Of Curry, Fevers, and Kits

“Hello, Naruto,” the young Kazekage smirked lightly as he straightened the surprised blond.

Naruto just stared at the red-head for what felt like a small eternity, and then shook his head to clear his thoughts. “Gaara! What are you doing here? I thought you went back to Suna already!” Had Gaara been in Konoha all along and he just hadn’t seen him until now?

The red-head hummed softly, “I did go back, but I arranged to return to Konoha as soon as possible. I left Temari and Kankuro in change until I return.”

Naruto blinked wide eyes in surprise, “Eh? But why? You’re the Kazekage, Gaara! You can’t just… leave your village unprotected like that, can you?”

Gaara frowned lightly “I didn’t leave it unprotected. I left it under the care of my siblings. The village is well protected until I return. I had something more important waiting for me here.” He was only a couple of inches taller than Naruto, but he used the difference to his full advantage as he looked deeply into his wide, blue eyes. He hadn’t let the blond go just yet, taking a step closer to him.

“Is there something you forgot to discuss with Granny Tsunade?” Naruto asked guilelessly.

Gaara nearly face faulted, pausing for a moment before he answered, “No Naruto. The reason I came back had nothing to do with the Hokage or relations between Konoha and Suna. It’s more important to me than that.”

Naruto looked like he couldn’t comprehend that there could actually be more important to a kage than the village they protected and keeping up peace with the neighboring shinobi villages. “What is it…?”

The Kazekage felt a twitch in his temple. Was Naruto being purposely dense? Or had he seriously been forgotten in the few weeks that he had been gone?

“It’s you, Naruto.”

His vote started to lean more towards forgotten just seeing the shock in the blonde’s face.

“A-ah… I…” Naruto tried to form words, a light blush spreading over his cheeks. That’s right, Gaara was also a part of this… thing, too. He had been so preoccupied between his problems with Sasuke and his confusion towards Sai that he had nearly forgotten that. How could he have ever forgotten Gaara, though? He was the one who shared a similar past to his own. And he was the one who had taken his virginity.

He suddenly frowned and shook his head, “As the Kazekage, your village should be more important to you than anything else, Gaara. It’s your responsibility to protect your village, put its needs before your own.” The blonde was candidate for next Hokage, after all. He knew these things.

It was Gaara’s turn to frown. “Kazekage or not, I am still just a man, Naruto. A man who has wants and needs, who is capable of love and hate, jealousy and happiness. I have flaws and weaknesses just like any other man. Even kages are allowed to love, and if I choose to have one thing to be selfish about, I think I have that right just as much as any other man.”

Naruto could feel the blush burning on his face, because Gaara’s sea foam green eyes were looking so seriously into his own, as if trying to reach his soul through them. His heart skipped a beat. “G-gaara…” His voice sounded suddenly dry even in his own ears and he swallowed thickly. “I…”

Gaara shook his head to keep the blond from saying anything more, a small smile, tugging at his lips. “Everyone else would see things the way you did, though. Temari and Kankuro are not the least bit happy with me. But I didn’t care. I just knew that I had to get back to you as quickly as I could.”

Naruto ducked his head, “But you are right. Just because you’re a kage doesn’t mean you stop being human. And we shouldn’t expect it of you. I just… worry. What if something happens to Suna while you’re here? I’d feel like it’d be my fault for making you come back.” When he looked back up at Gaara he was frowning again.

“Nothing is going to happen, Naruto. And you hardly forced me to come back. I never got to talk to you after that day in the hospital. Naruto… I’m sorry. I had no idea what was happening to you… that night I came to see you. If I had known…” Gaara sighed and trailed off.

“You wouldn’t have done it?” Naruto supplied.

The red-head shook his head, “I’d like to say I wouldn’t have, but the truth is I probably would have anyways.” Those light colored, almost eerie looking eyes were burning into Naruto’s blue again. “Naruto, I have never felt for anyone the way I feel for you. I regret that things between us started the way they did, but I don’t regret that it happened.”

