Conditional

Conditional

By Inuzuka

Premise: Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto have been apart for four years. They haven't seen each other in four years. Sasuke's betrayed his country, alienating all who treasured him, and Naruto has won it over, befriending all who alienated him. Sasuke, who feels no self-worth, and feels he has no one is allowing his amnesty to give him one last chance to give his life meaning, all his goals fulfilled. Naruto is in turmoil...why is he worried for the one who left him? Why is he glad the one who wished to kill him is back?

Archived: Only on aff.net as of 1.24.06.

Rating: NC-17 for later graphic sexual content, plus mentions of suicide, violence, and overall things requiring maturity.

Pairings: This focuses on the relationship between one Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto. But since they were very much made by their surroundings, I can't avoid other people, and how they view them. There are blatant references to other relationships, but they don't play that large a port in the story.

Feedback: Reviews, please!

Characters: The majority of the Naruto cast.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the rights to anything to do with Masashi Kishimoto's Naruto, and claim no ownership over any of it's trademarks.

Chapter 3: Climate

A cocoon. All protecting from the evils of light and sound. If any of the things it protected against was brought to an extreme, it failed, but it's other weakness was much easier to exploit. The cocoon protected from light, and sound...it didn't protect you from falling on the floor.

Such was Uzumaki Naruto's morning, as he rolled off the couch and squirmed free of the tightly wrapped blanket. He kept his eyes closed for a moment, red plaid-patterned boxers and loose, black shirt slightly sticking from sweat, sitting in the heavily contrasting lights of his apartment, the fire country's heat and the necessity of layers working together to make Naruto want to go back to sleep.

Mph...pillow. But there was no wonderful pillow today. Naruto pondered this a moment, laying back down, never opening his eyes. This wood is actually pretty comfortable...but as his mind woke up, his eyes shot open, and he shot up. Sasuke...he's here. In my bed. "Can I play?" What the hell are you doing up? "Asking to play, apparantly." Ah. But no. Go back to sleep. He shook his head a little bit, and stood up, jumping a little bit when he glanced over to the balcony door, to see Sasuke looking at him silently.

Said boy glanced around the room, hoping to find something to distract him. He hated depending on someone else like this (burdening someone else like this), but it was either here, close to Naruto, with food and shelter...or back to the street. With that damn clown, probably. Not his hardest decision.

"...mornin'. " Naruto rubbed his eyes, and walked over, pushing the door open the rest of the way, and looking up at the blue sky. It must've been around 1 in the afternoon, and it was positively blazing. The streets of Konoha were bare today, people only on them to go back inside. Even Naruto had been able to spring for an air conditioner. In my room. He glanced enviously at Sasuke, taking him in. He noticed how worn he looked, his porcelain skin marred with scratches, dirt under his nails, light rings under his eyes...his hair sticking up all over the place. "I take it you didn't bring gel?", he said as he laughed at the boy.

"Shut up..." You try going from Oto to Konoha in bush. "I'll take that as permission to use your shower?"

"Yeah, sure." Naruto eyed a battered journal on the small table, but he could sense the sealing jutsus from where he stood. Bit protective. "All the towels are clean, there's a hamper in the corner." Sasuke went past him.

Naruto stayed out on the balcony, stretching his legs. Not like it'd take him that long to find anything in there. The building was in the shade right now, and it was peaceful. Sweltering, but otherwise nice. He was watching some people pass by on the street when Sasuke popped his back through the door.

"Erm..." Sasuke coughed. "Have any extra bars of soap?" Naruto gave him a look.

"Just use mine. It's soap." Another look, this one mutual.

"Fine, fine." Sasuke retreated back into the house, and Naruto went back to his observations. Was Sasuke blushing? He turned around in order to see a silver haired nin land perched on his wooden railing.

"You know, most people use the door. Especially in the morning."

"It's the afternoon, Naruto."

"...yeah. So it is."

They looked at each other for a moment, before Naruto turned back to the town. His sweat-wet hair was matted down a little, but on the 7th floor, the occasional breezes made it so much more bearable. He squinted, the strong sun glaring off the buildings in front of him. He stretched his back out, balancing on the fronts of his feet, his hands on the railing, when the broom-head's one visible eye crinkled. "So, a ninja only getting up at 2pm, huh? Had that much fun last night?"

