The Right Choice

This story is completely finished. I am just going through and doing some final proofreading, but I will attempt uploading at least once daily. There are over ten chapters and the story is a little over 45,000 words.

Thanks again for all the reviews. We're almost there. One more chapter and the epilogue. I will most likely post both tomorrow.


Chapter 11

Shino was dressed and sitting in a chair beside Naruto’s bed when Sasuke woke up. He stood up and stretched attractively, and Shino had the sudden feeling that Sasuke was giving him a good look at the competition. Sasuke was after all a very attractive young man, but Shino tried not to think on it too much, after all, Naruto had made it more than clear that he definitely found Aburame men to his liking. It didn’t mean that Sasuke would stop wanting or trying. Shino could feel the envy emanating off Sasuke’s whole being, but he wouldn’t say anything about it. Sasuke was Naruto’s friend and he would not risk upsetting Naruto.

Sasuke walked over to Naruto’s bed and ran long fingers through silken hair, and Shino felt his back involuntarily stiffen at the action. It was possessive in a way that Shino felt was completely inappropriate, and knew instantly that the activities of the previous night had not gone unnoticed. Sasuke knew what they had done, and he was staking his own claim. Shino wouldn’t rise to the bait though. Their relationship was still new and he wasn’t willing to make waves yet, but Sasuke wasn’t giving up so easily either. He leaned down and gently kissed Naruto on the forehead. To anyone else it might have seemed innocent, but to Shino it was Sasuke showing him that there would be a fight, and that Sasuke was confident in his position.

Silence was the best option right now though. Naruto would be the one to ultimately choose, and Shino hoped that what he’d written in his letter would stand true.

The problem with his silence was that instead of diffusing the situation it seemed to ignite Sasuke’s temper. He dropped his eyes to Naruto, and when he looked up at Shino again his eyes now showed the red and black patterns of his Sharingan. Shino looked away. He wasn’t stupid enough to think that Sasuke was noble enough not to use it on him. If he thought Shino was a true threat he’d use anything at his disposal to get rid of him. Shino knew he was just that ruthless. Sasuke had not anticipated this situation when he’d returned to Konoha, that was obvious, and he was not willing to step aside either.

“I hope you enjoyed last night because it will be the last time he sleeps with anyone but me ever again. I didn’t come back just to see him be with someone else. He’s been mine since we were children, and no one is coming between us again.”

Shino sighed. He didn’t want to fight over Naruto. He was just getting used to the idea that Naruto actually wanted him, and his confidence was strong, but it hadn’t been put to any kind of test. He’d thought that they’d have more time to develop a relationship before he was challenged, but it had all just been wishful thinking. “I think that decision is Naruto’s and not yours. I’m here because he wants me to be and I won’t leave unless that’s what he wants. You have no say in my relationship with him.”

Sasuke smile was filled with dark malice that made Shino want to shiver. “I’m counting on him making the right decision. He wouldn’t have spent half his life chasing me if it were simply for friendship. It’s more than that, and you and I both know it.”

Shino didn’t want Sasuke to think he wouldn’t fight for Naruto’s affection but he was uncomfortable with where the discussion was taking place. “This is neither the time nor the place to discuss this. I love him, and have loved him for a very long time. I will fight for him, but I do not consider my happiness to be more important than his. I will let him make the choice, not you.”

Shino realized that he was standing at the side of Naruto’s bed directly across from Sasuke. He noticed because he suddenly felt warm fingers take hold of his hand. He looked down and Naruto was lying in his bed with bright eyes shining with unshed tears. Shino squeezed his hand, and leaned down to kiss him gently, and whispered to him as he wiped away the tears sliding down his cheeks. “I will leave you to talk to him. I love you…” and with that he went to the window, leapt through it and made his way as fast as he could to his home and his room, not looking back, and hoping that he’d made the right decision.


Naruto looked up into Sasuke’s eyes and was shocked to see the Sharingan activated. Sasuke saw the look of disapproval cross Naruto’s face and blinked away the red back to black and reached out to take Naruto’s hand. He knelt at the side of Naruto’s bed and said all the things he’d wanted to say for years. “I didn’t mean for you to hear that Naruto, but I need you to listen to me. You are the only thing that has kept me sane all this time. Even when we were children you were my only real connection to the world. You were my light when all I could see or feel was darkness. I came back for you, not for the village… you. I want to be with you. I love you.” Sasuke didn’t notice the tears slipping down his cheeks; he was so wrapped up in the emotions of the moment.

Naruto squeezed his hand tightly, and with his other hand gently brushed the tears away. His only thoughts were of how he’d never in his whole life ever wanted to hurt the man before him, but it needed to be done. He only hoped that Sasuke wouldn’t do something irrational like leave the village or try to kill Shino. Sasuke was looking at him pleadingly as though he could will Naruto to feel what he wanted him to if he just hoped hard enough. Naruto wouldn’t give in though. There was too much at stake for him to falter now. “Sasuke, you know I love you…”

Sasuke sighed and closed his eyes in relief. His head sank down on the edge of the bed next to Naruto’s hip, and he squeezed the hand in his hard enough that Naruto thought his fingers might break. Naruto realized that this was probably not the best way to approach this discussion, but it was done. He’d just have to break it to Sasuke hard and fast instead of easing into it.

