A Dog's Life

Sorry about the long delay… for some reason I started writing out the chapter, I had it almost finished, but it just didn’t feel right so I waited till my break from work to look it over fresh to see what was wrong and fix it. I promise not to make it so long a delay in the future… unless I can’t help it and I hope you like the chapter, I made sure it was a little longer than before, so I hope it was worth the wait to you. Thanks again to all my readers and all the great thorough reviews I received they made me really happy reading them. So without further ado here’s chapter 12.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto that honor is held by Masashi Kishimoto I am just a fan writer doing this for fun.


Chapter Twelve-A Dog’s Life by KitsuneFun

Sasuke watched as the blond walked away and in his memories he could see a smaller boy, no older than 5 years old, doing the same and something inside him snapped, ‘No that’s not it….’ Sasuke did not want it to end this way, “NARUTO?” the blond stopped to glare at him as Sasuke yelled.

“What?” Naruto turned fully to face him, his mate had his arms crossed and Naruto’s pink lips were pursed into a cute pout. It took everything Sasuke had to not kiss the daylights out of the little blond, but he knew it would be pushing things to try it now.

The raven was not one known to be scared by anything, but the thought of loosing his mate hurt him and made him feel weak, “You didn’t give me a chance to explain… I don’t know how to explain these feelings because I have never had them before…” He looked into surprised blue eyes that had widened at the news and the raven found himself blushing, but he didn’t turn away, “I don’t want to loose you… I know that for sure.”

Naruto uncrossed his arms and approached Sasuke a couple of steps; it was a start, “Why don’t you want to loose me?” Naruto didn’t understand what was going through his own heart, but he could sympathize with Sasuke’s confusion.

“If I knew that…” Sasuke sighed raking a hand through his hair gripping at the long dark locks in frustration, it was frustrating trying to understand an emotion that he knew he had before, but couldn’t put into words because it seemed the memory it stemmed from was gone, “I wish I knew that, but I know that if I don’t see you again….” he shook his head and looked up at Naruto beseechingly, ‘He had to try‘, Sasuke thought before he asked the blond, “Can I kiss you?” he asked so softly the raven almost doubting that he had said it himself until the blond spoke again interrupting his thoughts.

Naruto looked angry, “I am not a one night stand Sasuke….” the blond yelled pointing at himself, “And I am not about to risk everything over that…”

Sasuke tilted his head to eye the blond slowly, Naruto seemed scared and Sasuke wondered if his mate was as afraid of expressing his feelings as Sasuke was, their really was only one-way to find out, “If it doesn’t mean anything… then a kiss shouldn’t ruin anything Dobe…” The blond looked shocked by the suggestion.

Naruto ran up to Sasuke and threw his hand out to slap the raven only to have it caught in a strong and unmovable grip, “I will not be someone you fuck once then throw away…” the blond yelled, It felt like the other boy was mocking him and he didn’t like it, but behind the anger Sasuke saw hurt shimmering beneath the pure blue surface of Naruto’s eyes.

Sasuke pulled the smaller boy’s protesting body close by Naruto’s captured hand and the raven used his other hand to cup at the blond’s cheek softly, “Look if it helps….“ Sasuke didn’t know why he was putting his heart on the line especially his secrets, but he felt it was better to tell Naruto then lie to him, his mate deserved to hear the truth, “I’ve never had sex with anyone idiot so don’t think that this is just a one night stand for me,” He leaned down and kissed Naruto, as if in this one kiss everything would be decided and he wouldn’t hold anything back, “Uchiha’s mate for life… Idiot so you better take responsibility for your actions.”

Naruto seemed surprised at first, but he would not deny that he had wanted a real kiss like this, full of unstoppable passion even if it came from an unexpected source. It was like air to the blond and he found himself pulling Sasuke down to his height with his unoccupied hand so their faces and bodies could be closer and the kiss more satisfying.

Neither knew when their eyes closed and mouths opened, only that they were discovering as they kissed each other so thoroughly, tongues dueling and tasting the sweet depths of each others mouths, that this was not anything simple… this was not like a dream, this impact was an explosion to their senses.

Sasuke found himself being the first to pull away if reluctantly, being out of breath, the raven pressed his forehead against Naruto’s to try to calm himself down, “God… was that real?”