"Sh-shut up." His face reddened, and he looked away from him. "Not everyone's perverted as you, sensei."

"So...he's here, then?" Kakashi didn't bother to say the name.

The sound of running water met their ears. "Yeah, he is."

"Ah." It wasn't that Hatake Kakashi expected Naruto to say something. He just had nowhere else to be. Why am I here? I could've just sent one of my genins... "I suppose talking to him is..."

Naruto looked at him. "He's in the shower. You could try, if you wanted." And he probably wants to. Naruto grinned, but he was a bit edgy to let Kakashi near the boy. The last the silver-haired nin had spoke of him had been discussing assasination tactics. "He doesn't understand the nature of demons." And that's why he's not getting near Sasuke right now. "So, what'd you want...sensei?"

"News from the hokage."

"I'll pass it on to him." He could sense that the older man wanted to lecture the ex-nukenin, and he wasn't about to let him. If worse got to worse, he thought he could take Kakashi in a fight. I'll find out. His eyes flickered red in warning, the kyuubi feeling a bit territorial...he wasn't taking full-control, but Naruto was too tired to care, anyways. He always had trouble controlling the brash fox when he first got up.

Kakashi looked his former student in the eye. When he had commanded Naruto on missions, he'd found out about the boy's relationship with the kyuubi. He hated how carefree his student could be about letting the demon take control of his body, but how would you tell someone that? "You're cute when you're being posessive."

"Cute?" The blond sputtered. "I'm not cute! And you're not talking to him."

Kakashi sighed. "I'm not going to lecture him. I just want to-"

"-then it will wait. What did you have to say?"

Another sigh broke the still, hot air. Kakashi looked up at the blue sky, wishing his student's eyes could hold that colour long enough so he could speak to the Uchiha. "Sixteen o'clock, at the hokage tower. Tsunade-sama wants to discuss the Uchiha estate." He didn't like the looks his student was giving him, but he wasn't surprised either. He chuckled, now that the malicious chakra wasn't screaming at every scrap of logic he owned to run. "By the way...Naruto-kun." He straightened up.

"What?"

"You're too cute to be threatening. Ja ne." With a smiling eye, the jonin was gone.

"I'm not-" Naruto shook his head. It had been an odd encounter overall. Why had he let the kyuubi act so easily? Sasuke's not mine. He stood out on the balcony a bit longer, before walking back inside.

—~~~~—

Sasuke put his head back, and let the water run over him, eying the now-tainted liquid as it hit the floor. Taint...my presence in a nutshell. In the last 4 years, he killed many innocents as part of the snake-bastard's training. Manda had even commended him one time on his surgical precision, the way he didn't waste movement. "Praised by those who writhe on the ground." Something like that. Were those Kabuto's last words to me?

He picked up the bar of soap lying in the corner. Why had this bothered me? Somewhere in Sasuke's mind, he believed it was inevitable Naruto find and be repulsed by the taint he carried. This body was used by Orochimaru. He washed from top to bottom, and let the suds rinse off, fingers grazing the small scars around his neck. He claimed me. No tears would come when he thought of it, and that made it worse. I accepted it. His heart ached, and he chuckled, softly at what he saw as petty thoughts, as he lathered his hair.

His mind was silent as he rubbed the shampoo in, massaging his scalp, and then let it rinse out, the suds going down his body and into the drain. Konoha summer sunlight filtered in through a high window, and the water shined, every scratch, scar, and blemish apparant to him, and the shower-grime on the glass door of the bathroom darkening the walls.

He rain fingers through his hair, pulling roughly, hoping to get tears that came so easily all those years ago, when his brother (my demon) started all of this. I'm as dead as him...even his brother no longer brought a reaction in him. Everything he had ever loved, everything that connected him to this world had betrayed him, disgusted him, and worn him out. Except for my dobe. His eyes shone a bit, now. He was never mine. He was my friend, and I want to string my life on a friendship?

