A/N: Hey, all! Just wanted to do the obligatory apology as always; the one where I finally have time and feel like writing more on these stories and then beg for all of your forgiveness for not having posted anything for at least six months… you know the one. So, I have been going through my Sophomore year in college and trying to keep up with all the crazy that comes with Pre-Med while simultaneously trying to sneak in my Creative Writing minor classes. Being honest, I don't even think about these stories when school is in session, so winter break and summer break are about all you guys will ever get out of me – apologies.

So, without further ado, I present to you the next chapter of whatever story of mine you are currently reading.

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He was running out of ways to stave off his tension. Sasuke had been trying, for nearly four years now, to redirect his sexual needs in a constructive way. With Naruto gone – hopefully safe – training with Jiraiya, Sasuke was left with no playful rivalry to distract him from his incessant and ever-present need for human contact beyond fleeting touches and exchanged blows (of the sparring variety).

His only contact with Naruto since he left had been long staring matches with their old team picture. Sasuke longed to discover how much Naruto had changed, longed to trace his gaze along each new curve and edge, longed to drag his hand along the curve of the blonde's back whilst holding him for just a moment too long…

Sasuke needed relief. His sixteenth birthday was only months away but he was still holding out hope that his one and only flame would return to the village in time to rescue him from the death that seemed inevitable if he turned sixteen without the remote possibility that it would be shortly followed by a pelvic jam session.

He was shuffling his way to his and Kakashi's meeting place, knowing that rushing there would only make the wait longer. He passed Ichiraku's and released a forlorn sigh, contemplating grabbing an early lunch just to inhale what he remembered to be Naruto's scent. However, he didn't much care for ramen, just those who devoured it with reckless abandon.

He suddenly heard a screech of disgust and a crashing of rubble from around the corner rushed to Sakura's aide. He and Sakura had grown closer since Naruto's departure, coming to an understanding that they wouldn't make a good couple as Sasuke had been urging since they met. Sakura had matured a great deal in the past few days, becoming worlds stronger under Tsunade's tutelage and finding her place in the village.

Sasuke turned the corner sharply and stopped dead in his tracks, noticing the three kids that always crowded around Naruto huddled around a man with familiar white hair. There was a large dust cloud in front of them and, as it dispersed, he saw even more familiar pink hair. Sakura was shaking someone and Sasuke had a good bet as to who it was. She let go of the blonde-headed fifteen-year old and he stood, scratching the back of his head and apologizing for something Sasuke couldn't hear.

He didn't even take the time to examine the changes to his friend and took off. His feet hit the street at a fast tempo and he passed the four huddled figures in a second, bounding toward his team members. In the mere seconds it took for him to approach, Naruto had raised his head slightly, confused. Within a singular moment, Sasuke's fist had raised and Naruto's arm had raised, the two taking their respective offensive and defensive poses. A solid thud was heard as the two collided – neither losing balance – staring for a moment, matched.

Naruto's arm relaxed and fell back to his side as Sasuke's did the same and Naruto laughed. He quickly grabbed the wrist Sasuke had just used against him and pulled him in for a tight, fleeting embrace. Sasuke, regrettably, did not have any time to return the gesture before he was released.

Jiraiya chuckled, "Best be getting to Tsunade before word gets to her of our arrival, she'd be pretty upset if we didn't head straight to her office.

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Tsunade had already been informed and was waiting for them expectantly. She said a few words on how she hoped their training had been worth it and then introduced Kakashi as the person they would test their skills against. Sasuke pondered on whether Kakashi had already planned for this to happen or if he just went with the natural flow of things, which seemed more likely.

They ended up getting the bells rather easily with a surprise tactic from Naruto and the four decided lunch was in order. Ichiraku's was the obvious choice and they made their way there, joking about how they would make Kakashi pay the bill as he had lost.

When they arrived at the small stall, they took their seats, Sasuke and Sakura on either side of Naruto and Kakashi on Sasuke's other side.

Sasuke finally, as they were awaiting their orders, took the time to truly look at Naruto. They were now about the same height; he had noticed when they stood staring at each other, Naruto laughing at their continued equal rivalry. His hair had grown, wilting over the edges of his new black headband. His eyes were a more intense, darker and deeper blue somehow. His eyes had also aged in a way Sasuke couldn't quite describe as he felt like he was drifting deeper into them the more he stared. His skin was darker, presumably tanned golden by his many months spent outside the village. His fingers were longer, Sasuke knew the shorter hands so well so he noted that he should explore the changes with utmost care.

A tap to his left shoulder broke his musings and he turned to face his masked sensei. Kakashi was giving him a skeptical look, finger still extended, as he non-verbally questioned Sasuke's honestly sort of creepy actions. Sasuke glared at the shinobi, blushing slightly at the fact he had been caught. He knew Kakashi would be asking about this later, so he turned his attention to the bowl he hadn't noticed before had been placed and ate while half listening to the small talk between the friends to his right.

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Itachi had just returned from a week long mission. He was passing by the food stall district of the Leaf Village when he heard a rather familiar voice. The slight rasp was unmistakable and he moved, excitedly, to peek through the hangings and say hello. He stopped, however, when he noticed his little brother sitting beside the boy.

Itachi decided it was for the best if he didn't interfere and skipped off toward the moon, where his family's district waited patiently for his return.

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A/N: I just want to thank everyone for the extreme support I have been getting for this story. This is probably one of my favorite stories to write and I genuinely hope that every bit of it is as enjoyable to you. Finally reached more mature and less "This-is-so-creepy-I-am-an-adult" stages! Expect to see a Kiba appearance in the next chapter! I worked this chapter under the assumption that Naruto would have trained with Jiraiya longer if he didn't feel rushed by Sasuke's predicament. I will hopefully be updating this story within the next couple of months once or twice more, but don't expect anything as I have barely any winter break to spend.

Real quick, I could write more in depth sex scenes on AO3 and just continue to upload the more censored version on here if you guys want or I could only write the censored version – whichever's easiest for everyone reading!

Finally, I have a request! If anyone who reads and enjoys my stories or even just this story that has artistic ability would like, I would really love some story-specific cover images for my stories. If you were to do this, you would be allowed to request a fic or a bonus chapter (something that doesn't necessarily have any effect on the current story line) for a story I have already written. It would be very much appreciated and you would receive full credit for having created it!

Thank you all again and I hope to update soon!