25 R-18

Sleep always came to Naruto quite easily. It was one of the benefits of following a strict training schedule and thus, maintaining his body at its physical peak.

But having a strict timetable also meant that his body had an alarm clock of its own, informing him when it was time to eat, train, drink, sleep, or in this case, wake up. As soon as it was five in the morning, Naruto's eyes fluttered open and as was his habit, blinked his eyes repeatedly to get the sleep out of his eyes. He was about to roll over and get up, but stopped when he felt his hand was hooked with something.

Another hand.

Last night's events flashed into his mind, and a small smile crossed over his face as he got back into his place. His front was pressed against a bare back, his legs tangled with his bed partner's, his left hand resting on her stomach and hooked with her own left hand. His breath brushed against the back of her neck, but she was too deep in sleep to react to that.

He looked under the sheet, and felt a small relief about the fact that they were still wearing their underwear. He had an eidetic memory, but visual confirmation still made him feel a bit better. They had not done sex last night, but came very damn close. Naruto respected Temari's wishes that they not have sex until their wedding night, because she wanted that moment to be special for both of them. However, that did not mean they couldn't try certain… adventurous things.

He looked back up and just pulled Temari closer to him by her stomach. She responded to him in her sleep by shuffling behind, so that they were in full contact under the covers. Naruto then realized that he might have made a a mistake pulling her closer. The reason he thought that way was that he was a teenage boy, and being one of those beings meant he tended to have something of a morning wood. His excitement only rose when his girl shifted closer to him, her hips pressing against his flesh and causing his breath to hitch.

He took a deep breath and tried to strengthen his resolve. There was no getting out of this, well, there was, but a part of him didn't want to. Also, he was sure that Temari would wake up after feeling something pressed against her private parts.

He would just have to wait, as painful as it was.

Temari's eyes slowly fluttered open, as her mind rebooted from REM sleep. She felt warm, which was odd, considering she wasn't wearing her night t-shirt. She looked down and blinked, then cracked a small smile on seeing the slightly larger hand resting over her smaller one.

Memories of last night came to the front of her mind, and her face broke into a large grin at what had happened. She and Naruto had continued their activities for over an hour after they began, after which they had decided to sleep, not even minding the mess on the sheets.

Last night was the first time she and Naruto had ever went this far. But that wasn't anything new for them. Every time they made out, they went a little farther than the last time. What would be more correct to say was, last night was the first time they had engaged in any sort of sexual contact.

She had given her first handjob, and gotten her vagina stimulated by someone else's fingers for the first time as well. And both of them had loved it, regardless of the mess they had made on the sheets.

As more of her memories returned, the sensations to her body returned as well. She became aware how her back was pressed to Naruto's chest, her legs were tangled with his. And, something was poking her in the ass.

Like she could feel Naruto's own heart beating fast at the contact, hers sped up as well. Before she could take a course of action, she moaned at the feeling of feather light kisses brushing the back of her neck. The hand that was overlapping her own started roaming as well.

"I see you had a good night's sleep," she managed to get out.

She felt Naruto's smile against her skin, "I'm sure you did too."

Temari was lightly panting by now, because of Naruto's ministrations. Her delightfully rose up and down, to Naruto's entertainment. Temari slowly shifted so she was lying on her back, legs spreading on their own. Naruto maneuvered himself so he was between her legs, both of their crotch areas in contact.

"We should… probably….get up," Temari gasped out, pleasure increasing as Naruto massaged her nipples.

Naruto didn't even pause, "It's five in the morning right now."

That was enough of an incentive for Temari to grab his head with her hands and bring him down for a ferocious lip-lock. Their tongues dueled as her legs tightened around him. That prompted Naruto to slowly start moving backwards and forwards.

Forty-five minutes later, both of them were panting as they cuddled on the bed, the sheets wet once again. Naruto rested against the headboard, with Temari laying her head on his chest, her legs resting over his under the sheets. She was idly drawing circles with her finger on his chest.

"I can't imagine how sex would feel if only this feels so incredible," Temari commented.

Naruto chuckled, "I'm sure it would be at least ten times more incredible than this."

Temari gave him a sultry look. "I'm sure you can't wait to find out."

Naruto truthfully replied. "You're right, I can't. But I will exercise the incredible willpower I have to restrain myself until our wedding night."

Temari softly giggled and kissed him on his cheek. "And I can't wait to see what happens when you break that restraint."

They both went silent after that, just enjoying the quiet till it lasted. Of course, both of them froze when they heard the light, yet unmistakable sound of a door opening. It was the bedroom right across from them, which meant it was Gaara and Kankuro's room. Light, but sure footsteps exited and slowly made their way to the living room.

That was Gaara.

Naruto released a breath. "I think it's best if you made your way to your room now."

"Good idea," Temari whispered as she got out of the covers.

Naruto's eyes drank in the form of a mostly naked Temari hungrily. His excitement started to rise up once again at the sight, making it uncomfortable for him since it was restrained by his boxers.

As she was picking up her t-shirt from the floor, giving Naruto a great view of her behind, she noticed a tent forming under the sheets and smirked.

"Aren't you a horny one?" she remarked.

"Can you blame me? You are the one tempting me by standing nude like that!" Naruto returned.

Temari looked at him and then the clock. Turning back to him, she said, "You know, I don't wake up until at least six thirty, so my room remains undisturbed. So we still have-"

Warning: Small Lime scene

"a bit of time" was left unsaid as a pair of lips crashed against hers. The t-shirt dropped from her hand to the ground as both of them came to wrap around Naruto's neck, pulling their bodies flush. Her chest pressed against his and his erection pressed against her stomach, his boxers looking like they were close to tearing in half. His hands cupped her behind, pressing her into him even more.

They both furiously made out, standing in the middle of the room for a short while after which Naruto pulled her up. Her legs immediately wrapped around his waist in response. His erection, that was pressing into her stomach, was now pressed directly into her crotch. She moaned lightly as Naruto used his hands to move her up and down.

But he seemed to get a better idea, as he backed slowly until the back of his knees pressed against the bed. He slowly sat down, allowing Temari to comfortably put her weight on his crotch. She began grinding him as his one of his hands came to massage her breast.

Temari broke the lip-lock just long enough to say, "You sure have endurance." She then attacked his neck.

Naruto's hand, that was cupping her behind, pressed against the small of her back to pull them flush. "No one can top an Uzumaki in endurance."

They continued making out for another twenty minutes, before reaching a crescendo once more. The both panted as they made eye contact, neither wanting to leave each other.

Lime scene end

Naruto was the one who broke the silence. "You are making me addicted to you."

Temari smirked before giving him a soft kiss. "I believe that's my line."

She then got up from his lap. Her panties were all wet, as were the bedsheets. She looked at Naruto and raised her eyebrows, "Seriously, can you even run out of that?"

To say Naruto's boxers were a mess was an understatement. He shrugged and got up. "Who knows? Maybe we'll test it out."

Temari blushed before putting on her t-shirt, making her way to the door. She then froze, and turned to him with a slightly panicky look. "Gaara's still outside!"

Naruto waved away her worry. "He likes to take a walk in the ground behind the house at this time, and Kankuro doesn't get up until eight, so you're good."

