was the easiest way to keep track of things, once he'd cut them down to twelve. Now, with just six left and another ceremony tomorrow, he scanned through them for clues to his next choice.
Two of them were already set aside. One a deep, rusty red, and the other a dark blue.
Just six left. One of them would have to become his husband. He was getting married.
Oh, is it time to panic? Kurama seemed far too amused about the whole thing.
He stared at the four that he'd laid out in front of him, sitting cross-legged on the floor. There was the pale blue one, Suigetsu. Maybe he should have sent him home earlier, but he was kind of fun. In a creepy sort of way. (Very creepy.) At least he was interesting.
Your taste in men is shit, Kurama said, and he could practically feel him rolling his eyes.
"Gaara's nice, I know you like Gaara?"
I don't like Shukaku. Listen to me, Naruto. If you marry him I'm going to have to hibernate for the rest of your life.
Naruto blinked, straightening up. He'd been flipping through the pages in Suigetsu's notebook, but now he reached for Gaara's instead.
"I think you'd learn to live with him. It's not like you guys would talk through us, anyway."
Still, he wrote down Kurama vs Shukaku?!
But I'd know he was there. He's like, my brother. That's just wrong.
"You're exaggerating. You're not marrying Shukaku. And if you hibernated, I wouldn't have to listen to your comments all the time, it gets annoying."
Kurama huffed, and Naruto threw the notebook back next to Sasuke's. He reached for Suigetsu's again, then changed his mind.
"What do you think about Takumi?" he asked, opening the green notebook and scanning the first page. "He didn't make much of a first impression, but I guess he's normal enough…"
Boring. Why are we even doing this? You know who you want.
"No, I don't."
Imagine having sex with Takumi. I'd fall asleep halfway through.
"Good! That's what I want you to do!"
Bleh. I deserve better than that.
He sighed, throwing Takumi to the side. There was Akira, from the Land of Lightning, and Takahiko from the Land of Mountains. Neither of them made him feel much of anything, but he got along with them and they were both smart and skilled ninja. Takahiko was the more good-looking of the two, but Akira had a better sense of humor…
He threw Akira's book on top of Suigetsu and Takumi, and grabbed Takahiko's for a last read-through. He'd picked pink for him, because he tended to blush a lot. He hadn't written that much about him, to be honest. Mostly short comments that their dates had been nice, or that he was a good cook. He was easy to spend time with, polite, got along with his parents…
Boring, Kurama said.
"Yeah," Naruto agreed, heaving another sigh. "Boring."
I don't know why you have to pretend you don't know. I already know! Which means you do, too!
"You don't even like Sasuke," he muttered, rubbing a hand over his face. "You think he's a jerk."
But an entertaining jerk.
"And you say I have shit taste in men!"
My taste in men is perfect. I want them to be edible and entertaining.
Naruto stared unseeingly at a wall, wishing he could erase the past minutes from his life.
When will I get to meet him properly?
"Never."
How about tomorrow.
"Nope."
I'll have to meet them at some point, you know.
"After ten years of marriage, maybe."
You're no fun. Let me meet the Uchiha brat! I doubt I'll scare him off.
Naruto shoved the notebooks into a pile, then stood, stretching his arms above his head. He should go to bed. It was late, and he hid a yawn in his shoulder.
"Maybe he'll scare you off," he said.
He glanced at the dark blue notebook. Most of it was filled with complaints. He'd almost run out of space.
You're just afraid I'll tell him embarrassing stuff about you.
"You mean you wouldn't?"
Of course I would.
"Then why the hell would I let you meet him?"
Aw, come on. Wouldn't you rather marry someone who gets along with me?
"I thought you hated the Uchiha because of their eyes."
Sure. But Sasuke and I have so much in common.
"I don't want to know."
Like annoying you. None of the others annoy you.
Naruto closed his eyes and groaned, then scrubbed his hands through his hair. Kurama needed an off-button. Seriously.
"You really think I should choose Sasuke because you two can annoy me together? I think I'd just go mad."
I think you like it. You've got a shit personality, too.
What if he just knocked his head against the wall and passed out? Maybe if he got a concussion they'd give him tomorrow off.
(Wishful thinking.)
Besides, Kurama continued, as if Naruto's suffering was his life's mission. I'm pretty sure Sasuke's got the bigger dick.
Naruto decided on a shower.
♡♡♡
Sasuke stared at the kunai in his hand. They were down to five. His mother had sent another letter, expressing how proud they were of him and how much it meant to the clan that he was making such a good impression on the future leader of Uzushio.
He wasn't so sure he was making a good impression. But an impression all the same. He sighed, throwing it onto the growing pile on the desk in his room. Naruto still refused to ask if he accepted the kunai. It was always shoved at him, sometimes accompanied by a glare, sometimes Naruto didn't even look at him. He was sure it was payback for something.
"Idiot," he muttered, lying down on the bed, hands clasped over his stomach.
Five left, and it was time for the mission. Naruto would go on a (fake) mission with each of them, stretching no longer than 24 hours at the most. Five days in a row.
Sasuke was last.
That meant four days of nothing.
Tonight they would have dinner, all of them together. And then Naruto would leave at midnight with Suigetsu. (Why was Suigetsu always first?)
When the missions were over, they'd go down to just three. He didn't want to think about it. He was still second in the polls. Something about how Gaara was so quiet and mysterious.
"Idiot," he said again, as if putting emphasis on it would help.
♡♡♡
Sasuke reluctantly made his way down to dinner, Karin showing him to a private room in a restaurant with lots of candlelight and decorations covering the walls. He was last to arrive, and ignoring Naruto's eyes on him he sat down at the end of the table, opposite of Gaara. It kept him as far away as possible from Naruto, which to be fair wasn't very far as there were only six people present. At least Naruto sat on the same side as him, with one person between them, so that Sasuke didn't have to look at him.
He met Gaara's curious stare with a carefully blank expression. His kimono was firmly wrapped over his chest, keeping him prim and proper. (Well, maybe there was still a bit of collarbone showing. Who was going to stop him? Not Naruto, that was for sure.) It was a new one – his mother had sent it along with her letter. Dark blue, a simple but rich color, with a lighter layer peeking out of the neckline. On each side of his chest were embroidered Uchiha fans, framed by light blue stitching in diamond shapes. He thought the clan symbol might be a little too much, considering how the others stared at him upon arrival. Well, he didn't mind wearing so much traditional clothing, he supposed, but he still felt strange out of uniform around all these other ninja. Like a different person.
Naruto was chatting with the other three, the conversation covering such riveting topics as the weather, the food, and some play that had been set up in the Land of Iron before their representative (Takumi, was it?) had left for Uzushio. He and Gaara at least seemed to agree that small talk was entirely unnecessary. He picked at his food, resisting the urge to lean his head in a palm and close his eyes in despair. Suigetsu's voice grated on his ears as he entertained them with a story of a mission gone wrong, and this time when he shared a look with Gaara it seemed his suffering was mirrored.
There was dessert, because of course there was, and the longer the night went on, the more obvious his and Gaara's silence was. Suigetsu had tried including him in conversation, quickly giving up with an irritated huff when all Sasuke did was raise an eyebrow. He wasn't there to make friends.
It must have been several hours before dinner ended, their so called guides returning to take them back to their rooms. Sasuke stood up immediately as the first of the guides poked their head inside, but made the mistake of glancing over at Naruto. His eyes clearly said and where the hell do you think you're going?
Swallowing down his nerves, Sasuke resigned himself to lingering as the others made their goodbyes. Though, for Suigetsu, it was more of a see you soon. He leaned against the wall by the door, arms crossed. His gaze followed the other four as they talked to Naruto, smiling and joking. Naruto smiled back, joked back – but was it just Sasuke, or did it seem a bit strained? A bit rehearsed? Gaara took the longest to leave. He seemed hesitant to leave the two of them alone, and Sasuke almost wished he'd insist on making Sasuke leave with him. He didn't particularly want to be alone with Naruto. He half-expected Karin to burst through the door, dragging him out by the arm. No such luck.
Naruto sighed as Gaara reluctantly closed the door behind himself, combing a hand through his already messy hair. When he turned to Sasuke, he shamelessly spent a moment drinking in the sight of him, slowly running his eyes up and down his body.
