Disclaimer: Naruto's not mine. Be thankful.

WARNING: I don't like telling readers what's going to happen before it does, but I'll make an exception this once. This fiction contains references to 9/11. I've tried to make them as small as possible, but for the plot's sake I can't remove them. I have no wish to offend anyone with this, so don't sue me.

Please enjoy.

"Sergeant Uzumaki reporting for duty, sir." The soldier stood perfectly still as onyx eyes glanced up, and inspected him from head to toe. Their owner had hair just as black, which contrasted with the blond before him. Uzumaki's face was serious, his deep blue eyes shining fiercely beneath the morning sun.

"You're one of the newbies, right?" the dark-haired man asked, offering a polite hand. "Lieutenant Uchiha. Glad to see the relief crew's finally arrived, though I hope not all of you are as clumsy as some I've already seen. Are you good?"

The other shrugged. "Depends on who's opinion you want, sir."

A smirk formed. "Well, at least you're not half as stupid as those buffoons." Uchiha stated. He got to his feet, and lazily stretched his legs, before locking eyes with the other man. "I'll use my own, thanks."

Without an additional warning, he straightened abruptly, and swung his fist towards the blond. The sergeant lifted his arms in defense, but before the two men came in contact, an iron hand caught the lieutenant's wrist, forcing him to relax his stance.

"Uchiha, can't you act like a civilized person for a single second?" The blond soldier froze and stared openly as a short woman literally forced her captive to sit down. She had bright pink hair and emerald green eyes, the latter glaring murderously at the dark-haired man, and seemed too fragile to be keeping a fully-grown lieutenant in check.

"I'm a soldier," Uchiha remarked. "I just wanted to test his reflexes."

"Not being a civil doesn't mean you can't be civilized, and you'll have countless opportunities to see if he's any good once the two of you are on the field. How many times did I tell you I already have too many people on the operating block? Don't douse me with additional work!" She then turned towards the blond, who kept staring at her as though he had just witnessed a manifestation from God.

"I'm Sakura Haruno," she introduced herself with a sigh. "I work as one of the medics here. Don't ever let me see you come in there." She jerked her thumb in the camp's hospital's direction.

"Naruto Uzumaki." The blond extended his hand, smiling brightly. "I bet you say that to every soldier you meet."

"And I'm furious at how many of them disobey. For your sake I advise you not to be one of those."

"I'll try my best." He grinned at her and then added, "But still, it's nice to know there's a pretty flower even in a place like this." His blue eyes lit, and he winked.

"When you're done flirting, Sunshine, tell me," a male voice next to them drawled. They turned, and the lieutenant rolled his eyes. "We still have things to go over."

Sakura laughed. "Try not to kill him, Uchiha," she warned as she turned heels, and left. The man merely shrugged. "Even the worst soldiers have their uses, I know."

Uzumaki bit his lip, but said nothing.

"You're pretty disciplined," Uchiha added slowly, signaling for the sergeant to follow him towards the cafeteria. "Wouldn't haven't expected this from someone I was told volunteered to come to this hellhole." He snorted. "One of the few psychos in that category. So what are you? A war addict? One of the religion-haters? You want the country to be wiped off the face of the planet? Or are you one of those fucking idiots who came here to die for the sake of our grand nation?" He snorted. "What is it?"

Uzumaki didn't answer immediately. His lips were pressed tightly against one another, and his hands had curled into tight fists. He did his best to unclench them. "With all due respect, lieutenant, that's none of your damn business."

"Really?" Uchiha halted in mid-track, the blond a split-second afterward. Two pairs of eyes stared at each other, one azure, barely withholding the rage the blond was visibly struggling to control, the other onyx, scornful, and slowly gaining in anger. "I'm thinking like 'fuck yes it is', Uzumaki. You see I happen to be a war addict. I went to Iraq and when I came back, I barely stayed a week in the States before I signed up for the Middle East. I admit there's a problem with me, and I'm followed by some of the medics here -Haruno's one of them-, so that I don't go haywire on you guys. Our last lieutenant, when I wasn't in charge of anyone but myself, was also one." The voice suddenly hardened. "He got more than half of the unit killed, including himself, and the only reason my personal ass is still in one piece is because one of my boys had enough sense to knock me out when I decided we should follow the guy. Only after I woke up did I realize I needed to get everyone out of the shit we were in." He paused, eyes dark, then added, "Which is why now we're recruiting."

Uzumaki said nothing.

The lieutenant sighed angrily. "Maybe you're a good soldier," he ventured. "But in my opinion, anyone who volunteers to go to war has a much higher chance of getting his ass busted because his first priority wasn't to stay alive. So yeah, in order to keep you from snuffing it, it might be better if I knew."

The blue orbs had darkened. They lowered as Uzumaki spoke. "My...my father worked at the Wall Street Center," he stated, forcing the words out. "Both he and my mother were in the north tower when- on 9/11. They weren't even lucky enough to get killed on the spot."

Dark eyes snapped up. "They sent you a message?"

The blond nodded stiffly. "Sorry I'm so touchy about the subject, but the wounds haven't completely healed," he said, keeping his voice composed. "I didn't want to make a scene."

"You won't be the first, nor the last," Uchiha replied quietly. He paused, his face somber. "I say this to any soldier who comes here with your motives, Uzumaki: whoever's death you came to avenge isn't worth your life. Try to get it though your head." He resumed his pace.

"I know that." The blond caught up again, staring at the ground in front of his feet. "But you can't expect me to sit at home while other soldiers go fight a war most aren't directly related to. I mean-" he hesitated, sighing angrily "-I know this war's aim isn't revenge, but it's the way I personally see it. If I help here, I'm taking some work off other soldiers who in turn will find the bastards who ordered those two planes on the Twin Towers."

Uchiha shrugged. "If that suits you, it's fine with me."

Changing the subject, Uzumaki asked, "So how come you're a war addict?"

The lieutenant shrugged. "It's the only thing I can stand."

"What about your family? Your parents?"

"We don't get along," was the curt reply. "They don't bother with me anymore. And I've got no wife or children."

"You're a little young for children," Uzumaki said. "But...no girlfriend? What about Haruno? Bet she looks hot in a nurse outfit."

"She's a doctor, not a nurse. And if you want to flirt with her, go ahead, I'm not the one who'll try to stop you."

