Naruto 1. Chapter 1

A sad, heavy sigh escaped Naruto's soft lips as he rolled over in bed and was met with emptiness. Sasuke was gone again. The two had been 'together' for almost six months, their relationship having started when the raven was successfully retrieved from the Sound village, and yet the dark-haired boy never stayed with the blonde. The two would meet up, at Naruto's apartment and never Sasuke's house, after training or missions or several times throughout the week. At first, they had just spent time together, trying to repair the damage done by the Uchiha's defection from Konohagakure.

One month had passed and after a particularly extensive training period, the teammates had adjourned to the blonde shinobi's house to clean up and change before getting something to eat. Once their stomachs had been satisfied, Sasuke and Naruto headed for the dobe's place so the raven could pick up his clothes and go home. Halfway there, they'd started to argue and by the time they were within the walls of Naruto's small apartment, they were making out and tearing clothes out of the way.

The sexual sessions between the two were always heated and frenzied and the blonde didn't mind in the least. His eighteen year old body could take more of a beating than any other ninja in the village and his stamina had often times proved an irritant to the stoic raven. After every round, the blonde would fall asleep and Sasuke would leave. The first few times it happened, Naruto didn't think anything of it really, assuming the Uchiha just wasn't comfortable with possibly letting the nature of their relationship out in the open yet.

Still after just over half a year, it was the same thing. The fox and the raven would have frantic, almost violent, sex, Naruto would sleep and Sasuke would leave soon after, always under the cover of night. It had also become habit that the poor blonde wouldn't see his lover for at least a day after their nighttime rendezvous and the longer it persisted, the more worried he became.

The Kyuubi vessel had loved the Sharingan wielder for a long time and even if their interludes were never romantic, he was happy just to have the other so close to him. Soon it wasn't enough though.

Whether behind closed doors or out in the open for the world to see, Sasuke still treated Naruto the way he always had; as a loudmouth, unskilled nuisance. For all the years they were teammates and even the first four months of their get-togethers, he'd dismissed his lover's actions towards him as simply being 'Sasuke'. Although the world thought Naruto a dimwit, he really wasn't and he could tell that something just wasn't right with what they were doing, regardless of how much he cared for the older teen.

Over the last two months, their sex life had declined horribly. Sasuke was even more hurried and aggressive than ever before and would assure he reached his peak long before the blonde was close and simply finished the boy off with his hand, if he finished the task at all.

And he still always left.

Tension had risen within his team as well and Naruto was clueless as to why. He knew there was more going on then he was being privileged to know and it ate at him inside to know without a doubt that it concerned his lover.

Heaving another despairing sigh, the blonde pulled himself from his cold bed and wandered towards his bathroom, intent on taking a hot shower and going out to get some food.

"Thanks ojii-chan!" Naruto called as he slapped some money down on the counter and left Ichiraku, his mood a little lighter after having some of his comfort food. Not to say he didn't really love ramen, because he did, but it was one of the only places he could get fresh food and good service and since he was always rather melancholy – despite his cheerful façade – he ate it a lot. With a smile and a wave from the owner, the blonde walked away from one of the very few places he was actually comforted, his mind working a million miles a minute.

Something was up with the whole of Team 7 and he had to find out what was going on. His teammates couldn't be so edgy for no reason but Naruto really had no idea how to go about finding anything out. While Kakashi-sensei was nice enough, he was still almost as secretive as the ever stoic Sasuke and Sakura was still always blinded by her affection for the Uchiha and had never really liked him to begin with, so he was sure he wouldn't find anything of any importance from anyone actually in the cell. His only other option would be to find someone who might have an inkling of an idea but the list of people that would know was small.

Perhaps even non-existent.

Many of the shinobi and kunoichi of the village didn't trust the Uchiha yet, even if the villagers did so blindly, so the blonde was sure that there wouldn't be anyone amongst his fellow ninja that would know anything, simply because they didn't want to get too close to the returned raven.

Even though Naruto was thinking hard, he was still wandering about aimlessly and therefore only noticed he had entered the forest when he literally ran into a hard body and tumbled to the ground. Shaking his head to clear the spots that danced behind his eyelids from slamming his head onto the hard forest floor, the blonde looked up and was rather surprised to find Kakashi standing there.

"Kakashi-sensei? What are you doing out here?" The fox asked as he rubbed at the back of his head and stood up from the ground, brushing his clothes free of grass and dirt.

The Copy-nin looked at his student for a long moment. Their entire past together as student and teacher played in his mind and he was glad that the majority of his face was covered to hide the grimace that came with his thoughts. He'd never really paid much attention to the boy, certainly not as much as the other two ninja in his cell and definitely not enough to be considered a worthy teacher. As a matter of fact, Jiraiya had been a far better sensei to the blonde fox in only the two and a half years they'd traveled and trained together then Kakashi ever had.

Guilt flooded his body knowing how badly he had treated his beloved sensei's legacy.

And now he knew – and was hiding – something that would hurt the boy far worse than any of his previous negligence had. He refused to tell Naruto anything for two reasons. One: it wasn't his position to breathe a word. Two: he couldn't really stand to be the one that dealt yet another harsh blow to the young man.

He himself had done more than enough of that thus far.

When the chuunin exams had come around, he'd pawned the boy off on Ebisu so he could focus on Sasuke, thinking the Uchiha needed him more, to learn what he could not only for the exams but to fend off Orochimaru should the need arise. In the end, the raven had gone willingly to the snake sannin and his time and effort was proved wasted. For a long while, Kakashi had tried displacing his guilt by thinking that things had turned out for the best for Naruto because of his actions; he'd thought it was because of his abandonment of the blonde that he'd come to train with the Toad Sage.

Now he realized he never deserved any of the respect the boy had ever held for him.

"Just enjoying the calm Naruto-kun. It isn't often that we jounin get a decent break." The lie fell from his lips as smooth as silk and left a bitter taste in the back of his throat. Understanding and compassion flashed through those wide sapphire eyes at the words he'd uttered and he literally felt sick to his stomach.

"Ano sa, ano sa Kakashi-sensei…have you seen Sasuke anywhere? I really need to talk to him." Though Naruto had already known the elite ninja would tell him nothing if he asked about what was going on, he hoped he had at least seen his lover around and wouldn't lie to him about it.

Kakashi found he couldn't let another lie bubble up from his throat at the emotions in those sky blue eyes. It seemed as though the cheerful mask the blonde always wore had slipped for a discrete moment in time and the man saw everything the boy felt. He was sad, scared and oh so lonely. "He's at his house Naruto-kun but I think he's busy. It'd be best not to disturb him now."

A wide grin curled the blonde's lips and Kakashi felt his stomach twist, "Ariagato Kakashi-sensei! Bye!"

He watched the teen wave and dash off through the forest towards the Uchiha district, completely disregarding his words, "I warned you Naruto."

Grunts and various noises reached the blonde's ears as he tiptoed through the house. He'd been in Sasuke's house before and wasn't the least bit ashamed to walk in and was hoping to take his lover by surprise. The noises though sounded more like a fight or maybe a sparring match. He recognized both Sasuke and Sakura's chakra so he assumed the two were training or sparring. Following the sounds, he made his way up the stairs and soon found himself standing in front of the raven's bedroom door, a very puzzled look on his face though somewhere in the back of his mind he knew what was going on.

A heavy feeling of dread settled in his stomach quickly and he had to force himself to breathe deeply in order to keep calm. Lifting a shaky hand to the door, he flung it wide and his sensitive nose was instantly assaulted with the scent of sex. He stepped in the room, already knowing what he'd find but wanting to confirm it with his eyes, and looked towards the bed.

His teammates were naked, flushed and sweaty. Sasuke was between Sakura's thighs and her calves were over his shoulders. Hastily pulling a blanket around herself, the pink-haired kunoichi let her legs slide from their positions to lie flat on the bed, her face flaming. The raven just stared at him, not bothering to move from his position inside the woman or cover his body in the least, with his normal icy glare.

Naruto licked his lips and found his voice, "Sasuke?"

"You didn't think that just because I had you to fuck that I would forget about reviving my clan did you? I need a woman for that and you just won't do." After delivering such a harsh blow to the first friend the Uchiha had ever had, Sasuke turned away from the blonde and continued what had been interrupted, seemingly not caring in the least.

Tears filled his ocean blue eyes at the clear dismissal and Naruto quickly formed some seals, the transportation jutsu taking him straight out of the Uchiha district and back into Konoha. Without waiting for anything – and not caring that his vision was blurry – the fox sprinted back towards his house, wanting to be as far away as possible.

As soon as he'd made it within the confines of his apartment, Naruto ran to the bathroom and purged his stomach, his sobs echoing off the tiled walls and ringing in his ears. Once his stomach was empty, he blew his nose and turned on the water in the sink, washing his mouth out. When he left the small bathroom, the blonde realized that there wasn't a single area in his home where he hadn't had a moment of some sort with the first person he loved, the one person that truly broke his heart. He had to leave at least for awhile. There was no way he could stand to be there, with the Uchiha's scent still lingering in the air.

Tears filled his eyes again as he stumbled towards his front door, quietly leaving into the darkness that was starting to settle over the village. As fast as his legs could carry him, Naruto sprinted towards Hokage tower, ready to demand a mission that would take him far away from Konoha – and his teammates – as soon as possible, hoping Tsunade would grant his wish.

Within moments he was at her office door and simply walked in, not bothering with greeting Izumo and Kotetsu who let him pass without question. Once he was inside, he closed the door softly and watched as the Hokage's eyes rose from the papers on her desk to meet his, a sharp reprimand on the tip of her tongue. The words died in her throat at the tears that spilled down tan, whiskered cheeks and the broken look in those azure eyes. Her stomach lurched when she realized something had happened…something had happened between him and Sasuke. The Godaime didn't even spare the man in the chair across from her desk a glance before getting up and walking to the young man who had always been like a little brother to her and wrapping him in a hug. He was taller than her, so he buried his face against her neck and sobbed; the feeling of her blonde hair against his forehead and the strength of her arms around him giving him a sense of security.

The blonde didn't care that he was a jounin crying on the Hokage like a two year old. All that mattered to him was the warmth and safety he felt from one of the only people to care about him. Tsunade's nimble fingers sifted through strands of sunshine while she gently swayed her body from side to side as the teen sobbed in her arms. Soon the cries quieted and the shaking stopped under the woman's tender ministrations and she felt relief flood her system as the breaths against her neck became slow and even. Pressing a gentle kiss to shaggy golden locks, the Hokage used her insane strength to lift the sturdily built blonde into her arms and carried him to her chambers. After getting him settled down in her soft bedding, she tucked a blanket around his shoulders, brushed some stray locks of hair from his face and kissed his forehead, breathing a soft goodnight into his slumbering ears before leaving him.

After settling back in her chair behind her desk, the fifth Hokage of Konohagakure turned her attention to her guest who regarded her with serious and questioning eyes. Shifting her weight slightly, Tsunade-hime pulled open the bottom drawer of her desk and lifted out a bottle of sake and two cups. After filling both, she passed one to her guest and tossed her own back before refilling it, taking a sip and setting it down. She looked across her desk at the one sitting in front of her, still staring at her as if awaiting an explanation. While she knew that the whole of Rookie 9 and Team Gai were suspicious of the relationship between the fox and the raven, there were only a few who were positive that they were lovers.

Surprisingly, Shino was one of them.

