All righty, here we go. There will be sasunaru. Which means slash, obviously.

THE Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor any of the characters in it.

Addicted - 1

Sasuke watched Kakashi watch Naruto, knowing full well that Kakashi had just been watching him watch Naruto seconds before. Considering all the watching that was being done, it was really a pity that the blond wasn't in on it. He didn't even know about it. In fact, it seemed that his only focus was the ramen in front of him.

"Stop staring, Sasuke," Kakashi said just loudly enough for everyone to hear. Fortunately, no one seemed to care what Kakashi had to say about anything. "Eat your ramen."

A little surprised that his sensei had actually spoken to him, the dark-haird chunin narrowed his eyes. He hadn't wanted to be there at the ramen shop to begin with, and he hadn't been staring. It didn't help his already sour mood when he'd discovered that someone had been watching his watching (which was in no way like staring). He had been analyzing, damnit! He didn't want to be eating and he didn't want to be talking, and he didn't want to be there at all.

Uchiha Sasuke was good at analyzing, whether it be people or places or puzzles or ideas. However, he analyzed situations so completely that talking was almost painful for him. Every sentence was a well-planned move on the chess board. There was nothing casual about talking for Sasuke and he didn't like to do it. It was the same way with eating in public. People seeing him eating...Nothing good could come of such a situation.

Sasuke gave Kakashi a slightly heated look that said quite plainly I wasn't staring, before turning back to his untouched bowl of ramen. He couldn't have been staring at the orange-clad boy; it was impossible. Staring at someone as loudly dressed and as loudly voiced as Naruto meant risks. You risked your sanity and you risked your eyesight, and neither of them were good things to lose.

With his chopsticks, Sasuke clipped the noodles into tiny, pitiful pieces. He noted distractedly that Sakura was prattling on about something on his left side. One minute she was quiet and shy, and the next she was annoyingly chatty. On his right, Naruto, who was always chatty, was swallowing his ramen at a terrifying speed. The Uchiha was fairly certain that he wasn't chewing...

With a "you gonna eat that?" the diced noodles were whipped away from him. Sasuke didn't even notice his eyes following the blond's arm until it was too late. Naruto caught the gaze and paused with the bowl nearly at his lips.

"Will you stop staring at me already?" he demanded loudly, adding for good measure, "Jerk."

Abruptly, the dark-haired shinobi pulled his eyes back to glare at the counter. He had not been staring, and he said so.

"Yeah right. Your so busy trying to look cool that you don't even know what's going on," was insisted through a dribbly mouth of mutilated pasta. Sakura proceeded to reach behind Sasuke and smack the speaker.

Ugh. The people he had to put up with.

Sasuke hadn't been staring. Not only because it was impossible, but because he didn't stare. If anything, he'd been glaring. He wasn't one of those people Everyone knows the kind. Those people, strangers, that stare shamelessly at other people in the street or in the market or wherever. Typically, they would be staring at you, no matter who the 'you' was, and it was very unsettling.

Sasuke had never been, wasn't, and would never be one of those people. Because he didn't stare, and even if he did, the target of his staring would never be the orange eyesore next to him.

Chancing a look at said eyesore, he slid off of his stool with Uchiha grace. Naruto had stolen his ramen, therefore he no longer had to be there. Not that he had been going to eat it anyway - I mean, people seeing him eat...

"I'm going home," he announced, to which Sakura responded by declaring that she, too, was going to blow this popsicle-err-ramen stand! and Kakashi nodded rather politely. There was something strange, though, Sasuke noticed, about the jounin's eyes, like maybe he was smirking behind his mask. The sixteen year-old shuddered, dismissed his unease, and walked home.

The next morning, every member of Team 7 arrived at the bridge to find their sensei waiting for them. Naruto reacted in the way only a Naruto could, somewhat obnoxiously. Sakura, on the other hand, withdrew into a very shy and polite form of herself that could almost be considered out of character for her.