Temari raised an eyebrow slightly, "I don't know if I should be impressed or creeped out that you know my brothers' timetable so well."

Naruto smirked at her, "I make it a point to know who my guests are, very thoroughly."

Temari shook her head off the blush at the double meaning in the statement, then opened the door quietly, checking whether Gaara was there or not. Upon seeing no one, she exited, winking at him before closing the door.

Naruto released a sigh, followed by a chuckle. "Never thought I would get addicted to something other than training. Might need to correct that."

He would have created clones to clean his room up, but first he needed a shower. He headed into the bathroom and as hot water washed over him, he remarked to himself. "Correct seems a bit harsh. I'll have to control it."

Naruto came out for breakfast when it was five minutes to six-thirty, and found Gaara drinking a cup of tea that he had made for himself. Gaara rose an eyebrow at him, "It's quite unusual of you to wake up this late."

Naruto shrugged as he took a seat, making four clones to start making breakfast for him, Temari and Gaara. Kankuro prepared his own, since he got up later than everyone. "I do have my off days. Sometimes I just like to wake up and lie in the bed, staring up and getting lost in my thoughts."

Gaara nodded as he sipped the last of his tea. "I like to do that too, except I do it when I'm outside."

They both were quiet after that, the only sound coming was from the cooking that the clones were doing. Suddenly, Gaara surprised Naruto with a question. "How are the preparations for the wedding going?"

Naruto frowned a little. "Well, Tsunade baa-chan said they were on schedule. In two days is the wedding, so we should be fine."

Then he frowned a bit more heavily. "On second thought, I might not be so fine. I might have to run an important errand today itself." His eyes narrowed along with the frown, "or two."

Gaara's curiosity grew at Naruto's serious expression. "Must be some very important errands."

Naruto nodded, "They are indeed."

The breakfast was ready and soon, they started eating, occasionally talking about some trivial things or the wedding. Just as they had finished eating it, Temari came out of her room, in her usual attire. She sat down on the dining table beside Naruto.

"Good morning Gaara, Naruto."

"Good morning, Nee-san."

"To you as well."

Temari served herself the breakfast that was reserved for her, and started eating. "So, Naruto, anything special you have to do today?"

Naruto looked up and spoke in a mocking tone. "Hm, let's see. There's training, studying, a meeting with Tsunade….. I think that's it."

He was treated to deadpan look from Temari. "Naruto," she began slowly, "that's what you do practically every day."

Naruto pretended to be surprised, "Oh, do I?"

Seeing as Temari was starting to look irritated, he chuckled and said. "Sorry, just messing with you. I have two important errands to run today, and I also need to talk to you alone about something."

Temari slowly gulped what was in her mouth. "Is it related to the wedding?"

Naruto shook his head.

Temari slowly nodded and said after thinking for a while. "How about we talk in the evening, after you've done your errands?"

"Sounds good to me."

After the breakfast was finished, they got up and got started on their days. Naruto and Temari went to do a bit of personal training, while Gaara went to….do his own thing.

Sasuke heavily panted as he stared at the silver haired man before him. He was training with Kakashi right now, since this was one of the rare days that they weren't doing D-rank missions. As soon as Kakashi had told them that they could do whatever they wanted this day, Sasuke had grabbed the chance and asked him to train with him. Sakura had gone to do some extra medical training at the hospital.

Luckily, it seemed that Kakashi was in a good mood today. He had agreed and for the last three hours, they had been fighting non-stop. Kakashi was trying to get Sasuke used to making some tactical decisions when fighting, instead of letting his emotions get in the way. And he was not afraid to beat his ass, hard.

It seriously irked Sasuke that Kakashi had not even broken a sweat, which meant Sasuke had yet to push the man outside of his comfort zone. Not even that, but Kakashi had not even revealed his sharingan yet, while Sasuke had activated it as soon as the fight had begun. But he appreciated that Kakashi was at least being serious.

"It's good that you want to train your sharingan, but don't make the same mistake that your clan did. Well, most of them anyway."

Kakashi's voice snapped him out of his thoughts, and he snapped back at him. "What mistake?!"

Kakashi looked as lazy as usual, but his voice was serious. "Don't rely on it too much. Doing so would make it a handicap more than a tool."

Anger rose up in Sasuke, but he ruthlessly pushed it back down. Sharingan was his bloodline, and he would use it as he saw fit! But there was a truth in Kakashi's words. Sasuke did use it in every fight, ever since he activated it.

Kakashi walked towards Sasuke. "The sharingan is a part of you, but it is a tool that you make use of in battle. And the tool is only as good as its wielder. In your case, it augments the way you fight. You control the tool, not the other way around. Take ten, then we'll resume."

Sasuke saw the truth in those words. The sharingan was incredible, but useless if you didn't know how to use it. It gave him the ability to predict attacks, but Sasuke was still trying to control his body's reaction upon knowing where the attack would hit. He was automatically moving around the attack according to the sharingan, and that was exactly what Kakashi had taken advantage of. The man knew how he would react and capitalized on it.

Kakashi's understanding of the sharingan was truly genius-level.

Sasuke sat down to take a break, while Kakashi pulled out his book. While Sasuke appreciated how good of a teacher Kakashi was when he put his mind to it, it was rare. Most of the times, Sasuke did his training alone. He would ask Naruto, but the guy was busy in preparations of his wedding (and hadn't that been a surprise!) and not to mention, he trained on his own.

While Sasuke was slowly improving, the pace was still too slow to his liking. Every day, he felt like Itachi was getting further and further away from him, while he desperately tried to keep up. And not just Itachi.

Naruto was leaps ahead of him, and Sasuke didn't even know what he was fully capable of. Still, regardless of what Naruto had told him in the hospital room, Sasuke was getting endlessly frustrated at how slowly he was improving. Was it because of his drive? Lacking motivation?

His desire to get revenge on Itachi was motivation enough, but he was nowhere near Itachi's level when his brother was his age. Itachi was like Naruto, leaps and bounds ahead of everyone. But like Naruto had said, Itachi was a sort of genius that came once in generations. It would be completely wrong of him to say that he could progress with the same pace as his brother.

But Naruto had also said that you can get stronger when you have something to protect. Was that the reason why he was not getting strong quick enough? That he didn't have something to protect? Was his desire to protect Naruto when Itachi was after him fake?

Whatever Naruto said, Sasuke was starting to think that he wouldn't get strong quickly enough if he were to remain in this village. He had nothing to protect. The bonds he had formed…..they had to be strong enough to hurt if he loses them. He empathized with him, that was for sure, but they were not the same. They both had different circumstances while growing up. Which meant, Sasuke couldn't grow strong like the way Naruto did. His means of getting stronger would have to be drastically different.

His re-encounter with Itachi had reminded him what he was supposed to focus on.

The curse mark on his neck burned slightly, causing him to suppress a hiss. It was no good if Kakashi saw, and being the genius he was, would quickly figure out what kind of thoughts were running in Sasuke's head. On the other hand, the burning of the curse mark reminded Sasuke of the person who gave it to him.

Orochimaru was one of the Sannin, like Jiraiya, and one of the most powerful shinobi in the world. Personally trained by the Sandaime, the man was even rumored to become the Yondaime. Ousted because of his highly unethical experimentations, Orochimaru became a S-rank missing nin and an enemy of Konoha.

