I Don't Think You Understand

Much as I hate to say this...the end of this fic is drawing near. You've all been so wonderful, and I'm glad the lemon was good for you :-). I was very worried while writing it (while simultaneously wishing I could take a cold shower) and I'm very happy that it met expectations.

Here is the part where I hope to surprise the hell out of you all. Enjoy.

I do not own Naruto, which kinda sucks, because I think a ninja might be able to help me avoid my organic chem final tomorrow (or later today, whichever is more accurate).

***||***

The figure crouched on the roof, content with watching the recently united (in more ways than one) pair drift off to well-deserved dreamland. Blushing after becoming certain of the two being asleep (I mean, they didn’t even separate...), fingers whirled into a complex series of seals, and the transportation jutsu swept the person to a very familiar living room.

“Sakura-chan! You’re back!” Smiling at Naruto’s greeting, Sakura embraced him and gave him a chaste kiss on the cheek.

“It’s good to be back, Naruto.” She looked around. “Where’s Sasuke?”

“Bathroom.” Naruto busied himself in the kitchen, getting the pink-haired medico-nin a cup of tea and a plate of mochi. Bringing the items to her, he was rewarded with a smile and another cheek kiss. “So, what happened out there?”

Just then, the slight creak of the bathroom door opening caught their attention, and Sasuke walked into the living room, clad only in his pants and hitae-ate. “Starting without me?”
“Of course not,” Sakura and Naruto chorused in unison. Sakura hastened to add, “we were waiting for you to get out of the bathroom.”
“You always take so long in the bathroom, Sasuke-teme,” Naruto said cheerily. “What do you do in there, anyway?”

Sasuke just smirked evilly. “Same thing you do in there, dobe.”

Naruto raised an eyebrow and smirked right back. “I don’t think it takes that long to pee, bastard.”

“Boys,” Sakura jumped in, frowning a little. “Were you doing something before I came in?”
“No,” Sasuke muttered, looking as if he was ready to start sulking.

“If you can call him pouncing on me and trying to rip my shirt off ‘doing something,’ Sakura-chan,” Naruto said casually, straightening said shirt a little.

Sakura pouted, but got over it quickly. “Doesn’t matter at the moment,” she said, getting into her mission mode. “You ready to hear what happened or not?”

Sasuke situated himself in one of Naruto’s recliners, and Sakura and Naruto sat on the couch. “Go ahead,” Sasuke said lazily.

Placing the mochi plate on the small table in front of the couch, Sakura sipped her tea and began. “It was just like you said would happen, Sasuke,” she said cheerfully. “Looks like he put the information right to use.”

Naruto shook his head. “How you got that Kakashi might want Iruka-nii still puzzles me, Sasuke-teme,” he said. “I mean, you looked at how Kakashi looked at Iruka-nii that one time he was late, and you just knew?”

Sasuke sighed. “Look, I can’t explain it very clearly myself, dobe,” he replied. “Iruka-san was critiquing my attacks, and then Kakashi showed up late, as usual. As soon as Iruka-san called Kakashi out, I knew that Kakashi would be intrigued by it.”

“I completely forgot that Iruka-nii had that creepy ability,” Naruto said, grinning a little. “Man, I never was able to pull a prank on him without him sensing me out. Out of anyone I know, he’s the most sensitive to chakra. I guess that comes with being a teacher?”

“Probably does,” Sakura said, picking up a mochi and biting into it. “He’s really good at controlling his own, too. I think that if he finishes traning as a medico-nin, he could actually be as powerful as Shizune-san.”

“Teaching requirement,” Sasuke said absently, picking off a piece of lint from his pants. “They have to have very good control of their chakra if they’re going to teach it--”

“--which is where I got the idea to train him as a medico-nin from,” Sakura finished.

“Yeah, you both did great,” Naruto said, smiling a little wider. He got up to find a cup and poured himself some of the tea. “I still think the best part was where I was watching Kakashi watch Iruka getting felt up by Sakura-chan.”

Sakura blushed, and managed to finish chewing before the mochi’s gooeyness could choke her on its way down. “It wasn’t something I thought I’d be doing,” she said defensively. “I mean, how was I to know he was built that--” She cut herself off.

“That what?” Naruto leaned down to look into Sakura’s averted face. “Come on, saaaaaay it.” She shook her head. “Come on, you can do it!” Another head shake.

