Chapter 9: Dueling Babysitters and the Hot Springs

Sasuke knew going in that whatever Naruto's intentions were for having both he and Neji watch his son while he was away, this week was going to turn in a competition with Naruto and Nori's affections as the prize—and Sasuke did not come empty-handed.

"Muchi!" Nori squealed as Sasuke let the cat land heavily on the hardwood floors. The mangy thing had been very complacent when Sasuke grabbed him on his way out, almost like he knew Sasuke would be taking him to his favorite kid.

"I thought he would like to stay here for the week," Sasuke told Nori as the boy bent to pet a line down the cat's back. Muchi wandered around the front room aimlessly, as if it was nothing new to him, then into the kitchen looking for some food.

"T—thanks for binging him," Nori blushed, pulling on his jacket. Sasuke smiled; he was coming to associate Nori's nervousness to happiness. Something Sakura said about his shyness around Sasuke meaning he liked him was slowly making more and more sense. At least the boy wasn't as shy as he had been, hiding behind Naruto's leg whenever he appeared.

"Do you see what I've brought, Aonori?" Neji interrupted, butting into the moment just to distract Nori from Sasuke's gift of the cat.

Neji sidestepped around Sasuke, holding out a bag to Nori, who gasped and took it eagerly.

"Mochi!" he cheered, opening the bag and grabbing one of the ice cream balls inside.

"Tanks Unca Neji!" he said through a mouthful of ice cream.

Sasuke crossed his arms and snorted. Of course Neji would bring Nori his favorite treat; that was too easy. He caught Neji's glare from the corner of his eye and sneered back.

"Wow, Nori," Naruto said, leaning down to talk to his son face-to-face. "Look at what they brought you! I knew they would be good at taking care of you while I'm gone."

"Do you have to go?" Nori said, voice high and light, and a little sad. Naruto heard the sadness but quickly smiled, standing up and picking Nori up with him.

"It's only for a little while I promise next time I go I'll bring you with me!"

"Can Sasuke and Uncle Neji come too?"

Naruto glanced at the two of them who were still standing by the door.

"Of course they can come! Who will I count on if they aren't there?"

"You should get going soon, Naruto," Neji chided, nodding to the clock. Naruto sighed, fixing Nori with a gaze.

"Alright be nice and tell those good-for-nothing beasts to keep their cool for once, not that I think you'll get in any trouble while I'm gone with these two watching you. I love you, Nori."

Sasuke felt his heart stutter. Why was it that seeing Naruto acting so fatherly affected him in a very not child-friendly way every single time? He saw Neji shift beside him, and saw him glance towards the floor, lips pressed firmly together. At least he was in good company.

"Love you too, Dad," Nori said, pressing his forehead against his father's.

At that point Sasuke looked away, too. There were some moments between father and son that were too special to look at, and those were the ones that cut Sasuke a little deeper. Those moments were the ones he could see the bond between Nori and Naruto as clear as day, could see how strong and real and powerful that bond was. It reminded him of a time when he could honestly say that the only bond Naruto had with anyone that was that strong was the one he had with Sasuke—and how long ago those days really were.

"Alright! I'm off!" Naruto announced, tossing Nori easily into the air and then setting him on the ground. "Don't miss me too much, Nori!"

"Come on, lets go put the rest of these mochi in the freezer for later," Neji said, taking Nori's hand and leading him into the kitchen, leaving Sasuke and Naruto at the doorway.

"Thanks again for watching Nori, Sasuke. Wish me luck."

"Don't—" die, he meant to say, but the words stuck in his mouth.

Naruto looked at him quizzically.

"Don't leave Nori for too long," he said instead. "He get's lonely."

"I won't," Naruto laughed, turning and taking a step towards the door. "A—and I wouldn't want you to get lonely without me either," he added, hand on the doorknob.

Sasuke blinked. His brain wasn't thinking fast enough to come up with a response to that—that strangely flirtatious remark? It occurred to him suddenly that he and Naruto were alone in the front room and Naruto was, unless Sasuke was going insane, flirting with him?

"Uhh, anyway," Naruto shook his head, opening the door and grabbing his bag. "Watch out for Nori and try to get along with Neji. See ya!"

He sped out the door and tried to shut it quickly behind him but Sasuke was just a second too fast, grabbing it before it slammed closed and stepping into the opening. Naruto turned back to him, eyes wide in the setting sun. "It's easier to travel at night when you're with the leader of Konohagakure," Shikamaru had said.

"I would be lonely, Dead Last. Watch yourself."

Naruto's head was turned so Sasuke couldn't see his face, couldn't tell whether he was smiling or blushing or confused. But then Naruto slowly raised one hand in a thumbs-up and kept walking. Sasuke crossed his arms and leant against the door, rolling his eyes.

He wasn't sure what that was but it felt like… something.

"Are you planning on helping at all with dinner, Uchiha?" came Neji's disdainful voice from behind him. Sasuke scowled, looking back at him.

This was going to be fun.

The first few days weren't as bad as Sasuke had predicted they would be. He only contemplated decapitating Neji three times and activated his sharingan once. The sharingan he played off to Nori as a way to chop onions faster but then Neji activated his Byakugan just to quickly look into the other room to find Nori's stuffed cat and it became something of a competition of eyes that led to nowhere good.

"When will my bakugan ativate Uncle Neji?" Nori chirped as Sasuke deactivated his sharingan. These days he noticed that the longer he used it the more it made his head hurt.

"I don't know, Aonori," Neji said, leaning down and placing a hand on top of the boy's head. "Maybe we should train some tomorrow and see if it activates. If you're like your uncle Neji you can get it as old as you are now. I activated mine around your age."

"When did Momma get hers?" Nori asked so softly that Sasuke barely heard it but he saw the way Neji tensed at the question.

"It took your mom a little longer, but once she got it she was very strong," Neji answered.

"Will I be stong?"

"Of course."

"Good," Nori nodded seriously. "Cuz I have to be stong to potect people."

It was the first time Sasuke and Neji really acknowledged each other since they'd started watching Nori. They caught each other's gaze upon hearing Nori's declaration and something passed between them—understanding.

"Who do you have to protect, Nori?" Sasuke asked lightly.

"Dad," he said first, right away. He was very serious all of the sudden. "Uncle Neji, Aunt Sakura and Uncle Kakashi, Muchi, Aunt Temari and Asume and Shishika, all my fends—" he put his hand on his head, then turned to Sasuke and pointed. "—and Sasuke."

"Sasuke can protect himself," Neji grumbled. "You don't need to worry about him."

"I do! I do!" Nori disagreed. When he shouted his voice only got higher and cuter. Sasuke smiled down at him.

"If you want to protect me you'll need to become stronger than me first."

"I'm gonna be stonger than you and Dad!" he squeaked, and he had the same fire in his eyes that Sasuke remembered so much from Naruto's youth. That determination and refusal to ever give up. He had a feeling Neji was remembering the same thing.

"I can't wait to see that," Sasuke replied.

"Me too," Neji muttered. "Could be amusing."

Nori glowed up at them until Neji told him to go brush his teeth for bed.

Once Nori had been put to sleep Neji reappeared in the kitchen where Sasuke was doing the dishes from the day. He spent several minutes staring at the back of Sasuke's head until Sasuke couldn't be bothered to ignore him anymore.

"Have something to say?"

Sasuke didn't have to look back to know that the Hyuuga hesitated before answering,

"You're better with Nori than I would have thought."

Sasuke smirked but didn't turn around. He took a plate from the sink and ran it under the warm water. His hands were getting wrinkled but his skin was always easy to wrinkle in water.

He heard Neji pull out a chair and sit at the small table, watching him wash the dishes.

"Don't feel like helping?" he asked pleasantly. Neji ignored the jab.

"Do you wonder what he was thinking?"

"Who?"

"Naruto. Having us watch Nori together like this. What was the point?"

"Does Naruto ever think things through? He was probably being overprotective because of the Beasts. What, did you think he had some kind of plan?" Sasuke scoffed.

"You and I should know better than to underestimate his strategizing."

Sasuke considered that but didn't answer on the grounds of not wanting to agree with the smug bastard. It ticked him off to think that someone like him knew that much about his Naruto.

