Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, then Sasuke never would have left the village and there would be Uchiha-Uzumaki babies running around. (:
Rating: M
Warning: Mention of rape, some strong language, Mpreg, mention of ItaNaru and SasuNaru. And if you squint there might be other pairings mingled in there.
Author's Note: Okay. Here's the sequel to Vulnerable!
-cricket, cricket-
-sweatdrop-
Anyways, I hope you enjoy this. And I hope it's up to everyone's standards. -scurries behind a couch and peeks head out- This has several broken up parts to it. Yeah, I know, it probably sounds or looks wierd when I jump around from person to person and yadda yadda.
Oh, and I made up the names for the random ANBU Blackhops. ' And I hope I got the old man's name right - the one that works at Ichiraku's, y'know?
Slowly, bright blue eyes opened, squinting from the sun. His cheek rest lightly against a warm chest, and he was aware of arms wrapped tightly about his body. A blanket was wrapped around him. Naruto lifted his gaze, staring up at the cat-like mask of the ANBU blackhop carrying him.
"Where... Where am I...?" the boy asked with some difficulty.
A feminine voice replied, "You're safe, Naruto."
Naruto accepted the answer, letting his head fall against the woman's chest again. His body ached.
His senses were gradually returning. The boy shifted lightly in the woman's arms, wincing as a stab of pain ran up his spine. He was naked underneath the blanket. The woman carrying him - two other ANBU blackhops were with her - spoke to the others, asking them questions about the losses and their reports; Naruto didn't follow the conversation.
"Are they following us?" the woman suddenly inquired, peering at another, one wearing a bird-like mask. "I can't sense their chakra. I don't think so," came the reply.
For a small moment, there was silence. "Daisuke, I want you to scout the area ahead, just in case. Shibi, stay here with me."
The ANBU blackhop with the bird-like mask nodded once, pushing chakra into the soles of his feet and springing ahead of the other two. Shibi looked to the woman. "Is he conscious, Ayako?" Ayako kept her eyes ahead, her grip tightening on the boy.
"Barely."
Shibi frowned, shifting his gaze ahead once more.
The little blonde closed his eyes. And then Naruto blacked out.
Haruno Sakura sighed.
She was leaning against the gates of Konoha, watching, waiting for the squad that had been sent out to retrieve her friend. One hand fidgeted with the hem of the skirt worriedly. Where were they? They'd succeeded, hadn't they?
They had to succeed!
Hours before, the Godaime had called on the best of the ANBU blackhops for a mission: to find the Akatsuki hideout and retrieve Uzumaki Naruto from their clutches. It was an S ranked mission. The girl bit her lip, sweeping all bad thoughts away. Her gaze shifted from the trees to the comrades that were waiting with her.
Shikamaru, Kiba, Hinata, and Neji.
The five had been ordered to greet the squad if - when, Sakura thought - they arrived.
Sakura pushed away from the gates, stepping toward her peers. "They'll be here soon," she spoke, staying optimistic. "Yeah, of course they'll be here soon!" Kiba grinned encouragingly from his spot on the ground, sitting next to the Hyuuga heiress with Akamaru at his side. Neji closed his eyes, folding his arms over his chest and listening to the voices of his comrades. Slowly, he opened his eyes, his hands forming a seal. "Byakugan!" The Hyuuga genius locked his attention on the sight of an ANBU blackhop moving toward them, then on a pair following after him; one held a still form in her arms. A small smirk played on his lips as he deactivated his kekkei genkai.
"They're coming. And they have Naruto."
The doubt that had gripped her heart suddenly disappeared at the words; Sakura smiled brightly, turning her attention toward the forest. 'Naruto... You're almost home. You're safe.' Out of the corner of her eye she noticed Shikamaru standing, brushing himself off. "Might as well go alert the Hokage." He rubbed at the back of his neck, peering down at the ground for a moment before he turned and walked leisurely through the gates of the village.
Moments after Shikamaru had left, Daisuke landed neatly on the ground; he was followed by his squad and the boy in Ayako's arms. "Naruto!" Sakura cried, sprinting up to Ayako.
"He'll be alright. We weren't followed. Lets get him to Hokage-sama as quickly as possible!"
"I'll take him," Neji offered. The woman nodded, handing Naruto to the Hyuuga genius. Sakura stared down at her friend in Neji's arms, biting her lip worriedly. "Well, what are we waiting for!?" Kiba suddenly put in. "Lets go!"