He snorted, and reached over to turn off the water, the old fashioned brass knob requiring effort to turn. He stepped out, and pulled a fluffy, white towel off of the dark wooden bar attached to the wall, drying his hair before scrubbing his body. He peered out the door, noticing Naruto was still on the balcony, and threw the towel along with his garments in the proffered hamper, walking to his right into the bedroom, reaching into his bag. As he dressed, he looked around the room. A decently sized bed, a shelf, a chest, and a vertical dresser made up the furniture.

From behind the dresser, in the far left corner of the room, straight in front of the door, came voices. He walked closer, and peered slightly out the half-blocked door, noticing it opened onto the balcony.

"...not cute! And you're not talking to him." He heard Naruto snap. ...snap? Cute? What the hell...?

"I'm not going to lecture him. I just want to-" The deeper voice proclaimed. Kakashi-sensei? What's he doing here...?

"-then it will wait. What did you have to say?"

Sasuke finished getting dressed, and began to walk out to where the two were, but by the time he got there, Kakashi was gone, and Naruto nearly knocked him over as he walked back into the apartment.

I wonder if he heard all that? "Hey...um, you hungry?" Naruto glanced over at Sasuke. He could smell his shampoo from here, the Uchiha's hair still damp, and his skin flushed from showering in this heat. He mentally groaned, and made a point to calmly walk past Sasuke so his back was facing him. Boxers were not the ideal clothing for this...

"Yeah, actually." Any questions of Kakashi were driven out when he noticed Naruto squirm and scurry past, looking at him. He's standing there in boxers, sweating, and scurrying past me?

Naruto grinned over his shoulder. At least I'm not blushing. "We could go to ichiraku's..."

"Or we could eat actual food. No wonder you're so scrawny." Sasuke took in the blush on the whiskered face. The marks were more defined now, outlining his face, and contrasting with the rich gold of his hair, which was sticking to his face slightly, his lips seemed moist, welcoming...Shit, shit! I'm staring!

"Bah. Gimme a few." Naruto went into the bathroom, and closed the door, putting the shower on to a nice cool temperature. Scrawny? "You do rely on me a bit too much. Maybe that's what gave him the Sakura idea?" Oh, shut the hell up, fox.

—~~~~—

"This makes me wonder. Why don't you just keep food in your house?" They'd gone out to a decent restaraunt, and were sitting at a booth in the middle of the row against the windows. It'd been a comfortable silence until Sasuke spoke.

"Hah. Just because you're staying there doesn't mean I'm going to cook for you. 'Stoo hot for that." He said, picking up a piece of chicken, a small grin on his face.

"You cook?" Sasuke winced, recalling 8 or so years of TV dinners and instant foods. The one good thing about the snake's place...

"Yes, I cook. What'd you think I did, ate ramen and TV dinners as soon as I was on my own? Hell no."

"Well..." It wasn't that bad...

"On that subject, you converse? I swear, you've said more in the past 24 hours to me than you had in the past 10 years." He looked away, guiltily, instantly regretting bringing it up.

"Hn. I just..." I don't want my life to be revenge, and struggling, anymore, Naruto. I'm tired of it...of denying anything I want. He shrugged. "Should I stop then?"

"Ah? No, no! I'm not complaining!" An awkward silence fell over the two, as they fidgeted. "Oh, yeah. Around 4, we need to head up the hokage tower. Tsunade wanted to speak to you."

"Ah...all right. Say, Naruto..." He paused, glancing at his plate. "When did...my house get taken down?"

"About a year ago. They let it sit there for a long time, but...since noone bought it when they put it up, and it's location was good, they tore it down. Freed up an entire block, so noone really minded."

"Oh...do you know if they kept any of the stuff in there?" I didn't take any pictures with me...

"Sorry, man. Most of it was looted from what I saw...but...what wasn't is probably what the hag wants to talk to you about." He paused. "By the way...you do know Konoha has a policy against letting people stay homeless, right? It's illegal."

"What?!?"