His mate laughed huskily in a sweet high lilting tone, it was a turn-on to the raven‘s already heated libido, but Sasuke knew better than to push things further than they had already gone, “And you call me the idiot…” Naruto joked looking up calmly into the pure black depths of Sasuke’s eyes thoughtfully, “I would be lying to myself if I didn’t want to do that again… but,”

“No…” Sasuke mumbled rubbing his forehead lightly against the blond’s soft white gold hair, “Just don’t think… I don’t want to loose this…touch,” Naruto sighed and moved both his hands to wrap themselves around the raven’s middle briefly before placing his head against Sasuke‘s chest, he could hear Sasuke’s heart thumping madly against his ear and Naruto smiled sadly wondering if he was doing the right thing.

“Sasuke?” the blond asked hesitantly wondering why he was even thinking about cheating, he was so confused and wished he could talk with someone anyone, “I really cant decide now… I feel torn…” Images of Gaara came to mind in the midst of Naruto’s confusion and he knew somehow the redhead didn’t deserve what he was thinking about doing.

Sasuke took a deep breath and calmed the inner beast that kept demanding the raven make the other his lover quickly before Sasuke lost Naruto forever, the raven knew that if he took the chance and didn’t do any of the things he preferred to do in that moment it could only help in making Naruto realize that Sasuke was the better ‘mate’, “Ok…” the raven said out loud pulling away when everything within him screamed to stay, “I’ll wait… mind you,” Sasuke smirked, “I wont wait forever so hurry up and make up your mind ok?”

Naruto gave him one of those genuine smiles he’d only seen when he had been in dog form and Sasuke’s heart thumped hard in his chest at the image, “Thanks Sasuke…” the blond leaned in and kissed him softly, it was nowhere as heated as the previous kiss had been, but it still caused to two to pause and Naruto to stare at Sasuke thoughtfully as he pulled away, “Just give me space right now…” and with that the blond walked off again not realizing he’d left Sasuke grinning like a love sick idiot.

“Well at least you’re making progress…” Sasuke’s grin turned into a frown as he turned to look at Kakashi’s serious face.

“I wouldn’t talk idiot… how long did it take you again to have sex with Obito?” Sasuke grinned to himself knowing the distance between Kakashi and Obito’s relationship was a sore point for his cousin.

Kakashi’s face frowned a bit at the mention, but then his eyes seemed to sparkle and his mouth curved into a smirk, “Ah… to be young… too bad your father took away your memories then you wouldn’t feel so high and mighty right now…” at Sasuke’s confused and blank look he continued, “You are probably wondering why you feel an instant connection with Arashi’s son which is natural since this isn’t the first time you two have met.”

The mention seemed to finally break the raven out of his daze, “What does my father have to do with Naruto?”

Kakashi’s smirk disappeared, the talk was going in a direction that he knew better than to discuss with his cousin, “I don’t know…Fugaku wouldn’t be happy…”

Sasuke’s eyes flashed red an instant making the older man back up in surprise, but the raven moved too quickly for him to see as he phased quickly in front of Kakashi and grabbed him by his shirt front to pull him down forcefully so that the older man could look him in the eye, “Tell me now!” Sasuke fairly growled at his cousin who seemed scared for once of the younger man.

“Sasuke I…” Kakashi started trying to pull away, but Sasuke was expecting this and pulled his fist back and punched the other man in the area where his kidney was located making Kakashi fall to his knees in pain at the raven’s feet. Kakashi gasped and tried to take gather a steady breath, but Sasuke didn’t waste any time giving the older man a chance as the raven pulled his foot back and kicked Kakashi in the face making him fall down.

“It wasn’t a question… so tell me now before I make you tell me,” Sasuke had enough of secrets it seemed like he knew now was keeping secrets from him that he didn’t like, especially in regards to Naruto and he wanted to know what they were.

Kakashi managed to look up and glare at him as he wiped at his steadily bleeding mouth, “Don’t say I didn’t warn you Sasuke because your not going to like what I show you…” The white haired man gave a shaky laugh, “What if I told you it was the answer to all your confusion?” Sasuke looked down at his taller cousin in surprise, he was a little suspicious of Kakashi’s motives, “Ah don’t look at me like that… despite what others may say, I do care about my little cousin,” Kakashi gave a malicious smile towards his smaller cousin that did little to ease Sasuke‘s doubts.