Under normal circumstances, the red-head wouldn’t be so forward in any confession attempt. Gaara had decided in the long time he had to think before his return just what he wanted to tell Naruto, and how. He had to be honest, that much was obvious. He was the outsider in this play for Naruto’s heart and if he hesitated to save some of his pride he knew that he’d lose.

Sasuke and Sai lived in this village with Naruto. They could see him everyday and make multiple attempts to win the blond over. He had until they absolutely couldn’t do without him anymore in Suna. He had to lay it all down in the line now or risk losing it all.

Naruto felt that all too familiar feeling now. The warm fluttering in his chest he got when they said something sweet, something that made him feel wanted, cherished, even. It helped alleviate the ache that he got whenever he saw them.

“Gaara… I…”

Gaara silenced him again with a shake of his head, “You don’t have to say anything now. But I do want to spend as much time as I can with you while I am here, Naruto. You never got to show me around Konoha.”

Naruto blinked, then smirked lightly, “I thought Shikamaru was supposed to show you around after I got sick.”

“Yeah well, after everything that happened, Tsunada-sama wouldn’t really let me out of her sight. I didn’t get to see much besides your apartment before that.”

Naruto blushed crimson, ducking his head. Gaara mentally cursed, maybe that had been the wrong thing to say.

The red head cleared his throat, “Have lunch with me tomorrow. You can show me around afterwards and we will talk.”

Naruto had to forcibly push his memories away for the moment. He was still blushing, and so flustered and the almost answered without thinking, but the smiling face of a certain, pale, art shinobi flashed in his mind’s eye.

“Ah… I can’t, I promised Sai I’d have lunch with him tomorrow.”

Sea foam green eyes narrowed, Gaara’s brows lowering in a frown, “But you were with him just now, weren’t you?”

Naruto felt an unexplainable pang of guilt, like he had just been caught red handed with his hand in the cookie jar. Then he shook the feeling away. He didn’t have anything to feel sorry about, dammit!

“Yeah, but I promised I’d have lunch with him tomorrow. It’s my turn to treat.”

“So you’re spending a lot of time with him. What about Uchiha?” Gaara’s frown didn’t waiver in the least.

Naruto frowned at that, looking away with a shrug, “I’ve seen him around.” He actually felt his chakra near by, but if the teme was going to pretend to not be there he wasn’t going to acknowledge his presence.

Gaara felt Sasauke close as well. He felt inwardly smug. It seemed like the sharingan user was having trouble getting on Naruto’s good graces again. Well that was just fine for him. It meant less competition to worry about. But now the one he hadn’t even considered a thread before was his main obstacle. Naruto seemed to be spending quite a bit of time with him. The pale anbu had even managed to steal a kiss from Naruto when he had first found the blond. This wouldn’t do at all.

But then he and Naruto shared a connection that neither of the other two could hope to understand. The connection of being jinchuriki, being hated and outcasts in their own villages, having to survive and strive forward on their own to prove their worth. Naruto had been the one who had set Gaara on the right path to gaining acknowledgement and respect. Whatever this Sai person shared with Naruto it couldn’t possibly hold the same depth as what he and Naruto shared. He had really thought that Uchiha would have been his only competition before.

But now was not the time to think or talk about the Uchiha, “Then join me for dinner this evening. We can then, and you can show me around Konoha the day after.”

Gaara was being pushy, but Naruto couldn’t help but sigh, let it go, and smile. “Sure that sounds great.”

He could understand why the kazekage was being so insistent. Who knew how long he’d be allowed to stay. If he was serious about wanting to make up for what happened before he had to magnanimous and give Gaara the chance.

Gaara felt a flutter in his chest, and he was sure that his heart had just skipped a beat. He smiled very lightly, “Thank you.” He took a step forward, leaning down as if he intended to claim Naruto’s lips.

The blond ducked, his face colored crimson. “Oi! Don’t push your luck! I’m still kinda mad at you, baka!”

