Death is the only way to freedom

Hello minna
Sorry for the lack of update... but I´m gonna post not only one but 5 new chapters for you + I´ll update all my fics on af.net today XD

I´m updating more often on AarinFantasy if you want even more fics written by me XD
Plz enjoy.

Chapter 19: A new beginning:

All the bony remains of the diseased man were now resting inside of the beautiful black urn and the worst part of the funeral was now a thing of the past. Naruto had added the flowers, he had bought for the occasion, into the urn with the bones as they didn´t burn with the body.

“I´m here for you… I´m right here where I belong…” Sasuke whispered into golden locks that belonged to the slightly younger man who was still sobbing silently at the last Uchiha´s strong shoulder.

“… Thanks, Sasuke…” Was the soft reply, as the blonde seemed to regain control over his sorrow. The raven was happy that Naruto trusted him enough to let him see his grief and pain… and the blonde had called him by his name and not one of the many nicknames for once.

It made Sasuke happier than he had thought he could be if someone ever said his name. It had been whispered so softly… so soft that it stirred something that had been deeply buried inside the emotionally closed off Uchiha.

The monk looked at the two young men with great interest. The young Uzumaki heir seemed more affected by the death of the murderous Itachi than the dead man´s own brother. He could only wonder why, but decided that it wasn´t really his business after all and let it pass without further investigation.

He then turned his attention to the Hokage who just nodded at him to go on.
“If you would please follow me into the next room; you can rest there while we prepare everything for the next step.”

The Uchiha nodded while wrapped an arm caringly around his beloved friend´s slim waist and led the blonde into the other room with Tsunade right behind them.

“Uchiha-san?” The monk asked.

“Yes?” The raven still had his arm around Naruto´s waist and didn´t really feel like letting go as he felt his beloved blonde lean against him heavily.

The warmth of Naruto´s body against his felt so good… and it made him crave for more; he wanted to hug the former fox container tightly whilst telling him that he wanted to make all his pain and sorrow go away.

“Would you be so kind to lend me a moment?” Tetsuha added. Sasuke raised an eyebrow in irritation and let out a low growl to show his disapproval.

“Go… I´ll stay with Naruto.” Tsunade said as she dragged Naruto away from him and led the blonde towards a bench at the other end of the room. Naruto looked up at the Uchiha with a sad but honest smile and nodded to let him know that everything was fine.

“What do you want?” Sasuke said emotionlessly to the monk as Naruto and that Hokage were out of hearing range.

“I am truly sorry to disturb you in your grief, Uchiha-san, but there are things I need to ask you.” The bald monk told him with a respectful tone.

“Go on.”

“I have to ask if you want to continue the traditional funeral procedure and have the urn placed at the house temple of the main household of the Uchiha clan?”

“… Naruto, the Hokage and I are the only ones that´s know about this funeral and about the secret burial ground.” Sasuke told him.

“I think we will do things the traditional way as Na… as we would be able to handle our grief better this way.” He didn´t want to tell the monk that it was mostly Naruto who would benefit from burning incense at the small temple.

“As you wish, Uchiha-san. Would you like to take the urn back home with you today or do you want me to bring it by later? Lady Hokage told me that the funeral is a personal matter and doesn´t concern the public; so a funeral marsh is, I believe, out of the question.”

“Hnnn.” The Uchiha stated. “I would prefer if you would bring it to my house, as I have been absent for a long time… I would show my gratitude if you would do me and my family the honor to consecrate our family temple anew and prey at it with me and my friend.”

“But of course I will be glad to. I´m afraid that I will need a few days to prepare though…” The monk said.

“That´s not a problem when will you be able to come?”

“The day after tomorrow Uchiha-san. Would you prefer me to come after sunset?”

“After sunset sounds good to me. Is there anything else or can Naruto and I go?”

~ # ~

“How do you feel, gaki?” Tsunade asked as she sat down next to the whiskered man.

“I´ll manage… as always. Thank you for being here with Sasuke and me…”

“No need to thank me, sweetie, I try to attend to all funerals… and I sense that this is important to you. You are like a grandson to me after all.” She smiled caringly at him and was pleased to see a sad but real smile appear on his lips.

“So when does my training with you and ero-senin start?” He asked her.

“Soon, but I want you to get some more rest and let your body heal a bit more before we begin. It´s only been a few weeks since the fight and since the demon has gone… you´ll need more time to heal properly.”

“Baa-chan?”

“Yeah brat?”

