Ranch Country

I wanted this to be a two shot, but Naruto and Sasuke have quite a few problems to work out before there can be a happily ever after.

Since it's Thanksgiving tomorrow I'm gonna give you guys a couple of chapters so I can go into a coma without feeling guilty.

I don't own Naruto.

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“Yeah I adopted the brat. You gotta problem with that?” Dark blue eyes glared down at the pale boy who glared up at him. “You gotta few feet to grow before you try intimidating the man who changed your diapers brat.” Kisame Hoshigaki smiled, showcasing the sharp teeth that always made quick work of steak.

“When did this happen? Why wasn't I informed?”

“You weren't informed cause you wanted to pretend you were good enough for the snotty kids in that school. If they found out you were the son of a rancher they would have eaten you alive.” Sasuke pinched the bridge of his nose, knowing it was the truth no matter how much he wanted to deny it. The girl he had dated for a two years had hired a detective to do a background check on Sasuke without his knowledge. She had discovered that his family ran a successful ranch in Canada and though his net worth had been several million dollars of beef and milk cattle it hadn't been near enough for her. The girl, Karen had dumped him and had spread his life outside of Yale around the school, ensuring that most of the rich kids there avoided him.

Two years of trust down the toilet, and though he should have expected it, it still came as a shock to him, and the next day he'd gotten an e-mail from his best friend letting him know that his father had just passed away. Naruto had stopped writing after six months of emails went unanswered, after eight months of phone calls went to voice mail and were never returned. After Sasuke seemed to forget he'd even known the blond boy.

He hadn't been able to make himself go to the funeral, not knowing what he would say to his former friends. What would they think of him, the small town farm boy off to make something of himself in the big city. If he say them again, if he talked to them, any of them it would make leaving his former life that much harder. Successful business men didn't come from rural farm country in Canada. Canada, that was like saying you lived in hickville to most Americans. He'd cracked a few jokes about his home country to fit in. Things like how they all lived in igloos and had no electricity, how they had domesticated moose instead of horses, and used dog sleds to get everywhere.

Sasuke took a deep breath as Kisame turned and walked off, no doubt to check on the dairy cows that were the Uchiha families pride and joy.

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“I can't believe that prick. He leaves for four years and then just shows up expecting you to drop everything and jump into his arms.” Sakura was on a rant, the normally gently pinkette turned into a formidable opponent when someone hurt her friends, as was the case now. “Who does he think he is, telling you he was dating someone else. ARRRRRRRGHHHHHHH!!!!” Naruto's housekeeper yelled, throwing the metal ladle she held against the wall and making all who sat in the kitchen flinch.

The Subaku's had been called once Naruto had gone up to shower away the sweat of a hard days work. As had most of the ranch hands from the Uchiha ranch. It didn't matter that they worked for someone else, most of the boys who worked at the ranch had gone to school with Naruto and Kiba and would gladly beat down anyone who caused a cloud to cross the face of their own personal ray of sunshine.

Gaara had brought over his personal brand of whiskey, not a store bought brand either, something he personally distilled in his basement. Not that anyone would tell the authorities that little piece of information. Moonshine was illegal, no matter who made it.

“Oh, my beautiful cherry blossom, I ache for Naruto's pain as well. But you must calm yourself like a wild stallion must calm to the hand of man.” The entire kitchen groaned and rolled their eyes as one entity as Lee Rock, one of Gaara's ranch hands began spouting. The Subaku family raised and sold horses even sheiks went out of their way to purchase.


The man dressed in green, even down to his jeans and boots may have seemed insane to the normal human being, but he could tame even the wildest of Mustangs. Granted, there were almost none still in Alberta, but when a rancher caught one down in the states they contacted Lee Rock before anyone else. If that man couldn't tame a mustang it was an unbreakable unstable horse and no one could tame it.

“Dammit Lee, he's my best friend. I hate that bastard and what he did to Naruto.”

“We all know that sweets.” Suigetsu smirked at Sakura ignoring the sneer she sent him. “But if you carry on like this your liable to make him a little more upset then he already is.” The pinkette knew he was right and took a deep can calming breath before pouring a little of Gaara's special mix into a shot glass and downing it, wincing a little at the deep burn.

“Ah, young love.” Lee began and stopped suddenly as footsteps on the stairs alerted everyone to the fact that Naruto was done his shower. The blond was toweling off his hair when he stopped on the second last stair, his eyes taking in everyone in the kitchen, all staring back at him with varying degrees of intensity.

“Somebody decide to throw a party at my place without telling me?” He asked, trying to crack a joke and lighten the heavy mood. His voice cracked half way through and ruined the effect.

“Sit. Drink. Rant.” Gaara was always so eloquent, but the words seemed to do the trick as Naruto hung his bright orange towel over the oak banister and wandered to the table. Kiba smiled down at his friend and took the active role of bartender, pouring a shot of the home made brew for Naruto to gulp down.

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“And then he just stands there, like he'd said nothing wrong. I hate that stupid bastard.” A shot glass was slammed onto the heavy wooden table with a crack as the golden boy of ranching waited for another shot to be poured. “Fucker leaves me to go date a girl. Trying to be normal...asshole'll never be normal.”

“I say we go lynch the jerkoff.” Suigetsu, who was equally drunk, roared at the top of his lungs, turning to see what his drink mate though of the idea.