"What do you want?" Sasuke asked, resisting the urge to drum his fingers over his arm.
"That looks new," Naruto said rather than answer his question, nodding at the kimono.
"My mother sent it today, so obviously it's new."
"Hmm." Naruto's gaze was stuck somewhere on his throat. "You never talk about your family."
The you never talk was left unsaid. Sasuke shifted, unable to ignore the prickling sensation at the base of his neck. Naruto wasn't particularly close, but he was all too aware of how alone they were at the moment.
"What. Do. You. Want."
Naruto's eyes flickered up to meet his, Sasuke's biting tone doing nothing to ease the tension in the room.
"Well," Naruto started, licking his lips in a nervous gesture. "I won't see you for four days."
"Good."
Naruto frowned at him. There was something about this that had warning bells ringing loudly in Sasuke's head. Why was Naruto talking to him as if they got along? As if they'd miss each other?
"Do you have to be such a jerk all the time?" Naruto asked him, pouting.
He was so good at that. The pouting. Sasuke looked away.
"Yes. I thought we'd already established that."
"Kurama wants to meet you."
Now that was unexpected. Sasuke whipped his head back, staring at Naruto. He knew, of course, that the name Kurama referred to the kyuubi. And he knew, unfortunately, that the kyuubi had a consciousness of its own. But to connect those facts with the idea that it wanted to meet him was hard to wrap his mind around.
"Why?"
"I don't think you really want to know why," Naruto sighed, shoving his hands down his pockets.
He was wearing regular dark pants today, but with a lovingly decorated red haori over a simple white shirt. Sasuke had to assume someone was dressing him, because Naruto didn't look like the type who would willingly wear that sort of thing. Still, it looked too good on him, especially with the deep orange eyeshadow framing his eyes.
"I suppose for once you're right."
Lips twitching, as if Sasuke had just told the funniest joke ever, Naruto took a few steps closer.
"I'm sure he'll tell you anyway. So, you can do that thing with the sharingan, right?"
"What thing."
Naruto was too close for comfort, trapping Sasuke against the wall. He hated the way his heart beat faster, the way his throat ran dry.
"The thing where you can jump into my head and talk to him. Kurama says you should be able to do that."
"Oh, right. Well if Kurama says it."
His voice dripped with sarcasm, but Naruto didn't seem deterred. To be honest, Sasuke had no idea if he could do that. There wasn't much information on the tailed beasts, and even less on how the sharingan could control them. For some reason his parents hadn't wanted him to read the old texts written by Madara on the subject.
"Just try it," Naruto told him, eyes squinting with irritation. "He's too big to fit inside the room."
He had a feeling Naruto wouldn't let him leave until he'd done as told. Biting the inside of his cheek, he activated his sharingan. Naruto kept staring at him, stubborn, but there was a flush to his cheeks that wasn't there before. Sasuke violently suppressed the idea that Naruto found his red eyes attractive. Instead he focused on Naruto's chakra, finding the kyuubi's traces inside him, following it to its source through his eyes–
A second later, he stood in a cave, water sloshing around his feet. The light was a sickly yellow, and before him were thick metal bars, shaping an open gate to the prison that held the kyuubi.
Red eyes stared back at him, deep in the darkness. A low, sinister laugh filled the cave, causing his hair to stand on end.
Naruto materialized beside him, face bright.
"It worked!" he said, too cheerful for such a dark place. "Alright, Kurama. You've got five minutes, and if you break your promise I'll make you suffer for it!"
Sasuke wasn't sure he wanted to know what kind of promise that was. Possibly a promise not to kill him. Slowly, bit by bit, the kyuubi made its way to them, towering above them, head as large as a building. Its teeth were sharp, its fur a deep red that almost looked maroon in the light, its eyes like slits and trained on Sasuke.
"Uchiha," it growled, and Sasuke took a deep breath and held steady.
"Kurama," he said, figuring Naruto would yell at him if he didn't use its name.
It was powerful, no doubt about it. He could feel the chakra hum in the air, wondering how Naruto could possibly control all of it. He glanced at Naruto, who had gone from happy to nervous as he watched the kyuubi warily, as if ready to jump between them at any moment.
"Naruto doesn't want me to ask about your sexual preferences."
Sasuke barely held back a choked cough. He couldn't help his eyes widening, though, or the slightly desperate glare he sent towards Naruto.
"Why are you like this," Naruto groaned, tugging at his hair. "You said you'd behave!"
"I am behaving," the kyuubi said, a little too smug for Sasuke's tastes. "I'm not going to ask him. I just want him to know I could be asking if you weren't such a coward."
"I'm not telling either of you about that," Sasuke said, rearranging his face into pure disgust.
He should have listened better to Karin's warning. The kyuubi still looked menacing, even as it scoffed at the both of them.
"You're going to have to learn how to communicate at some point," it said, Naruto letting out an almost shout in outrage.
"Why are you giving us relationship advice?!" he yelled, waving his hands around. It would have been comical, if it weren't in fact a centuries old chakra entity doing exactly that. "You wanted to meet him, now you have! We're leaving!"
"You're such a brat," the kyuubi said, rolling its eyes.
Naruto tugged at his sleeve, and Sasuke was still reeling enough that it took him a few seconds to break the connection.
"I'm sorry," Naruto moaned, hiding his face in his hands. "I thought he wouldn't be weird about it. He said he wouldn't be weird about it."
"Is it always like that?" Sasuke couldn't help but ask, shuddering at the thought.
"He's awful." Naruto sighed and removed his hands, a long-suffering look on his face. "The things I have to put up with..."
Sasuke stared as he started pacing instead, muttering to himself. Maybe not to himself, now that he thought about it. As brief as the meeting had been, he had to wonder how someone could learn to live with a presence like that. All the things he'd heard about the kyuubi before coming here, and then all it talks about is sexual preferences and relationship advice. Almost as if it felt personally invested in Naruto's future spouse.
Maybe it did, for all he knew. Maybe the person unfortunate to marry Naruto would be marrying two people, in one body. He bit his lip, eyeing Naruto as he kept up his muttered conversation with the kyuubi. It was bad enough that Naruto was growing on him, like a weed. He really didn't need to throw in the kyuubi in the mix.
"Am I allowed to leave now?" he asked, Naruto's pacing coming to an abrupt halt.
He lifted his head, staring at him as if surprised he was still there.
"Oh. Um. Sure. I promised to walk you back."
Despite his words, he made no move to leave. Instead he kept up his staring, something about Sasuke's chest giving him trouble, judging by the slight frown on his face. Sasuke would leave, he would, but it felt like Naruto was working up to something. And if Sasuke moved, it was possible that he'd do something drastic to make him stay.
So he stayed, tense, watching the door and wishing Naruto would just get on with it.
"I like your kimono," Naruto said at last, breaking the silence.
Sasuke glanced at him, wanting to groan out loud at the way he was biting his lip.
"Want me to take it off?" he deadpanned, and sure enough Naruto twitched, cheeks blooming with red.
"What," he squeaked out, eyes a little wild. "I was just giving you a compliment!"
"Sure. After drooling over me for ten minutes."
Naruto glared at him, crossing his arms with a huff.
"I wasn't drooling."
Sasuke pushed off the wall, telling himself this was a terrible idea, and knowing he was going to do it anyway. He paused in front of Naruto, close enough for their breaths to mingle. Naruto was barely breathing, though, eyes closed as if bracing himself. Slowly, Sasuke lifted a hand to swipe at the corner of Naruto's mouth with the pad of his thumb.
"Definitely drooling," he said, as Naruto's eyes flew open.
They stood there for a long moment, eyes locked, Sasuke's hand still raised between them. It would be so easy to lift it a little higher, push his fingers through Naruto's hair and tug him closer. He thought about it, then thought better of it. When he stepped back, Naruto reached out and wrapped a hand around his wrist.
His touch was warm, his grip gentle. The look in his eyes, however, was hard as steel.
"You make my life so difficult," Naruto said, his tone of voice low, intimate. "And I think you're enjoying it."
Raising an eyebrow, Sasuke swallowed down the want filling his chest and throat.
"I really don't think it's my fault your life is difficult," he replied, holding his breath as the tension between them grew.
Maybe he should kiss him, just to get it over with.
