Last Chance

A/N: I am so sorry this took so long *bows deeply* The closer to the end, the harder time I'm have to write it. Maybe I just don't want to let go. I hope this chapter meets up to previous standards. I wasn't to happy with the first part, but the information is needed.
ENJOY!

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Gaara was told the ANBU unit from Konoha had arrived and he ordered them to escorted in immediately. The three walked in and he felt disappointed that his friend was not among them. He knew Naruto wouldn’t be, now that he was Hokage, but he was going to miss his friend’s visits. Gaara eyed the group with a subtle curiosity and nodded at Hishroshi in recognition, he had often come with Naruto. His gaze fell back on the new Captain and looked expectantly.

The red-masked nin stepped forwards and handed Gaara a scroll. “Kazekage-sama, Rokudaime Hokage considered your request to be of the utmost importance and sent me, the Captain of his ANBU, Chiinu, to assist you,” he said with a slight bow.

Gaara’s eyes narrowed and he practically spat out, “Chiinu. Naruto’s advancement seems to be towards your advantage, Chiinu-san.”

Sasuke arched a brow behind his mask, of course Gaara would know exactly who he was. He glanced to the left with just his eyes; Hiroshi’s posture told the Captain he was very pleased with himself. Forcing his voice to stay light, Sauske stood straight up and addressed Gaara. “Hai, Kazekage-sama. As it is toward your advantage.” Gaara raised a nonexistent brow. “As you have the best of Konoha, beside the Hokage, at your disposal,” he finished, arrogant, but truthfully.

Gaara glared at him sardonically before reluctantly giving a short nod of agreement. “Daisuke,” Gaara called out.

A weasel little man, who looked to be some sort of advisor, emerged from the back of the room and moved next to Gaara. “Hai, Kazekage-sama?”

With his gaze still on the red-masked ANBU, Gaara spoke to Daisuke, “I need privacy with Konoha’s shinobi, make sure no one enters. Also, tell Temari to get my field gear ready, I’ll be taking Matsuri with me.”

“But Gaara-sama, as the Kazekage you shouldn’t busy yourself with such trivial matters,” Daisuke protested.

“If they were trivial, we would not have called on Konoha. As the Kazekage, I can’t leave this completely in the hands of our allies,” he eyed Chiinu blankly. In other words, he didn’t trust Sasuke, best or not.
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Sasuke cursed as he evaded the shower of shuriken. Damn Naruto and Gaara, they said it was one rouge shinobi from Konoha. He had counted at least four so far and one of them was defiantly from Suna.

“Yuzuki!” he yelled while deflecting a kunai that had come uncomfortably close to the Kazekage’s back. “How many are there?”

The tiger-masked ANBU quickly leapt up into the trees and perched in the branches. Hiroshi followed close behind and positioned himself to give her cover. “Byakugan.” She observed the area and called back down to Chiinu, “Six, four leaf-nin and two sand.”

Great, they were outnumbered by one. Gaara deciding to tag along seemed to be a good thing at this point, or they would have had a two to one disadvantage. “Well Gaara. Two of these rats seem to be yours. Can you and your man take care of them?”

“Me and Matsuri can handle ourselves, you deal with the problem you were hired for,” Gaara clipped.

Sasuke smirked behind his mask, “Yuzuki?”

The tiger dropped down next to her captain in a crouch. “Left,” she stated firmly.

Gaara and Matsuri disappeared quickly into the greenery. Sasuke felt a twinge of apprehension as he looked in the direction the Kazekage had gone. Those two were really at a disadvantage here on the border of fire country.

“How do we divide up the rest, Chiinu?” Yuzuki interrupted his thoughts.

Sasuke looked down at the still crouching girl. She had here head cocked to the side and seemed to be eying the enemy with here unnatural eyes. He was once again amazed in the change that over took the girl when she put on that mask. She seemed to emulate the tiger she wore and mock the name, ‘Gentle Moon’, she had been given. Another shower of shuriken fell on the trio and Yuzuki deflected each one with the precision of her unique chakara technique.