"I'll hold you on that." They entered the cafeteria. "So, another capital question; how's food like here?"

To this, Uchiha smirked. "Dreadful. Much adapted to this place, of course. In short, welcome to Hell."

Bullets were fired in every direction, covering any remaining noise made inside the streets. Several bombs had exploded, filling the air with dust, and making it hard to distinguish friend from foe.

"Lieutenant, Kiba's down and Lee's being besieged!" a soldier shouted.

"I'm not down!" roared a second voice. "Sakura's going to kill me if she sees me in the hospital again-"

"Inuzuka, do me a favor and shut the hell up," Uchiha growled. "Hyuuga! Get Lee out and watch your back; we can't cover you with all this smoke. Where's Uzumaki?"

"Right here, Lieutenant." Something dropped down next to him, and Naruto growled. "Can't see a damn thing with the fucking smoke."

"Thankfully the other side can't either," the lieutenant remarked. "How do you like your first field trip?"

"If you get hit I'll laugh until your wounds heal," was the dry reply. "I heard you've got quite a reputation up here, Uchiha. The 'Untouchable'. Heh."

"Being a war addict does boost your dodging capacities," the dark-haired man said, slightly amused. "You have to stay alive in order to enjoy the thrill."

"Of course. So what did you want me for?"

Ten full seconds of ear-splitting firing prevented the Uchiha from answering. "Will you guys fucking stop?" he finally roared. "I'm sure enough of you remember what happened the last time we ran out of bullets, so quit shooting randomly and take cover until the smoke clears! I can't hear myself think!"

"Oh God, we're doomed," the blond next to him sighed. "Or do you want me to take the lead until you remember your great plan?"

"Shut up, sergeant, and get down like everyone else." Firing subdued, and the Uchiha sighed. "Wish they were stupid enough to keep shooting. We're stuck here for the moment, people! Catch your breath now, and get ready for the fireworks."

"Like that wasn't obvious," Naruto said as the others obeyed, spreading in order to gain maximal visibility. Once they were free from eavesdropping ears, the dark-haired man sighed, removing his helmet, and turned towards the blond.

"How's your head?"

The sergeant blinked, raising a hand towards his scalp. "Fine, on a physical point of view," he replied.

"I can see that myself," Uchiha said, rolling his eyes. "I meant its contents."

Uzumaki seemed to ponder the matter, then finally handed the lieutenant an empty smile. "Well, for the moment I'm still capable of keeping myself from leaping out and shooting wildly at everything I see," he stated. "So I guess everything's still working correctly. What do you think?"

"That if everything was really working correctly you wouldn't be here, but let's say your survival instincts aren't totally wrecked." Uchiha smirked. "So, anything new with Haruno?"

Naruto shrugged. "Why do you ask?"

"Because we've got nothing else to do. And it was the first question I thought about."

"Forgive my saying so, lieutenant, but you're a lazy pervert." Blue eyes stared at the ceiling. "She told me she had a girlfriend," he added sadly. "It's such a waste."

"She told you?" the lieutenant asked, still smirking. "Usually she just beats the shit out of any guy who asks her out, and then tells him she's not interested."

"Anything you've experienced?" Naruto grinned.

"Sadly for you, no. But it's very amusing to watch."

"Bastard."

"It's lieutenant bastard to you, sergeant." Uchiha straightened, looking out the broken window. Three shots were immediately fired, and he ducked, his smirk gone. "Smoke's clearing, guys get ready to shoot." His helmet was strapped back upon his head.

"Got that right." The blond swiftly shifted into position, and carefully took aim.

Uchiha imitated him. "Let's go Sunshine," he whispered. "Show them how much you can blaze."

Naruto snorted, and shot. In the far off distance, someone howled in pain.

"Nice," Uchiha murmured. Aimed. Shot. And hit. Reload.

"It's pointless to come up here if you can't be of any use," Naruto remarked, shooting down two armed men standing on the roofs.

"True enough." Another shot. And another. Bam, bam. Bam.

"Hey, Uchiha." The blond spoke slowly, obviously focused on what he was doing.

"Yeah?" Both men sounded half asleep, rocked by the repetitive firing. Bam, bam, bam. Bam.

"If I get out of this thing in one piece, will you tell me your name?"

The raven-hair shot again. "Why would you need to know?"

"Because it's always easier to flirt with someone if you can call him by his first name." The voice was still casually slow. But it still was enough to snap the Uchiha out of his daze.

"Weren't you trying to flirt with a girl not two days ago?" he asked.

"She's lesbian, in case you haven't noticed. I though maybe it wasn't such a bad idea to try switching teams. My dad always told me to look at every option I had before making choices." Naruto paused, then added, "Get back in position and keep shooting, lieutenant, we're not done here." He was only half-smiling.

The Uchiha rolled his eyes, bringing his eye back to his lens. Shot again. Hit. "I don't think that's what he had in mind when he told you that," he remarked dryly.

"Can't really say. I'm fairly certain the only reason he never tried guys was because he fell in love with my mom before he had time to experiment." Bam, bam. Bam, bam, bam. Naruto sighed, stretching his muscles before moving back into position. "I'm not attracted to guys, usually," he added in a thoughtful manner. "But for you I'm willing to make an exception." He grinned, white teeth flashing against the dust covering his face.

"I'm flattered," Uchiha replied dryly. "But not interested."

"Straight, huh?" Naruto sighed audibly. "I think it's a fundamentally sexist tendency."

"You could be a woman and it wouldn't make any difference. I didn't come here to socialize."

The blond shot again, killing the last of their visible assailants. Immediately the lieutenant got to his feet. "Move out, people! The cavalry won't fetch us unless we let them know we're alive! And stay careful, we don't know how many of these bastards are left!"

The soldiers obeyed. Only Naruto remained still, observing the roofs and windows meticulously. Bam. Heads turned, and eyes spotted a man falling from a window located on the second-to-last floor, his gun still clutched between his dead hands. "Get going!" Uchiha roared, and they scurried away, heading towards the bigger troops. "Uzumaki, get your ass moving, you've done enough!"

The blond nodded stiffly, and got to his feet. The two soldiers ran across the deserted street, warily staring at the windows and roofs above them. But no face or figure came into view.

"Uchiha!" Naruto panted as the military vehicles finally came into view. "You owe me your name! Hand it over!" He grabbed the lieutenant's sleeve in order to stop the other man from reaching an area in which they'd be overheard.