"I won't see you for four days," Naruto changed the subject with, repeating his earlier words, thumb brushing over the inside of Sasuke's wrist and tracing the veins under his pale skin. "I think I'd like something to remember you by."
Oh. Not a change of subject at all, then.
Sasuke watched him, refusing to make the first move. He hoped someone would interrupt them. He hoped no one would. His heart slammed against his ribs, Naruto's breath washing hotly over his mouth. Had Naruto kissed the others? For some reason, he didn't think so.
His lips were soft, almost hesitant.
He tried to tell himself it felt like nothing. Tried to tell himself it had just been a while, that sure, Naruto was good-looking, but it didn't mean anything.
"Sasuke," Naruto whispered into his mouth, and fuck it, he had no right to sound like that.
"Shut up," he hissed back, even as he buried his hands in Naruto's silky hair, even as Naruto grabbed the front of his kimono and held him tight.
It was better not to keep it soft. He crashed their mouths together, bit Naruto's lower lip until he moaned from the pain. Naruto's palms explored his chest, dipping between the folds of fabric. His tongue licked into Sasuke's mouth, eager, tasting him greedily. If Naruto wanted something to remember him by, then fine, he could have it.
The door flew open, startling them apart.
"I can't believe you told me the wrong time!" Karin yelled, then froze mid-step as she took in the sight of them. "Oh, come on."
She shook her head, stomping towards them.
"You're really not smooth, cousin dear," she said to Naruto, punching him in the shoulder. "You should have just told me you wanted some alone time."
"I did!" Naruto protested, rubbing his arm, face bright red. "I told you not to show up!"
"I don't remember that." She flicked her hair back, then put her hands to her sides and shook her head again, as if the first time wasn't enough. "You're not allowed to play favorites, you know."
"As if you care," Naruto muttered under his breath.
Sasuke had spent the time discreetly putting himself together, and now cleared his throat delicately.
"Well, if you're done assaulting me…"
Karin snickered, though Naruto simply rolled his eyes at him.
"Sure, let's call it that," he sighed, then waved his hand carelessly at the door. "After you."
The night air was blessedly cool, and Sasuke drew in several deep breaths to calm down. He tried to tell himself that his elevated heartrate and flushed cheeks was just because Karin had walked in on them, not because he'd enjoyed the kiss. It was becoming more and more difficult to lie to himself, however, as he walked beside Naruto and ignored the way their hands kept brushing.
"How was dinner?" Karin asked, walking on Naruto's other side.
"Fine," Naruto said.
"I suppose dessert was better," she teased, narrowly dodging as Naruto aimed a fist at her forearm.
"Stop talking," he said. "Please."
"Those are completely innocent questions."
Naruto groaned, but his fingers linked with Sasuke's, and Sasuke was torn between using the grip to fling him into a building and just moving his hand away. It resulted in him doing neither.
"Can't you just leave?" Naruto complained, his hand doing a sneaky little maneuver until they were actually holding hands.
Sasuke wondered if he could just leave. Wasn't this against the rules? He still wasn't sure what the rules actually were. And where were all those ninja that usually spied on Naruto during his dates?!
"I'm just doing my job," Karin argued. "Clearly you need supervision."
"Are you seriously going to argue the whole way?" Sasuke asked, making an attempt to extricate his hand from Naruto's hold. No such thing. He was, for all intents and purposes, a hostage. "I can find my way back on my own."
Two pairs of eyes turned to give him identical looks of are you stupid?
"Whatever," he muttered, resolving to ignore them both the rest of the way.
When they reached the hotel he stayed at, he kept walking towards the entrance only to be held back by Naruto's hand, which still refused to let go of him. He drew in a deep breath, reminding himself that violence is not the answer, and turned to glare at Naruto.
To his unfortunate surprise, Naruto was giving him a very stubborn look, Karin unhelpfully standing with her back turned. Sasuke stood still, keeping his glare firmly in place. Naruto chewed on his lips, weighing on his heels, then finally let out a huff and closed the distance.
"Try not to die of boredom while I'm gone," he said, and leaned in to press a quick kiss to his mouth.
"On the contrary, feel free to stay away forever."
"You're such a jerk."
Naruto still held his hand, contradicting himself. There was something uncomfortable simmering in his stomach, something fluttery and warm.
He said nothing. Neither did Naruto.
"I don't have all night," Karin said, tapping her foot impatiently.
"Shut up," Naruto said, and kissed him again.
Naruto hadn't meant to kiss Sasuke. But he did, and now he couldn't stop thinking about it. Gaara noticed right away, of course, he always read Naruto so easily. He didn't wait long after receiving their first clue for their mission, pulling Naruto aside to sit on a fallen tree beside the narrow trail they were supposed to follow. Most of the lowlands around Uzushio were void of trees, but higher up in the hills they grew thick and gnarled.
"How are you feeling?" Gaara asked, expression as serious as ever. "You seem upset."
Shrugging, Naruto picked at a loose piece of bark covering the dead tree. He wasn't upset, precisely, but he also wasn't not upset. It didn't make any sense even to himself.
"I don't know," he said, tapping his feet together. The tree was thick enough that their feet didn't reach the ground, and Naruto stared at a couple of ants carrying a few fir needles on their backs. "I guess it's starting to hit me that it's all real, you know?"
Gaara nodded, reaching out to place his hand over Naruto's arm.
"Is Sasuke giving you trouble?"
Trouble is one way of calling it, Kurama snickered.
"Sort of. I was kind of hoping he'd have opened up a bit more by now." He paused, worrying his lips between his teeth. "I mean, he–"
There was no hiding the red color spreading across his cheeks as he thought of the way Sasuke had kissed him back. It had felt so good, like things finally made sense.
"You like him," Gaara filled in for him, eyes boring into him. "Isn't that a good thing?"
Helplessly, he spread his arms out, trying to convey how bad it was without using words.
"Is it? Is it really?"
"I won't lie," Gaara continued, voice steady even as it filled with emotion. "I'll be happier if you don't."
Guilt immediately filled him, twisting his insides into knots. Gaara was one of his best friends, and if life was simpler, Naruto would have had no trouble marrying him.
"I'm sorry," he said, quietly. "Here I am, talking about some other guy when we're supposed to…"
"It's my fault, I brought him up."
Gaara smiled at him, but it was weak.
"Still. It would be easier if I wasn't so hung up on him."
When Gaara shook his head, Naruto couldn't help but frown in confusion.
"You know," Gaara started, turning his head to stare into the trees. "This whole thing is about you, isn't it? It's not about me. I don't want you to choose me out of some sense of obligation."
He wanted to deny it, but he didn't think Gaara would appreciate it.
"I really care about you," he said instead, waiting until Gaara turned back to meet his eyes. "If things were different…"
"But they're not."
"You're taking this pretty well, you know," Naruto couldn't help but say, but Gaara's pale eyes narrowed.
"I'm not." He scooted closer, until their thighs pressed together. It didn't make his heart beat faster, or his face heat up. "I wish Konoha had never sent him."
"Oh."
He didn't move when Gaara lifted a hand, cupping his cheek. He could tell that Gaara was searching for something in his eyes, and wasn't finding it.
"I wish you liked me the way I like you," Gaara said, the words so simple, and yet nothing about this was simple. "I just want you to know that if you decide not to choose Sasuke, you can choose me instead."
"But I thought–"
Gaara's fingers pressed into his cheek, silencing him. Confused, Naruto waited for him to explain. He knew he had to pick someone, but if he couldn't change his feelings for Gaara, didn't he deserve to find someone who loved him fully?
"We both know you need to make a choice, and that it can't be no one. I think we could make it work. Do you?"
Blinking at him, Naruto swallowed down the lump in his throat. It would be so much better if he just chose Gaara.
"I wouldn't choose you out of obligation," he said, licking his dry lips. "I'd choose you because you're one of my best friends, and I trust you."
Gaara nodded, his grip loosening. When his eyelids lowered, gaze falling down to his lips, he couldn't help the way his breath hitched. It wasn't like with Sasuke, but it was something, wasn't it? He closed his eyes, breathing through his nose as Gaara's lips brushed over his. The touch was gentle, sweet. The promise of a foundation to build upon.