“…I still heal faster than normal people… My keen sense of hearing, seeing and picking up a scent is still better than everyone else’s… why is that?” He asked her.

“It´s normal, brat. Remember how you told me that you felt the Kyuubi taking over more and more of your body?”

“Yeah.”

“The demon was merging with your body… and the part that has already merged with you… well it´s gonna remain that way as it´s now a permanent part of you. You won´t have to worry about it though… The spirit of the Kyuubi is gone for good. You are one-hundred percent you. Enjoy it and make good use of the power you have; it´s a gift.”

“Thanks for explaining it to me.” He smiled at her. Finally he wouldn´t have to worry about the fox and its plans to destroy the world.

“Um… How long will Sasuke be under surveillance by Kakashi and those two ANBU that followed us here?”

“How did you know?” She asked in wonder. She hadn´t told him about the fact that Sasuke was being under surveillance of Kakashi´s watchful eye.

“I´m an ANBU and going to become the next Hokage remember, and one of the ANBU smells like he´s been using too much aftershave this morning.” He smiled at her.

“Oh!” She grinned “The council wants it to be this way for at least a year. You should both be grateful about their leniency… they could have asked for Sasuke´s death.”

“I know… it´s just bugging me… but I can live with it.”

“Naruto?” Both blondes turned their attention to the Uchiha who was approaching them. “Ready to go?”

“Yeah, let´s go Sasuke.”

“Where will you stay, Naruto?” She asked as both men began to walk towards the exit.

“He´ll be at my place the rest of the day.” The Uchiha possessively told her.

“Hey, since when do you decide what I do, teme?” The blonde barked.

“Well, I am buying you dinner remember, usuratonkachi.”

“Don´t call me that, bastard.”

“Oh really… I´ll stop calling you an idiot if you stop calling me names.”

“You´re such an ass, Sasuke.”

“I know.” The raven smirked.

“… So? Where will you be then?” Tsunade asked with a sly smile. She was happy to see that things were finally returning to normal between those two.

“I´ll just go home to get changed and then I´ll stay at Sasuke´s place. I´ll be at Iruka´s in the morning. Why do you want to know Baa-chan?” Naruto asked her.

“If you both promise me to stay at the Uchiha mansion and if you promise me to keep an eye on the Uchiha brat… I´ll call of the ANBU for today.”

“Really?” Naruto and Sasuke said in unison.

“Yeah, you both need some time to work things out. A lot has happened these last few days and I think you deserve it, don´t tell anyone though!” She smiled at their happy expressions.

“Thank you.” Sasuke said softly. He was grateful for her consideration. He watched as the blonde hugged her with a huge smile on his gorgeous face.

“Yeah yeah… now go and remember to keep an eye on Sasuke-kun for me… and Uchiha! You better behave.” She shouted after them as Naruto dragged Sasuke with him as he left the crematorium.

~ # ~

“I´ll just take a quick shower, k.” The blonde told the Uchiha as they were inside Naruto´s apartment.

“Nice place you´ve got yourself.” Sasuke called out to Naruto, who was already in the bathroom, showering.

“Thanks, Baa-chan and Iruka tou-san forced me to move. They threatened to force me to move in with Baa-chan if I didn´t move into a new apartment.” Naruto called out from the closed door.

“I bet they would” He replied as he took a closer look around the apartment. Everything was nicely kept and most of the furniture looked as if it had never even been used.

´It´s as if he´s not even living here at all except his beloved plants and the pictures on the wall… oh, I remember this one.` The Uchiha stepped up to the enlarged familiar picture in the wooded frame.

He reached out and took the picture of the wall and held it carefully in his pale hands. There was Kakashi… a smiling Sakura, a pouting Naruto and a seemingly annoyed Sasuke displayed on the photo.

Sasuke let his fingers run softly over the protective glass, thinking back at the time when they were team seven.

“A lot has happen since then, ne?”

“Sure has,” Sasuke whispered as he looked up, only to see Naruto standing in front of him; drying his wet hair with a green towel.

He was standing with bare feet on the fluffy carpet; wearing only a pair of baggy brown cargo´s. A few drops of water ran down his toned torso; following the shape of his muscles gracefully.

Sasuke enjoyed the display of naked skin as Naruto walked around the apartment to water his plants before he continued to get dressed.

“I´m ready to go.” Naruto said as he jumped into his black jounin sandals.

“… Good, we have to make a stop on the way to my place; to pick up the food.”

“Sure thing, Sasuke.” Naruto threw on a shirt and was about to open the front door as he was hugged from behind. “Sasuke, what are you doing?”