"Do you realize what the others are going to do to you once they realize you're not straight?" Uchiha hissed. "This is the army, you idiot, the army, and in addition to that, we're in one of the most homophobic countries of the planet. You're going to get killed by your own camp!"

"I've seen homophobes," Naruto said somberly. "I've seen them at work, and believe me I can imagine what I'm facing. But it's fine," he added, face brutally switching to a smile. "I can show you my porn magazines if you want. All boobs and nude girls! And I've got tons, and I'm nice, so I'll share if you ask me nicely!" His voice was suddenly cheerful, and easily carried across the street as he patted the raven-hair on the back.

"You idiot." Uchiha mercilessly knocked him down, aware of the numerous gazes posed upon them, and rubbed his temple. Unnoticed to all but the blond that lay groaning on the ground, he sighed, and added, "It's Sasuke." Then he turned brusquely, and headed towards the jeeps without another word.

Night had fallen over the base. Naruto Uzumaki sat on his bed with a sigh, staring at his hands. They were still. His deep blue eyes were unfocused, thoughtful, and he absentmindedly scratched his calf with his other foot. He was clean, and so were his clothes. He had washed everything thoroughly, well aware that a poorly done job meant twice the work if the superiors caught you. Which they usually did.

A knock caused him to look up, and the door opened wordlessly, revealing a man he hadn't thought he'd see before the following sunrise.

"Finally," the raven-hair sighed, dropping a large bag upon the empty bunk that faced Naruto's.

The blond gave him a surprised look. "You're reconsidering?" he asked.

"Not in the least," was the dry reply. "But you're the only person in this damn place with an empty bunk and no hard-metal music blaring, or alcohol, or porn movies, magazines, and other shit I don't even want to think about.. And I'm not even starting with the brawls." Sasuke Uchiha was visibly pissed.

"I've got magazines," Naruto remarked. "I wasn't lying back there."

"I don't see you drooling all over them."

"Well, seeing I'd rather do that over your body, female porn isn't my thing at the mo-" A large white pillow caused the sentence to end with an undignified "oof", and Sasuke glared.

"I told you I'm not interested," the raven-haired man said. "So quit it."

"What do they put in these things, bricks?" the blond asked, frowning at the white projectile. "You could murder someone with this thing!"

"Maybe I should," Sasuke replied. "Are you going to act decently or am I going to have to find myself another room?"

"Aw, come on Uchiha, lighten up a bit. Flirting is a biologically implemented human activity, serving the purpose of maintaining ourselves into existence. I'm only doing my job as a proud member of our race."

"Except you got the gender wrong," the Uchiha growled. "I came here to have peace, Uzumaki. Let me have some or tell me to bail, but stop the bullshit."

There was a pause. "Do you mind violin?"

"What?"

Naruto reached for something underneath his bed. "I meant to play some violin before I got into my beauty sleep. It helps calm my nerves down. Do you mind?"

"You don't look tense," Sasuke remarked, observing the blond as he pulled out a slim case, from which he removed the instrument. "They let you come in here with that thing?"

"After I played a tune they said it couldn't be worse than the other music they usually heard," Naruto replied. "And the only reason I'm acting normal is because I'm still in military mode." Adjusting the violin underneath his chin, he took the bow gently, and pressed it against the strings, slowly. He then took a deep breath. His shoulders rose, then lowered. "Aw, shit."

Sasuke glanced up, and it barely took him a second to realize what the problem was. Naruto's hands were shaking, so violently neither violin nor bow remained still. The strings let out small screeches, sounding nothing like music.

"This might take a while," the blond sighed. "It's harder to relax after a day like this. And the music sucks if I play it military-style." He forced his right arm to move, producing a shaky note as the bow slid against the strings. The sound eased, however, and soon Naruto added several additional notes, slipping into an actual tune. The music was soft, sorrowful, and suited the sadness that had suddenly filled the blonde's eyes. "There was a kid, at the window of that last guy I shot," he said softly. "He was probably his son."

Sasuke said nothing, staring into emptiness as the air vibrated, onyx eyes hard.

"It's war," Naruto continued. "Maybe the kid was just there to keep me from shooting. But it's still sick." The notes hummed gently, and smoothed once more, and Naruto did not add a word until the end of the piece. The room lay silent.

"Adagio," Sasuke finally whispered.

"Bach's first Sonata for violin," Naruto confirmed, sighing. "It suits my mood pretty well, so..." He chuckled nervously. "Look at me. Each time I've been with you I've done nothing but complain. I'll stop, promise."

"Talking about things that trouble you is not only healthy, but necessary." The Uchiha stared at the ceiling. "If you keep it all bottled up you'll end up even madder than you are now." He smirked to the blonde's outraged cry. "We're both crazy, willing to get our asses fried by this freaking place. Admit it and move on."

"Fine. Why did you give me your name?"

Sasuke didn't even turn towards him. "I thought that was obvious."

"Oh. Was it my looks?"

Sasuke's second pillow went flying.

"No, idiot. It's because you proved to me you were a good enough shoot. Put simply, you deserved it."

"Wow. So you really are human, then."

This time the lieutenant got to his feet. "Are you masochist?" he asked the blond. "Because if you keep this up, you're going to learn how proficient I am in inflicting pain."

"Hey, how many guys say no to either sex or alcohol? I had just assumed you were from outer space or something." Naruto yelped as the pillow he held was wrung from his hands and smashed once more upon his head. The door chose this moment to open.

"Alright Uzumaki, hand over all the porn!" Kiba Inuzuka entered, and froze under the Uchiha's murderous glare. "Lieutenant," he blurted out. "I wasn't expecting you here, sir." He stiffened as his superior approached, with all the stamina of a lion closing in on its doomed pray.

"Can't I have a single moment of peace-"

"Here you go, bud." Seemingly completely oblivious of the fuming lieutenant, Naruto dropped a heavy pile of magazines into the brunet's arms. "Don't bring these back if you want to avoid murder," he advised, giving a side-glance towards the Uchiha. "Some people don't appreciate the simple joys of life."

Kiba chuckled nervously, still wary of the dark-haired man, and fled as soon as he had the opportunity.

"I didn't even ask him how his leg was," the blond sighed, closing the door. "Do you really have to scare everyone out of their wits?"