"Maybe he figured us out," Neji mused blithely.

Sasuke placed the dry dish on the counter slowly, glancing behind him to see Neji staring off in the distance thoughtfully. He picked up the next plate more carefully, running it under the water for longer before picking up the soapy sponge.

"Figured what out?" He finally asked.

"How we both feel about him."

Sasuke frowned, remembering the way Naruto had been as he left, all bumbling and flirty. Sure, they teased each other and Sasuke sometimes felt like there was an undercurrent of something else but that was different. That wasn't under or hidden that was in plain sight. He shook his head at the ridiculousness of the idea. Naruto wasn't an idiot really, but he certainly wasn't good at picking up cues.

He said so to Neji, who surprisingly agreed.

"No, you're right. Hinata was in love with him for years and he never had a clue. But if he did notice, maybe he planned this to force us together?"

Sasuke spun around to stare at him, holding a spoon and dripping soapy water onto the floor. He exhaled sharply from his nose and decided to ignore anything else Hyuuga might say. Sasuke didn't know why he'd been listening in the first place. He washed the spoon and put it with the other clean silverware.

"It would make sense," Neji continued, despite Sasuke's determination to ignore him. "He doesn't want to let either of us down so instead he sets us up to get together. It's too bad we can't stand each other. His plan would never work."

"That isn't his plan," Sasuke replied through gritted teeth. The idea of anything happening with Neji was appalling to him. He can't believe Neji would even think of something so unappealing.

"No, of course not," Neji agreed. "You aren't my type anyway. Besides—"

Sasuke tensed as Neji's body slid just behind his, one of the Hyuuga's hands sneaking along his hips. His lips brushed the back of Sasuke's ear. He was grinning.

"—have you ever even been with a man, Sasuke?"

"Have you ever bled to death, Neji?" Sasuke replied, somehow keeping his cool. He had the kitchen knife he was halfway through cleaning pressed to Neji's throat.

Neji dropped his hand and backed away slowly.

Sasuke exhaled and the tension left him—why he was so tense in the first place he didn't know. He had nothing to fear from a pathetic Hyuuga branch member trying to make some pointless pass at him. He dropped the knife in the sink and placed his hands on the counter, breathing slow. He knew Neji was still in the room, staring and waiting. He hated to think that he was showing weakness but somehow he knew Neji wouldn't take it that way, just the way he knew how fake Neji's ploy had been. He took another deep breath and asked calmly,

"If it turned out he was in love with me, would you leave him alone?"

"Would you?" Neji countered instantly, as if he'd been expecting the question.

Sasuke's decision not to answer was answer enough.

"And that's why I would be better for him," Neji said firmly. "I'm the better man."

Sasuke smirked, though he felt anything but amusement.

"Better men don't always win, Hyuuga."

Neji snorted and walked out of the kitchen. Sasuke turned back to the sink to finish the dishes, wishing he actually believed his statement and wishing not for the first time that he were a better man.

At the beginning of the week Nori had been as cheerful as a puppy but as the days went on he grew forlorn and somber, less and less interested in training or playing cards or anything but waiting by the window for Naruto to return.

Both Sasuke and Neji tried as hard as they could to keep his spirits up but it was clear to both of them that he only wanted his father back and nothing they could do could make Naruto return any faster. He wasn't even as excited to go to the mochi shop as before. His mood only made he and Neji more irritable towards each other. At least before they could try and act civil for Nori's sake, but he barely paid them enough attention to bother any more.

"Maybe if you weren't lurking around unneeded he wouldn't feel so bad, Snake."

"We both know the unneeded one is you," Sasuke hissed back. He was tired of dealing with Hyuuga and honestly annoyed that Naruto had ever asked the two of them to watch his son together. Sasuke still couldn't explain what Naruto had been thinking.

They stopped bickering when Nori came out of the washroom in a cloud of steam. Sasuke smiled at him, wrapped in his towel with wet hair dripping in his eyes. Neji had been in charge of getting him bathed but had left him to soak for a moment to check on something else. Apparently Nori had finished before Neji got back.

Nori looked up, staring between the two men, and then promptly started to cry.

The night only went downhill from there. He and Neji bickered about the best way to stop Nori crying. Neji had a comforting approach while Sasuke thought Nori was being a baby and he needed to toughen up.

"He's three," Neji deadpanned.

"And a half," Sasuke added, though the argument sounded idiotic even inside his own head. "But he usually isn't this childish. Naruto shouldn't have left him if he was just going to cry the whole time."

In the end Nori stopped crying neither from Neji's comforting or Sasuke's blunt demands, but because Muchi the cat came over and distracted him. Sasuke wasn't sure how much longer he could put up with Neji always breathing down his neck, criticizing his every word. Let alone watch Nori grow more and more unhappy and unstable every day that he was away from his father. The end of the week rolled around and Sasuke let Neji stay with Nori in the morning as he headed to the main gate waiting for Naruto, Shikamaru, and the others.

By noon he was more frustrated than ever and went to join Neji and Nori back at the house, hoping that Naruto was only a few minutes behind. Instead when he reached the house he found Neji trying to console Nori, who was throwing an earnest and heartfelt fit.

"You're lucky he hasn't lost control of the beasts," Sasuke said over Nori's screeching. "What did you do?"

Instead of an answer, Neji handed over a slip of paper.

Sasuke and Neji,

Unfortunately, I will not be able to return in the time I promised. There have been countless delays and problems have come up that need my immediate assistance. I know this is an inconvenience and Nori will be upset… But he's tough like his dad! He'll be okay!

I swear I won't be too long, and I'll be back as soon as I can. I'm sorry for putting this on you guys, but you have no idea how much completing Uzushiogakure means to me and the people who have gathered to live here. Hopefully solving these problems won't take more than another week and then I'll be back home as fast as I can!

Shikamaru and I have set up a base in a village at the southernmost tip of Land of Hot Water, if you need to reach me.

Thanks again, and give Nori a big apology kiss for me!

Nanadaime Hokage, Uzumaki Naruto

"I told him that Naruto wasn't coming back today and he started screaming," Neji explained, though Sasuke could have assumed that was what happened. Nori was still sprawled on the ground, pounding his fists and demanding in his high little voice that his father come back now!

Sasuke exhaled. Though he didn't do much of anything, it felt like it had been a long day. He could tell Neji had had his fill of the day as well; his exhaustion from dealing with a dramatic child showed on his face. Sasuke blocked out Nori's screaming for a moment, thinking things over. With another heavy sigh, he knew what they had to do.

He knelt to Nori's level and waited for the boy to look at him.

"I can't make your father come home today," he explained, and instantly it seemed Nori was prepared to argue and cry some more, but Sasuke continued before he got a chance.

"We're going to go to him."

Neji, of course, insisted on going with them. He also reminded Sasuke several times that he had already been planning on taking Nori to Naruto but Sasuke had just said it first.

They didn't leave until about midday, later than Sasuke would have liked, but he had never travelled with a child before and he quickly learned that it took more time and a lot more effort. Not to mention the delay at the main gate right as they were about to start their journey.

Nori had stopped at the edge of the gate and refused to go any further, starting up another crying fit that Sasuke quickly grew frustrated by. Nori simultaneously demanded to see his father yet refused to leave the village, a paradox that baffled Sasuke but seemed to make perfect sense to the three and a half year old. It didn't become clear to Sasuke until Neji reminded him that it was while they were travelling that he and his mother were attacked and she was murdered before his eyes.

Sasuke wasn't feeling very patient, anxious to get to Naruto as quickly as he could—something inside of him felt off without the blond close-by. It wasn't a feeling he could say he remembered feeling for quite a long time, but it bothered him nonetheless.

"I'm the most powerful shinobi in the world," Sasuke explained, Nori's wide, tearful eyes upon him. He ignored the snort of derision from Neji and went on.

"I haven't lost in a real fight since I was 16, and even that was to your father." He was tempted to say that even back then he'd let Naruto win, but it was not necessarily the truth, so he left it out.

"If someone is going to try and hurt you, they're going to have to get through me. Is that going to happen?"