"R-Right!" came the meek cry of Hinata.
The teenagers shot through the gate, heading toward the hospital - Tsunade had told them to meet her there.
Ayako, Shibi, and Daisuke remained behind.
It was silent amongst the three adults for the longest time. "You don't think...?" started Shibi, before he was harshly cut off by Ayako's sharp voice. "It's not our place to talk about what may or may not have happened while he was captured!" Her glare dispersed any other questions. However, as another minute placed, the woman sighed and bit her lip.
"But there were streaks of dried blood on his legs..."
The sounds of several pairs of feet sprinting quickly through the streets alerted the civilians to move out of the way; some were shocked to see the obviously injured Naruto in Neji's arms; others scowled, snorted, and went on about their business. It was those people that Neji wanted to stop for, to throw into a wall for even daring to give his friend - his hurt friend - those looks.
But Neji just bit back any remarks and killing urges and kept darting through the streets.
Kiba was a ways ahead, on the back of his faithful dog. Four legs were quicker than two, no matter how much training any of them did. Sakura was to his left, Hinata to his right, and Shikamaru on her right.
He caught the worried glances they would give the almost lifeless boy in his arms. He was worried about him too.
Naruto was too still.
Naruto was never this still. Even in earlier days, when he'd been knocked out during missions, Naruto would stir every once in a while, as if trying to force himself to wake up from his temporary coma. But there was no movement, no stirring; almost as if Naruto didn't have the will to wake up.
He had thought too much. Neji sprinted through the doors of the hospital; Kiba had already notified a nurse, and the woman gestured for them to follow.
She sensed their urgency, obviously, as she jogged rapidly down the hallways, calling for the other medical staff to move out of the way. "Tsunade-sama!" the nurse called. Immediately, the blonde woman stepped out of one of the hospital rooms, gesturing for the group to enter. Neji slowed to a walk, entering the room and laying Naruto down on the bed; he lingered, hovering just slightly over the boy. One hand brushed at a few strands of hair that fell into Naruto's closed eyes before Neji stepped back.
"Shizune-" he hadn't even noticed the darked haired woman standing with her arms folded infront of her in a corner of the room "-get some bandages from the cabinet. And I want to check him over carefully. You'll have to leave." Tsunade's gaze landed on the group of anxious teenagers.
"We're his friends! We should get to stay!" Kiba protested loudly. The woman shook her head. "Friend or not, I don't want you in here with me; you'll only get in the way."
"What about me?" asked Sakura, pushing passed Neji and Kiba. "I'm a medical ninja."
Tsunade seemed to hesitate; but then she shook her head, rejecting the idea. "No, only Shizune and I will examine him."
Sakura opened her mouth to protest.
She wisely closed it when the busty blonde woman glared at her.
"Now then, if there's no more questions, you know where the door is," Tsunade spoke, her voice calm. Neji couldn't help but scowl slightly; he, like the others, wanted to be there for his friend. It wasn't fair that they were being put out - what if Naruto needed them? Again, the Hyuuga bit back any comments in favor of turning on his heel and walking out of the hospital room, followed by his reluctant peers.
The blonde sighed.
Shizune had gathered the supplies, setting them on the table. Dark eyes lifted, falling on the woman who was gazing down at Naruto with a sad expression. She watched Tsunade lift a hand, brushing away stray bangs - much like Neji had done previously - and sigh. "Naruto... If I'd only thought through it, you wouldn't be like this." There was regret in her voice.
She had been so sure, so sure that Naruto would be fine.
But he wasn't.
Tsunade let out a shuddering breath. "Alright. Lets begin." Shizune nodded with an encouragingly smile.
The blonde woman sighed, resting her palm against her forehead.
Before lay the reports she had gathered from Naruto's examination; when she had examined him, she'd felt like crying. Tsunade sat back in her chair, closing her eyes and folding her hands in her lap. She had called two people to her, and they would be arriving soon. It was they who she would relay the news to first.
There was a knock at her door.
"Come in," the Hokage called, her voice tired with sad tones mingled. The door slid open, and Sakura stepped into the room, followed by the raven haired male.