"If they annoy me, they deserve it." Sasuke's voice was stern. He went to take his pillows from Naruto's bed, lying on his own once more. "It's really a pity you resist so well."

"With a mom like mine, you learn to resist," the blond replied. "That or you loose faith in humanity altogether. My dad advised me against it."

"She doesn't look like she traumatized you," Sasuke remarked with a shrug.

"Mom was sweet," Naruto assured with a smile. "But she had a temper. You had to watch out for those." He sat down, and sighed. "I miss them."

The Uchiha said nothing, his eyes fixed upon the ceiling once more.

"You play music?" Naruto suddenly asked.

"I learned piano," came the shrugged answer. "My parents were strict on that kind of thing."

"You're trying to tell me you're from the upper class, right? One of those filthy rich bastards who complain because they've got too much money and no idea of how to spend it?"

A sigh. "Yeah, pretty much."

"You're a bastard, lieutenant."

"You already told me that, sergeant. Or is it the only insult you can come up with?"

"If you show me how well you can play, I'm sure I can come up with several more." The blue eyes were merry as Naruto got to his feet.

Sasuke gave him a dark glare. "I haven't brought a piano with me, if that's what you're wondering. Maybe you haven't noticed, but it's slightly heavier than a violin."

"They've got one in the hospital wing," the blond replied. "Sakura told me it was to help soldiers relax. She's a good musician."

"Why don't you play with her, then?"

"Because I've already heard her play," Naruto said. "I want to hear you. So come on or I'll drag you there."

Sakura Haruno sighed, putting away the remaining documents that had lain on her desk during the entire afternoon. The day had been a busy one, and she yearned for a cup of tea, or, even better, her bed. But a small commotion caused either wish to be delayed, as the blond Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha entered through the main door, the former using all of his weight and skill to keep the lieutenant from escaping.

Frowning slightly, Sakura approached the two men, curious about what the entire scene was about. Then, she noticed the violin case Naruto carried in his free hand, and decided to step in. "Uchiha, you better stop making a scene if you don't want me to interfere," she warned. Sasuke immediately froze, and Uzumaki stared.

"Dude," he breathed. "How come you listen to her?"

"Because I have survival instincts, idiot."

"What do you mean? She's a doctor, for Pete's sake not a-" The blond crumbled to the ground, and Sakura sighed, handing the lieutenant a scolding glare. "I had wanted to spare him this, Uchiha."

Sasuke snorted, picking up the unconscious soldier. "He's the last person you should spare," he told the woman dryly. "Why did you?"

She shrugged. "He's the only one who got you to smile since you've been here," she replied. I thought he deserved a better treatment." When the other man didn't answer, she glanced at him. "Afraid to show you can feel, lieutenant?" she teased.

"The idiot says he's in love with me," the man replied, rolling his eyes. "He got the idea from you. The gay part," he added as the doctor opened her mouth to protest. "I'm sure you understand why I consider the situation problematic."

"Are you bunking with him?" Sakura asked. Sasuke didn't answer. "Aw, come on, Inuzuka's been wailing for the past half hour about how the Devil set his lair with the best newbie of the month in order to teach him his evil ways." She grinned, very amused by his confused look. "As in, if I understood him correctly, in a week from now, he'll be as cold and emotionless as you are now, and you'll both spread your merciless rule over all of humanity."

"You forgot the evil laughter," Sasuke replied dryly. "The idiot can't be tainted, or whatever shit they said I'd do to him. He hides it well, but he already is."

"He keeps a lively personality," Sakura replied. "He told me about his family, and his playing the violin." She nodded at the case. "He's says it's the only way he thinks he can stay human."

Again, the Uchiha remained silent.

"You came here to play together?" Sakura asked. "Else I'm leaving. But I wouldn't say no to a little bit of music before going to bed." She picked up the violin case, and led the Uchiha towards her office. She received all of her patients there, which accounted for the comfortable chairs, the sofa, and, in the back of the room, the elegant black piano.

Sasuke put the blond on the sofa, sending a heated glare towards the shinning black instrument. He had never approached it, despite the fact that he regularly came to see Sakura inside this very office. The woman stood on the threshold, gazing at the stiff man. Sighing, she spoke quietly. "I'll get some coffee." And left.

Sasuke's gaze went back to the unconscious blond, once more rolling his eyes. Where was that kid from, anyways? He had no notion of keeping his toes in line, no idea of what it meant to muddle in with the mass, and avoid attention. Standing out the way he did was only suicidal, idiotic. Too bad he was so good on the field. And yet now he looked like a teenage boy, sprawled over the sofa in such an innocent manner it was hard to tell he was of age, a half-smile upon his face. How could he smile? He was unconscious, not dreaming.

Sasuke sighed. "Well aren't you a piece of goddamn sunshine," he growled.

Sakura went back to her office, walking as slowly as she could afford. She knew the Uchiha wouldn't want anyone to witness his choice in doing something he had sworn aloud never to deal with again. But as she approached her door, she heard the hesitantly pressed keys ring inside the room, and smiled. Pausing behind the door, she waited. Sasuke's fingers would remember better than his unwilling mind, and soon the melody smoothed, regretfully. She entered, noticing Naruto was finally awake. Noiselessly he removed his violin and bow from their case, and got to his feet. The first note nearly caused Sasuke to stop, but as the blond continued with the tune, the Uchiha's hands edged on, playing against their owner's will.

Sasuke's frown was visible, slowly increasing as the piece ended, but Naruto did not let him rest. "Adagio," he ordered sternly. "You find a way to keep up."

The violin strings hummed once more, sending the soft tune into the air. After several seconds, the piano chords joined the melody, notes falling like a cascade of water. Hundreds of minuscule droplets of sound, vivid against the violin's slow wind.

And then everything stopped, and Sasuke brutally got to his feet, staring furiously at the keys. "My brother played ten times as well," he spat, and stormed out of the office.

Naruto stared. "What was that about?" he asked.

Sakura sighed. "The reason he didn't want to play. His brother Itachi was, according to him, a much better musician. He died the same way your parent did."

Blue eyes widened considerably. "He was in- He didn't say-"

"Sasuke considers it his business." Sakura gave him a serious look. "Don't mention it to him. I'm telling you this because I still think it's better for you to know. But he's allowed to choose not to tell anyone."