Tsunade preferred seeing the faces of her visitors unfettered for the most part and, as with Naruto and his ANBU mask, Shino had long ago become accustomed to removing his sunglasses while in her presence. Now his dark, somber eyes were watching her like a hawk but she was thankful for it. To her it was only a sign that the Aburame was concerned for the heartbroken fox and she knew that Naruto was going to need all the support he could get. While she didn't know the specifics of what had occurred between the Uchiha heir and the Yondaime's legacy, she was more than aware that her pink-haired apprentice had been sleeping with Sasuke.

She wasn't Hokage for nothing and there wasn't anything going on in her village that she was unaware of.

"Hokage-sama," the normally cool and soft voice of the bug-nin sounded tight and strained while his usually hidden dark eyes writhed with anger, "was that…Naruto?"

Deep-felt sorrow flooded her hazel eyes even as her entire body tightened in anger. What she wouldn't give to have the other two members of Team 7 standing before her right now. She was in need of some serious venting. "I'm afraid so Shino-kun."

A deep breath, "What happened to him? I…I don't think I've ever…seen him cry."

Tears stung the backs of her eyes but she bit them back, refusing to break down in front of the jounin before her. Her little brother needed her right now, she could cry for him later. "You are aware of the…_relationship_ he and the Uchiha held?"

A nod and she continued, "It has come to my attention over the past month that Sakura and Sasuke have been sleeping together, though for how long it's been happening I don't know. I can only assume that Naruto has just discovered it."

"However much he loved the Uchiha, even finding out he was unfaithful, should not have done that to him Hokage-sama." Shino replied with anger barely restrained. Naruto had, surprisingly, become a very close friend to Shino and the quiet shinobi had never dared to question why. The blonde was everything he wasn't and for some odd reason, the dark-haired boy had found himself drawn to the fox. Ever since the two had started their relationship, the bug-nin had kept an eye on them with his kikaichu but since he'd been gone for nearly three months on a mission, he had no knowledge that Sasuke was treating the blonde so badly.

"I know. I am sure it was something far worse than just finding out. I am willing to bet he caught them together in some way…but there has to be more to it. Naruto is too strong to be that completely torn apart, even by something as cruel as what his so-called teammates did."

"…there is more…" A weary and soft voice echoed in the sudden silence of the room and the two snapped their attention to the door leading to the Hokage's personal chambers, where Naruto stood with a blanket wrapped around him. His normally bright azure eyes were watery and washed out to a dreary grey-blue; tear tracks stained his tan cheeks and his blonde hair was listless and dull.

He looked nothing like the number one hyperactive knucklehead ninja of Konoha who was responsible for bringing the defected Uchiha heir home.

Naruto shook his head as Tsunade made to stand and walked over to a small couch against the wall, facing her desk. After laying down and curling up on his side, the blonde looked at the two with tired and unbelievably sad eyes. "Nee-chan…can I have a mission? I don't care what or where…I just…I don't think I can handle staying here right now."

Although she was really expecting a question like that, she hadn't been expecting it to come so soon. Tsunade had thought he might try to deal with it at least before throwing in the towel and it only proved how heartbroken he really was. Tear filled hazel orbs scrutinized the depressed blonde lying on her couch and just as she was about to go to him, Shino stood from his chair and approached Naruto in silent strides. Once he was standing over the broken man, he knelt on the floor in front of the couch and wrapped his arms around the blonde, pulling him into his chest and hugging him tightly. The dam broke and torrents of tears slipped from pained sapphire eyes to soak into the Aburame's coat. The fox didn't wail or sob, simply cried silently while gripping the back of the dark-haired nin's coat in a white-knuckled grip.

The poor teen couldn't really remember the last time he'd been hugged so well.

After a few moments, Shino pulled back from the still teary-eyed blonde and tilted Naruto's head up with a gentle grip on his strong jaw, "Naruto, we can't help you if you don't tell us what's wrong."

A deep sigh left the fox's lips as he averted his eyes and he looked so bone weary and defeated that Shino was almost tempted to tell him he didn't have to say a thing, however he was a smart one and knew that there would be no way for Naruto to get over whatever had happened unless he talked about it. Besides that, he wanted ammo against the Uchiha. Although he knew very well that the stoic boy never treated the blonde any better then he ever had – and considering the nature of their relationship that was more than enough to warrant an ass beating in his opinion – he wanted to know for sure what was said so that when the time came, he could exploit how stupid the returned shinobi was.

"Things…haven't been so good the last couple months. We'd meet up at my place after or mission or whenever…and after everything was over, I'd go to sleep – or pretend to sleep – and he would leave. Then I wouldn't see anything of him for at least a day. I knew something was going on but I didn't know what. Everything was so tense in Team 7 and I wanted to know what was wrong with Sasuke and my team.

I ran into Kakashi-sensei and asked if he'd seen Sasuke…he told me…oh god. He was trying to tell me and I didn't listen! He said Sasuke was at his house but he was busy. He told me I shouldn't bother him…but I went to his house anyway. I found Sakura's chakra signature inside but I just thought maybe they were sparring or Sakura was healing him from something. I-I walked in on them…and the bastard didn't even try to hide what was going on!"

He was in tears again, the pain raw and unrelenting in his eyes as they filled with water, "He…he asked me…if I thought that he'd give up on reviving his clan…just…just because he…he had me to fuck. He said he needed a woman for that…and I…I just wouldn't do."

It was still too much for him and he collapsed into sobs, only vaguely feeling Shino pull him into a hug again. Naruto was glad the bug-nin was there because his calm nature and soft voice was helping to comfort him more than anything else could. Even though the Uchiha was his lover, he realized he never felt _loved_ by the raven. Sasuke never hugged him or held him or comforted him in any way. There had been quite a few times in the past where the Aburame had just sat and listened to him talk or given him a shoulder to cry on – literally – and he never insulted him or berated him or made him feel worthless for being so emotional.

Shino _never_ called him a nuisance and he even knew about the Kyuubi.

"What else Naruto." Tsunade asked once the blonde had calmed once more. She knew there was more to everything, she could see it when she looked into those crushed sapphire orbs and it was tearing her apart inside.

Naruto looked to the Hokage with wide, teary eyes wondering how she knew. He shook his head. It didn't matter how she knew because she did and he knew that even if he didn't want to say it he had to. She needed to know and she was asking him more than demanding he answer. Besides, she was one of the few people he could always count on and he wasn't about to jeopardize that by lying to her. She'd see through it anyway.

He was a bad liar.

"The bastard always said he wanted to revive his clan after he'd killed Itachi. His brother is still alive and he never mentioned anything about kids, not like he ever talked to me much anyway, but I knew he didn't want to have kids until Itachi was gone."

The blonde took a deep breath here, knowing what was to come next was going to shock the hell of Tsunade and Shino. He could only hope they weren't disgusted by it. "Because of the Kyuubi I can have kids if I decide I want them. It'd be different because I'm not a female…but the fox said that he could manipulate our chakra in a way that would change my body to let me become pregnant. I could have given Sasuke kids. I…I could have been good enough…"

This time the hug he received was a combination of Shino and Tsunade and the warmth and safety he felt from their embrace soothed his hurting heart. It made him think that maybe he was better than Sasuke ever made him out to be; that maybe, just maybe he was worthy of being loved. He wanted to believe it so much because he had been alone so long. He had truly loved the raven but it was only there in the Hokage's office that he was able to know that the man had never loved him. His heart wilted at the thought but he knew there was no point in denying its truth.

Sasuke had never loved him, despite all he'd done for the man.

Only because Naruto was Naruto did his mood change rather quickly. Feelings of sorrow, despair and betrayal hardened into determination and resolve. Letting the raven see how broken he was would do nothing for him but make him feel worse; he refused to let that bastard break him, not after all that he'd survived. Sasuke could have Sakura and his happy little family and Naruto…Naruto would move on.

A loud snarl of incoherent curses sliced through the air of the clearing Team 7 used to train in as Sasuke threw a punch at a nearby tree, his chakra laden fist tearing through bark easily and casting the tree to splinters, the top half tumbling over with a resounding 'crash'. Blazing Sharingan eyes swirled madly, the delicate and normally stoic features of the Uchiha twisted and contorted in anger and pain.

Things weren't supposed to be this way, the raven growled in his mind as he smashed his fist through another tree. Everything had blown up in his face and he wanted to kick his own ass for being so stupid. Where had his reputed 'Uchiha Genius' gone anyway? He'd loved the blonde more than he ever thought he could love anything and he had crushed the man's heart.

It was no big surprise that he needed to revive his clan and he had planned to get Sakura pregnant and then break the news to Naruto. He thought he'd been stealthy enough, believed in Naruto's blind trust of him enough that he had actually assumed his plan would work. He didn't want the pink haired kunoichi but she was acceptable as the mother for his child. The raven had come to the realization that he needed to have a child before he faced Itachi. In case he didn't survive the fight, at least his blood would already be passed on.

His original thought was to impregnate Sakura, tell Naruto and wait for the storm of his lover's emotions to fade away. After some time apart had passed, he planned to find his blonde and tell him everything. He had been counting on Naruto's love for him to hear him out; had depended on their love for one another to repair the rift his actions would cause. Everything was easier played through in his mind than it was acted out in life. It had come to his attention very quickly that if he approached Sakura after having been with Naruto, he couldn't focus on what he had to do. Therefore, he slowed down his visits with his love and distanced himself. He found carrying out his task with the pink-haired female somewhat easier if he avoided Naruto after they'd been together.

Eventually, he spent less and less time with the man because when he was around the blonde he felt his will shrivel and he couldn't afford that when his family line rested on his shoulders. He'd only had Naruto to himself for a short three months before he'd put his plan into action and had been seeing Sakura sparsely at first. Then he spent more time with her than the one who held his heart and during the times where he would actually venture to the blonde's domain, their encounters were always fueled by his restricted passion for the man. Not once in the short six months they had been together had he ever just made love to Naruto.

Never once had he told the fair-haired jounin how much he loved him.

Throughout all his planning, he had never anticipated Naruto actually catching him in his wretched acts. Sasuke hadn't even wanted him to know until he was sure his heir was being carried by the female member of their former cell. He almost lost his convictions to revive his clan when he'd seen those brilliant sapphire gems shatter. The Uchiha had actually witnessed Naruto's heart breaking and it took everything he had not to abandon the woman on the bed and wrap the blonde in his arms. With all the restraint he could muster he'd stayed still and his mouth had taken over. Such horrible words had poured from his lips and he hated himself for it.

Naruto had been gone from his vision in a breath's time and then Sasuke had been unable to find him at all. Thinking the blonde was only on a mission and would be back in a week or possibly two, he'd thought it was the best thing. Already aware of how sensitive the fox-boy was, the Uchiha had figured the situation was for the best. It would let Naruto have some time away from his heartbreak and Sasuke – having nothing better to do with his time – had used the weeks provided to bed Sakura as many times as he could stand.

Soon though weeks had doubled and tripled, turning to months before he knew what'd happened. He scoured the village at least twice a week and never caught so much as a trace of Naruto's chakra. After three months had passed, the raven had gone to consult the Hokage and inquire as to his blonde's absence.

He received a punch to the face and was systematically thrown from her office.

Worry had flooded his heart and mind, wondering where his love was and why he'd been absent so long. Eventually being with Sakura just became routine and he would spend the free time he had away from training, missions and attempted procreation holed up in Naruto's too empty apartment. The way he treated the fox – even before his hair brained scheme to acquire an heir – was deplorable he'd come to realize as he thought over everything in the lonely apartment that only faintly smelled of the one he loved. He'd been a right bastard that had never deserved the blonde's love or affection in the first place but he'd had it, given to him on a silver platter.

And he had thrown it all away.

With his depression and worry came determination to confess everything to the man once the fox returned from wherever he was.

