A/N: Hello dear readers, and thank you for reading this, and thanks to all the reviewers! Love you!

I'm really sorry it took me so long to update. It was really hard writing it and I suppose it will only get harder (hehehe). I hope the next update wouldn't take so long. Anyway, enjoy the new chapter and don't forget to review! I'll give you a cookie if you do!!

Special thanks to my dear friend Anna-chan, for supporting me and beta-ing this chapter. She was rewarded with a special double chocolate german cheesecake.

Himitsu na Bunshin 3

Naruto slowly woke up as the first rays of sunlight caressed his face. The warm beams filled his room and illuminated the pale figure in front of him. His ocean blue eyes slowly revealed themselves as the lids opened like a curtain before a magnificent show. It was obvious he had slept well that night. He made a small purring sound as he nuzzled his pillow and blinked a few times to clear his vision. It made the redhead smile. Only then did the blond see him, looking at him with those blue orbs. Warm, the redhead decided, they were warm.

All in all, Naruto always felt like a big sun to him. All his memories of the blond had been from sunny days and warm breezes. So much unlike himself, always seeming to connect more with the moon. Most of his memories of himself were of the lonely nights he had spent on rooftops, when his mind had been replaying things he didn't want to remember from the day-time. The most important events of his life happened during night-time - talks with Yashamaru about love, the time he tried to assassinate him, the time he carved the mark on his forehead, even his fight against akatsuki. All the most important events in his life happened during the night; all except one - his fight against Naruto, the fight that changed his life was when the sun was high up in the sky.

How odd and beautiful - Naruto was the sun, and he was the moon.

Naruto blinked again and looked at him. If it was possible, Gaara would say his eyes became warmer. He smiled at the redhead and said with a sleep-roughed voice "Hi"
Gaara made a small smile and answered with the same short word.

A minute passed like that, both boys saying nothing and just gazing into each other's beaming face.

However, Naruto's beaming, smiling face suddenly turned into shock and what seemed like panic. "Eh?" he mumbled before jumping out of bed, pointing at Gaara with full-out panic. "EEEEEEEHHHHH?!"

The redhead winced before him at the loud screeching sound of Naruto's freaked out voice, still husky though. Much like the sun when it got too hot and caused sun-burns, Naruto had his bad moments.

"W-W-W-WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE??" He asked, although he never waited for an answer from the redhead. "Y-Y-You shouldn't be here!! How the hell did this happen?? You usually disappear after I fall asleep!!"

Gaara tilted his head. Was that what happened last night? He had seen the Gaara sleeping next to Naruto before sneaking in, but when he did, the Gaara was no longer there.

"AAAAHH!! What am I going to do?!" He looked to various directions, as if looking for something to cover the redhead, then turned to the redhead again. "Just-Just 'poof' yourself away!... Go on, do it!!"

"'Poof myself away'?" Gaara asked, not quite sure what the other meant.

Naruto gawked at him, blinked a few times, then started screaming again, mumbling incoherent things in his panic. "Oh my god, OH MY GOD! Okay! I'll dispel you myself!!" He quickly performed a few hand-seals and at the last seal closed his eyes and yelled "Dispel!"

Gaara watched quite irately as the blond waited with his eyes closed for something. When he cracked one eye open, and saw that the redhead was still there, he closed it back and focused harder on something. Another moment passed. Gaara began to think he might have been wrong about the other boy's feelings about him. When the boy cracked his eyes open again, and still saw the redhead there, he reverted back to his panicked self.

"OHMYGOSHITDIDN'TWORK!! Oh no! What if Kakashi-sensei comes here and sees this!! I'M SO DOOMED!! WHY CAN'T YOU JUST GO AWAY??"

The last sentence echoed in the spacious room of Naruto's bedroom. It felt harsh and hurtful even in his own ears. Yet, even so, the wince he saw on his bunshin's features alarmed him. His own bunshin wouldn't be so phased by his voice or words. His bunshin wouldn't bite his lip and look away as he did right then before his eyes. It only then hit him, though the notion still hadn't quite registered in his mind. He gulped before asking in an unsure voice, "Gaara?... Are you... the real Gaara?..."

Deep jade eyes slowly moved up to meet deep sapphire ones.

