Bloodlines

Authors notes.

Not perfect by any means as it took me forever to be even slightly satisfied by thid chapter, and yes, very au. Not Beta’d yet, so there will be mistakes, if that makes you twitchy you might want to avoid until the “pretty” version is up. Sorry if it seems slow in parts but I can't find it in me to just skip to the good parts lol. Remember I write this because it’s fun, not for money (and there aren’t a lot of true Naruto mpregs out there so I had to make my own =(. ) So read and enjoy!

Friends and Lovers

Firelight flickered and sent shivering shadows up the trees and into their darkened branches.

Naruto’s eyes were fixed on Haku’s slumbering figure, hardly a bump in his fathers sleeping bag, his small hand, wrist encircled by the weak Chakra nullifier Tsunade had given them in place of the medication glinted in the firelight.

“ You have three weeks before the bracelet must be taken off, too long of an exposure will stunt his growing pathways.” Had been the stern warning as she had fixed the rather pretty circlet on the little boys wrist. What use it was originally for was answered only by a scowl, and obvious nod to top secret stuff he probably didn’t really want to know about.

The rest of the team was asleep, Sakura and Sai both in their respective sleeping places, while Neji had disappeared into the darkness on first watch. Naruto himself should have been sleeping, but troubling thoughts plagued his mind and made sleep impossible.

When a warm presence appeared next to him, Naruto merely glanced to the side, unsurprised to find Neji crouched there, a small rabbit dangling from one hand.

“Something besides rations.” The Jounin explained with a slight shrug, dropping it with a soft plop next to him.

“ Better clean it before Haku sees it. He thinks bunnies are pets, not food.” Naruto however was pleased, he only had so many instant Ramen cups packed away, and between himself and Haku, they wouldn’t last long.

Later, Neji rejoined him with the now cleaned carcass. Time passed in silence, the spitted rabbit sizzling over the fire and Neji sitting close enough for their arms to brush. Hyper aware of the other ninja he could feel Neji watching him as clearly as he heat of the fire, and finally turned to face him only to find the Hyuuga watching him.

“ You are worried.” Neji’s voice was soft, warm breath ghosting through Naruto’s bangs.

“ Yeah. This isn’t exactly something you can fight face to face. I don’t like it.”

“ You will find a way Naruto. I have long ago realized that to doubt you is folly.”

Naruto squinted at the Hyuuga, who seemed fond of using fancy terms Naruto wasn’t so sure of the meanings of.

. “ Uh, I guess so.” He Perked up. Neji was probably the most pessimistic person Naruto knew, and if he believed it. . . “Your right! Someone out there knows something, and we will find them if I have to tear Wind Country apart!”

Naruto realized just how close Neji was when a slight puff of wind sent a few locks of Neji’s hair across his cheek, and the intense expression on the Hyuuga’s face, not unlike one of the stray cats Haku liked to feed just before it pounced on a rat.

They were alone. Very alone. Sakura and Sai asleep, Haku wouldn’t be moved unless and explosion or food was involved. The only other creature to witness them was Haku’s weird lizard that had somehow stowed away in Haku’s things and was now watching them unblinkingly from the child’s tousled hair.

“ Naruto. . .Can we talk?” Neji’s voice, deep, even deeper than Sasuke’s really, vibrated in Naruto’s belly. He couldn’t help but note that Neji smelled good too, an indefinable scent, but one that filled his senses pleasantly.

“ Ah, yeah, sure! Um talk away?” Naruto barely suppressed a nervous laugh.

“ Soon you and I, we will be married. Our lives will become intimately entangled. How do you feel about that? About me?”

Neji never was one to just beat around the bush. Straight to the point. The horribly uncomfortable point.

“ I, I really don’t know. I’ve never, you know, had a girlfriend, or boyfriend, really. I guess Sasuke was really the closest. . . but I only remember bits and pieces.” Naruto scratched his neck, embarrassed.

“ No one really wanted to, you know, get close to the demon. Said it was gross and stuff.”

Memories of dozens of girls turning their noises up at even the thought of dating him were bright and clear. The comments they had made and hadn’t bothered to keep hushed.

They only saw people like Neji, like Sasuke. The hero’s and the talents. Naruto’s one night with Sasuske still held the strange haze of a very nice dream, not like anything in reality.

“ I think, you are very much not gross. I would like to get to know you, for you to be comfortable around me, in all aspects. ”

Neji’s intense gaze implied more than just being buddies and sparring now and again.

“ Oh, um. Sure. How ?” Naruto’s throat went dry. But Neji smiled, a uncommon expression on the rather stoic shinobi’s face.

“ Lets start, with a kiss.”

It was hard to hold still, to not keep his eyes open when Neji leaned close, breath warm and pleasant. Lips touched, tentively, then more firmly and every part of Naruto tingled. Warm, soft, moist, and when Neji pulled him closer, hair a curtain of darkness that blocked out the world and touched his cheeks the distant echo of a night long ago surged through his blood.

