Kind of Perfect

Kind of Perfect Chapter 5
Authors: Geia and Zen

Zen: Damn, barely any reviews. Come on people please? We love hearing what you all think. If there isn’t at least three reviews from this chapter, then we might consider lying off this for a long while. You have no idea how busy our lives are. School and what not. Anyway, we do this for your enjoyment. At least show us some appreciation for giving you what you want.
And to those who have commented. Thank you so much. We appreciate it immensely.

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Azami stood perfectly still as the razor sharp edge of a kunai gently brushed her throat like the kiss of a lover. Without having to look she knew who wielded the cleverly handled weapon, the only man who could creep around in this forest without being seen by even those that had lived here all their lives. A Leaf ANBU known only as Striker.

No one knew why there was a group of leaf ANBU so far out from their village especially when it was relatively peaceful, though none could deny that they had all succumbed to the plague.

With no name to go by the medics had simply called him striker for his ability to stun anyone in the room with his presence.

"Paranoid as always; you know as well as I that these two have business here."

“Business or not your Hokage surely knows not to send then skulking through our woods instead of along the main road."

She spoke louder than she intended and the ANBU her sister had plastered herself too looked up with his painted mask slightly askew.

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Sasuke slowly stepped out from behind the boulder. He approached Naruto and glanced at the girl clinging to him, then up into the trees where the other two ninja's were perched.

"Well? Are you just going to stand there all day dobe? Or are we going into the village?" He glanced at the girl clinging to HIS blond one last time before glaring at Naruto.

"Do something about her, or I will." With that, he continued on the path to the village entrance, ignoring the two in the tree.

Naruto groaned and used his free arm to try and pry off the girls pale arms from his body while looking up at the ninja in the trees. it was hard to tell because of the sun but they didn't look like friends at all because the smaller of the two stood like a statue while the other, he couldn’t tell what kind of ninja they were, held a kunai at the first ones throat. The smaller one, he thought it was a girl, took off through the trees in the same direction as the road. Moments later the other just seemed to dissolve into the very air as though he'd been made of mist.

Naruto frowned behind his fox mask and pushed the trembling child gently off him, talking to her softly and with as much kindness as he could muster to calm her down.

"Come on kid I need to get to the village hidden in the thorns. That’s a girl, now how about we get that mushroom and get going, ok?" The black haired child nodded mutely and scurried to the abandoned mushroom and to get back her lost shoe from the leaf litter. Loops of fine soft twine were looped through the multiple tops then fastened to the girls back like a backpack. The little girl smiled up at her new blond friend and with her mushroom prize secured firmly to her back, reached out and took one of Naruto’s hands as if they'd been friends for years that had only recently met after a long time apart.

The girl lead the blond along the wide dirt road toward her home and hummed a little song so that any other ninja in the area would know she was there. That had been Azami's real worry, that she was missing and being kidnapped by potential enemies.

Ran smiled like the sun and tugged on Naruto’s hand to get his attention away from the trees and back on her where she wanted it to be. For a high ranking ninja like Striker this blond ANBU was really nice, maybe Striker and this young man were from the same village. They dressed the same except for the masks.

"You’re lucky Striker came here. Azami would have made it really hard for you and your other friend I think. You're going to the village right? I know the way, there's a shortcut."

Sasuke was waiting for the two to join him at the village entrance. He looked down at their joined hands, but didn't really think anything of it. He got close to Naruto so he could speak to him quietly.

"Did you see the two in the trees?"

Naruto nodded just enough to confirm that he'd heard the question and continued to walk into the village proper. People were busy doing the mundane things that made life possible; cleaning the streets, selling all sorts of things, and just working in general in the unnaturally large meadow. Tall trees thrust up into the sky like proud statues with their broad green leaves catching the sun. Birds flew over head and here and there, ninja sprang from the trees on the edge of the forest to a wide balcony built on one of the trees with the same oversized mushrooms that Ran was carrying.

Ran let go of Naruto's hand and pointed at one of the trees which had white painted steps going up the sides.