“Lynching's to good for him. Why does he act like nothing happened? Like he wasn't gone for four years?” Tears gathered in blue eyes before they were wiped viciously away and the blond glared at his empty shot glass. “Gib me another one.” He slurred, not noticing his slip up, or the giggles shot his way from Sakura who was leaning heavily on Lee. The man in green stroking her hair and whispering sweet nothings into her ear.

“Can we go put slugs into his bed?” Kiba asked, the only sober one in the entire kitchen besides Lee.

“That would be funny.” Was the calm response. Naruto's emotions always went haywire when he had imbibed a little to much. It was one of the reasons he was kept away from alcohol. Much like Lee who would get increasingly violent with only a sip of the stuff.

“He left...he left and he didn't even come home when Dad died. He didn't even come home.” There were tears heavy in the blond's voice and it made the pinkette across the room burst into sympathy tears. Lee desperately trying to calm her as she practically ran across the hardwood floor and crawled into Naruto's lap.

“I HATE HIM TOO.” Sakura bawled and the man she sat on sniffled a little, pressing his face into her hair to try and regain control of his emotions.

“Except I don't hate him. I still love him, what do I do? I don't want to love Sasuke anymore.” Naruto's voice breaking on nearly every word and Kiba sighed, putting the cork back into the bottle he held and handing it back to Gaara who slipped it into the bag he always carried on his back.

“I think that's enough for tonight Naruto. You should go get a good nights sleep and the problems might seem a little easier to deal with in the morning.” The rest of the group nodded, except for Sakura who was being gently eased off of Naruto's lap by Lee.

“I can't go to bed.” The blond whined, letting his head fall to the table and looking up at Kiba with a pitiful expression.

“Why?”

“I can't get up the stairs.” Several members of the 'get Naruto drunk' party chuckled as they slowly sobered up.

“I'll help you.” Kankuro said, slipping an arm around Naruto's waist and heaving him upwards sliding a tan arm across his shoulders. “Damn kid, you've gained some weight since the last time you got too drunk to walk up the stairs by yourself.” Kankuro's voice began to fade out as he walked up the stairs and when he came out of the blonds room by himself the rest of the crew seemed to take the cue and picked themselves up. Grabbing hats and slipping on boots they walked out to various vehicles, the few that were sober volunteering to drive the several who were still feeling the effects of Gaara's brew home.

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He was seventeen again and had just convinced Sasuke to join him in the bailer. It was midsummer, the harvest moon covering everything in a pale glow that made his pale friend seem iridescent and beautiful, almost as if he were something not of this world.

Sasuke had turned those dark eyes on his and leaned forward, lips meeting in a first kiss and Naruto had blushed, so shy and yet he let himself be kissed again. He couldn't form the words to tell Sasuke they shouldn't be doing this, and while Sasuke undid his jeans and slid his hand around Naruto the tan boy could do nothing but gasp and buck against him.

He came with a swallowed whimper, the moonlight caressing his skin and watching over the two young boys as they'd journeyed into the world of adulthood together.

--

He was twenty and Sasuke had kissed him goodbye one final time as he'd boarded the plane and he'd known in his heart that Sasuke hadn't been kissing him in a way that meant 'I'll see you soon' he was kissing him in a 'Final goodbye' way and it broke Naruto's heart.

He was twenty two and Sasuke hadn't contacted him once since he'd been gone. Tears flowed down whiskered cheeks as he typed with shaking fingers.

Sasuke,

Dad died. He was out on the bailer and he had a heart attack. Doctor said if someone had been there he might have survived. Funeral's next week. It would mean a lot to me if you could make it.

Naruto.

There had been no reply, and when the day of his fathers funeral had arrived. The sky as blue as the eyes Naruto shared with his father Naruto was standing alone. He was surrounded on all sides by his friends and family, but the one person he had needed to show up, the one man he had needed to see hadn't showed and Naruto wasn't sure if he had missed his plane or if he hadn't even bothered coming.

His heart was breaking in more than one piece and he wasn't sure if he could hold himself together for much longer. But the preacher said his final piece and they started shoveling the dirt over the coffin that lay in the earth and Naruto wished not for the last time that his father had wanted to be cremated instead of buried. He should be soaring with the birds on the never ending winds instead of laying in the cold ground. But it had been on his will and he'd respected his fathers last words.

--

He was twenty three and the land developers were sniffing around, telling him he was too young to bear a burden such as this. He should be off in the city living the high life, not breaking his back daily for a life that no one lived anymore. Naruto sent them off scalding more then once, and his heart ached for his father. The laugh, the strong arms that always had a hug or a ruffle of his hair, that strong kind voice that had a kind word when it was needed the most. And he'd longed for Sasuke, for those deep, dark eyes that he could drown in. Pale skin that never tanned, even when he worked for the entire summer with his shirt off. That dark sense of humor that could always make him smile, no matter how dark his mood.

But Sasuke was gone, like his father and he had to live for himself now, if the pale boy he'd once loved had taught him anything it was that you could depend on no one but yourself.

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Tears were dried on his cheeks when blue eyes blinked open, a hand coming to rest on the damp pillow near his face and Naruto scowled. He always dreamed of the past when he drank too much, that was his punishment.

A quick glance at his clock showed it was 4:56, three minutes until his alarm went off. Slapping at the odd switch the young man flung his blankets off and rolled out of bed, rubbing a hand over his face as he grabbed a flannel shirt from his closet. It didn't matter how he felt, the chores that needed to be done wouldn't get done by themselves.

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Oh God, I actually started crying when I was writing about his Dad and stuff. I'm so wimpy. T.T

Review or I'll come and cry on you. >:'(