Nori had to think about it for a moment, then he shook his head.

"Good. Now lets get going before the sun starts setting."

They began walking through the gates and Nori's bird-like voice piped up cheerfully,

"And even if a bad guy beat Sasuke, Unca Neji would still potect me!"

Sasuke ground his teeth, staring and walking straight ahead as Neji agreed vehemently and scooped Nori up to ride on his shoulders. Sasuke could already predict that he would spend the rest of the trip with a very smug Neji Hyuuga.

The journey was a fairly short one, even travelling with a child. Nori was in good spirits for most of the first morning, and then after noon it began to rain.

There were just little sprinkles at first; Sasuke barely noticed them, but Nori's disposition changed instantly. He stared up at the greying sky, huddling closer to Neji as they walked. And then the thunder started and he slowed, casting glances at every shadow, every break in the trees or curve in the path. Sasuke was growing impatient with their pace. He had thought they worked through Nori's fears before they left. It must have been raining when they were attacked and the sudden change in weather was reminding him of his mother's death.

Very suddenly, Sasuke felt a fluctuation in Nori's chakra. Since he was still a child, he didn't have much chakra to begin with, but all of the sudden it flared, shifting even the air around them. Neji felt it too and caught Sasuke's eye. It happened again a moment later, just as a loud clap of thunder sounded around them. Sasuke felt Nori's chakra spike, felt the imposing aura of the beasts, and saw Nori's demeanor change for just a second before it went away.

It was beyond fear—he felt threatened. And it was causing him to tap into the protection of the beasts, something that Sasuke did not feel inclined to deal with, not to mention want to explain to Naruto once they got to him.

He was considering putting Nori to sleep, just until the rain stopped, and he activated his sharingan as a way of asking Neji if he thought it was the best plan. He was fairly sure Neji wouldn't argue—the Hyuuga was already tense, sensing Nori's chakra on his own—but to his surprise Neji shook his head and stopped walking. He held his hand out to Sasuke and muttered,

"Let me handle this."

Sasuke wasn't sure what he was planning to do, but he nodded. If he didn't have to use his sharingan it was better that way. He stood by as Neji bent down to Nori's height and asked the boy if he would walk over towards the trees, a ways back down the road. Nori frowned but agreed and the two of them walked away, just out of Sasuke's range of hearing. He watched Neji bend down to Nori's level again, his back turned so Sasuke couldn't read his lips as he spoke to Nori. The expression on Nori's face shifted several times, but Sasuke wasn't sure he could really tell what Nori was feeling in response to whatever it was his uncle was telling him. At the end Nori's expression was set, a little frightened and a little reverent, but mostly just decisive. Neji nodded and stood, taking Nori's hand and walking back to Sasuke where they continued down the road. Nori didn't say anything else, but he kept his gaze straight on the road in front of them and Sasuke knew he would have no more trouble with the beasts' chakra—whatever it was Neji had said, it had been affective.

He was curious what could have made Nori so instantly secure but he had a feeling it was not his place to know.

After that, it took them a little less than a day and a half and they were already in the Land of Hot Springs and a farmer explained that they were only about an hour from the village Naruto had described in his letter. The skies cleared and once Nori understood how close he was to his dad he grew excitable again, bouncing along down the road a few feet ahead of Sasuke and Neji.

"Should we have tried to inform Naruto that we were coming?" Neji pondered aloud, and Sasuke shrugged in answer. It struck him in that moment that this short trip hadn't been the disaster he would have guessed it would be five days ago. The night before, when they'd stopped to stay at an inn, he and Neji had very amicably split feeding and putting Nori to sleep. They didn't say much to each other, but they didn't argue either.

Damn Naruto, but spending all this time with Neji actually had made the two of them begrudgingly able to stand one another. Not that he would ever admit that. And he suspected that Neji wouldn't be quick to admit it either.

Surprisingly, Neji's question was answered only a few moments later, when a figure appeared at the bottom of the hill they'd just reached the top of.

"Dad!" Nori cheered, starting to run down the slope to meet his father. Sasuke scooped him quickly up to carry him the distance so he didn't fall down the hill in his rush. It wasn't as if he had to go very far, as Naruto had begun racing up to meet them as soon as he heard Nori's chirping voice calling to him. He was smiling, which seemed like a good sign that he wasn't angry that they had brought his son all the way from the village to see him.

Naruto swept his son up into his arms the moment he reached him and as usual the sight was precious made him even more attracted to Naruto. Sasuke let a sigh slip from his lips and at the same moment he did, heard another sigh from behind him. He turned to match glares with Neji—he changed his mind, he and the Hyuuga had not grown any closer.

"You guys must be tired!" Naruto called back to them, Nori looking small and content on his hip. "I booked us rooms at a hot spring in the village to relax tonight. We can all go in together after dinner!"

Sasuke caught Neji's eye again and loathed to find the same thing pass through their minds: this should end well.

"Where is Shikamaru?" Neji asked Naruto halfway through their meal.

Naruto smiled sheepishly, looking at his lap.

"He's finishing up the work I was supposed to do today. I was in sage mode and I sensed you guys coming about midday, and I guess I got distracted. Shikamaru sent me to meet you. He said he didn't mind finishing up but I still feel bad. This whole trip has been a bit of a disaster," he admitted, shoulders low.

"How so?" Neji inquired, and Sasuke inclined his head to show his attentiveness as well. Even Nori was listening in, though he was trying to listen and finish eating at the same time.

"It's gotten… complicated," Naruto admitted, frowning. "It's all way over my head, but maybe you guys would understand it better? It's a clan dispute."

"What clan?"

"The Uzumaki Clan."

"I thought there were no true Uzumaki clan members anymore? After the village was destroyed the clan spread out among the nations. You and Karin both have Uzumaki blood but there's no way to know whether either of you have any true lineage because the line has been broken for so long," Neji reasoned.

"Was your mother from a main branch of the Uzumaki clan?" Sasuke found himself asking.

Naruto turned to him and he seemed surprised, like he almost didn't know that Sasuke knew anything about his family. It took him a moment to reply.

"I—I don't think she was. It didn't seem like it, anyway. I wish she had been, though, then this would be much easier. If they were looking to me I would just disband the whole clan. Uzushiogakure doesn't need a group who want to use something as meaningless as blood and lineage to gain control… but some of these people seem to really care about using the clan's influence to help the village grow, and having a true Uzumaki leading them really matters to them. If only it hadn't gotten so complicated!"

"How did it get compicated, Dad?" Nori piped up, his food forgotten in front of him. Naruto smiled down at his son, frowning thoughtfully.

"Lets see, how do I explain it? Ok, well there's this one smaller group of people who already have a lot of money and a lot of power. Their family name is Shiomaki and they say that a kid in their family is the true Uzumaki heir. Make sense?"

Nori nodded.

"But then," Naruto sighed, "there's another group of people, a big group, who all say that they found the real Uzumaki heirs, this kid named Kota and his sister, and they want Kota to lead the new Uzumaki clan instead of this other family. There's been a lot of arguing and so far no one has come up with an answer. Both sides think they have the real heir."

"Who do you think it is?" Nori asked. Something flashed in Naruto's eyes.

"I don't know," he said, leaning back in his chair. "I guess it could be either of them. There isn't really a good way to tell. They both claim to be able to trace back their lineage but the records of the Uzumaki Clan are long gone, so it's impossible to verify anything."

"Which of them has the most Uzumaki-like chakra?" Neji asked.

Naruto sat upright and turned towards him like he'd never heard anything like that before. Neji stared at him curiously.

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked, inclining his head.

"You Uzumaki's have distinct chakra, I can't really describe it. It's a quality that the byakugan can see. Of course I didn't realize it was Uzumaki specific until I met Karin. A lot of people have distinct chakra qualities that set them apart, but the Uzumaki chakra is one of the easiest to identify. I've sensed it several times since I realized what it was, a few times in people who probably didn't even realize they had it. You didn't know? You have that quality to your chakra stronger than Karin does, so I assume you have more Uzumaki blood, or yours is more pure in some way."