“You can have that one,” Chiinu growled in an annoyed tone. “That leaves the other three for me and Hiroshi.”
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‘Kami-sama, I must be rusty,” Sasuke thought as he flew through the trees. ‘How did I let that one slip by?’ By the speed and stealth of the nin, Sasuke surmised that this was their target. He was an older man, but a Konoha Jounin, and by no means weak. That he had survived as a shinobi to this age boasted his ability. Sasuke tried to put more speed in his pursuit. Why would nin remain loyal to Konoha for so long only to defect now?

He neared a clearing and saw the Kazekage sitting on a rock with Matsuri standing guard close by. Where had target gone? No sooner than he had voice the question in his head, he heard the rustling of leaves and single shuriken flew toward the pair. A Konoha Jounin would never throw just one weapon at such an advanced enemy; this was going to be bad.

Sasuke sprang from his spot and flickered to stand before Matsuri, who would definitely be hurt if she underestimated this attack. Sasuke activated his Sharingan at the same instant the shuriken split into three dozen. Trapping the target in his genjutsu, he insured no further attacks, but that did not stop the ones already in flight. Using his sword, he deflected most but winced as he felt some plunge into his skin.

Hiroshi dropped behind the missing-nin the second the genjutsu ended and secured his arms and legs. Matsuri dashed to the injured Captain while Gaara stared in shock. Why had the Uchiha protected Matsuri? The Captain fell down to his knees and Gaara called out, “Matsuri. Find the tiger. She’s their medic.” Matsuri quickly disappeared into the trees.

Gaara looked toward Hiroshi and the captive. The missing-nin was struggling against his bond as he yelled at the top of his lung, “God damn demons! They’re taking over our villages! First at sand and now our own Konoha! You’re nothing but the demons’ fucking lap-do…”

The rants were silence as Yuzuki bashed him on the back of the head with the hilt of her sword. She glared at the slump body for a second before racing to her Captain. “Chiinu-san!”

“It’s not much,” Sasuke said, trying to keep the pain out of his voice. Yuzuki glared at the ten shuriken piercing different parts of his body and began healing him. Sasuke could hear her grumbling something about stubborn men and he almost started laughing. He knew she would never say something like that with her mask off.

When she was done she moved to see if anyone else needed any attention, and Gaara took a seat next to the Captain. They sat quietly for a moment before Gaara asked, “Why did you help Matsuri?”

Sasuke glanced and the Kazekage and smirked behind his mask. “The Hokage would be angry if I let one of his friend’s precious people die without trying to do something.”

Gaara thought about it before letting a small smirk of his own form. Maybe the Uchiha wasn’t all bad. Looking directly into the onyx eyes he inquired, “Did you think about what he might do to me if I had let something happen to you?”

“Hn. I didn’t think about that,” he replied with humor.

Gaara sat quietly for a couple of minutes when his gaze fell on Hiroshi. “Chiinu-san. I think you still have a rat in you presents.” Sasuke looked back at the Kazekage. “He was pretty close when everything happened, but acted only after you were injured.”

The Captain nodded as he looked toward Hiroshi. “I know it, and now you know it, but Naruto gave him the name and thinks he lives up to it.”
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Naruto sat quietly at his marriage negotiations. The Haruno side had been easy. They had been jumping for joy that their daughter’s hand had been asked for by the Hokage, not that it was a guarantee they would have been that happy just a month prior. But now they were working on Naruto’s side.

As much as the council had been pressuring him to choose a bride, they now seemed determined to make sure said ride was worthy enough for the Rokudaime. After hours of the council interrogating the Haruno family, Naruto now knew about a hundred years of their history.