"Why didn't you go back and say something?" Naruto peered over at the onyx-eyed boy across from him. Not that I mind... "They have apartments for that sort of thing. They're crappy, but they're better than the ground. Still can't believe you wanted to sleep outside the pachinko parlor." Though that might be better than those heaps...

"Sh-shut up..." He looked away, and muttered. "...it was comfortable..." That was bad. Sasuke was embarassed now. I can't tell him I was waiting to see him. The hope he might accept me...that we could have something more...it's better than nothing. Uchihas were a stubborn family, and he was no exception. Perfectly prepared to sit on his infatuation for all eternity, Sasuke quieted.

Naruto raised an eyebrow, but didn't press it. Sasuke sat with his forearms against the table, picking at his food, shoulders hunched up, looking out the window. The blond almost hoped he didn't get his own place. If he does...I'll find an excuse to avoid him. They never got along all that well when they were in Konoha...but when they were out on missions, forced together, they did. When they depended on each other for anything, they were fine. If I depend on him...and then he leaves again...

I don't know if I can take that a second time...if I can trust him...

—~~~~—

Tsunade looked up as one Uchiha Sasuke walked in, precisely on time, the thump of Naruto leaning against the wall outside bringing her eyes up. The two of them had finished their meal at about 3:30, and walked slowly up, across the town, to hokage tower. The somber mood that had seemed to plague them kept them both in a hush, and the summer heat had removed any possible temptation left over to converse.

"Naruto, come in, you're going to listen to the whole thing, anyways." Tsunade ordered before Sasuke could close the doors behind him.

The two stood in front of the hokage, Sasuke near her, hands firmly in pockets, Naruto a little bit behind, fidgeting. "As you may well know Uchiha, nukenins are rarely allowed back into their village. Most of your things were auctioned off."

Sasuke nodded, not changing his expression.

"However," She said after a moment. "As we do know a large sum was recovered from the Uchiha's safes, and left out possessions, Konoha is prepared to offer you a small payment, for basic necessities. I assume you have...otherwise accomodations," She glanced at Naruto, who narrowed his eyes at her. "...so I won't bother giving you a room at the housing project."

"However, as the only reason to accept you back was for rehabilitation." Sasuke's eye twitched a bit at that. I'm broken, now? "As you're still a genin," —another twitch— "you're not going to be getting many missions that would solve your...economic troubles. So, tomorrow, we plan to see how far your skills have progressed, and based on that, we'll see your advancement."

"And if I don't get promoted?" He asked flatly.

"I'm sure you'd make a fine janitor, Uchiha. Frankly, it doesn't concern me." Naruto gave her a bit of a look. "You're obligated to let us see your abilities, in any case. Understood? All right, you're dismissed."

The two left the room, and walked down the hall. "Sasuke...I'm not going to kick you out on your ass, you're welcome to stay, so..." He took a breath. "Are you even sure you want to become a nin again, despite the money?"

"I...really haven't given it any thought..." I've always been shinobi. "But there's not many other options." He noticed Naruto's look. "Even if you claim to not mind me...mooching...it's not like I have many hobbies, you know."

Naruto was silent for a moment, before he laughed. "I think that's great."

"That I'm being a nin again?"

"No, that I made jonin before Uchiha Sasuke managed to pass the chuunin exam."

"You're jonin?" He smirked, and made for the desk, but Naruto grabbed his arm.

"You...don't have to take that...their charity. I've seen Konoha's budget...it isn't going to be much. " Naruto looked the other way. "I don't mind...putting up with you." They went through the doors, and out onto the street.

"Uh, Naruto? You can let go of my arm now, dobe." It's not that he minded the contact. He just minded being dragged down the street.

"Uh, y-yeah."

A silence. "Thanks for talking to Kakashi, by the way...I think. I doubt he had anything good to say about my..." He coughed, not knowing how to finish the sentence. Why is this so embarassing?

"I don't think he'd be that bad...I just overreacted..."

"Getting territorial over me, dobe?" An uneasy chuckle escaped his lips, and he looked as Naruto turned to face him, slightly blushing, a bewildered expression in his blue eyes.

"N-no! I, um..."