"Are you allowed to share your patients' secrets?"

Sakura sighed. "Not really. But since you're going through something pretty similar, I thought you'd understand. You're doing him good, in any case. You're one of the two people here who doesn't let him have his way." She smiled mischievously. "I'm the second."

Naruto chuckled. "Yeah. I see what he meant by 'survival instincts'."

Several days passed, much quieter in terms of outdoor combat. The base was another story.

The cafeteria was always noisy around noon, but rarely so that an officer could barely hear his own voice over the uproar. On this particular day, however, someone had decided to cause a commotion, which had resulted in the outbreak of mirth from nearly all witnesses. Naruto Uzumaki's head was buried ear-deep in his soup, held down by the unflinching hand of Sasuke Uchiha, whose cold gaze made it clear he regretted not being allowed to truly drown the blond.

Once he was released, Naruto straightened, coughing out his soup and wiping his face. "Uchiha, if my face keeps traces of the burns you are dead," he grumbled as the on looking crowd laughed. "How the hell am I supposed to explain the only wounds I received here came from cafeteria hazards? No one's going to believe me."

"That was for yesterday," the Uchiha replied mercilessly. "If you want payback for this I'm warning you I have plenty of ideas in stock."

"You liked it?" The green goo-covered face broke into a large grin. "Admit it was well thought-out."

"You really are suicidal," the lieutenant sighed, walking away.

"Just playing with fire." Sasuke did not turn, and went to sit next to Neji Hyuuga, one of the rare soldiers the fiery Uchiha could tolerate for an extended period of time.

Naruto accepted the napkins he was offered, and finished wiping his face as Kiba Inuzuka sighed. "I just don't get how you two manage to share a room without killing each other," he sighed. "What did you do to him this time?"

"I put tobacco sauce in his coke," the blond replied cheerfully. "You should have seen his face." He paused, staring at the brunet. "Actually, you should see yours, it's not that bad eithe-"

"Why am I starting to think that ice prick is right and you really are suicidal?" Kiba wailed mournfully. "It's against all my natural instincts! What the hell is going through your head?"

Naruto frowned. "Hey, I only did that because he put ketchup in my shoes! The two pairs I had! I had to clean everything up and it made me late for the morning role call, roughly translated into cleaning the mess every morning! I say he deserves it."

"Perhaps." Shikamaru Nara yawned, playing with his knife. "But what caused him to put ketchup in your shoes? I don't see him pull these pranks on other soldiers."

Eyes turned back towards the blond, who ducked, meek. "Fine," he grumbled, "But I only did it because he keeps putting his alarm two hours before the time I think it's good to wake up at."

Kiba shot his a wary glance. "What did you do?"

Suddenly nervous, Naruto began playing with the stone hanging at his neck. "Uh...I put some of my magazines under his pillow and inside his notebooks. Glued some pictures in and stuff. You should have seen that face, he was with Nej- Ow, dammit!" Glaring at Kiba, Naruto rubbed his injured head while the taller brunet let out a agonized cry.

"Damn you, Sunshine, can't you leave that guy alone?"

"He's the one butting in in the first place," Naruto grumbled. "If I annoy him too much he can leave. I was there first."

"Sure," Shikamaru drawled. "Meanwhile we're all wondering which of you two will kill the other first, and Kiba here's getting regular panic attacks at night because he thinks we'll be finding your limp corpse in the morning."

"Shika, you can hardly say a little ketchup and porn magazines are going to kill us," the blond soldier protested, rolling his eyes. "Though, considering the bastard, the magazines almost did give him a heart attack..." He chuckled evilly.

"Tobacco sauce and soup drowning can become lethal if you put your heart to it," Kiba growled. "I swear, if he had continued pushing your head into the bowl-"

"I would have started resisting eventually," the blond assured. "Take it easy, Kiba, everyone else was laughing."

"Well of course everyone was laughing; this is one of the most ridiculous ways to get murdered I've seen. Especially when you're in a place where we can die so gloriously." He swept an arm across the windows, from which the city was visible. Naruto didn't reply, his eyes suddenly dark.

"Uzumaki, point that thing where you're supposed to and quit daydreaming!" one of the officers roared. The sergeant gave him a startled look, extended his arm in the human-shaped cardboard target and shot, barely glancing at the pierced object. The head was hit, and the arm returned to its previous position, which basically consisted in pointing angrily towards the lieutenant that stood right next to him.

"I swear, Uchiha, if you don't hand back my necklace this instant I'm seriously gonna start ripping your ass! It's a family heirloom and I'm damned if I ever lose that thing!"

The dark-haired man aimed impassively at his own target, hitting the heart precisely, and sighed. "You just did," he remarked. "Why do you keep accusing me?"

"Because you're the only one who could have taken it! I don't take it off except at night and you're the only one in the room during that time!"

"Hopefully," came the careless reply. "But did you consider the possibility of having misplaced it, idiot?"

"I couldn't have. I always put it in the same place."

"Uzumaki!" the officer roared again. "Either work or leave, but don't stay here doing nothing unless you want to work a couple of extra hours with me!"

For a split-second, Naruto's eyes blazed with such fury even Sasuke had to summon a good portion of self-control not to take a step back. Then he lowered his head. "Sorry, sir," he said in a low voice. Without another word, he turned heels and left the training area.

Sasuke returned an hour and a half later, only to find that the blond had literally flipped their room over. "I'll clean your stuff up later," Naruto grumbled. "Once I find that damn-"

"You can start now," the Uchiha sighed. As the blond looked up, he threw the black cord across the room.

"So it really was you," Naruto growled.

"Idiot." The icy tone cut his anger short. "You left it in the showers. You're lucky whoever found this had the decency to take it back to the lost and found. Which is, if you don't mind my saying so, the first place I would have looked in if I were you." The statement was followed by a grunt as Naruto leaped up to hug the man.

"Damn it, bastard, I love you," the blond said, overjoyed. "You went to get for me? That's really too sweet."

"Try not to ruin the moment," was the dry reply. "And let go of me, you dumbass."

"Still not interested?" Naruto sighed. "I'll get you one day."

Sasuke snorted. "In your dreams, idiot."