"Think about it," Gaara whispered, leaning back again. "I don't mind being second best if I could have this with you. I'll make you forget about him."
Guilt still warred inside him, but he did his best to smile. How much better could Sasuke really be? He was rude and closed off, and obviously didn't love him. He'd been sent against his will, would probably cry happy tears if Naruto sent him home.
But the way he'd kissed him…
Naruto shook the thought off, following Gaara as they found the trail again, trying to focus on their fake mission instead. He and Gaara worked well together. They were compatible, they knew each other, and he trusted him with his life. There was no way sexual attraction should win over that.
It's cute how you're trying to convince yourself of that, Kurama said, as if he knew anything about romance.
Shut up, Naruto thought back at him, viciously. Gaara's right, I could definitely make it work with him.
Kurama didn't answer, but he didn't need to. Naruto could feel his disbelief follow him all the way through the mission, like a living guilty conscience. He tried to shake it off as best he could, focusing on Gaara instead. They finished the mission with some hours to spare, and Naruto gratefully dragged his feet back home for some hours of much needed sleep. Surely, when he met up with Sasuke he wouldn't seem as attractive? It had been four days, definitely enough time to look at things more objectively. Sasuke only seemed so appealing because he was like those bad boys in movies – Naruto should know better than that. Dark and mysterious didn't mean happy ever after.
Filled with resolve, he fell asleep the moment his head hit the pillow.
♡♡♡
Sasuke tapped his foot as he waited. Naruto was late, and he could tell even the officials were starting to get nervous. He didn't know why it irritated him so much. If the idiot wanted to annoy him, it was certainly working.
He stood there, arms crossed, wondering why he'd been so careful to be on time when this was how he was treated. His irritation was definitely making the people milling about extra nervous. He could feel their glances, heard their frantic whispering. He missed his katana, considering picking someone to threaten to find out where the hell Naruto was.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry I'm late!"
Naruto's yelling was loud enough that it grated Sasuke's ears, his voice carrying over before his frantic steps did. He ran into the small camp set up to send them off on the mission, eyes wide and hair sticking up even worse than usual. He looked like he'd woken up five minutes ago, pulling on yesterday's clothes and probably not brushing his teeth.
Though, it was midnight, so technically yesterday wasn't that long ago.
"Finally gracing us with your presence," he muttered, raising a condescending eyebrow at Naruto.
The idiot paused, mouth falling open. It would have been comical if Sasuke wasn't so annoyed. He eyed Sasuke up and down, working his mouth through silent words, his hands coming up to tangle in his hair.
"Fuck," was all he said, managing to infuriate Sasuke even more.
He stalked over to him, grabbing the front of his incredibly ugly jumpsuit.
"You were doing so well apologizing, and all you're going to give me is fuck?" he asked, boring his eyes into Naruto until he looked satisfyingly terrified. "Did you oversleep on purpose or are you just an idiot?"
"I didn't–" Naruto growled at him, pushing at his shoulders. "I didn't do it on purpose."
Sasuke let him go, looking down his nose at him, sure his distaste was obvious.
"I don't enjoy waiting."
Naruto's face was flushed, fists clenched as he glared back.
"I was going to apologize!"
"Sure."
"I was! It's not my fault that you–"
He stopped, twisting his head away. Sasuke watched him as he breathed deeply, forcing himself to calm down. He felt like he was boiling on the inside. Naruto keeps him waiting for four days, and then he doesn't even bother showing up on time. Well, he could forget about Sasuke being helpful with this joke of a mission.
"Ah, if you would please accept the first clue…"
Sasuke turned towards the voice, narrowing his eyes dangerously. The man shrunk back, looking to Naruto for help. Naruto was busy muttering to himself, however, tugging roughly at his hair. Unhappy with the whole thing, Sasuke reluctantly held out a hand and accepted the scroll. He didn't wait for Naruto, though, making his way towards the road beside them in the direction he was pointed in.
Unrolling the scroll, he quickly scanned the contents. It seemed basic enough. They had to search for a hidden item, and the clue easily meant they had to find some kind of lake up the side of one of the mountains to the north of Uzushio. He doubted it would be that far – they only had twenty-four hours, after all.
It took a minute, but soon enough Naruto seemed to wake up from his distress, running after him.
"You could have told me you were leaving!" he complained, snatching the scroll from Sasuke's hands. "You're so inconsiderate!"
"Oh, I'm inconsiderate?" He didn't pause, walking fast enough that Naruto had to almost jog in order to keep up. "Remind me again who was half an hour late to his own damn appointment!"
Naruto groaned, wrapping his fingers around Sasuke's arm and forcing him to stop.
"I'm sorry, okay? I've barely slept the past four days and no one came to wake me up!"
"That's a shitty excuse."
"Well, what do you want me to say?!" Naruto waved his free hand around, voice loud enough that it surely carried all the way back to the camp. "I promise I didn't mean to!"
Even as Sasuke glared at him, he scanned his face for signs of exhaustion. He didn't look particularly dead on his feet, and it only made his anger flare up again.
"Well, I hope you got some nice sleep," he hissed, shaking him off and starting to walk again. Sasuke certainly hadn't gotten any, that was for sure. Not after Gaara got back a few hours earlier, smile just a tad too smug. "Don't say a single word to me unless it's about this sorry excuse of a mission."
Naruto stood gaping after him for a moment, then jumped in front of him, blocking the road.
"Whoa," he said, staring at Sasuke in disbelief. "I get that you're pissed I was late, but I already told you I'm sorry. It was an accident, okay? You don't have to act like the world is ending."
Sasuke glared murder at him. Still, he was right. Sasuke didn't like the realization that hit him – why did he care if Naruto was late? It shouldn't bother him. Not this much, at least. He just couldn't shake off the feeling that Naruto probably hadn't been late to see the others, and judging by his words that night they walked home, he'd almost expected him to be early.
"I'm not," he argued, even though he was.
"You are, you totally are."
He tried to push Naruto aside, sighing through his nose. Maybe if Naruto was silent for five seconds he'd get over it. Naruto didn't seem to get the memo, though.
"Look, can we just start over? Let's pretend I showed up on time and everything's fine. I mean, you're still going to be a bastard because when aren't you? But at least we don't have to yell at each other."
"You're the only one who yelled."
"I didn't–!" Naruto huffed at him, then opened up the scroll to read the contents. Sasuke could tell that he was visibly restraining himself, jaw clenched as he pieced the information together. "Alright, I know where we're going."
"A miracle, I'm sure."
A sharp elbow connected with his side, and Sasuke retaliated by kicking Naruto's legs out, leaving him sprawled on the ground.
"Why are you such a terrible person?" Naruto groaned, reaching a hand up, insistent.
Rolling his eyes, Sasuke pulled him up. Naruto stepped in closer than he needed to, their chests bumping. Having Naruto so close reminded him of things he'd sworn not to think about, but he wasn't fast enough. Naruto's arm wound itself around his back, keeping him in place.
"We've got twenty-four hours," Naruto told him, tightening his grip for emphasis. "You're stuck with me whether you want it or not, so how about you behave for like, half of those hours or something?"
"I'd rather not."
Naruto's mouth was unavoidable as it connected with his, like a blow from his blind spot. The sharingan didn't really have a blind spot, but Sasuke ignored that fact as Naruto kissed him. He closed his eyes, pretending he hadn't just given in so easily. Naruto's lips were a secret weapon that should be banned from use – how could anyone so much as think when captured like this?
It didn't last long. Sasuke's lips felt too soft on his face as Naruto leaned back, as if Naruto had taken all his hard angles and molded them to his liking.
"That's better," Naruto mumbled, stealing another quick peck before releasing him from his hold. "Now stop being so difficult."
"I was born–"
"–difficult, I know," Naruto finished for him, shaking his head. "Come on, let's run for a bit. Might help."
Sasuke wasn't sure what it would help for, but he didn't disagree. Naruto tucked the scroll into a pouch tied to his leg, and then they were off.
It did help. He'd never admit it, though.
♡♡♡
Naruto wasn't sure where he'd gone wrong. They ran the entire way to the lake, because he was afraid to open his mouth and speak. He'd kissed Sasuke. Again.
