When Sasuke Met Naruto (SasuNaru)

- Chapter 58 -

"Come on, Naruto! Tell us already!" Lee pleaded irritably.

"Yeah, you've kept us waiting half a year – we want to know!" Kiba added, throwing his arm over his roommate's shoulder.

Sasuke shook his head at the sight. They had just finished their final exams for the year and were heading out of the building. Naruto was leading the pack, with Kiba, Hinata, Shikamaru, Lee, Gaara, and Choji crowding around impatiently. As for Sasuke, he hung back a few paces, trying his best not to laugh.

The source of this chaos? Naruto's encounter with Kisame on that January night. As yet, the blond had not told anyone what had happened, claiming that it was too traumatic for him to discuss just yet. At first, the others were satisfied with this response, and so they gave him a bit of space. Sasuke never once bought this excuse, though: he knew Naruto all-too well. He wanted to build the anticipation, to make his story all the more memorable when he finally shared it with the rest of the world.

Now, though, as they were leaving school for the summer, it was time. Kiba would be heading back home to Mizu for the next few months, Shikamaru and Choji would be leaving as well, and the others would likely be scattered on vacations and the like. It was now or never.

Turning around dramatically, Naruto grinned. "All right, I guess I've kept you guys waiting long enough. Gather round, children, and I will tell you the tale of how the gutsy ninja Naruto slew the monster Kisame."

Following the blond to the school's front lawn, the group sat down in a circle, their eyes widening in expectation. Though Sasuke hated to admit it, he was also quite curious as to what had actually happened that night, and he found it hard to mask his enthusiasm as he plopped down on the freshly cut grass.

Watching his boyfriend carefully, Sasuke found the afternoon sun shining above Naruto's head, giving him an almost angelic quality. It was like a beacon, drawing the attention of all those around him.

Clearing his throat, Naruto began. "All right, so Sasuke and I had just returned from our double date. Kiba and Hinata had headed home to get their freak on..."

"Naruto!" Kiba snapped as the Hyuuga beside him turned a deep shade of crimson.

The blond shrugged. "Just calling it as I saw it. Anyway, Sasuke and I wanted to go and generate some heat of our own, so we stepped inside, only to find everything was pitch black. No lights, nothing. Then Itachi appears with this blue, sharky freak. Sasuke told me to run, but before I could even act, this... Kiss-me –"

"Kisame," Sasuke corrected.

"Whatever his name was, he grabs from behind."

Lee leaned forward, his body stiffening with anxiety. "What'd you do?"

"I'm pretty sure he lived, Lee," Gaara replied, placing a hand on the mop-topped teen's shoulder. "Go on, Naruto."

"Well, I tried to escape – I bit his hand and started kicking, but Sasuke told me to stop. He had a plan, I guess. So this Kisame... he drags me upstairs and hauls me into Sasuke's room. At this point he has me at gunpoint, and I could tell he wasn't afraid to shoot me if things got serious," Naruto continued before leaning in, speaking in a hushed tone. "I knew I had to escape, though, since Sasuke was in danger. That's when I remembered the katana hanging on the wall."

Shikamaru smiled, rubbing his chin. "I remember that old thing... good thing it didn't get left behind in the move."

"Yeah, then you would've been screwed," Choji chimed in, tossing a handful of chips into his gaping maw.

"You don't know how right you are," Naruto added with a sigh. "Apparently, Kisame had plans besides killing me. He threw me onto the bed and started fiddling with my pants..."