An epiphany struck Sasuke. Naruto was being trained by Jiraiya, and Sasuke was pretty sure he would become the man's apprentice, given his genius. He had heard from Kakashi that Sakura was taking medical lessons at the hospital, and was the only one who was personally trained by Tsunade, even if it was only sometimes. She was not Tsunade's apprentice, but she was still being trained by a Sannin.

The entirety of team 7 was being trained by a Sannin, save for him. Both Naruto and Sakura are each getting stronger in their own ways, assisted by some of the most powerful shinobi in the world. Why the hell was he being left out?!

Leaving the village to train under the remaining Sannin was looking like a very good idea.

"I could have killed you over five times by now."

The voice snapped Sasuke out of his thoughts and by pure reflex, he stood up and threw a kunai in the direction of the voice.

Naruto lazily caught the kunai with just two fingers. Hooking it with his finger, he rotated it. "Nice reaction time, but unneeded if you were aware of my presence in the first place."

Kakashi closed his book. "So nice of you to visit us, Naruto. I'm really glad you still remember us," he said it with an eye smile.

Naruto rolled his eyes. "I would have apologized for that if I didn't have a really good reason."

Kakashi rose an eyebrow. "Which is?"

Naruto spread out his arms. "I'm preparing for my wedding."

He walked up to them, a lazy smile on his face. His left hand went in his back pocket, and he held out two teal envelopes. "I wanted to personally invite team 7. Normally, you wouldn't be sent invitations, but you know that I don't do normal."

Kakashi and Sasuke took out the invitations from inside. Kakashi was happy, for he would get to see Naruto on his wedding day. 'I wish you were there on the day, sensei,' he thought nostalgically.

Sasuke on the other hand, didn't know what to feel. He tried to feel happy for him, but his mind was wandering elsewhere. He settled for a "Congratulations" in the end.

"So, were you training?"

"Yes, actually. I was training Sasuke to improve on his sharingan."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Wow. Learn any new jutsu lately?"

Sasuke dryly remarked, pointing a thumb to Kakashi. "No, he's a selfish man. I thought you would have known."

Naruto snorted. "Never expected a sense of humor from you, but it's a pleasant surprise."

Sasuke got up. "What about you? Have you learnt anything new?"

Naruto's eyes lit up. "Yes, I have."

Kakashi was curious as well. "Do show."

Naruto gazed around, seeing a large rock that had numerous cracks running from a center that showed a repeated, single point penetration. He pointed a thumb at it, "Mind if I have a go?"

Sasuke was about to refuse him, telling him he needed that rock, but stopped himself in time. That actually sounded a bit stupid. "By all means."

Naruto walked over to the rock and asked Sasuke. "You were practicing the chidori on this, right?"

Sasuke nodded, curious to see what Naruto would do. He watched as Naruto slowly lifted his right hand, palm turned upwards. He turned on his sharingan to watch more closely, and he was glad that he did, because one moment, his palm held nothing but air. The next moment, a solid, rotating sphere of chakra, the size of a toy football, hovered in his hand. He heard Kakashi suck in a breath next to him.

He was blown away by what happened next.

Naruto pulled back his arm, and pushed it forward, slamming the sphere of chakra right at the point where Sasuke practiced his chidori. It took only a little more than a second for the rock to completely obliterate into pieces from the cracks that spread out. Nothing remained of the rock that was previously standing there.

Sasuke was gaping at the sheer, destructive power of the jutsu. He was aware that chidori was an assassination jutsu and therefore, not capable of causing such destruction since the electricity was concentrated at a single point to penetrate. But he couldn't help but wonder what would happen if that jutsu were to go against chidori.

"When did you learn the rasengan?"

Kakashi's question gave Sasuke insight into the jutsu's name. He felt like he had read about that somewhere…..

"Ero-sennin taught me while we were searching for our wayward Hokage," Naruto answered while walking back to them.

Kakashi shook his head in wonder. "Even Jiraiya-sama took seven months to learn that, how the hell did you manage to learn it in one month?!"

Naruto shrugged. "Perks of being a genius. Though between the three of us," he leaned in as if sharing a secret, "it frustrated the hell out of me."

Sasuke smirked at the image of Naruto scowling in frustration at his own hand as if it was betraying him. It felt vaguely satisfying. He looked up to see Naruto holding out a scroll to him. He frowned, "What's this?"

Naruto just handed it to him. "A katon jutsu I thought you might find interesting, being a pyromaniac and all that."

Sasuke scowled. "I'm not a pyromaniac!" He accepted the scroll nonetheless.

Naruto smirked. "Could've fooled me. Anyways, I have a few more errands to run today, so I'll see you later. Oh, and don't forget to come at the wedding. If you do, you know what I will do. Kakashi, you better not be late."

He flashed away after that.

Sasuke looked down at the invitation and felt his lips twitching upwards. He knew exactly what Naruto would do.

Sakura was walking back to where she had left her lab coat. The lunch break was over, and she was to work with Arashi-sensei, who would teach her about how to identify poisons and create antidotes.

She found her coat and put it on, frowning when she felt something in her pocket. She took it out and her eyes widened in delight when she found a teal envelope. She instantly knew that it was a wedding invitation to her teammate's wedding.

She found another note in her pocket, this time a folded piece of paper. Unfolding it, she read it.

Sakura,

I'm inviting you, along with Kakashi and Sasuke, to my wedding, seeing as you were the only ones of the rookies to not receive an invitation. Well, except team nine, but I can't invite them, as unfortunate as it is. Seeing as almost all of the genin teams would be there, it wouldn't do for team 7 to not be there.

Don't be late.

Naruto

Sakura gave a small squeal at the note. She put it into her pocket and happily skipped to the lab. She would have to search for a dress to wear that evening.

Anko was sitting at the dango shop, eating her favorite food in the world, when someone sat down in front of her.

"You will get fat if you don't compensate all of that with some training, you know."

If it had been anyone, she would have chucked a stick at the person for insinuating that she would get fat. She was one of the hottest kunoichis in Konoha, dammit!

But she knew that voice anywhere, and she snapped open her eyes. Naruto was sitting in front of her, smiling fondly.

She leant back in her seat with a smirk. "Well, well, look who dropped by. I was beginning to think you had forgotten me."

Naruto sighed. "I don't know if you were in touch, but Kakashi pretty much told me the same thing."

Anko shrugged, "Well, as much as I want to, I can't blame you. Preparations for a wedding can be hectic, I guess."

Naruto nodded, "That, and spending some time with my fiancée."

Anko leaned forward on the desk, a teasing smile on her face. "Oh, and how do you like the pleasures that the female body has to offer?"

His cheeks went a little red, but he did manage to reply. "We have not done it yet, if that's what you mean."

Anko shrugged innocently. "When did I say anything about fucking?You can do a whole lot of things other than that, and I can see it on your face that you have done other things," she finished with a perverted leer.

Naruto looked away at that. She was not wrong. "Listen, I came to talk to you about something important."

An eyebrow raise. "Oh, and about what?"

Naruto stood up, "I think we need a little privacy."