"Kakashi-sensei," the girl said, barely audible beneath the orange boy's shouting. "You- you're...early?"

"-what the hell are you doing here? You're never her on time! Hey! Wait! This proves that you can be on time! Why the hell aren't you always here on time!"

The silver-haired shinobi waited until a violent Sakura abandoned shy and shut Naruto up to speak. He cleared his throat. Everyone went silent, eager for the explanation. Why in the world had Kakashi decided to be early that day? There had to have been a very major shift in the universe, a glitch in the Matrix, a skipping of the great record of life!

"Well," Kakashi said quite passively, "It's the third of June. Does anybody know what that means?"

The pink-haired girl's eyes shone a glaring maybe-turquoise. "Third of June," she repeated, then guessing eagerly, "Nepotianus declares himself Roman Emperor! The First Crusade! Paris is bombed!"

Their teacher shook his head. "It means," he told them emphatically, "That yesterday was the second!"

Sasuke watched, leaning against a tree, unamused. He knew where this was going. Honestly, how could anyone miss it?

"Annnd?" Sakura drawled impatiantly. She had been right about the famous June 3rd's of the past and Sasuke hadn't even spared her a glance.

"And that, dear children, was the release date for the second Icha Icha movie! On DVD!"

Three stares, two blank, one just irritated.

"So the only reason you're here right now is because you didn't sleep at all last night," came Sasuke's voice.

Kakashi's crinkled eyes gave his grin away. "It was a time for celebration."

Naruto wrinkled his nose, "I bet you just watched that perverted movie all night! You almost worse than Ero-sannin!"

"You could ask Iruka what I was doing all night," the jounin suggested happily.

A small smirk broke on Sasuke's face as he watched his energetic rival stomp around miserably, yelling obscenities at Kakashi for making such crude insinuations about the beloved, the innocent Iruka-sensei. He took in the clenched fists, the flying blond hair, and the face looking caught between upset and disgusted. The blue eyes were narrowed defensively, their owner a blur of orange and blue as he waved his limbs angrily. The Uchiha's smirk grew - it was almost amusing.

So busy he was he thinking about just how mock-worthy Naruto was, Sasuke was almost surprised when Energy, personified, turned on him. "And what are you smirking at? Just stop it, already!"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow casually. "Stop what?"

"Stop staring at me! I hate it when you do that!"

"I do not," the Uchiha growled, "Stare."

"You know, I think Naruto's right, Sasuke-kun. You do stare at him pretty often." Kakashi nodded his agreement with the statement as a line formed between Sakura's eyebrows. "Wait! Why don't you ever stare at me like that?"

"I don't stare at that moron!" Sasuke glared in Kakashi's direction. "Mission today?"

The sensei shook his head again. "Training. You'll spar with Naruto while Sakura and I work on her genjutsu."

The dark-haired boy nodded. Finally, this morning was going somewhere. His sparring partner ahead of him, he followed behind while trying to regain his cool detachment. He might have, too, had Kakashi not called after him.

"I'm here if you ever need to talk, Sasuke. Sometimes, when I find myself staring at Iruka..."

As he hurried away, Sasuke wondered what his chances were of successfully faking sick and being sent home.

Naruto was getting better. Of course, it didn't surprise the Uchiha anymore. Naruto was just always getting better, and now it was the genius who had to try harder to keep up. He clenched his jaw as he narrowly dodged another fist, this time headed to clip him on the side of the head. When he made to retaliate, an orange leg, which could be in no way attached to the body in front of him, shot out, kicking and tripping simultaneously. Rolling his flexible body into a clumsy sort of back handspring, Sasuke distanced himself from the twins in front of him.

"Dobe. I thought we agreed - only taijutsu," he said irritably.

Naruto looked at Naruto and then sent a smirk towards his sparring partner. "Have you ever made those sorts of agreements with, I dunno, an enemy you faced on a mission?"

Sasuke felt a smile tug on his lips, and he turned it into something a little more menacing. "Fine. I can play your way."