"Naruto-chan's getting territorial over the traitor? I'm jealous." Fuck. Naruto thought. Sai.

Sasuke turned to the voice behind him, noticing the smug grin, exposing shirt, raven hair, and tight pants. His fists clenched, but his glare didn't seem to affect the boy before him.

"The traitor's angry. Well, then." Sai opened his eyes and seemed to size Sasuke up. "Ja ne, Naruto-chan." He looked Sasuke in the face with open eyes. "Traitor-chan." Naruto made an odd squeak.

Sasuke's eye twitched. "Who the hell was that?"

Naruto made the squeak again, and Sasuke stared at him for a moment, confused. He's blushing...? Oh...come ON.

"Did he just...?"

"Uhm. That's...Sai. He's...an asshole, yeah. He, er...replaced you for a while. He's a freak, I'm serious. He has this obsession with my dick, and—" he noticed the blanched look on Sasuke's face, and stopped himself. "—but that's the first time's he's gotten..." Naruto was red now, and Sasuke wondered if that kind of blood rush could do permanent damage. The squeak came again. "...handsy."

"That guy needs his ass kicked."

"Sakura's already broken his jaw 4 times. He just doesn't stop. I've given up..."

Sasuke pondered how much the pink haired girl had changed. Sai wasn't ugly...he kind of reminds me...of me. Not that I can be that bad... But...could Sasuke hope for the permanent loss of his fan club? Could he dream?

"So, Sasuke." Naruto coughed, the blush gone, replaced by a grin clearly inspired by his burden. "Getting territorial over me, eh, teme?"

Sasuke grumbled, earning a laugh from the blond boy. The street was empty, and the heat oppressive. The sun was setting, and the clouds looked like an act of god; vengeful, beautiful. They walked past a pizza shop, the delicious smell wafting by in the hot air, a game playing on the TV. They both glanced over as it flickered off, the power dying, and kept walking, deciding quietly to ignore the apartment for now, despite cracks of thunder in the east.

"You have that look." Naruto finally broke the silence. "What's wrong?"

The sound of their footsteps changed as they began walking over a short, flat bridge over a stream.

That look...? "Hn. Nothing."

A fox grin placed itself firmly on Naruto's face. "Nothing the matter, then? Great, than you can sleep out here."

"Ah." He considered that a moment. "Am I like Sai?"

"Well, you're both smug bastards, is that what you mean?"

"..."

"But other than that, and the black hair, it pretty much ends. He's a pretty-boy, but not compared to you." Naruto's eyes widened.

Pretty? Why always "pretty?!?"

"Uhm, not that you're pretty or anything! Handsome, maybe. But, uh..."

"Ha. If I'm pretty, then you're cute when you're flustered," and Naruto turned a bit pink.

"T-teme! I'm not cute!" He huffed, before looking down at the stream below them, the water looking far cooler than the stifling air.

It sparkled, and a grin emerged, and before the Uchiha could avoid it, he was pushed over the low railing, into the deep water. Naruto grinned happily, watching as the sun set down stream, reflecting off the gently moving water.

Sasuke emerged again, the rooster tail weakened, but not defeated. His bangs clung to the side of his face, and he pulled himself up to sit on the surface of the water, coughing. He gave the other boy a glare, before deciding he felt a lot better know. "See what I mean? You're being cute." He smirked, and pulled off his sandals, and threw them up on the bridge, as Naruto did the same.

Naruto laughed, swam a little downstream, towards the bridge. "So what? Don't complain, it's nice in here."

I never said it was a bad thing... "It's all right..." He dropped down from his "seat," and looked over at the blond boy, who was being carried over to him, his blonde hair matted down. He looked into the brilliant blue eyes as Sasuke turned to face him. He sighed. "I haven't swam for years. The snake was hydrophobic. I've missed it..."

They stayed silent for a moment, watching the sun set.

"...why didn't you come back sooner?" His voice was barely a whisper.

"...I couldn't..." I regret it...

Another silence.

Naruto took a bit of a breath. "I missed you, too..."