Sasuke found himself annoyed at how Naruto was staring at Neji, like he'd just given him a clue to some mysterious puzzle. Sasuke had to admit it was an interesting topic as well; he'd never bothered to learn more than necessary about the Hyuuga and their byakugan, but it appeared to be more useful than he expected.

"Do I have Uzumaki chaka too, Uncle Neji?" Nori asked shyly.

Neji smiled at him and nodded.

"Of course. You have Uzumaki blood passed down from your father, and from his mother to him."

"Does this mean you could use your byakugan to tell which child has the claim to the head of the clan?" Naruto asked, drawing Neji's attention again.

Neji nodded. "Of course."

With a sigh, Naruto relaxed back into his seat, the tension easing just a bit from his shoulders, where Sasuke knew he carried all of the stress that built up being the Hokage and the Man who united the nations in peace. He loved the moments when Naruto was able to relax. It reminded him of the past, where there was only the weight of excitement on Naruto's shoulders and everything wasn't so messy. It was easy, in those moments, for Sasuke to almost forget his attraction to Naruto that made everything so complicated—to think of Naruto just as a friend first, his best friend.

"Neji, you're my savior," Naruto smiled at the Hyuuga from across the table. Sasuke didn't miss how Neji's smirk in response was angled in his direction.

The resort was probably nice, and the evening was probably cool and temperate, and the springs themselves were probably steamy and warm, but Sasuke was having a hard time noticing any of that with Naruto sitting just a few feet from him, sweaty and wet, and completely nude. Naruto was letting Nori swim in the pools of water, trying to teach him different strokes and laughing when Nori splashed and squirted water at him. It was nice to see Nori cheerful again, but it was bordering on painful watching Naruto grin and laugh with his son when he just looked so damn edible doing it.

"If you do your arms and legs out like this, you look like a frog!" Naruto explained, face flushed from the hot water. There was a bead of something—water or sweat, Sasuke couldn't tell—gathered just above Naruto's upper lip and it was… mesmerizing. Sasuke could feel himself slipping.

"I'm going to cool down," he said, standing and holding his towel. Somehow he managed to keep his voice steady when he spoke but his legs felt a bit shaky getting out of the water. Nori told him to hurry back and swim with him and Naruto laughed, the sound of it ringing through Sasuke's ears. He tried to shake his head to clear it and nearly ran into Neji who was sitting on the steps going up to the rooms, already dressed for dinner.

"Did it become too difficult to stay?" Neji teased without really asking.

"I lasted longer than you did," Sasuke bit back, taking a seat beside the Hyuuga. Neji had only stayed in the springs for five minutes before he said his head felt light and excused himself.

Neji didn't argue, just stared into the sky and said,

"You would think it would be easier to control your urges when he's around Nori, but it's worse, somehow. Don't you think?"

Sasuke figured his lack of answer was answer enough.

"At least Sai isn't here," Neji sighed, leaning his elbows back on the step above. He looked surprised when he saw Sasuke's face and laughed harshly.

"What? You haven't noticed? Sure, Sai acts like he's above it, but when it comes to Naruto he's just as much man as you and me. I've always wondered whether he's ever made a move."

Sasuke growled low, under his breath, and Neji smirked.

"And then, of course, there's the Kazekage, who's so smitten you can see it practically leaking from his pores if Naruto's within 90 feet of him."

Sasuke clenched his fists, thinking about how kind Gaara had been to Naruto at Hinata's funeral, how he can't believe he never noticed it before. He didn't want to believe it was true.

"You're just paranoid," Sasuke told him.

"Think what you want, Uchiha. If you can't see it then it only proves that my eyes are better than yours."

Sasuke snorted in derision, knowing better than to give Neji the rise he desired. A gust of cold air brushed past them and Sasuke shivered.

"Do you know when I fell for him?" Neji asked softly, and it wasn't the cold that had Sasuke shivering again, but the tone of his voice, gentle and awed, like an innocent child.

"No," Sasuke replied, and he wanted to add that he didn't want to know but the words died on his tongue. He didn't want to sympathize with Neji, to see himself in Neji's shoes. They were not the same; they were not even similar. And yet…

"Our chunin exam battle. You, of all people, know the thrill of fighting," Neji said, voice barely above a whisper. Sasuke could hear Naruto and Nori still giggling and playing in the springs.

"Fighting him is a different thrill. And that first time, when I didn't think for a moment that I would lose… he gave me everything by defeating me in that exam. He gave me purpose back, and family. He gave me Hinata.

"I hated her for what I thought she represented, but deep down it was because I was trying so hard to stop feeling like it was my duty to protect her. But it was. Not because I was from the branch family and she from the main family, but because she was worth protecting. I would have given my life for her.

"But there was a time when I could have killed her, and Naruto saved me from that. That's what he does. He saves people from themselves."

That was one thing Neji didn't have to explain; Sasuke knew that better than anyone.

Beside him, Neji seemed to tense up.

"Nori is the product of the two most important people in my life. I thought I could stand sharing him, sharing both of them, but I was wrong. I'm selfish and I don't want you near them."

And here Sasuke thought he and Neji were finally beginning to get along. He glanced over and noticed how close he and Neji were sitting, with Neji's flat white eyes glaring at him like the Hyuuga gained some fresh hatred. The air between them was heated, tension building to sparks.

"You don't own them. I'm not going anywhere," Sasuke said through his teeth, trying to match Neji's glare.

"I'll do what it takes to keep you away," Neji said, leaning in closer, practically whispering the threat into Sasuke's ear. His hand was stretched and pressing against the wall Sasuke hadn't realized he was sitting so close to, trapping Sasuke there. He felt his chakra building, readying for a fight. The hair on the back of his neck was bristling. "I'll fight for them."

Sasuke shot his hand out, curling around the fabric at Neji's throat and drawing the Hyuuga even closer, an equally fierce threat ready before they were suddenly interrupted.

"Over here Nori, I found them—oh!"

Sasuke pushed Neji back, springing away. When he turned to Naruto his stomach fell to his feet—Naruto's eyes were wide in shock. He'd seen them pulled close together, heated up from their argument, and he assumed the wrong thing.

"I'm sorry, I—"

"No," Sasuke tried to counter firmly. "Naruto, this isn't—"

But it didn't get through and Naruto turned quick and ran right into his son, who had hurried after his father.

"Dad, you foud them!" Nori squeaked when he got his bearings. "We have to made them come pay table tennis with us!"

"Maybe later, Nori," Naruto said, lifting his son to his shoulders and walking them back inside the resort. As soon as they were gone Sasuke spun on Neji.

"Now look what you've done!" He was furious to see that Neji seemed quite pleased with himself, and he stood, determined to set the misunderstanding straight, following in the direction Naruto had gone with Nori until he was in front of Naruto's room. He paused an inch from the door and then knocked. It took Naruto a good few seconds to answer and Sasuke had to wonder what was going on in his head—his face was red and he avoided Sasuke's gaze as he stepped out of the room and closed the door behind him.

"Naruto," Sasuke began, not allowing himself to be distracted. And then realized that if he wasn't careful, he could incriminate himself of something that Naruto never even considered. He dropped his offensive energy by a fraction and asked instead, "what did you think we were doing? Why did you lead Nori away?"

"You and Neji were fighting, right?" Naruto asked, though he continued to avoid Sasuke's eyes. "It's okay if you argue but I feel like it could upset Nori. You know, he likes both of you so much. I don't know if he would be happy… if he thought you didn't get along. Especially since," he continued, and Sasuke took a deep breath of relief because of course Naruto wouldn't assume the situation he stumbled into was sexual. Not only would that never occur to him because he and Neji were both men, but he was Naruto. He had never been known to be especially perceptive.

"Especially since Nori was going on about how well you and Neji worked together while you were watching him."

Sasuke wondered whether if Nori was a really good liar or if Naruto was just that dim. He and Hyuuga had barely made it the week; it was amazing until now to really be at each other's throats. If he were being honest, the reason they'd come to meet up with Naruto had more to do with not wanting to spend any more time forced together than it did Nori missing his father.

"I just didn't want you to think," Sasuke improvised on the spot, "that we were fighting about… you or Nori. It didn't have anything to do with that, Naruto." Sasuke knew he was a good liar, and it was better not to let Naruto worry about his issues with Neji Hyuuga.