Four months had come to pass since the blonde had found out about his lover's treachery and since that day in the Hokage's office, he and Shino had been on a mission. Naruto had been relieved and eternally grateful to Tsunade for granting him his wish for a mission and she had even given him one that was at least eight months long; a bodyguard mission for an extremely important traveling monk, which meant he got to see even more of the world than he had with Jiraiya. It came as a surprise to the fox that Shino had requested to go with him but he certainly wasn't going to object. Despite the fact that more than enough people found the Aburame clan weird and creepy, Naruto was rather fascinated by them. He had the soul of a demon sealed in his body but the idea of having live insects that used your own flesh as their home and your chakra as their energy was kind of intriguing.

Their charge had been thoroughly impressed with the level of skill the young shinobi possessed and even more awed by how well the two fought together, even though the two seemed to be polar opposites. For the first month of their mission, the blonde had been in an understandable funk. Even though Shino had never been close enough to someone to be betrayed the way Naruto had, he could empathize with the fox's feelings. He had the suspicion that somehow, his kikaichu could feel the emotions in the boy's complex chakra and transmitted them to him.

Finally though, the storm had broken. One night during their normal training ritual, the Kyuubi vessel had snapped and the cork that held his emotions back popped. Brilliant, angry red chakra had exploded from the blonde's body in a flurry of energy and Shino had been hard pressed to stay alive under the raging assault the boy had posed. Punches, kicks, shuriken and kunai were thrown at an eye-popping pace and the bug-nin knew then and there that even a shinobi with an advanced bloodline, like the Hyuuga and Uchiha, would have had one hell of a time keeping track of everything. The most amazing part of the entire display was the perfect grace that Naruto fought with and the incredible strength that thrummed through his muscles. Shino had been caught with a punch once or twice and he was thankful that his friend was still somewhat in control of himself, for surely had he been an enemy he would've been dead from a single hit. In the end, it was only through his kikaichu that he had escaped the fray with only a few minor injuries.

Thankfully, the bugs had gorged on the rich and powerful chakra and slowly worn his friend down.

Of course, he'd also had to deal with a plethora of apologies – and tearful hugs – from the fox for what had happened but he took them all in stride, finding that he rather liked having the blonde so close to him. Shino was an incredibly smart and observant person. While a lot of people can be observant of others, oftentimes they aren't very in tune with themselves. The young Aburame was an exception to that rule. He knew very well that he had fallen for the kitsune container in the past year or so and the only thing that had kept him from making a move was the Uchiha. First it had been because Naruto and Sasuke were together…now it was because they weren't and Naruto had been left broken.

His affection for – and attraction to – Naruto were the reasons for requesting to accompany the blonde on his mission. He figured that even if he could never actually say anything to the boy concerning his feelings, at least he could be there as a friend to help him through his heartache. Over the past two months though, the fox had been displaying some more Naruto-esque qualities that warmed Shino's heart and lifted a weight from his chest.

Now, the two Konoha jounin were currently off-duty for the day and were heading to an onsen in a town in Wave Country after a heavy training session. Shino mused as they walked that he had gotten far better workouts training with the blonde shinobi then he ever had training with anyone else. He was surprised that more of the ninja in Konoha didn't beg to spar with Naruto until he realized the fact that there probably weren't many people that actually knew how talented he was. The Aburame never failed to be awed and impressed with the depth of skill his companion possessed and he wondered at the Uchiha's stupidity. Naruto had been all his; all that power, beauty, love and affection had all been his and he'd tossed it away.

Yeah, Sasuke had officially taken the name 'dobe' in his book.

Naruto smiled happily once they were inside the spring, breathing the steamy mineral air deep into his lungs. "Man this is great! I haven't been to a hot spring in ages! Every time I was near one when I trained with Jiraiya, we'd get kicked out before I even got to see the inside because the old man couldn't keep his perverted eyes from the women's side and I was never allowed in the one in Konoha."

Shino was rather surprised by the tone in the blonde's voice at the last part of his sentence. He made being banned from places in his home village sound as though he was talking about the weather and really, it made the dark-haired man rather sad. Naruto had bled, cried, sweat and nearly died on numerous occasions for Konohagakure; he was the only reason the entire village hadn't been brought to the ground by Kyuubi no Kitsune and yet they still treated him badly. At least the ninja of the village treated him well…except those within his cell.

Just thinking about their debauchery caused rage to flow in his veins and steel bands of sorrow to stifle his heart. A cry of delight brought him away from darker thoughts – such as allowing his kikaichu to feast on the bastard and bitch in question until they no longer had enough energy to even draw air into their lungs – and to the present, where sunshine personified was happily toeing off his sandals and pulling the jounin vest from his torso. As the black t-shirt and fishnet shirt were stripped away Shino was happy for having such a high collar to hide his blush. He never would have imagined that under all those clothes Naruto had a body like the one on display.

Warm beams of sunlight danced across his slightly sweaty torso, highlighting the ridges between every hard muscle on his chest and shoulders, and made his blonde hair glow. Cerulean eyes reflected the sky above them, twinkling in happiness and anticipation of the warm mineral water. Dark eyes traced a bead of perspiration down the strong muscles of the fox's back as they flexed and rippled beneath beautifully tanned skin hungrily as the boy turned slightly to kick his growing pile of clothes further to the side.

Shaking his head slightly to clear away his less-than-virtuous thoughts, Shino went about disrobing himself, more than ready to relax in the steamy water and not just a little bit anxious over being there naked with an equally naked Naruto. Thankfully, he was far too reserved to just pounce on the blonde but he was more than positive that he would be stretching even his limits; especially when he looked up from sliding his large coat off and removing his sandals to get a full view of a very naked and very – he blushed faintly – tanned backside. Did the fox sunbathe nude?

Forcing back an impending nosebleed and willing his thoughts to keep to the fact that Naruto had just been horribly betrayed, the Aburame finished stripping in record time and slid into the hot water, sighing in contentment as his body relaxed.

Naruto eyed Shino as he relaxed against the side of the onsen with his glasses off and eyes closed. The blonde had mused more than once how odd it was that even his own teammates rarely saw the bug-nin sans eyewear and yet Naruto was becoming more and more hard pressed to remember a time when he hadn't seen him in such a way. He knew that the Aburame clan all wore them – for traditions sake, Shino had once said – but honestly, he could never figure out why Shino would choose to. He had really nice eyes. The fox holder also found it interesting to note that they were never really one particular color. Those hidden orbs were dark and when they'd been seen during the chuunin exams they had been a very dark brown.

For some reason, they seemed to be a very deep – almost black – purple whenever the two were alone enough for Shino to feel comfortable in removing the glasses. He knew he'd never seen them that color on the occasions they were in the Hokage's office together and he had to wonder if it was just his own presence that brought out that shade in the Aburame's eyes. Not that he was complaining any; in fact, Naruto thought they were really pretty and he made the decision to start talking so Shino would look at him and he could see those special eyes again.

No one else he knew had eyes that color.

The sharp eyes of the blonde shinobi easily caught how the Aburame cuddled up close to the small waterfall in the springs, letting the tumultuous water shroud his body in tumbling waves and he mused that he'd never actually seen anything of Shino below his neck, not even his arms. Wondering why that was, he called out to his friend, "Oi Shino!'

The bug-nin didn't moved or shift at all, only making a soft sound of acknowledgement from his place in the crashing water. Naruto moved towards his friend and stopped when there were only four or so feet between them. "Shino…why do you always hide under that big coat? I mean, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to but I've always wondered."

Shifting his weight slightly to sit up more, Shino opened his eyes and looked at the fox-boy who was much closer than he had originally been. He studied his features for a moment, watching water roll of his tan skin and curiosity gleam in blue eyes, before he took a breath and let it go. No one had ever really asked that before and if it was anyone other than Naruto, he probably wouldn't say a thing. Alas, he had a few questions of his own for the blonde so he figured the least he could do was answer the ones posed to him.

"When the members of the Aburame clan are young, we are exposed to the kikaichu so they can make their homes within our bodies. The younger the ninja, the more time the bugs have to get used to us. The process is painful and leaves numerous scars all over our skin. People think us…creepy…enough as it is, so we keep our bodies covered as much as possible so very few outside the clan ever see our scars. Besides that, due to the kikaichu, we are extremely sensitive to anything that touches us and that can make pain a lot worse."

Naruto's eyes were wide when the bug-nin finished speaking, having never really heard him talk so much at once. He was also completely interested in seeing these aforementioned scars and couldn't help but wonder what was so bad about them that they needed to be covered all the time. The blonde had multitudes of scars all over his body – being that he refused to let Kyuubi heal the scars even if the fox healed the wounds – and he wasn't bothered by them at all really. To him, the marks on his body were testament to what he'd lived through, the swirl pattern on his chest being the most prominent.

Edging a little closer to Shino, the fox noticed his eyes change slightly from their dark purple to a lighter shade and grinned. Finally sitting with only a foot between the two, he addressed his friend again. "Ne Shino? Can I see?"

The Aburame looked completely startled, which was saying something for a man who was even more of a statue than Sasuke. Naruto's grin only got wider.

"Why…why would you want to?"

Shrugging his shoulders in nonchalance, Naruto pulled a leg up so his foot rested on the ledge he sat on and placed his chin on his knee, regarding his friend with intense azure eyes. "Cause they can't be that bad. I mean, I have scars all over everywhere and I don't care about them."

Shino lowered his head, breaking the gaze he held with the blonde as he spoke softly, "Yes they are actually. At least your scars are from battles and things like that."

Letting his leg slip back down, Naruto leaned forward and gently tilted his friend's head back up with soft fingertips under his chin, "Not all of them are from fighting or anything to do with being a shinobi. Usually the hits I take in fights aren't that serious and heal without much of a mark at all…the visible ones…are more to due with being a Jinchuuriki."

The bug-nin blushed as a wave of heat emanated from the fox-s hand on his chin and he was thankful for the heat of the water he sat in, hoping Naruto would disregard the color on his cheeks. Just that simple touch sent fire straight to his groin and he focused on the beautiful blue orbs he was looking into once more instead of what his body was doing. Naruto barely even realized he was tenderly stroking Shino's chin with his fingers as he spoke, "If you don't want to show me you don't have to. If you want, you can see mine instead."

Without waiting for a response from the quiet man, Naruto removed his hand and stood up in the water exposing his torso from his belly button up. Picking out the most obvious scar, he traced his fingers lightly over the swirl-like mark burned into his tan flesh. "This one came from the Valley of the End. It's the worst scar I have and there's one just like it on my back."

Shino felt white-hot anger surge through him again at seeing the mark that marred the man's body on his chest and back. The Uchiha had been responsible for that, driving such a deadly attack through his supposed 'best-friend' only seconds after proclaiming that very thing to the blonde. Yet when he'd come back, Naruto accepted him again, even going so far as falling in love with the ninja who had seriously tried to take his life, only to be betrayed by the raven once more.

"It still hurts to think about it all. I guess I should've been more wary of him after he betrayed me the first time but I couldn't help it. He was one of the first people to give me attention, even if it was negative. We always sparred together because we were the best match for power and I couldn't help but be drawn to him. I feel like such a fool now." The blonde spoke softly as he settled in the water once more, a melancholy expression taking over his features.

"Naruto…can I ask you something? You don't have to answer…it's rather personal but I've been wondering…" The Aburame trailed off, not entirely certain this was the right time to talk about such a thing but it was in the air now. Naruto nodded at him slightly, cerulean eyes trained on him again as he took a breath, "If you can carry a child, why did you never end up pregnant before?"