Uchiha Sasuke had been dragged back - not quite kicking and screaming since he'd been unconscious the entire time - by Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi several months before. He'd been put under careful watch; his shinobi title was stripped from him; and his chakra had been bound to ensure that he didn't try anything. He didn't. After a few months of good behavior, he had no longer needed to be watched by ANBU constantly. A few more months and his title had been reinstated and he'd been released from his chakra binds - Naruto had been the main reason for this. That had been only three months ago.
Sasuke had been there when their plan had undergone.
He stood with his hands in his pockets, staring at Tsunade curiously; Sakura stood at his side, her hands folded behind her back, chewing on her lips.
It was silent until-
"Hokage-sama, what is it you wanted to tell us?" came Sasuke's cool, calm voice. Tsunade stared at the Uchiha, her gaze flicking to Sakura, and then to the ceiling above. "As you expected, it's about Naruto." She took it as a good sign when both tensed up expectantly, knowing she had their full attention.
She sighed, leaning forward and running a hand through her hair.
"When we examined him, he had some bruises and his chakra was drained. We'd expected that. But what we didn't expect was the blood that ran in streaks down his inner legs. But there was also semen mixed in with that blood." Tsunade paused, flicking her gaze toward the pair.
Sakura's eyes were wide; Sasuke's teeth were gritted. She continued.
"We took some samples for DNA testing, and it was Uchiha DNA, specifically, Uchiha Itachi's."
Red flashed before Sasuke's eyes, and his fists clenched at his sides. Both Sakura and Tsunade felt the sudden killing vibe that radiated from Sasuke's body - Tsunade had expected it. She was silent for a moment before continuing. "Shizune and I have cleaned, clothed, and healed him, but we can only heal physical wounds. That's where the two of you come in. I expect that after this, Naruto will be wary about being touched by anyone, specifically those of the male persuasion and even more so those who are older than him." Again, she paused, giving them time to ask questions and make sure they understood so far.
Sakura bit her lip. "So... Naruto was ra...ped...?" The young Uchiha visibly winced at her question.
Tsunade nodded solemnly. "There were marks on his wrists which suggested he'd been bound, and claw marks on his hips as if someone had been holding him down." The woman surpressed the shudder that ran up her spine; her little brother had been captured and raped, and it was all her fault.
The pink haired girl grew silent, staring sadly down at the ground.
Again, Sasuke broke the uncomfortable silence.
"What exactly do you want us to do?"
Leaning back in her hair, Tsunade folded her arms over her chest, brow furrowing. "Watch over him; make sure he knows he's safe and that we will not let anyone harm him again. Right now, he's going to need friends now more than ever. And surpress those killing urges, Sasuke! You are not going after Itachi! Naruto will probably need you with him the most."
Sasuke had jumped in surprise before returning to his normal demeanor.
But inside, he was furious; Itachi had raped his best friend. Itachi had taken something away from Naruto that Naruto could never ever get back, and if Sasuke had anything to say about it, he'd pay for it.
Sakura glanced to her right, staring at Sasuke; she could tell he was pissed. She was pissed too, and upset that she had been able to do nothing to protect her friend from harm. The girl wrung her hands together, lifting her gaze from the young Uchiha to the Hokage. "Hokage-sama, what if... what if Naruto is afraid of us after this?" Tsunade furrowed her brow again. "If he is afraid you'll hurt him... show him that you mean him no harm."
"And if Itachi comes back for him?"
The blonde woman looked at Sasuke. A small smile formed on her lips. "If Itachi comes near Konoha in search of Naruto, he's all yours, Sasuke. With the help of ANBU, of course." Sasuke started to sneer - he didn't want nor need any help to kill his brother - but thought better of it and just nodded instead. Neither of the pair asked anymore questions, and Tsunade sat up, placing her hands on her desk. "When Naruto comes to, I'll talk with him and learn a bit more. After that, I'll send someone to tell the two of you that you can visit him. Oh, and this is a long-term mission, and it's not limited to just you two. If any other of Naruto's friends want to help, then they are welcome - tell them that. I called the two of you because you would be closest to him; you were his teammates."
With a wave of her hand, Tsunade dismissed the pair.
She turned back to the reports on her desk; she'd failed to mention that Ayako, Shibi, and Daisuke's report had said they had come upon the scene just as the Akatsuki were about to begin the extraction process. Worrying them would not help the fear and sadness and anger they probably already felt. Tsunade sighed, rubbing at her eyes with the heel of her hand.
