Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, its characters and/or ideas. All rights belong to Masashi Kishimoto.

A/N: Yes, we all know how long this took, sorry for that. Truthfully, this was a difficult chapter to write, and I'm still not satisfied with it. If any of your readers have read any of my other current fics, I've said the same thing about why I haven't updated in so long—school, work, and being sick and hospitalized. Now that that's out of the way, on to the chapter!

Enchaining

en·chain: 1. To bind (with chains). 2. To hold fast or captivate (the attention of, etc). 3. To yoke; (keep someone close).

7.

Summer, Fall—September, October

Blond eyebrows furrowed as the owner of said eyebrows tried and failed to pay attention to his history teacher's lesson. For Naruto, it wasn't the lesson nor his teacher's voice that bothered him, but the pair of obsidian eyes that were intensely staring at him from behind.

Sai, in all his 'crazed' splendor, had been watching Naruto since school had started over a week ago. The black headed teen had made it no secret that he was still fixated on the younger boy, and the attention coming from him was enough to fuel some of the other boys' disdain with the mentioned two. And when Sai wasn't straight out staring at him, he was acting overly friendly with him, as though they were the best of friends. Naruto would've almost—almost—been okay with Sai's amiability if it weren't for the little snide remarks the Shimura teen gave him now and then.

The whole situation with Sai was honestly frightening him. Before, there had been a trickle of annoyance and some wariness for the older male, yet now Naruto could feel the shivers each time Sai would so much as glance at him. If that wasn't bad enough, Naruto's relationships with both his mother and Sasuke weren't going so well.

Kushina had been so distant towards him since the day he had revealed his love and reunion with Sasuke. The red haired woman wasn't mean to him or anything, but the way she looked and spoke to him was much to be desired. It was as though he was a complete stranger living in his own home.

It also didn't help that Ino hadn't visited the cabin nor the house. Kushina had tried to persuade her daughter in coming to see them many times after summer break, but the blonde haired Yamanaka had 'claimed' that she had just been too busy. That in itself made Kushina all the more despondent.

And Sasuke...

Naruto released a long breath that ruffled his bangs as his mind wandered to his workaholic boyfriend. He hadn't even heard from Sasuke in five days, the last contact they had was Sasuke sending a rushed text that said 'sorry, working. Talk to you some other time'.

Prior to that snippet of disappointment, Naruto and Sasuke had been arguing more with each other. Their quarrels ranged from the Uchiha's tight schedule with his internship to Naruto's complaints about his mother. Currently, the males' only means of communication was their cell phones since Sasuke was so focused with his brother's company.

It made the blond's heart ache that the two of them seemed to be at odds. Naruto wanted nothing more but to see the man he had fallen in love with and just touch him. He wanted to tell him everything; how he was feeling, how he was doing, even the whole Sai complication which he still hadn't mentioned to him.

Their present relationship with each other felt like a far cry from what had happened not even a month ago at the cabin...

Flashback

Returning to the cabin had not been ideal for either Naruto or Sasuke. Several minutes before they had reached the dirt path that led to the front of the log structure, Naruto had been on the phone with his mother, essentially being chewed out by the older woman. Her mood had only gotten worse when Naruto reluctantly told her that he had been with Sasuke and that the same man would be dropping him off.

"What did he do to you?" was one of the questions Kushina had practically demanded of him as he spoke to her through his mobile.

"He didn't do anything to me," Naruto had rolled his eyes while Sasuke had had a crossed expression between irritation and amusement. "At least, not anything I didn't want," he had amended defiantly. Kushina had sucked in some breath harshly before clicking off the phone line. "She's pissed," deadpanned Naruto as he pocketed his cell.

Reaching their destination minutes afterward, neither male was surprised to see Kushina leaning on the doorway of the entrance, glaring daggers as Sasuke's vehicle pulled up.

"What the hell were you thinking?!" she shrieked as soon as Naruto and Sasuke had exited from the car. "You had me worried sick, Naruto!"

"You're the one who said you couldn't be around me," Naruto frowned, sensing the upcoming tension.

"I told you to go for a jog," the Uzumaki female argued with gritted teeth. "You don't just ignore my calls and then expect me to be okay with it!"