"Nah, that's already done. I'm focusing on reality, now." Naruto ducked as the lieutenant swung a fist at him, grinning like the devil. "I still haven't found you an affectionate nickname," he remarked, passing the black cord around his neck swiftly, and backing up as the Uchiha advanced. "If I'm Sunshine you should be Moonlight, don't you think?" He laughed, eyes focused on Sasuke's hands. They moved, and he drew back, avoiding both blows, and gulping when his back hit the wall. "Damn it, I'm screwed."

"Confirmed." Sasuke pinned his upper arms against the surface, trapping the blonde's shoulders in the process, along with his entire upper body.

"So this is the part where you glare down, lean over and kiss me right? Or would you rather start dry-humping?"

"A head butt is all you're going to get," the Uchiha growled. "And I don't want to hear that ridiculous nickname from your mouth again, clear?"

"But it suits you," Naruto protested. His blue eyes had become serious, and Sasuke frowned.

"How?"

"You're the brightest light in the night," the blond explained. "Shining when everything else is dark." He looked away, embarrassed. "I'm having fun with you, bastard. Despite this place, this war, my parents, everything. You're making all the wounds heal." He sighed. "I promised I'd stop doing that," he said, forcing a smile upon his face. "Sorry. So are you going to kiss me or what?"

"What, definitely not." Sasuke released his arms, and turned away. "Officer Umino said you'd have to report to him this evening. He said you needed extra discipline." A smirk formed. "Of course, I advised it."

Naruto's smile vanished. "You bastard!"

Night had long since fallen when the exhausted sergeant returned to his room. Strangely, the lights were still on. Opening the door, he heard an amused voice, which, despite it's great similarity to the Uchiha's, couldn't possibly belong to the dark haired man.

"...be watching you from Hell."

Sasuke snapped his cell phone shut angrily, realizing the blond had heard.

"Was that-"

"My brother," the man snapped. "Do me a favor and don't ask."

Naruto shrugged. "Why are you up so late? You're usually sound asleep at this hour."

"Except on regular nights you've already played your little goodnight tunes by now," Sasuke replied, forcing his anger away. "I'm getting addicted to violin."

A Cheshire cat grin spread on the blonde's face. "Aw, that's just cute," Naruto said, his voice dripping with humor. "You need me to sing you a lullaby?" He caught the too-predictable pillow thrown his way with both hands, missing the second and falling on his bed after having lost his balance.

"I do grasp the concept of learning from my mistakes," Sasuke said, smirking. "And just so you know, I also wanted to see your face after that extra workout Umino made you do."

The blond straightened, and gave the other man a dark look. "Bastard."

"Lieutenant bastard to you, sergeant. How many times do I have to repeat it?"

"So that's why." Naruto caught the hem of Sasuke's nightshirt. "You won't sleep with me because I have an inferior grade?" He was cuffed over the head, but persisted, grinning. "I mean, I see you don't have a particular problem with homosexuality, so I figured there was something else-"

"My brother was gay." The statement was followed by an abrupt silence. "My parents and family are traditionalists. They didn't tolerate it and kicked him out. I lived with him for several months, for reasons I won't bother to explain, so I came to accept his views. Haruno continues the job on that matter. But now that he's dead, the rest of my clan is the only family I have. If I want to be part of it, it's better if I follow their rules."

"Oh." Naruto was quiet, then looked up. "So what you're trying to say is you're really in love with me, but you can't let it become public because of what your family might- Ow!" The pillow came charging back.

"I told you I wasn't interested in dating, period," the Uchiha growled. "But your being a guy adds even more reasons not to."

"You're just saying this because you're afraid you might enjoy it," the blond protested.

Sasuke shrugged. "This isn't a leisure camp," he said quietly. "Now get that stick and violin out and start playing. I need to sleep."

"You're demanding, you know that?" Naruto said as he grudgingly obeyed. "How come I can't hear you play?"

"You heard me play once," Sasuke said darkly. "It's already more than enough."

"Fine." Naruto adjusted the instrument on his shoulder, and tested the string. "But in my opinion, even if your brother played better, he didn't necessarily have someone to play with. You have one and you're wasting that." Before the raven-haired man could reply, music suddenly filled the air, and Naruto closed his eyes in order to relax. "My fingers don't shake as much now," he remarked. "I hate saying this, but I think it's thanks to you."

Sasuke said nothing, listening. After a while he asked, "Naruto, what are you playing?"

"Concerning Hobbits," was the casual reply. "The violin part, anyways. Like it?"

Sasuke shrugged. "Could be worse."

"You're just heartless. I always cry in the third movie when Sam gets married."

"Idiot," was the tired reply. "Why do you cry in the happy moments?"

"Cause that's the moment when you know for sure that everything's over." Strings vibrated and music died, leaving silence. Naruto changed swiftly, and turned out the lights, tucking himself in before sighing, "Good night, lieutenant."

"'Night, Sunshine," came the grumbled reply.

And he fell asleep with a smile.

Only to be waken five hours later by an irresistible thirst. Repressing a tired groan, Naruto leaned over, searching the ground next to his bed with his hand and foot. There was a bottle of water somewhere...ah. His arm hit the object, sending it rolling towards the other side of the room.

"Shit," grumbled the blond, forcing his body to obey his brain and get out of the covers' warmth. Crossing the open ground on all fours, he resumed his search, when a sharp movement above him caused him to freeze.

"Damn it, Itachi," Sasuke breathed, letting his hand fall limply over the bed as he turned. He did not add anything, and after a short pause Naruto began rummaging again. Nearly letting out a triumphant cry when his fingers finally found what they were looking for, the blond drank for all he was worth, and leaned back against the bed, satisfaction slowly drawing him back to sleep. He didn't know whether he'd muster up the courage to get back inside his own bed, seeing his current position wasn't exactly uncomfortable.

Something bumped into the side of his head as Sasuke moved again, causing him to open his eyes. Unconscious fingers played against his ear, searching for something to grab. Tiredly he raised his right hand, offering a hold to the sleeping man.

"Damn, Itachi." The fingers tightened, closing around his, and at that moment, Naruto Uzumaki took a decision. He got to his feet, never letting go of the hand, and leaned over the other male. Then things went very fast.

Before he could even feel Sasuke's breath against his face, the hand holding his burst into life, twisting his arm to bring it to his back. Naruto backed up immediately, but Sasuke did not let go, and the two of them fell on the floor with twin grunts.