Sake would so wonderful right now.
Her thoughts were interupted when Shizune charged in, her chest heaving as she made wild gestures with her hands. "Naruto's awake!" Looks like sake would have to wait. Tsunade nodded and stood, following after the dark haired woman.
The mood was solemn inside Ichiraku's. Kiba picked at the ramen noodles with his chopsticks, poking them and stirring them around in the now-lukewarm broth. Hinata sat at his side, her head resting on the tops of her hands, which rested on the counter.
Neji, Sasuke, and Sakura sat nearby.
"So Naruto was... y'know?" Kiba asked. The words rape and Naruto just didn't sound good in a sentence. Sakura nodded sadly.
The Hyuuga heiress lifted her head, opened her mouth to speak, then closed her mouth and stared down sadly at the counter. There was a hiss off to their right, where Sasuke sat next to Sakura. "Yeah, he was raped -" the others cringed back at the sound of the word; they couldn't believe it "- and it was by fucking Itachi." His voice ended in a growl.
Neji closed his eyes, folding his arms over his chest. "And we're to watch over him and protect him, where before we failed." Another hiss sounded from the young Uchiha's throat, but he didn't say anything. All of them knew that Neji's words were true - they had failed to protect Naruto when it really counted. Now they had to fix it. Kiba had given up trying to eat, handing over money to Teuchi to pay for his meal. The old man waved his hand, declining it.
He had heard the conversation.
"Keep it. You have enough on your hands at the moment." The Inuzuka nodded gratefully, turning back to the group. "When can we see 'im?"
Sasuke shut his eyes.
It was Sakura who answered.
"Tsunade-sama said she would send someone to get us when she had finished checking him and speaking with him."
Silence fell over the group. Hinata's meek voice suddenly rose up to their ears.
"Naruto-kun... will be okay... right...?"
It was the question that was lingering on all of their minds.
Tsunade stepped inside the white hospital room, holding a folder to her side. Sunlight filtered in through the windows, the dark green curtains only blocking some of it out; a bed sat on the far right with a nightstand to the left. A vase with various flowers sat on this. There was a sink with lower and upper cabinets on either side and underneath and above. The closed white door led to the bathroom.
The room smelled clean, with a small flowery hint.
Naruto sat on the bed, the white sheets surrounding him and almost seeming to swallow him up completely. Some bangs fell infront of his eyes, his normally spiky blonde hair damp from the humidity. He stared down at the sheets somewhat sadly.
"Naruto..."
The boy blinked and lifted his head, staring at Tsunade.
Her heart warmed a little when he flashed her his signature grin, his eyes closing. "Hey Tsunade-obaachan! You're the one treating me?"
'Well at least his personality doesn't seem to have been affected.'
The blonde woman smiled warmly, nodding once. "I am." His grin only widened, and he threw his hands up to fold them behind his head. "That's great! So what'cha here for exactly? I doubt it's just a friendly visit." Tsunade smiled cheerfully, stepping toward the bed and sitting on the edge and opening up the folder. "Actually, I just need to get some information and do another examination. But once that's done, I'll send word out to your friends that they have come see you."
Naruto nodded, leaning back against the headboard.
"Alright, I need to know everything you're willing to tell me..."
Naruto told her everything. He hesitated a bit when it came to parts about Itachi, but the blonde did end up speaking about it. Everything he could remember about the Akatsuki hideout, where it was, what it looked like, he spoke of. It took a few hours to tell the full story, but Tsunade was attentive the entire time, writing notes down on scrap pieces of paper and storing them in her folder.
"- I heard some of the Akatsuki members talking once when they thought I was out of it about other jinchuuriki. It seemed like they hadn't gotten all of the tailed demons yet from the way they spoke. And, er, that's all I remember." The kitsune lifted a hand, scratching at the back of his head somewhat sheepishly. "That's more than enough, Naruto. All the information you have is valuable. Now, lets get on with the examination."
Tsunade stood, setting aside her folder and writing untensil; she checked his bandages to find the bruises had already healed up, and that the scratch marks that had been left were gone as well. However, the marks on his neck - 'Hickeys,' she thought bitterly, 'He gave him hickeys.' - hadn't faded, and she assumed that the mark she had found on his inner thigh during her first examination hadn't faded either.
The last thing Naruto needed right now was someone stripping him down and spreading his legs to check if a mark had disappeared yet.