Gaara sighed, for all the world looking like a boy who had just been told he couldn’t have snacks before dinner. He nodded, not wanting to push his luck further. “You’re right, forgive me. I’ll see you tomorrow Naruto. I’ll meet you here.”

Naruto relaxed, nodding with a small offering of a smile, “Un, I’ll be here at seven.”

Gaara returned the small smile, and disappeared the next second. Naruto followed his chakra presence until it was far away. He sighed. Lunch with Sai and dinner with Gaara. All three of them were here now. It had been complicated enough with just Sasuke and Sai to give him a headache.

‘It’s the price you pay for being a popular bitch.’ Naruto heard the familiar, bestial whisper in his mind. He hadn’t heard or felt a peep from Kyuubi for days, but of course he’d make a showing to taunt him

“Shut the fuck up!” he growled to himself.

“Talking to yourself, dobe?”

Naruto felt his insides freeze, then let go with a tired sigh, “What do you what, teme?” So Sasuke had finally decided to show himself.

“Hm,” the Uchiha appeared in front of Naruto in a low crouch, slowly getting up to his feet. “I’ve been waiting for a chance to talk to you alone, actually.”

Naruto fought the urge to roll his eyes and he pushed past the Uchiha to return home. “No thanks, I still remember the last time we had an alone talk.”

Faster than the eye could follow Sasuke caught Naruto’s wrist. “So the cheap imitation and the sand freak deserve your forgiveness, but I don’t?”

Naruto snapped out of Sasuke’s hold without much effort. “Sai and Gaara have actually asked for forgiveness and a second chance. What have you done to earn forgiveness?”

Sasuke flinched imperceptibly, his frown turning into something more akin to a pout. “I don’t see that I did anything wrong. I’m not sorry for what happened between us, and while I’m not happy that it had to happen only when you were so out of your mind you weren’t even yourself, I don’t regret it in the least. It was inevitable between us. I know that deep down you know that, too.”

Naruto was blushing again, not able to meet the raven shinobi’s gaze. A part of him did agree with Sasuke, but he was sure that this part of him was also the same part of him that wanted to give into those stupid animal instincts Kyuubi had put in him. “Just shut up, dobe. I don’t belong to you.”

Sasuke sighed, “Fine… then can I be given the chance to earn your forgiveness as well?”

Naruto wanted to say no, but in the end he just sighed, “What did you have in mind?”

“Have breakfast with me tomorrow.”

Naruto blinked in surprise. “Breakfast?”

Sasuke smirked, though there was a tightness behind it, “Well lunch and dinner have been claimed already haven’t they?”

Naruto fought the urge to roll his eyes. Of course the baka would know about his other plans, he had felt him near by all day. Stupid bastard was eavesdropping on him! he was too mentally exhausted to fight about this right now, or even bring himself to care.

“Fine, breakfast it is.”

“First thing in the morning,” Sasuke smirked, more sure of himself now. He’d have Naruto before the other two. He’d have the blond before the other two could.

Naruto shrugged, “Yeah sure, but it’ll have to be quick. Granny Tsunade runs most of her tests on me after breakfast and those run to nearly lunch time.”

Sasuke could feel some of his hot air deflate; seeing a large flaw in his plan. He frowned, “Tests?”

Naruto flushed lightly, looking away, “Yeah well, seeing as I’m the first ever recorded case of male pregnancy she wants to get as much data as she can. See if I’m stable, healthy, record any changes, and crap like that.”

Sasuke’s frown deepened, but he could see the reason for it. After a moment’s thought he nodded, “That’s fine then. After morning training we can meet here.”

Naruto looked up in surprise. He would have thought that Sasuke would be more bothered by this. “Aa… okay,” he said dumbly.

“Until then… Naruto,” the way raven said his name made the blond’s skin prickle pleasantly, and in the next moment Sasuke was gone.