A sad, defeated smile crossed the teen's lips before he answered, "I asked Kyuubi the same thing…cursed him out actually…asking why he hadn't done it when I still had Sasuke so I could've kept him. The fox just said he never trusted the bastard and refused to give something so special to him. He didn't do it to hurt me…he did it because he was trying to protect me. Then he said that when someone came along he found worthy, he'd make the change."

The blonde sighed in a disheartened way as his brilliant blue eyes glazed over in sadness and his voice was quiet when he spoke. "I don't think that really matters anymore anyway. Sasuke had a pretty fucked up life and he tossed me away without batting an eye. It's doubtful anyone would want to take his place in my life, let alone have kids with me."

"I don't know about that. The Hyuuga's like you. Hinata always has and Neji has as well since your fight in the chuunin exams. Actually Kiba likes you too." Shino said struggling to keep his voice steady as the words fell from his lips. He didn't want to send Naruto anywhere else; he wanted the fox as his own but wasn't sure how he would take it. The Aburame would much rather keep the blonde close as a friend then lose him because of his own feelings.

"Really? I didn't know that. It still doesn't matter though. Hinata is already promised to another of the Hyuuga clan to keep the bloodline strong and I'm sure Neji will be following her in that soon enough. And Kiba…Kiba's mom wants him to have a wife I think. From what I know of the Inuzuka clan, I don't think a relationship between the two of us would be accepted if it was anything other than friends." Naruto said as he sunk down into the water until only half of his face, from nose up, was visible.

Shino sighed as he lowered more into the water but crept slightly away from the falls. "My clan isn't that narrow-minded really it's just that, it's easier for us to marry others from the Aburame."

Wide blue eyes gazed at him intensely, "Why is that?"

"Well," the bug-nin started as he settled more into a new spot on the rocky ledge, "it all just comes from the kikaichu I suppose. No matter how good our control over the bugs is, they are still extremely dangerous. If our emotions change enough to loosen our control, they can easily get free and unless you either have chakra to burn or are an Aburame, they are deadly. If one of us was to be…intimate…with someone that doesn't fit into either said category, they could easily be killed in a moment of passion. It's only ever a risk if it is with someone we love or feel strongly about though so it really doesn't happen often.

Most times, there are arranged marriages, made simply to keep the clan alive. Whether with one of our own or another, it doesn't matter because there usually aren't emotions involved that would make our focus waver. My father and mother's marriage was arranged and my father always tells me that he wants me to love who I love. He grew to love my mother and they are very happy together but he wants me to have a chance to find love on my own. It's difficult because of who I am."

The blonde sighed wistfully, his eyes watching Shino though they held an almost distant look to them. "I'd never really known what love was like. I didn't get any real affection at all until I was twelve and got to know Iruka-sensei. Sandaime tried to do the best he could but he was Hokage and I fell through the cracks a lot. I think that's why I latched onto Sasuke so tightly when we got together. I loved him and was willing to accept his compliance to be with me as love returned, even though it really wasn't. As much as I love Konoha and the friend's I've made, I don't think I'll ever find the kind of love I always wanted from Sasuke there."

A head of dark hair snapped up to look at the blonde sharply, a multitude of emotions flashing across his violet eyes. He couldn't have heard that right…had he? Was Naruto…considering leaving? He had to be sure before he said anything.

"Naruto? What…what do you mean?"

Leaning his head back against the wall of the onsen, the fox holder looked up into the afternoon sky, his eyes following some lazily moving clouds. "What do I have there Shino? My friends are already getting paired up and being made ready to marry, I have no family, I always wanted to be Hokage but I don't know if the village or the elders would allow it. I couldn't keep Sasuke with me no matter how much I loved him…what's the point? I was always alone before but after getting so close to so many people…I don't know how well I'd be able to handle it if they all just went on with their lives and I was left by myself again. Not that I don't want them all to find happiness…but I've tasted happiness myself now, even if only for a little while, and I am pretty sure not having any at all would kill me."

Shino couldn't tear his eyes away from the blonde even if he tried. Almost desperately he wanted Naruto to look at him; he wanted to see those beautiful blue eyes so he could know for sure if he was serious. The fox was good at hiding away from people, slipping a happy smile on his lips and acting like a fool, but Shino had been one of few – he counted himself lucky – that had seen the real man behind the mask…the boy that cried out for love and attention. However, his fellow shinobi was steadfastly keeping his gaze averted, studying the sky like Shikamaru. "You want to leave Konoha?"

A weary sigh escaped soft pink lips as Naruto closed his eyes. "I don't know that I really want to Shino but I am tired of feeling so lost and alone. Even when I was with Sasuke I still felt that way a lot of the time. I want to be selfish for once and find my own happiness…I want to be loved so badly that it hurts and sometimes makes me sick. And the sad thing is I don't know how well I would handle it if someone actually did love me. I've gone without it for so long…

…but I want it so much."

Before he had even really realized his own movement, Shino found himself standing in front of the blonde, looking down on scarred, tan skin and getting lost in sad, azure eyes. His entire torso was bared to the flaxen-haired ninja and he didn't even care about how badly his body was scarred. Seeing Naruto so miserable and melancholy twisted his heart because the man wasn't meant for that kind of pain.

"Would you change your mind if someone already loved you?"

"Who would love me Shino? I'm a monster." Despondent blue eyes gazed into his, the fractures on his heart left by Sasuke as clear to his eyes as the tears that welled in those turbulent oceans and he knew that no matter what was to happen in the following days or when their mission was over, he had to speak up. He no longer cared about his previous determination to keep his feelings to himself because if there was even a small chance that what he felt could help heal the one he loved then he would do whatever it took. Shino's only hope was that he could survive his own broken heart if Naruto rejected him.

Leaning towards the blonde, the bug-nin nuzzled his pale cheek against Naruto's whiskered face before moving to his ear. Pressing his lips closely, the soft flesh grazing against the fox's sensitive skin and causing him to shudder, he answered truthfully, knowing his own confession could either make or break them both. "I would and do."

The warm body before the bug-nin froze completely and he pulled away to see cerulean eyes wide with shock and disbelief. Not a word or a whimper slipped through Naruto's lips and Shino suddenly felt a wave of uncertainty fill him. Had he done the wrong thing? No! He couldn't think that way! It had to be said, even if it pushed Naruto away, Shino couldn't let him leave the Leaf – leave him – because he thought no one loved him.

"S-Shino? What…what are you saying?" Finally Naruto found his voice, though it was soft and hesitant, crystalline tears glimmering in his azure orbs.

Breathing deeply to settle his nerves – or at least attempt to – the dark-haired ninja leaned forward once more and placed a tiny kiss on a whiskered cheek. "I'm saying I love you Naruto. I have for a long time now."

Naruto shuddered violently with a stifled sob and tears trailed down his cheeks in torrents. Had he heard that right? Did…did someone really love him? Like that? Like he'd loved Sasuke? "Why Shino? How…how could you love me…knowing all that you do about me?"

Quietly and swiftly, the Aburame wrapped the blonde in a hug, his mind too occupied with saying his peace now that he'd made the opportunity to pay attention to the fact that he was naked and wet and pressed tightly against the object of his desire that happened to be just as naked and wet as he was. "I think…I think it's because I _do_ know so much about you Naruto. You have gone through so much, so many pains and hardships that would break most people and yet you stay strong, you don't let it get to you. I know that Sasuke held your heart for a long time – and probably still does – but I couldn't risk you leaving the village thinking no one cared."

Burrowing his face into the bug-nin's neck, Naruto whimpered slightly as all the pain from the past welled up inside him. So many years and so much time had been spent pushing things away and repressing all the hurt he'd felt all his life and all it took were some well-placed words from Shino to send him tumbling into a sea of emotion and tears. Sasuke never would have said something like that to him, even if he had walked straight up to the raven and told him point blank he was leaving the village and not planning to return.

Clutching desperately at the soft skin of the dark-haired shinobi's back, the blonde nuzzled his nose against Shino's collarbone and whispered "What about your family?"

Shino tightened his grip around the fox, his throat threatening to constrict with the emotions he was holding back, and answered with a question of his own, "What do you mean?"

"Won't they be upset with you…for wanting me?"

Deep purple eyes widened slightly at how pitiful the normally strong jounin sounded and he pressed a kiss to Naruto's head, "I told you my father wanted me to find my own love."

"I don't think he was anticipating having to include me as a possibility Shino." The blonde whispered dejectedly, savoring the warmth from the dark-haired ninja and the rarely felt contact of skin against skin.

The Aburame loosened his hold on the fox, biting back a smile at the whine of protest his actions were rewarded with, and looked into still watery cerulean eyes. "Naruto, my family knows all about you. The entire clan knows everything about what happened that day when Kyuubi no Kitsune attacked Konoha. We all know that you truly are a hero and we have never hated you or placed the blame on your shoulders. It is well known amongst the Aburame that not even the fox himself was responsible for his actions."

Blue eyes widened almost comically and Shino knew if the situation hadn't been so serious he would have laughed. Naruto's lower lip trembled dangerously and the bug-nin simply wrapped the younger boy in a hug once more, easily content to have the love of his life in his arms. The blonde's voice came out muffled and soft when he spoke next, the warm wisps of his breath dancing across the Aburame's pale skin. "Shino? If you knew…about me…the truth, I mean, why didn't you talk to me when we were in the academy?"

Flinching internally at the wounded tone of his love's voice, the bug-nin sighed lightly and rested his forehead against Naruto's shoulder, "I wanted to but I was shy. I've never talked much, even when I was a kid. I had hoped we'd be assigned to the same genin team so I had more of a reason to approach you but it didn't work out that way. I thought for sure that if I just came up to you and started trying to be your friend you'd think it was some kind of mean joke."

Before he'd recognized the movement, Shino found himself pushed slightly away from Naruto and staring down into impossibly blue, heartbreakingly melancholy eyes and a sad smile. "You're right you know. I would've thought it was a mean joke. Actually, those kinds of jokes got played on me a lot."

A resigned sigh escaped petal soft lips while Naruto kept his gaze locked with vivid purple eyes, "Are you serious about this Shino? I really am a basket case."

The corners of the dark-haired shinobi's lips twitched up into a smile and something akin to relief and happiness swirled in amethyst eyes, "Yes I'm sure. I just want a chance to show you that you deserve to be loved just like everyone else."

His smile turned a little more genuine then, his cerulean eyes losing some of the taint of sorrow and he whispered, "Okay then."


	2. Chapter 2

The first week after that moment in the hot springs had Shino convinced he'd made a huge error in telling Naruto his feelings. Yes the blond had said he'd give the bug-nin a chance but Naruto had been acting anything but accepting. As a matter of fact, Shino's love had seemingly digressed in his mood, going backwards in time to the place he'd been after being betrayed by Sasuke and it confused the dark-haired shinobi to no end. He had wanted nothing more than to corner the fox and demand an explanation but he knew better than to do so. Naruto obviously needed time to adjust or some such thing and Shino was nothing if not patient. Besides, they still had an awful long time left together on their mission and he wasn't going to rush things just because he was frustrated and scared.

Yes he was scared; terrified really. He'd handed his heart over to the broken man in the hopes that it would help heal him and although Naruto hadn't broken it yet, he hadn't given anything back either. Shino could only hope that if the blond so chose, he could survive the rejection he felt closer and closer to coming with every day that passed.

Finally, something within the dynamics between the two changed and Shino was clueless as to what had happened. They'd gone to bed around scheduled watches the night before and when the Aburame had awoken the next morning, the somber air that had surrounded the man he loved seemed to have vanished. Having no clue whatsoever as to the reason for his fox's change in mood, Shino simply went with it, far too happy to see Naruto acting more like his old self to question why he was acting as such.