"Damn you, Uzumaki," Sasuke growled, sounding much angrier than while he had been dreaming. "Can't I even sleep-"

"You're the one waking me up in the first place," Naruto retorted, deciding that a little white lie would solve things best. "You were mumbling in your sleep. Talking about your brother."

He felt the body above him freeze. "What did I say?"

"The same thing you said to me, basically." He shrugged. "Nothing embarrassing."

Sasuke seemed to hesitate. "Why were you leaning over me?"

Another shrug. "You won't like the answer, so I'm not telling."

The dark-haired man snorted. "You'll have trouble ambushing me during the night," he warned. "Itachi made a pass-time out of trying to take me by surprise, so I developed reflexes during the period I lived with him. I'll react as soon as you get too close."

"Is holding hands considered close?" Because of the darkness, the blond was unable to dodge Sasuke's fist entirely.

"Idiot," the other breathed. "If you keep spitting nonsense, I'm going back to sleep." He pushed himself up, but Naruto caught his arms.

"And if I stop you'll stay here?" the blond asked.

"You're saying this like I enjoy straddling you," the Uchiha replied dryly. "Are you ever going to stop dreaming?"

"Sure, once my dreams become reality." Naruto made sure Sasuke could feel his grin through the darkness. "Can I have a goodnight kiss?"

"No. Let go of me, idiot."

"Please? I've been nice to you and all."

"Waking me up at four thirty in the morning is hardly what I consider nice."

"I played for you when I came back."

"You played a movie soundtrack."

"I still sent you to sleep. You could make an effort and do the same for me."

There was a pause, during which Naruto allowed himself to hope. Sasuke's barriers would take time in undoing, but he'd manage eventually. This was only one of the first steps...

"You're not a kid anymore, idiot." Sasuke pushed himself off the blond. "And I already told you I didn't come here to socialize."

The blond sighed. The chase promised to be long. "You'll regret it," he warned.

No answer came at first, and the quick shuffling of the sheets made Naruto think the dark-haired man had decided to ignore him for the rest of the night.

"Maybe." And then everything was silent.

Naruto sighed, and went back to his own bunk, crawling back inside his bed. Sleepily, he replied, "I don't think that's what your brother would have wanted."

This time, Sasuke didn't answer.

"Tell me again how many days we have left?" Naruto roared over the continuous firing.

"Five months, sergeant, you've barely done half!" Kiba shouted back. "Personally if we die here I won't be as disappointed if we die near the beginning or end!"

"Got that right," the blonde murmured to himself. A black figure caught his eye, and his gun immediately rose and fired. Instinct. When had he started doing all those things out of instinct?

"Sergeant, quit trying to remember how many people you've killed and help us get out of this alive!" The merciless comment came from the lieutenant, situated a few feet away from him. "Get your bloody ass over here!"

He moved swiftly; his position wasn't protected, and in his daydreaming state, he was bound to get shot. The Uchiha caught him as he rolled to the side, just as bullets hit the spot he had been standing in seconds ago. "You'll do your mourning later," the man spat. "Right now we need to ensure you'll be able to do it. How many of them did you count?"

"Thirty of them, roughly." He pulled the Uchiha closer. "How did you guess what I was thinking about?"

"Get down!" The two men ducked at Neji's cry, and a rough salve hit the wall behind which they crouched. Sasuke wiped his forehead angrily, dusty lips silently mouthing the word 'bastards'.

"Uchiha, I need an answer." His head hurt, and so did his ears. How could the man see so easily he was on the point of losing it?

"Everyone makes that face eventually, sergeant," Sasuke sighed. "I've just been around long enough to know how it looks like."

There was an abrupt silence as the firing ceased. The two men frowned, looking up.

"Think they're done?" Naruto asked, unbending his knee muscles in order to look above the low wall. Sasuke imitated him, and both ducked as gunshots echoed in their direction once more.

"No would be my guess," the lieutenant man replied darkly. "Can anyone see what they're doing?" The firing had ceased as soon as the American soldiers had recoiled.

"Maybe they're learning how to shoot," the blonde said distractedly, creeping towards the side in attempt to get a decent view. He was forced back to his previous position as the enemy's fire missed his eye by mere inches. "Damn it!" he swore. "They're becoming dangerous!"

"Stay put, Uzumaki," Sasuke ordered. "You're more efficient in one piece. Tenten, how are the others doing?

The woman turn the radio's volume up, and everyone heard Shikamaru Nara through the speaker. "We could use help," the man said. "But no more than anyone else, lieutenant. Having Haruno with us is an advantage."

Naruto let out a strangled cry. "What's Sakura doing on the field?" he roared at the radio. "She's a doctor, for Pete's sake!"

"And a military as well," Sasuke sighed angrily. "Quit yelling, sergeant; our eardrums already have enough to deal with."

"Our wonderful lady aside, I have to tell you your little birdies are moving," Nara warned. "I'm not sure, but I think they're climbing down the roofs." There was a pause, followed by Shikamaru's angry swear. "Haruno's confirming," he said quickly. "You guys need to get out of here now."

"And how the fuck are we supposed to do that?" the blonde asked angrily.

"Maybe if you activated your brain instead of your mouth we'd find a way," the Uchiha snapped. "Any idea's welcome."

Blue eyes glared, filled with exhaustion. What had started with a mere inspection routine had quickly transformed into a terrorist attack, which had been lasting through the entire afternoon, turning the streets into a battlefield. Night hadn't fallen yet, but the sun's light was slowly beginning to dim.

Sasuke forced his anger away. Loosing his temper now could only worsen things. This situation was what he had trained for; the moment in which your worst enemy became your own body.

"I need a group of shooters. We'll cover the rest of you while you cross over towards Nara's group. They're two blocks away, so you better move your asses if you want to make it. Don't move grouped and don't look back. Who's staying here?"

Naruto sighed, raising his hand. Neji and Tenten imitated him, making the lieutenant nod. "Inuzuka, you're in charge of the others. Cover us only once you're safe."

"I'll consider myself safe only once I get out of this damn country, sir, but I get your point. Good luck."

"Try not to get hit," was Sasuke's only answer as he positioned himself in order to shoot. The roofs had mostly cleared, and the remaining men were shot down quickly.

"They're all gone," Naruto whispered. "They must be hiding in the streets. You guys stay careful," he warned as the remainder of the unit rushed onto the street.