Naruto tipped his head to the side with a grin as the clone next to him shot off, disappearing into the trees. "You sure about that?"

The dark-haired boy didn't get a chance to respond, turning to face three more stunningly solid Narutos. The group through punches, kicks, and fire jutsu. The fight, five to one, quickly became smaller, and finally Sasuke found himself in front of one opponent again. The blond glanced the scorch marks marring the forest floor and chuckled.

"You're not as tough as you think, Teme,"

Sasuke, maybe a little offended, lunged forward with his left arm, feeling an incredible rush of satisfaction when his right fist caught the edge of his rival's jaw. And not just satisfaction, excitement, too. His being swelled with a masochistic anticipation; how would Naruto pay him back? There was always this thrill that went through him when they exchanged blows, whether he was on the receiving end of them or not, and this fight was no different.

"Bastard," Naruto muttered, having been caught off-guard. "That was cheap and you know it."

Smirking, Sasuke raised and eyebrow. "Yeah? What of it?" He watched as the other's eyes narrowed considerably. Just one more push, he thought. Just one more word and he won't hold back. "Dobe."

Needless to say, that by the time Kakashi had appeared in the clearing, both teenagers were tired and buzzing in the afterglow of their sparring session, Sasuke in particular.

"Well, boys," their sensei chirped, "I see that you've had a good time. Anyone object to breaking for lunch?"

Naruto suddenly found the energy to look enthusiastic. "Ramen?" he asked hopefully.

"Ahah, right," Kakashi rubbed at the back of his neck. "After last night, I thought it might be best if I left you all to fend for yourselves today."

Sasuke smirked at the other boy's slightly confused expression. "He means he doesn't wanna have to pay for the ten bowls you're going to inhale."

"Coming from the anoretic," Naruto sniffed, knowing that it was the biggest load of crap he'd heard all morning. In fact, he had seen Sasuke shirtless, even nearly naked when they'd been at the hot springs, and though he was thinner and more refined, he was anything but unhealthy. He knew no anoretic could maintain such a perfect body, even if it was his or her goal to begin with.

But, of course, he voiced none of this and was faced with a rather huffy Sasuke. "What?"

The tanned boy didn't think he could help himself; he certainly couldn't keep the fox-like grin on his face. "You are the Sasuke that refuses to eat, aren't you?"

Much indignance. "I just don't like eating in public!"

"So you save eating like a pig for home?"

"No!"

Kakashi glowed. He loved seeing them bicker now, when they were more friends than rivals. Especially when Naruto had the upper hand - it was so much more interesting.

"Is it an official Uchiha clan rule? No eating in public?"

"There are no rules! There are just things you don't do."

Naruto pretended to look interested. "Like lawn bowling? Do you not lawn bowl in public either?"

Sasuke's gaze was incredulous. "Lawn bowling?"

"Yeah, duh. Closely related to the sport of bocce ball."

"I know what it is, idiot! Stop being ridiculous."

"Refusing to eat in public sounds plenty ridiculous to me."

Smirking, Sasuke tried to turn the tables. "Well, for all we know, most things sound rediculous to you. After all, most things you say sound ridiculous to us, Dobe."

Instead of getting upset, like he normally would, the blond brightened. "I think you're just listening wrong."

Tables still in their previous positions, Kakashi noted.

"I'd like not to listen at all," the Uchiha quipped.

"It's not like you couldn't tune me out."

Sasuke sighed. "Believe me, I've tried. No one is capable of tuning you out, Uzumaki Naruto."

"Like anyone would want to! A man with this much sex appeal? Yeah right."

"Man? Che! I don't think even-"

"Boys!" their sensei interrupted, reminding them both that he thought of neither of them as being even close to men. "Sasuke, it looks like your strange eating habits have lost you this verbal sparring match. It was close. My congratulations to you, Naruto. Now, I'm giving you forty-five minutes lunch break before we're supposed to meet with the hokage, and you've already wasted an eighth of that time. Ja."

