IDEAL
By Starflower Sakura

DISCLAIMER: Naruto doesn't belong to me. I do own these chocolates though and the plot. Steal and I'll get really mad. You don't want me mad.

To readers/reviewers: Considers this a present for not updating my other fanfics. This has been on my mind since forever and it's only now that I start to write it. It's suppose to be cute, but if it doesn't turn out that way… Uhh… well… I tried. Please enjoy!

Summary: Naruto didn't match the image of Sasuke's ideal.

Rating: PG
Warning(s): one-shot, shounen-ai
Pairing(s): Uchiha Sasuke x Uzumaki Naruto

Started: Monday, July 31, 2006
Completed: Monday, July 31, 2006

Sasuke had certain requirements he needs his future bride to meet. It wasn't that the Uchiha was necessarily picky, it was just whoever he weds will become an Uchiha, and the Uchiha family has a name to uphold—even if most of them are dead.

Naruto didn't match the image of Sasuke's ideal. Quite far from it actually.

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1. They must be soft-spoken and quiet.

"Oi, Sasuke!"

"Teme!"

"Didn't you hear me call you, Sasuke-teme?" Naruto asked as soon as he caught up with the raven-haired boy, falling in tune with the other's footsteps.

"Do you always have to be so loud, usuratonkachi?" Sasuke growled out, knowing that his once peaceful walk is going to be far from peaceful since Naruto caught up.

Turning his head to face Sasuke, a bright grin on his face, Naruto answered, "How will you notice me otherwise?"

Sasuke snorted, and continued walking with the blond boy chattering incessantly at his side. When they parted way, Sasuke decided that it seemed a bit lonely without Naruto there.

2. They must know how to cook.

Finding himself seated at Naruto's kitchen table through unknown means and an unexpected invitation, Sasuke tried his best to look indifferent. He watched as Naruto walked to the table carrying two cups of ramen. He continued watching silently as Naruto placed one cup before him and the other at the opposite end of the table for himself.

"Is this the only thing you know how to make, dobe?"

The pleased grin on the fox boy's face disappeared, and was replaced with a scowl.

"Hey! You better be grateful I'm offering it to you!" As an afterthought, Naruto added softly, facing away as he talked, "I thought you would prefer to eat with someone, even if it's me, every once in a while instead of eating alone."

Sasuke scoffed and waited for Naruto to sit down across from him. He didn't really like Ichiraku's ramen, and hated cup ramen even more. As he dug in to the cup Naruto offered him, he admitted softly to himself that it didn't taste as bad as it normally did.

He wondered why.

3. They must be smart.

A sigh. "I can't believe I failed another test."

"You should be used to it by now," Sasuke said, sporting a perfect "100" on his paper.

"Stop being so—" Naruto stopped speaking abruptly when the vendor's cart they were just passing started to tip over.

Reacting quickly, Naruto reached out right before one of the wheels broke off. Sasuke watched as the thankful vendor and Naruto talked a bit.

When they were done, Naruto turned to him with a sheepish smile and asked, "Hey, I just told the guy I'll fix his cart for him. Care to lend a hand?"

After about a half an hour, Naruto finished repairing the cart and shook his head when the merchant offered to pay him for his troubles.

Returning to their walk home, Sasuke couldn't resist asking, "Where did you learn to fix things like that?"

Giving a sheepish laugh, Naruto said, "I'm always breaking things at home and I don't have enough money to buy new ones. So I just usually end up repairing it instead. The cart was a simple thing to fix so I decided to. Eh, sorry for making you help, though."

Not everyone needs to be book smart to be smart.

4. They must be pleasant to look at.

With Naruto bouncing around all dressed up in his normal orange outfit, he was becoming an eyesore to the Uchiha and quick. On a mission one day, he bounced himself into the river.

"S-So c-cold…" Naruto's teeth chattered as he spoke.

"Hn."

"Did you bring another change of clothes?" Kakashi asked, looking up from his book for only a minute.

Naruto shook his head.

"Well, that proves to be a problem, but you're lucky that I came prepared."

With that, Kakashi whipped out a normal blue shirt and some black pants. Stripping off his wet clothes, Naruto put those on after drying himself. Sasuke couldn't keep a frown off his face the entire time Naruto was in those clothes. It just didn't look right.

Sasuke's decided. He wouldn't have Naruto in anything but orange.

5. They must be of the female gender.

"Oiroke no Jutsu!"

After the smoke disappeared, a female version of Naruto stood before them. She gave a little twirl, her two pigtails swinging with her, followed by a wink, and ended with the blowing of a kiss. She laughed as the people around her fainted, gained massive nosebleeds, or both.