One moment later, they were standing in a training field. Anko blinked at the sudden change in scenery. "That is handy," she commented.

Naruto smiled softly, "Don't I know it?"

He took a deep breath. He would not hesitate on this. "Would you attend my wedding as my mother?"

That shocked Anko into silence. She could do nothing but stare at him, a hand going to cover her open mouth. Tears prickled her eyes at how high Naruto seemed to hold her. "I-Is this what you wanted to a-ask me?"

Naruto smiled and nodded. "You have been there and taken care of me for years, sensei. Besides the Sandaime, you have been there for me the longest, so it only seemed fit to invite you as my mother. It's totally fine though, if you don't want to, I don't want to pressure you or anythi-"

He was cut off when Anko wrapped him in a hug, tears trickling down her cheeks. "Thank you, Naruto."

That was perhaps the most heartfelt thing Naruto had ever heard from his sensei, and it was beautiful. The hug felt exactly like the one he got from Temari, full of love.

He wrapped his own arms around her, "No. Thank you."

After a goodbye to her, Naruto proceeded to the place that held some of his….not so fond memories. But who cared about the place?

He was there to meet someone.

Naruto walked through the halls slowly, recalling each and every incident or prank he had played, and got punished for it, even if they could never prove it. Only one person believed him, but it was one person against everyone else.

The lunch hour had been over for fifteen minutes, but Naruto was sure that he could hustle Iruka-sensei out for a minute or two. He knew what the chakra signature felt like, and followed it to where it was in the academy. He was surprised though, because it seemed Iruka's class seemed to have changed from the ground floor to the first.

He stopped outside the door that Iruka was standing behind, along with one other chunin level chakra signature. Good, which means the class won't start howling at his absence. He knocked on the door, his keen ears picking up the silence that followed after his knocking.

Thankfully, it was Iruka who approached the door and not the other instructor. The door opened, causing Iruka's eyes to widen in surprise on seeing Naruto.

"Naruto….?"

Naruto was standing behind the door such that the class wouldn't be able to see him. He whispered, "Can we talk?"

Iruka blinked, "S-Sure. One second."

He turned to the other instructor in the room. "Haruki, will you take over for a few minutes? Thanks."

Without waiting for a reply, Iruka exited and closed the door. He turned to Naruto, face laced with concern. "Is everything alright?"

Naruto motioned with his head, "Let's talk on the roof."

Two minutes later, they both were standing on the roof, with Iruka standing in front of Naruto. "So what is this about, Naruto?"

Naruto took a deep breath. "Will you attend my wedding as my father?"

Iruka's blinked first in shock, and then when the question finally settled, his eyes started watering, but he immediately wiped them. He never thought that Naruto saw him as one, since their relationship leaned more towards the older brother-younger brother line. But if Naruto thought he could stand in place of Namikaze Minato, then he would do his best.

He gave a heartfelt smile. "I would be honored, Naruto."

"What's up?"

The moment he had finished the words, four swords were pointed at his throat from four directions. Naruto stood there calmly, not even fazed by the swords.

Tsunade, who was already annoyed that the day's paperwork was increasing, looked up in irritation at the intruder. Naruto did not have an ounce of guilt, barging in her office like that. "You got some nerve, I'll give you that."

Naruto chuckled as the guards went back to their posts after being waved away by Tsunade. "If I didn't, I wouldn't be here."

"So, to what do I owe the displeasure?"

Naruto deadpanned. "That is harsh. Anyway, you were the one who called me today, so you tell me."

Tsunade blinked. "I did?"

She then suddenly remembered. "Oh right! I did have some business with you. Have you read up on what you are supposed to do in the ceremony?"

Naruto rolled his eyes, but replied. "Yes, I did read up on that. I thought that my brain would shrivel up from boredom."

Deciding to ignore that, she stood up. "Alright, make two clones. There is something else we need to get done today itself."

Doing as she asked, two clones of him appeared on his right and left. Tsunade made two clones herself. She then paired one of her own with one of Naruto's and assigned them their jobs.

She pointed to the pair on the right of Naruto. "You, get him fitted with a wedding kimono and tell them we need before tomorrow ends." Naruto's eyes widened as he cursed himself for forgetting that detail.

Pointing to the other pair, she said, "Go with him and make sure everything is properly prepared for the reception at his house."

When they were gone, Tsunade flashed through hand seals, pressing her hand onto a part of the wall. Seals flashed over the room, ensuring their privacy. Naruto had upgraded the seals on the behest of Tsunade, for a very handsome pay.

Naruto rose and eyebrow when Tsunade sat down on her chair. "Grab a chair and sit down."

He internally wondered what was so serious, but complied anyway. Once he was settled, Tsunade pulled out a book from her drawer. "I remembered that since you were practically alone when you were growing up, you missed some very vital education."

' What is she talking abo- oh crap.'

When Tsunade opened a page of the book, Naruto's eyes immediately saw what was in there and he blanked out. Kurama was snickering within him, the utter bastard that he was.

Naruto knew what sex was and how to do it, even if he hadn't done it. But after numerous make out sessions with his fiancée, he had a pretty solid idea of what he was supposed to do. It was human instinct, after all.

"I figured it out that no one has explained the 'Birds and the Bees' to you, so I'm going to remedy that. You should count yourself lucky, since I'm the best medical kunoichi there is," Tsunade nonchalantly said, unaware of the horror that was internally growing in Naruto.

Naruto was torn on the inside. On one hand, he wanted nothing more to flash away from here and hide in his study, where no one can come in. But on the other hand, education on sex was pretty important. He didn't know anything about the dangers of it, or how to prevent those dangers. So with a long suffering sigh, he mentally prepared himself.

Kurama couldn't stop laughing in mirth within him.

"And that's about it," Tsunade finished thoughtfully, trying to think whether she missed anything. She looked up from the copy to see Naruto with a completely blank face, devoid of any horror that is the usual reaction when parents talk to their children about sex. She knew she was, and it was even more awkward because that talk was given to her by her grandfather, because he was the greatest medical nin of his time.

It also did not help that he was the biggest goof she knew before Jiraiya.

Naruto might have looked calm on the inside, but he was mentally asking himself the question that why did it require an hour and a half to do this talk. Right now, he wanted nothing more than to go into a training ground and train himself to exhaustion. Anything to get his mind off this, but it really wouldn't work.

Eidetic memory can be a curse sometimes. Case in point, this.

"Is that all?"

His voice came out calm, yet he was anything but that. Tsunade nodded with a cheerful smile. "Yes, you can go now."

She disabled the privacy seals, and as soon as she did that, Naruto was gone in a flash. She chuckled, "You can't fool me, brat. I know you are completely freaked out on the inside."

Naruto had flashed to the Hokage mountain, and spread out his senses. Once he had what he was looking for, he used the body flicker to get there since the person he was looking for had no marking on his body.

"SASUKE!"

The shout surprised the boy, but he turned around and found Naruto briskly walking towards him. By his expression, he looked calm but his body told him anything but that.

Naruto neared him and spoke, "You and I are going to have a spar, right now ."

That shocked him greatly, for Naruto never sought out a fight with him. It was usually the other way around. But he was never the one to turn down a challenge like that. He smirked as he activated his sharingan. "I don't have a problem with that. I've been wanting to test out some of the new stuff I've learnt lately."

