Surival Training, Team Work Skills

Chapter Five

Disclaimer: Naruto and related characters or ideas are not mine.
Note: I am SOOO *a thousand times* sorry for the delay on this chapter. It's been like..a MONTH! I got a really bad writters block, then when I finally came out I had to study like mad for the exams. I swore I was going to fail History and Science. Still might have. Please don't kill me! *whimpers* I will try my very best to get this going again!

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The moon had risen high in the sky, casting a silver glow upon the running water that flowed through their small encampment. Several weeks had already passed and still the pair remained in the wild together. They had definatly learned well how to live and survive on their own. And their bond had strengthened enormously over the time they had spent together. But still it seemed they could not cease their argueing. It was not in either of their nature. Both had realised it probably would never happen. Besides, argueing was healthy in a relationship.

Sasuke sat alone in the tall branches of a tree, as close to the top as he could manage. He sat under the inky sky and starred at the beauty of the moon, his thoughts on the blonde beneath him. Who was no doubt curled up in the tiny bedding they had, snoring and drooling while dreaming whatever it was the fox kid dreampt. The Uchiha sighed deeply, his eyes flickering down to the tent tops. Sure he loved Naruto. He had never told him that out right. Just that he had a crush. Same as Naruto had to him. He knew it had progressively gotten more serious. Especially now that they were both willing. But once they returned the village, how could they really show their affection. Sasuke had a reputation to withhold. Naruto he knew would never care. That is until he was attacked by a mob of fuming fan girls.

The raven haired by dropped his chin into his hands as he stared out at the stars. Contemplating if maybe it would be better if the two of them stayed out here forever. They could contiue training, and not have to face the harsh reality that would greet them upon returning home.

"Whacha thinkin?" Naruto's dopey voice came from behind Sasuke, causing the Uchiha to jump and look back in amazement. Naruto had really gotten a lot better at being quiet. He had not heard him coming at all. Sasuke looked into the blonde bright eyes, then back to the stars with a thin smile.

"Nothing," he replied. Of course he knew that Naruto would know better. He even knew that Naruto would probably bother it out of him in the very end. Not that he ever gave in intentionally. Naruto just had a way with getting around things that tended to permit no failure unless Sasuke stopped talking altogether.

"Liar, what's buggin you?" Naruto was sort of cute this way. He was blinking rapidly and rubbing his eyes tiredly. Yawning, and slurring his speech. He was very tired still.

"Go back to sleep," Sasuke replied simply. Trying to shoe him off. Sasuke had come to a conclusion. When they returned, which he had decided would be in the morning. He would pretend it had never happened. He would ignore Naruto. Act like all of this had been a dream because that was how it felt. The thoughts of forgetting it all were chocked off as he felt Naruto's arms around his waist and his head rest on his upper back sleepily.

"No...Not till you tell me," Naruto replied stubbornly. He had been extremely touchy since he had discovered Sasuke liked him back. Even if he got shoed away most of them time. It was like he had been trying to hold back these urges to just sort of hold onto him for a long time. Sasuke would never admit that he really enjoyed it more then he should. It was no passing crush, no phase he was going through. And the poor Uchiha did not know how to deal with everything.

"It's nothing. Just about how we've been doing better for argueing," Sasuke lied. They had gotten a little better he supposed. Not much though.

"No we haven't," Naruto muttered into Sasukes back. Greatful that the raven haired boy was not pushing him away for once.

"Yes we have," Sasuke snapped back a little harshly, his voice gone slightly squeaky as Naruto nuzzled his back again. The Uchiha quickly wormed out of Naruto's grip before temptation caused him to do anything totally irraversable by ignorance.

"No," Naruto glowered as Sasuke pulled away. Almost falling out of the tree by the unexpected movement.

Sasuke frowned as he realised that Naruto was purposely picking a fight. Trying to lure him into an arguement just to prove a point. The raven haired boy was beginning to think that perhaps Naruto did not want to go back to the village either? "Naruto...I know you're doing that on purpose so stop argueing. We've been doing good. We should go back...tommorow," Sasuke said hastily. Naruto nearly fell over again.

"To-Tommorow? Why?" The blonde stuttered out, suddenly completely awake. Sasuke tried not to smile at the blonde. Apparently he had been right.

"Face it Naruto. We can't avoid going back forever," Sasuke stated flately. Did the Kyuubi boy actually have a sense of self image? Did he actually care what the people at the village thought of him. No, it was something deeper then that. Sasuke could see it, he had learned that Naruto was not such an idiot as he pretended to be.

Naruto pouted, like he had hoped that his plan to live out here forever with Sasuke would have worked. "But..."

"No."

"Fine..."

Sasuke nodded in satisfaction. "Good. Then go to sleep. We go back to Konoha in the morning." Naruto heaved a sigh and nodded reluctantly. His exhaust had returned, he wandered back off down the tree without argueing. He was to tired to argue, to tired to prove Sasuke wrong. Naruto was always the easiest to manipulate when he was tired. The Uchiha waited until Naruto was completely in bed, and the soft sound of snorring reached him in the trees.

"I'm sorry Naruto. But I can't handle everyone's reaction to this. I still don't even get everything myself. It's so wrong," Sasuke muttered bitterly to the sky. Referring to their love. It was not right. Against many principles even. He hated this feeling of loss, of confusion. He liked having control. Sasuke firmly told himself that he would go back with Naruto to the village. Everything would be fine. They would not argue. He would pretend it had never happened. Everything would be back to the way it had been again.

Sasuke nodded to himself confirmation of his thoughts. Yes, that would be perfect. It would work, it would have too. Even Naruto could only be ignored for so long before he gave up right? Of course. He was stubborn but surely he would give up in the end. How hard could it be to forget love? After all, Itachi must have done it. That thought stopped the Uchiha dead in his tracks as he had started decending the tree. His brother. He did not want to be like his brother at all. He shivered, angry at himself for that lapse, that weakness. How did the weasel always manage to creep into his thoughts? No. He was not doing this to be mean to Naruto. Of course not. He was he was doing this to protect Naruto. That was it, to protect him. Sasuke had to tell himself this several times, though he never really stopped to consider what he was protecting Naruto from. Or how this logic made any sense. All he cared was that for now it kept him out of being anything like his elder brother. And was an excuse for himself when he started feeling guilty about his decisions in abandoning the blondes love so harshly.

Sasuke leapt from the tree once he was low enough. Landed nimbly on the ground and slipped into the bed part of his side of the tent with a yawn. He was asleep within seconds.

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My shorest chapter yet! I know it was not much to reopen the story with after so long a delay and for that I apologize again. But I just needed to introduce the new scenerio I had come up with. Remember, this is now several weeks after the last chapter. Sasuke and Naruto have both had time to think. I hope you enjoy, the nexr chapter should be much longer.
And don't worry, the lemon will come.