's arms wrapped around him, one hugging his waist while the other cradled his head against his neck. His fingers caressed his hair, tangling within the unruly strands. "The only difference is that I am attracted to men," he whispered against his ear. "That's it."

Naruto tightened his hold. "S'not true," he objected hotly. "You're way cooler."

Sensei huffed and relaxed slightly into his hug. "I can live with that," he replied quietly. His other hand slowly rubbed his back. "Your mother and father knew, by the way," he added slowly. "They did not care."

Naruto swallowed. He suddenly noticed he nuzzled at the man's neck and angled his head away, cheeks burning red. "Why'd you tell me that?" he managed.

Sensei hmmed. "Well, I imagined you'd want to know." He tousled his hair, fingers soothing and warm against his skin. "Don't seek violence, Naruto. Don't listen to their words and let them affect you."

Naruto scowled and hugged him closer. "But – "

"I don't want you to get hurt, especially not by mindless thugs like those men. You should only listen and look at those who want what's good for you, who see you as you are." He pulled slightly away and ruffled Naruto's hair. "Hmm? No more brain soups, all right?"

Naruto flushed. "Stop bringing that up," he grumbled. "N' I'm already looking only at you, so – "

The meaning of his words caught up with him only when Sensei's eye stared at him, startled and wide. Naruto pushed the man away and stumbled back, trying to hide his tomato-red face. "We – " He tried to swallow the lump in his throat. "We need to catch up, right?"

"Hmm. Yes."

Naruto finally looked up, still burning red, as Sensei fished a black plastic bag out of his backpack and used it to pick up the abandoned knife, which he sheaved and stored in his backpack. Then, he picked up Ino's bag as if it weighed nothing. His ears, Naruto noted, were bright pink.

"Are you coming, Uzumaki?"

Naruto grumbled as his heartbeat slowly returned to normal. "Yes, Hatake." He opened his bag and took out a bandage and an antiseptic cream he saved from the pile Shizune gave him, then closed the distance between them and pulled Sensei's wrist – perhaps too harshly – to make him stop.

"My, my. Someone's in a bratty mood," Sensei muttered. He attempted to grab the cream, but Naruto swatted his hand.

He smeared the cream over the deep scratches caused by his nails. Despite his swirling emotions, he tried to be gentle, and he eased his hold when he realized Sensei wasn't about to pull away. "M'not a brat," he grumbled.

"You sure do act like one, Uzumaki."

Naruto bristled but ensured he properly bandaged the hand, just like Gai had shown him. His frayed nerves were only slightly soothed by Sensei's soft huff; and slightly further when he brushed his hair with his fingers.

He leaned into the touch, incapable of doing otherwise, and finished treating the wounds. He packed his kit, still too shaken to meet his sensei's eye, and suddenly noticed the man's fingers still brushed his hair, working their magic against his scalp.

"You're the brat," he suddenly muttered, more out of nervousness than anger.

And was rewarded when Sensei replied with a laugh. "I see. Very mature." He dropped his hand and started walking.

Naruto hurried to match his pace. "S-shut up!"

"Hmm? You asked me to talk more, and now you want me to keep quiet."

"About trees n' stuff!"

"I told you, I don't know much about trees."

"But you know everything!"

Sensei sighed. "No one knows everything, Uzumaki. I am willing to bet the universe hides secrets even God had yet to uncover."

Naruto kicked a rock.

The man huffed. He lifted his finger and pointed. "That's a pine tree."

Naruto scoffed. "I knew that."

"They have pointy leaves."

"I knew – are you making fun of me?!" he yelled, turning to glower at his teacher.

Sensei smiled apologetically at him. "Not at all. I'm trying my best."

Naruto could feel his face burning. He looked away, heart fluttering, and bumped his shoulder against Sensei's arm. "S'fine," he whispered, coughing to mask his embarrassment.

Sensei ruffled his hair again. "I do know about the animals that live here, however."

Naruto blinked, then glanced up. "Like, bears?"

