Broke Straight Guys

Broke Straight Guys

Salute and bonjour to all you beautiful people!

Sneakyfox- I'm glad someone considered that. I had been wondering if anyone would. Even if Tenten did give him permission, I don't think Killerbee would be down with it.

Carousel- I cannot be anything but flattered. I'd blush if I was a blushing sort of person.

zimmrie kanoah- While I find canon Sasuke to be a selfish bitch boy, I rather enjoy fanfiction versions of him. I'm not entirely sure why.

Lil-lo- While I'm not sure which way you prefer spelling your username, I can say that I do try to keep the stereotypes to a minimum. Somehow, I think I'll end up exploiting a few for comedy's sake. Or seriousness' sake.

Prism0467- Aiya, mangle him? That's quite severe, don't you think?

Thanks for reading as far as you have and for commenting as well. I can only hope that you will continue.

Well, I've blabbed enough. For most of you, you probably know what song inspired this chapter but for those who don't… Stacy's Mom by Fountains of Wayne

0o0

Side Story: She's Got It Goin' On

0o0

Must be nice to be so rich. Imagine, the ability to buy a private jet or to hire a platoon of maids on a whim. Owning two houses? For a normal person, it was ludicrous! Even more so was the idea that you only lived in one of those houses for a few weeks out of the year. Now wasn't that absurd? People were huddling homeless on the streets and there was a fully paid-off abode that was uninhabited eighty percent of the time. Rich people were weird.

That did not, in any way whatsoever, mean that he was ungrateful to the rich person who had decided to take him to their summer house for spring break. Rather he was thankful that he could consider one of the elite as a companion and reap the benefits it offered.

Visiting a summer house in the spring sounded redundant, but Naruto wouldn't have turned the invitation down for anything short of a complete family disaster. Sasuke always flippantly told him cool things about his vacations and for once their conversation wouldn't be: 'So I went wakeboarding in the Keys, but that was pretty boring. What'd you do?' 'Um…I got to a new level in my video game?'

No, for once, he'd have a glorious break where he'd spend two beautiful weeks with the Uchiha family and get to share the good times. Sasuke said his mom forced him to bring a friend so he wouldn't get lonely, but as long as he was there he didn't really care why. He could hardly sleep last night for the sheer excitement and the feeling sustained itself to now, though it had dampened some. Out of country destinations had gotten the axe because he didn't have a passport and Sasuke was pissed about that because he'd wanted to go to Mexico to thoroughly exploit the lower drinking age with the fake IDs a kid they had Geometry with cooked up. Now the fee they'd paid was wasted. They could pass as eighteen, but not twenty-one. Hitting bars in this area wasn't happening. Sasuke hadn't said a word to Naruto since they hit the road aside from 'I hate you so much'. More upsettingly, he found out that they wouldn't be taking a helicopter to the summer house as he'd been originally told. Apparently the pilot was sick and the Uchiha family refused to let anyone else fly the two of them up, so they took a limo instead. At first it had been interesting, but boredom soon set in. In spite of the length, it was still a car. Naruto had been in plenty of cars before and the appeal was sorely lacking. So he fidgeted and Sasuke sulked for the rest of the five-hour ride, stopping only to pick up some snacks and for a bathroom break. This place, Naruto thought as Sasuke gave him the evil eye for the fiftieth time today, had better be worth it.

Finally they arrived and Naruto flew out of the car, taking in a much needed breath of fresh air. "Haah, freedom!" he sighed, stretching his sore muscles. Sitting for nearly five hours straight was quite literally a pain.

"Get your crap out of the car." Sasuke kicked his so-called best friend in the ass as he passed him, leaving a dusty footprint on the seat of his pants.

Naruto stumbled forward a few steps, glaring daggers at the back of the young man. "What the hell was that for?"

"I can't believe you don't have a passport. You're such a loser."

"I do have one! I just lost it!"

"Yeah, right. Maybe it's stuck between your mom's boobs and baby belly."

"You shut up about my mom! You're just jealous that you're not getting a little sister!"

"I don't want a stupid sister. Why are you so happy about it? You know she won't pay any attention to you anymore." Sasuke was glad he was the youngest—not the baby, he despised being called the baby—in the family. It had its benefits. "I don't see what the big deal about pregnancy is. All it does is give women another reason to bitch and moan about stupid shit, then they get bloated and fat. I hate fat chicks."

"You wouldn't even be here if your mom hadn't gotten pregnant!"

"My mom didn't get fat."

"You were a tiny-ass preemie!"

"Seven months isn't preemie."

"Says the guy who was on baby life support!"

"So what if I was?" Being strapped into a machine day in and day out then hadn't affected him much now. With some of the nation's best physicians in attendance, his lungs had developed fine.

"What are you going to do when you get married and you want kids?"

Sasuke already had that base covered. He'd precisely planned his life out by the time he was thirteen. "Adopt a Chinese baby or something. I don't want my wife to get fat like your mom."

"What if she tells you she's pregnant?"

"Then I'd dump the bitch."

Naruto could never figure out how Sasuke could say such terrible things with a straight face and actually mean it. Ice water ran through his veins instead of blood. That had to be it. Sasuke was Satan spawn. On his father's side, naturally. While he'd never met the man personally, the fruit didn't fall far from the tree and logic dictated that Fugaku was as huge of an asshole as his son. His heart went out to Mrs. Uchiha.

"You're an idiot!"

"Takes one to know one," Sasuke said in that infuriatingly too cool for school voice of his. "Your mom's an idiot too for letting herself get turned into a fat bitch."

Trash-talk was a daily occurrence between them, but there was malice in the remark that couldn't go with impunity. Later Naruto would think back and realize that Sasuke was probably lashing out in anger, not only because his trip to Mexico had been snatched from under his nose but because he'd suffered a nasty breakup with his girlfriend a few days prior. Far from a clean split, it was a splintery, fractured-in-seven places mess that he never got the full story on. While male pride ensured that he only said otherwise, Sasuke had truly and deeply loved her.

At the time, rage completely consumed Naruto's mind and he flew at Sasuke like a wild beast going in for the kill. There was mostly punching and kicking and strangling, but the significantly less masculine pinching and hair pulling managed to worm their way in. They weren't trained cage fighters and there was no decorum or strategy about the brawl whatsoever. Naruto, however, had been on the wrestling team in junior high and managed to get Sasuke locked in an arm bar. Surrender was the only option from here on out.