At one point, Naruto had noticed the slight panic in the eyes of his fiancé, and her mother, that the council was not going to accept the match. Naruto began to try and get Tsunade’s attention from across the room. Tsunade looked worriedly at the young Hokage, who kept clearing his throat as his face seemed to be having a weird seizure. Then he started rubbing his belly as his eyes darted back and forth between her and the pink-haired woman. Tsunade fought down the urge to panic as she thought Naruto was telling her something about Kyuubi or the seal. Then he started rounding his hands out from his stomach as he jerked his head at the girl.

Subtlety was not Naruto’s game and six pairs of eyes widened along with Tsunade’s. The questioning stopped abruptly as the council members started whispering to each other and the Haruno’s looked on with confusion. They had been too focused on the council to witness Naruto’s charade act.

Homura cleared his throat and addressed the Harunos. “We approve this match and would like the wedding to take place as soon as possible. Next week should be fine.”

Mother and daughter hugged each other as the Rokudaime paled. He might be married before Sasuke even came back, he didn’t think that would be the best way to break it to the Uchiha heir.

Sakura let go of her mom and glomped the dumbstruck Hokage. “We’re going to be married! Naruto, can you believe it? We’re going to be married!” she yelled excitedly as she clung to his neck.

Everyone but Tsunade watched the ‘happy’ couple with amusement. Tsunade was confused by the young man’s almost unnoticeable behavior. He had wanted this as long as she’d known him. So why did he look… trapped?

Naruto’s eyes grew wide and he gasped in shock as Sakura released him, only to be wrapped I her small mother’s embrace. Naruto was an affectionate person himself, but had hardly received affection from other people. “I’ve always wanted a son,” she squealed gleefully. “You have to call me Mom.”

Naruto awkwardly patted the top of her small red head, “Uh… Okay, M… Mom.”

“Honey, let the poor boy go,” Sakura’s dad chastised gently as he pulled his wife back. “He’s the Hokage for goodness sakes.”

“But he’s going to be my Son-in-law,” she whined slightly.

“Next week,” he grumbled, trying not to smile at his small wife’s antics.

“Next week!” she squealed loudly as she launched herself back at Sakura.

The two women giggled and squealed as they began rambling on about the preparations needed. Naruto back slowly up to the door and made an excuse to leave. Sakura’s dad looked up with knowing, almost envious, eyes as the young Hokage made his exit.

Naruto opened the door to his apartment and froze when he felt a familiar chakara signature. Sasuke! What was Sasuke doing here? He wasn’t due back until next week! Naruto fought the urge to run back out the way he came, he didn’t know what to tell him yet. He steeled his resolve, after calling himself a coward, and headed down the hall, he was going to have to do this sooner or later.

Naruto walked into the room looking for his lover. “Sasuke?” he called into the dark room. He looked around and his brow creased. What was Sasuke doing? He knew his was in here.

Naruto tried not jump as two arms wrapped around his waist and a warm body fit onto his back. Sasuke began kissing the column of his neck and Naruto’s breath hissed in as Sasuke’s tongue left a wet trail to the other side.

“Sas…” Naruto tried. Sasuke gently bit his earlobe and moved his hand down to rub Naruto’s rapidly growing erection. “Wait… Sasuke, ahhh,” he moaned as Sasuke ground his own erection onto his backside. Gods how he had missed this man’s touch. Sasuke’s hands moved to the band of his pants and began to push them down. “Wait!” Naruto yelled, jumping from in-between the pale arms and turning to face him in the dark. “We need to talk.”

“But I haven’t been with you in a week,” Sasuke growled in the darkness.

“Seriously, wait,” Naruto bit out in frustration. He held out a hand to emphasize his point. “I have too…”

Sasuke’s hand snaked out of the dark and pulled the startled man to him. Naruto gasped as Sasuke pulled him flush, to what he could now tell, was his naked body. “You just have to be quiet,” Sasuke purred as he backed Naruto up to lie on the bed.

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A/N:
I know, I'm being evil again. It's wasn't the original plan but this is where the break fell. I will have the next chapter up much quicker than this one.
Please review and let me know you are still reading!