Naruto stayed unmoving for a few moments longer, and then shook his head. Three dates tomorrow, he wondered what Sakura would think of it.

-

“Eh? A date with all three of them tomorrow?!” Sakura’s voice was a gasp of disbelief and almost hidden glee.

Naruto murred, pulling his shirt back down after the pink haired kunoichi had finished the last of the evening tests on him. “Yeah, I promised Sai first, then Gaara shows up out of no where and asks me out to dinner, and he sounded sincere so I said yeah. Then Sasuke-teme showed himself after that and demanded we have breakfast together, and I was too tired to argue so I said yes.”

“Naruto! I didn’t know you were such a smooth operator! Three dates in one day!” Sakura couldn’t help but tease.

“It’s not funny,” Naruto pouted, less than pleased.

Sakura sobered, realizing how upset Naruto was, “Naruto, I’m sorry. I’m just… happy for you. They all seem to want you to forgive them. For you to choose them.”

Naruto’s brow furrowed deeper, “I know. Even Sasuke-teme seems like he really means it, in his own bastard way, that’s what what’s bothering me.”

Sakura blinked in surprise, “It isn’t? Then what is bothering you?”

Naruto fidgeted in place for a moment, then let out a long sigh, “I don’t know which of them I should pick, or if I should pick any of them. Just because it was them during that time doesn’t mean that I have to be with any of them, right?”

The kunoichi tilted her head curiously to the side, “Well no, I guess not. You can be with whoever makes you happy, Naruto. Even if it’s not any of those three. You’re not limited with them just because one of them is the father. Choose someone who makes you completely happy. Someone you like.”

A sudden blush overtook the blonde’s cheeks, “It’s not that I’m saying I don’t like them. They’re each important to me, some of my closest friends. It’s just…” he trailed off.

Sakura felt like they were reaching the root of the problem now. She placed a gentle hand on Naruto’s shoulder, “It’s just what, Naruto?”

Pained blue eyes looked into blue/green, “If I choose one of them, the other two will be hurt, won’t be?”

Sakura felt the air whoosh out of her lungs. She shook her head and pulled Naruto forward into a hug. “Naruto no baka! That’s what you’re worried about? Naruto… they understand that part, I think that’s the whole reason they’re all being so pushy. But no matter how pushy they are you can’t let them influence how you feel. Only you know who is best for you, alright?”

Sakura could feel Naruto’s head nodding where it was rested on the crook of her shoulder, but the blond didn’t actually say anything. She could see it for herself, the changes in Naruto. He as more emotional now, and obviously that was because of the hormones his body seemed to be producing now. It made him more susceptible to getting his feelings hurt, more susceptible to being controlled by his emotions. If she could she’d personally kick the nine-tailed demon fox’s ass for doing this to Naruto.

The poor boy was going through a hell he couldn’t understand. The gods only knew how hard it was for a regular woman already. All she could do was be there for Naruto when he needed support. She teased him about his suitor situation, but only because she wanted to keep Naruto from making a bigger deal of it than it already was. And if nothing else, being annoyed at her was a better use of Naruto’s emotional instability than moping over three idiots.

“So… what are you going to wear tomorrow on your dates? Are you going to change for each date? You’ll have to let me at least fix your hair right?” Sakura smiled as she stroked the satiny soft strands of blonde hair

Naruto’s groan was muffled against the kunoichi’s shoulder, “Sakuraaaaa-chaaaaan~! Shut up!”

-

To be continued!

Oooh! Another chapter! Gaara is back and he wants his turn! Naruto has three dates for the next day! Even Sasuke managed to snag one! Maybe there is a bit of hope for him yet! Mayhaps!

... so basically I made you all wait this long and all for nothing! Sorry! Please don't kill me! I'm still wondering myself the exact way I want this to end. x3;;

If you are a fan of this story, or any of my stories please take the time to check out the link provided below! It would really mean a lot to me and any bit of help is greatly appreciated!
http://yaoi.y-gallery.net/journal/ravenfyre/187143/