Without warning, along came perk number two of the Uchiha vacation.

"Boys? What on earth are you doing?"

Sasuke growled obscenities discontentedly into the dirt, face bright red with humiliation. Of all the lousy timing…

"Oh! Mrs. Uchiha!" Naruto hopped up and brushed himself off, taking a quick moment to fix his hair into a slightly more presentable state. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, but what were you doing to Sasuke?"

"He said a very unkind thing about my mother—oh, she's pregnant, by the way, she wanted me to tell you that, she keeps forgetting to call you—and I know you raised him better than that. I had to do something."

"Next time, I'd rather you tell me, alright?" She gave Sasuke a stern look and the boy knew he was in deep shit. Maybe he should just play dead so she wouldn't punish him. Run away to Mexico and live off his savings, get back together with his girl while he was at it.

"Sure thing, Mrs. Uchiha," Naruto said with a sunny smile.

She stepped forward and embraced the blonde, pressing her soft, full lips to his cheek. "You've grown so much, Naruto. You're almost taller than me."

"Heheh, yeah." Naruto couldn't help blushing. It was like being kissed by a flower. "Sasuke's mad now that we're at eye level with each other."

"Sasuke, be a dear and grab the luggage, will you?"

"Yes, Mother…" Sasuke grumbled, hoping that this would be the extent of his punishment.

"Don't forget my stuff." Naruto wasn't going to let his friend off so easily.

Sasuke shot him the bird.

"You have to tell me about your mother, Naruto. How far along is she?"

"Five months. I can't wait for the baby to be born."

"Do you know the gender yet?"

"Mom wants it to be a surprise, but she's pretty sure that it'll be a girl."

"How precious! She'll be absolutely adorable. If she's even half as attractive as you, she'll have to beat the boys off with a stick. Take good care of her, alright?"

"Thanks, Mrs. Uchiha. I will."

His soon-to-arrive baby sister wasn't the only woman he wanted to take care of.

I0I0I0I0I

The fan blades whirred around in quiet circles on the ceiling. Boredom had already snared them in its clutches. Sasuke was still in a god-awful mood and refused to do anything that remotely resembled fun. According to him it was too hot to play catch, they couldn't play a video game because his mom had confiscated the power cords as part of his punishment, and the pool wasn't clean so they couldn't swim in it. They were resigned to stare at the ceiling of Sasuke's bedroom. It wasn't a bad one. Same as most other ceilings Naruto had seen. There was a scattering of glow-in-the-dark stars on it. Supposedly Sasuke rarely spent time in here so he didn't care about the fact they'd been there since he was seven.

Naruto found it extremely hard to believe that Sasuke had ever found glow-in-the-dark stars cool. Then again, he didn't know much about Sasuke's younger days. According to his mom, he'd been a total crybaby who always followed around his big brother like a baby chick and got picked on in school every single day. He glanced over at Sasuke, trying to imagine him the way he'd been described: girly, quiet, and constantly in tears about one thing or another.

"Take a picture, why don't ya? It'll last longer."

He wasn't seeing it. Maybe he had been such a little hellion that Mrs. Uchiha made up her own version of him in her mind to deal with the trauma. That made more sense.

"Stop making googly eyes at me, fag. You want me to kiss you or something?"

"Yeah, that was probably it…" Naruto muttered.

"What was what?" Sasuke began to sit up. Great, first Naruto ruined his vacation and now he was talking to himself. Why was he friends with this weirdo?

"I'm gonna get something to eat."

Naruto got up and began pacing the halls to soothe his impatient legs. Hunger wasn't really his motivation for leaving. A change in scenery was necessary or he would go insane. How could Sasuke stand doing nothing for so long? Humans weren't made to tolerate such dreariness. Maybe he was a robot. A demon robot from Hell. Naruto entertained the thought for a while. If he was a robot, he was a master of disguise. He looked exactly like a person. Did he run on batteries or solar power? Could he stick his finger in any old light socket and charge up for the day? The possibilities were practically limitless.

Eventually he tired of the robot Sasuke theory and was drawn to the kitchen, where he found Mikoto Uchiha sitting at the marble counter of the island, arranging a bouquet of flowers. With a tenderness in his adolescent heart that was nearly pure, he sighed contentedly at her peaceful visage. There was something wonderful about her, though he wasn't entirely sure what it was exactly. Sakura was a great girlfriend, sure. But there was an air about the Lady Uchiha that made her, not his beloved girlfriend, the subject of his idle romantic fantasies.

Mikoto was mature and graceful, the paragon of lady-like dignity. Sakura tried to behave in a proper manner for the modern woman, but when she was with Naruto she was as liable to knock him out as she was to kiss him. Mikoto was lissome and willowy with curves in all the right places. Sakura was short, boyish, and had a spectacularly unremarkable bust line. Watching Mikoto move was like living art. Any motion Sakura made had him running the other way because she was probably about to punch him for something silly he'd said. To put things simply, Sakura may be a princess—an occasionally violent one at that—but Mikoto was an absolute goddess.

"Don't be a stranger, Naruto. Come in."

Spotted so soon? "I didn't think you'd heard me, Mrs. Uchiha."

"My mother always said that I could hear a cat sneeze from two blocks away."

Awed that he'd been invited into her sacred presence, Naruto approached her reverently. "What are you doing?"

He wanted to slap himself for asking such a stupid question. What she was doing was blatantly obvious.

"Making floral arrangements for a charity benefit I'm going to tonight. Sit down." She pulled out the other stool tucked under the counter and patted the seat.

Naruto sat. "You go to a lot of things like that, huh?"

"Yes. Since my husband has essentially made me the liaison to the public, I always have my calendars full."

"But why? I thought you were super-good at math. Why don't you help Sasuke's da—I mean, your husband with all that number stuff?"

"Well, if I don't do this, no one will. We'd look as heartless as the other financial firms. It's purely about the image, Naruto. When you're a little older, you'll understand. Itachi's more or less taken over my old spot even though he graduated such a short while ago. I'm so proud of him." Pride was there at her son's achievement at the surface level. Deeper, her happiness sounded forced, the pretty smile on her lips not quite reaching her eyes.

Naruto knew better than to press the matter. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Actually, there is. Would you please go to the garden and pick some flowers for me? Whatever you think is best will be fine. Follow your gut and make sure you get a couple pink ones. It's a breast cancer benefit."