That night after they'd made camp and their charge had bedded down in his tent for the night, Naruto had leapt down from his perch high among the trees and landed soundlessly next to Shino. The bug-nin had sent out some of his kikaichu around the perimeter and Naruto had scouted around and set traps to ensure their campsite wouldn't be disturbed. The blond turned to look at his dark-haired companion; cerulean eyes nearly glowing in the deep black of night, and spoke softly. "Ne Shino…I'm sorry about how I've been acting. I've just…I don't know…"

"Been waiting for the other shoe to drop?" Shino easily finished the question, already knowing what Naruto was thinking and trying his best not to be hurt by it. He knew it wasn't the blond's fault he was so terrified. Oh no, that honor was reserved for the one and only Sasuke-bastard.

Naruto winced at the words, all too aware that they were true but not really understanding why. Shino was not Sasuke. Shino had been nothing but patient and kind for the entire time Naruto had known him. Shino had never lied to him about anything, even in times where he easily could have. "I'm sorry. I…I don't think of you that way at all. I guess…I guess I was just scared. Going from a place where I loved Sasuke but he forced his attention down my throat when he wanted, to being here with you, where you are offering me just love. I…didn't know how to react but I'm okay now."

Shino turned to look at the fox, remorse shining brightly in azure orbs, and he was taken by complete surprise and nearly fell over in shock as Naruto tugged down the high collar of his coat and caught his lips in a soft kiss. All thoughts ground to a halt and Shino felt his heart skip a beat. For a moment, he could do nothing but marvel over just how soft the other's lips were but soon, Naruto began to pull away and Shino felt desperation crawl up the back of his throat. Quickly leaning forward, he recaptured his love's mouth with his own and let one hand wrap around the blond's waist and tug him closer while the other buried itself in soft, golden locks. Long ago he'd made up his mind that he would let Naruto set the pace of their relationship, so he simply held the man close and kissed him firmly, waiting patiently for the other shinobi to either pull away or deepen the kiss.

After all the things he'd felt with Sasuke and all the disappointments he'd experienced over the things he _hadn't_ felt with Sasuke, Naruto felt as if he'd been given a one-way ticket to heaven with Shino's mouth caressing his own. The love the dark-haired shinobi felt for him was a nearly tangible thing; never before had the blond ever thought that love could have a taste but he knew without a doubt now that it did. He felt as though pure, untainted _life_ was being poured into his body and he realized he felt more energized and alive than he had in years. Allowing the wonderful feelings to wash over him, Naruto melted against the other ninja and opened his mouth slightly, asking Shino silently to make him feel more.

The Aburame obliged the blond eagerly, tenderly swiping his tongue over a full lower lip before letting it slip inside Naruto's mouth. Even though their tongues danced and lapped at one another, the kiss was still tender and slow. Shino refused to do anything too fast with the fox simply because he didn't feel it necessary and was – in all honesty – completely inexperienced. He wanted to prove to the fair-haired shinobi just how deeply he loved him and he knew his message wouldn't be as well conveyed if he rushed things. Taking one last lick at Naruto's luscious lips, the bug-nin pulled back and cupped the blond's cheek with his hand. With his other hand, he slid his glasses up onto the top of his head and smiled lightly into warm, azure eyes.

"I do love you Naruto and I will wait as long as it takes for you to become comfortable with it or decide you don't want it. The choice is yours." Although it hurt to think Naruto wouldn't return his affection, Shino wanted to at least be sure that it wasn't for lack of trying on his part. He fully intended to prove every inch of his love to the blond and if Naruto couldn't love him then at least the fox would know he was cared for deeply.

The smile that he received in answer to his words was nothing short of dazzling, the true side of Naruto shining through brilliantly in that one genuine smile that only months ago seemed like something he'd never see again, even though smiles such as that had always been a rare occurrence. Warmth curled in his stomach at the site and the knowledge that it was him – Aburame Shino _not_ Uchiha Sasuke – that had brought it out gave his heart hope that maybe the blond could return his feelings one day.

Naruto leaned forward once more and placed a gentle kiss against the smiling lips that were hardly ever seen, a new feeling blooming in his chest with the other shinobi so close to him. Violet eyes danced with emotion and the blond could easily read in those beautiful orbs that Shino would wait years if need be and the truth and sentiments behind the bug-nin's words sang to his scarred heart. Kyuubi purred happily in the back of his mind and Naruto was momentarily taken aback by the action, not having ever been treated to such a content sound from the fox. As the two Leaf jounin sat looking into each other's eyes, Naruto could almost feel the kitsune's chakra tails curl around his own soul in a pseudo-hug, as if telling him that he approved of Shino wholeheartedly.

The thought gentled his smile into one of pure warmth and contentment and Naruto couldn't help leaning into the dark-haired shinobi and hugging him tightly. A stinging sensation prickled the backs of his eyes and for the first time in a long time, the blond felt truly happy; he felt as if his life was finally going to start moving forward again, down a path that was filled with love.

Tsunade briefly looked over the scroll in her hands, reading through the rather short mission report from Shino, and taking in its contents hurriedly, wanting nothing more than to be done with it so she could tear into the other scroll that had accompanied it. Only ten minutes ago she'd been awoken by Gamakichi with said scrolls and she was more than eager to read the personal one to her from Naruto.

Eight months had already come and gone since her little brother had entered her office heartbroken and had subsequently been sent on a mission with an undetermined time constraint and she'd only received short notes from him since then, the last one stating he would have a full-on letter for her next time.

Finally finishing the report, she set it aside on her desk and grabbed up the other scroll. Without any hesitation she disabled the trap, tore through the wax seal and unfurled it, hazel eyes eagerly taking in the blond's surprisingly neat handwriting. He spoke at length about the mission and how impressed their charge was with the two shinobi. Unlike any normal, boring mission report, Tsunade didn't mind reading about everything they were doing from Naruto because the fox always made everything more entertaining. Even if she couldn't see Naruto she could tell how he was doing by the way he wrote. The first few notes she had received had all held an almost somber tone to them, hardly any of the blond's usual witty remarks or comical anecdotes present.

This letter though was filled to the brim with everything Naruto and she could very nearly feel her little brother's return to the happier side of life. Considering the state the fair-haired Leaf shinobi had been in when he left Konoha, the Hokage had spent a great deal of the time he had been gone worrying over him. When Naruto loved something, he loved it with everything he had and Sasuke was no exception. Although she had lost the one she loved the most as well, Dan had at least died in battle; Naruto had been unfortunate enough to catch the man he so dearly loved cheating on him.

The details of the mission began slowly tapering off and soon, Tsunade was reading more and more about the developing relationship between Shino and Naruto. It wasn't something she had ever really expected to happen. Out of all the ninja she knew – and the rather impressive amount that had romantic inclinations towards the blond – the Aburame hadn't ever come into her thoughts. Hyuuga Neji and Hyuuga Hinata she knew were rather fond of Naruto, though the heiress was already betrothed to another of the Hyuuga clan, as well as the Godaime Kazekage Gaara. Considering the similar backgrounds of the redhead and the blond, Tsunade wouldn't have been too surprised to see the two hook up, especially since Naruto was the reason Gaara became the man he currently was.

Not that she disapproved of Shino; far from it actually. He was just one she hadn't ever considered. In fact, had the bug-nin not been in her office to witness everything that had transpired she most likely would've sent Neji with Naruto. Truthfully, she hadn't even been aware that Shino knew so much about her little brother but she found herself grateful that he did for he seemed to genuinely care about the blond, something the young man had been starved of in his last relationship.

The more she read of Naruto's writings, the more at ease she became until she was slumped down in her chair and smiling softly as tears constantly brimmed her eyes in happiness. Tsunade could almost feel the blond boy's own joy through the scroll and finally, she felt as if everything would turn out okay for him. A few of the lingering tears in her eyes rolled down her cheeks as she finished reading and set the scroll down on her desk.

A familiar presence was hovering about her window and she turned her head slightly to regard her old teammate, "What're you doing back here Jiraiya?"

Slipping in through the window, the Toad Sage walked towards the couch Naruto had occupied months earlier and leaned back into the wall next to it. A tired sigh escaped his lips and Tsunade smiled gently, "I've been looking for the gaki. He's on a mission isn't he?"

The Hokage nodded and her smile widened as she stood from her chair and stretched, "What would you say to sharing a drink with me old man?"

Jiraiya arched a brow at the woman and gave her a look that clearly stated 'Why in the world would you even think you had to ask?' before his dark eyes narrowed slightly. "What's the occasion old hag?"

Inwardly, Jiraiya cringed and he waited to be beaten within an inch of his life for the insult but when nothing came, his eyes widened and he noticed the perfectly calm, perfectly _happy_ smile the woman wore. It was an expression he hadn't seen a lot of ever since Naruto and the Uchiha had hooked up and he couldn't help but wonder what had happened. Ever since the raven's dealings with Orochimaru, Jiraiya had been wary of him. If it hadn't been for the happiness he had seen in his apprentice's eyes in the first weeks the two were together, he would have put his two-cents in about the entire thing. Of course, he had only been around for a little over a month after Naruto had announced their relationship to him but he'd spent most of that time talking with Tsunade and she hadn't seemed all too happy.

Tsunade walked around her desk and twined her arm with her old teammates before leading them both out the door. "Let's just say that I have good news about our favorite blond."

The sound of thousands of chirping birds swelled and crashed inside the main training ground of the Uchiha Estate as Sasuke tore through trees and boulders and anything else in his path, his Sharingan eyes swirling madly in his rage. Ten months, ten _fucking_ months had passed by since Naruto left and he hadn't heard even so much as a whisper about the blond or where he was. Every time he was anywhere near the majority of the Konoha ninja, he received rather hateful looks and cold shoulders and he knew that somehow, they all knew of what had happened between him and Naruto.

Knowing that the blonde had apparently left soon after he'd walked in on him and Sakura – and knowing without a shadow of a doubt that Naruto wouldn't have said anything to anyone about it had he stayed – Sasuke could only guess that the other ninjas only had speculations of what had occurred and maybe not even that. However, Naruto was a force to be reckoned with, if not for his incredible skills as a ninja than for his amazing ability to draw people into him. It was no real surprise that the fox holder had made friends with nearly every single shinobi and kunoichi in the village and Sasuke had the distinct impression that despite the fact none knew the exact details they knew he was at fault.

Many of the Rookie 9 and Team Gai blamed him for the loss of their sunshine and he knew in his heart their anger was justified. Ever since his lover had left, Sasuke seemed to care less and less about appearances to the public which showed brilliantly in the fact that he spent so much time with Sakura, a person he seemingly hadn't ever been able to tolerate. They weren't really seen together in public as a couple per se but the raven seemed to have a continuous trail of the rose-haired kunoichi's chakra on him and the same went for Sakura. He knew Kiba could most likely smell traces of one on the other despite their bathing practices and yet he didn't care.

He almost _wanted_ everyone to know because maybe if they took their anger out on him he could start to feel as if he'd achieved just a little redemption.

Snarling in defeat as he tried to form another Chidori and failed, Sasuke slumped to the ground and flopped onto his back. It wasn't just the absence of Naruto and the guilt he felt because of it that angered him so much. There was also the matter of why exactly he had betrayed the bright-eyed blond that was failing with flying colors. He had lost count of the times he had fucked Sakura and still she had yet to become pregnant. Everything he had in Naruto had been lost for no reason. He had thrown away the love of his life for a chance to repopulate his clan and the female he chose for the job had yet to produce.

