Kakashi's Boys

Part 1

Kakashi had never been a fan of damp weather. The rain had stopped for the time being and now the air was filled with a light mist whose sole purpose was to make everything wet and uncomfortable. Rather than curl up in the grass for the night as was usually done on overnight missions, they would all have to put their portable bedding to use.

They had enough problems at hand. The Akatsuki couldn't be too far and the search for his wayward student could easily lead to the death of one or more on his team. And that unprecedented battle against a somewhat crazed Kabuto had left them all slightly worse for wear: Hinata's left arm was in a sling, Sai's thigh was bandaged heavily, Kiba was still limping, Kakashi had a persistent headache thanks to overuse of the Sharingan.

If he had to deal with pneumonia too, Kakashi sardonically thought, he might just quit.

He elected himself for the first watch and found a nearby boulder (that was glimmering with a layer of dew like everything else in the glade) to sit on. He pulled out his book, hoping the pages wouldn't swell too much from the atmosphere and tried to ignore the wetness that was quickly transferring from the rock to his clothing.

Behind him, Team 8 was getting comfortable for the night and Sai, Yamato, and his remaining two students were settling down too. Lolling around them all in a loose but protective ambit, Kakashi's pack of dogs were yawning and dozing.

"I-it's interesting, isn't it?" Kakashi heard Hinata muse quietly as she unrolled her thin bedding with her good arm.

"Hmm?" Kiba intoned. He was already laid out on his own bedding, arms folded behind his head and Akamaru's massive form pressed against his ribs.

On Hinata's other side, Shino tilted his glasses in her direction, which meant he was listening too.

"I mean, it's interesting h-how no matter strong or distant or r-rearranged team Kakashi gets, everyone still thinks of his team as Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke."

Kiba chuckled humourlessly and Hinata's brow furrowed lightly as she gingerly climbed into her makeshift bed.

"Right," the Inuzuka said sarcastically, his eyes still closed. "Even though Sakura's now the Hokage's pet and Kakashi's boys have nearly killed each other."

"Kiba!" Hinata whispered frantically, glancing at Sakura's tense back.

Her pink hair in the grass, Sakura lay a few feet away in bedding that was laid out next to the already prone Naruto's.

She lowered her eyes at Kiba's words and Naruto extended a hand, which she grasped quickly, like a nervous child.

Kiba was now silent and presumably asleep. Yamato and Sai had long since mastered the art of falling into slumber quickly and efficiently so as to wake up in the same manner. Hinata cast a sad look at Naruto and Sakura's joined hands and then lay down and closed her eyes, feeling guilty for the words that prompted her team mate's remark.

Sakura fell asleep shortly, still clutching Naruto's warm hand.

Wow, Naruto mulled. Three years ago, I would have murdered and died to be allowed hold her hand as she fell asleep.

And here he was now, fifteen years old and suddenly Sakura's affections weren't nearly as unreachable as they had been. It was an odd realisation to have: the feelings of someone he'd loved for so long finally nearly matched his own. It was very possible that soon Sakura might even agree to go on a date with him.

So why wasn't he happier?

Naruto repressed a sigh as he stared at her calm and unanimated face.

No, he knew why. He could recognize pity-no matter how minor the indications-almost as easily as he could recognise hostility. After all, those were the only two reactions he had gotten from people for a large chunk of his life.

And along with Sakura's genuine friendship and kindness, ever since she had learned of the presence of the Kyuubi, Naruto sensed a measure of pity in the back of her mind.

He had no doubts that her feelings of concern over his wellbeing and her admirations of his rising power levels were honest. But the sadness and guilt he knew she felt when she thought of his barren childhood were just as honest. And he didn't like that feeling. He didn't like when she felt it and he didn't like feeling it himself. There was a reason he had let those painful feelings go. He had friends and respect now; there was no point in wallowing and he didn't need her to wallow for him.

To think he had always worried she'd reject him if she learned of the Kyuubi.