Sasuke looked him in the eyes, moist pink lips slightly parted on the porcelain flesh. His onyx eyes were darker than usual, his bangs sticking to his face, Naruto blinked, blazing blue with foxish edges, his tanned skin showing a face more defined with his hair down, the hitai-ate left at home. His whisker-marks reflected in the water below as the two faced each other, an inch apart. They looked each other in the eyes. blue dulled by uncertainty, black enrichened with confusion. Sasuke turned his head to the side a bit, and the blond didn't move.

"Uzumaki!" A voice called from the bridge above, an unknown ANBU member. "You're needed, come with me!"

—~~~~—

TBC

Author's Notes: This chapter was hard to write, to say the least. I really had to worry about plot progression for the first time in...ever. I knew I needed to establish some more background, and mostly, have them spend some actual time together to establish they were still good friends, but also get into their thoughts, show there's sexual tension (they're like 17 and the only sex they've ever had was the result of scarring abuse (Naruto's childhood intrigues me...I wish Mishimoto would develop it more...), and they actually care for each other outside of any love (so there can't be any moral thing getting in the way). I can't help but feel it was boring, and I'm sorry for that. I feel bad about being tempted to rush sex just because it's more interesting than "they were mopey so they walked in silence to find out Uchiha was a hobo now."

Oh, and yeah. Cliche way to stall sexing and advance plot, but hey. Ninja are masters of combat and such situations. Social timing can't be taught, right?

I feel I can't make their day dynamic...I struggled. I couldn't have massive amounts of conversation, and I couldn't have constant, interesting situations. When they're together they don't have time to angst in their thoughts, and I don't know how to drive that point home without making myself all depressed, and perhaps insulting some of you guys. But the good thing is, because I established all that, the story can actually have a plot, now! I'm not going to promise anything, and we'll just leave it at that. Mostly, I'm trying to remain grounded in reality...and it's hard to make "romantic" moments in reality, where they might actually give in and just... do something. They can't avoid it forever. It would've been easier to have them kiss in an earlier, more passionate moment, have smut there, and then have things be awkward, as they're pulled apart, but then it would just be angst angst angst SEX angst angst angst SEX. Not that it's a bad pattern, but...

Also, not that it will affect anything significant, but I'm running out of chapter names. If you didn't notice, the chapters have been named after conditions (hence, conditional) a nin (or, actually, any camper) would need to consider when surviving in unknown territories, (as well as having some allusion to the story), any ideas would be appreciated.

mE - Curious...why do people always want Naruto to be the bitch? I'm a uke Naru fan, too, but come on, people! It's SasUKE (though, you watch, his name will turn out to mean "not submissive, ever, you horny bastards.") But seriously, I haven't decided. I think the situation will be flexible enough that a little fanservice won't hurt (because if I was writing this without publishing it, it would probably end up non-smut, lots of angst, bits of pining, and very introspective Naruto, very cynical Sasuke...or the first chapter the way it is then constant smut).

Mija - The way I see it is Naruto has shown two modes in his youth: won't shut up, and bitter silence. This changes, but bitter silence always tends to leave him a lot more emotionally open. And I have the image in my head, too. I'd do a work of it but Naruto is so goddamn hard to draw. I can do Uchiha okay, but...gah. Damn dobe. I'm glad I satiated your fix...I know that's why I started writing this, myself. :)

Nathaniel - I think it was because I tried to overly trim down the first chapter, that I wanted it to look...I don't know, professional. Mainly the thing is that repeatedly saying the names bothers me. Using their "other" names, that I've read countless times — "the blond," "the raven-haired boy," "the kyuubi holder," "the onyx-eyed boy," etc — helps, but...mm. Thoroughly reading my own writing, as I did more-so with chapter two, helps.

losthimagain - NaruGaaNaru is actually my favourite pairing. But we get so little Gaara, and what we do get, he changes so drastically! I'm thinking of doing one eventually...but my next pairing will probably be heterosexual...though it'll be hard, because I like to psychoanalyze characters, and, well. Woman make no sense. :p

Kurama Crazy, claire - Flat out flattery. :D I appreciate it more than I'd like to admit.