And - pop - he was gone, leaving his two students, one first confused and then irritated, and one dancing a childish victory dance.

What was there left to do but go to lunch?

Kakashi had been quite intrigued when he'd been cornered by Hyuuga Hinata while relaxing under the shade a tree. He peered over the top of his newest favorite Icha Icha novel and gazed at her with a mild curiosity, waiting for her to speak first.

"Ah, K-kakash- er- Sens- H-hatake-san?"

The Copy Ninja grinned; Hinata was probably the only Hyuuga lacking in self-confidence. "Yes, Hinata?"

"I've seen that- it's- N-n-naruto's chakra is leaking," she managed out, obviously intimidated by the silver-haired man.

Now this was puzzling to Kakashi. Smile disappearing, he became the concerned sensei. "Just what do you mean? What did you see?"

"I saw N-naruto with Sasuke a few seconds ago. N-naruto's chakra...it-it looked like it was coating his skin. Nothing wr-wrong, really. Just too much, maybe. I-I don't know, I was worried-"

"Hinata," the jounin said, tone serious, "Do you think you could accompany me while I visit Tsunade? You would prove very helpful, I'm sure."

The girl's face immediately lit up at the prospect of being able to help her crush. "Yes."

A short time after Kakashi had disappeared, after Sasuke sighing that he had no idea what he was doing there and Naruto waggling his eyebrows and telling him that he knew exactly what he was doing there, they arrived at the Ichiraku stand.

That lunch, Sasuke ordered nothing, preferring to sit back and wait for his companion to finish. Which took a while.

At some point, the older shinobi was not quite sure when, he had this strange idea. It wasn't even idea, really, because, for maybe the first time in his life, Sasuke acted without thinking. Maybe it was the fact that he hadn't eaten; maybe Naruto had gotten in more hits than he'd thought. Maybe he was still floating on his sparring-induced high. Whatever it was, he didn't think anything could come close to explaining why he actually did it.

He was fairly certain that he was the only one who saw his hand reach out to brush Naruto's own, the free one gripping the bowl. The other boy didn't even notice

Sasuke did, though. Sasuke reallynoticed. Because he'd felt a jolt, like with electricity, only it was different. It was chakra. Pure, unrestrained chakra, straight from Naruto's hand into his, from one body to another. He had to fight to keep the smile off his face. Was this why he so enjoyed sparring with the blond? It had been invigorating, a rush of something so different from his own chakra. And he wanted more.

"Again," he pleaded, just a little too loudly, mind still out where it had been sent from that brief touch.

"What, Sasuke?" Naruto asked in between mouthfuls. "I thought I heard- Sas-! Sasuke!"

It was a surprised chunnin who lifted his gaze to a pouncing Uchiha. Suddenly, there was Sasuke, holding onto his hand for dear life, and breaking into what looked to be an unhealthy sweat. And then, just as suddenly, there was Sasuke, passed out on the Ichiraku counter

Oh man, Naruto thought worriedly, I should have made him eat something.

"The way I understand it," Tsunade was saying, "His chakra's gradual merging with the kyuubi's own has given him a temporary excess of it. I don't think there's anything to be worried about - no one should be affected, not even Naruto himself - and the safest way to deal with the problem is to simply wait it out."

"Will it affect his performance as a shinobi?" Kakashi inquired. "Should we treat him any differently?"

The hokage shook her head. "You shouldn't have to. I'll take a look at him when you bring your team in after lunch."

As they left, Tsunade had thanked both Kakashi and the Hyuuga girl. It was very reassuring to her to see their concern for Naruto; after all, it wasn't like the brat was careful or anything.

She put her head in her hands, peeking out at her desk from between her fingers. "So much paperwork..." She would have probably finally gotten to work, too, if she hadn't been interrupted a second time.

Not five minutes after his sensei disappeared, Naruto came crashing through the door with a limp Sasuke in his arms.