One hour later, Sasuke was lying on the ground, fully exhausted. Even lifting an arm seemed like a chore. With great difficulty, he made use of his hands to sit up, leaning against one of the training posts. He then observed Naruto, who was standing ten feet from him and scowled.

Naruto was looking equally exhausted, but the guy still had enough energy to remain standing. Sasuke had started using resistance seals as well, and was sure that Naruto did too, but only at a higher level. Kakashi was the one who put those on him, and the results had shown.

He was faster, his stamina had improved, along with his strength and endurance.

But it was clear that he had a long way to go if he wanted to catch up to Naruto. If the guy was looking that exhausted after just one hour of continuous sparring, Sasuke could only wonder how much resistance Naruto was using. But even then Naruto had held the upper hand.

Naruto was slowly getting his breath back. 'Wow, he really has improved. There were fewer holes in his style, and the ones I could see were difficult to exploit. He also has gotten faster lately, although that could be because of the resistance seals I spotted. He might almost be as good as Lee now.'

He took out a storage scroll from one his his jacket pockets, unsealing two bottles of water. Walking towards Sasuke, he sat down next to him and handed over one bottle. The Uchiha gratefully accepted this with a nod and opened it.

Both of them finished the contents in one go.

"Thanks buddy, I really needed that," Naruto spoke after he had gotten most of his breath back.

"Why did you, though?"

Naruto shook his head, "Had to get my mind off something. Hardly does me any good because of my perfect memory, but I still appreciate it."

"Hn."

The spar had been very good for Sasuke as well. It had been a very long time since he had actually enjoyed a spar like that. No one among his age group was good enough to give him a challenge, except for Naruto. The spar told him a lot about how Naruto fought. Good information, if they ever fought seriously in the future.

Of course, he wasn't naïve enough to think that Naruto did not analyze his fighting style as well. Naruto was a genius of fighting, whether it be ninjutsu or taijutsu.

Naruto got up with a grunt, mumbling. "I'm going to feel that for some time." Louder, he said, "Well, I should go. There is something I have to talk to Temari about."

"Thanks for the spar."

Naruto turned at Sasuke's voice, surprise flickering his face for moment, before being replaced with a smirk. "To you as well."

He was gone in a flash, leaving Sasuke to his thoughts.

Temari was just finished with her shower and coming out of her room when she saw Naruto, sitting in the living room. He saw her and gave a small smile. "Hey."

"Hey. Was your day interesting?"

Naruto made a face like he was considering. "You could say that. Listen, there's something I need to talk to you about."

Surprise flashed over Temari's face. "Oh?"

Over the next half an hour, Naruto explained everything about what was written in his father's journal. Temari was patient through all of it, and when Naruto was finished, she took a minute to gather her thoughts. "So let me get this straight. Your father figured out a way to enhance the human body without any ramifications?"

Naruto nodded.

"I am glad that you didn't keep this as a secret from me, Naruto. But what am I supposed to do with this information?"

Naruto leaned back, shrugging. "Keeping it a secret would be good. Also, would you consider doing it?"

Temari raised her eyebrows in shock and disbelief. "What?!"

Naruto looked a bit uncomfortable, but made eye contact nonetheless. "I talked it out with ero-sennin and baa-chan, Temari. They have said that the operation is perfectly safe. My father and my mom made sure that all the flaws were corrected before dad underwent the procedure.

"I decided to do this because… I wanted to be as strong as possible so, I could protect what was close to me. If this is one of the ways, then I will do it."

Temari's shock had still yet to recede. "Naruto…..I… don't know what to say."

Naruto reached out and held one of Temari's hands. "Temari, one of the reason shinobi strive to get stronger is so they can endure and therefore, protect. People don't care about the means of getting stronger if you are doing the right thing with the power you get. My father left a special note for me in this, saying that he hoped with how strong he will get from this, he would be able to protect me and my mom."

Temari looked unsure. "Naruto, I don't know about this….."

"Of course, I won't force you to undergo. It is completely your choice. I just wanted to make you see the benefits of this," Naruto said, getting up.

Temari got up with him. "Can I get some time to think about this?"

Naruto smiled. "Take all the time you need. If you want some more details about this, just come into my study. I have to key you in and show you the password, so come with me. You might have to drag me out in the future if I get too engrossed," he added, making her smirk.

After about twenty minutes, Naruto had keyed in Temari's chakra signature to his study. He went in and took out his journal, putting it on the table and sliding it to her. "It's best if you read it inside here."

She nodded and stood up, sliding it back to him. "I'll read it whenever I can. In the meantime," she smiled a bit shyly, "would you like to have some dinner?"

Naruto rose an eyebrow. "You can cook?"

She nodded, shuffling her feet. "Kankuro always told me he liked my cooking, and I have always found it very soothing."

Naruto was a bit wary, but thought he should show a bit of trust in his soon to be wife. "Alright. Do you want some kitchen staff, though? My clones are awesome."

Temari was already walking away, though. "No thanks!"

Turns out, Temari was a very good cook. Naruto was struggling to keep his table manners. "This is really good," he said between bites.

Temari grinned as she ate her own food. "Thank you! It's good to know that all that time spent in the kitchen seeing the servants cook wasn't a waste of time."

Naruto finished his food quickly and put down his sticks, looking at Temari with an expression of utmost seriousness. "I want to propose something."

Temari was caught off guard by the sudden change in the atmosphere. "W-What?"

"Would you please cook at least three days of the week?"

That statement did not deserve the amount of seriousness Naruto was giving it, and so Temari broke into peals of laughter. "Oh, Naruto," she said once the laughter had subsided, "I'll cook for you anytime you want."

Naruto backpaddled a little. "No, it's just that, I don't want to put this as a duty or a burden on you."

Temari stood up and walked over to Naruto. She wrapped her arms around him from behind and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "It's not a burden at all, sweetie. Especially if I like doing it."

Two days passed like a breeze and soon it was the day of his wedding. And like any other man, he was incredibly nervous. Anko was standing beside him, adjusting his robes and fussing over his makeup, which he had worn for the first time in his life. Also, Anko's fussing was incredibly out of character for her, but somehow she made it look very natural.

Very motherly.

"Seriously, you should just relax, or you'll ruin your makeup. Think of it as another mission," she lightly chastised him.

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Maybe I'll get to say it to you on your wedding day."

He received a light slap on his arm for that. Tsunade had been informed of Naruto's decision of asking Iruka and Anko to attend his wedding, and she was a bit confused since she wasn't aware of their history. However, that was quickly remedied after a brief history lesson.

(Now, you readers would think that Naruto should have asked Jiraiya to be there as his father, but Naruto acknowledged Iruka close to him, before Jiraiya. For reference, go to chapter 5.)

The door to his room was knocked. "You ready in there, Naruto?"

Naruto replied back, "Come in, and almost."

The door opened and Iruka stepped in, dressed in formal robes as well. "Wow, you look….really good."

Naruto gave a tight smile. "Thanks, Iruka-sensei."

It was easy for Iruka to see how nervous Naruto was, knowing him for many years now. He leaned against the door frame. "If it's Anko who's making you nervous, I don't fault you at all."