Thinking that it could possibly be himself that was the problem, he'd gone to the hospital and been checked out only to find that he was perfectly fine and just as fertile as the next young man his age. He knew then that it had something to do with Sakura. At first he had been willing to wait and give everything time because if Sakura could give him even one child, some part of him could feel at peace with knowing the legacy of his bloodline wouldn't end with him and somehow justify – in a twisted way at least – what he'd done.

Now a few weeks shy of a year had passed since the first time he'd laid with the pink-haired medic-nin and he was beyond frustrated. Something wasn't quite right with the situation and as soon as he had cleaned up and rested, he planned to have a chat with Sakura and get some answers.

"Finally…a village we actually get to stay in." Naruto mumbled to himself as he walked down a hallway looking for the room he'd rented, his and Shino's packs hanging off his shoulders. Since they had started the bodyguard mission they'd only stayed in an inn once and that had happened after two months of travel. Now, it had been close to eight months before they'd stopped in a village for longer than a handful of hours. Usually they entered nearly every village they came across, either to grab some dwindling supplies or for their charge to stop at a temple.

This time though, apparently the quiet village they were in was one the monk knew well and planned to stay in for at least a week and a half. Knowing he would have no need for his 'hired muscle' while he was in a village he'd known since he was little, the young houshi had informed the two Leaf jounin that they would have something of a vacation for the next ten days which had earned him a rather hearty and impromptu hug from the blond.

While Shino was escorting their charge to the temple, Naruto had been assigned the task of finding a suitable place to stay for the time being. The blond had only been too happy to comply, more than excited at the thought of taking a vacation while he was on a mission. Which brings us back to the present where said jounin had finally located the room he'd been looking for.

After Naruto had made the advance of their first kiss, the jinchuuriki had latched onto the bug-nin almost fiercely when nighttime came. For as long as he could remember, Naruto had experienced nightmares nearly every night of his life and remembering how safe and loved he'd felt in Shino's arms, he'd taken to sleeping with dark-haired ninja. At first, the Aburame had been wary of such a thing since they were on a mission and it was protocol to set up night watch rounds, however it had all changed the first night he'd had to hold Naruto after one of his nightmares until he fell back to sleep. Unfortunately, the blond was extremely cuddly and soft – despite the hardened muscles that lined his body – and somehow Shino had fallen soundly asleep, wrapped around the fox.

He'd woken agitated at the situation until Naruto had informed him that even if he was asleep, his instincts and Kyuubi were on high alert and he'd wake at the first sign of trouble. Deciding to trust Naruto's words – because he could easily believe them – he made it routine to send some of his bugs off to various areas of the camp before nightfall. Knowing his bugs would report to him of any trouble as well, Shino happily went about holding the blonde the entire night.

As he stepped into the room, Naruto let their packs fall to the floor against a wall and took off his sandals. Looking the room over, he moved towards the queen sized bed and flopped down on it, happy beyond belief that it was as comfortable as it looked. He rather missed sleeping in an actual bed. Knowing he could very well fall asleep if he stayed in that position any longer, the blonde hoisted himself up and rummaged through his pack until he pulled out a change of clothes, which he tossed onto the bed, and his toiletries and headed for the bathroom.

Twenty minutes later he stepped from the steam-filled room with a content smile and a towel draped around his waist to find an Aburame perched on the bed next to his clothes. A furious blush stole across his whiskered cheeks and he suddenly wished he'd brought his clothes into the bathroom with him. It wasn't as if he was embarrassed really since they'd seen one another in the onsen not so long ago…but he hadn't been in such a vulnerable position since the two had gotten closer. Although the bug-nin still had his ever present shades perched on his nose, the blond could very nearly feel those violet eyes traveling over his skin. He shivered in spite of himself and reached for the towel slung carelessly around his neck before scrubbing it against his hair.

Once his golden locks were sufficiently dry, he turned and tossed the towel back towards the bathroom and grinned when he heard it splat against the tiled floor. Twisting his body back around to face his teammate, Naruto let his azure eyes wander over the bug-nin's indistinct form, from the glasses hiding his eyes to the overly large coat that wrapped around his body. As his eyes wandered, his mind did as well and he couldn't help but wonder what the man looked like underneath all that concealing, protective clothing. Though the two _had_ been naked together in that hot springs and at one point during that encounter Shino had stood directly in front of him unimpeded by clothing whatsoever, the fact that he was naked hadn't registered in his brain at the time, the conversation being far too important and profound to bother.

And as he studied the man before him he realized with startling clarity how selfish he had been. Just how long had the man loved him? A year for certain, but more than that? How long had he watched from the sidelines as Naruto laid his heart, his life on the line for a person who really didn't return his feelings? Only now could he begin to imagine the pain it must have caused the dark-haired shinobi, knowing that the one person your heart had become attached to loved another. And yet here he was, still sitting on the sidelines because Naruto had been left so brokenhearted. Shino had put everything he was at risk by admitting his feelings for the blond and then simply stood by and waited; waited for a rejection or an acceptance and then waited some more, for the time when Naruto alone thought he could handle a relationship.

Surely he was made of stronger stuff then that wasn't he? Hadn't he grown up alone and hated by the very people he unknowingly protected from his birth? Hadn't he fought against every obstacle that showed its face to him, refusing to be beaten down and forgotten? Had he really let the Uchiha hold so much sway over him that he managed to lose himself along the way? He was Uzumaki Naruto and he had never before been one to back down or shy away from what he wanted and he knew now he wanted Shino.

And it was about damned time he started acting like it.

Sitting on the bed quietly, Shino had watched the fox vessel as the blond studied him, wondering behind his sunglasses what the other was looking for and hoping he wasn't found lacking. After those sparkling blue eyes had traveled over his body they glazed over slightly, as if the blond was looking far away and inside himself at the same time before clearing suddenly and darkening as determination settled over his features. Fear gripped the insect master's heart at the blatant resolve in Naruto's countenance because he realized that the fox had finally come to a decision concerning the two of them.

He watched somewhat warily, his heart in his throat, as the blond approached him in measured steps before dropping to his knees between his parted legs, tan hands gripping the tops of his thighs. Reaching up slowly – knowing if he didn't move with controlled movements his hand would shake – Shino pulled the shades from his nose and tossed them to the top of the nightstand. Angling his head downwards slightly, he let his gaze lock with Naruto's and felt a shiver race down his spine at the intensity of those gleaming blue orbs. There was more to see there now than before; passion, desire, lust and love swirled with the still-present resolve and darkened them even further.

"Shino…can…would you let me touch you?" Naruto questioned softly, his voice low and slightly husky. He'd left the query rather open-ended on purpose, wanting to touch everywhere he could reach but knowing he wouldn't go farther than what the bug-nin would let him. He still couldn't comprehend how he'd let Sasuke rule his life so completely. It was obvious he'd lost himself a little in the time they'd been together and Naruto knew it was because he spent so much energy trying to provoke the same kind of feelings he possessed to spark in the Uchiha. The blond had loved the raven-haired shinobi and had wanted the same in return so he had clung to him and the belief that he could open Sasuke up enough to return his feelings.

Now he felt almost thankful his teammate had been such a bastard; everything he could ever want was sitting right in front of him.

"Touch me? Why…why do you want to? Where?" Shino's eyes had widened slightly but darkened exponentially and the blond fought down the urge to pounce on the man.

Shuffling as close as he could to his teammate, Naruto let his hands slide up the shinobi's legs to rest on his hips, all the while holding his gaze. His ears twitched slightly as he picked up the hitch in the Aburame's breathing and the way the pale ninja's heart rate nearly doubled. There was a faint trace of arousal tinting the air around Shino and Naruto – being so close to where the scent came from – felt slightly lightheaded as even more blood rushed south of the border.

Gracefully, the fox leaned into Shino and arched his back slightly to get closer before pushing the material of his collar down with his nose and nipping gently at the man's chin. "I need to touch you. The only person I've ever touched in a non-platonic way was Sasuke. I don't want his skin on my fingertips or his taste on the back of my tongue anymore. You've been waiting so long for me…and now…now I don't want you to wait anymore."

Shino could hardly believe what he was hearing. In fact, if it wasn't for the feeling of the fox's teeth nipping across his jaw line and soothing the sting with his tongue, Shino would have been positive he was dreaming. He had tried hard to situate himself in the blond's life in a way that would take over the Uchiha's position in his heart and mind without being forceful; he knew that force was what Naruto was too readily used to. It had been relatively easy to arrange himself in such a position considering how deeply he felt for the blond and how badly Naruto needed companionship.

However Shino knew that nothing could ever progress until Naruto had made the conscious decision to let go of his one time lover. In all honesty, the Aburame had thought it would take far longer for the fox to be able to willingly remove himself from the grasp the Uchiha still had on him. Even though he knew that a part of Naruto was more than ready to leave all the misery of that relationship behind, there was a larger part that had been extremely dedicated to everything Sasuke.

Mentally shaking himself, Shino refocused on the situation at hand and the feeling of Naruto's tongue still gliding over his jaw and occasionally sweeping down towards his neck. Just those simple touches already had him half-hard and he wanted to smack himself for getting caught up in his thoughts when the only person he'd ever craved had finally come to him. Leaning away from the tempting mouth at his neck, Shino lifted his arms and tugged on the zipper of his jacket, the sound of the cloth opening echoing in the sudden stillness of the room. Keeping his own violet gaze locked with burning azure, he let the protective clothing slip down his arms before he grabbed it and threw it across the room.

Goosebumps prickled across his skin as the air in the room and Naruto's warm breath rolled over his exposed flesh. Seeing as how he did wear a coat year-round, he wore nothing more than a short-sleeved fishnet shirt underneath it and he was currently the most exposed to a person not of his clan that he'd ever been in his life. The reason for said exposure caused a shiver to race down his spine and he battled down the needy whimper that rose in his throat and threatened to tumble from his lips.

The sound of cloth tearing tickled his ears and Shino looked down his chest only to see Naruto pulling away his shirt in two pieces. A wave of uncomfortable self-consciousness swept through his body as the realization hit him that someone as beautiful as Naruto was now looking at his half-naked body. The blond made even his scars look good and the bug-nin was all too aware that his own body was pale, leanly formed and covered in hole shaped scars. He squirmed slightly when he felt burning blue eyes traveling across his frame and his arms moved to wrap around his torso in a purely defensive maneuver but were caught half-way there by strong, tanned hands.

"Don't Shino. Don't hide from me…please?" The fox's voice was husky and low but sincere and warm and the brunet felt he had no option but to obey. Reluctantly, he moved his arms away and was momentarily at a loss of what to do. He was the inexperienced one here and he felt completely embarrassed over his lack of practical knowledge. Deciding that he'd just take things as they came, he placed his hands palm down on the bed behind him and leaned back slightly while tilting his head back a little and letting his eyes roam over the ceiling.

Naruto smiled softly as he watched Shino, taking in the rigidity of his muscles that screamed insecurity and he couldn't help but wonder if the dark-haired shinobi had ever had any kind of contact at all. He really didn't want to overwhelm him by doing too much too fast.

Moving his hands back down to the man's thighs, he squeezed the firm muscles and waited until Shino looked at him before gazing straight into dark purple eyes and speaking softly. "Shino…have you ever been touched before?"

An embarrassed flush rose to pale cheeks and the bug-nin averted his eyes from the blond while mumbling a soft 'no'. There was another squeeze to his upper legs that he chose to ignore, not really sure why he was doing such a thing but doing it all the same. Those strong, tan hands moved slowly back to his hips and Naruto's thumbs rubbed slow circles against his exposed hipbones causing a pleasant jolt to course straight through his body and his head snapped back to look at the blond once more just in time to see him rising to his feet.