She handed him the clippers and he hurried off, eager to do her bidding. Mrs. Uchiha trusted him to do this for her. It felt great. She didn't treat him like some kid. As far as she was concerned, he was a man in his own right. Was it a fantasy for him to want her as much as he did? Could he ever do anything to make her as crazy for him as he was for her? Both were questions he didn't know the answer to, but he didn't really care. Starting with the petty things garnered trust. Garnering trust led to bigger tasks. Accomplishing those tasks would earn appreciation, which could turn to love. So he didn't care that he was doing something so mundane. In the end it would be worth it.

He returned when he had picked a prodigious bouquet, presenting them to the Uchiha woman with a massive grin.

She accepted the flowers, pleased with his prompt service. "Thank you so much, Naruto. I wish my sons were as helpful as you."

"I, um, got you this too." From behind his back he revealed a daisy that he tucked behind her ear, savoring the divine glow of her skin and the silkiness of her long black hair.

Her tender mouth melted warmly into a genuine smile. "Thank you, Naruto."

"Is there anything else I can do to help? Sasuke's being a total buzzkill. He only wants to lay around and complain."

"Is that so? What a poor host he's being. He's just upset that he didn't go to Mexico. He's been begging to go to Cancún for months." Mikoto snipped a stalk to a more appropriate length. "Not that that's an excuse. I'll talk to him if you want."

"Nah, I'm pretty sure he'll snap out of it soon. I don't want to bother you when you've got so much on your plate already. You deserve a break now and then."

"You're such a sweet boy, Naruto. Your girlfriend must be crazy about you."

"Eh, sometimes. She likes punching me a lot. She's tough."

"Poor thing. What did you do to deserve that?"

"No biggie, Mrs. Uchiha. Sometimes I act like an idiot when we're together and she gets embarrassed."

"She shouldn't hit you, no matter the circumstances."

"I'm tough. She may hit hard, but I always bounce back." When he said hard, he meant really hard. She was on the lacrosse team. Once he'd tried to get to third base with her and she gave him a black eye that swelled up to comic proportions. When he got to school the next day, he told everyone that he'd been mugged by four huge guys. No one bought it for a second and he'd been the laughingstock of the entire tenth grade for weeks. "Give me a call if you need anything else."

"I will. And Naruto?"

"Yeah?"

"I want you to know that you are—"

"Naruto!" Sasuke barked, sticking his head through the doorway. "Leave my mom alone. I want to ask you something."

"Oh, Sasuke! Would you like some lunch, sweetie? I could whip up something for you real quick." Mikoto began getting up from her seat, happy at the prospect of feeding her baby boy.

"I'm not hungry, Mom. Go back to messing with your flowers. Naruto, my room, now."

"Guess I'll see you later, Mrs. Uchiha."

Naruto reluctantly allowed himself to be dragged away by his friend. If he knew that Sasuke didn't know that he liked his mom, he would've called the timing suspicious. They'd been having a moment and now it was ruined. Mrs. Uchiha probably wouldn't finish what she'd been trying to say. He was stuck trying to figure it out on his own. Was it: 'I want you to know you are terrible at picking flowers?' or 'I want you to know you are not even close to being mature enough for me?' or maybe 'I want you to know that you are an idiot?' It could be so many things and all the ones he was coming up with were extremely depressing. He barely noticed when Sasuke shoved a backpack into his arms.

"We're going for a walk."

"Cool." More time to think about what horrible things Mrs. Uchiha's statement left viable.

"Did you bring any mags with you?"

Naruto rolled his eyes. That's what this was about? Sasuke had cut his conversation with Mrs. Uchiha off at a crucial point for this? "Why can't you find your own porn?"

"Mom likes to go through my stuff when I'm at school. There's no way in hell I'm keeping any at home. She's such a snoop. I can't believe she doesn't respect my space."

"Maybe she's worried about you."

Sasuke scoffed. "Just grab whatever you've got and we'll go."

Naruto glowered at the back of his friend, rummaging through his suitcase to pull out the magazine he'd stolen from his grandfather's room and put it in the backpack. Sasuke needed to do something about this porn addiction of his. He seemed to subdue it while he was dating, but every time he returned into the single life his hormones raged more passionately than before. Given the nature of the split, Naruto had a feeling that he would have to deal with his friend's chronic masturbation for a few days before things settled down.

Their destination was a secluded little riverbed and Sasuke was quick to yank Naruto's backpack out of his hands and plopped down in front of a massive boulder threaded with tiny glistening crystals. "You have no idea how long I've waited for one of these. I can barely look at online stuff anymore because Mom's always popping in and asking if I want to see a movie or something stupid like that."

"That's cold."

"Don't judge me, bro. I need this."

Sasuke unzipped his shorts and began fishing out his dick. Naruto sighed as he took a seat next to Sasuke and did what prostitutes do: averted his eyes and prayed this would be over soon. He wanted to finish the conversation that had been so rudely terminated. "Don't get cum on it this time. I hate it when the pages are sticky."

"God, look at the cans on this one," Sasuke muttered, rubbing harder.

Naruto glanced at the page Sasuke was fixated on. "She's okay, I guess. Her boobs look rock solid. I'd be afraid she'd poke my eye out with one of those things."

"You're a real boner killer, you know that?"

"Oh, check out this chick's ass. Is it not bodacious, my friend?" Indulgence every now and then wasn't so bad, but he wasn't a porn fiend like Sasuke.

"You would notice her ass, you queer."

"Up yours."

"No thanks. I don't swing that way."

"Have I told you lately that I hate you?"

"That reminds me, the last time I went to one of those lame parties Mom makes me go to, there was this hot chick there. I think she's a Hyuuga." Sasuke pulled out his cell phone and found the picture in his memory before passing it to his blonde companion.

The girl was the physical embodiment of the word voluptuous. She had the best boob to ass ratio he'd ever seen. Quietly he apologized to Mrs. Uchiha for downgrading her to number two on his list.

"Damn. Did you get her name?"

"Hinata, I think. I'd tap that. Her tits are perfection. I'd like to shove my face between 'em and take a nap."

"Freak." It was another one of those 'Sasuke things' as he'd deemed them. He wanted to have nothing to do with 'Sasuke things' and in fact, tried to not think about them at all. There was a long list of 'Sasuke things' he was sure he didn't know about and he hoped that it remained that way.

"Tch. If me and her were in a room alone, I'd tear off her dress—"

"Sasuke? Naruto?"

"—and take my dripping—"

"Sasuke? Naruto? Where are you?"