Sensei smiled. "Not bears. But wolves and deer and wild boar." He pointed out paths and hidden tracks left by the animals who made them. By the time they caught up to Sasuke, Sakura, and Ino, Naruto was already engrossed by Sensei's soft voice. His mood eased and lightened, and he was grinning brightly when he met them.

Ino ran to him and hugged him, which was strange, but he managed to hug her back. She wiped her eyes and said something snide, but her eyes were kind, so Naruto simply grinned in response.

Sakura and Sasuke looked at him oddly, but eventually, the conversation flowed between them like before. Sensei remained quiet, but he sometimes offered a sarcastic comment or a pointed observation, and Naruto grinned brighter because he knew he did it for him.

They caught up to the rest of the school. Everyone had already built up their tents and started cooking dinner. Naruto's stomach grumbled – and his mood soured again when Iruka ran to greet them, all but grabbing Sensei's shoulders.

"Here we go," muttered Sakura.

Sasuke scoffed in agreement.

"Kakashi! Where have you been? I was about to call a helicopter! Choji told me something about a bag…." He winced when he tried to lift the bag Kakashi still carried. "Oh dear! I thought Choji had exaggerated! Ino!"

Ino looked down, biting her lower lip.

"Really! A young woman your age should know better! I suppose we'll have to redivide the weight… but seriously, what on earth were you thinking – "

Naruto scoffed and moved to stand in front of her. Iruka was right, but Ino had gone through enough for one day. "Leave her alone. We delayed 'cause I wanted to hear stories about the forest and animals and stuff." He crossed his arms and smirked, despite the anger bubbling in his chest, preparing him for a fight. "Don't tell me you're mad because we're so eager to learn, eh, Mr. Principal? You said that this was an educational opportunity."

Iruka turned to face him, then blinked as the anger disappeared from his eyes. "O-oh? That's good. Really good, actually!" he added, his attempt at excitement flimsy at best. "Did you… er… have fun?"

Naruto stared right back. "Um." He hesitated. That wasn't the response he had expected. "Y-yeah."

Iruka looked visibly relieved. "Good! Good. I suppose, if the delay had an educational benefit, then…."

He glanced at him, his eyes hesitant, and something inside Naruto melted. A huge grin broke on his smile. "Yeah! Mr. Hatake taught us how to recognize animal tracks n' stuff."

"Oh." Iruka managed a smile in return. "That's good!"

Sensei stepped forward. He whispered something in Iruka's ear, and then handed him the black plastic bag from before.

Iruka's eyes widened as his face paled. "B-but, Tanzo? –"

Sensei whispered some more.

"Ri-right." Iruka scowled, his expression determined. His hold of the bag tightened as he promptly turned around and walked away.

Sakura frowned, "Um, Sensei…?"

Sensei turned to face them with a smile. "Don't worry about it. Do you need help setting up your tents?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes and tsked, then walked to a nearby spot and removed his backpack.

"Not there," Sensei said suddenly. "You are exposed to the wind from the sea and the forest." He led Sasuke to a different spot, explaining something about rock formations and mountains. Sakura caught up, dragging Ino – who caught his elbow and pulled him as well.

Sensei put down both backpacks and helped them set up their camp. Naruto joined him while the girls collected sticks for the fire, which Sasuke insisted on lighting alone.

Still, it was fun to build a tent with Sensei. His instructions were precise and, at times, sardonic, but he remained with him, patient and kind, his eye ever watchful. By the time they were done, the fire was already flickering cheerfully, and the rest of the team had already started to cook.

Naruto, now in charge of the fire, could not stop thinking about Sensei. Sensei restraining him against his chest, ruffling his hair, walking by his side… his voice, strained and raw, telling him to jump.

Sensei sighed. "I'm always paying attention to you, Uzumaki," he said quietly.

Naruto flinched and dropped a piece of wood into the fire, releasing a fury of sparks into the air.

"Oi," cried Sakura, who tried to balance a pot on the burning branches. "Watch what you're doing!"

Naruto winced. "Um. Sorry. I was lost in thought."

He stared at the flames; the flames stared back.