“What makes you think something like this is so easy to solve?” Sasuke knew that it had to be a lie since nothing lately for him had gone right in regards to family members of which Itachi was a prime example.

Kakashi got up painful from his position so that he could sit up and answer the raven-haired youth question better, he rubbed at the side of his nose as he thought of how best to tell his cousin of what transpired between him and Fugaku, but thought, ‘What the Hell… delicacy wasn’t his strong point so why start now,’ out loud he said, “Sasuke up until the age of 7... You only loved one person… you loved that person even more than your entire family.”

Sasuke seemed confused by the revelation, “I don’t know how important they could have been since I don’t remember caring about anyone when I was little… I don’t even remember this blond fox that my dad always talks about…”

“Ah that’s because their is no fox, Sasuke…” Kakashi said trying not to give into thoughts of fleeing from who he was certain would be a soon enraged Sasuke, “Your father had me block all your memories from when you were 5...”

Sasuke seemed to pale and his eyes began to loose focus as his mind wrapped around what the older man had just admitted, “It was Naruto wasn’t it?” his hands seemed to grippe and tighten as Sasuke realized their was a reason he felt so close to the blond and it had to do with those memories… and he never felt so enraged before, steadying his anger for the moment Sasuke decided on a course of action that he’s never done with anyone other than Naruto, he looked into Kakashi’s duo colored eyes and pleaded, “Please help me remember.”

Kakashi expecting the worst never thought his cousin would care enough about anyone that he would ever stoop to begging and the older man for once felt impressed by the raven‘s actions that were unlike Itachi‘s own, ‘He has a chance after all,’ he thought, “OK…” he said out loud though he wasn’t as confident of the results as he looked, “Just trust me and whatever you do don’t close your eyes and don’t blink until I tell you too…” Sasuke nodded and waited for what Kakashi would do. ‘Gods help us,’ the white haired man prayed as he lifted his hand and started chanting in old druidic speech as he began to release the seal he had placed on Sasuke all those years ago.

Sasuke was in pain as all the memories rushed to his mind of him and Naruto when they were children, he didn’t realize when tears started to fall down his face as he relieved all the memories denied him till then, “Naruto…”

The tiny child’s face came to mind as he looked over at Sasuke and smiled, “I like the cupcakes Sasuke…”

“My…” Sasuke moaned as more disturbing memories came.

“They don’t want me to talk to you… they say that you’ll hurt me…” a smaller Naruto said sadly as he looked at Sasuke.

“Mate…” The raven gasped as at the final image that came.
“No I want to stay with Sasuke…. NO SASUKE!!!” chubby hands reached for the raven with pleading eyes.

Kakashi watched as his cousin’s eyes rolled back up into his head and the boy fainted at his feet, “Be careful what you wish for Sasuke… you might get it.”

4 Hours Later//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Naruto felt warm and comfortable as he lay back relaxing in the natural hot springs, the magical world’s equivalent to a hot tub. The boy could almost feel his worries and tension melting away in the warm heat of the water, but as he closed his eyes an image of Sasuke came to mind and Naruto sighed in frustration as he thought about his former dog, just what was happening between him and Sasuke and what did this mean for himself and Gaara.

‘And why him…’ Naruto knew what he looked like, with his brown hair that was neither a dark chestnut like Shikamaru’s hair nor a pretty reddish brown like Chouji’s hair, it was a plain mud brown color; oddly enough the hair matched Naruto’s eye color. His body wasn’t anything impressive either being rather short and thick, Not that Naruto believed he was fat because he worked like crazy to make his body a healthy size even going as far as denying himself the sweets that Chouji dished out on a regular basis in the bookstore’s bakery.

Shaking his head Naruto tried to understand what exactly appealed about him to someone as good-looking as Sasuke, ‘Was it all a joke to him…‘he had wondered about that ever since the first dream kiss, Naruto would never admit the incident to Gaara, but Naruto had liked that dream kiss and every kiss after that from the raven haired man, even though at the time he believed it wasn‘t real. It was starting to become harder and harder for Naruto to deny that something was there especially when Sasuke kissed him that last time for real.