"What were you," Naruto paused strangely in the middle of the words, catching Sasuke's eye for the first time since he'd open his door, "fighting about?"

"Nothing important. We shouldn't have let it get so intense."

Naruto stared at him hard for a long moment, face unreadable. Sasuke's heart pounded and he wasn't even really sure why.

And then Naruto's face split into a grin and he laughed.

"I knew it was nothing!" he said cheerfully. "I shouldn't have been so worried!"

"Yeah," Sasuke agreed softly. Something seemed… off, but he couldn't put his finger on what it might be. "Yeah."

"Whatever you're fighting over," Naruto added, " I hope it's worth it."

"I know you aren't spending time with Naruto lately," Sakura chided, mere months after that night. Sasuke still hadn't made the final decision to stay out of Naruto's life, was still debating everything over and over in his mind, regretting everything he's done wrong. He didn't need Sakura reminding him about his mistakes all the time. He didn't even reply to her commentary, concentrating instead on the mission they'd been sent. He saw her roll her eyes in response to his silence.

"Whatever you two are fighting about, I hope it's worth it."

And Sasuke almost told Naruto everything right then, like he'd almost done so many times before. But once again the truth was more than he could handle. The magnitude of his mistakes seemed to only grow and grow, like snow that was building on top of him every moment he spent around Naruto and one day he would surely be buried beneath it.

"I'll fight for them." Neji had said.

"It's worth it," Sasuke replied, eyes blazing.

"I'll fight for them, too." He thought, and with that he turned to leave, knowing now that the time to tell Naruto the truth, the real reason behind everything that happened, would soon be upon him. He was ready.

He would fight for Naruto.

Rivalry and competition were familiar companions for Sasuke and Neji, though competition for romance and attention was new to them both. Neji would scowl and swear any similarities between himself and the Uchiha were purely superficial and that his intentions were honest, heartfelt, and genuine. Sasuke would balk, glare, and scorn any who would compare him to that Hyuuga, who was nothing but an annoyance and persistently found himself in the way of Sasuke's goals. They never would realize or admit how similar they could be, alike even in their stubborn avoidance.

It was a shame, but they would never open up and share their experiences with one another, finding comfort in the shallow understanding. They would never learn that the friendship they so admired between themselves and Naruto could be had, to a lesser extent, between each other. So is jealousy, as it blinds and muddles things that should be simple in nature.

Neji Hyuuga, for instance, would never know the insignificant feeling he shared with Sasuke Uchiha of disdain for the gifts they'd been given. He would never know how much Sasuke could relate to wishing at times that he had somehow been born without the ocular advantages both of their clans were known for, so that perhaps they could have been spared the pain that came with it.

As Neji's eyes stared through the walls of the resort, into the hall where Sasuke followed Naruto to confront him, the familiar thought occurred to him as he tried to ignored the jealousy and waves of defeat that rolled over him as he watched the interaction he knew he had no right to spy on, and that thought was that having the byakugan seemed to cause him more pain than it ever caused him joy.

It killed him to see it but he felt compelled to spy on the interaction only to be faced with Sasuke's conviction, the set of his shoulders, the way Naruto's eyes sparkled and his own body language changed when Sasuke was close, the atmosphere around them that Neji only had to see to understand, the words that went unsaid, the past, present, and future they shared, the reluctant way they parted and what hurt more than all of it combined, the way Naruto looked at Sasuke when he knew Sasuke couldn't see him, with so much longing Neji could do nothing but close his eyes and walk out into the refreshing night air to get away from it all.

He made his way further into the town to discover it surprisingly lively and bustling; it felt much later than it was. Every inn and stand was full of friendly chatting people, laughing and drinking, completely unaware of Neji's mood. No one even seemed to notice him, though usually his eyes drew stares and whispers. It was refreshing but filled Neji with loneliness. She was heavy on his mind.

He found himself heading towards the coast. He never would do it aloud, but he found himself talking to her in his head from time to time.

I don't think I was ever meant to have him, he thought, finally admitting it to himself.

He wished she were there, to—he wasn't sure what he thought she would do or say to him now. He felt as though she didn't ever have it in her to be angry or protective of her husband. When it came to Naruto, Hinata was so selfless and sacrificing that if Naruto had wanted it, she probably would have shared him. At least, that was what Neji thought.

In fact, Neji knew it was true. Something sparked in his memory as he wandered alone that evening. It was something he heard Hinata say once. It stuck out to him at the time, too, because she'd said it with such humble honesty that Neji knew it was something she'd thought about before.

It was during a ceremony, a new year or anniversary of something or other, and Naruto was speaking to a crowd of people, waving and smiling and feeding off the energy of the crowd so he seemed to physically glow. Neji had been with Hinata, of course. She was holding Nori; he couldn't have been a year old yet.

"Isn't it difficult to share him with the whole village?" he'd asked.

She'd seemed surprised by the question but just smiled serenely and replied,

"He's too much for just me to have."

Neji felt the same way now. Like it was almost foolish of him to think he was enough to have all of Naruto. Even Hinata couldn't manage that.

Sasuke was sitting on the outside steps of the resort when he returned. The night had turned cool and the hot springs made the air around them steamy and hard to breathe. Despite that, Neji took a deep breath.

"What do you like so much about Naruto?" he asked before the Uchiha could get in any questions or annoying accusations. "What is it that draws you to him so strongly?"

If Sasuke was surprised by the question he didn't show it.

"He's part of me," he answered after a reasonable pause.

"We all know about your destined reincarnation crap," Neji spit, hating that that was all there was to it. That destiny was once again there to tell him what he could and couldn't do.

"It's not that," Sasuke replied with equal venom—though not directed, surprisingly this time, at Neji. "It's never been that."

He sounded as though he, too, hated the idea of being cosmically coerced into a situation that he didn't choose. He waved his hand, frowning.

"That's beyond our control. It isn't up to us," he said. Though Neji would never be able to know this, it was something Sasuke had sat and thought over for great lengths of time. He struggled to word the answer he'd reached through his meditation on the subject and settled on the simplest explanation.

"We chose each other." Then he quickly wrote Neji off, sure he wouldn't be able to comprehend something that could only be understood by one of the two people who shared such a strange connection. "You wouldn't understand."

It took Neji several minutes to fully admit defeat but then it was just there, staring him in the face. Of course it came down to choice—and not his and not Sasuke's—it had always come down to Naruto's choice. That was where Hinata had the both of them beat. She'd known that all along.

"You're wrong," Neji finally said, "choice is something I do understand."

He left the Uchiha with that, and nothing more.

"Nori," Naruto called his son over and Nori came running. He was still ecstatic to be back with his father, even if they had to travel so far to find him.

"I want you to meet Kota," Naruto said, standing just behind a young boy—he looked about 9—and an even younger girl holding the boy's hand tight, "and Kirari."

Sasuke watched Nori smile wide and wave politely, wondering once again what it was about him that had turned Nori so shy in the beginning.

Kota and Kirari were the children that the majority of the new habitants of Uzushiogakure believed to be descended from the main branch of the Uzumaki Clan. They did both have Uzumaki red hair, though a darker shade than Karin's. The boy had a familiar look to him. Not a look that made Sasuke think he'd seen the boy before, but a look that made Sasuke feel a strange kinship to him. It wasn't a surprise if Naruto sensed the same thing. Just by watching them Sasuke could see that Naruto was protective of the pair of children. And from what Sasuke had seen of the villagers, they were just as protective.

Naruto had left Nori to get to know Kota and Kirari and came over to where Sasuke and Neji were standing, waiting for the Shiomaki Clan to arrive to see who would be the head of the new Uzumaki Clan.

"Kota is a really good kid," Naruto explained as he watched his son get to know the other kids. "Kirari too, but she doesn't talk much. Kota says she hasn't since they lost their parents."

"They're orphans," Sasuke nodded with dawning realization. No wonder something had seemed familiar. Kota stood with the posture of someone who didn't want to get too comfortable, too secure, only to have everything taken from him again. He was mature for his age, overly observant, suspicious of any situation that might leave him emotionally vulnerable. Sasuke was surprised Naruto hadn't adopted the two children already.