Anko rolled her eyes. "Please, you are more nervous around me than him. You honestly stutter whenever I try to talk to you."

True to that statement, Iruka sputtered, trying to come up with a reply. Naruto took this chance to rib him some more. "We all know what it means when a boy or a man stutters in front of a girl or a woman, don't we, Iruka-sensei?"

Iruka had a light blush on his face now, while Anko gave a mock surprised expression. "Iruka likes me? You don't say!"

Naruto smirked, "Now we know who will marry who in the future."

He winced at the slap to the back of his head. "How about you concentrate on what's going to happen tonight, smartass?"

Naruto nodded as he straightened up. Kurama spoke to him inside.

' Maybe you should try some of that liquid courage the woman was suggesting.'

' I already have to drink in the ceremony, Kurama. Besides, with you inside me, I doubt it will have any effect.'

' True that. Still, you should calm down. If it helps you any, your mate is equally nervous.'

Naruto frowned suspiciously at that. 'How would you know that?'

' One of my abilities is I can sense negative emotions. Just remember, you have no reason to be nervous when you have someone like me with you.'

Naruto's sarcasm was on point. 'Thanks, Kurama. I'm so confident now because of your belief in yourself.'

' Good, then let's go.'

It really annoyed Naruto that Kurama could sometimes be blind to his sarcasm. Still, he was right. It was time.

"Right," he said, taking a moment to steel himself. "It's show time."

The shrine was full of people when he entered it. The fact that he would have to stand in front of so many people during his ceremony unnerved him a bit, but then Kurama's filtered, yang chakra entered his system and he immediately felt calm. Sending a silent thank you to his friend, he scanned the crowd.

All of his friends were there with their parents, and he gave a small smile on seeing team 7, with Kakashi, standing at the back. Kakashi was standing, in a formal jacket and like he usually did, but this time, the eye smile felt genuine, and that made Naruto happy on the inside. Sakura was energetically waving at him, dressed in a pretty red dress and Sasuke…..

Sasuke was dressed exceptionally and immaculately, he was dressed to impress with his immaculate tux, hair looking combed for once in his life. Naruto could see that Ino was already undressing him with her eyes, and girls of the families that were invited looked torn between looking at him and Sasuke. Sasuke caught his eye and gave a small smirk, raising a glass to him in silent congratulations.

Naruto scoffed, but it warmed him on the inside that Sasuke attended his wedding. If he were allowed to drink right now, he would have raised it back at him. They shared a bond that Naruto could not describe; they were not friends, but at the same time, they were something beyond that. Sure, sometimes he hated the way he acted, but he would hate it if they were to stand on opposite sides.

He let his eyes roamed, purposely not catching the eye of several important figures like clan heads and daimyos alike. He caught Hinata's eyes and had to hide a wince.

She looked very beautiful, but he could see that she was trying really hard not to cry. It must have broken her heart, he thought, because she genuinely seemed to love him, but never got a chance because he loved someone else.

Maybe if she had approached him all those years ago, he would not be standing here right now. Perhaps if Hiashi had brought Neji, he might have been able to console her.

He found Jiraiya, who standing next to Kakashi now, and caught his eye. The man gave a big grin that was simply filled with pride and happiness. Naruto wished he could return the grin, but he was under close scrutiny right now. He settled for a nod and a small smile, but he would hug the death out of the man when the ceremony was over.

He looked to his right and saw jiji on the altar, giving him a wink of assurance. Naruto internally smiled at how he had come to officiate the wedding.

Tsunade should have been standing on the altar because she was the Hokage, but that made no sense to Naruto. He had jokingly commented to her that they should get the Sandaime to officiate, for the man really looked the part of the priest as well.

So it shocked him when Tsunade briefly considered the idea and agreed, saying that sensei would be better at those things.

The music began, and Naruto turned his head, only for his breath to get caught in his throat. Later he would say it was Temari's fault, because it totally was.

She looked absolutely breathtaking in her wedding kimono. The dress fit her figure perfectly, and the makeup was done expertly. Her hair was done beautifully into a bun, a single thick band styled over her right eye. Her lips never looked more delicious before. The blush on her face, coupled with that small grin of anticipation under her veil, made Naruto want to kiss her all over. He smiled back at her, and he could care less if the guests thought that it was wrong of his eyes to be filled with love. Kankuro was escorting his sister, since their father was, you know, dead. And Naruto had to admit, the guy would catch the attention of many girls, if he just didn't apply his "war paint."

Temari stopped beside him, and after Naruto lifted the veil off her,they both held each other's hands. Jiji took this as a signal to begin the ceremony. Naruto and Temari simply stared in each other's eyes, conveying everything and nothing at the same time.

Before he knew, it was time for them to drink the traditional sake. Naruto reached forward to take a cup, knowing that once this was done with, he and Temari would be married for life. Together, forever.

He gently held out the cup for her to drink from, with her doing the same to him. The saké burned his throat a little, and Naruto couldn't see why people liked this stuff. It was tolerable at best.

Once they each had drank three cups, he took both of their cups and placed them back on the tray. It was time to say something, and he had prepared nothing.

"Temari," he hesitated a bit, getting himself together, "Our marriage was supposed to be one of duty. Duty towards our villages. However, we know that it would be so much more than that, for the both of us. We were fortunate to receive a sapling of love, which we both nurtured over the last week. Honestly, I am at a loss of words to express the joy that I'm feeling right now, and it's all because of you."

He could see Temari struggling to hold back her tears. 'Hang in there just a bit longer, hime.'

He continued, this time with the more traditional vow. "I, Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto, hereby take you as my wife. I will love you, and cherish you, forever, until death do us apart. May our joining be blessed by Kami-sama and the union of our people."

Temari followed happily with her own vow, and the rush of emotions coursing caused him to momentarily forget what was next. He turned towards jiji and asked with a smile plastered on his face, hiding his panic.

"What is next?"

Jiji mouthed back, "The rings."

Temari felt panic rising in her chest when Naruto's eyes widened in panic, his face blanking out. The he frowned, and to the surprise of the people present, began patting his robes as if searching for the rings. He stopped in the middle of patting his chest, and smiled slyly when he looked at her, looking as if he found it.

Temari covered her confusion with a small laugh. "What?"

To the great surprise of everyone present, Naruto reached behind her right ear with his hand and when he pulled back, he held a box. The crowd gasped at that, because first of all, that was not supposed to happen in an event as big as this. This was supposed to be a wedding strictly adhering to all the proper procedures and protocols.

Yeah, I can say on behalf on Naruto, the people thinking the above could go and chuck themselves into a volcano.

This was Naruto's wedding, and he wanted to make it as memorable as possible.

Second, the first thought that entered into all the shinobis' gathered heads, and a few civilians, was that Naruto used a storage seal. But there was no smoke that followed the unsealing of the ring, so what was that?

While some of the people were thinking Naruto just hid the box in his sleeves, Naruto had just tweaked the storage seal a little so that the smoke that was supposed to be released along with the object was absorbed into another part of the seal.

Naruto opened the box, revealing a beautiful silver ring with a diamond on top. This was the ring his mother had given to him. All though it was used by his father to propose his mother, Naruto wanted to give his own ring to Temari, so he decided that his mother's ring would be given to Temari on their wedding day.