With a gasp, he pulled away, panting and staring wide eyed at Neji, who was looking rather flushed himself. After a second of dealing with hot and cold shivers down his spine and a sudden and very embarrassing problem between his legs, he found it in himself to speak.

“So. Kissing, guess we can say we are off to a good start.” Naruto’s voice warbled like when he was ten. Neji looked very much like a well fed cat, eyes heavily lidded and mouth gleaming in the firelight.

Sai’s sudden appearance, drawn out of his tent by the scent of food stifled any further steps. The mood completely ruined when Sai quite casually asked Neji if he had seen Naruto’s penis yet.

. And yet even as he curled next to Haku to sleep, lips still tingling with the feeling of a phantom kiss, his dreams were of another dark haired man, his touch and the fire that had burned in the coal dark eyes.


There was no time to talk about it. They left before dawn and took to the trees until the forests began to stunt as the rivers dwindled. Timber turned to scrub and forced them to travel over ground as the geography turned more arid and dirt transitioned to sand beneath their feet.

They stopped when the vast visa of golden sand lay before them like a strange yellow sea undulating beneath a unforgiving sun.

“ wow.” Haku said near Naruto’s ear. Naruto however, felt less aw, and more resolution.

“ It’s at least a half a day to Suna. I just hope I can remember where it is without a guide this time.”

“ It looks really hot.” Haku commented, “and sandy.”

“ I could fly ahead and see if any land marks are available from the sky. . . “Sai offered.

“ No need. We knew you were coming.” A voice replied, sounding amused.

How long she had been sitting and watching them was anyone’s guess, Neji, who should have been the first to notice her looked quite disconcerted to see her there, casual as if she was just passing by to chat as she perched artfully on a boulder.

“ Tamari!” Haku scrambled off his fathers back and bolted over. She caught him before he bowled her over.

“ Haku! You must be feeling better!” She exclaimed.

“ Yep! Look at Ramen! I’v took good care of him.” The lizard was held out for inspection.

After she had oohed and complimented Haku’s pet, she turned to the rest.

“ Gaara wishes for you to stay in Suna for a few days rest , he has some. . . things he wishes to speak with you about.” She glanced sidelong at Neji, who’s normally blank and aloof expression had turned arctic. Both Sai and Sakura glanced at each other, but Naruto had missed the exchange and merely beamed at the Sand Kunoichi happily.

“ Sure! I haven’t seen Gaara in forever!”
It was likely that Naruto missed the tension in Temari’s return smile. Sakura however, smelled trouble.

“ Gaara is very kind, letting us stop there to rest.” She commented, green eyes sharp as they met Temari’s.

“ Naruto is a good friend to Gaara, it is his pleasure.” Was the neutral reply.

“ Gaara’s the best!” Naruto chimed, blind to the exchange.

Haku looked puzzled “ But who’s Gaara?”

The Kazekage turned from the bright face of the setting sun. Long shadows had taken over the village, casting its residence in blessed coolness. Below, the villagers, mostly inactive during the scoring heat of the day were stepping out to shop or run errands .

The arrival of the ANBU was silent, and Gaara only acknowledged him with a slight flicker of his eyes.

“The Uchiha was sighted with three companions heading south from the leaf village. He showed no signs of moving this way.”

Pity. Gaara wouldn’t have minded a chance to battle with Sasuke once again.

“ Naruto?”

“ Two hours away.”

Gaara nodded, and the ANBU bowed before flickering away.


Haku had always imagined the desert to be like one giant sandbox filled with cats and lizards and cactus. (Cats were the reason Haku hadn’t been back to the playground sandbox in awhile.) And that this trip to fix his eyes was going to be a huge grand adventure to tell his friends when he returned.

Instead, what he found was mountains of moving sand, hot hot sun, and very few living things. It was boring. And hot. And he was ready to be off his father’s shoulders and out of the blast of arid air that numbed his face as they raced across the dunes.

When the shadow of the Sand’s hidden village came into view, a great dun colored monstrosity nothing like his colorful home village, he was more than ready to be on his own feet.

Ninja appeared, heads and faces covered, but they let them pass into the shade of Sunagakure, friendly enough. The sight of strangers however, snuffed the urge to be parted from his father’s protective arms.

“ A room has been readied for everyone, as well as baths and food. Gaara Sama was sure you would like a rest in real beds before meeting with him.” Termari said as she led them through the large columns of sand colored rock that after a moment Haku realized were houses. A giant pot shaped building loomed In the distance, but before they reached it Termari led them inside one of the rounder columns.

While outside had been quite plain, the inside was large and colorful. Whitewashed walls and red and blue designs painted in swirls and intricate patterns, plants took the harshness of the desert away with lush leaves of green and bright flowers. Soft looking couches of red and yellow material, and woven rugs to cushion the sandstone floor.

His father crouched and let him slide from his back, then stood and stretched with a sigh,

“ The bedrooms are below, its cooler there, the kitchen is upstairs along with a bathroom. Shower only though, water is strictly rationed.” Termari pointed to the carved stairs leading to another floor.