And then Sasuke noticed the villagers circling, waving and smiling at Kota and Kirari, encouraging Kirari to play some kind of clap game with Nori. One man ruffled Kota's hair and a woman handed him a stick of some kind of food to eat. Sasuke saw the cautious, unsure way Kota accepted the gestures. He was sure it would be some time before the boy felt safe enough to trust anyone again—why get close to someone if they'll only leave you, too?

Sasuke knew his feelings all too well, but he was sure that if the two stayed with the villagers long enough they would be able to be happy again. He was reminded of Naruto's plan to build an orphanage in Uzushiogakure and wondered if these two were the inspiration.

Kota was beginning to warm up to Nori, not to anyone's surprise. It had been said before, but Naruto's young son had inherited his hidden ability to make anyone fall for him. The girl Kirari even smiled as Kota offered to share some of the snack one of the villagers had given him with Nori. A small group of the villagers that Sasuke guessed had taken a special interest in watching out for the two young Uzumaki orphans were huddled nearby; close enough to observe the children without directly interfering.

"This is yummy," Nori said, licking his lips of the sauce that had covered Kota's snack, "but mochi is better."

He then tried to explain to the two others what mochi was and why it was so delicious. They both looked very interested to try it. And then Kirari shyly whispered something to her brother and he shook his head, frowning. Nori was curious, and asked what Kirari had asked Kota.

"She wanted to know what we were doing here today, and I told her I wasn't sure. But it has something to do with the Shiomaki clan, right, Nori?"

"Yeah!" Nori cheered, excited to know something that he could explain to his new friends. "My uncle Neji has bakugan and he said he could use his eyes to see who is more 'Zumaki and who will be the better leader of the clan!"

And then Sasuke watched all of the color drain from the young boy's face, and anxiety bubbled up in his stomach. Neji and Naruto were talking to some of the villagers and didn't seem to notice, but Sasuke did, and so did Nori.

"Ah you okay, Kota?" he asked, his little voice chirpy and concerned. Kota had a tight hold on his sister's sleeve and was looking around him anxiously—like he was looking for a way out.

Sasuke was just about to approach him to see if he could determine what it was that made Kota suddenly panic but it was just that moment that the Shiomaki clan arrived.

They entered the area in a large, noisy, flashy group. They were not as great a number as the villagers, but they walked and held themselves like they were. They pushed through the villagers like they didn't even see them, not stopping to let anyone get out of their way but barreling in like they already owned the whole village.

Sasuke could see why the villagers, and Naruto, might not want this group to be any kind of leading force in the new Uzushiogakure. They had money and it was clear from their clothes and accessories they were not afraid to use it.

There was a boy towards the front of the group not much older than Kota who Sasuke assumed was the head of the clan. His face showed absolutely no fear of the question of his status. He sneered when he saw Kota, who was still clutching his sister tightly and staring around like he wanted to be anywhere but where he was.

"Shimi," Naruto approached the boy, almost man, with a diplomatic grin on his face. The boy nodded in Naruto's direction and then looked away, so Naruto shook hands with several other members of the Shiomaki clan, though Sasuke could tell it was only out of politeness.

"Okay!" he announced, and Sasuke's eyes darted towards Kota again, just to make sure the boy was still there. There was genuine fear in his eyes now and even Neji had noticed that something was off. He was looking at the boy, too.

"Now that our Shiomaki clan friends have finally arrived, we can get this simple test over with and let it be known who will be the next—"

"Naruto, before we begin, I need to speak to you," Neji interrupted, much to everyone's surprise. "Privately."

He pulled Naruto to the side and surprised Sasuke by allowing him to be a part of their private conversation as well. He still kept an eye on Kota as they wandered a bit away but it was clear the boy had nowhere to go.

"The boy and girl," Neji explained quickly, "they have no Uzumaki chakra in them."

"None at all?" Naruto grimaced, and Neji shook his head. "I was afraid of that."

"You knew?" Sasuke was surprised. He wouldn't have thought Naruto to notice something like that.

"I suspected," Naruto shrugged. "I just really hoped I was wrong, for Kota and Kirari's sake—not to mention for Uzushiogakure's."

"Now that I see the Shiomaki clan I understand why," Neji agreed. "They're pompous and think themselves better than anyone else, flaunting prestige they did nothing to deserve."

Naruto nodded. This was getting complicated. Sasuke was still watching Kota. He looked even paler than before and jumped whenever a villager appeared to give him some kind of advice or encouragement. Nori had picked up on the elder boy's anxiety and was staring around himself, trying to figure out what was wrong.

"He lied to the villagers," Sasuke realized. "They were looking for someone to have claim to the Uzumaki name so they wouldn't have to give power to the Shiomaki's and he used it to his advantage, so he and his sister would have somewhere to go."

Naruto nodded and Sasuke felt a rush of affection for him. Naruto had likely suspected that much all along but still wanted to help the boy any way he could.

"You were right to tell me before the test, Neji," Naruto switched instantaneously into Hokage-mode. "I'll have to figure out what to do now."

"Leave it to me," Neji told him, placing a hand on his shoulder and then walking back towards the groups of people before Naruto could even argue.

"Shimi," Naruto beckoned to the Shiomaki heir, anxiety carefully masked underneath his professional demeanor. Shimi held his head high and stepped to where Naruto directed him. "Kota," he added, nodding towards the boy who was still standing beside his son, panic clear in his eyes. The boy hesitated, glancing around at all the smiling, encouraging faces of the future villagers of Uzushiogakure. He took a deep breath and stepped away from his sister—who still seemed to understand that something was bothering her brother—and stood beside Shimi, who didn't even give him a second glance.

"Today we will finally decide which of these two young men," Naruto announced so the whole crowd could hear, "will claim the title of Head of a newly reorganized Uzumaki Clan, the clan that will be in charge of setting up a shinobi hierarchy and defense of the new Uzushiogakure."

Sasuke hadn't realized the clan would have so much power and say in the governing of the new village and understood Naruto's hesitancy to re-establish it in the first place. He wondered what Neji's plan was, but the Hyuuga had seemed very confident.

"Kota and Shimi," he addressed the two boys, still projecting his voice so he could be heard, "both of you will summon your chakra and Neji will use his own clan's talents to see which of you has the strongest traces of Uzumaki chakra. This test will be definitive and once Neji has determined the new Uzumaki clan head there will be no further disputes, do both sides agree?"

He turned first to the Shiomaki clan and though there was scattered grumbling, they were convinced their Shimi was the rightful heir and they eventually agreed. When Naruto turned to the villagers there was much less grumbling, they talked among themselves and then an older gentleman spoke their agreement. Naruto nodded and then turned to Shimi and Kota and nodded again.

Shimi summoned his chakra instantly, with ease. Though he didn't have much chakra, even Sasuke could see the training he'd received as the heir of a somewhat prestigious clan; he had excellent control.

Neji activated his byakugan but Kota hesitated again, staring from his sister to the villagers, until one of them shouted out his name.

"You can do it, Kota!"

"Yeah! Kota is the best!" another villager shouted until they were all cheering for him. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and gathered his chakra. It was powerful, but it wasn't Uzumaki. Sasuke had sucked Uzumaki chakra straight from Karin's skin and he'd spent too much time training with Naruto before then not to notice the similarity. Back then he'd thought it just a strange anomaly—it was barely noticeable anyway—but he should have thought more about it, considering how similar his and Itachi's chakra was. If anyone there had been as familiar with sensing Uzumaki chakra as he was they would have noticed it too, but they were lucky. He still wasn't sure what Neji was going to do—would he simply lie and say Kota was the true heir?

"I've seen enough," Neji announced just as the though crossed Sasuke's mind, and he saw the Byakugan deactivate. Shimi and Kota dropped their concentrated stances and there was a tension that filled the air as the people awaited the results.

Kota's younger sister Kirari was too little to really understand what was happening and she was scared with everyone watching her brother. She knew something was bothering him and she ran for him, hugging his waist. He held her tight, shutting his eyes. He already knew what the results would be.

