AN: This chapter has just been edited. I never realized how many mistakes there were. A big thank you for everyone who had to put up with them ;

Warnings: yaoi/shonen-ai, mpreg, character death, I think that's it for now.

Disclaimer: Don't own anything.

Even though I'm drowning in an unrequited love
I don't want to wake up from this dream, can't let go
I don't care if it's selfish
I want an unwavering love right here

-M-Flo: Let Go

Part 1: The Return

Ten years. It had been ten long years since the last time he had seen Sasuke at Orochimaru's hideout. So much had changed in these years and yet so little. Naruto stood quietly in the underground cell, contemplating the kneeling figure in front of him. His ANBU guards stood around him, hands on their weapons, prepared for the worst. Around the room, he could see the familiar faces of what was left of the original Rookie Nine and Gai's Team. Their once youthful faces were transformed by reminders of battles lost and won.

They were the only ones left now, the rest of the group were either killed by Akatsuki or by the man in front of him. Kiba had a large puckered scar across his face, while Shino's eyes could no longer see. After the loss of Asuma-sensei, followed closely by Chouji's death, the light in Shikamaru and Ino's eyes was extinguished forever. Neji was now the head of the Hyuuga clan, a position that he always envied but never desired. Ever since Hinata died in childbirth, Neji slowly transformed into a man who on longer felt. He took on mission after mission, only pausing to take care of clan business.

Sometimes, Naruto wondered if it was better off to be dead after all. At least they did not have to suffer the pain of being left behind.

"Uchiha Sasuke," Naruto murmured, tired. He watched for any reactions but the body only tensed a little as the missing nin recognized his voice.

"Naruto, are you so afraid of me that you have to keep me blindfolded this entire time?"

The cold, taunting voice hadn't changed in the least bit. Yes, it was dangerous to expose those burning red eyes; although tied up, it would be child's play for Sasuke to break free. Even the power of the Kyuubi was barely on par with the Mangekyu Sharingan (1). No, it was for another reason that he had those haunting eyes covered, a reason too personal to voice.

"We are not going to take any chances with you, Uchiha-san."

He almost smiled in victory at the tiny jerk. For him to address Sasuke so formally was a slap in the face for the dark-haired man. "So tell me, Uchiha-san, what made you come back this time, when you killed off everyone that was sent to retrieve you in the past?"

"I didn't kill you." The smirk that he hated so much appeared.

"Answer Hokage-sama's question!" One of the younger ANBU moved in to strike the kneeling prisoner. Naruto frowned at the young man's rash behavior, and signalled for Neji to stop him before he got himself killed.

"Oh? So you are the Hokage now. Is it Rokudaime? I guess congratulation is in order then."

"Don't tell me you came all this way to congratulate me. I find that somehow hard to believe," Naruto, no, the Rokudaime answered dryly. He felt drained talking to Sasuke; just being close to the man sucked up all of his energy. He hated this little word game that was going on between the two of them. He was never good in word play, and Sasuke always had a negative effect on him. But this time… It was the only way he knew of that could prolong what was coming. And you did try to kill me… I was just lucky enough to survive, Naruto thought bitterly.

"No. I killed Itachi." The words landed in the soundless room like a bomb.

"Well, congratulations to you too. I see both of us have accomplished our long time goals." Naruto forced his dry mouth to form the words. For a few seconds, he was brought back to another time. One where he was no longer in the high security cell, but was sitting on the steps outside the academy with Kakashi-sensei, Sakura-chan, and Sasuke, sharing their likes, dislikes, dreams, and ambitions.

He couldn't have imagined then that they would end up like this. "If I remember correctly, Uchiha-san, you still have a second goal to. Am I to believe that you have abandoned your desire to revive your clan?"

"I'm impressed that you still remember, dobe."

As if he could forget anything that involved Sasuke.

"But that is precisely why I am back."

"Hokage-sama! He killed my brother! We can't just let him free!" The room erupted into chaos at once as a younger ANBU blurted.

"Naruto." Shikamaru's low voice cut through the rest of the cries. "Sasuke's team killed Chouji and Sakura."

With a raise of his hand, the room immediate fell silent again. "Why did you kill Sakura-chan? She was on the same team as us. She cared about you so much, she loved you!" Blunt nails bit into the flesh of his palms. Wisps of Kyuubi's red chakra lit up the dark room in his anger. The words, 'like I loved you' almost slipped out, but the memories of Sakura helped him rein in his uncontrollable emotions. He could still remember when Lee brought back her body. That day, Konoha not only lost their best medic nin, he also lost his closest friend, and first love.

"Sakura… was an accident." For the first time since he was brought here, Sasuke sounded regretful. "I couldn't stop Karin in time…"

"Regardless, she died because of you. Countless Konoha shinobi died at your hands, or because of your betrayal, Sasuke." Naruto let slip the name without realizing. "You have spilt too much innocent blood due to your selfishness. As the Hokage, I can not let you live on with the weight of so many lives.