What the feeling was however, Naruto couldn’t say, in fact he had hoped Sasuke would shed some light on the situation for him, only to become disappointed when the raven revealed that he didn’t know what he was feeling either, ‘like that answer could explain all that happened between then..’ he snorted, ‘Not bloody likely,’ Naruto thought, it was daunting trying to figure it all these feelings on his own, but it helped to know he wasn’t the only one feelings these doubts.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sudden appearance of a flushed Obito, the older man put a finger to his lips silently asking silence from the blond before Obito ducked his own head under the water. It was just as Obito submerged himself beneath the water that a grinning Kakashi came waltzing in the area.

“Ah Naru-chan did you see a cute little raven-haired guy with the cutest little tushie sneak past here?” Kakashi asked while still trying to look everywhere in the surrounding area of the hot springs for the slightest sign of Obito.

Naruto decided to help Obito seeing that he probably needed a break from the sexually aggressive and deviant Kakashi,, so Naruto decided to pretend that he didn’t understand Kakashi’s question, “Well I haven’t seen Sasuke since I ran out on him this morning… why do you ask…”

Kakashi gave out a dramatic sigh like the smaller boy could ever suggest such a horrendous thought, “No no no… Naru-chan I don’t need my icky cousin for bedroom naughtiness… I need my beloved Honey Hole and he’s gone missing…” he sniffled a bit in sadness while taking out a shiny pair of handcuffs to look at them lovingly as though their very appearance would grant him what he desired.

“Uhm… Kakashi, why do you have handcuffs?” Naruto asked hesitantly knowing he might not like the answer.

Kakashi looked over at Naruto and a bright red blush stained the perverts cheeks, ‘not a good sign‘, Naruto thought briefly as Kakashi answered, “I was hoping to play the human game ‘Cops and Robbers’ but my dear Honey-chan took one look at my shiny token of love and ran off…” the white-haired man wiped at an imaginary tear, “I think Honey-chan still has forgiven me for taking his virginity…” Kakashi sighed and walked off in another direction, “I’ll try looking in his underwear drawer maybe I can garner a clue…” and with that final saying the white-haired male walked off.

Obito finally emerged from hiding in the water and started coughing as he gathered a breath, “Damn I thought he would never leave…” he pressed a hand to his chest that was heaving painfully as he leaned against the rim of the hot springs along side Naruto.

“Can’t you tell him that you’re not interested?” Naruto asked in curiosity. (As though something so obvious would work)

Obito gave him an odd look like he thought the blond was nuts, realizing Naruto was serious by his open gaze he sighed, “Kakashi has never waited this long for anyone… believe me, “ the older man, who looked a little like Sasuke, played with a strand of his short black hair thoughtfully, “I personally wouldn’t have done it with Kakashi at all if I thought he would be worse than he was before… but the way Kakashi looked last night,” Obito sighed again looking thoughtful, “I don’t get to see Kakashi’s serious side very often and…” Obito blushed a cute pink color as he remembered the following night, “I kind of gave into an out of place desire for him…”

Naruto couldn’t understand the attraction between the two, it made less sense than his and Sasuke‘s relationship, “But you said yourself that the majority of the time he pisses you off…” ‘Just like Sasuke tended to piss him off…’ Naruto thought.

Obito laughed think how true it was with their priorities often being different, “Oh Kakashi does… believe me,” he waved his hands as if it was a well known fact, “it’s an Uchiha possessive trait…” Obito turned to look at Naruto and sighed seeing that the blond looked upset and confused, “ Ah, but I see something else is bothering you?”

Naruto flushed a deep red that had nothing to do with the temperature of the water, “Wh…What m…makes… You think… th… that,” the boy stuttered trying to hide his face, making Obito smile.

Obito leaned his head on one of his pale hands while leaning on his side regarding Arashi’s son, “Oh I don’t know… a fairy perhaps,” he winked making Naruto’s blush more pronounced.

“Well…” Naruto sighed looking at the other man’s open and honest face he sighed deciding it might be better to talk to someone else, “It has to do with Sasuke and…”

“You like him,” Obito stated matter of fact when the blond paused, “But you have a boyfriend…” it wasn’t a question.