"There is only one person here who has Uzumaki chakra pure enough to lead a new Uzumaki Clan," Neji said, speaking loudly, like Naruto had, so everyone could hear.

Shimi and the Shiomaki group were already grinning smugly but then Neji motioned to Naruto and announced calmly,

"Of all the people gathered here today, Naruto here has the strongest Uzumaki chakra, not to mention the name to go with it. He is the rightful head of the new Uzumaki Clan."

Instantly there was a roar of conversation. Shimi and the Shiomaki were furious but knew they had no right to counter. Kota was so relieved he sunk to the ground, holding his sister in his arms. Nori approached them—though he wasn't completely sure what had just happened—he was just glad his new friend wasn't so upset anymore.

Naruto was as surprised as anyone else, staring at Neji with wide blue eyes. Neji smiled back and nodded his head knowingly. After a moment and the roar had died down to a low rumble, Naruto stepped forward and spoke to the crowds again.

"As the official head of the Uzumaki Clan, I am announcing here and now that there will no longer be any Uzumaki Clan." He let the crowd exclaim their shock again until he could speak over them and add, "Uzushiogakure will not be a village governed by the same ancient, unfair rules that have held other villages back for years. My dream for Uzushiogakure was always for it to be a new kind of village, run by people who care about what is best for every person who lives there, not just the wealthiest or highest ranking. I hope that by disbanding Uzumaki Clan, a new set of values can be applied to this village that will protect every person, no matter how insignificant."

He stared at Kota and Kirari as he delivered the last line and shot a sharp look at the villagers, defying them to abandon the children they had been so long rallying around, but Sasuke thought that he needn't worry. It seemed pretty clear that the villagers loved Kota and Kirari completely aside from their supposed connection to the Uzumaki Clan. From the way they were already crowding around the two red-headed children it left no doubt in Sasuke's mind that they would be cared and provided for as long as they lived in the new Uzushiogakure.

After his announcement, Naruto was nearly buried under people, all asking questions or giving advice or arguing with him about something or another. Sasuke knew he would be busy for some time as the dust settled on the events of the day and he wondered what he and Neji could do to potentially help him sort through the mess.

Then he felt a tug on his sleeve and looked to find Nori beside him, hands reaching up to him. Sasuke felt warmth spreading through his chest when he looked down into Nori's face. His whiskers were really starting to show and they stretched on his cheeks when he smiled wide. Sasuke bent down to pick him up and found himself smiling, too. It always surprised him how easily Nori could make him forget his troubles and wondered if that was why people had children.

Sasuke was so absorbed in listening as Nori began recounting what he thought had just happened that he didn't notice the gentle look on Naruto's face as he watched Sasuke with his son nor the cold gaze of Neji as he stood back from the fray and saw everything play out without even a glance his way.

"Well… this is it," Naruto stopped abruptly and turned, waving an arm towards the buildings before them. Most were half-finished, with workers climbing across roofs or sitting on scaffolding looking over plans.

They were on the main road of what would soon officially be Uzushiogakure, in an area where most of the essential shops and offices would be centered. The bones of a hospital were visible a little ways farther down, and a school was already in the final steps of completion in the other direction. It was all very simple, no flourishes or special architecture, but that probably had to do with money constraints; Sasuke knew a lot of the work Naruto did towards Uzushiogakure had to do with gathering investors and donations to make it happen. It didn't look much like a home, but that subtle touch would probably come later, once the town was actually lived in.

Sasuke could feel Naruto watching him, and turned back to the blond as he nervously asked,

"What do you think?"

That was the fourth time Naruto had asked him that question since he began the tour of Uzushiogakure, and he had seemed just as nervous upon asking it every time before. It bothered Sasuke for some reason he couldn't explain.

He began walking down the middle of the unpaved road, towards the largest, almost castle-like building on the hill at the farthest end of the town. Even from a distance Sasuke thought that it was one of the few buildings left standing from the original Uzushiogakure, though it had probably needed repairs.

"You keep asking me that," he said, aware of Naruto following just behind him, but not looking back to see. "Why do you care what I think, Naruto? My opinion doesn't matter."

Naruto sputtered with shock, surprising Sasuke even more.

"What?" he exclaimed, and Sasuke saw him waving his arms from the corner of his eye. "Of course your opinion matters!"

"No it doesn't," Sasuke shook his head, smiling faintly. "Uzushiogakure is your project. If you think it's going to work and the people who are going to live here think it's going to work, then that's all that matters."

"But still," Naruto argued—he always did argue. "I—I want your opinion. Maybe it's not important for the village, but it's important to me to know what you think. And I mean," he said, and Sasuke saw him frowning, serious, "what you really think, not just what you think I want to hear. Don't lie just to make me feel better."

"When have I ever done that?" Sasuke asked him bluntly, and got a laugh in reply. He didn't say anything until they reached the large castle on the hill and he stopped in front of the entrance to read the sign already hung above the huge double doors.

'Uzushio Orphanage,' the sign read.

He turned to face Naruto and the light that shone on the hill seemed more golden than down by the shops. It illuminated Naruto's face and his eyes. They were fixed solidly on Sasuke, something deep and unfathomable in them as he stared, and Sasuke tried hard to catch his breath quickly.

"You want to know what I think?" He asked. Naruto nodded, still all serious, Hokage-Naruto. Sasuke took a deep breath and looked down on the town and the people working hard to turn it into a real place they could live their lives.

"No other Hokage would have ever dreamed of doing anything like this, Naruto. You've managed to keep the peace between the villages so well that you decided to undertake a project this huge just because you knew it could help people."

It was probably just a trick of the light but for a moment it looked as though there were tears in Naruto's eyes, but Sasuke still wasn't sure why Naruto cared so much about his opinion in the first place. But everything he said was completely true—seeing Uzushiogakure with his own two eyes made him realize just how huge a project it was and how much time Naruto must have spent to make it a reality. He never would have been able to do something like that—very few people would have.

"I think Uzushiogakure is going to be incredible," he said, finally, and Naruto nodded, glancing away quickly. Naruto didn't say anything else as they walked back down the hill but every few feet their shoulders would bump—Sasuke didn't know what to think about that.

With the Uzumaki Clan dispute settled the villagers, and even a small fraction of the Shiomaki Clan who stayed behind when most of the clan members left, really got to work to put the finishing touches on the village. Naruto wanted to stay longer, to oversee and help any little way he could. There were times he would vanish and Sasuke and Nori would find him in the middle of hammering some doorway or lifting one side of a huge piece of glass. Once, they came upon him helping finish a roof; he was shirtless and glistening with sweat from the midday heat. Sasuke had ached with desire, remarking once again how the years had changed Naruto's body—and definitely for the better.

It also made Sasuke curious how Nori would grow up. He suspected for some reason that he would have a body more like Neji's, lean and lithe. Naruto was a bit stocky but his muscles were more defined, the product of different training and fighting styles. When Nori's byakugan activated Neji would probably take Nori under his wing to teach him how to use his ability. At least, that's what Sasuke always assumed.

Eventually, Naruto admitted that it was time to go home. He'd been away from his village for too long and there was no reason to temp an attack, though there was no imminent threat from any known village. Sasuke was anxious to return as well as he was sure there would be plenty of work piled up when he returned and he looked forward to getting lost in it for a while. It would help him sort some things out.

Naruto also knew there would be work piled up when he returned but was none too excited about facing it, and Nori's delight at being in Uzushiogakure spending time with his father was not lost on Naruto, Neji, or Sasuke. Of any of them, Sasuke thought he wanted to return home the least.

"Don't you want to see Aunt Sakura, and Aunt Hanabi and, don't forget, Shishika is probably missing you," Naruto tried convincing his son that going home was something to be excited about instead of sad, but it wasn't quite working—until Sasuke said the magic word, of course.

"I'm surprised you don't want to leave for home right now," he mused, and Nori glanced at him curiously. Sasuke smiled slyly at Naruto, who was as confused as his son.

"It's already been a long time for you to go without having any mochi."

Nori's eyes went round and wide, much like his favorite treats, and Naruto brightened the room with a wide grin, laughing at his son's predictable reaction.

