"There is no doubt that it is around the family and home that all the greatest virtues, the most dominating virtues of human society, are created strengthened and maintained."
-Winston Churchill
~
Sai backed away from the couple and the baby, and walked towards the other gaping nins.
"Why don't I just paint a picture, it'll last longer."
~
"So are you ready to head out, Naruto, Sasuke ?" Asuma whispered, as Arashi had just fallen asleep again. Naruto shook his head and glared at Kakashi who was ready to open his mouth with a retort. He was obviously silenced.
Sasuke glanced at the blonde as Naruto walked back towards the grave. He glanced Sasuke a meaningful glance and Sasuke understood what he wanted. He turned his back towards the grave and the blonde while staring at the two shinobi teams.
"What are you doing, Sasuke ?" Sakura asked when she noticed Sasuke's stiff posture. Shikamaru sighed.
"Naruto asked him to watch us, so we wouldn't go any closer to the grave obviously." He drawled and Ino rolled her pale blue eyes.
"Obviously, yeah obviously we should have noticed that Naruto somehow without using words asked Sasuke to be a guard, obviously we should have noticed that, Shikamaru." The said lazy teen just shrugged and Ino huffed. The lazy brunet took a step closer Sasuke. Said raven narrowed his black eyes.
"Can I talk to him. I won't bug him if that's what your worried." Sasuke contemplated on his options and decided to glance back to the blonde, who sensed the raven's stare and turned around with a raised eyebrow. Sasuke said nothing, just pointed Shikamaru and Naruto slowly nodded. The lazy teen nodded and walked slowly towards the head stone. He was worried over his friend but also curious about the grave.
He sat down next to blonde holding the sleeping baby. "Are you really alright with coming back to Konoha ?" Naruto shook his head. "No, but it's something that has to be done. I don't want to live in Konoha anymore, and I just need Hokage-sama's permission to that." The blonde whispered and Shikamaru nodded.
"Is Sasuke treating you right ?" He asked and Naruto chuckled. "Yeah, I revenged the pain he gave me." Shikamaru nodded and sighed.
"Were you close ?" He asked, gesturing Kohaku's grave. Naruto nodded. "We traveled together for almost a year. He wasn't exactly a shinobi but could fight like one." Naruto whispered.
"I'm sorry about him," Shikamaru whispered and turned towards the grave. "He'll be in good hands, Kohaku-san. I won't let any harm come to him as long as I live, and so won't Sasuke. You don't have anything to worry about." He looked back at the blonde and widened his eyes as he saw tears in the blonde's blue eyes and the brunet hugged him mindful of Arashi.
The other who couldn't see the tears, only knew the blonde was crying because Naruto's shoulders shook slightly as the two were hugging. Sasuke turned around and clenched his hands, but sighed heavily his worries down. He'd talk to Naruto later, if they had the chance. He stopped Ino and Sakura with his glare as they looked like they were going to walk over to the blonde. The two paled and stayed put.
Naruto's tears lessened and his shoulders didn't shake anymore. Shikamaru pulled out of the hug with a worried expression.
"Thank you, Shikamaru. I'm sorry for being an inconvenience." Shikamaru shook his head. "You'll always welcome and you're never an inconvenience, no matter how lazy I am." He smiled at the end making Naruto smile. The blonde turned towards the head stone.
"I still miss you. Everyday." He noticed Sasuke was listening closely. "And if you were still alive, I'd kiss you." He smirked when he heard few sniggers and could feel Sasuke's glare. He sighed dramatically.
"See ya later, Kohaku-kun." He bid and stood up. Shikamaru followed him as he strode towards the fuming Sasuke. Ino and Sakura were blushing and Sai, Chouji and Shikamaru along with the Jounins were stifling their smirks.
"Naruto-" Sasuke was cut of with the said teen kissing him full on the lips while holding Arashi. Sasuke's eyes widened and he kissed back.
Sasuke felt like whining when Naruto pulled back. The others did hear a noise that sounded suspiciously like a whine from Sasuke. The raven stared at the smirking blonde who twirled one of Sasuke's bangs between his fingers with the other hand holding the snugly baby.