Sasuke cleared his throat. "Uzumaki-san," he started as politely as he could. "I think you are being irrational—"

"You have some nerve talking to me that way," Kushina interrupted with a scary sort of calm, her watery orbs now slits. "How dare you come over here and take my son on some joyride."

"I mean no disrespect," Sasuke stated, his once stoic mood becoming uneasy. "I had accompanied Naruto because he needed my support. We had both agreed on him telling you about us being together, and he called me earlier to give you some space."

Kushina chuckled hollowly. "You're a smooth talker, Uchiha. Tell me, is that how you reel in all your innocent victims, including my daughter and son?"

"It's not like that!" Naruto shouted , trying to take the attention off Sasuke. "He cares about me!" Kushina just snorted, that same calm state settling over her features.

Sasuke put a hand on his boyfriend's shoulder, to both calm and encourage him. "Kushina," he pronounced evenly, disregarding the woman's appalled look at his lack of honorifics. "I know you don't like me," he raised his voice a bit when he saw that Kushina was going to open her mouth to dispute. "I understand why, and I accept it. I wasn't fair to either you nor Ino about my intentions, and I apologize for that. I shouldn't have treated Ino the way I had or led her on. It was uncalled for, but I can't deny the way I felt—and still feel—for your son."

Kushina actually appeared taken aback with Sasuke's sincerity, and her face morphed from many emotions, yet the one she decided to settle on was outward indifference.

"Naruto," she brought her violet-blue eyes to her child, dismissing Sasuke all together. "I want you to come inside now."

"Okasan—" the blond began, ready to protest.

"It's okay, Naruto," interposed the Uchiha, gaping straight at the red headed woman. "Go on inside." Watching as Naruto's face fell, Sasuke grabbed the boy into an embrace, ignoring Kushina's scowling face as he whispered. "Do you want me to stick around again?"

Wrapping his arms around Sasuke's shoulders, Naruto mumbled a single, "Please."

Sasuke let them hold on to one another for several more seconds prior to releasing his blond. Giving Naruto a kiss on the cheek, Sasuke was very aware of Kushina's growing anger with him. The last thing he said before walking back to his vehicle was 'I love you'.

Naruto wasn't even able to reciprocate the sentiment as he had to deal with his mother who, at that point, was on the verge of yelling at him.

Flashback End

Naruto blinked in awareness as the bell to signal the end of classes rang throughout the room. Following the suit of his classmates, the blond gathered his belongings swiftly, mindful of the unnecessary staring he was still receiving from Sai. Putting on his backpack, Naruto hadn't even taken three steps before the pale teen came to stand in front of him.

"Interesting lecture, wasn't it?" Sai inquired, false grin overcoming his countenance. "There's a lot you can learn from ancient history."

Naruto could feel both his hands balling into fists, knowing that Sai was mocking him. But instead of reacting with anger, Naruto responded as lightly as he could with, "Yeah, I guess so." He then attempted to sidestep the other; Sai didn't budge though, he just moved right along with Naruto.

"I think we should study together," suggested Sai, a proposal Naruto had heard more than enough times in the last week. "Y'know, since the two of us are so interested."

"And like I've told you before, thanks but no thanks," seethed the Uzumaki as he pushed his way past Sai, his body trembling as he noticed the many students observing his interaction with the black headed male.

"Why are you running away from me?" Naruto heard Sai asked from behind him, a horde of students parting from them as they entered one of the hallways. "Do you hate me that much?"

With rage wanting to build inside of him, Naruto abruptly ceased his walking, causing Sai and a few others to almost run into him. Counting to ten in his head to lessen his ire and fear, the whiskered teen spun back around to face his stalker, the distance between them mere inches away.

Slowly, and with tact, Naruto quietly uttered, "No, I don't hate you, Sai," although I'm getting pretty damn close, was the unsaid thought. "I just want to be left alone."

Smiling growing, Sai replied viciously. "Is that what happened that night I wanted to fuck you? You wanted to be left alone? I came on too strong, didn't I?" A majority of the onlookers heard what Sai had said, and were outright scandalized, with a couple of the senior boys snickering at the scene.

Naruto's cheeks colored with red, infuriation and mortification more than clear on his face. This was the first time Sai had so blatantly ridiculed him to his face, and in front of an audience to boot!

"You want to hit me now, right?" the Shimura male questioned, a seemingly melancholy look coming on his face. "You're so quick to anger. Who knows, maybe the dean should put you on probation again."