“Nothing… I just felt like hugging you. I just wanted to make sure that we´re still alive… that I´m not making this up.” He mumbled against Naruto´s back.

Naruto sighed and leaned into the embrace. It felt good to be held like this, so comforting. “At least let me turn around so I can hug you back, Teme.”

Sasuke released his firm grip so that the blonde could face him, and hug him back. They just held each other for a while; enjoying the warmth and comfort.

“I missed you so much after I left Konoha, Naruto… you have no idea how much.”

“Well, you did a huge effort out of hiding it, Teme.”

“I know and I´m sorry…It wasn´t worth it. I thought I could forget you if I kept on pushing you away; hurting you… but I just missed you even more and felt so guilty for causing you pain.”

“And you still wonder why I call you a bastard?” The blonde chuckled softly.

“Hn.” Sasuke hummed teasingly against Naruto neck. He enjoyed this closeness; his coal-black eyes shut tightly as he took in another deep breath of Naruto´s delicious scent. “You smell like an apple.”

“What?” Naruto laughed heartily at the raven´s remark. Sasuke smiled as he felt the healing laughter tremble through Naruto´s body.

“You smell like an apple… must be your shampoo or something like that.” The Uchiha chuckled at the grinning blonde.

“Yup… I like everything that smells or tastes like apples, but I only use it when I´m off duty, ya know.” Naruto answered. “I don´t want to make the enemy think that they wander beneath apple trees when there are none in sight.”

“Me too.”

“… You like to smell like apples too, Sasuke?”

“Nah, that suits you better… I like chamomile… it´s so calming… just like this.” He tightened the grip on Naruto again .

“Yeah, Sasuke, I feel so too.”

“Well, shall we? I´m kinda hungry.” The Uchiha whispered; still holding on to the blonde.

“Yeah,” Naruto smiled at him as he tried to step back. “It´ll be easier if you let go of me, Teme.”

“Hn.” Sasuke hesitantly let go of the blonde as his stomach ordered him too.

“So what did you order?”

“Sushi, miso and a deluxe plus ramen for you to go.”

“Awww, that´s sweet, Sasuke… but I don´t feel like ramen today.”

“… Fine, I´ll try to cancel the order when we get there. We are ahead of the time schedule anyway.”

~ # ~

A half hour later they were sitting around the table in Sasuke´s kitchen. Talking about the funeral, the past years and strange pairings in Konoha and the Sound.

They had been able to cancel the order for Naruto´s ramen without any trouble and were now enjoying different kinds of sushi; like Hako-sushi, Chirashi-sushi and sashimi with miso soup, tofu and spring onions. They had a delicious scrimp-salad with lime and avocados as well as small pancakes with steamed salmon and lobster.

Naruto had brought a few bottles of a lovely white wine which made their mood rise and soon the kitchen was filled with laughter as they talked about happy things from the past; like when team seven had done their best to reveal their sensei´s face.

“Do you remember what he did when we asked him what was beneath the mask?” Naruto chuckled as he refilled their glasses with the tasty wine.

“Yeah… he pulled it down… and there he had a second mask.” Sasuke laughed heartily for the first time since forever.

“Oh damn… we had a lot of fun back then, didn´t we, Sasuke?” The blonde grinned. He took a bite from one of the delicious and colorful pancakes, while looking at the raven who sipped at his wine.

“Naruto?”

“Yeah, what is it?”

“What do you think of Iruka and Kakashi getting married?”

“I think it´s about time. They have been together since before Kakashi began to train us as a team… that´s almost… what, like five years or so.”

“Really? How did you find out about them?”

“Oh you don´t wanna know, Teme.” The blonde chuckled.

“Sure I do… come on, tell me.” Sasuke moved his chair closer to Naruto´s and wrapped an arm around his shoulder.

“I walked in on them once… you know, while having sex. Iruka turned red as a tomato!”

“No, you didn´t.” The Uchiha chuckled while leaning his head on Naruto´s shoulder.

“Oh I sure did… I had terrible nightmares for a week.” The Uzumaki heir laughed. He had slid an arm around Sasuke´s waist, dragging him closer.

“Naruto? Would you marry me if we were dating for a year?” The drunken Uchiha asked.

“I think so, yes… I like you even though you´re an ass from time to time.”

“Naruto?”

“Mmmm.?”

“Would you go out with me?”

“Like on a date?”

“Yeah.”

“Love to.”

“Want to have dinner with me tomorrow after… the breakfast with Iruka and Kakashi?