From there, it was mostly just like a check-up; she had no need to check for internal bleeding or damaged organs or tissue, as that had been done the first day Naruto had come to the hospital.
But she did draw blood to be tested. She had him urinate in a tube to be tested as well ("Why do I have to friggin' pee in a tube, obaachan!?" "Because it's for testing, just do it!").
Picking up her folder, Tsunade scribbled a few more notes down before peeking over the top at Naruto, who watched her with a curious expression on his face. "That's about it, Naruto. I'll have someone go alert your friends that you can be visited now." She smiled warmly, and he grinned back.
With her folder and the test tubes in hand, Tsunade made her way out of the room.
She caught up to Shizune, handing the test tubes to her.
"I want these to be analyzed and the results sent back to me, alright?"
"Of course," Shizune replied, smiling before she jogged off. Tsunade breathed deeply, hands on her hips. A sigh followed afterward. "I really need a cup of sake..."
"Somehow, I doubt that'll help much." Her head lifted, staring at the speaker. "Ah, Kakashi. Just who I was looking for. I have a task for you. Go get Naruto's peers and tell them he can be visited now."
The copy-nin nodded.
"Alright, I'll get them."
In a puff of smoke, he was gone and Tsunade was left standing alone.
He stood silently, staring down at the waters. One hand hung lazily over the edge and his feet were folded one behind the other. Dark eyes stared back at him; the more he watched his reflection, the more it seemed to twist to fit the appearance of his older brother.
Sasuke growled.
Angrily, he kicked a loose rock into the water, scattering the reflection - when it returned, it was no longer Itachi.
The young Uchiha had separated himself from the others to think. He couldn't help but think that part of this was his fault. If only he'd been strong enough to kill his brother the first time they met, when he was twelve, then maybe Naruto wouldn't be hurt now. Dark eyes closed and he leaned down, resting his chin on the tops of his hands. He stood on the bridge team 7 had often met at.
It seemed like a good place to think.
The raven felt another's presense, the sound of feet thudding on wood as they landed next to him ringing in his ears.
Without opening his eyes, Sasuke spoke, "Why're you here, Kakashi?" The copy-nin stepped next to the young Uchiha, leaning against the railing and staring out over the waters. "Naruto's up and Tsunade told me to find you guys," Kakashi replied, peering down at Sasuke.
One eye cracked open to peer up at his former sensei.
"Naruto's awake now?"
Kakashi nodded - and then blinked down at the sudden empty space next to him. Sasuke had already darted off. A small chuckle rose from his lips. "Severed bonds, my ass."
The young Uchiha pushed the door open, panting just slightly. There were already others there:
Neji and Lee; Shikamaru; Sakura, Hinata, and Kiba with Akamaru.
Sasuke stared at them before his gaze flicked to the bed. A familar grin caught his attention, and the corners of his mouth tugged up into a bit of a smile. "Hey teme! What took you so long, huh? Am I not important enough for you or something?" His tone was playful.
The raven snorted.
"Tch. Dobe. Just be glad I'm here at all."
"Well maybe I don't want you here!"
Sakura sighed. She could tell they were only playing, but it still worried her. Although, the fact that Naruto was still acting like Naruto helped alot.
Sasuke stepped toward the bed, folding his arms over his chest and leaning against the wall next to the bed.
Naruto grinned up at his friend before turning to the others.
"So what's up guys? I haven't talked to you in forever!" The Inuzuka chuckled; Akamaru barked and hopped up onto the bed, curling up at the end and staring at Naruto. "We were all frantic lookin' for ya, buddy!" The others in the room smiled or nodded but didn't say anything; Naruto could tell they felt uneasy, and he knew why. Their uneasiness was making him uneasy.
Kiba seemed to be the only one acting normal around him.
Sasuke as well, but it was normal for Sasuke not to say anything.
"So, how was it?"
"Kiba!" Sakura hissed warningly. The young Uchiha dug his nails in the nightstand, glaring at the Inuzuka hatefully, the Sharingan flaring. Naruto just blinked at the reaction to the question. "How was what?" Kiba gestured. "Er, well... y'know?"
The blonde suddenly got it and lowered his head slightly.
"Uh, well, it was really nothing special. Actually kinda hurt." Sasuke's nails dug deeper into the nightstand, dragging and creating indents; he was still glaring at Kiba. Why would you ask something like that? And Naruto's reply was what really had him ticked off. Actually kinda hurt. Itachi had hurt his best friend, his Naruto!