Naruto nodded, “Yes… I told you about Gaara, but Sasuke I barely know him… and I shouldn’t be feeling this way about someone I just met…”

The other man laughed making Naruto glare at him, “Sorry it’s just… you’re so much like your father…”

At the mention of his father the blond’s eyes seemed to loose focus for a bit, “I remember Shikamaru mentioning I was Arashi’s son and you even said I look like him, but it doesn’t make sense Obito-san,” he turned his body to face the other man not knowing that he was showing the swirling birthmark he had over his belly to the older man.

“Naruto…” Obito interrupted him to lean close to the mark, lifting his head he asked in confusion while pointing to the mark, “How long have you had this?”

The blond looked to where he was pointing and blushed, “Well…” he lifted a hand through his wet hair an blushed, “I have had that for as long as I can remember along with this,” He lifted the necklace that had somehow fallen to back when he was lounging.

Obito stared down at the necklace and tattoo with narrowed eyes, “Naruto… I’m your friend right?”

The blond looked confused but nodded, “Yes… why?”

“Do you trust me?” he looked up earnestly into blue eyes hoping the other boy would trust him.

“What does that have to do with anything?” Naruto asked since he still didn’t understand what Obito was getting at asking such a question in the middle of their discussion.

“Then can I take these off?” Obito pointed to the birth mark and necklace.

“What…” Naruto looked at the older man like he’d lost his mind, “It’s just a birthmark and necklace…”

Obito shook his head in the negative, “No it’s a magical hieroglyph on your belly and the necklace just makes you look like someone you aren’t…” as if to illustrate he grabbed the necklace from around Naruto neck before he could protest and let it fall on top of a nearby rose.

Naruto watched wide-eyed as the rose turned into just another rock to match the surroundings, he lifted a hand in shock and found that the rose not only looked like a rock it felt like one too as he touched the sharp course edges, “How…” he turned to look at Obito who smiled.

“It’s magic Naruto… I can tell the difference because the Uchiha clan’s eyes can’t be fooled by visual magic… we are the only kind that can,” he went into his pants and brought out a tiny mirror he used to communicate with the main house while him and Kakashi were searching for Sasuke and gave it to Naruto, “It’s just a mirror but it will reflect the truth now…”

Naruto’s hands began to shake as he took the mirror, as he looked at hit he was surprised to see someone that he couldn’t believe was him. The boy was leaner in frame like a gymnast with white-gold hair that was spiky yet seemed to match the tan heart shaped face that stared back at him with large sky blue eyes that mirrored his shocked expression, “That cant be me…” but as he said the words into the mirror, the boy he saw their mimicked what he said and made him drop the mirror in shock, “It cant be true…” Naruto stood up quickly and got out of the water while pointing at the mirror like it was something evil, “Its not true… its not…” Naruto backed up in fear from the mirror not realizing while he backed up he knocked into someone else from behind him.

A pale hand shot out and brought the body close wrapping a hand around the top half of Naruto’s chest as a long knife was brought out by the other hand and leaned against the blond’s throat threateningly, “Tell me where Naruto is…” the dispassionate voice said while leaning the knife so close it left a shallow cut against the smaller boy’s tan skin.

Naruto gasped in surprise as he realized who it was behind him by voice alone, “Ga…Gaara?”

The hand paused and pulled away in surprise, “How…”

Naruto pulled away, forgetting about the knife to smile up at his boyfriend, “Thank god your hear Gaara…”

The redhead looked him up and down in confusion before and angry glare infused his face, “Why do you sound like Naruto…”

The blond laughed nervously, “Stop joking Gaara its me…” when he realized that Gaara’s eyes hadn’t softened he backed up in fear, “You don’t recognize me?” Naruto asked fearing the answer as he feared everything else right now.
Gaara’s face remained the same, “I don’t know you… but you sound like someone I know…” Eyeing the young blond he was confused because with a different coloring, chest and length of hair he resembled the woman Gaara killed for his father over 250 years ago.

“Someone you know…” Naruto couldn’t say why in particular, but that phrase pissed him off, “So I’m not the person that gave you a lap dance in a harem girl costume on your birthday… you bastard…” the blond growled crossing his arms in anger, it wouldn’t do if he went off and slugged his boyfriend.

Apparently the memory seemed to trigger something in Gaara, the redhead put the knife away and his pale face lost the anger, but Gaara still seemed suspicious, “Why do you look like that?” the redhead asked pointing out Naruto’s new body.