"—and with the way she'd be moaning, you'd think she was a—"

"Is that your mom?"

"Shut up, I'm not finished. I'd pound her like a—"

"Boys? Are you out here?"

"I'm pretty sure that's your mom."

Caught up in his fantasy, Sasuke didn't hear either of them. "—do a motorboat and make 'em sticky and then—"

The voice of Mikoto grew steadily closer as Sasuke's vocal pitch rose with the increasingly nearer orgasm until it hit him like an eighteen-wheeler. Barely able to cover his mouth fast enough to stifle his scream, Sasuke's dick shot a fountain of cum into the air, thumping his head against the rock so hard he nearly knocked himself out. Naruto was glad that Sasuke was merely dazed. It would be awkward trying to explain to Mikoto why her son was unconscious and covered in sperm. Giving Sasuke some much-needed time to clean up was a must, so Naruto made his way back to the path they'd taken. He soon found Mikoto, worried and slightly lost.

"Mrs. Uchiha! What are you doing out here?" His jog came to a slow stop, stirring the dirt beneath their feet.

"It's time to start getting ready for the benefit. I was going to tell Sasuke to take a shower and find his suit. Where is he?"

"He said he'd catch up. Let's go. You should be preparing yourself."

"Alright…"

Mikoto was troubled by the absence of her son, but her uncertainties faded when Naruto put a friendly arm around her and chattered away joyously. He was such a good boy.

I0I0I0I0I

Mikoto looked positively stunning. Lips painted a sober rouge and grey eyes smoky with the makeup tricks she'd played on them, Naruto could only stare. Her black dress was magnificent, short enough to show off her shapely legs and make her already full breasts more attractive, but not in a way that she came off as slutty. Presently she was struggling to fit a backing to an earring, hair falling in silky sheets around her sweet face. Dreamily sighing, Naruto wished that he had a camera to capture this perfect moment. She looked like a swallowtail butterfly. How was it possible for someone to be that beautiful? Basking in her ethereal glow made him feel insignificant in comparison. Nothing could ruin this moment.

"Sasuke, honey, you have to get dressed. We're leaving in forty minutes."

Almost nothing, that is.

"Hn," Sasuke grunted from the loveseat, not bothering to tear his eyes away from the reality show he was watching on TV. He was still in the dirty clothes he'd been wearing the entire day.

"Would you help me zip up, Naruto?"

"Sure thing."

Naruto could barely contain his excitement. He got up and stood behind her, heart racing at a mile a minute. Tentatively he rested his hand on her lower back, trying to find the small zipper in the dark fabric. He could feel her breath quickening momentarily before she returned to pleading Sasuke to put on his suit. Oh, if only that meddlesome Sasuke wasn't here! He would pull that zipper down instead of up and let his hands roam her softly toned body as he told her the things she made him feel. Who cared if she had a husband and two kids?

Metal met his grasp and he guided it up slowly, shaking at the closeness to her flawless skin. Naruto hesitated when he reached her upper back and her strapless bra was in plain sight. Unlatching it would be simple from this position. Blushing as red as her lipstick, Naruto looked down to distract himself from his dirty thoughts. There he discovered that her dress revealed no panty lines. She was wearing a thong. Probably a black one with lace. Pink or white. Either would look good on Mikoto. Red lace was too bold, too 'in your face' for her. Blue would be nice as well, a strong deep blue that curved around her thighs.

Maybe the bra matched. Nothing overly extravagant. Strapless ones were pretty plain, a rhinestone in that perfect place between the breasts as a bit of embellishment and not much else. It was probably one of those padded bras so you couldn't tell when a girl's nipples were hard because she was cold. Hard nipples didn't exactly fit in with her proud, dignified public face.

Why was Sasuke here ruining things for them? He wanted to find out what Mrs. Uchiha had on under that little black dress of hers and he couldn't because Sasuke was being a moron and wouldn't go leave to put on his stupid suit.

Damn his adolescent hormones, he'd already popped a chubby! He hadn't even imagined her naked yet. Older women had no right to be this sexy.

"Sasuke, get a move on. We need to go."

"Don't wanna," the brunette mumbled. Two drunk bitches had just started a catfight in the middle of a parking lot. He had to know how it turned out.

"While you're back there, Naruto, could you put this necklace on me?"

"Yes!" Naruto half-squeaked, dick getting harder than he thought humanly possible. The thing could probably cut diamond by now.

Parting the hair at the nape of her neck was a task that he relished, longing to kiss the milky skin. He connected the clasp with its corresponding loop and admired his work.

"How's that?"

"Perfect, dear. Thank you. Sasuke, I really don't want to go to this by myself."

"Take Itachi." Sasuke's response system was on autopilot.

"You know Itachi is in Taiwan. For once can't you not put up a fight? Do it for me, please."

"Mrs. Uchiha, I'll go," Naruto offered.

Her surprise was lovely, eyes innocently wide as she turned to bring them face-to-face. "Really?"

"Sure."

"You'll have to be quick. Take a shower while I go find Sasuke's suit. It should fit you."

"Alright." He needed a shower anyway. A nice, cold one.

"Thank you so much, Naruto."

She kissed his cheek and he walked on air.

I0I0I0I0I

"Did you see?"

"Who is that boy?"

"He's so young!"

"Do you think…?"

Not even ten minutes into the gathering and they were already the talk of the evening. Mikoto Uchiha had arrived in style on the arm of a handsome young man. Eyes feasted upon the two of them, both in black with a pink ribbon pin fastened on their lapels. Throughout the opening speech, thoughts were of the two of them, mindlessly applauding when appropriate as they tried to discern the lad's identity. A family member of a breast cancer victim? A bodyguard-in-training? A high class male prostitute? No one knew for sure. One thing for certain was that they intended to find out. When the talking was said and done with, the vultures began circling the odd couple, waiting for someone to take the first step.

Mikoto sensed the tension, keeping a cool front and sipping champagne from a glass flute. Naruto seemed to bill the atmosphere as a norm for rich people parties. He snacked on shrimp puffs and the other various finger foods that a few brave waiters dared to carry to them, wishing that this had been a dinner event. With some trepidation and Mikoto's permission, he was allowed to have a single glass of wine. He drank it sparingly, knowing it would have to last him the entire night.

Eventually someone came up to them, a woman in a fine golden dress. "Mikoto, so good to see you! It's been far too long."

"Genevieve, I agree. How's your daughter?"