...When had Naruto become his?
Sasuke blinked, removing his hand from the nightstand.
Kiba nodded solemnly. "Yeah, I bet so. Sorry I asked." Naruto just shook his head with a grin. "Nah, it's fine! I'm fine with it! I had to tell Tsunade-obaachan about it too, so it's not a new thing to me."
From there, the mood seemed to lighten drastically.
Tsunade stared at the test results.
She read them, and then reread them.
"Shizune, are you positive these are Naruto's results?" she questioned, lifting her head to stare at the woman. Shizune nodded. "Yes, they are. I don't understand the results either. Naruto can't be -" the dark haired medic-nin was cut off by a wave of Tsunade's hand.
"It can't be... It just can't be possible..."
They had sat for hours, chatting and talking about old memories, what had happened in the village while Naruto was gone, different missions. It was easier than before - they now knew that Naruto wasn't affected by his rape. He was okay. He was still the same bubbly blonde jinchuuriki that they had grown to love and care about.
Even the young Uchiha talked with them, and once Naruto got him to laugh.
Naruto seemed happy about that.
Neji was the one who noticed the way Sasuke acted around the blonde. There was a protective nature about the young Uchiha as he sat next to the blonde boy on the bed, listening to him talk and occasionally rolling his eyes. The pair still fought. But it was mostly playful banter that they shared now, though Sasuke and Naruto's rivalry remained.
The group was happy with sitting and talking.
That is, until Tsunade pushed open the door. "Naruto!" The blonde jumped, his gaze shifting to the blonde woman. "Yeah, Tsunade-obaachan? What's up?" he questioned. Sakura's brow furrowed and she jumped to her feet, staring at her sensei. "Tsunade-sama, what's goi -" The Hokage waved her hand, cutting the pink haired girl off. Her gaze was fixated on Naruto as she strode over to the bed, staring down at him.
A sigh lifted from her lips.
"There's no easy what to explain this, so I'm just going to hand the reports over to you."
She tossed a folder of files at him; Naruto blinked, caught the folder, blinked again, and then opened it and began to read. For several minutes he read - then his eyes grew wide as saucer pans.
"I'M WHAT!?"
Sasuke flinched back from the scream - he'd been sitting right next to the blonde, after all - and stared at Naruto as if he'd gone insane.
The busty woman sighed.
"Yes, Naruto, you're pregnant."
A simultaneous cry rose from the other teenagers in the group, "WHAT!?"
Tsunade scowled. "Are you all deaf!? Naruto is pregnant!" The blonde stared at her as if she'd just grown a second head and three more eyes. He suddenly lurched forward, attaching himself to Tsunade's waist. "No no no! I'm male, Tsunade-obaachan, male! I can't get pregnant! It's not possible! I'm supposed to impregnate, not be the one impregnated! Please tell me the results are wrong!" the boy wailed, burying his face in her stomach. The woman sighed, prying Naruto away from her.
"Tsunade-sama, how is this possible?" Sakura questioned.
The Hokage sighed, rubbing her forehead. "Well, I did some research. Naruto apparently -"
Naruto suddenly screeched, "Am I a hermaphrodite!? Is that how I got -"
With a glare, she cut him off and continued. "- is able to carry a child because of Kyuubi no Youko. No, Naruto, you are not a hemaphrodite; you're completely male. Kyuubi, however, is a hemaphrodite. Your child is surrounded by the fox's chakra, which protects it; this chakra is much like a mother's womb. But because you're a male, you'll have to have a C-Section. And no, you cannot use that jutsu of yours to turn yourself into a female. The child would still be surrounded by chakra, not in the womb, and you would still have to have a C-Section. Plus, when you slept, the henge would disappear."
Naruto stared at her. And then he attached himself to the closest thing available - Sasuke.
"BUT I'M NOT SUPPOSED TO GET PREGNANT!"
He continue to wail and screech and reject the idea while his friends tried to calm him down. Sasuke, however, was rather content to just let Naruto cling to him while he soothingly stroked the boy's cornsilk hair.
So, was it any good? -sweatdrops-
Please review and tell me what you think. (: And, um, don't always expect chapters this long. This one was actually going to be longer, but I thought that this would be a good place to stop.