The four soldiers soon came to realize the blonde had been right. Armed men poured out from dusty alleys and small streets, hitting several soldiers running through the main road. Thankfully, their protectors shot well, and fast. Most escaped serious wounds as they disappeared behind the street's corner.

"See them?" Naruto asked.

Neji shook his head. "Nara, do you have them or not?"

"Not yet, but- Wait, I see them. Weapons up, people! Uchiha's going to kill me if we lose any of his minions!"

"Got that right," the aforementioned lieutenant whispered. "Get up and go, the three of you," he ordered. "I'll be right behind you."

Tenten and Neji rose simultaneously, and Naruto followed. The long-haired man was the first to exit, dashing across the open ground as Sasuke fired towards any man within sight. Tenten was one step behind, but Naruto paused at the entrance, looking back at his lieutenant. "Coming, Uchiha? Or do you want to die protecting-" His sentence halted abruptly as a grenade landed on the middle of the street, blowing up the instant it hit the ground.

"Uzumaki!" the lieutenant roared. Neji and Tenten were on the opposite side of the explosion, and both soldiers seemed to have managed to stay mostly unharmed, getting to their feet and scurrying away from the impact area.

Tenten had left the radio, and Sakura's voice erupted through the speakers. "What was that? Who's there? Sasuke, are you alright?"

"The idiot's not," was the furious reply. Dropping his gun, Sasuke rushed over to the blonde. Naruto had been thrown backwards with the explosion, but his face was covered with more dust than blood, and he was still breathing. The dark-haired man checked his pulse, and began shaking the limp form. "Damn it Uzumaki, wake up!"

"Aren't we..." The voice was crackled, hoarse, but carried enough humor to indicate its owner wasn't in a critical state. "Aren't we on a first-name basis, bastard?" Naruto groaned, forcing himself to straighten. "Was I out long?"

"Couple of seconds," Sasuke replied swiftly. "You scared me, you idiot."

"We've got Tenten and Neji," Sakura signaled. "Hurry up and get your asses over here!"

"That's...starting to get problematic," Naruto said, looking at the entrance. The street had filled; he could could at least twenty armed men blocking the way out, and more kept coming.

Despite the soreness he felt through each of his muscles, Naruto jumped to his feet and backed away before any gunman could get a proper aim at him. He and Sasuke backed up into the building, passing a door. Closing it firmly, they turned and froze. There was no other exit, and the two windows ornamenting the walls were covered with grids.

The incoming shouts forced them to react; seizing the furniture the room possessed, the two soldiers piled everything up behind the room's unique exit, keeping the enemy from entering.

"You realize we're locking ourselves up?" Naruto asked.

"Worse," was the gritted reply. "We're just delaying the moment they'll get in." Bangs resonated through the wood. Sasuke glared at the door, making sure he wasn't standing in front of it. "If we're lucky it'll hold long enough to let us figure a way out."

The blonde wiped his forehead. "I hate to say this," he began slowly. His azure eyes focused on the wood, then towards the windows. "But I think we're done."

Sasuke stared at him.

"Before you start spewing 'never say it's over till it's over' shit, just note that unless Shikamaru's team miraculously sprouts thirty additional soldiers and heavy munitions, they won't get up here in time. And Shika wouldn't risk it anyways. There's just two of us, and since they're the only ones who know where we are, I say we're finished."

A bullet went through the wood, and Sasuke pulled Naruto away from the door. His midnight orbs then bore into the twin blue ones, dead serious. "So this is it?"

The blonde shrugged. "Guess so," he said thickly. "If you want to start praying, I won't mind doing it with you." He rubbed his nose nervously. "Think we'd be accepted in Heaven?"

"No chance in hell." Sasuke forced out a laugh. Dry, humorless. "We blew that one the minute we stepped in this country. My parents are going to be desperate." Again he chuckled darkly, gazing at the other man in unfocused manner. Naruto said nothing, and suddenly saw the onyx orbs harden as the Uchiha gripped his shoulders. "Fuck this."

Pale lips crashed against the blonde's, furious and desperate. Naruto's eyes widened in shock, but his raging mind forced his body to relax, and he pressed back against the bastard's mouth, not daring to utter a sound out of fear he might break the spell. Finally Sasuke pulled away, though he did not let go of Naruto's shoulders and looked at the blonde as though he were seeing him for the first time.

"Hell might be tolerable if you stay with me," the Uchiha remarked. Letting go, he began searching inside one of his multiple pouches. "You have explosives?"

Slightly dazed, the blonde nodded. The door was beginning to yield beneath the repetitive pounding of guns and fists, and whatever Sasuke intended to do before they entered needed to be finished fast. He removed all of his grenades, and helped the raven-haired man pile small groups at each corner of the room. "I have a detonator," the latter explained quietly. "I'm not letting them get me without making them pay."

"Sounds reasonable," the blonde said. "But...what's with the kissing?"

The other man shrugged as they finished putting everything into place, and seized the detonator. "Come over here," he ordered. As Naruto approached, he extended his arm, wordlessly telling the blond to grab the detonator as well. When the tan fingers closed around his, he pressed the button. Nothing happened. "Put you thumb over mine." Naruto complied. "They'll go off as soon as we release the pressure," Sasuke said, half smiling. "So they won't be able to shoot us before we set off everything."

"So basically, we're already dead," Naruto replied. He swallowed.

"I wouldn't have kissed you if we'd had a chance of staying alive, idiot," the other man said sternly. "It would never have worked out. I'm just" -he hesitated- "I'm just letting you know you didn't leave me completely unaffected."

"So I won our bet?" The blue orbs flashed, triumphant for a split-second.

The Uchiha smirked, his voice soft. "You could say that." He sighed, closing his eyes as the door shattered, crumbling beneath sheer number. Men immediately invaded the room, screaming in hate, and fired in every direction.

"'Night, Sunshine."

Two pairs of eyes opened brutally as scorching pain brought their bodies and minds into the deepest oblivion. In the distance, a woman screamed two names, desperate and suddenly alone. The building exploded.

End

You are most definitely not allowed to kill me. I mean it. I re-edited this fic to make it more understandable than the first time (the document editor keeps removing empty lines that show cuts between the scenes).

You are, however, very welcome to review. Pretty please. I know I'm cruel, but I needed to get the fic out of my head. The lyrics are from Soldier Side, and are pretty much the reason for this fic.