"Naruto," said Sasuke, glaring at him. "Cut the vegetables." He indicated with his head, summoning him away from the fire.

Naruto nodded and sat next to him, trying to peel a potato.

A branch split; the fire split up, reaching with a flaming hand toward the sky; the scent of burned wood intensified; Naruto cut his thumb.

"Fuck," he mumbled and stuck his thumb in his mouth, sucking the blood and trying to relieve the pain with his tongue. Fuck.

"Show me your finger," said a low, soothing voice – Sensei's low, soothing voice. The man sat next to him, balancing a medical kit on his knees and holding his hand out expectantly.

Naruto showed him his thumb. His ears blushed. "Sorry," he mumbled. "I was distracted."

Sensei smeared something warm on his wound that immediately relieved the throbbing pain. "How are you feeling?" he asked quietly. He put a band-aid on the cut, the touch too quick and efficient to be cherished.

The flames did strange things to his appearance. Shadows danced upon his face, cut sharply along the cheekbones; his eye both gleamed with light and stared like a bottomless abyss. His voice, however, was still kind.

"I'm f…" he tried and faltered because Sensei immediately scowled. He glanced at the flames. "I can't be scared," he replied quietly. "I won't let them scare me."

Sensei, for a very brief moment, squeezed his hand. He took the knife from his other hand and started to peel the potatoes with impressive proficiency. "Do you want me to stay?" he murmured.

Naruto stared. "You're leaving?" he cried, perhaps too loudly, because the rest of the group turned to look at them. He blushed.

"You can't, Sensei!" objected Sakura. "You have to stay for dinner!"

"And cook it," added Ino. "What?" she said when Sakura glared at her. "You said he was a good cook!"

Sasuke stared at the fish he was currently preparing. "I gutted enough fish for five people."

"All right," Sensei said, raising his hands in defeat. "All right. What are you making?"

"Fish stew!"

They finished cooking together and then ate together. The food, Naruto noticed, was twice as tasty when it was prepared like that.

Ino sat next to Sakura, Sakura next to Sasuke, who sat next to him. On his other side sat Sensei, whose one eye rarely left him.

Then Sensei made tea – the best Naruto ever had – and shared the graham crackers he had brought. Naruto wondered who he got the treat for since Sensei didn't like sweets but did not dare to ask. Well, it wasn't like Sensei would give him a straight answer, even if he did bring it up.

As the girls continued to banter (he didn't think Sakura and Ino could stop), Naruto could feel something untangle inside his chest, a sort of clenching, unyielding tension, vigilant and dizzying, that constricted his chest without him noticing. Slowly, he found it easier to breathe and more natural to smile. The flames and their scent no longer bothered him.

In fact, he drew comfort from their warmth as the chill from the ocean dug into his bones.

Eventually, the hour grew late. Sakura and Ino retired to their tent while Sasuke extinguished their small fire.

Sensei gazed at him, so Naruto blushed and looked away. He bumped their shoulders together, which Sensei did not seem to mind. "I'm fine," he mumbled. "Good night, Sensei."

The man nodded and got up. "I'll pitch my tent over there," he pointed to the conglomeration of teacher tents. "If you need anything – "

Naruto grinned. "I'll scream 'Sensei' really loud and see what happens."

The man stifled a sigh. "Knowing you, it's hard to tell if you're joking." He ruffled his hair. "Good night, Uzumaki. Uchiha."

And walked away.

Sasuke said nothing. He stared at him, shrugged, and nodded toward their tent. "Get changed," he said.

Naruto tore his eyes from Sensei's receding back with a muted sigh. He entered the tent and changed into the flannel pajamas that Sensei got him, and Sasuke joined him two minutes later and changed as well. They each lay in their sleeping bags, listening to the girls giggling in the other tent.

"Sakura and I, we don't care," Sasuke said suddenly. "We like you."

Naruto turned to stare at him. "Did you hit your head or something?"

Sasuke scoffed, still glaring at nothing. "You like Hatake," he blurted.

Naruto blinked and thanked the darkness for hiding his burning face. "So?" he mumbled.