In his defense, Sasuke looked completely mouthwatering. He'd expected Sasuke to wear the standard uniform, like he'd done before. No such thing. He was wearing another sleeveless top (sadly a turtleneck, covering his throat and collarbones), and fingerless gloves that reached all the way up to the middle of his biceps. Even though so much of his skin was covered, it left absolutely nothing to the imagination. Even his nipples showed, for kami's sake! It was possible that the pants belonged to the standard uniform, but Naruto hadn't dared look too closely at his legs.
Was he tormenting Naruto on purpose? It was the same question he'd asked himself ever since Sasuke sauntered onto stage and into his life that first day.
At least he kissed you back, Kurama helpfully pointed out, but all it did was make Naruto sink deeper into despair.
It had been simple enough to dismiss his feelings for Sasuke when the man wasn't in sight. Well, maybe simple was pushing it, but it had been easier to convince himself his memory was lying to him. Apparently, it hadn't been lying. If anything, it hadn't given Sasuke proper justice. Naruto barely held back a groan, glancing at Sasuke as they came to a stop with the lake in sight. He looked too good. It just wasn't fair!
The sun was rising, peeking up at them from above the treetops. It bathed the lake in a red haze, the water perfectly calm. It was beautiful, and Naruto felt rather sorry for himself that he still preferred looking at Sasuke.
Consider this, Kurama said, and Naruto wished desperately that he had an off-button. You're all alone, no one watching. Isn't it the perfect moment to suggest a break before searching for the second clue?
It's never going to stop being creepy, getting romantic advice from you.
He hadn't paused to watch the sunrise with the others. Not for longer than to comment on its existence, at the very least.
"Wow, I'm tired," he said, stretching his arms above his head. "How about a break?"
It was the first thing either of them had said since they'd started running. At least it seemed like Sasuke had calmed down, because he followed Naruto towards the lake without objection. He found a nice place to sit, smooth rock sloping into the water. As the sun rose, its rays broke through the trees, causing the water to glitter.
He pulled his legs up, wrapping his arms around them. Leaning his cheek on his knees, he looked over at Sasuke. He was staring at the view, lost in thought. Naruto wished he knew what was running through his head. Did he truly hate being here? Was he ever going to open up a bit, without Naruto pulling answers out of him by force?
"Stop staring at me," Sasuke said, glancing at him. "We're not having a romantic moment."
"We're not?"
Unfolding his legs, he snuck closer to Sasuke.
"I mean it," Sasuke told him, frowning as he shifted away. "Don't think I'm going to be nice to you just because we kissed a few times."
"What if we kissed a bit more?"
Sasuke stood up, easing into a relaxed fighting stance. Naruto scrambled to follow him, a little wary.
"Let's spar," Sasuke said.
"What? Why?"
"We never got to finish last time."
"Yeah, because you were being a jerk."
Sasuke huffed, waving at him to start.
"You're too easily riled up. I don't intend to go easy on you."
Heart pounding in his ears, Naruto grinned.
"Don't think I'll go easy on you, either!"
Naruto launched forwards, feinting a blow, Sasuke easily blocking the kick he followed up with. He spun around, elbowing him in the back, but Sasuke had already vaulted away from him. He could feel adrenaline pumping through his veins, running through possible attacks. He knew Sasuke was fast, but how fast?
"Giving up already?" Sasuke taunted him, but Naruto wasn't going to take the bait this time.
"You'll regret that when I win!" he shot back, running forwards only to flicker to the side, attempting to sweep Sasuke's feet out.
Sasuke grabbed his arm, intending to twist him over a shoulder, but Naruto followed the momentum and pulled him with him, aiming a punch at his stomach that Sasuke blocked with a knee.
"You're too slow," Sasuke told him, pushing at his chest with his other foot and getting away from him again. "Don't mind if I show you how it's done."
If he'd thought Sasuke was elegant when he fought Naruto's clone, this time he was brutal. Naruto barely kept up as they moved back and forth in a blur, neither of them getting in any good hits. He breathed hard as they pulled away again, but not from exhaustion – he was exhilarated, barely holding back a laugh. Even Sasuke looked like he was enjoying himself, raising an eyebrow in challenge as he moved in for another series of blows that forced Naruto to retreat.
"You're good," he admitted, feet sliding against the ground as Sasuke managed to throw him. "But not unbeatable like this."
Without his sharingan, Sasuke didn't have the advantage of predicting his movements. With enough patience he managed to kick him hard in the side, gaining the upper hand for a moment. He followed it up with throwing him to the ground, grinning wide as he gripped Sasuke's wrists and pushed them above his head. He knew full well that Sasuke had let him do it, not an ounce of defeat in the steady look he gave Naruto.
"Do I win?" he still asked, dipping his head down until their noses brushed.
"As if," Sasuke snorted. "You said you wanted me to behave, so I'm behaving."
"Hmm. I think I like it."
He didn't really think about it. It was natural, to lean down that last bit until their breaths mingled, excitement rushing through him as their mouths just barely touched.
"I…"
Sasuke's eyes were wide, his breaths short. Naruto waited, but he didn't say anything else. Instead he licked his lips, tilting his chin up in clear invitation. Shocked, Naruto's grip on Sasuke's wrists eased up, his mind racing. Did Sasuke want to kiss him? Not that he would have kissed Sasuke earlier if he thought he didn't enjoy it, he just hadn't expected Sasuke to lure him in like this, hadn't thought he would ask for it.
"Seriously," Sasuke sighed, sounding impatient.
He snatched his arm out of Naruto's hold, twisting his fingers in the hair at the back of his head instead. When their mouths collided, Naruto still wasn't sure what was happening. He moaned into Sasuke's mouth, half in surprise, a shiver of pleasure making its way down his spine. He caught up quickly – slipping his fingers between Sasuke's instead of pushing down his wrist, their hands clasped above his head, opening his mouth for Sasuke to lick at his teeth. His other hand found purchase on Sasuke's shoulder, holding on tightly as the kiss turned hungry.
He wanted to do so many things to him. Naruto ran his hand down Sasuke's chest, growing hard rapidly at the feel of all that firm muscle. He snuck it underneath Sasuke's tank top, finally touching that smooth skin properly. Sasuke arched into it, spreading his legs so that Naruto could fall between them, gasping quietly when Naruto rolled his hips against him.
Taking the opportunity, he kissed along Sasuke's jaw, all the way up to his ear and back down again. Most of his throat was covered by the turtleneck, but Naruto didn't let that stop him. He sucked on his neck through the fabric, wetting it, thumb finding a nipple and pressing into it.
Sasuke squirmed underneath him, head thrown back in pleasure. Naruto felt high on it – he felt like someone had grabbed his brain and thrown it into the lake, no rational thought left. He bit into Sasuke's collarbone, dragged his nails down the side of his chest.
"Wish I could fuck you," he breathed against the hollow of his throat, working his way back up to Sasuke's mouth.
Unfortunately for him, Sasuke snorted and turned his face away.
"I'm not letting you fuck me dry out here, you complete moron," he said, Naruto groaning as he slumped against Sasuke's body.
"I know that," he sighed, drawing circles over Sasuke's hip. "That's why I said I wish."
I could heal him though, Kurama suggested. You know, it's a thing I can do.
"Oh, for fuck's sake," he muttered, pushing up on his hands to sit on Sasuke's thighs.
He scrubbed at his face, as if it would destroy the mental image.
"What?" Sasuke asked, looking way too delectable, his hair a mess as he lay sprawled on the ground. "Don't tell me, the fox said something?"
"Yup."
Sasuke watched him for a moment, contemplating him.
"What did he say?"
Naruto stared at him, wide-eyed.
"I really don't think you want to know."
"Try me. It's got to be interesting if it managed to make you react like that."
Sasuke glanced down at his crotch, where he was still embarrassingly hard. He cursed at Kurama, combing his hands through his hair before leveling Sasuke with a look.
"Fine. He suggested he can heal you, if we want to fuck anyway."
He hadn't expected Sasuke's lips to twitch with laughter. Of all the things he'd said, this is what made Sasuke laugh? His heart sank as Sasuke threw an arm over his eyes, biting his lower lip against the amusement threatening to spill over. He'd hoped that maybe Sasuke would have a terrible laugh – anything to make him less perfect. Instead his smile was beautiful, of course it was, his shoulders shaking lightly as he removed his arm, dark eyes filled to the brim with mirth.