The hysteria in Naruto's feature faded, a look of shock taking its place. He stared at him with eyes as wide as saucers. There was a small flicker of his eyes, as he noticed Gaara was shirtless, wearing only his long black pants. It seemed to finally reach his mind - he was staring directly at the real Gaara, half naked right there in front of him. From the way his lips were parted and the slight move of his jaw up and down, it seemed the blond wanted to say something but couldn't put it together. He was about to say something, Gaara noticed as a small creak of Naruto's voice came out, when suddenly a strong knock on his door interrupted.

Naruto gave a small yelp of surprise. "Crap! It's probably Kakashi-sensei. Hide!"

The blond motioned for Gaara to hide somewhere as he walked to the door and tried to calm himself.

He swung the door open to reveal a silver-haired man leaning against the door-frame with an orange book in his hand. Kakashi pulled back from his reading of the book and turned his attention to his old-time student. "Yo! Good morning, Naruto."

Naruto laughed nervously. "Haha, good morning, Kakashi-sensei! W-What are you doing here so early in the morning?"

Kakashi gave him a long inquiry look. "I heard you screaming and came to check up on you."

The blond pouted. It was rather obvious that wasn't the reason why the old pervert was here. "I-I woke up with a huge spider on my face. It was really big! and hairy! It scared the crap out of me!!" He instantly regretted saying it and berated himself for making up the lamest excuse ever; and for a great ninja like him to be screaming because of a spider, the shame was even greater. A sheepish smile stretched on his lips in an attempt to ease the heavy questioning gaze he was receiving from his superior.

Gaara grunted in disapproval. He knew the blond meant no harm, but he couldn't help the thought of Naruto comparing him to that spider. After all, he woke up with their faces close up. Shaking his head, he pushed that thought away. Maybe he should leave, slip out while the two konoha ninjas were at the door talking.

That plan was crushed as Kakashi's sharp senses alerted him, hearing a small grunt and rustling noises from beyond Naruto's large bed. The silver haired man advanced towards it cautiously, slightly frightening his former student, though the reasons for the boy's fear were different from what the man had assumed. When he came pretty close and noticed a movement just there behind the bed, another Naruto sprang before him, holding a rag in his hand. "Hi Kakashi-sensei!" Came the cheerful voice, yet something was wrong. Kakashi knew bunshins tended to be rather emotionless, but this one felt different.

"Naruto, why do you have a bunshin here so early in the morning?" He asked, scanning the blond in front of him with his lone visible eye.

"It's cleaning day." The one in front of him answered when the one behind him failed to answer right away.

"I decided to clean up the place after meeting that awful spider." The blond behind Kakashi continued. "I thought I would do it faster if I had another pair of hands to help me."

The leader of team seven turned around to meet a brilliant smile as Naruto laughed nervously while scratching the back of his head. He sighed and went back to his usual lazy posture. "Listen, Naruto. There's another reason why I came here. The Kazekage and his siblings came here two days ago for a few meetings with the Hokage, but last night the Kazekage went missing and now we can't find him. We are gathering as much personnel for search parties. Get ready to move and join us at the Hokage building."

"Hai. I'll get there as soon as I can."

Kakashi nodded and made his way to the exit. "Oh and Naruto," He said glancing at the blond staring at him intently. "Leave the cleaning for later, and stop making clones for stupid reasons like that."

Naruto laughed sheepishly again, scratching the back of his neck. He approached the door and closed it behind his sensei.

His smile faded and he returned his attention to the boy who had now changed back to his own image.

"How long?" He asked quietly, asking Gaara for how long the redhead had known about this. He couldn't face him yet.

"Since last night."

Naruto looked over his shoulder at the redhead. "How much did you see?"

His eyes flickered to the blond's exposed tanned back before retuning to wander off in the space of the apartment. He remembered every motion of that muscled back from last night, the way it bathed in the pale light of the moon as Naruto moved over him, kissed him and made out with him. He remembered every muscle flexing and laxing, every curve and every angle in the sculpted body, every curvature and relief of his back as the boy sighed in pleasure, releasing the same reaction from both the redheads. Last night when he had seen this and decided to exchange places with the other him, he didn't know it would be so difficult to stand here in front of the blond right now.

"I see," Naruto said, breaking the tense silence that took over the room. His eyes fell to the floor beside him. "So you saw the whole thing..." Dear god, he never wanted Gaara to find out, not like this. Leaving his embarrassment aside, what he did probably hurt the redhead - first for seeing Naruto making out with him, and second for the way he acted few minutes ago as he screamed at him and told him to go away.

A strange noise startled him, forcing him out of his thoughts and back to the person who was their subject. Gaara, already clad in his many robes, collected his sand back into the form of his gourd, and quickly climbed to the window when it finished.