"So… That's gay," Sasuke said slowly. He added quickly, perhaps sensing Naruto's muscles tensing next to him, "But we still like you."

Naruto turned his back to Sasuke, hiding his face in his arms. "I only like him, though," he protested. "That doesn't count."

"He's still a man," Sasuke said slowly.

Naruto wondered, for a moment, if that was his attempt to be kind.

"Fuck," Sasuke whispered. Naruto heard a rustle as Sasuke sat up, leaning on his elbow. He could feel him glaring at his back. "Listen, Naruto, all I meant… we don't care. You're our friend, and we like you for who you are. There's nothing wrong with liking men, or, whatever."

Naruto froze. He could tell Sasuke was trying really hard to express himself. Emotions and declarations were not his style. He nodded, daring a smile. "Yeah, Sensei said the same thing," he said quietly, almost shyly. "He said he's gay, too," he whispered.

Sasuke slowly sank back to the ground. "Good," he uttered. "Now he can return your feelings."

Naruto scoffed, hugging the towel he used as a pillow. He could not deny, however, the hope that bloomed within him like a flower.

A finger dug into his spine, making him jump. "Did you confess?"

"No!" Naruto cried, shoving his hand away. "I don't think he knows I'm…." His voice faltered.

Sasuke scoffed. "If we know, you can bet he does too," he objected.

"No…" Naruto protested. His mind, suddenly, was filled with Sensei's soft voice. "Your mother and father knew, by the way. They did not care."

Naruto pulled his hair. "Fuck," he groaned.

Sasuke huffed. "Told you," he muttered back. "Doesn't take a genius to notice that." He poked him again. "Cheer up. At least he likes you too."

Naruto shot up. "Y-you mean – "

"As a puppy."

Naruto could sense Sasuke's smirk, despite the darkness. "You fucking asshole!" and punched his shoulder.

"You would know."

Naruto growled and hit him again, feeling satisfied when the teen grunted –

"Boys!" yelled Sakura. "Shut up!"

"We need our beauty sleep!" added Ino. "Well, one of us does."

"Shut up, you pig!"

"Bring it on, forehead!"

Sasuke chuckled, and the unexpected sound eased Naruto's agitation. He lay back down, burrowing into the sleeping bag. "What's it like to date a girl?" he mumbled.

"Tiresome," Sasuke replied immediately. "But… it's not so bad," he whispered, "if you like them."

Naruto attacked him with his makeshift pillow. "You sap."

Sasuke swatted his towel away. "Fuck off." He turned away. "Go to sleep."

Naruto grinned and eased into the towel. He stared up, thinking about how warm Sensei was, how easily his body engulfed his; how his hands knew exactly where to touch him. He felt better.

"Good night."


Notes:


Someone asked me if I had any plans of including Kurama in this fic, and I said no (even though I did consider him naming wolf!Kakashi 'kurama'… but that didn't work, so I stuck with 'buddy'), but, well, he is included if you treat Kurama as Naruto's trauma. Naruto's anger outbursts in the anime usually ended up with him using Kurama's chakra, and he learned to control Kurama better only after he forgave the fox and embraced his broken self (aka the waterfall scene), a pattern of behavior that's very similar to that of psychological healing from a real-life trauma.

I'm not sure if Kurama really is an allegory to trauma (because that's problematic in its own way). Still, I did consider the relationship Naruto has with the 9-tails when I thought about how he'd react to a threat.

He's healing, but a trigger like being called gay can invoke old behavior patterns like violence, rejecting help, and lying to cover it up.

Kakashi sensed it, so he stayed glued to his side. BTW, I don't know if it was clear, but he told Iruka what happened so he'd tell Tanzo, and Tanzo would send the right people. I mean, he could call the police, but if he knows someone on the inside, why not skip the middleman?

And… well, a little exposure therapy to tie the loose end of the fire trauma. Naruto's always been the resilient type, but even then, it's always good to have support while healing.

Yeah well, anyways… what did you guys think? I love to hear from you!

See ya Next Friday!