"You're laughing," Naruto accused, poking him in the chest. "I've got an evil fox in my head telling me to skip using lube, and you're laughing."
If anything, it just made Sasuke's laughter worse. There were teeth showing and everything. Helpless, Naruto watched him, mesmerized.
"It's just so stupid," Sasuke said through the laughter, gesticulating with a hand. "Is this going to happen every single time you try having sex with someone?"
Naruto was too far gone to care about being embarrassed. He sighed wistfully, wishing he wasn't doomed to a life of terrible sexual suggestion.
I'm offended, Kurama sniffed, and Naruto couldn't help laughing a little, too.
"He says he's offended."
"Good! He should be."
Sasuke shook his head, exasperated. He looked so good from this angle. Less like a prickly bastard, and more like someone Naruto could love.
"I swear he's not usually this bad."
"Somehow, I don't really believe you."
No, tell him you're right. It's much funnier doing this when it's about Sasuke.
Making a face, Naruto considered living in celibacy for the remainder of his life.
"How about we just go back to kissing instead? That was nice."
"Too late," Sasuke told him, crushing all his dreams. "The mood's ruined. I'm going to find that clue."
Naruto fell onto the ground as Sasuke lifted a leg to push him off, groaning in mock pain.
"You're cruel. What am I supposed to do about this?"
Sasuke shrugged, barely sparing Naruto's poor dick a glance.
"Suffer, I guess. Where's the scroll?"
He pulled it from his pouch, throwing it at Sasuke's head.
"Fine. Will you at least tell me your favorite food now?"
Giving him a weird look, Sasuke opened the scroll and read through the clue a second time.
"Why should I? You haven't done anything to earn it."
Naruto sighed, but he couldn't force down the smile tugging at his mouth.
"I would have sucked your dick."
Rolling his eyes, Sasuke finished with the scroll, throwing it back.
"You think I tell everyone who sucks my dick what my favorite food is? Please, I have standards."
Jumping to his feet, Naruto grabbed the scroll from where it landed by his feet, pocketing it again.
"What if I'm really good at it?"
Sasuke started walking towards the right side of the lake, Naruto hurrying to overtake him so he could walk backwards, keeping them face to face.
"Then I think we'd be talking about other things, not food."
Puffing his cheeks up, Naruto released the air annoyingly loudly. Sasuke's eye twitched, but he kept up his long strides.
"What if I sucked your dick and I offered to cook you dinner? Wouldn't you want to eat your favorite food?"
"Absolutely not."
"Why not? I'm a great cook."
The second clue was hidden underneath a pile of rocks shaped like a turtle, and Sasuke ignored him fully as he dug it out.
"Sasuke," Naruto whined as they'd both read through the clue scribbled onto it. "I bet I could make the best version ever of your favorite food."
"You were so good at being quiet earlier, why don't you go back to that?" Sasuke complained, summoning a hawk and looking after it as it soared into the sky. "I have to do all the work and entertain you."
"Well, what can I say."
Naruto sneakily walked up close to him, hooking his chin over his shoulder, arms wrapping around his waist from behind. The sigh Sasuke let out was long-suffering. Honestly, Sasuke brought this upon himself. He should know better by now than to rile Naruto up, especially looking so provocatively pretty.
"I should just knock you out and finish this on my own. It'll be faster and more painless."
"And incredibly boring."
He pressed a kiss to the spot underneath Sasuke's ear, fingertips finding the gap between his shirt and pants, touching the warm skin just below his waistband. He felt like he could stand there forever, just holding Sasuke in his arms.
I thought you were supposed to get over him and settle on Gaara, Kurama reminded him.
Something cold washed over him, his heart skipping a beat. He'd thought that, hadn't he, only a few hours earlier. He'd been so sure he could let Sasuke go – in the long run, surely they'd drive each other mad? But Sasuke didn't push him away, and Naruto leaned his cheek on Sasuke's shoulder, soaking up his scent and body heat. The sun was higher up in the sky now, morning starting to turn slowly into day. There were so many hours left, and it still didn't feel like enough.
How was he supposed to figure Sasuke out, when time was so short? He could probably spend a lifetime trying to put the puzzle pieces together, and still not know everything about him.
Sasuke moved, and Naruto held his breath in anticipation of being pushed off at last. But all Sasuke did was put a hand over Naruto's arm, so hesitant – Naruto stared down at those pale fingers wrapped around the soft material of his jumpsuit jacket. His heart beat so hard in his chest he thought it might burst.
Such a small thing, but he felt so happy he might cry. He hid his face in the crook of Sasuke's neck, holding him just a little bit tighter. Maybe it was a bad idea, maybe it was a terrible idea, but how was he supposed to just give this up?
He hoped Sasuke's hawk would take hours to return.
Itachi didn't know what to expect when he arrived in Uzushio. Sasuke had only replied to Mikoto's letters with short, simple sentences, and Neji hadn't been willing to provide more than a few unnecessarily gleeful comments that he wouldn't be surprised if Sasuke ended up on top of the competition.
Of course, no one would me more proud than Itachi if Sasuke was chosen, but he would miss his little brother fiercely. He wasn't worried that Sasuke would work hard to be chosen only for the benefit of his clan. As much as he tried to, he hadn't succeeded in helping Sasuke regain his sense of loyalty to duty that they all had drilled into them from a young age. Sasuke loved his family, but he didn't love their village. A change of scenery was good for him, Itachi thought, because he'd been nurturing a private suspicion that Sasuke was unhappy with the direction his life was going.
It was no secret what Sasuke thought of Konoha and its methods. He could hardly be blamed, all things considered. Itachi himself had been labeled a missing nin when seemingly abandoning his duties to search for him, but he didn't regret it, nor had he given up his complete loyalty to their clan and village. It was a complicated matter. Itachi had made peace with it, Sasuke, he suspected, had not. Perhaps one day he could tell Sasuke about the second layer to his rescue mission, and his part in tearing Akatsuki apart from the inside.
He sighed to himself, as he was shown to the hotel Sasuke stayed at. There were times when he desperately wished he'd been born a civilian, with a mind and body less coveted by those in authority. He could have lived in a cottage with Shisui, raising chickens and solving petty problems that had no bearing on the fate of the world.
Sasuke was openly surprised when he opened the door to his room, finding Itachi outside with a small travel bag.
"What?" he said, blinking in disbelief.
"I thought you knew I was arriving."
Shaking his head, Sasuke stepped back to let him in. The room was small and tidy, aside from a messy pile of ceremonial kunai on the desk. He put his bag on the lone chair, and turned to face his brother.
"Well then," Itachi started, searching Sasuke's face for clues. "There wasn't much in your letters, but the news are certainly praising you."
"Praising me?" Sasuke repeated, looking stunned. "Why? What for?"
Itachi paused, taking in the expression. He seemed genuinely shocked, and Itachi made a few mental rearrangements to his predictions of what Sasuke's stay had been like.
"Don't tell me," he said, giving Sasuke a fond smile. "You've been getting on Naruto's nerves like when you were kids."
"It's the opposite," Sasuke quickly replied, crossing his arms. "He's been getting on my nerves."
But there was something nervous to his brother's appearance as he said it, his gaze flitting through the room, weight shifting from side to side.
"There's only three of you left," Itachi pointed out, observing Sasuke closely as something wild flashed through his eyes. "You must be doing something right to have stayed this long."
It wouldn't have surprised him if Sasuke had scoffed, if he'd shrugged and called Naruto an idiot, or claimed the others were such poor choices that being sent home earlier would have been an insult to the clan. He had not expected his brother to freeze for a moment, and then crumble into despair, sinking down onto the bed with his face in his hands.
"I'm fucked," he said, the sound muffled. "So fucked. You should have left me with Orochimaru."
Itachi didn't point out that Sasuke had managed to escape Orochimaru all on his own. He'd never heard his brother sound so defeated, like he'd looked his own fate in the eye and found he couldn't fight it.
"If it's that bad, I'm sure I can find a way to fake your death."
At least Sasuke smiled at that, even if it was faint. Itachi sat down beside him, hands clasped between his knees. He stared thoughtfully at the pile of sharp knives, considering the facts he had. Sasuke had told him before leaving that he was expecting to return early, and Itachi had mostly believed him. Something must have happened to put a wedge in his plans, and that something might be named Uzumaki Naruto.