With a shrug Naruto declared, “fine, I’ll say it. He’s got a sexy build on him.”

Sakura, without looking, punched Naruto lightly on the shoulder...which is to say that instead of being flung into the far away wall, he only got propelled to the end of the couch.

“Moron,” Sasuke said without any real heat. “You better not have been looking too close at him.”
“Eww!” Naruto protested, screwing his face up. “He’s like my brother! That’s just disgusting!”

They all sighed, eating and drinking and picking lint off of cloth, until Sasuke broke the silence. “It was your bright idea to do those scrolls, Naruto.”

“Yeah, it was, wasn’t it?” Naruto beamed. “I wouldn’t have done it if you hadn’t told me about the possibility of hooking Kakashi up with Iruka-nii, though.”
“How did you know the scrolls would work anyway, Naruto?” Sakura asked. “I mean, wouldn’t he have been more suspicious about who was sending the things?”

“Well, yeah, but he didn’t recognize my handwriting,” Naruto replied, smiling peacefully. “As for his trying to find out who sent them...that’s why we alternated. You and Sasuke are really good at hiding your chakra, and I can ask a frog to do it for me, so there wouldn’t be any clues that he could have followed save for scent--”

“But he never called in his nin-dogs,” Sasuke said quietly. “So he couldn’t guess. Besides, it’s not as if we booby-trapped the things; he wouldn’t have to suspect whoever he thought was sending them of trying to kill him. Therefore, there was no problem.”

“I’m just glad it worked out,” Sakura said softly. “They both deserved to be happy.”

Naruto got up, walked over to Sasuke, picked him up and sat back down on the couch, arranging Sasuke to one side of him and pulled Sakura up against him on the other. “If Kakashi and Iruka like each other as much as I like you two, then I think they’ll be very happy.”

“Yeah, that and on time, with some luck,” Sasuke muttered, making himself more comfortable against Naruto’s side as Sakura gave them both kisses.

***||***

The Contents of the Scroll:

To Hatake Kakashi--

You may be wondering why these scrolls were sent to you. The reasons are simple, and it is hoped that you will understand them as we lay them out to you.

The packet you undoubtedly found inside this scroll is filled with oil. Don’t lose it; you’ll need it for later. Even more important is the diagram also enclosed inside; it will be vital to your continued relationship to Umino Iruka.

We don’t think you understand something about life and sacrifice. You were never meant to live alone, and before you say that you’re never alone because people are always around, cut the bullshit. It is easy to be alone in a crowd. We are all familiar with that.

It may not have been known that you had next to no practical experience in a relationship, physical or otherwise, and that is the main reason that we decided to send these scrolls to you. We wanted to make sure you gained the knowledge you needed to succeed in a partnership with someone because Iruka is precious, and though you may not have thought about it at the time, had you gone on in the manner you were going in, you would not have gained Iruka’s companionship.

Iruka is a good person and a good friend. He sees what others cannot, and for a while, we thought he saw something in you, and your tailing him made that bit of fascination grow. Your interest in him was welcome because we hoped it would draw him out of his shell and encourage him to be loved as well as love.

We knew that as soon as you started thinking about the situation you wouldn’t leave it alone until you had explored every possibility. That’s another one of the reasons these were sent to you; why shouldn’t you enjoy what life has to offer? You certainly have earned it.

We hope that you will be as happy in your relationship as we are in ours.

Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura.

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I have to thank Lanier for pointing out a few typos for me. In case you have been wondering, they are now fixed, and I thank you again.

Scroll-wise...I hope you never have to imagine me sitting in front of my computer, cackling with glee as I read your guesses about who was sending the scrolls. i found it scary, and I was the one doing it! It was just something that popped into my head as being a plot device, since Naruto and Sasuke are two of my favorite Naruto characters (oddly enough, my absolute favorite character is a tie between Jiraiya and Tsunade). Have I shocked anyone? I hope so! I try to be as out-of-left-field as I can.

Heh. Now you may also have a better idea as to why Kakashi didn't really tell Iruka more about what the scroll said. How much do you think he'd enjoy hearing his former students (and adoptive younger brother) encouraging his sex life?

...before I sign off for the evening, let me reassure people on one thing; the cranberry sauce I had left over from Thanksgiving is still sealed in a can, and has not been opened. No potential getting sick, I promise.