He gently held her hand and slid her ring finger through the ring. His mother's fingers were fuller than Temari's, so Naruto had integrated a seal into the band so it would automatically fit to Temari.

Temari looked up curiously. "I presume you have brought your ring as well?"

Naruto smiled and nodded. He reached into his left sleeve and unsealed the ring. "I knew that you wouldn't have any pockets, and even I don't, but it might be easier for me to carry."

He held out the box for her. She took it and opened it to find the exact same ring as hers. She smiled, and held his hand as she slipped his finger through the ring.

Hiruzen smiled, holding back tears of joy. This was a very emotional moment for him, and a very fortunate one as well. Not many shinobi live until his age, and much less live long enough to see their children or grandchildren married. He counted himself as extremely lucky.

"Now that the rings have been exchanged, I, Sarutobi Hiruzen, Sandaime Hokage of Konohagakure no sato, hereby declare Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto and Sabaku no Temari as husband and wife. May Kami-sama bless your union, and may your love stand strong forever. You may now, kiss the bride."

Naruto smiled and caught Temari's lips in a soft, but deep, loving lip-lock. The whole crowd stood up, clapping wildly. Naruto broke the kiss and leaned his forehead against hers, both sporting matching blushes on their faces.

They turned towards the crowd and smiled brightly. Naruto saw each one of his friends, looking more happy than he had ever seen. Kiba was cheering him wildly, Shino for once, had a genuine smile on his face that was actually visible. Hinata had tears going down her face, but she looked happy as she gazed at them.

Naruto caught Kakashi just as the man wiped a tear that had slipped from his eye. Sakura's eyes were shining with joy, and Sasuke looked like a completely different person with a soft, but genuine smile on his face as he clapped for the newly wed.

Shikamaru was smiling while clapping softly, but Chouji was outright crying. Ino was just like Sakura, but she was cheering with a bit more energy. Their parents' gazes were melancholic, as if remembering a similar time of their own lives.

Jiraiya looked like he was the proudest man in the entire world. The smile on his face told Naruto just how much the man loved him.

Now that the wedding was over, it was time for the reception, which was being held at the back of their home. Temari hooked her arm with his and they both walked back together.

As soon as they were out of the public's sights, Naruto flashed the both of them to their home. They had to change clothes fast, for the guests would be arriving in less than ten minutes.

They managed to change clothes in time, with Naruto setting for a tux of his own while Temari switched for a more comfortable attire.

The guests arrived and as the host, it was his duty to attend to them. Since there were many important political figures from both Konoha and Suna, Naruto and Temari had to attend to almost all of them. It was extremely boring for the both of them, listening to the pointless drivel of old men.

Finally, Naruto had some time to himself when some of Temari's friends from Suna wanted to talk to her, he walked straight to Jiraiya and hugged the man with all his might, catching him by surprise.

Jiraiya's eyes bugged out as all the breath left his body when his godson squeezed it out of him, but he was able to gather himself and return the hug. "Thank you for making this the best day of my life, brat," he whispered in Naruto's ear.

"You're welcome, pervert."

They both laughed and separated. Jiraiya inspected him and whistled. "Damn, you clean up pretty nice in such short time!"

Naruto shrugged modestly. "Dad's jutsu is just so awesome, you know."

Jiraiya nodded, "I know kid, I know."

They both talked a little more, after which Naruto left to find his team. He found them, or more accurately, just Sakura and Kakashi. They both were eating food when Naruto walked up to them.

Sakura's eyes widened and she thrust her plate into an indignant Kakashi's hands as she hugged him tightly. "That was so beautiful, Naruto! You and Temari looked extremely dashing and gorgeous!"

Naruto chuckled as he returned her hug. "Glad to know I could rock that kimono as well."

Sakura continued, "You are the first one out of the rookies to get married, you know! How does it feel?"

Naruto laughed and put his hands into his pockets. "It really isn't different from what I feel all the time."

Sakura quirked an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Naruto spread out his arms. "Like I'm ahead of everybody who is our age."

Sakura huffed as she lightly slapped his arm. Naruto turned to Kakashi and smirked. "Nice to see you too, Kakashi."

Giving an eye smile, Kakashi commented in his cheery tone. "You know Naruto, you have too little confidence in me."

"Can you blame me?"

Kakashi actually appeared to think about it. "Perhaps not. Still, you were excellent tonight. I'm proud that you were my team's member, Naruto."

Naruto smiled in gratitude, then frowned. "Where's Sasuke?"

Sakura took back her plate from Kakashi. "I think he's heading back home."

But Naruto was already spreading out his senses, trying to sense the familiar Uchiha signature. He found it heading towards the exit. He frowned, before making his way to him.

Sasuke had to admit, the wedding ceremony was very well organized. Seeing Naruto look so happy with Temari made him think back to the fond memories he had of his own family.

He had gone to the reception, but only to say goodbye to Naruto and head back home for some late night training, before turning in. But seeing him talking to so many political figure heads, Sasuke decided it was best if he ate and left. He doubted Naruto would be able to free himself for a while.

He ate separately from Sakura and Kakashi, and after he was finished, he made his way to the exit. Just as he was about to go, a familiar voice behind him spoke out.

"Leaving without a goodbye? I thought clan heirs had better manners than that."

He frowned and turned around to see Naruto, hands in pocket and a smile on his face. "You were busy."

Naruto sighed as if it truly pained him. "Trust me, it's not fun. I wouldn't have talked to them at all if Temari wasn't there."

Sasuke scoffed. "Not even an hour and already whipped by your wife."

"I like to think it as my duty as the clan head."

Naruto was now standing right in front of Sasuke. Curiously, he held out his hand. "Thanks for coming tonight."

Sasuke rose an eyebrow, but did not shake his hand. Naruto chuckled, retracting his hand back. "You really know how to let people down."

He continued. "Still, it's nice to see that you've improved from being the anti-social, emo douchebag of team 7. You're still emo, though."

Sasuke smirked. "And you're still a naïve idiot who thinks we're friends."

Naruto shook his head. "I never said that."

Sasuke shrugged. "Anyways, I just wanted to say goodbye. I'll be heading back now. Good luck on your marriage."

As he was walking away, Naruto called out in a sly tone. "Want me to send a clone with you as an escort? It is dark out, after all."

Sasuke turned back just enough to give a comeback. "I'd like to escort you off a cliff sometime."

Naruto snorted. "You can do better than that."

Obviously, Sasuke was cranky to deal with him any longer. "Goodbye, Naruto."

Naruto watched Sasuke till he was out of his sight. As warmed as he was that Sasuke was opening up, ever so slowly, he couldn't shake off the bad feeling that suddenly seemed to have gripped him. For some reason, watching Sasuke walk away gave him a bad feeling.

He shook his head. He was overthinking this. He walked back to the party, and saw that most of the guests were preparing to leave. Naruto couldn't blame them, it was half past eleven. He walked over to his wife, who was talking with Gaara and Kankuro. She spotted him coming and frowned. "Where were you?"

Naruto pointed a thumb behind him. "I was meeting up with my old team. Went to say goodbye to Sasuke after that. I'm kind of surprised he decided to attend our wedding."