His thoughts drifted towards Sasuke, as they always did while he waited for sleep to come. Blue eyes still open and staring at the stars haphazardly covered by bleary storm clouds, he chuckled to himself when he remembered how intensely jealous he had been that Sasuke had all those girls, and especially Sakura, fawning over him. Now he was beginning to understand why female attention sometimes might not be worth the headache.

Would all girls - assuming they didn't outright reject him - react to his childhood and jinchuuriki state like Sakura had? He wasn't sure he liked the thought of spending his life with someone who would serve as a reminder to be sad about things he'd stopped being sad about.

He gently unwound his hand from Sakura's and sat up, craving a distraction from his noisy thoughts. At the rate his mind was buzzing, he'd have to start an apiary before managing sleep.

"Naruto, where are you going?" Kakashi asked, eyes on his book.

"To pee."

"Take Mokushi with you"

"To pee?"

"It'd be an awkward time to get snuck up on by the enemy," the masked jounin replied flatly.

Naruto rolled his eyes and the scruffy hound in sunglasses and a bandana trotted to his side. Grumbling, Naruto led the way into the surrounding forest.

Everything was dark, green, dark green, humid and wet. But Naruto didn't really notice.

"Hey. Hey now. Isn't this a bit far?" The nindog rasped after they'd been walking a few minutes.

"No," Naruto stated stubbornly.

"Hey now, don't be like that."

After another minute or so of stalking through the brush, Mokushi said. "You don't actually have to pee, do you?"

Naruto stopped with a tired sigh. He really shouldn't be wandering off by himself, he knew, even though he was the only one fully recovered from the fight with Kabuto. He supposed he should be getting back, even if all he really wanted to do was just sprint until his mind emptied.

"I guess-"

"Hey now, wait a minute!" The nindog interrupted. He pressed his keen nose to the ground and let it lead him a little further into the woods to their right. "Uchiha Sasuke's been here."

Naruto stared at the hound with wide eyes. "You're kidding!"

"Nope. And he was here recently."

Sasuke sensed Naruto approach. Who wouldn't? The blonde's chakra was nearly as loud as he was. And Karin had informed him of the presence of a team of shinobi not too far from them.

The dark-haired teen stood calmly in the shadows of the soggy forest as he weighed his options. He could avoid his ex-team mate completely, though it wouldn't be as simple as it would have been a few days ago; Sasuke was still relatively beaten up from his recent, nearly fatal encounter with the arsonist Akatsuki member.

If Naruto was here, it wasn't coincidence, Sasuke concluded. Naruto never would have discovered his general location this quickly unless he had the help of someone else - Kakashi or an Inuzuka, someone with nindogs - and unless Naruto had begun a revolt in his name, Sasuke presumed they were working under the order (or at least the blessing) of the Hokage.

Sasuke was fast but even he couldn't erase his scent; it would only take so long before the nindogs found his trail and that could be a problem. He wouldn't let their presence interfere and throw him off his course.

As Naruto shot toward him like a silent cannonball, Sasuke breathed and evaluated the state of his body. Though he had recovered considerably, despite the loss of a wing, he knew he wasn't ready for another major fight. He considered the far-fetched possibility of being able to simply talk Naruto into leaving him to his mission.

It might be worth a shot. It was obvious beating him into the ground hadn't deterred him for too long. And now that Orochimaru was gone, Sasuke wouldn't have to posture so much. He wouldn't have to be quite as aloof as he had been during their last meeting. Maybe now he could finally get a few facts through the thick skull of his ex-team mate.

Right before the blonde barrelled into him, Sasuke discarded his katana, turned and braced himself. Letting the inevitable collision happen and ignoring Naruto's triumphant if surprised smile, Sasuke vaguely wondered where the rest of Team Hebi was. They had returned from their respective missions yesterday, just in time to greet him as he stumbled from Manda's mouth in victory over that Akatsuki member that had seemed as fixated on killing Itachi as he was.