“I can’t be with you.” Sasuke’s head leapt up from the bed and he went to protest but Naruto stopped him. “Please listen to me. I need you to understand everything. You are the first person I ever truly loved. I didn’t have any idea that a person could be so important. I was alone for so long that I didn’t understand what I felt for you or that what I felt was irrational, but it was. I thought for a long time that if I could just bring you back that I could keep you here with that love. I was willing to sacrifice your goals to do that, to have you, but I grew up Sasuke. While you were gone I fell in love with Gaara. We were together for more than two years, and it took a while but I realized that being with him was killing something inside me. I couldn’t achieve my goals if I stayed with him so I gave him up. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do, but I did it. It hurt both of us badly, but it was a sacrifice I had to make to for my future, as well as his.

“You see, I would have resented him if I’d stayed, and over time, what we had would have turned into something painful and ugly. I can’t let that happen to you. My goals were to bring you back to Konoha and someday become Hokage. I have reached one of my goals since I’ve left him so our suffering and sacrifice served its purpose. You had two goals as well when we were young. You wanted to kill Itachi and revive your clan. You have accomplished one of these goals, and you’ve found the truth you sought for so long. All that’s left is to revive your clan. You can’t do that with me.”

Sasuke interrupted then. “But, I don’t care about that any more. My clan is the source of all my pain. I think it’s best if my clan dies with me. It’s nothing more than they deserve.”

“Stop it Sasuke. It may be what they deserve, but you don’t. You deserve to be happy, and to have a family. I can’t give you that. I made my decision a long time ago, and I’ve moved on. I can’t be with you. I won’t take the chance of you resenting me years down the road when you realize you made a mistake. I will always be your friend, and I will always be here for you if you need me, but I can’t be more than that.” Naruto pulled his hand away from Sasuke’s, but stayed close to him. He didn’t want Sasuke to think they couldn’t be close again because of this.

Sasuke wasn’t willing to give up though. “I won’t regret it Naruto. I could never regret a life with you. I’m really not fit to be a father anyway. What do I know about children?”

“You don’t have to know anything about them, just how to make them, and I’m sure you’re old enough to know that much. The rest will just come to you. You already know some of the things not to do so just work from there. I want to know your children. I’ll never have any of my own so you’ll need to have enough to share.”

Sasuke was feeling his defeat before him. He remembered how stubborn Naruto could be; he just never imagined it working against him like this. “I don’t want to be with anyone but you.”

“You will. I promise that when you find someone that you know you can spend your life with it will be easy. You just have to let it happen.”

Black eyes narrowed, and Sasuke shifted away from Naruto to stand up. “Like it is for you with Shino?” He couldn’t look at Naruto when the answer came.

“Yes.” Naruto whispered. He was not ashamed of how he felt for Shino, but he didn’t want to hurt Sasuke though he knew that it would. “I always thought I had to give something up of myself to be loved. Everyone I’ve ever cared for has hurt me in some way, and for a long time I thought that was how it had to be, but with Shino it’s different. I can be me. That’s how he wants me. He doesn’t have to give anything up either to be with me. I want the chance to find out if he’s the one. We’re just starting out, and I’m still a little confused about how this kind of thing is supposed to work since we’re so different, but I want to give it a shot.”

Sasuke’s shoulders lifted and his back straightened. He wouldn’t be seen as weak. When things didn’t work out Naruto would be his. He’d just bide his time. “So that’s it then. I just have to live with your decision. I have no say in this.”

“Sasuke… Yes, I’m making the decision because out of the two of us, right now I’m the most rational person. You need time to figure things out for yourself, but you will, and when you do I’ll be there for you. I’ll even be your best man if you find someone that will marry you with that temper.” Naruto was trying to make a joke, but there was no laughter.

“Okay.” It was the only thing left to say. Naruto would keep arguing if he didn’t agree, and he didn’t want to hear any more reasons.

“Come here Sasuke.” Naruto moved over on the small bed and patted the empty space. Sasuke lay down, and he let Naruto pull him close. Naruto shifted a bit so that he was holding Sasuke close to him, and started running his fingers through messy black hair.

“We’ll find someone for you. I promise. I think you should start with Sakura. If she can put up with Baa chan’s tantrums, then surely she can handle you. She’s very pretty, and you might find that she’s grown up enough to really love you for you. She’s also very close to the Hokage, and you can use all of the allies you can get. You hurt her though so you might have to work at it.”

“You’re impossible Naruto. I barely remember what she was like, and she hardly spoke to me yesterday. I wouldn’t know the first thing about what to say to her now.”

Naruto laughed. “Then I guess you’ll have to figure something out. Any other Kunoichi our age will just drool all over you. You need someone that see’s you for the pain in the ass you are, and after all the trouble you’ve been I doubt she’d let you get by with anything. You could always go for one of the older ones, but they might be too much woman for you. I think you’ll like the woman she’s become, and she’s very maternal. I don’t think you’d have any trouble talking her into children if you’re lucky enough to talk her into marriage first.

”You know, there are other women besides ninja in the village. You could always consider them. Or you could just let all of your simpering worshipers form a harem. The Uchiha district is large enough to accommodate quite a few women…”

The conversation was drifting away from the original subject, and Shino felt more at ease. He called back his kikaichu that he’d left in the room. Naruto wanted him, and so he decided to get some things done while he was still in the hospital. Hopefully Shino would have everything ready for him when he got out.

All the information for this fiction was either taken from actual episodes, manga, or one of several Naruto information sites. Please let me know if you have any questions or comments on any of the info I use, I'm trying to stay in line with the actual story as I can. Thanks.