Temari tilted her head. "Isn't he the one who you are always calling a douchebag?"

Naruto nodded, ignoring Kankuro's snort. "One and the same."

Gaara then decided to speak up. "We will get going as well. Our stay for tonight is reserved somewhere else. Take care of my sister, Naruto."

Naruto clapped him on his shoulder, giving him a thumbs up. "Don't worry, I will."

After bidding them goodnight, Gaara and Kankuro left. A handful of guests, who were waiting to say goodbye to Naruto, were left. Naruto and Temari bid them good night as well, and when everyone was gone, both of them gave a tired sigh and plopped down on the chairs in the living room.

"Fake smiling all night is really hurting my cheeks," Naruto groaned.

"True that." She took her feet out of the heels, groaning in relief. "That's much better."

Naruto looked outside, and winced at how much clean-up was required. "I'll have my clones clean that up tomorrow. For now, I think it's best if we turn in."

Temari lifted her head to give him a smirk. "You just can't wait, can you?"

Naruto smirked back. "I really don't think you can blame me."

Temari rested her head back. "I'm not getting up on my own."

Naruto quietly snorted as Temari rested on the chair. There was one thing left to do. He got up and walked down to the basement. He walked by the simulation room, towards the stone that maintained the security seals around the house. He cut his thumb and swiped the blood on his right hand, and flashed through a set of seals. He then slammed his palm upon the stone, watching as the seal flashed brightly once, signaling that the security was once again activated. He then walked back up, smiling softly on seeing Temari still on the chair with her eyes closed. He walked quietly towards her, and lifted her heels, taking them to the shoe rack by the door. He removed his own shoes as well, making it easier for him to remain quiet.

An involuntary squeal left her mouth when she was suddenly lifted up, bridal style. Her hands instinctively wrapped around Naruto's neck, who was grinning wickedly.

"This is not the place to fall asleep, nor the time. There is still one thing left for us to do!"

Temari sighed as she shuffled in his arms to be a bit more comfortable. "I am almost jealous of how much energy you always seem to have."

"It works in your favor tonight. Now let's go, I need to ravish my wife!"

Temari's giggles sounded through the house, before the door to the master bedroom was shut.

Sasuke made it back to his compound after twenty five minutes of walking. It was, like every moment of every day, lifeless. As he passed by an abandoned store, he stopped.

Something felt….. out of place.

He jumped onto the roof top of the store, coming face to face with a group of four. Three males and a female, all in varying, but similar battle attire. Most notable feature of the attire, that Sasuke definitely remembered seeing before, was the thick, purple rope tied behind them in a bow. What was gross, however, was the pale, grey-haired boy with dark blue lipstick (Why would anyone want to wear that?!) and a second head behind him and the dark, tan boy with three sets of arms.

' Orochimaru's people, huh? They definitely have the skill to gross people out down, I'll give them that.'

"Who are you guys?" He asked in a tone that was just shy of sounding bored.

The tan boy smirked and came at him, but Sasuke jumped over him easily, even in his tux. The two headed guy appeared behind him to try and punch Sasuke, but Sasuke kicked back sharply, sending the guy crashing into a wall. Getting behind his first opponent, Sasuke steadied himself to deal with the big-boned guy coming to land a solid punch. He just flipped him and the tanned boy, the two bodies flying towards the other two. They all crash into each other, disappearing in a cloud of smoke.

Sasuke scoffed and turned around to see the four looking completely unruffled, but on another building. He brushed imaginary dust off his shoulder. "Is that the best you can do?"

The two headed guy sneered at him. "Quit your babbling, you weakling. Come over here so I can slap the bitch out of you!"

Sasuke adopted a mock thinking pose. "I know that pedophile talk. Orochimaru sent you guys, right? Pale as toothpaste, goes after young boys, and gives a totally fake laugh?"

The guy snarled and took a step forward, but was stopped by the redhead. "We didn't come here to test him. Orochimaru-sama has already done that."

The guy just snorted in disgust. "What does Orochimaru-sama need this weak guy for? Regardless….you will never be strong if you stay at Konoha. Mediocre at best, but you will never be able to match your blonde friend."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes, but waited for them to say more. The redhead continued, while looking at him as if he was barely worth her time. "Orochimaru-sama said that you were obsessed with killing your brother. He would be so surprised to be wrong.

"I thought that you would be training your ass off to get stronger, but here you are, attending social functions like weddings," she spat the word as if it were a curse, "content to let your blonde friend be ahead of you while you remain behind."

"It's almost as if you have forgotten what you train for."

Those words struck Sasuke like thunder. He showed no outward reaction, but he was shaken up on the inside. The redhead continued, "Come with us. If you do, Orochimaru-sama will give you power!"

Sasuke was pretty sure that Naruto would have made a pedophile joke, if he were here. But he was not, and Sasuke's mind focused on a single question: Had he really gotten so soft, that he had lost the sight of his life goal?

Then again, he wasn't satisfied with how he was being trained. Kakashi didn't seem to care much most of the time. If Orochimaru was offering to train him, should he refuse or not?

His mind flashed back to the talk he had with Naruto in the hospital room. If he left the village, a kill-on-sight order would be placed on his head, and it would most likely be Naruto who would pursue him. Still, was he ready to leave everything behind?

The two headed guy interrupted his thought process. "We know that the curse mark has been bothering you, even if it is sealed." That surprised Sasuke, though he kept a tight rein on his facial muscles. "The more you hold it back, the more it will drive you insane. If you come with us, Orochimaru-sama will teach you to control it, harness that power."

The offer was looking worth taking every second that asshole spoke. Sasuke was still a bit unsure though. Before he could think more, the redhead spoke up again. "You either choose to come with us to Orochimaru-sama, the path of power, or you choose to remain in the village that is holding you back on purpose? Holding you back from achieving your goal….Uchiha Itachi."

And just like that, they were gone.

Sasuke stood on the roof, finally getting some time to think. He could leave the village, but one person came to the forefront of his mind.

Naruto.

He was perhaps the only guy in the whole village that Sasuke could hold a decent conversation with. Even though Sasuke never openly admitted it, he considered Naruto a friend. Perhaps his only friend in the entire village. Not only that, but Naruto had this….ability, to make Sasuke feel bad about some of his decisions. It was clear even on the D-ranks they had been on.

He felt he could talk to him more about things than he ever could with any other person, even if he never did that. Naruto put him at ease somewhat, but at the same time, Sasuke felt jealous of him. Naruto was everything Sasuke was not. The most important of that being, Naruto was powerful.

Sasuke was not.

Sasuke was aware that by the time he reached to the level where Naruto was right now, Naruto would have jumped to a whole new level. He was growing stronger too fast, and Sasuke was afraid that he all he would be doing his entire life was play catch up with him.

He needed to get stronger, faster than what he was getting in Konoha. And the redhead must have been right about the village holding him back on purpose. After what happened with Itachi, they would keep a more careful watch on him. Kakashi was never to inclined to train him unless it was a good day, which was very rare.

His bonds would only hold him back.

He would never be able to kill Itachi at the rate he was getting stronger.

He took a deep breath, closing his eyes. When he opened them, he started walking back to his house. But his walk was different this time.

It held a purpose.

' Naruto….I'm sorry.'