As anticipated, a scuffle on the forest's carpet of dirt and wet grass followed and Sasuke found to his irritation that Naruto had managed to pin him down in a way that was so blatantly unorthodox that it was actually difficult to escape. Had Naruto used any of the professional, proven-to-work holds, Sasuke would have been able to counter without thinking. Instead, he was lying on his side with an awkward amount of weight on his hip while Naruto used his entire body to pin his torso and his legs.

Rather than counterattack dispassionately as Sasuke had assumed he would, he ended up scrambling around with Naruto on the ground like they used to do on the sandy floor of the academy playground. Arms twisted and wrenched anything they could find and elbows and knees got jammed in tender places. Finally, Sasuke wiggled with just enough force in just the right spot and managed to flip them.

Now that he had the advantage, Sasuke tried to get some space between them (while simultaneously continuing to pin the blonde) but Naruto wasn't giving him any. So he ended up having to press a knee down into Naruto's solar plexus and anchor a steel grip a little above Naruto's elbows.

As the blonde crooked his arms in an attempt to grab Sasuke's and break the hold, Sasuke quickly ran his hands up the orange and black clad arms until he had the wrists pinned. Unfortunately, this meant that as Sasuke bore his weight down, almost all of his body had to remain in close contact with the blonde's. Even their faces were close enough to feel the faintest touch of the other's breaths.

Naruto squirmed, blue eyes flashing angrily, and Sasuke knew that if he moved back to retrieve shreds his personal space, Naruto would break free.

So much for simple conversation, Sasuke thought as he began to realise that his knee wouldn't be enough to keep the jinchuuriki down. Sacrificing the last of those shreds of personal space, he automatically shifted his weight to accommodate the blonde's movements and ended up having to fully sit on Naruto's stomach. Instinctively, Naruto arched up in an attempt to buck the dark-haired teen off.

Even as Sasuke smirked at his now obvious advantage, he blinked at the sudden near-eroticism and became fully aware of just how much intimate contact occurred between them whenever they met and fought. He also realised that a lot of that contact was instigated by himself.

He regarded Naruto with his usual inscrutable gaze while his rival glared up at him.

Sasuke nearly chuckled. If it made sense to consider his rival the only person he could legitimately touch and he unconsciously sought out intimate contact from clashes with him...then he really must have had a traumatic childhood.

Cheers Itachi.

Starved of any and all loving physical attention from such a young age, Sasuke wryly concluded that he had now began unconsciously to seek contact when he fought Naruto even when he knew he was known for a style of fighting that included getting close enough to electrocute or viciously impale, never simple touch.

Sasuke wouldn't consider taking an actual lover to soothe any acknowledged cravings for intimacy. Not at this point in his life. A lover took attention that he knew he wouldn't sacrifice. He wouldn't be able to stand having a person grow to expect attention and that level of intimacy from him while he was continuously searching for his brother. It was bad enough having to put up with Naruto.

Despite his cantankerous thoughts, all he vocalised was, "Hn," which was effectively his version of an ironic chuckle. It just sounded like the usual dismissal to Naruto's ears.

In some ways, Sasuke thought as they struggled, Naruto was already his lover.

Unnoticed by them, three ninja stood some yards away on the sidelines, hidden by a cluster of prickly shrubbery.

"Are they fucking?" Karin whisper-shrieked when she caught sight of them. She shoved aside some leaves and adjusted her glasses.

"Not yet," Suigetsu said smugly, his voice also low enough not to be detected.

"Don't say that!" The kunoichi whispered harshly, turning her attention away from her crush for a split second.

"He is fighting," Jyuugo stated calmly from Suigetsu's other side. "Should we aid him?"

"No, no," the Mist-nin said hurriedly before taking a slurp from the straw sticking out of his canteen. "Sasuke can handle himself. It's obvious he knows this opponent...otherwise he never would have allowed him get that close; he would've just taken him down as soon as he'd noticed him. Let's uh, heh, let's just watch for now."

Sasuke waited until Naruto realised he wasn't actively attacking. The blonde clenched his fists and flexed the muscles of his arms to try and break the vicious grip on his wrists, vaguely noting meanwhile that Sasuke's forearm guards were missing. The hands holding him down were bare. Naruto's movements stilled finally and for a few seconds, the two of them just breathed heavily from the exertion. Then at long last Sasuke spoke.