She wasn't about to waste any time getting down to business. "Excellent, but I must digress. Everyone's been dying to know who this lovely young man you've brought is."

Hearing the magic words, curious attendants converged on the conversation.

"This is Naruto, Sasuke's friend. He came on vacation with us and since Sasuke couldn't make it tonight, he offered to escort me instead."

"Is that so? How sweet. It's nice to meet you, Naruto." Genevieve extended her hand and Naruto shook it.

"Nice to meet you too."

Another woman seized the opportunity to jump in. "So, what do you do for a living?"

"Uh… I'm in high school."

"How lovely. What year?"

"Sophomore."

"Do you do any extracurricular activities?" queried a third.

"Yeah. I used to be in wrestling, but now I'm just doing track and cross-country." He shook her hand as well.

More crowded around the blonde, fawning on him like he was a well-trained pet. Naruto couldn't say that he particularly disliked the attention, but he wasn't entirely comfortable with it either. Some of the ladies had creepy too-tight Botox faces and so far it seemed like they were the most touchy-feely ones, squeezing his biceps and patting his pectorals. Was getting felt up by middle-aged women normal at this sort of shindig? What about the families they were supposed to be sponsoring? Where were they?

A heavily jeweled hand suddenly groped his butt and he jumped a bit, startled at the indecent intent. The woman beamed at him shamelessly with her blindingly bright bleached teeth and he broke out into a nervous sweat, wondering how he should respond. Keeping a level head was the key to handling this and making Mikoto proud. Suppressing the urge to run away from the lecherous older women was the difficult part. Unfortunately, he had a nasty feeling that if he didn't flee, the horde would snatch him up in their talons and steal him away to a dark broom closet to do horrible, horrible things to him. While a couple of them were actually pretty decent looking, he still didn't want his first experience with an older woman to be one of them. It had to be Mikoto or nothing at all.

"You're so adorable," crooned one Botox monstrosity. "Do you have a nice little girlfriend back home?"

"Um… Yes. I love her very much." It was the gospel truth, except for when she was hitting him.

"How nice to see dedication to relationships in someone so young! But you know, you can't always be so serious. Don't you ever let your hair out sometimes? Have a fling?" Boldly going where the other ladies had yet to go thus far, she found his crotch and fondled it appraisingly.

Naruto bit back a yelp. If this was what happened at every event, he completely understood why Sasuke never wanted to go. Surely someone would notice this molestation, right? Alas, it was not so. People were packed so tightly around them that her act went unseen and the groping continued. Instinct told him he couldn't call her out. She would deny it and be believed. Borderline on breaking down, he tapped Mikoto's side and pointed south at the ongoing mischief with his eyes.

Mikoto immediately released him from his duty. "Naruto, be a dear and tell the band that I've got a request for them. Here."

She borrowed a pencil from a server and passed Naruto a napkin with words scribbled on it in hasty cursive.

"Sure thing, Mrs. Uchiha!" Bounding off into the crowd gave him a massive dose of relief as he got a chance to escape the harpies, if only for a short while.

"Mrs. Uchiha? He's certainly something." Genevieve looked Mikoto up and down. "Does his courtesy extend to all areas?"

"I don't like what you're implying."

The vultures began picking, picking. "Why aren't your sons or husband here?"

"If you'd been listening to me you'd know that Fugaku and Itachi are in Taiwan and Sasuke was feeling sick." Mikoto's tone was cold, clipped.

"So you take a virtual stranger—"

"He's not a stranger. Sasuke has him over nearly every day and he spends about ten or twenty minutes with me to ask me how I've been." Nearly every day was an overstatement. Naruto showed up at their home about once or twice a week and Sasuke completely monopolized his time there. Truthfulness wouldn't help in this instance.

"Never mind these sad sacks, Mikoto. We don't care about any of that."

Mikoto was touched. "Lulu…"

"Tell us, how is he in bed? Bet he's got quite the stamina, what with all that running. Not to mention the flexibility from those old wrestling days! The poses he can get into must be incredible!"

Emphasis on 'was'.

"I am appalled that you could even suggest I'm sleeping with a sixteen year old. That says quite a lot about what you think of both of our characters."

"Come on, Mikoto. Don't try to play us. Why wouldn't you sleep with a hot young stud like that? He's big in all the places it counts and so innocent it should be a crime!"

"We could start with 'he's sixteen' and follow up with 'it's illegal'."

"Mrs. Uchiha, they said they'd play it when they're finished with this song."

Everyone immediately reconstructed their facades as Naruto returned to the group.

"Come along, Naruto. I just remembered that I have to get up early tomorrow."

Naruto blinked at her dumbly. So that struggling past the crowd had been for nothing? Getting away from the women for a second had been nice, but he imagined she had to perform a bit more lip service than this to be able to say mission accomplished. "Okay?"

"That's such a shame you have to go." Genevieve frowned deeply. "It was nice meeting you, Naruto. I hope to see more of you in the future."

"Likewise, I think." Not in a million years. He wasn't sure he could handle another evening like this.

"Hold my clutch while I call for the limo, Naruto." She gave him the small bag and though he thought he probably he looked like a total moron carrying it, he did it anyway. The sudden mood change was disconcerting. Did the other women say something while he was gone?

They stood at the front door, waiting for the car and Naruto leaned over to whisper, "Were they being mean, Mrs. Uchiha? I mean, I'm against hitting girls, but I'll punch their lights out for you."

Mikoto smiled faintly, but her eyes were sad. "No, Naruto. They don't deserve that."

"Are you sure? 'Cause I'm serious."

"You're a sweet boy, Naruto. Don't let anyone say otherwise." She patted his arm. "Now, I'm going to be frank with you about a few things once we get in the car. Please don't be scared by the things I might say."

When the limo arrived, she plopped down in the back with a disgruntled sigh. Naruto timidly sat across from her, wondering what sort of words she intended to use that might frighten him. Neither spoke until the car was in motion. Mikoto watched the buildings roll past.

"I hate those stupid, stuck-up bitches."

Naruto's jaw dropped to the floor. He'd never heard Mrs. Uchiha curse before. She wouldn't even say idiot. "Wow."

"They're shallow and self-centered and have the brainpower of a baked potato. When they're bored, they cook up ridiculous scandals for the fun of it. I have a goddamn master's degree in finite mathematics, so why am I stuck talking to them about fashion and kids and uninteresting shit like that? Don't they care about anything going on outside of their own bubble worlds? To even insinuate such a thing—ugh!" She kicked the door of the car so hard that the stiletto point of her heel broke off her shoe. "Worthless, mouth-breathing sows!"