Panic shot through him with enough force to leave him breathless and he felt himself floundering dangerously in alarm and dread, praying to every god he'd never really believed in that Naruto wasn't planning to just walk away. He really didn't think he could handle that. There had been more than enough insecurities flooding him since the blond had seemingly accepted him as an intimate opposite, knowing full well he had no experience whatsoever.

Before his worry could have him in fits, Naruto scooped him up from the edge of the bed, placed him in the center of the mattress and then crawled on top of him, the fox's strong, tan body settling perfectly between his spread legs. He found he was only able to blink owlishly at the blond on top of him, his mind shutting down as soon as it comprehended the situation he was in and his heart breaking into a gallop he was sure Naruto could feel. What in the hell was happening?

Naruto nuzzled into Shino's cheek before pushing his nose against a pale jaw and forcing the bug-nin's head to tilt to the side. He took advantage of the opening he'd created to nuzzle against the dark-haired shinobi's throat a little before placing soft kisses along his jaw line, down his neck and across his collar bone. Moving slowly across pale flesh, Naruto licked at the hollow of Shino's throat before moving down his breastbone, scattering kisses across his chest as he went.

Shino gasped and his hands dove into soft blond hair when Naruto licked his left nipple softly. The gasp turned into a low moan when the licking turned to suckling, sending bolts of pleasure down his spine and causing warmth to pool in his belly. Once Naruto was satisfied with the pebbled state of one dusky nipple, he moved on to the other one, letting his hand replace his mouth and pluck at the still wet nipple. Shino felt lightheaded as he gasped for air, having never imagined anything so simple could feel so absolutely wonderful.

The blond slowly moved down the pale body underneath him, peppering kisses over every scar he came across and letting his rough tongue glide over ribs and ridges of muscle. To Naruto's eyes, Shino was perfect. He let his hands drift down from his lover's well molested nipples along his sides, gently stroking across his ribs and pushing lightly at points on the bug-nin's body that he knew were pleasurable as he nuzzled against Shino's belly and let his tongue dip into his belly button.

When he got to the waistband of Shino's pants, he licked along the skin just under the edge of the pants and looked up at the man's face only to get caught in burning, pleading amethyst eyes. He moved a little farther south and nuzzled his nose against the prominent bulge in the standard jounin pants before mouthing it slightly, never letting their gaze be broken.

"Shino do you trust me?" The blond's voice was thick, low and unbearably husky when he spoke and it sent shivers down the pale shinobi's spine. Those beautiful blue eyes were dark and promising and Shino found himself nodding helplessly because he couldn't seem to find his voice. Everything he'd felt had been amazing and he wanted to keep feeling everything Naruto would let him feel.

Giving the man under him a warm smile, Naruto pulled his legs underneath him so he could sit back on his haunches, ignoring his heavy erection tenting the front of the towel he still wore even when he felt Shino's eyes on it. Placing his hands on the man's calves, the fox dragged them slowly up the length of his legs, massaging a few more pleasurable spots along the way, until he reached Shino's hips. The dark-haired ninja's eyes were riveted to those strong, tan hands as they unfastened his pants and gripped the waistband of both his pants and boxers. Naruto nudged at Shino's slim hips with the backs of his knuckles as he pulled on his clothes and Shino lifted his lower body off the bed enough to aid the blond in his pursuit.

Before he realized the action had taken place, Shino was watching Naruto toss his pants and boxers carelessly across the room and it sunk in that he was completely and utterly naked. The fact that the blond was clad in nothing but a towel did little to dissuade a furious blush from covering his cheekbones and he turned his head to the side in a futile attempt to hide his embarrassment. None but his parents had ever seen him completely sans clothing and the last time they had seen any of what hid under his clothes was a long, long time ago. There were times when they saw him shirtless but that was the extent of it. Now here he was without a stitch of anything on, pale and scarred skin as easily seen as the erection he knew he was sporting.

He really wished he knew a jutsu that could open a crack in the floor and let him disappear into it.

The feeling of cloth dragging across his bare thigh made his head snap back to face Naruto and he watched with wide eyes as the fox container pulled the white towel from his lean, tanned hips and tossed it away – much the same way his pants had been discarded – leaving the blond just as naked as he was. Apparently, his body was running independently from his mind tonight because his brain was screaming at him to turn his head away once more but his eyes slowly, eagerly moved from Naruto's face, down his torso and straight to the other's groin.

The picture presented by the fair-haired shinobi caused a fountain of confusion to well within his mind. He'd always known that Naruto was powerful – almost ridiculously so – and although he wasn't one of the tallest ninja in the village, he was built like the powerhouse he was, thick muscles stretched over a sturdy frame. Aside from how powerful he'd become as a shinobi and the obvious strength that radiated from the lines of his body, the blond was _extremely_ well equipped below the beltline.

_How exactly was the Uchiha always seme anyway?_ He couldn't help but wonder. If Shino had ever seen anyone that screamed manliness, it was Naruto. Even with the innocence that still shone brightly in the blond's blue eyes and the softness of his heart, everything about him was purely male. As his gaze settled back on those azure eyes, he recognized the slits his pupils had become and the raw, feral gleam simmering just below the surface. Naruto looked like he was a man starving and Shino was next on the menu.

However there was a warmth and tenderness in the blond's very presence that softened the edge of lust that radiated from the fox container and a sound reminiscent of a content sigh slipped through his lips. A slow smile lifted Naruto's full mouth and Shino felt his heart flutter even as the burning of his blood heated. He wanted, he needed the blond but he didn't know how to ask for something he'd never experienced. Naruto seemed able to read the burning desire and helpless confusion in his eyes because soon, Shino found his mouth stolen in a kiss that made him light-headed.

Naruto had every intention of taking things as far as the dark-haired shinobi would let him. He couldn't remember a time when he had ever wanted Sasuke with every part of his being half as badly as he wanted Shino at that moment but he knew the other man was entirely inexperienced, so he planned to take things in small steps.

Slowly, the blond let his weight settle against the taller body beneath him, biting into his lower lip as his throbbing length brushed against Shino's. Once their hips were aligned and his frame was supported by his forearms alongside the pale nin's head, Naruto dropped his head forward and let his tongue, teeth and lips run over every inch of his lover's neck and shoulders, his senses overwhelmed by the man's presence. Shino smelled and tasted…exotic in a way Naruto knew he'd never be able to describe. Sasuke smelled like the cold steel of a well-made katana with faint traces of fire. Shino…Shino smelled – and tasted – earthy, heady…like a multitude of spices all tumbled together in small doses that mingled perfectly.

The blond knew he was addicted the second he tasted that pale, beautiful skin.

Soon his mouth made its way to a dusky colored nipple and the blond let his rougher-than-normal tongue run over and around the nub in slow, languid strokes until it was even more erect than before and he moved on to its twin. He felt the bug-nin's long, slender fingers dive into his hair and tangle slightly in the shaggy blond locks and he smiled at the sound of Shino's heart beating a rapid tattoo within his chest. The lower he moved on that lean, pale body the stronger and thicker that delicious scent became and Naruto found himself burying his nose against the man's skin just to breathe him in almost as often as he was tasting him.

When Naruto first settled against him and started tasting his neck, Shino swore he was dying. When Naruto moved slowly down his body – his wicked tongue dancing over every rib and licking at every muscle on the way – Shino swore he'd already died and made it to heaven. When Naruto lapped along his hip bones and finally licked a long stripe up his throbbing erection from base to tip and then suckled gently on the head, Shino swore he'd been reborn.

For a split second he thought that if he'd known how pleasurable human contact could be, he would have tried it long ago but the idea was banished nearly as quickly as it had popped up. He knew damn well that the exact same thing with anyone other than Naruto would never have happened in the first place. It took more trust than he had in anyone really to make himself so vulnerable but with the blond, it didn't seem to matter that he was so weak to physical contact.

And indeed it didn't. Naruto well remembered what Shino had said previously about how sensitive the Aburame were to touch due to the nature of their kikaichu and he planned to use that fact in only the best of ways. Being that Shino was not only a virgin in every sense of the word but also extremely sensitive to anything that made contact with his body made his mind swell with thoughts of what he could do to the bug-nin. Of course, despite the fact that Naruto seemed to be good seme material, he was rather happy being uke. If he was bottom it meant he could give up some of his control and strength and just let someone else do the work. That ideal had been somewhat twisted in the time he was with the Uchiha though, making him want for just one shot at topping the cocky bastard and taking him the same way he always took Naruto.

Here and now with Shino though, the blond was completely enthralled with the idea of sex with the pale ninja. Shino was an extremely tender and caring person and just the prospect of being the strong, silent man's uke was enough to make Naruto pull out all the stops and find out just what it would be like.

For the next hour, Naruto worked Shino into a throbbing, whimpering mass of need. The blond tasted every square inch of firm, pale flesh at least twice, causing the bug-nin to come to the very brink of ecstasy several times but only letting him tumble over the edge once. Naruto had never really had time to explore another's body; he'd never had the chance to taste and touch everything of his lover and he was making up for all that lost time with someone far more appreciative of his efforts.

Through all of the things he'd read or heard about intimate contact, nothing could have prepared Shino for his first orgasm. Naruto had driven him to the point of sobbing and pleading for an end to the pleasurable torture his body was feeling and when the blond had finally taken his throbbing length all the way down his throat, swallowing and humming as he moved, Shino had screamed so loudly he was sure there wasn't a soul in half the town that hadn't heard him and he'd experienced a split second of blackout as his orgasm was torn from his body.

His release had left him a boneless mass instead of a prominent shinobi and even though he knew there was more to sex – not that he knew whether or not the situation was headed in that direction – Shino honestly didn't think he could get his deliciously exhausted body to cooperate for such a thing, regardless of whether he topped or bottomed and truthfully, he was hoping – selfishly – for the chance to do both. In all honesty, he thought he could very well fall asleep and stay that way for at least a full day as sated and content as his body was.

Naruto, apparently, had entirely different ideas on the subject and before the bug-nin could even contemplate rejecting the way the blond was still suckling gently on his over-sensitized and spent member, he felt a wave of heat rush through his body as he looked down and locked gazes with Naruto. There was satisfaction, happiness, love and hunger all swirling madly in those azure eyes and Shino didn't know if he should be impressed or horrified with the way his body was so eagerly responding to the blond.

It hadn't seemed to take any time at all for Naruto to coax Shino's body into full responsiveness again and even though the pale shinobi was well worn out, he wouldn't even allow himself to consider stopping the blond. He'd waited far too long to have this with Naruto and even if he felt bone-weary from the overload to his senses already, there was no way he would deny anything the fox wanted. Besides, his body was reacting to Naruto's touches faster than his mind could actually process anything at all.

For his part, Naruto was pleased and happy and so _damn hard_ he ached. He thought he'd never see anything as beautiful as Shino in the height of pleasure for as long as he lived and his sensitive ears still rung slightly from the man's scream of ecstasy but it was a slight discomfort in light of the cause. It was obvious that Shino was worn out from his first trip in the land of carnal pleasure but Naruto wasn't done with him yet and was more than happy to see that gorgeous, pale body still responding so well to his touches.

Shino's distraction to everything but the blond playing his body like a well-tuned instrument gave Naruto more than enough opportunity to create a clone without the bug-nin's notice and the bunshin quickly went about the tasks he already knew he was to perform. As his double slipped out of the hotel room, Naruto continued his slow, gentle ministrations on his lover, knowing he'd be able to take a little more this time around because he'd already released once and now knew what to expect. Just because Shino was surely able to handle the foreplay didn't mean it wasn't trying for Naruto. The blond had been rock hard since he'd walked out of the bathroom to find the dark-haired ninja sitting on the bed and after over an hour of breathing, hearing and tasting nothing but Shino, Naruto was sure that if the bug-nin even looked at his erection he'd lose it.