The phrases 'fuck you', 'you crazy asshole,' and 'I'm going to kill you' were swirling in Naruto's overtaxed head. It felt as though everything in his life was going wrong at once. Fuck, since when did things get this bad? Is this my punishment for all the selfish things I've done in my life? When will it end?

Through willpower alone, Naruto spoke with suppressed fury. "I'm not the only one quick to anger. You looked like a wild beast the night I kicked you out of my dorm for being such a whiny bitch. Bottom line Sai, you mean nothing to me. Absolutely nothing."

Without waiting for a response or reaction, Naruto turned frontward, and continued his trek through the halls. He heard a certain commotion from behind him, figuring it was Sai but not really caring either way. Reaching a corner, the blond then placed his head against the hard wall, two drops of angry tears cascading down his cheeks.

"Fuck this place," he muttered to himself.

Sasuke...please help me...

A loud whistle sounded in the cramped train station, indicating the last call for passengers to board as Naruto, Sakura, and Tenten made their way to the train's glass sliding door. The three teenage friends with luggage on hand then stepped on the platform, maneuvering through the huddle of other people so that they could find available seats for them.

The afternoon sun shone brightly as the light reflected off of the windows behind them. Naruto's face gave a half smile as the illumination warmed his body and his mood lightened. He and the girls were on their way to the blond's hometown; they planned on hanging out and celebrating with some of Naruto's other friends for the weekend of his birthday.

It was an idea that had formulated in Naruto's head due to the stresses he had had to endure for the past month. He had told Sakura and Tenten what he had had in mind for his birthday, and the girls had been more than excited. When he had informed Sasuke about his proposal a week before via text, the dark haired Uchiha had said he would be the one to pick them up from the boarding school. A day prior to the teens' departure date, however, Sasuke had called Naruto back to unfortunately tell him that he was on a deadline and would be unable to come. Naruto hadn't made as much of a fuss since his boyfriend had promised to spend time with him on his special day; still, the blond couldn't help but feel a little put out.

"What's with that face?" Tenten teased him, jostling Naruto's shoulder as the trio sat down next to each other.

A rueful smile appeared on Naruto's face. "Oh, it's nothing, just thinking."

"Good thoughts, I hope?" the brunette asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Of course," Naruto reassured. "I'm actually looking forward to this weekend."

"Me too," Sakura agreed, nodding her head. "Do you know if Sasuke-kun will be able to pick us up from the train station?"

Tenten and Naruto turned to her hastily, the latter frowning at the longing he heard in the pinkette's voice. Just as he predicted, Sakura hadn't let up on her interest in his boyfriend. She still pursued other guys, no doubt, but Sasuke was one guy she hadn't gotten over yet. And although she was pretty tame about her attraction to him, she would from time to time ask Naruto questions about him.

"No, Sakura-chan," muttered Naruto, a bit of bite to his words. "He's still working; he said he would meet us at the mall. My mom's picking us up."

Tenten took over the conversation, both she and Naruto ignoring the embarrassed blush on the Haruno's face. "How are you and your mom doing now?"

Naruto shrugged. "Not much has changed. She'll do things like pick me up and buy me stuff, but for the most part, she ignores me. I can't wait to move out for good and get a job so that I can buy my own car." The girls stared at their friend sadly, looks of sympathy on their faces as they ended their talk.

It took almost three hours for them to arrive at the blond's hometown, the main cause being that they had had to transfer to another train. The three friends nearly fell forward as their train jerked to a complete stop. Grabbing their luggage, Naruto, Sakura, and Tenten followed the rest of the passengers out as the sliding doors opened to release them.

The three stalked their way to the front of the station with mostly Naruto and Tenten leading the conversation since Sakura stumbled across a group of boys she was eyeing hungrily. The former two watched with dismay as the pink headed female sauntered herself over to them with flirtatious intentions.

"I got two phone numbers," Sakura excitedly said, walking back over to Naruto and Tenten after talking to the boys for several minutes.

Tenten shook her head at the other girl's audacity. "Girl, don't you get tired of flaunting yourself all the time?"

"Why would I be tired of it? I love the boys and the boys love me." Neither Naruto nor Tenten said anything in regards to what Sakura had said.