"Wow." Naruto didn't dare move for fear of disrupting the fascinating scene.

"They wouldn't know hard work if it jumped up and bit them in the ass!" She kicked the door again. "I got a job when I was fourteen so I could go to a private school and get a better education. I studied for hours and always did my homework, hoping that I could be the first person in my family to go to college. I stayed away from the party lifestyle my classmates were enjoying and never broke a law. I did all that to get where I am now, but they never had to do so much as lift a finger!"

"Wow."

"They aren't the slightest bit grateful to have what they do! You know where I grew up? The east side of Konoha. You know, the slums. The ghetto. Whatever they're calling it these days." She took a calming breath. "I got stabbed once, on my way home from school. Some bitch said her boyfriend dumped her because he liked me and came at me like a psycho. Fortunately she didn't know basic anatomy because she stabbed me here," She pointed at her right breast. "thinking that she'd got me in the heart. She sure was surprised when I came to school the next day. Maybe I'll show you the scar sometime."

"Wow."

"Every day I pray that I can keep living like I do. Right now, the only way is for me to mingle with those superficial bitches. I do it because I have to. Naruto, don't let yourself get trapped into something that you're not happy with."

"You're not happy?"

"I suppose I am. I have two healthy sons and a husband who provides for us and a house to live in. That's more than some people can say. It's just that the glitter has faded and I can see what I have to give up for my family to be happy. There are many sacrifices you'll have to make when you're older, Naruto. Pick the right ones."

"You're…"

"I'm sorry if I ruined whatever image you had of me. I try to play the 'nice mother' when Sasuke's friends are around, but it's hard to be disingenuous with you. Someday you'll make a woman very happy."

"You're incredible," Naruto breathed, eyes shining.

If anything, her outburst only made him love her more.

I0I0I0I0I

"—and so she said—"

"Naruto!"

The blonde looked away from Mikoto at the pool. Sasuke bobbed in the chlorinated water with a scowl on his face. Reluctantly Naruto got up from his lounging position, taking what he expected to be a final sip of the cool fruit punch he'd brought out with him. With a running start, Naruto leapt into the pool, making a massive wave that he dedicated to Mikoto. Sasuke waited for his friend to surface, seeking him in the choppy water. Something tightened around his ankle and yanked him down. Deeper and deeper they went until Sasuke's brain caught up with his body enough to begin flailing blindly at his friend. Naruto let him go and the brunette hurried back to the light.

Gasping for air, his glare only grew surlier as a blonde head broke the surface of the water. "What was that for?"

"Interrupting my conversation."

"What's been up with you and my mom? You do everything she asks you to: clean the pool, mow the lawn, trim the hedges…" Sasuke counted the menial tasks out on his fingers. "Now you're having full blown chats?"

"What can I say? She's interesting."

"She's a thirty-eight year old married woman. What could possibly be interesting about her?"

He could sing Mikoto's virtues all the livelong day. "What isn't? She's smart and funny and—"

"Dude. I know her. I'll grant you're kinda right about the smart part, but she's just a plain old mom."

"Whatever." Naruto began swimming away, intending to go finish listening to Mikoto's story.

Sasuke caught him by the arm and pulled him closer. "Do you have a crush on my mom?"

Treading water, Naruto chuckled nervously. Sasuke was on to him. "What are you, stupid? Just 'cause I think your mom is cool doesn't mean I like her. She's twice my age."

Twice his age and damn good looking to boot…

Sasuke seemed satisfied with the answer, visibly relaxing. "You're totally screwing up your break. You're supposed to hang with me, not her."

"Yeah, yeah…"

Truth be told, he was getting tired of 'walks' and hours of sitting around doing nothing. Mikoto was an escape from the monotony. But as they say: 'bros before hoes.'

I0I0I0I0I

Whoever came up with that phrase was a moron. There he was in his sleeping bag, trying to mind his business when he heard grunting coming from the bed. So much for getting a good night's sleep.

"Dude, are you flogging the dolphin again? You're gonna kill it."

"Ahh, it hurts so good…" Sasuke groaned, bringing himself closer to his peak. "Gotta get in as many as I can while I've got my inspiration at my fingertips."

"That's it, I'm leaving."

Naruto rolled out of his sleeping bag and got up, intending to get some ice cream sandwiches so when he passed out on the couch, his dreams would be sweet. He rounded up a couple of Klondike bars and was making his way to the living room when he heard a faint noise coming from Mikoto's bedroom. He knocked and opened the door a crack, sneaking a peek at what was going on inside. The Uchiha woman was sitting on the bed, with her head buried in her hands.

She looked up, startled. "Who's there?"

"It's me, Mrs. Uchiha." Naruto felt guilty, though he wasn't entirely sure why.

"Did I disturb you, Naruto?" Her face was wet and red. She was crying.

"Nah, I was just walking by... Are you okay?" She said nothing. "Stupid question, huh? Can I come in?"

"There's no reason why you shouldn't."

Naruto took a seat on the bed next to her, offering her one of the Klondike bars. She accepted, cradling the treat in her palms. Storm-grey eyes lingered on the tinfoil wrapper, recalling a cherished memory.

"These used to be Sasuke's favorite. He would always pout whenever we ran out and he wouldn't stop pouting until I bought some more. I always try to have a box in the house because of it, but now he says that sweets are for little kids and I don't know what he wants. I don't know what he likes. I don't really know anything about him. He doesn't talk to me like he used to." She began to eat, salty tears trailing down her cheeks.

So as to make the situation less awkward, Naruto ate as well. "Maybe he wants his space."

"He says less than five words to me in a day, more if he's looking for something, but that's it! The only way I can learn anything about him is by going through his room and I hate doing that."

"I guess I could get you started on the right path." Naruto scratched his foot, racking his brain for the compendium of his Sasuke-based knowledge. "He likes tomatoes and salmon and other seafood stuff. He likes music, but he's not obsessed with it. I don't know his favorite band, but he listens to a lot of Guns N' Roses and he absolutely hates Nirvana and The Beatles. He's pretty into pop music too. I know you probably don't want to hear this, but he's crazy about porn."

"What? Where does he get it?"

"Um… He kinda borrows it from me. He gets scary when he hasn't…" Naruto made a slight jerking motion with his hand, hoping it wasn't too vulgar for her. "…for a while. He doesn't have any of his own because he knows you look through his stuff and think you'll tell his dad."