"For the crimes that you have committed against Konoha, you will be executed immediately." He gathered his white Hokage robes around him, hiding behind his duties as he silently cried within.

"Hokage-sama!"

The door to the cell slammed open, and Naruto turned towards the newcomers in surprise. Sasuke's return had been kept top secret; the only other people who knew of his return and the only ones who had enough authority to interrupt him like this were …

"Tsunade-baachan, Ero-Sennin." He nodded in respect. It was difficult to change the old habits; they would always be Baa-can and Ero-Sennin to him. "May I ask the nature of this intrusion? I was in the middle of…"

"I know that, Naruto. That's why we came." Tsunade's brown eyes avoided his own. "The council decided that the Uchiha bloodline is too important to the village to be ended. We have decided, unanimously, that until the Uchiha bloodline is continued, Uchiha Sasuke will not be executed."

"Baa-chan! He's the reason Sakura-chan died! And why Lee never made it through that surgery! How can you just let Sasuke go like this?!" Tears appeared his wide blue eyes. Whether they were from outrage or relief, even he did not know.

"I know, Naruto, I know. I loved Sakura as well; she was not only my student, she was like my daughter. But you are the Hokage now! You must think about what's best for the village."

"I am doing what's best for the village! Countless shinobi died because of Sasuke! How do we face their families? How do we face their memories, if we let the murder walk out of here without even a slap on the wrist? How can I remain as their Hokage, if I can't even protect them?"

"Naruto." This time Jiraiya growled in warning as Tsunade looked away in pain. "We're not here to negotiate with you. This is a decision made by the council for the benefit of the village. From this moment on, Sasuke will be under the custody of the council members directly, until an heir to the Uchiha line has been produced. Until such a time, he is not to be harmed in any way." The Sannin paused to direct a significant look at the quietly fuming Hokage. "After the birth of the heir, Sasuke will be returned to you, to receive any punishment you pass on to him."

It was final, and left no room for argument. The council was wise, sending in the only two people in the village to whom he could say not say no to. The Hokage backed away, relenting, and watched as the metal chains bounding the prisoner's hands and feet were reluctantly handed over to the two Sannin.

"I hope those old fools know what they're doing. If anything happens at all, I will personally make sure that they'll pay for it with their lives," Naruto challenged as the silent trio passed him.

His breath hitched as Sasuke brushed pass him accidentally. For a second, time froze around them and all Naruto could feel was the warmth radiating from the other man. His eyes widened as he watched Sasuke's lips form silent words.

Snapping out of his private spell, he looked around to see if anyone else caught the little exchange. But no one else noticed. He narrowed his eyes as the missing nin smirked and left him behind in the dark cell.

Too late did he realize that he had just fallen into Sasuke's genjustsu. For a master genjutsu user, it was possible to cast an illusion without any hand or eye movement. He had fallen into such an illusion once at Itachi's hands, and now Sasuke had cast the brief jutsu to tell him…

It's not over yet…

Wide eyes hardened into blue diamonds in the tanned, determined face. "Bring it on, Sasuke, bring it on."

His subordinates looked at him in surprise as Naruto spoke to the empty space.

This time he would be ready. This time, he would not be the one left behind.

Naruto never believed in drowning his sorrows in alcohol, but for once he finally understood why Tsunade and even Jiraiya loved the beverage so much. It made one forget and remember at the same time.

Naruto leaned against the soft chair and let his head fall back. Unfocused eyes stared blankly at the ceiling. His hands hung lifelessly by his sides, a sake bottle dangled from slender fingers. His Hokage hat was discarded among the numerous empty bottles, and the stifling white robes were open at the throat against the artificial heat created by the sake.

His earlier resolve to beat Sasuke at his own game weakened as the alcohol broke the dam that kept his memories in check. Let loose now, the treacherous images assaulted his mind and will. Images of their first kiss, of the time Sasuke had almost died protecting him, of the time he almost died at Sasuke's hands… Their lives were entangled beyond repair.

Sasuke… why? There were so many answers, but none of them seemed right. It was a question that he asked himself and the Uchiha many times over the years, and the conclusions he came to only made him more confused.

He held up a hand to the weak ceiling light. Unlike his friends, his skin was soft and smooth, unmarked by even the hardest training – one of the benefits of the Kyuubi's power.

A long shadow blocked his light, but he recognized the familiar chakra and remained relaxed.

"Naruto."

"Kakashi-sensei." The blond nodded in approval as his old sensei filled his empty cup with the new sake he brought with him.

"I heard about what happened," the silver-haired man began after he downed his first cup.

"I'm not surprised. I wanted to keep it as quiet as possible, but the council always has some wonderful plan up their sleeves." The sake almost spilt as he picked it up, and it disappeared a second later. "Sometimes I wonder why they picked me to become the Hokage if they obviously don't trust me to do anything."

"The villagers believe in you and your friends. Also, they see the result of your hard work; you have established so many new alliances with other hidden villages since you came to power. We have never experienced such peace and prosperity. You should believe in your own ability more, Naruto."