"He's right, Nori! Have you ever gone this long without mochi before?"

"Will we go staight to Mimis' when we get back, Dad? Will we?" Nori pleaded, counting on a promise. Naruto didn't let him down,

"Definitely. First stop: Mimis'."

"And Sasuke can come, too!" Nori declared. Naruto was surprised by that, his eyebrows raising high on his forehead. He almost seemed to flush a little, glancing at Sasuke guiltily, like he felt bad that his son was always dragging Sasuke along to places. Sasuke didn't let it faze him.

"You only want me to go so you can have mine, too," he said, and Nori didn't disagree, glowing under the attention he was getting.

They were planning on leaving the following morning but they wound up staying another day. The villagers had questions and concerns they suddenly needed to voice when they learned the Hokage was leaving and Naruto was not the kind of person to leave without at least trying to solve the problems that the people were putting before him. When they ended up staying even another day after that, as more and more tasks piled up, Sasuke wondered if he would need to knock Naruto out and drag him back to Konoha before the day was over.

He was also starting to wonder if there was another reason Naruto wouldn't want to go home.

Every time it seemed Naruto had finally come to the decision that they would leave, he would find something else to keep him in Uzushiogakure. He even went as far as worrying that Nori was sick and they needed to stay a few days longer so travelling didn't wear him out. Nori denied that he was feeling bad but then Naruto distracted his son before the boy could start to wonder why they hadn't left for home yet. Sasuke didn't know what to do about it, and he didn't really hate being out of the village himself. But he was and had always been the responsible one and knew that he needed to get the Hokage safely back to Konoha, if the Hokage didn't keep finding some new project to keep them in this village forever.

And then, much to his surprise, Neji gave the solution.

"That's it," the Hyuuga announced, stepping in front of Naruto before he could run off to go tend to the next situation.

Neji hadn't been around as much the past few days and even when he was around, he didn't try and get between Sasuke and Naruto the way he normally did. Sasuke noticed his distance but said nothing, as was his nature.

"Neji?" Naruto asked, surprised at the way the Hyuuga had physically stepped in front of him to keep him from running off. Nori was off playing with Kota and Kirari and Sasuke had been about to broach the topic of leaving before nightfall to Naruto when he'd heard someone call for him and started running off again. That was when Neji stopped him.

"Whatever is it, these people can take care of it themselves," Neji explained, and though Sasuke had been thinking exactly the same he was glad someone had said it.

"It's time for you to go home, Naruto," Neji said firmly. Naruto began to argue but the Hyuuga cut him off.

"You've already done enough to make this village a reality and there are people counting on you returning to Konoha. And Nori won't say it, but I know he's ready to go back home. Even Uchiha's been thinking it: you're stalling."

"But—" Naruto tried to argue, "There's still so much to do here, and—"

"And that's why I'm going to stay behind and manage the finishing touches of the buildings and the villagers and all the little details you keep using to avoid going back home."

Sasuke almost let his surprise show on his face; instead he crossed his arms and let Naruto be surprised for him.

"S—stay?" Naruto switched from combative to confused in the blink of an eye. "Neji, you don't—I mean, you don't have to do that. You know that, right?"

"I've already made my decision, Naruto. I'm not asking you to talk me out of it and I don't want you to try and convince me to come back."

Sasuke sensed there was a double meaning behind Neji's words. By telling Naruto he didn't want to be persuaded to return to Konoha, he was declaring that if Naruto tried he would take it as a sign; that if Naruto tried to get him to come back with them Neji would interpret it as some kind of hope that Naruto wanted him the way Neji wished he did. Sasuke knew that Neji didn't even want the temptation and to make that clear he said it straight out.

Sasuke wondered if Naruto picked up on it. He looked ready to argue more, starting to speak and then cutting himself off, face a mixture of emotions. Sasuke was a bit annoyed at the reaction Neji was getting from Naruto but curious to see how this would play out and what the Hyuuga's angle was. Finally Naruto seemed to find some argument that worked for him but before he started Neji cut him off again, pausing with a sideways glance at Sasuke before lowering his voice to say,

"Naruto, you of all people will understand. I've… been thinking about getting out of the village a lot recently. It's hard to be there when everything reminds me of her. Staying here… just for a while, it will be good for me."

"What about Nori?" Naruto finally sputtered, incapable of not saying anything.

"I'll miss him," Neji admitted. "But I think this is for the best."

Sasuke silently agreed, but not for any reason that didn't trace back to jealousy.

Nori ran up to them before Naruto could respond, unaware of the sudden tension between his father and uncle.

"What are we doin now, Dad?" he asked, expecting Naruto to tell him they were going to go and talk to more of the villagers or help someone arranging store furnishings.

With a glance at Neji and then to his son, Naruto sighed and said,

"I hope you're all packed because it looks like we're going home."

Now that a decision was really and truly made, and with the confidence of Neji staying behind to help the villagers, the only thing left to do was leave. The Hyuuga was walking them as far as the town they first stayed in, carrying Nori, who had been expectedly unhappy when he heard he wouldn't be seeing his uncle for a while.

Finally they reached the road that would take them almost straight back to Konoha and the goodbyes began. Nori took the longest, hugging Neji tightly for a whole minute until Neji laughed and handed him to Naruto. Sasuke looked away from the gentle, friendly smile that Naruto shown on Neji. Then Neji leaned in and whispered something to Naruto that left him obviously surprised.

"You can come back when Uzushiogakure is really complete," Neji promised Nori and his father. "And visit me and Kirari and Kota."

Naruto nodded in agreement and with that, started off down the road, Nori waving as they went. Sasuke started to follow but found himself held back, one hand gripping his arm tight.

"Don't ever forget about her," he said lowly. Sasuke held his gaze and felt like he was seeing every empty white eye he'd ever known watching him. He never could look at Nori and not see Hinata, and somehow he thought Neji knew that. He released Sasuke's arm and Sasuke began to walk away, but something held him back and he stopped.

"If things had been… different," he mused, "we could have been friends."

Neji didn't take a moment to reply, "No. We couldn't."

Sasuke turned back around so the Hyuuga wouldn't see him smile.

The trip back was faster than the trip to Uzushiogakure. Sasuke and Naruto always were good travelling partners, though it had been a long time since they'd travelled together and never before with a child. Nori didn't give them much trouble, though, as he was eager to get back home. His cheerful high voice filled most of the silence on their trip, excitedly raving about visiting everyone he missed while he was gone.

Before they knew it the gates of Konoha were in sight and (since Naruto and Sasuke had taken turns carrying him most of that day) he still had plenty of energy to rush forward ahead of them to make it to the village entrance first. Naruto and Sasuke smiled at his exuberance but Sasuke felt a tinge of regret that he didn't savor their short trip more. It wasn't often he got Naruto all to himself—even if his son was with them too. He was absorbed in his own thoughts and didn't notice at first when Naruto slowed to a stop several feet behind him. When he turned around to see what caused Naruto to stop he found the blond staring at a spot on the ground, then look up and around him and finally at Sasuke. He smiled sadly at the confusion on Sasuke's face and watched Nori running off in the distance.

"This was the last place I kissed her."

Of all the things Sasuke expected Naruto to say, that surprised him. He was caught off guard and he didn't know how to reply so he stood there silently, waiting for Naruto to add more to his statement. Instead Naruto took in a deep, shivering breath that swelled in his chest like it would burst his lungs.

"Sometimes I wonder if it's a mistake to love someone when it hurts this much," he sighed, exhaling his heavy gulp of air.

"It isn't," Sasuke said. He could at least say that.

Naruto studied him for a long few seconds after that and then this somber, sorrowful Naruto vanished and the Naruto he knew returned with a more reserved variant of his shining smile.

"You're probably right," he said, and then Nori called out as loudly as he could for them and they started walking again, pacing themselves so they were side-by-side once again. Sasuke felt a pull of electricity between them, one that he had felt countless times before—but he also felt something else, like a watchful pair of eyes could see the spark between them, too. The hair on the back of his neck stood up and he sensed something that he knew wasn't there.

"Don't ever forget about her," Neji had said.

Even if he didn't want to, he knew he wouldn't.