"I had been wondering why I hadn't found anything like that… How's his dating life? A girlfriend? A… boyfriend?"

"He was dating this chick named Yugito for a while, but they broke up all of a sudden and he won't tell me why. I guess it ended pretty badly. I'm positive he's not into guys." Naruto felt his skin crawl at the thought of Sasuke with another boy. That would be weird to the umpteenth degree.

"Is he having sex?"

"Only in his head."

Mikoto laughed a bit, crumpling up her wrapper. "Is it wrong for me to be asking about my own son?"

"Maybe." Naruto shrugged, tossing both wrappers on the nightstand. "I'm glad you stopped crying. You were making me sad. A beautiful woman like you should never have to cry."

"You flatter me." Mikoto wiped the wetness from her cheeks. "I just feel like I live in a house of strangers. My sons are apathetic, my husband is a workaholic, and I'm stuck playing the good wife. Even when I try to do nice things for them, it's like I don't exist. I'm practically a glorified maid. Fugaku is the worst of them. He always tells the boys to respect me, but he can't do it himself. He barely knows anything about me." She leaned into Naruto, bitter tears flowing freely once more.

Naruto stroked her hair assuringly. "Talk to me. Maybe it'll make you feel better."

"We met in college, so he doesn't know that I'm from the slums. He says he likes my brains but he all but fired me as his business partner because a company party I arranged went a couple hundred dollars over budget. He said that he thought I might like spending more time with Sasuke and Itachi took my place, but I know the truth. 'If she can't stay on a simple budget, how can she help manage a major corporation?' When I ask him what's going on at work, he has the audacity to say 'it's not important.' As if the main source of our income isn't important to me!

The funny thing is that when Itachi's in a rut, he asks me for advice. But he always takes credit for my ideas and my husband is none the wiser. And don't even get me started on our home life! When my husband remembers to come home, he usually wants sex. If I'm too tired or not in the mood, he says I'm not fulfilling my duty as a wife. When I want sex, he treats me as if I'm diseased. He gives the staff the week off and quarantines me until he thinks my lust has passed. How sad is that? I know it was the way he was raised, but isn't that going too far?"

"Definitely too far." Naruto hugged her closer. Her hair smelled like frankincense and myrrh.

"He expects me to give him more sons, but I just don't want to raise another child. Two is enough. I take birth control so there are no accidents, but I'm terrified of what he'll do if he finds out."

Naruto's blood ran cold. "He's not—"

"No, please don't misunderstand! He's never hit me. But he might be disappointed enough to divorce me. He could take my sons away and throw me out on the street without a second thought. It's like my entire family only tolerates me because I'm convenient to have around. I have no joy in my life." Mikoto clutched tighter to the blonde. "I've wanted to kill myself so many times. What's the point of living if you have no joy?"

"Mrs. Uchiha, I could probably talk to Sasuke and Itachi to try to change things. But your husband is another story."

"He used to be charming and attentive… What happened? Why doesn't he ever come home?" Mikoto sobbed. "Why can't he see I'm suffering?"

Naruto cupped her cheeks and stared deep into her eyes. She looked lost, devoid of hope. "I would never hurt you like he does."

Big words for a sixteen year old.

"Naruto, I…"

"I'd do anything it takes. Drop out of school, get a job… I could kidnap you and hold you hostage until they promise to either treat you better or let me have you as my own. Anything it takes to make you less miserable."

"Don't be ridiculous, Naruto."

"Is it because I'm young? That doesn't matter. Your happiness is what's important to me."

"You've got a girlfriend."

"I think she's great, but—"

"Be realistic." Making a sacrifice as big as the one he intended to at such a young age would be too much for him to bear.

"I can't stand seeing you hurting like this!" Naruto wanted to show her what she meant to him. His lips itched to kiss her passionately. His body ached with want to feel her bare skin against his. Why wouldn't she let him prove that he could be a better man than Fugaku?

"We can get family counseling."

"You think they'll go to those sessions? I know the Uchiha family. Getting counseling means that there's something wrong and an Uchiha never admits he's wrong."

Mikoto looked away guiltily.

"Marry me."

"What did you say?"

"Marry me, Mikoto. I don't have a ring yet, but—"

"Naruto, I can't elope with you. It's illegal. Not to mention what the press will say. Besides, Itachi and Sasuke won't accept you as their stepfather."

"Things have to change." Her hands seemed so small as he clasped them between his.

"We'll make a compromise."

"What kind of compromise?"

"I'll marry you when you turn twenty-one."

"Why then?"

Five years was plenty of time for him to realize that he was being silly. "What's a wedding without champagne? At the worst, people will say I'm a cougar instead of a pedophile."

"It's a promise?"

The kid had no idea he was being duped. Mikoto almost felt bad about doing this. "Yes, a promise."

I0I0I0I0I

"Give my regards to your grandpa, Naruto. He always has the best porn." Sasuke felt quite refreshed after this latest 'walk' and was in a pleasant mood. "Where'd you end up going last night?"

"I was with your mom."

Sasuke stared at Naruto as if he'd grown a second head. "What do you mean you were 'with' her? Did you bang my mom?"

"No, you retard!"

"Good. I can't let her be your sugar mama. She can't get both of us nice things. That's all she's good for in the first place."

"All she's good for?" Naruto saw red. "She has a master's from one of the best colleges in the nation! She helped run a massive company until your stupid dad fired her so your brother could steal her job! She takes care of you and loves your ungrateful ass more than almost anything else in this world! Buying stuff is all she's good for?"

"What the hell, man?" Sasuke had never seen Naruto flip out this bad about such a tiny thing before.

"Tell me, when was the last time you did something nice for your mom?"

"I don't—"

"When was the last time you told her that you loved her? Huh?" Naruto jabbed Sasuke in the chest with his index finger.

"You're not seriously in love with her, are you?" Sasuke was fast retreating.

Naruto kept jabbing away. "When was the last time you even talked to her for more than ten seconds?"

"It's been a while, but—"

"Maybe if you'd joined our discussion last night, you'd know that your bratty behavior makes her so miserable that she's thought about killing herself dozens of times! You, who supposedly knows everything, did you know that? And it's not just you. It's your father and your brother too! Do something about it!"

Sasuke was overwhelmed at this surge of new information. "Mom… wants to kill herself?"