Five minutes later, Naruto spotted his mother's vehicle as the three exited the building and walked right alongside the said vehicle.

"Hello, Naruto. Hi, girls," Kushina greeted from the driver's window prior to her orbs landing on Naruto. "Happy birthday, kiddo," she seemed to voice listlessly.

"Thanks, Okasan," Naruto answered back just as listlessly as the two girls returned the greeting.

After packing their luggage into the trunk, the three teens entered the car, a certain awkward tension in the air. Kushina briefly looked at her son before bringing her attention to the road in front of her. She sighed inwardly as she thought about the growing distance between she and the blond, knowing that she was mostly to blame.

She was pushing her own son away based on selfish reasons, but she felt that this attitude with Naruto was a lot less stressful and harsh than screaming at him like she would've wanted to before. Because, honestly, what could she do now to dissuade Naruto's relationship with the Uchiha? Sure, she could scream and threaten her son, but what would that accomplish? He wasn't a minor anymore, and was free to be his own person. Kushina could only hope that whatever spell the Uchiha put on her child would disappear on its own so that Naruto could find a person more worthy of him.

"You look good," Kushina commented after driving for a while, more animation in her voice. "How are your studies?"

Naruto appeared stunned that his mother was opening to him. "Uh...fine, I guess. I'm not doing as well as I'd like though."

"Why not? Are you having trouble in school? Is that Sai character still a problem?"

Tenten and Sakura peered at each other at the older woman's inquiries from the back seat, yet all Naruto said was that he was handling it. Kushina opened her mouth to protest until her son reassured her, "It's okay, Okasan. I'll be okay, I just have to study harder, that's all."

Realizing that this was all she was going to be able to get out of him, Kushina stayed silent for a few more minutes before asking the girls how they were doing. Receiving positive answers from them, she glanced at Naruto before she told him, "I bought you a cake."

"Oh," the blond blinked in surprise, unbuckling his seat belt. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," the Uzumaki female responded as all the occupants left the vehicle. "I was hoping we could all have a slice and maybe...talk awhile before you three headed out for this evening...?" She gazed questioningly at the teens as she helped them with their luggage.

Naruto paused in surprise before a genuine smile appeared. "Sure, that would be nice."

An hour later found the four in the kitchen, enjoying their pieces of birthday cake and each other's company. The temperature outside had cooled down as the sky had darkened into night. Naruto and the girls had washed up and dressed appropriately for the weather, even though Sakura's cleavage was quite exposed.

There was chatter and laughter between all of them, and Naruto was actually pleased that he and his mother were getting along so well. It was only when the teenagers were wanting to leave that things went downhill.

"Ka-chan," Naruto spoke endearingly as he, Tenten, and Sakura put on their jackets. "Do you mind if I take the car? We're probably going to be gone a long time."

Kushina bit her bottom lip in worry, it was the first time her son had asked to borrow the car. "Where were you guys planning on going for the night?"

"The mall with some friends, and we might go to a club," Naruto said, leaving out what he really wanted to do at the mall.

"Will he be there?" was slipped out before Kushina could stop it, wincing once she took a look at her son's angered face.

"Yes, Sasuke will be there. He's my boyfriend," Naruto punctuated curtly. "I just sent him a text to confirm, actually."

"Naruto, I wish you wouldn't—"

"Wouldn't what, Okasan? Be with him? Haven't we been through this enough? You can't keep trying to dictate my life!"

"He's no good for you!"

"Shouldn't I be the one to make that decision?"

"You're too young to understand what you really want! I can't just sit back and watch that man take advantage of you!"

"For the last time, he's not taking advantage of me!" shouted Naruto, the girls fidgeting behind him uncomfortably.

Panting, Kushina gaped at the younger Uzumaki with such conflicted eyes. She wanted to do right by her son, and not fight with him over this matter, which she could admit was becoming ridiculous. But she couldn't help but...really hate that man.

"Fine," Kushina consented after letting out a breath. "Here's the keys to the car," she dug in her pockets and then tossed the keys to a bewildered Naruto. "Have a good night, and happy birthday. I'm going to bed." And with that, she turned around and went up the stairs, knowing that if she had remained any longer that their fight would have continued.

Naruto's eyes widened at the sudden dismissal before his expression changed into indignation. "Fuck," he mumbled to himself. Then, staring at Sakura and Tenten he said to them, "Let's just go."