"I know, as long as the village is safe, and everyone is happy." But he wasn't happy, and he had not been happy for a very long time. It was easy to smile from the face, but it was so difficult to smile from the heart now. "I just don't agree with their decision regarding Sasuke at all!" He slammed the empty cup down on the table so hard that cracks formed at the bottom of the porcelain. It pained him every time he looked upon the beautiful, arrogant face; ten years were not long enough to heal all the cracks in his heart. If only Sasuke disappeared, at least he could live out the rest of his life in peace.

"Don't take it badly, Naruto, but I think you are rushing into a decision regarding Sasuke." Kakashi ignored the reproachful look the blond gave him.

"He was the reason…"

"I know, Naruto, I know." The jounin held up a hand to stop him from continuing. "But have you ever thought about what Sakura wanted?"

"She…"

"She wanted nothing more than to see Sasuke back in this village and to see the two of you happy," Kakashi finished softly. "She would have traded her own happiness in a second to see the two of you happy… I'm sorry that I have to do this, Naruto. But this is for your own happiness."

Too late did he realize, as the images blurred and the world spun around him. Naruto stared at his empty sake cup and then accusingly into Kakashi's uncovered eye. "Why?"

He felt strong arms lift him up below his shoulders and knees. He thought heard Ero-Sennin's voice before everything became dark.

It felt like he woke in a dream. No one in real life had ever shared the same bed as him; no one in real life had ever touched him so tenderly. The tanned back arched into an elegant bow as the rough hands gently moved down his body, brushing away the thick Hokage robes from his heated body.

He couldn't stop a moan from escaping as those hands flipped him onto his stomach, and expertly massaged the tight muscles. Naruto breathed in deeply, the scent of musky spice filling his senses. "Sasuke…" he murmured deeply into the pillow.

Somewhere far away, he heard an amused chuckle answer him, but he was too sleepy and comfortable to care as a powerful, lean body spooned up against him, and strong arms wrapped around his waist protectively.

"Sasuke… don't leave me again."

He was woken up, this time from a soft caress on his cheek by a rough, calloused finger. He wasn't even aware that he was crying until the wetness was wiped away by those deceptively slender fingers. He did not need to open his eyes to know who the other person was. Naruto lied still, allowing Sasuke's hands to travel down his body, exploring and memorizing every detail.

As the Hokage, as a shinobi, he should have pushed the Uchiha away, but as a human, he could not deny himself the happiness that came with the tender touches. Just once, he would spoil himself. Just once, he would let himself experience what it felt like to be touched by one he loved. Then he would have no more regrets, when the time came to…

More tears slipped from behind his closed eyelids, and the blond burrowed o closer to Sasuke's naked chest, trying in vain to hide his own weakness. But the soothing hands stopped their caresses and pulled him away slightly.

"Dobe, why are you crying?"

The blindfold was still in place. No one in the village trusted those bloody sharingan anymore.

"Why, Sasuke? Why did you have to come back?" The words flowed out before he could stop them. "Why do you have to force me into this decision? You knew that once you came back, your life would be forfeited, but you still…"

He didn't get an answer; instead, he was crushed against the pale, muscular chest. The barrier broke down. All the tears, all the pain and suffering, all the memories, and the joy of seeing Sasuke's face at last flowed out with the tears. Sasuke whispered sweet nothings into his ear as he sobbed out all the pinned up emotions, sometimes crying, sometimes laughing at his own foolishness, but happy still that the one who held him, who witnessed his breakdown was the had given his heart to, unwittingly along the way.

They held each other for what seemed like hours, listening to each other's heart beat, until spikes of red chased away the darkness outside. Tears all dried, Naruto silently watched the sunrise with Sasuke by his side.

It was Tsunade who came to get him. She averted her eyes as Naruto pulled on his discarded Hokage robes. He needed a shower, but there was plenty of time to go back to his own apartment to freshen up and change before he had to go to work. His movements were slow and hesitant as he finally pulled on his shoes, and he watched Sasuke from under his eyelashes.

The Uchiha made no movement to stop him, but Naruto could sense the slight tense in the other man's body as his weight disappeared from the bed. The blue eyes took one last look at the lonely figure on the bed, and he squished the desire to run back to Sasuke's arms.

"Let's go," he said harshly to Tsunade, and regretted his tone when she flinched.

"I'm sorry, Naruto, but for Sasuke's safety…" Before he could react, he felt her chakra being focused into his body.

TBC

AN: I always seem to have trouble keeping Sasuke in character; I keep turning him into Itachi when I write xp. Need more practice writing him not as a mad bloody killer -.-; Part two will be out shortly, just have a little more till it's finished. I apologize that this chapter is a little confusing, all will be explained in part two ;p. Reviews will be much appreciated

I know Sasuke doesn't have it, for the sake of this story, I'm going to pretend that Sasuke finally got the Mangekyou Sharingan after killing Itachi. To me, Itachi can be kind of counted as his best friend/closest person before Sasuke met Naruto. So I'm just going to use that excuse to cheat my way out of this ;p