"Not right now. But she was considering taking your dear old dad's gun and blowing her brains out when we were on our way here. She only decided postpone it because she didn't want to upset her guest." Naruto stopped poking his friend and collared his neck with his hands instead. "So help me god, if you ever make her cry over your selfish ass again, I'll kill you with my bare hands."

"I—"

"Save it for your mother, punk."

Naruto shoved the startled boy away, watching him land square on his ass. Knowing his task was complete, he began his walk back to the house. Soft footsteps crushed the grass behind him, Sasuke at his heels to rectify years of gross misconduct.

Mikoto was sipping a glass of iced tea at a table for two in the pavilion next to the pool when they arrived back at the summer house. With a trained grace she rose to her feet, sundress falling neatly in place. "Would you boys like some tea?"

"Nah, I'm gonna head inside." Naruto dismissed himself quickly.

Head bowed low, Sasuke shuffled over to his mother and laid his head on her shoulder. Shaking, he stays there and whispers only, "I didn't know."

The look on the woman's face was borderline magical, a flower halted by winter's bitter afterthoughts finally coming into vivid full bloom. She embraced her son, who did not reciprocate the gesture. "You have no idea how happy you've made me, Sasuke."

From a window, Naruto observes, satisfied with the results. It was far from perfect, but a step towards good.

I0I0I0I0I

Naruto bounced in place with barely constrained excitement. Sasuke was trying to look as disassociated with him as humanly possible. The blonde wasn't supposed to be coming along, but he'd overheard the discussion over the phone and insisted on joining him. The elevator pinged as they reached the top floor and opened its silver maw to release them from the confined space they'd been stuck in for the last twenty-nine floors. Being unaccustomed to such modern styles of housing, Naruto browsed the hall to admire abstract paintings that had subtitles like 'why do clouds make the heart feel so lonely?' Room 3004 was their destination, though the entire floor had been rented out by a sole person. Before Sasuke could even knock, the door opened for them.

"You don't come home nearly enough, Sasuke."

The familiar voice triggered Naruto's memory and he shoved his friend out of the way so he could pick up the woman in a tremendous hug. "Mrs. Uchiha!"

"Naruto." Her eyes, now slightly wrinkled at the corners, smiled at him. "You finally passed me in height."

"Do you remember our promise?" He hadn't seen Mikoto in nearly five years, but he remembered the events at the summer house like it had happened yesterday.

"Indeed I do."

"I'm a couple years late and I still don't have a ring, but that's okay, right?" He set her down gently.

"A promise is a promise."

"What are you talking about?" Sasuke demanded.

Naruto dropped down to one knee, offering his heart. "Will you marry me, Mikoto Uchiha?"

If one listened closely, you could hear the sound of Sasuke's world turning completely inside out. "Say what?"

"If you'll have an old woman like me, then I most certainly will."

"Forty-five is far from old. You don't look a day over twenty-nine." Naruto pulled himself to his feet and patted Sasuke on the shoulder. "I'm your daddy now, kiddo."

Passing out was something that Sasuke rarely did and he did not take pride in the fact that he did it at this time.

Regaining consciousness on the loveseat in his parent's apartment moments later, he immediately grabbed his mother by the hem of her skirt. "You can't marry him! He's half your age! He snores like a chainsaw and he doesn't clean up after himself and he refuses to go to college and his farts smell like something crawled up his ass and died! This is some sort of cruel joke, right?"

"Sasuke, I know this is hard for you to understand, but when two people love each other very much, they decide to get married. Mikoto and I have loved each other for many years now and it's time to take the next step." Naruto tried to use his most fatherly voice. Manly tears glistened in his blue eyes as he continued, "I'm not trying to replace your father, but I'd like you to consider me as a parental figure in your life."

The thought of having to call Naruto 'dad' sent Sasuke from distraught to psychotic in about 2.3 seconds. He grabbed Naruto by the throat and began strangling him with every fiber of muscle he could muster. "I'll kill you before you can lay your filthy hands on her!"

"Sasuke!" Mikoto barked. The fun and games were over. "Mind your temper and let go of Naruto. I am still very much in love with your father and I'm sure Naruto has a special woman in his life as well."

"Thank god…" If they had been serious, he really would have killed Naruto.

"Dude, I loved your mom when I was sixteen. I've got Tenten now. Though I do still think she's a total babe." Naruto winked at the Lady Uchiha.

Mikoto giggled girlishly and Sasuke gagged. "Get out of here, Naruto. You weren't even invited."

"There's bottled water in the refrigerator if you'd like some. I think I have some fruit as well."

"Thanks, but no thanks. I've done what I came to do. Good to see you again, Mrs. Uchiha." He bent down and kissed her cheek like she'd kissed his so many times before. "I'll catch a cab."

Once Naruto left the room, Mikoto smiled sweetly at her son. "I got the things you asked for."

She handed him a stack of manila folders and he leafed through them briefly. Each had a person labeled on the tab that corresponded to the information inside. They had a fair bit of paper inside of them, except for one, which was oddly lacking. The histories were in perfect chronological order and the folders were alphabetized. Not a t was left uncrossed and her various notes were included in their entirety. A stellar job, as always. If being a business mogul got too boring for her, she really had the potential to be a detective.

"Thanks."

"Most of them seem clear. The restaurant staff varied from DWIs to shoplifting, which is petty compared to one of the chefs. Convicted of attempted murder in the first degree. Got off early for good behavior and excelled in the work program at his prison. Might have changed his ways, but who really knows with those guys?" She shrugged. From personal experience, she knew that the prison cycle never really ended, like a bad addiction. It was likely that the man would be back in prison within a year or two. "Everything you need to know about him is in there, down to his preferred toothpaste brand."

"Anyone else interesting?"

"The others… Apparently that Killerbee fellow was involved in a domestic violence dispute when he was younger, but I couldn't get all the details because the charges were dropped. Watch out for that roommate of his, though. There's something off about him."

"Off how?"

"I couldn't find anything on him. Not even a birth certificate."

"That's impossible."

"Disturbing is what it is. Isn't he one of Itachi's friends?"

0o0

What does it all mean? Why is Sasuke doing background checks on these people? Why isn't Zetsu in the system and how the hell did Sasuke's mom score a chapter this long? So many questions!

Will they be answered next time around? Who knows? (Besides me, I mean.)

Thanks for reading this far. I promise this is the last of the side stories. I hope you'll continue on to the end.

Until next time…

~YamiTenshi~