"Why...won't you just leave it alone?" He asked, sounding exasperated.

"Huh?"

Naruto frowned up at him. Sasuke was going to just...talk? That couldn't be all. There had to be a sneak attack somewhere, Naruto was sure. His body tensed and he fully expected to be scorched through and through by the Chidori Nagashi at any second. Despite the blonde's wariness, Sasuke continued.

"Why are you still chasing me?"

"Because you're my best friend!"

Karin blinked in obvious surprise. "Sasuke has a best friend?"

"Well, there go my dreams," Suigetsu sniggered.

"Shut UP!"

Sasuke briefly closed his eyes at the predictable answer.

"Your best friend? The one that's betrayed the village you love and nearly killed you more than once?"

There was a pregnant pause and Sasuke suddenly knew from the resigned look in Naruto's eyes that he hadn't said anything the blonde hadn't already thought of himself. Unexpectedly, a grin exploded onto the jinchuuriki's face.

"Exactly."

To Naruto's delight, Sasuke now frowned, a flicker of that old familiar irritation zinging through that gaze.

"Am I still your best friend?" Naruto weedled playfully.

Sasuke stared blankly, seeing the light-hearted question for the dark black hole it actually was. There was a long disheartening pause. Then Sasuke looked away in annoyance and mumbled a reply equally as childish as the question, "I haven't gotten a new one if that's what you're asking."

A strange edge came into Naruto's grin and Sasuke barely had time to ponder the meaning of it before Naruto asked with perfectly innocent curiosity:

"So why haven't you tried to kiss me yet?"

Sasuke blinked as his recent thoughts glowed in sudden vivid reality.

"What?"

"You're sitting on my stomach, Sasuke. It's kinda easy to feel that you're half hard."

Sasuke didn't do embarrassed, so he just sent a sullen glare down at the boy under him.

Naruto stretched languidly as best he could with the other shinobi on top of him and Sasuke noted that Naruto's body wasn't exactly unresponsive itself.

"Hn," he said again.

An ironic smile graced his features as his observations on the apparently unintentional eroticism of their position resurfaced. Now very conscious of his thighs brushing Naruto's sides and the nearness of their chests, he couldn't help but press just a little closer.

"This is a new definition of best friends," he said wryly as their bodies began to unconsciously fit together in a less antagonistic manner. When had Sasuke's grip loosened? When had Naruto's shifting become less about escape and more about sheer contact?

"You don't seem to mind too much," Naruto said, his voice slightly raspier than it was a minute ago.

Then warm lips were on his and an involuntary sigh escaped through his nose. Sasuke was insistent, prying open Naruto's mouth with his own and delving his tongue hungrily into the orifice. And Naruto strained upwards into Sasuke's hold in a way that had nothing to do with breaking away.

Sluuuuuuuuuuuuurp. "Haha. Tough luck, Karin." Sluuuuurp. "But, y'know...if you ever need someone to help you scratch an itch..."

He was met with a furious "Hmph!" as a reply and she spun on her heel before stomping off into the woods. She shoved aside an offending tree branch and it snapped back with such a loud crack that both Sasuke and Naruto bolted to standing.

Though still panting from their illicit activities, they scanned the surrounding woods intently.

Sasuke casually slipped on the Sharingan and his enhanced crimson eyes easily discerned amidst the shadows the blue figure of Suigetsu standing with the fourth member of Team Hebi. He watched the Mist-nin smirk knowingly and then decisively turn to leave, tugging the giant Jyuugo after him.

Among the members of Team Hebi, the basic rule with their leader was 'what Sasuke wanted, Sasuke got.' This would apparently apply now too.

Naruto squinted in the darkness, unable to make out much of anything. He opened his mouth to ask whether Sasuke's advanced vision had seen something but all thoughts fled when a pair of lips brushed the back of his neck. When had Sasuke gotten behind him?