"Are you going to be alright, Naruto-kun?" asked Sakura as the three exited from the house.

"I hope so," Naruto said in despair.

Climbing into his mom's vehicle, Naruto's actions contradicted his words as he slammed his hands against the top of the steering wheel prior to releasing a frustrated scream. Four arms from his side and from his back wrapped around him, Tenten and Sakura wanting to comfort their friend in any way they could.

Suavely putting on a crisp jacket, Sasuke then glanced at himself in the full length mirror, admiring his attire. He was casually dressed in a button up grey shirt complete with dark jeans and black suede boots. He had just received a text from his beloved ten minutes before stating that they could meet at the tattoo parlor in the mall.

After looking at himself one more time, the Uchiha left his room, walking to the foyer where his keys were dangling from a chain. On a small table against the wall laid a white envelope for Naruto, the contents being a disclosed amount of money that had mostly been from Itachi. The gesture from his brother had both gratified and shamed him, for he wished he had been the one to gift his lover. That was one of the reasons why he had worked so hard in school and on his internship.

While leaving the apartment and riding down the elevator, Sasuke thought back to his internship for his brother's branch. He had been working for the company for a little over a month, and so far things had been moving along smoothly. He was respected for his work ethics, and had actually made connections with some of the higher ups. The only downside was that he wouldn't be receiving a paycheck until a couple of months through his probation period.

Contrary to his internship, his relationship with Naruto wasn't as smooth. The blond just complained about anything and everything, and it sometimes grated on the Uchiha's nerves. It wasn't as though he didn't have compassion for his boyfriend because he more than did. It made him sick with guilt and worry when Naruto mentioned his mother, school, and other things. And since he was so busy with work and college, he had only been able to visit Naruto once. Even so, Sasuke had been quick to anger these last weeks and would often lash out at Naruto unfairly. Being an intern for Itachi was a huge responsibility though, and Sasuke wished Naruto could be more understanding. He was determined to prove to himself and anybody else that he worked just as hard as his sibling and that he didn't need 'Fugaku's' approval to make it into the business world.

When he arrived at the mall a half hour later, the people from inside the building were becoming few and far between since the mall was scheduled to close in the next two hours. Making his way through the aisles elegantly, Sasuke then came across the tattoo/piercing shop. He entered the parlor, hoping to see his boyfriend first but was instead intercepted by a pretty young woman behind the counter with blue hair and amber colored eyes.

"What can I help you with?" the woman inquired stoically, her eyes narrowing the slightest bit.

"I'm looking for a Uzumaki Naruto. I'm supposed to meet him here," Sasuke answered with crossed arms. "He has blond hair and blue eyes."

Staring at him blankly, the woman jabbed her thumb behind her. "You can go back there; Pein is working on him."

Storing the name 'Pein' in the back of his mind, Sasuke then nodded at the bluenette politely while stalking behind the counter to the back door. He opened the barrier and found four out of the ten stations occupied with tattoo artists and their customers. The walls were covered with various pictures of tattoos and piercings, and the sounds of buzzing from the tattoo device came seemingly from all over.

"Over here, Uchiha-kun!" a high pitched voice exclaimed from his left side.

Sasuke walked closer to the third station where a vaguely familiar pink haired girl and a brunette girl with two buns on the side of her head stood upward from a row of chairs against one of the walls to greet him.

"It's good to see you again," the girl with the pink locks continued with a blush. "You remember me? We met at the cabin about a month ago. I'm Naruto's friend, Haruno Sakura."

Sasuke inwardly sneered, recalling the time when the Haruno had blatantly flirted with him right in front of his beloved. "Barely," he replied. "I just recall a girl who so rudely interrupted us."

Sakura's blush became ripped as the brunette snorted before introducing herself, "Hi, I'm Yuuka Tenten, another friend of Naruto's."

"Uchiha Sasuke," he returned as he and Tenten shook hands. He could see himself liking this particular girl; at least she wasn't going all 'fangirl' on him.

Voices from the other side stole his attention as his eyes soaked in Naruto lying on a slanted chair with his stomach exposed and a red haired man with multiple piercings tattooing what looked like a swirl on his skin. The amount of lust pouring from Sasuke right then was astounding; he really had missed his boyfriend.