Back then, Itachi had found it amusing and endearing how quickly Sasuke and Naruto grew attached to each other, despite how loud and sometimes violent their interactions were. Sasuke had sulked for months after Naruto returned home, but then he'd been kidnapped and Itachi had put any plans to reunite them far back in favor of more pressing matters. Perhaps he should have suggested another visit once Sasuke returned home, if only because Naruto might have been able to draw him out of his shell a little.
Another item to add to his pile of regrets.
"Want to tell me about it?" he asked carefully, when neither of them had said anything for a few minutes.
"No," Sasuke replied, but then he let out a humorless laugh. "I know what you're going to say, and I don't want to hear it."
"Fair enough."
"This whole thing is so stupid," Sasuke continued, pushing his hands through his hair and falling back on the bed.
His little brother could certainly be dramatic when he wanted to, and Itachi turned to look down at him. Sasuke was gnawing on his lips, fingers still twisted in his hair. There was a light pink dusting his cheeks, and Itachi had to blink a few times to let it all sink in.
"Oh," he said, barely keeping his mouth from shaping an amused smile. "I see now."
Sasuke, of course, glared at him. But the red color on his cheeks deepened, and his hands migrated back to hide his face.
"Shut up," Sasuke groaned. "Just, shut up."
"Naruto, huh?" he mused, finding his ponytail and running his fingers through the strands of hair. "I should have expected it, I suppose. I heard he grew up quite handsome."
"I don't like him," Sasuke gritted out through clenched teeth.
"Why not?"
"Why not? I'll tell you why not. First of all, he's an idiot. He's not dumb but he's definitely an idiot. Mostly because he thinks with his dick, not his brain. I'm not so sure he has a brain, actually. We went on a fake mission and he was wearing orange. Orange! What's wrong with him?"
Itachi opened his mouth to reply, but Sasuke barely paused to take a breath before his rant continued. His hands had left his face, instead used to emphasize his points.
"His apartment is full of frogs, how is anyone supposed to live like that? He's obsessed with ramen. He's not terrible to spar with but he's so annoying that I constantly want to punch him. And don't get me started on the kyuubi, it's like he's got something even more annoying living inside him, constantly commentating his life. Why the fuck would a chakra entity meddle in its host's sex life?"
Sasuke's rant continued for several minutes, Itachi patiently listening as the realization that his little brother had fallen in love settled inside him. Everything Sasuke said sure sounded like an insult, but it didn't feel like an insult. It felt more like he was trying to convince himself he wasn't head over heels, a desperate attempt at preserving lost dignity. He was sure that Sasuke found it gravely unsettling that someone like Naruto turned out to be the one to melt his heart. He'd always been too proud for his own good, too easily dismissing people, too often keeping his metaphorical mask on when interacting with anyone outside his closest family.
It was sweet, how long it took him to realize that his complaints weren't actually complaints. Once he did, his mouth snapped shut in horror, and he met Itachi's eyes with dread.
"Oh no," he whispered, hands falling limp to his sides. "It's even worse than I thought."
Gently patting his arm, Itachi smiled at him.
"I think you sound very happy, little brother," he said, taking the vicious scowl it earned him in stride. "I can't wait to meet him."
Sasuke heaved a long-suffering sigh.
"Even if I like him – and I mean if, alright? – it's insane to marry someone you just met."
"Maybe. But in this case, if you don't marry him, someone else will."
Eyes narrowing, Sasuke's lips silently shaped a name. Well-versed in lip-reading as he was, Itachi easily interpreted it as Gaara.
"Who do you think Naruto likes better?"
Sasuke's lips thinned into a tense line. Itachi wasn't sure what it meant, because sometimes his brother was very difficult to read. In this case, he could be just as appalled by Naruto preferring him over Gaara, as by the opposite.
"What do you know about the chakra bonding thing?" Sasuke asked instead of answering, changing the subject.
"As much as you, I would guess."
Looking pained, Sasuke sat up again, leaning his elbows on his thighs and hunching over so that Itachi couldn't see his face.
"You probably know more," Sasuke admitted. "I've tried my best not to learn things about it."
One of several ways that he and his brother were different. Itachi wanted to know everything about everything, even if it held no personal purpose or value to him. Sasuke, for his part, deliberately skimmed over things he didn't think were necessary or interesting.
"I'm surprised they haven't been telling you about it in detail while you were here?"
Sasuke's shoulders slumped. Itachi was building a chain of events in his mind, where Sasuke had been so sure of being sent home early that he'd tuned out anything related to what would actually happen to the one person left at the end. Shaking his head indulgently, he marveled at his little brother's penchant for planning ahead but only for the path he wanted, never for any undesired outcomes. Usually things went his way… His interest in meeting the older version of Naruto increased.
"I've considered doing it myself," he admitted quietly, causing Sasuke's head to whip around to stare at him.
"What? With who?"
It was Itachi's turn to stare.
"With Shisui, of course?"
"What do you mean of course, what if you want to get married to someone?"
Itachi was terribly confused now. Something must have shown on his face, because Sasuke continued, sounding unsure of himself.
"You know, mom and dad are always complaining that you're not married yet…"
Letting out a surprised laugh, Itachi took a moment to reply.
"Yes," he said, "to Shisui."
Sasuke stared blankly at him, no doubt rearranging a few things in his mind. How Sasuke could have possibly missed this was beyond him. Eventually, Sasuke's expression settled into indignation.
"You mean you've been together this whole time?"
"I really thought you knew that."
His expression soured even further. Sasuke stood up and headed over to the desk, arranging the kunai in neat rows as he stewed on this, apparently new, knowledge.
"Does it bother you?" Itachi had to ask, even though he was fairly certain Sasuke was mostly annoyed with himself for not noticing.
"It's none of my business," he muttered, spinning one of the kunai on a finger. A moment later he stabbed it into the desk, causing Itachi to raise an eyebrow. "I just can't believe you get to take ten years to decide on getting married or not, and I'm getting two months."
"So if you had a couple of years to think about it, you think you'd probably agree to it? I'm not sure I see the problem."
Sasuke spun around, leveling him with an irritated glare. Clearly he wasn't as amused by this as Itachi was.
"It's not funny."
"Of course not." It was obvious that Sasuke didn't believe him. "But it's not as if you have to marry him the day after, you know? It can take years to become compatible enough for a chakra bond."
Strangely, Sasuke didn't look reassured by this. Instead he looked pained, leaning against the desk and appearing to chew on his words, as if trying to mold them into something more palatable.
"You know what?" Sasuke's hands gripped the edges of the desk, his jaw tense but chin held high. "It wouldn't surprise me if they picked the day after. Less chance of me running away."
"Sasuke…" Itachi frowned, taking in the sight of him. He wished he knew what he was thinking, what he was really thinking. "No one is going to force you to go through with this. I will fake your death if you need me to."
"I know."
Despite the easy answer, Sasuke didn't seem much reassured. Even if the last part had been a joke, Itachi wasn't above orchestrating such a thing if necessary.
"They can't complete the bonding if you're not compatible enough, you must know at least that much."
Sasuke's expression didn't change. Feeling his eyes widen in surprise, Itachi wondered if the reason the compatibility test results hadn't been revealed was for more reasons than simply keeping up the suspense.
"Mind filling me in on the result?" he asked, watching Sasuke swallow before averting his gaze.
"I don't know what the complete first step is supposed to be like."
Itachi took a few seconds to gather his thoughts before replying.
"Well, when the chakra is compatible enough for the first step to be completed, there will be a brightly glowing ring of chakra around each pair of fingers."
"Ten in total?"
He gave a nod in confirmation. Sasuke swallowed again, with more difficulty this time.
"We had eight."
"You…" Itachi was starting to understand the source of Sasuke's panic. "I've never heard of anything like that before."
Sasuke gave him a look, like Itachi's comment was obvious and stupid.
"Isn't that a good thing? A good sign, at least."
When Sasuke continued to just look at him, Itachi put on his most innocent smile.
"I understand that this must be strange and difficult for you."