Letting the once more erect length slip from his lips, Naruto lifted himself to his knees and prowled slowly up the pale body beneath him, showering kisses over different patches of slightly sweaty flesh along the way and letting his tongue drag over hard nipples. Letting his hands stroke soothing paths up and down Shino's sides, Naruto dropped soft, open-mouthed kisses up a slender neck and across a perfect jaw before gently pressing his mouth against pale, slightly parted lips.

The passion and zeal Naruto showed at first had been completely overwhelming in the way it set his body ablaze but the almost-heart-breaking-tender way he kissed him now was devastating in an altogether different way. It made his heart swell within his chest and a faint prickling tickle the backs of his eyes. Naruto wasn't just kissing him…he was _tasting _him, letting his mouth move against Shino's in a way that seemed to pour the blond's emotions directly into him.

The soft touches at his sides and the amazing heat from Naruto's body hovering over his were enough to keep him completely aroused and almost aching but the gentle capturing of his mouth kept him grounded. That one kiss was enough to make him feel as if he'd been given the world.

Naruto reluctantly pulled away from the bug ninja's mouth to slide down his body once more, scattering kisses and licks across pale skin as he felt his clone come back. Once he was down to the man's stomach, he was arched high enough off the bed to let his clone get to work and he fought hard against the urge to whimper when he felt the press of a slick finger against his entrance.

Shortly after the second finger had been added, Naruto silently dismissed his clone and prowled his way up Shino's body once again, grabbing the lube his clone had left on the way. Once he was level with the man beneath him, he lowered his body slowly, anticipating the shocks that were sure to skitter up his spine as soon as his throbbing length touched that pale skin.

The rush of heat that surrounded him as the blond settled against his body and let his legs drape over Shino's almost broke something in the dark-haired shinobi. _Surely there's a law somewhere against feeling this good. _His mind was trying to at least focus on the dark blue eyes gazing into his but his body was sending an altogether different message and Shino found himself arching up into the body above him, only to gasp sharply when his erection brushed against Naruto's.

Shino's eyes were closed tightly as small tremors of pleasure flitted up and down his spine so Naruto took a moment to open the bottle of clear liquid he still had in his hand. After pouring a decent amount out, the blond sat up on the bug-nin's thighs and slid his slick palm slowly up the shaft of his lover's dick before rubbing around the head and gripping him firmly. Darkened amethyst eyes shot open and stared at the blond in shock and almost-confusion before falling to half-mast as Naruto moved his hand slowly, up and down the length of him, coating him in warm, viscous liquid.

Just seeing the look on Shino's face and the want and love in those purple eyes made Naruto's heart beat warmly and his body ache with emptiness. He wanted Shino and he wanted all of him and he had every intention of getting him. Tonight. No ifs, no ands, no buts. With that in mind, he let his hand slip from his lover's hard length and raised himself to his knees before sliding over the pale man's groin, biting his lip to hold in the whimper that threatened to surface when he felt that beautiful cock slide across his most sensitive of places.

Naruto had absolutely no idea what was going through his lover's head because his eyes were once again shut tightly so he kept to what he was doing and didn't stop moving around until he was perched across Shino's stomach. Then he lowered his upper body and pressed back, forcing the tip of that perfect cock to slip slightly into his entrance. Pale eyelids snapped open in record time and looked up into azure eyes in shock. Naruto pressed back softly, taking more of the Aburame into his body and biting at his lip to keep the bubbling moan at bay.

The blond had to forcefully stop himself from pushing back all the way and taking Shino in to the hilt. He panted harshly as he stilled his body, only the smallest bit of the tip inside him. Naruto wanted the rest to be Shino's doing.

"Shino…please," the blond whispered, "Make me yours. I…I don't want…_his_ to be the only touch I know."

The Aburame, seeing the sincerity shining in those blue, blue eyes, needed no further prompting to finally claim that which he had wanted for so long. He placed his hands on Naruto's knees before dragging them up slowly, caressing caramel skin with the gentlest of touches, to finally settle on lean hips. Gripping his lover tightly, he leaned up off the mattress and caught the blond's lips in a kiss, pouring every ounce of love he had for the man into it, and arching his hips, forcing his hard length into the tight, blazing heat of the body atop his.

A sharp gasp escaped his lips as his body bowed back, tearing his mouth from Shino's; the sting of penetration due to little preparation cleared his mind and burned all traces of the Uchiha from his body, letting the feeling of Shino take its place. Pale hands held tightly to his hips, keeping him still and making him feel the proof of his lover's want of him deep inside his body. He'd never felt anything so pleasurable before and the urge to feel even more had him utilizing his greater strength to maneuver his body away just enough to move upwards slightly, giving him room to drop back down, Shino's cock brushing harshly against his prostate as he did and making him cry out.

Naruto had only moved that short distance since the two initially came together and yet Shino was already seeing stars as pleasure flashed throughout his body. Growing up, he'd been rather resigned to the fact that he would end up married to some female from his clan and had pretty much given up on ever getting to feel true passion. Now though, buried to the hilt inside the only person he had ever loved, Shino felt undeniable bliss course down his spine and blossom in his soul. Kami, _this_ was what people lived for; this feeling of complete _rightness_.

Pulling his body into a sitting position, the bug-nin wrapped his arms around the gorgeous man perched across his hips and sought Naruto's lips with his own. The kiss they shared this time was so much _more_. It was filled with fire and zeal and _want_ and it was as if that single action alone was the catalyst for something even greater.

All hesitation and feelings of inadequacy fled the pale shinobi as Naruto returned his kiss with fervor, battling with his tongue and nipping at his bottom lip. As Shino tightened his embrace, the blond shifted, causing his body to tense and forcing a sharp cry of pleasure from a delicate ivory throat as Shino's cock was gripped fiercely.

Naruto whined low in his throat, frustrated by his lover's lack of action, before speaking in a throaty whisper, "Please…Shino, move."

The sound the blond made brought him from his haze of pleasure long enough to catch his words. He hadn't wanted to move right away, scared of hurting the blond or losing his composure and reaching his climax long before they really got started. Little whimpers and mewls tumbled from the tanned man's lips and Shino knew he couldn't hold out, couldn't deny the man anything.

Although he'd acquiesced to Naruto's request, he still wanted to move slowly. He wanted to love the blond thoroughly, wanted to make him realize what a pleasurable and beautiful thing sex was supposed to be. He wanted to actually _make love_ to the fox-container because anything else didn't seem right. Keeping his grip around his lover tight, the Aburame rolled them both, placing Naruto underneath him so the man couldn't use his sheer strength against him again.

Once he'd settled his weight between strong, tan thighs Shino leaned down to kiss the blond again, fully believing that he had become addicted to the taste of the man and finding he didn't mind in the least. The taste, the smell, the touch of his lover soon drove him crazy and he let instinct take over, his body knowing what to do even if his mind didn't. Withdrawing slowly, Shino took the time to feel everything he'd missed the first time since he'd been too shocked to really notice. It felt as if Naruto's body was trying to absorb his, pulling him in even as he tried to pull out and the rush of pleasure that sparked up his spine was wholly unexpected but entirely delicious.

With every slow, forward push of his hips, Naruto arched and writhed underneath him, strong tan hands scrabbling at the sheets below him for something to cling to. The blond could feel the fox humming in approval in the back of his mind even as their mixed instincts rushed to the fore, causing his already-long canines to become just a little longer while his fingernails sharpened slightly, making small tears in the bedclothes beneath his body.

Never once in all the encounters he'd had with Sasuke did anything feel half as good what Shino was doing to his body. Everything he'd expected from being intimate with another person, everything he hadn't felt and longed to with the Uchiha, was finally being made known to the blond and he felt tears of rapture well in the corners of his eyes.

Looking down at his lover's face, Shino stilled immediately, ignoring the screaming protests his body was making, and reached for Naruto, wiping the trails of tears on scarred cheeks away with his fingers. "Naruto? Am…am I hurting you?"

Unexpectedly, a joyous bubble of laughter erupted from the blond's throat, more tears leaking passed his closed eyelids as he did so. He took a few deep breaths and once he managed to calm down, Naruto blinked open dark blue eyes and smiled up at the Aburame. "Kami no. It feels so good, better then I ever thought anything could."

Shino returned the smile without hesitation, "That goes double for me."

Without another word, the Aburame went back to his previous activity, withdrawing slowly from his lover's body before snapping his hips forward and driving into him again, spurred on by the whimpers and soft cries flowing continuously from Naruto's throat. As the blond arched his back at a particularly angled thrust, Shino felt his mouth water and he realized he hadn't yet tasted anything of his lover but the man's mouth and although he absolutely loved kissing him, there was so much tan flesh to be sampled.

The pale ninja leaned down and attacked Naruto's neck with his lips and teeth, kissing and nibbling from his Adam's apple up a tan neck and around to his ears before going back down to bite along the blond's collarbone, leaving dark red marks staining golden skin. He moved lower still, down to lick and suckle on brown nipples, all the while keeping the steady pace of his hips, thrusting deeply into his lover's body and hearing his cries of pleasure in his ears.

Letting his hands slide from narrow hips, Shino soon grasped Naruto's thighs and lifted his legs to settle them over his shoulders, arching the man's body away from the bed and reaching even deeper into him, pressing roughly against his lover's sweet spot and making him cry out, the sound music to his ears. Every sound that escaped those plump lips and every movement of that strong, tanned body brought him closer and closer to his release and he refused to reach that peak alone.

Moving one hand away from where he'd settled them on the bed at Naruto's hips, he reached towards the blond's shoulder and pressed his hand into the mattress next to his lover's head before moving the other to wrap firmly around the other nin's dripping length. With strong, sure movements Shino pumped Naruto's hardness in time with his thrusts, feeling his orgasm creeping up his spine and tingling in his groin.

Sharp shudders of pleasure traveled through his body and Naruto was helpless to stop the whimpers and groans spilling from his lips as his body melded with Shino's over and over and over again. It was unlike anything he'd ever felt and he swore that if he died right then and there, he would die a happy man. But he wasn't going to die because this was _real_, Shino was here, with _him_ and they were both – together – a reality that he could face happily and without an ounce of regret.

The dual sensations of Shino's hand wrapped around him and his body wrapped around Shino's desire for him was too much to take after all the foreplay he'd put the bug nin – and by default himself – through and he felt his release rush up to greet him as he toppled over an edge that had never been so steep with so far to fall and he embraced the feeling with open arms. Untangling his fingers from the clawed sheets, Naruto leaned up and slid them around his lover's strong shoulders, clinging to him as pleasure wracked his body and forced a scream of the Aburame's name from his lips as came, hot and hard between them.

At the peak of his pleasure he was flooded with warmth and his name was a strangled moan on Shino's lips as the pale ninja struggled not to collapse on top of the blond, his energy drained from his body with his orgasm. Using the grip he had around his lover's shoulders, Naruto lowered the bug-nin on top of him, pressing his face into Shino's throat and breathing his scent deep into his lungs, the comforting smell helping him to regain control of himself. He'd never been so thoroughly _shredded_ by an orgasm before but now he felt as if he was in a dream, his body lazily light-weight and his mind drifting slowly into sleep.

Just before he succumbed to the Sandman's lulling calls of sleep, he felt Shino shift over him to lie at his side and wrap himself around his body, pressing a soft kiss to his throat and whispering of love in his ear. A gentle smile crept over his features as he returned the sentiment before slipping into slumber, wrapped in the arms of the man he loved.


End file.