"Gaara, wait!" Naruto erupted, his voice still hoarse from sleep and screaming earlier.

Gaara looked back at him, crouching on the edge of the window ready to leap. His face was emotionless, but his eyes wavered slightly. It gave Naruto a way to read the redhead. Anger, confusion, impatience, and most of all - pain, those were the emotions he could understand from the small flicker in those pale green eyes. He could feel those emotions too. The anger he felt, of course, directed at himself, for being such an asshole. He didn't have to scream at him like a maniac to go away. Gaara must be feeling rather unwanted here right now. Judging from his position on the window and the way he looked back at him over his shoulder, it was true - he really felt like that, and that saddened and angered the blond even more.

"I have to go." Gaara said coldly, readying his body to take the three-story jump. "They're looking for me."

Naruto gathered all his wits and courage, and called out to Gaara, once again stopping him from going outside. "Gaara!... at least, when you're done with them... when you're done dealing with them and with Tsunade-baachan... will you come back?... please?"

After a long intent stare, Gaara nodded. Naruto hadn't had enough time to respond before Gaara jumped out of his window.

Naruto could hear the immediate exclaims of the Suna men as they spotted their Kazekage approaching them.

The sun was already high up in the middle of the sky. It was noon. Naruto took a break from his training, resting in the shadow of an old thick tree. The wind ruffled the trees' leaves as well as his blond hair. The grass tickled the tips of his toes as they stuck out of his sandals. He didn't laugh and enjoy it like many times before, though. No... His mind was elsewhere, somewhere far. It made him score much less in his training, which was why he hadn't gone for a fresh bowl of ramen as soon as break-time started. One could say he simply left his mind at home; and it would be the truth. His mind was still back in his apartment, still stuck on those aquamarine eyes wavering as they looked back at him.

He dropped his face into his hands again. A soft murmur graced his lips over and over. Stupid stupid stupid stupid...

"Naruto?"

His blond head shot up at the voice.

"I knew I would find you here." She chirped as she walked towards him. The heels of her boots didn't make a sound as they sank into the soft grass. They didn't knock and click like they always did as she walked through the streets. The wind moved her skirt, revealing a bit more of her smooth legs. It always made him smirk pervertedly, always turned him on for a few seconds before she smacked him. However, that was not the case this time. His eyes returned to look down sadly at the grass between his sprawled legs. He didn't even bother to look up and return the smile he knew she had on her face. She asked him if he wanted to train with her. He didn't respond.

"Naruto? What's wrong?" She asked, catching his attention with her hand on his shoulder.

He looked up at her, only to meet a pair of green eyes. He looked away, it was the wrong pair of green eyes.

He sighed and tilted his head back to rest against the tree's hard skin. "Sakura-chan... What if... What if you saw someone kissing someone who looked like you?'

Sakura stared at him surprised for a moment before finally shrugging. "It would be a strange coincidence. I wouldn't give it much thought."

"No, I mean - What if that someone looked a lot like you? Like it was intentionally like this?"

The pink haired girl stared at him once again. A scowl formed on her face and Naruto barely dodged the fist thrown at him. "Narutooo," She growled, "What the hell are you planning?"

Naruto, still tense from the sudden jump he had to perform, watched the tree he leaned on just seconds ago fall to the side. "What the hell did you do that for? I was just asking you--...ah, forget it. I'm going home."

Sakura gawked at his retreating back. She had never seen Naruto act so strange. He actually looked depressed. She had never seen him depressed, not even when he couldn't bring Sasuke back. What could be the cause of this?

"Hmm... I wonder too." Said a familiar voice from the tree behind her.

"Kakashi-sensei?"

"Naruto looking depressed? The Kazekage disappearing during the night and reappearing near Naruto's place?" the smooth voice reached her as her sensei walked down from the tree he had been sitting on. "All these questions make you wonder, don't they?"

"Gaara?"

Looking up from his hands as they rested in his lap, he found the lady Hokage looking at him with concern.

"Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm fine. Why did you call me by my name?"

The blond woman leaned back in her chair, looking even more concerned. "You didn't respond on the first four times I called you 'Kazekage'. Are you sure you're okay?"

Gaara looked back down at his hands. "I... I'm okay..."