"...and then she just dismissed me as though what I was saying didn't matter to—oh, Sasuke, hi! You're here!" the blond cut himself off from his conversation with the tattoo artist as his blue irises landed on the regal Uchiha.

Sasuke smirked at Naruto's excitement in seeing him, trying to ignore the jealousy riding in his gut as the redhead lifted his eyes in amusement for a split second before focusing back on his work. "Hey," he greeted. "Nice to see you, happy birthday."

"Thanks, teme," stated Naruto sincerely, not even flinching as his stomach continued to be marked. "I'm glad you can spend some time with me."

"Of course," Sasuke said, noticing the sudden sadness in Naruto's eyes. He wondered what could have brought on such sorrow within his blond. Needing to say more but knowing it wasn't the time nor place, Sasuke took a seat between Sakura and Tenten, disregarding the former's talking as the girl batted her eyelashes at him.

As he sat there observing his boyfriend, Sasuke's jealousy from before began to grow as Naruto and the one he assumed was named 'Pein' chatted back and forth, a certain camaraderie settling between them. The feelings the dark haired man had only got worse as Pein gave a half smirk almost suggestively and Naruto smiled in kind.

By the time Naruto was finished getting his swirl tattoo, Sasuke was in a really bad mood. He didn't say a word as Naruto paid the man, the same blue headed woman from before looking at them emotionlessly over the counter. Sasuke felt his teeth clench as Pein invited his blond to come back any time.

"What's the matter, Sasuke?" Naruto asked minutes later as he along with the girls walked beside the older out of the mall.

"Hn, nothing," the Uchiha feigned, turning his head away stubbornly.

"You don't have to lie to me," Naruto uttered, stopping Sasuke from walking as he grasped his sleeve. "We haven't talked in so long, and I have missed you. Please tell me what's the matter."

Sasuke looked back at his boyfriend, his expression ostensibly impassive. That was why Naruto was taken off guard when Sasuke wrapped his arms around him and pressed his lips against the younger's. Naruto let out a squeak as the Uchiha pushed his tongue roughly inside his mouth, with Tenten and Sakura giving out similar noises of alarm. Naruto tried to keep up with Sasuke's passion, yet in the back of his mind, Naruto began to think that Sasuke was somehow punishing him.

"S-Sasuke," Naruto whimpered between the harsh kisses. "What's...gotten into you?"

As fast as the attack on Naruto's lips resumed, the act ended just as quickly with Sasuke giving a last lingering lick on Naruto's tantalizing neck. Naruto gaped at his boyfriend in confusion as Sasuke released his hold on him and shoved his hands into his pockets.

"You three are riding with me," Sasuke inclined his head towards his parked vehicle, overlooking the blond's baffled gaze. Sasuke had no intention of being separated from his desired for even a little while. "I'll drop you guys off at Naruto's car later."

"Sasuke," Naruto said again. "We need to talk about what just happened."

Leaning forward to whisper in Naruto's ear, the Uchiha said. "Just showing you how much I have missed you." He then raised his voice so that the other two could hear him. "Now c'mon, I have something for Naruto in the car."

The trio of friends stared at each other uneasily as they and the older Uchiha sauntered toward the latter's vehicle.

The line outside of the club was beginning to dwindle, the boisterous crowd more than hyped up to enter the establishment. Five of Naruto's friends, including Gaara and Kiba, had joined the foursome as the blond, Sasuke, Sakura, and Tenten waited rather impatiently since all the males of the group were causing a needless strain.

The mentioned horde had made it to the club's structure over twenty minutes prior, with Sasuke having taken the last three out for a bite to eat before they had appeared. Naruto had announced his boyfriend to the others, yet it was clear that most of them were taken aback with Naruto's bisexuality. Kiba in particular was having a difficult time, his brown orbs darting back and forth between the two lovers. Gaara, on the other hand, looked irritable. It didn't help that the cool air from earlier in the evening had increased and was now an abrupt chill. Naruto and the girls held their jackets closer to their bodies while Sasuke adjusted his own.

Chancing a glance at the dark haired man next to him, Naruto afterwards frowned to himself as the night's events filtered through his head. The tanned teen wasn't sure what had set Sasuke off so negatively, but it was making Naruto feel bad. The only thing Naruto could think of that he did to warrant Sasuke's behavior was acting friendly with the tattoo artist. Still, even that wasn't enough to cause the Uchiha's sour mood.