Naruto up until that point still believed the mirror was wrong, “It’s still me… plain old me…”

Gaara seemed to frown a bit, “You don’t look anything like my Naruto…” he said matter of fact not realizing how his words only seemed to hurt Naruto more.

“H..How do I look?” the blond paused not realizing that his voice seemed hurt to both Gaara and Obito who was still there listening to the conversation.

The redhead misunderstood the question thinking the blond only wanted his ego stroked, “Stop being a narcissist.”

Obito by this time got out of the water and approached the two cautiously, “Here Naruto put your necklace back on…” He handed the necklace to the blond who hesitantly put it back on remembering what it had done to the rose earlier.

“I don’t see how this could make a difference…” He turned to look at his boyfriend after putting the necklace on, not realizing his looks had turned back into the version of himself that both he and Gaara knew.

Gaara’s mouth dropped a little in surprise, “You… the necklace…” he seemed to shake a bit in shock before managing to lift his hand to tear off the necklace to see the change again for himself.

Naruto winced at the pain of the necklace being ripped off and he rubbed at his sore neck, “What the hell did you do that for?”

“I can’t accept this…” Gaara said backing up while pointing at Naruto while still holding the necklace, “You look like her, Naruto…” tears were in the redhead’s eyes as he ran off making the blond confused as he reached a hand out for the other to stop, but Gaara had already teleported away from Naruto by that time along with the necklace.

Elsewhere///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

“It really is amusing…” A dark voice chuckled waking up Anko.

Anko sighed while leaning up in bed to look over her shoulder at Orochimaru that was busy working on a metallic an ancient looking device at his desk, “What is Sennin-sama?” she knew better than to call her master anything more familiar knowing it could get her killed or worse maimed by the high ranked fae.

Orochimaru started to turn to look at her in an amused fashion, “My darling fiancé is here…” the words made Anko shiver in dread; she would have to talk to Asuma later regarding the incident.

“I didn’t know you were engaged Sennin-sama?” The older man turned to give her his full regard and Anko had to suppress the fear that passion filled stare gave her.

“My dear Anko… why must you always insist on discussing things that isn’t important to you when you sleep in my bedchambers?” Orochimaru asked while licking his lips slightly, it was a habit of the older man that made many court members shiver in disgust knowing where the Sennin’s perverted pleasures truly lay.

Anko ducked her head trying to control her anger at the situation; it wouldn’t do any good to spy on this man if she was found out too early, “My apologies Sannin-sama…”

“Indeed…” Anko lifted her head in surprise at the close voice only to realize too late how quickly the older man could move despite his age, “I think perhaps… my dear Anko, I need to remind you of what your place is here…” the older man said in a silky voice as he leaned a hand to gently trace the curve of the woman’s cheek.

“Sennin-sama I…” Orochimaru placed a finger on Anko’s lips and smiled slowly.

“Now I don’t believe you have a say in what I do… do you?” Anko shook her head at Orochimaru’s question; she knew him only too well and could only fear for whoever his fiancé was.

The door opened and Orochimaru’s long time lover and executioner, Kabuto came in and sneered at Anko’s face while the Sennin’s back was turned, “You called for me Orochimaru-sama?” he was one of the rare people the Sennin allowed to call him by his first name, it meant they were important to the older man.

Orochimaru turned to regard the half dressed man thoughtfully, “I want you to come back with some toys that you, I and Anko can enjoy together… and,” he turned to look maliciously at Anko, “I think we should invite Asuma to watch as well… after all it will be nice for the man to see his beloved one last time before he is executed…”

Anko’s eyes widened in alarm, “No… you can’t…”

Orochimaru licked his lips, “I can’t dear Anko… I can do whatever I want,” he leaned close till he was whispering in the other woman’s ear, “After all isn’t it better to kill one betrayer than two… or would you like to die as well…” Anko ducked her head in shame knowing that she couldn’t follow Asuma while she still had a job to do; she only prayed that it was worth both their lives later when she told Tsunade.


Well that’s if for chapter 12... I should have 13 out as soon as I can. If anyone would like to make any comments on what they would like to see and who, I would love to hear them and I may take them into consideration… so if you comment it could happen, I am weird like that. So as always thanks for reading and I hope you look forward to the new chapter. Goodbye for now.