A very soft groan escaped Naruto at the sensation. His eyes closed involuntarily and he felt one of Sasuke's hands grip his shoulder with an emotion Naruto didn't recognize.

"You have a neck fetish," came an amazed but smug whisper in his ear.

It took Naruto's brain a few seconds to catch up.

"A what?"

Two coarse hands skimmed over the blonde's shoulders and then one was pulling the zipper on his jacket down to about mid-chest.

"You get aroused when I touch your neck," Sasuke whispered into the already feverish skin of Naruto's neck.

"What? No, I d...a-ah..."

Sasuke had pulled some of the jacket's collar to the side out of the way with ease and was now pressing an open-mouthed kiss to the sensitive juncture between the neck and shoulder. He was suckling softly and Naruto's already diminished coherency dissolved to near non-existence. It was all he could do not to mewl.

After a few seconds, the dark-haired teen's distracting mouth withdrew. As Naruto's spatial awareness reasserted itself, he realized he could feel every inch of Sasuke pressed into his back.

Every. Solid. Inch.

Naruto had to swallow hard and became keenly aware of his own erection pulsing between his legs. As if the feel of Sasuke's mouth on his neck wasn't arousing enough, now he had the feel of Sasuke's whole body completely conforming to his own - knees pressed into the backs of his; arms snaking slowly around his ribcage; something rigid pushing insistently against his backside.

"Hehe, you have my neck fetish too," Naruto managed to gather the coherency to say.

Unseen behind the blonde's back, Sasuke's brow furrowed in confusion until Naruto clarified:

"You like kissing my neck."

There was a muttered "Idiot" while one of Sasuke's hands finished unzipping Naruto's jacket and the other surfed across the abdominal muscles covered only by the thin black shirt. The hand that was now done unzipping snuck to Naruto's side and traced the curved line of his hip.

Sasuke stroked over the body fitted like a jigsaw piece against his own while his mouth languidly and softly sucked the tanned skin. Naruto writhed and pressed against him. His hands landed on Sasuke's as they slowly slid across and down his form. They lay loosely on top of Sasuke's hands, shadowing them as they slid underneath the hem of his black shirt and ran over the heated skin beneath.

Naruto exhaled quickly, his eyes closing involuntarily at the smooth touches across his stomach. Exerting a little pressure, he urged their joined hands slowly south. Sasuke felt arousal burn down his spine when he felt Naruto's bulge under the cup of his palm. He sucked in a breath harshly and sank another kiss into his rival's neck, unconsciously trying to press himself harder into Naruto's backside.

Pale, adept fingers undid Naruto's fly and pushed the waist of his boxers down far enough to free him. Naruto swallowed audibly enough for the dark-haired teen to hear and, their fingers still entwined, Sasuke dipped their hands to skim over and loosely grasp the hardened length.

"God," Naruto gritted out, his head tipping back from the sensation. He tightened his grip and Sasuke's hand closed more firmly over him. Then he began to move their entwined hands. He started slow and then easily picked up speed.

Naruto wouldn't last long at this rate. He could feel Sasuke's light panting brushing the side of his cheek and then all of a sudden a hot, wet tongue ran from the juncture between his shoulder and neck to the sensitive underside of his ear. A deep-throated groan escaped him and he involuntarily thrust his hips into the ministrations of Sasuke's hand, his own hand mimicking the motion atop it.

"Sasu-" Naruto began, cutting himself off with a gasp.

The hand not shadowing Sasuke's haphazardly clutched at his rival's arms and then finally found purchase on the back of that dark head.

Instead of making another attempt to say...

Sasuke yes please oh God more Sasuke I need I want please now SASUKE more

...something intelligible, Naruto only managed to tug the handful of black hair. And then release hit him like white lightning: burning hot, sudden, and writhing electric as he cried out and twisted under Sasuke's hold.

The humidity in the air swelled like a balloon and finally popped. And the first drops of warm rain fell from the smudged navy sky.

Spent and breathless, it took Naruto another few minutes to fully comprehend that he was still cradled against his ex-team mate's lithe form.

End Part 1