After what felt like forever, Naruto and his friends were finally admitted inside, receiving a stamp on their hands to show that they were minors. The space of the club was square shaped in size with the dance floor being on one side and a column of tables and chairs being on the other.

Lights flashed rapidly from the ceiling above, and the musty smell alone hit the group as they pushed their way through the sweaty, dancing bodies all around them. The Uzumaki and his clique initially stuck together, with the boys (excluding Naruto) standing by awkwardly and the girls beginning to dance with one another in a circle.

Naruto found himself straying as the loud music pumping from the speakers guided his hips to move from side to side. Sasuke licked his lips as he witnessed his boyfriend dance, a well known tightness forming in his jeans. Unfortunately, he wasn't the only one watching his lover. A few other eyes had landed on the sensual movements of Naruto, and it royally pissed Sasuke off.

It wasn't until he saw Gaara staring at his boyfriend like a piece of meat that he decided to stake his claim. Sasuke's own posse of admirers watched him as he stealthily strolled behind Naruto and grabbed his waist. He mimicked Naruto's dancing as the younger let out a moan of surprise.

"You don't know how sexy you look right now," Sasuke's voice rose higher over the continuous music.

"Oh, yeah?" quipped Naruto, spinning around in the raven's arms. "Am I turning you on, baby?"

"More than you know," answered Sasuke, giving Naruto a chaste kiss. He noted the many eyes tracking them, expressions ranging from lustful to disgusted. The one person Sasuke focused on though was the redheaded Gaara, his green orbs lighting in rage at the display. Sasuke gave him a smug smirk over Naruto's shoulder as a result.

"Hey, listen," Naruto suddenly whispered in his ear, his tone turning sad. "We're okay, right? I don't want us to be mad at each other. I just want us to have a good time tonight."

Hearing the hurt in Naruto's voice, Sasuke tried to squash down his remaining jealousy. "We're fine," he declared, nuzzling his nose in yellow spikes. "We'll have fun."

The pair danced sexily against one another for a long time, their clammy bodies glimmering with the falling lights. It felt like they were making love on the dance floor, their hips thrusting back and forth in a smooth-like grace. Ignoring the pain on his stomach, Naruto grinned with a flushed countenance, wanting to tease his lover that he could dance well when an unsuspected vibration came from his back pocket.

Both males ceased their dancing as Naruto took out his cell phone. Instant distress emerged from Sasuke as he saw Naruto's appearance—scared and irated.

"I'll be right back," the golden teen yelped, his voice more booming than the music. Sasuke just nodded his head as Naruto walked away from him. Gaara was swift in following the blond, and Sasuke was about to do the same, but he was stopped.

Two hands from behind him all of a sudden seized his shoulders. What the hell? "Are you having fun, Sasuke-kun?" the ever leeching Sakura yelled next to his ear.

With a glower ready, the raven revolved around to face the girl. "What do you want?"

Sakura smiled coyly, taking heed to Sasuke's angered tone. "I wanted to see how you and Naruto-kun were doing," she said. "And...maybe...the three of us could dance together..." she trailed off as soon as Sasuke's look rose in ire.

"During our 'three' interactions with one another, did I ever indicate that I would ever be interested in you?" asked Sasuke with a sneer.

"Well, no—"

"'Cause I never will be, I'm in love with Naruto. Besides, I have better taste than you."

"Hey, asshole, that's—!"

"Think about Naruto and how he feels about you hitting on me."

Sakura paused, eventually concluding with, "I'd never betray him. He's my best friend."

"Then get the hint and leave me alone," was said in a condescending voice. Sasuke may have done some unjust things in the past, but how Sakura was acting was just plain disturbing.

The said pink haired girl's eyes enlarged at the older's refusal of her company, a slight groan of humiliation and guilt wracking her body. "I-I'm sorry, I was just being nice to you. I'll walk away now." Defeated, Sakura strode to the other side, disregarding one of the men who attempted to talk to her.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Sasuke then made his way to one of the exits, wanting to check on Naruto to see whether or not he was okay. He was just about to reach the outside when an obnoxious male voice called out to him.

"Hey, Sasuke! Thought I'd never see you here, ever!"

The Uchiha's face appeared sober on the outside, but inside was another story: Why, oh why?