Sasuke stood in the shadows watching silently as Naruto teased their classmates. He faintly heard her say something about this technique using little chakra, his ability to hold it for long amounts of time if needed.

Sighing woefully, Naruto continued talking to those who were still awake to listen, "There is one bad point, though. For the guys, at least. When you change, everything about you changes. Including the inside."

Sasuke shook his head. Naruto and his pathetic techniques. Just when will that come in handy? If you asked Sasuke, and if he was actually willing to answer, he would tell you that he prefers Naruto's male form more.

6. They must know how to protect themselves.

"Watch it, dobe!" Sasuke yelled, as he pushed Naruto to the side when kunais came flying at him.

"Ah, sorry," Naruto muttered, a grimace already marring his face. "I didn't see it coming."

"I'm not going to save you next time," Sasuke growled as he went in for another attack at their enemy.

Naruto grinned, "Hah! Next time you'll be the one that needs saving!"

He'll never openly admit it, but he doesn't mind protecting Naruto as much as he says he does.

7. They must know their etiquettes.

Sasuke sighed as he found himself at Ichiraku once again after a day of training. He chose the seat furthest from Sakura only to end up sitting next to Naruto. That was possibly even worse.

He watched as Naruto dove into his bowl of ramen, bits of noodle getting all over his face.

"Don't you know how to eat properly?"

"What?" Naruto asked, turning slightly towards Sasuke, mouth still full of ramen.

Turning to his own bowl, Sasuke shook his head, "Never mind."

Shrugging, Naruto went back to his own bowl. Silently contemplating Naruto's atrocious eating habit, he figured it wasn't so bad. He looked sort of—dare he say it?—cute with pieces of ramen stuck to his face.

8. They must not annoy him.

"Sasuke-teme, stop acting like you know everything!"

"Teme, I will kick your ass into next week!"

"Sasuke! Look at me! Haha, bet you can't do this!"

Sasuke groaned as Naruto's voice rang through his head over and over again. If this annoyance keeps up, they'll see just who will kick whose ass into next week.

"Sasuke!"

"What?" Sasuke snapped, annoyed at Naruto for his continuous chattering.

"Hmph, I was just about to say that your fan club is coming."

Sasuke's eyes widened considerably. Quickly looking for a place to hide, he felt Naruto tap his shoulder and point to a rooftop that would hide them completely if they ducked low enough. As he and Naruto hid from Sasuke's rabid fangirls, Sasuke was glad that Naruto isn't as annoying as his admirers.

9. They must know and understand him.

"Hey, Sasuke, are you alright?" Naruto asked, a frown written across his features.

"Hn, of course I am," Sasuke responded, a scowl blemishing his face.

"Sasuke-kun never looked better! Don't say things like that, Naruto," Sakura chided after taking a look at Sasuke's face and seeing nothing out of the ordinary.

In truth, he wasn't. He's been haunted by nightmares the past few nights and the lack of sleep has been getting to him.

When Sakura turned a different direction to get home and it was only Sasuke and Naruto, an uncomfortable silence settled between them.

"Ah um… you see…" Naruto started, discomfort apparent in his voice and expression.

"What is it, dobe?"

Naruto scowled, but didn't take the bait. "What I'm trying to say, teme, is that uh… well… you know… if you ever need somebody to well… talk to or something… I've always here."

"I told you I'm fine," Sasuke growled, not wanting to admit weakness to anyone, especially Naruto.

"I know," Naruto said, although both can tell that he didn't believe him, "but I'm talking about anytime you want to talk, I'll be here to listen."

He shot Sasuke a bright grin before dashing off to get a seat at Ichiraku. He missed the small smile that crept over Sasuke's face for it disappeared just as quickly as it came.

10. They must be able to make him happy.

"Ne, Sasuke, isn't the sunset beautiful?"

"Aa."

"Want to come watch it again tomorrow?"

"Hn."

"In Sasuke language, I think that's a 'yes'."

"Usuratonkachi."

Naruto only laughed. After the sun disappeared behind the hills, Sasuke felt a hand on his. Looking curiously at Naruto, his eyebrow raised slightly to ask for the reasoning behind this act. Naruto just shook his head.

"Let's go to Ichiraku!" Naruto said enthusiastically. "You're treating, though!"

Sasuke felt himself being dragged in the direction of the ramen shop, and though he protested, he felt it was half-hearted at best. Naruto's hand was warm against his, the smile on the blond's face was stunning, and Sasuke couldn't keep the smile off his face.

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Naruto didn't match the image of Sasuke's ideal.

He was much better.

OWARI

- Starflower Sakura