"It's Naruto, isn't it?" The big breasted lady said with half a smirk, immediately getting a jade-colored glare, indicating she caught his attention. "My, you two really care for each other. He must've walked by you this morning without even saying 'Hi'. Don't worry, he's been depressed like that for the last few days. He hardly talks to people and doesn't run around and drive people mad like he always does. Although - I must admit - this morning he looked even more down... Maybe you can talk to him, and see what is wrong with him? You two seem to have a great connection between you."

Gaara gave her a long intent gaze. Was she being cynical? Was she saying those things on purpose or that she was really as clueless as she sounded?

He looked away, outside the panoramic window. It was noon and the sun was high. With its glaring rays, it hued everything in golden and orange streaks. It made him think of the blond, who was their current topic. If the sun is still up, Gaara thought, does it mean he'll change my life again? His eyes narrowed and he inwardly shook his head - he was thinking nonsense. Nothing was going to happen, because there was nothing between them in the first place. What he had seen last night meant nothing. Naruto obviously didn't want him near him. It was all just an act.

However, Naruto did ask him to come back. If he felt nothing for him, there would be no reason for him to ask the redhead to come back and meet him again. Maybe... maybe there was still a chance...

"Kazekage-sama?" Tsunade's voice reached him again. "Do you wish to postpone our meeting?"

He stared at her longly, before he murmured. "If you could excuse me..."

The red-painted lips stretched once again into a smile. "Of course. We will meet tomorrow morning, then."

The kazekage bowed and took his leave.

Naruto walked the small length of his room back and forth. He was nervous and cursed himself for it. Even when he told himself to calm down, he couldn't, and those liquid green eyes that were following his every move weren't helping. He should say something. The whole point of summoning Gaara here was that he would talk to him and explain to him all about yesterday. Right now, last night suddenly seemed so far away.

Sighing, he sat down on the bed next to the redhead. His hands clenched into fists in an attempt to stop his restless behaviour. Control yourself, he mentally screamed. Taking a deep breath, he opened his mouth and hoped for some sense to come out of it.

"Look," He started. "I'm really sorry you saw it. I never wanted you to find out. I mean - not like this. I mean-"

He sighed. His words were coming out all wrong and his palms were getting sweaty. So once again he sprang up from the bed and walked around the room. "I... I just needed someone... for... you know..."

That earned him a single hairless eyebrow raising.

"No! Not for sex! That's not what I meant! I just wanted someone to cuddle with!"

"There was a lot more than 'cuddling' there."

"You're not making this any easier on me!!"

The redhead fell silent again. Naruto continued pacing back an forth. God, if he hadn't been so nervous about this, maybe he could've come up with a better explanation. Right now there were hardly any coherent thoughts in his head. Glancing at the clock on his nightstand, he cursed even more. He stopped again and faced the redhead sitting on his bed.

"It was just a dumb moment... I mean - not dumb!... It just... things got out of hand..." Naruto cursed himself again. His words were all wrong again and he was bordering lying. Things didn't get out of hand there. What happened was something he wanted. He wanted to kiss Gaara, he wanted to touch him and stroke his skin, he wanted to press his body to the redhead's so much they would meld with each other. He wanted to do all those things for a reason he couldn't voice out.

The blond sighed yet another long frustrated sigh. "I just wanted... to be... " Still, he couldn't say it. Trying to collect his thoughts and words together, he covered his face with his hands. Come on, come on, he urged himself, there must be something I can say that makes sense. His hands dropped, wiping his face before raking through the messy blond hair. As he looked at the redhead there still waiting for an answer, he felt his frustration rise and his stomach turn.

"Just go away..." He finally said.

Gaara's eyes widened in shock. "But you--"

"Go!" He barked.

Green eyes narrowed at him as the blond turned away. He was still staring at him as he turned into a puff of smoke.

Silence again.

Naruto faced the wall, slightly shivering as his bunshin faded. He stared blankly at nothing and sighed. He wanted to punch the wall, go wild, do something to knock himself out of his inner storm, but he was far too lost in thoughts and despair. The worst thing was that he missed him. He longed for his presence again, ached to feel him next to him again close, so close that the slightest touch of those pale nimble fingers could melt him. He wanted to see him, even though he was afraid of meeting him again. "...How am I ever going to explain this to him?..."

"How about starting at the beginning..." A low rich voice told him.

His ocean blue eyes widened instantly and he spun around to meet those soft sea-foam orbs looking directly at him. The name fell from his mouth like an old chant, so familiar on his lips yet so unnerving in his mind. "Gaara..."

TBC-tebbayo!!

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