Zane - Heh, maybe. The entire idea of Kankuro not being in Suna was so I could use him and Kiba (Inuzukas are just plain awesome, hence them being my name sake) was so I could easily use him in Konoha. The funny thing about me pairing Kiba and Kankuro together is that I only did it because of a KibaKank fic I read, "Rainstorms" by Anji Michalski /www.adult-fanfiction.orgaff/story.php?no=544205518> (where Kank is visiting Konoha, so I'd like to think they're in continuity, though the rest of them by that author I wouldn't say as much...they're kind of crack-ficcish, so the comedy outweighs the characterization). I see Kiba and Kankuro as heterosexual, both of them, and the only other type of pairing I might consider writing a multi-chapter fic on'd be Kiba and a female nin.

Emmy - You don't know the grin that put on my face. As for the kyuubi...I love the kyuubi. He's awesome. So much potential. He wasn't around much in this chapter (or at least it seems that way because I've been struggling with the last few scenes where he's just not there, and I'm replying to these before I read the entire thing through), but I do plan to use him a lot in the future. Oh, and yes, you can indeed say sexual tension.

HydeCrazy - If you thought I was evil last time, then...*grins* I had written a version where they kissed, and THEN got interrupted. By Kakashi, telling them to "No, don't mind me. Keep going." And then saying something evil, but what he'd tell them in that moment will be saved for next chapter. I didn't do that because I realized I didn't want to end on that sort of light note, by the way. Why? Because I'm a bastard, of course. ;)

BballAnimeLover89 - Do you? For me, I think the time jump is just begging for fan fiction, especially since they're doing lame, crappy anime episodes rather than just admitting that Kishimoto's dialogues and scenarios are a hell of a lot better, they're degrading themselves and the anime, and just moving on. I, personally, read the manga, too, but there's still so much that's just begging for fanfics.

SplitPersona - I actually read your review when I was thinking "how do I make this walk interesting?," so much thanks there. I don't think Sai and Uchiha are that much similair...Sai's actively an asshole in an awesome way, Sasuke was more of an asshole to Naruto just because he liked to see him bothered, and then just an ice-bitch to everyone else. Or at least I saw it that way.

Kabuto, he was awesome. He's always been a surprise type character. I do kind of wonder a bit why that guy from sound was able to make him vomit in the chuunin exams...but I guess he's either a really good actor, or he just really didn't want to break character. Mm...I wish Gaara hadn't killed him...Dosu or something. As for Sasuke...I was kind of surprised that he came to be the focus point of the story, but it really points out that the two are more than friends.

Oranis - Yeah, same here. I feel bad about having left generic reviews in the past for stories I enjoyed, and it's not something I plan to do again. There's a few fics that I can think of that definitely caught the atmosphere I'm semi-going for far better than I could (such as one that I can't remember the name of involving Naruto losing to the kyuubi...very good read, wish it was added to), and I kind of can't let myself agree with you because feeling terribly confident about my writing always hurts it.

I am tempted to go all Whedon on y'all and have Naruto die a horrible death, but then again, I'm not that mean. (Or am I?) But I think the two being together, and their reactions are more interesting than the crushing depression of death...especially since, at this point, Sasuke would probably kill himself if Naruto died (at this point, I said), and Naruto has already been waiting 4 years. Another fic that should update (though it's one of the old-yeller competitions you spoke of) had a very awesome rendition of his reaction. I need to bookmark fics more often...the one where the nobles want to off him, cage, seals, whatnot? Amnesia, cliff? Fried baddies? That one, yeah...

BTW, I'm trying to find a good Hellsing torrent, actually, the one I'm using right now (10%) is taking way too long for a 2GB file. I'm refraining from reading your fic until I've seen the series...everyone who has seen it has raved about it, though. I know it involves vampires, and zombies, and an odd gun, and some woman getting shot through...but that's really it. Kind of sad to watch an anime because of fanfiction, but...zombies, man! Zombies! If my initial thoughts of it are true—that it's not the...standard crossover then I'm definitely be hitting that up soon. ;)

Billy - I definitely agree. I hope, hope I'll be able to create scenes that fit a certain mood...but we'll see.