"Don't worry, Sasuke-kun~ I'll show you how sorry I am later.." He ended with a suggestive gleam in his blue eyes making Sasuke gulp. The others were either blushing or sniggering.
~
"Can I hold him ?" Ino asked Sasuke who was carrying now awakened Arashi. Sasuke glanced at Naruto, who gave a nod of confirmation and handed the little raven to the blonde kunoichi.
Sakura and Ino were gushing over the cute baby as Naruto and Sasuke sat alone at the park where they were waiting the others. They had arrived to Kumo couple hours ago, and the two kunoichi's were tasked to keep an eye of the pair with the baby.
"Can we take him by the river ? We'll make sure he'll be safe, Naruto." Sakura confirmed when Naruto was about to decline.
"Okay, but if anything happens to him, you'll have hell to pay.." The blonde muttered and the three scurried of leaving the couple alone under a huge tree.
Sasuke turned towards Naruto, and took his hand on his own. Naruto glanced at the raven and tightened the hold while sighing.
"I wasn't ready to agree with the plan of going back to Konoha with them-" Naruto glanced worriedly at his lover who continued with a small smile. "But as I know at firsthand of what you're capable of, I don't have anything to worry." He whispered and nuzzled his nose to the blond locks next to him. "And besides, Tsunade loves you, she'll probably understand why you don't want to be a leaf shinobi anymore." Naruto hummed in agreement.
"But what happens after this ?" The blonde leaned towards the raven. "What do you mean ?" Sasuke asked. "I mean if Tsunade-sama will give us redemption of our crimes and give us freedom." Naruto whispered.
"She'll understand, like I said. And about what happens after this-" Sasuke kissed the blonde on the luscious lips and hugged him. "I'll find a place for us. Better than the small cottage we stayed in for a few weeks." He kissed Naruto's temples and continued. "And after we find a place, we'll raise Arashi as best as we can, like we promised, right ?" Naruto nodded with a smile.
"Yeah, like we promised."
~
Ino and Sakura were smiling as they saw the two lovebirds hugging under the tree. Arashi giggled towards his 'parents' and Sakura, who was holding him cooed.
"They really are happy, aren't they, Sakura.." Ino said and Sakura nodded. They noticed Asuma, Kakashi, Shikamaru, Sai and Chouji coming back from the Raikage's tower.
"How did it go ?" Ino asked and Asuma just shook his head with a scowl on his face. The nins sighed but jumped when they heard a voice.
"How did what go ? What was your mission here anyway ?" Naruto asked as he took Arashi back to his arms, making the baby smile and grab the blonde's long curls.
The shinobi's he unintentionally scared took deep breaths and Kakashi answered the blonde.
"Well, you are a leaf nin, even if you did leave-" Note the glare on Sasuke's face as Naruto remained indifferent. "Ummm, well... We were tasked to deliver a scroll to the Raikage, but he declined and now we have to deliver Hokage-sama the bad news.. which I'm not looking forward to."
"What's in the scroll ?" Naruto asked but already have took it from Asuma's grip. Ignoring Asuma's distress, he opened the scroll and red it. Sasuke towered over the blonde's shoulder and red it with the blonde.
The two synchronously lifted their stares towards the leaf nins and said nothing. Sasuke's stare was passive and indifferent but Naruto soon burst into a laughing fit.
"What ?" Sakura asked making the blonde stifle his laughing.
"Tsunade-sama seriously tought that making you-" He gestured the male nins. "Deliver a scroll containing a peace treaty would make the Raikage accept the treaty ? Oh that is gold." Sasuke smirked at the offended males and Naruto chuckled.
"I could get the treaty for you." He said. Asuma's eyes widened and he dropped cigarette he was smoking.
"You ? How ?" Naruto smirked. "I have my ways." Kakashi nodded, but Naruto continued. "One condition, though." Kakashi sweat dropped. "What is it ?" He asked and Naruto grinned like a fox.
"I'll tell Tsunade about that. With me helping you with this, she'll grant me what I want." He declared and Sasuke smirked knowingly along with a smiling Shikamaru.
"A-alright, I guess..." Kakashi muttered with a suspicious expression and led the blonde holding Arashi back towards the Raikage's tower.
~
AN//: Next on the update list is Forgotten (SasuNaru)
Peace out,
Naru__chan