“ Thanks’ Temari. It will be great not to be sleeping on the ground for a night.” Sakura was staring longingly up the stairs even as she brushed sand from her hair with a grimace. Neji had a similar expression, Haku decided it was a long haired person thing, though he was sure his father would be making him use the shower as well.

Ramen scampered down to explore, and Haku followed him down the stairs where the bedrooms were supposed to be. One of the doors were open revealing a room lit with a lamp, and a bed. He had only meant to test it out, maybe jump on it while the adults were talking, but he found himself curling on the covers and a warm lassitude steeling over his body after a day spent in treetops and in blazing sun The cool flicker of Ramen’s tongue soothing on his cheek as he fell asleep.


Later, bathed and full of a meal not cooked over a campfire, Naruto had ventured out on the balcony to enjoy the coolness of night in Gaara’s village. The night wind was cool against his cheeks, and desert insects sang happily and as loudly as any in Kohona. A endless field of stars stretched out before him, and down stairs he could hear Sakura loudly voicing her opinion to Sai on his new collection of some of Kakashi’s books. If Sai were smart, he would just burn the damn things like Sakura wanted and save himself a cracked skull.

Neji had gone to take part in his own bath, and had already beaten Sakura for time spent in the bath, his one weakness it seemed was grooming. Naruto had been in and out in less than five minutes, taking a sleepily protesting Haku with him before allowing him back to their room and to taking up most of the bed.

The subtle hiss of sand alerted him to Gaara’s presence, some of it brushing against his bare feet before sifting off into the wind.

“Hey Gaara.” Naruto turned his head to the side, finding the Kazekage, arms crossed and dressed in his formal robes. The gourd however, was not present, though Naruto suspected it was merely dispersed into the sand around them.

“I figured you would drop by before tomorrow.”

“Meetings ended more quickly than anticipated, I had hoped to see you before you retired to sleep.” Though Gaara would never be a power house of muscle like his brother, or tall and broad like Neji, he still radiated controlled power. Cast in shadow, he was slightly intimidating, and the hair on Naruto’s arms stood on end until Gaara’s stiff position relaxed, and he leaned slightly on the rail, dark rimmed eyes turned in Naruto’s direction. At that moment, he was just Gaara, one of Naruto’s good friends.

“Nah, too much on my mind to sleep. Besides, I currently have a little monster taking up most of the bed.”

“Your son?”

“ Mmm.”

A moment of comfortable silence, and then surprisingly Gaara moved closer. At this Naruto turned to look at him, surprised.

“ I had hoped to talk to you. . . about something that has been on my mind for awhile now.”

Whatever he was about to say however, instead he turned suddenly cold eyes behind them. Naruto turned as well, to find Neji, hair damp and dressed in casual robes. His eyes glowed strangely in the moonlight, like a cat’s.

“ Kazekage.” The Jounin said politely, half bowing. Gaara’s eyes narrowed some, and he had once again moved into his cross armed stance, the sand forming tiny dunes around his feet, a sure sign of tension.

“ Tomorrow. We must talk a before you leave. . . I have information on a village that may hold the being you seek.”

And as quickly as he had come, Gaara was gone. Naruto blinked the swirl of sand from his eyes.

“ I just came to wish you goodnight.” Neji reached out, fingers nearly brushing Naruto’s bangs, before he turned and went back inside. Leaving a puzzled Naruto alone

When Naruto wondered back into the living area, Sakura was there, a strange expression on her face.

“ Hey, come sit.” She patted the couch next to her, and with a grin Naruto leaped into the spot.

“ Is this like a date Sakura chan?” He teased. he barely dodged her half hearted punch.

“ Quict being stupid. I just wanted you to be aware of something. You have a tendency to be dim witted about these sorts of things.”

Rubbing the back of his head, Naruto frowned.

“ What sort of things?”

Sakura smirked “ Everything short of Ramen and training”

At Naruto’s glare, she waved her hands.

“ Fine. Here I go.” A deep breath. “ I think Gaara and Neji are about to butt heads over you. I’m pretty sure Gaara didn’t just ask you here for a friendly chat.”

“ I don’t understand. Neji and Gaara haven’t even met before tonight.”

“ Naruto, putting aside the fact that I am more than a little jealous that you, of all people in the world ,have two of the most eligible men in both Suna and Konoha pining for you. . .” Sakura half growled, then more gently “ Gaara already sent Tsunade a proposal for you and him to produce his heir. He is not likely to take a simple “no” for an answer. Neji won’t like that”

While he stared at her, at a loss as to what to say, Sakura smiled and patted him on the head.

“ Just something to think on. Tomorrow may get a little rocky.”

After managing to contain his son to his own part of the bed, Naruto lay awake long after he had gone to bed himself.
Gaara was one of his best friends. Someone who had really understood what it was like to be a Tailed beasts host. To be alone. Neji was not a stranger, but they had never been close, however he had pretty much promised him and his family to go through with the marriage. And then, somewhere distant, but still close in Naruto’s mind was Sasuke. The closest thing he had ever come to a relationship, however fucked up it was. If Gaara asked him what he now suspected, he wasn’t sure what to say, what to do. . . He really hoped Sakura was wrong.