He could tell by Sasuke's narrowed eyes that he considered whether or not to take the bait, ultimately deciding that if Itachi had something to say, he was going to say it no matter what he thought of it. They'd been through this before, and Sasuke was not as hot-headed as he used to be.
"Whatever it is, just spit it out," Sasuke predictably told him, fingers clenching around the wooden desk before forcefully relaxing them.
"I thought you knew what I was going to say and didn't want to hear it?"
Also predictably, Sasuke gritted his teeth as his expression turned thunderous. Sometimes people commented to him that Sasuke was so emotionless, but they couldn't be more wrong. However, Sasuke appeared emotionless to people he didn't care about, and Itachi would rarely rile him up in public. If you knew what to say and how to say it, Sasuke's emotions would start boiling instantly. He was stubborn, strongly opinionated, but incredibly soft underneath it all. Itachi knew all of this, and so when he spoke again he carefully weighed each word, observing their impact on his little brother.
"I think your pride is getting in the way of acknowledging that you already know what you want," he said, pausing for effect. "And you want Naruto."
"I–"
Sasuke clamped his mouth shut again, bristling with anger. Underneath it was something else, something vulnerable that Itachi only got a quick glimpse of before Sasuke turned his back on him, breathing heavily as his fingers pressed down into the desk.
"Is it really so bad?" Itachi asked, getting up from the bed and walking over to stand beside Sasuke, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. He felt incredibly tense, more than Itachi had expected. "Clearly he must like you if you're in the top three."
The tension didn't leave him, and Sasuke spent a minute staring down at the kunai he'd embedded in the desk surface. The wood had cracked around it, and Itachi reached forwards to gently pull it out.
"It's not about Naruto," Sasuke eventually said, voice low.
Slowly, his limbs relaxed, and he let out a quiet sigh.
"Then what is it about?"
But Sasuke shook his head, taking the kunai from Itachi's hand and throwing it on top of the others.
"I'll be fetched any minute now. Where are you staying?"
"Somewhere around here, I assume," Itachi said, recognizing a lost battle. "Dinner tonight?"
So far he hadn't been informed of any specific schedule, but he would meet Naruto to evaluate him before the next ceremony, giving Konoha a chance to officially back out if they wanted. Of course, Itachi had strict orders to make sure he approved of Naruto, but he wasn't going to tell his brother that.
"Sure."
He pulled Sasuke into a quick hug, reminiscing about their childhood days. Back then, Sasuke would cry if Itachi didn't pick him up or let him sit in his lap, or really any time he wasn't allowed to be with his brother. Now, he tolerated the hug, clearly impatient for him to leave.
How quickly time passes, he thought.
♡♡♡
Sasuke couldn't understand why he had to spend time with Suigetsu and Gaara. Clearly, this was some kind of torture. Suigetsu was munching on handfuls of chips, taken from the bowl that both Sasuke and Gaara had refused to touch. The hotel lobby was completely silent aside from Suigetsu's chewing, which he did happily with no concern for anyone nearby.
"You guys are so gloomy," he commented after a while of this, leaning back in his armchair and placing his feet on the coffee table in the middle of their reluctant little circle. "Like, I get that you're rivals in love or something, but I'm bored out of my mind."
Sparing him a dark look, Sasuke didn't reply. Of course, this didn't deter Suigetsu, who seemed to believe he was a one man show with an audience who cared.
"I mean, we all know it's gonna be you two left to finish the race, they could have skipped the whole drama of it. So what if a couple of villages get pissed off? I'm not gonna complain about a paid vacation though. I told Naruto he could keep me on if he wanted to because I wouldn't put up a fuss if I got third place. Takumi was really disappointed, but what was he expecting, really? Better to send him home before he started thinking he had a chance."
Gaara's non-existent eyebrow twitched.
"The food's been great, yeah? Rooms are shit, though. Would have been cool if they let us spar or something to pass the time, you guys look like a little action might make you less murderous. Do you think Naruto's gonna choose by asking you to fight to the death? That's how we used to do things back in Kiri, but I s'pose we've all gone soft now."
"Do you ever shut up?" Sasuke asked, knowing that if he attempted to shut him up by force he'd just melt into a pool of water and come back twice as annoying.
"You know what?" Suigetsu pointed at him with two fingers, a half-eaten chip held between them. "In a different life you and I could have been best friends."
"I doubt that."
Suigetsu grinned wide, displaying all his sharpened teeth.
"Everyone else totally hated you, but I bet you didn't even notice."
He glanced over at Gaara, nodding his head towards Suigetsu.
"Do you want to kill him, or should I?"
Gaara's face remained completely expressionless as he replied.
"If you want to ruin your chances with Naruto, then please, go ahead."
"Like I said, you guys are no fun," Suigetsu complained. "But if you're wondering, I'm betting on Sasuke."
"I wasn't wondering." Gaara's voice had turned cold – colder than usual, at least. "Naruto will make his own decision, regardless of bets."
"I bet Sasuke could kill me and Naruto would still pick him," Suigetsu continued, either ignoring or not noticing the sand swirling around Gaara. "I mean, who here hasn't killed people? Wouldn't be the first time someone got away with an accident like that."
"Do you want to die?" Sasuke asked curiously, knowing full well that in a one-on-one fight with Gaara, he couldn't be sure which of them would come out alive. Even if he and Suigetsu teamed up, he couldn't be sure. "I'll fight you if you want, but contrary to what you seem to believe, I usually avoid killing people."
Suigetsu rolled his eyes, but there was something smug about his expression. He supposed he'd managed to engage them in conversation, which to be fair was some kind of victory. Sasuke didn't truly dislike him, if he was honest. Sighing, he decided to cave in before Gaara got provoked into choking them both with his sand.
"If I talk to you, will you stop looking for a fight?"
Immediately, Suigetsu's face lit up. He sat up straighter, like the idea of having a conversation was his greatest wish in life.
"Did you know that when you killed Orochimaru, I was able to escape, too?" he said eagerly, putting the bowl aside. "I never found out exactly how you did it! No one saw! We just heard he was dead and there was complete chaos."
Sasuke squinted at him, dragging up memories he'd done his best to repress.
"Wait a minute, I remember you. You were swimming around in a tank."
"Yeah and you asked if I was a fish or a human, you piece of shit."
Gaara kept silent as the two of them reminisced about worse days, trading stories of Orochimaru's various crimes against humanity. (It made him think that perhaps his own childhood hadn't been so bad, after all.)
By the time Naruto arrived to take them all to some kind of statue reveal, Sasuke had almost forgotten about the mood he was in. He quickly remembered it at the sight of the subject for all of his problems. Naruto looked perfectly fine, in all senses of the word – not at all like they'd said goodnight after the mission by having a heavy make-out session against Sasuke's hotel room door.
Naruto hadn't come inside, which was probably for the best. The thought had crossed his mind a time or two, but they'd been interrupted before any sort of decision could be made. As the three of them made their way through the village, Sasuke contemplated the dilemma he was currently facing. Itachi hadn't told him anything he didn't know already, but it was disconcerting to hear it from a trusted source. (No, his own brain did not count as a trusted source.)
In a very short time, Naruto had presented an option that Sasuke had never wanted to consider. As embarrassing as it was that he might have feelings for Naruto, the problem was much bigger than that.
He would have to leave Konoha.
Sasuke had never considered it before. It wasn't so much the village as it was his family – but he could visit, right? And he supposed Itachi and Shisui might want their privacy, eventually. Still, even faced with these facts, the sand-colored buildings around him were as unfamiliar to him as ever. Had he been lying to himself all these years, telling himself he didn't care about his village, that all villages were the same? But this village didn't hold his childhood memories. It didn't hold his clan, not a single trace of it. He'd be alone, with only Naruto beside him.
And as much as he trusted Naruto, what would a village like this do with a ninja possessing the sharingan?
This was why he hated politics. This was why he'd spent so much of his life trying to avoid this very situation – was Naruto worth a lifetime of servitude to a village he didn't know?
He had thought, when he closed the door behind himself, leaving Naruto on the other side, that his life was unnecessarily complicated. It would have been easier if he didn't care about Naruto. Or if Naruto hadn't been who he was, and they'd both met somewhere else in some other time.
Staring at the back of that blond head, he wondered how he could possibly make a choice, much less the right choice, in so little time.