"Our village elder lives up there. If I know Azami, and I do ‘cause we're family, she's already there and maybe Striker too since he found us." The girl quieted down for a moment and looked up at the raven haired ANBU. Something about him made her not really want to be seen or anything but she had to be just the kind of proper little girl she appeared to be. "Is he maybe one of you? He’s got that tattoo like you do."

Sasuke glanced at Naruto for a moment before looking towards the structure that Ran had indicated.

"I’ve worked with him a few times. If I remember correctly, he’s the one who was quarantined for getting the “plague” as your village calls it.”

He started to walk forward and up the white steps. Looking back he waited impatiently for the two to follow.

Ran smiled again and raced up the steps with the ease of long practice but she was nowhere near as fast as the two new ANBU. They overtook her as if they were flying on the wind with not a care in the world. At the top of the stairs a great house had been built in on a great branching of thick stalks each of which was many times bigger than the strongest man in the village. The simple structure had wide windows to catch every breeze.

Standing before them was a truly ancient woman with a pinched face and simple robes made of fine silks dyed a rich reddish brown, like clay. Small black eyes looked shrewdly at the new arrivals, and her gnarled hands were folded across her middle. To this ancient creature’s left was the female ninja from the forest with two others that must be from her squad, and to the elders right stood the smiling face of Striker.

Ran walked over to the elder with her eyes downcast like any child would in the presence of someone important and murmured her greeting and a report of what happened. The old creature nodded and turned her deeply creased face to Naruto and Sasuke.

"My scouts say you were moving to attack our village and take one of our people. Our guest however…" and here the elder gestured to the young ANBU beside her with one frail hand. "…tells me that my ninja mistook your intentions and attacked without warning or provocation.”

The old woman smiled faintly and held her arms out in greeting to the two strangers in friendship. "I prefer to think of it in a forgiving light since your Hokage has been good to us in the past. A shame you had to come to us at such a tragic time."

Naruto snorted loudly behind his mask and turned his attention from the female ninja to the other ANBU and back before responding.

"It wasn't provoked! I saw this girl struggling with a mushroom easily as big as she was, and I was just trying to help! AND I was on the road like anyone else would have been. Not my fault that…”

Sasuke stepped forward, cutting his loud mouthed lover off.

"It was a precaution. I had to make sure the road was clear of threats."
He stepped back to stand at Naruto's side once more before fiercely whispering, "Shut the hell up dobe. God, why do you have to be so dumb?"

The elder nodded briefly and looked the two men up and down. There were things that needed to be discussed in the privacy of her little tree office.

"Now if you two would be so kind as to humor an old woman in her folly, I think that there are things we must talk about." After sparing a frown on her ninja, she turned slowly and walked through the doorway behind her and into the sunlit room beyond. Perhaps she should offer tea to these young men, not that Striker had ever accepted the offer but the rules of hospitality must be honored.

Inside the room it was sparsely furnished with only woven rugs from the sweet grasses of early spring, a few silk paintings, and a lone table set in the middle of the room with a half drunk cup of tea, a half eaten bowl of rice, and discarded papers.

Standing to the side was a young man holding a small tray of delicacies and a pot full of freshly brewed tea.

Chikako strode purposefully to the table and gestured for Naruto and Sasuke to make themselves comfortable.

"I'm ashamed my ninja attacked you. But it seems that their actions have also chosen your lodging for the night. First, make yourselves comfortable, what little news we've had these past weeks came from Striker and his squad about your Hokage, you have chosen a new one if I heard correctly."

Naruto looked around at the mostly empty room and looked quickly at Sasuke. He had Tsunade's letter so maybe he should do the talking.

Sasuke reached into his cloak to pull out the letter given to him by Tsunade. He handed the letter to the elderly woman as he spoke.

"It’s been a few years since Tsunade-sama was appointed as our new Hokage. She apologizes for such a delay and had given this to us to give to you as soon as we arrived." He sat back in his chair and waited for her to read through the letter. It didn't contain anything too heavy. Just some information about the death of the 5th Hokage and what the new Hokage would like to offer in the form of help to the thorn village.

The old lady read the letter slowly and gestured for her cup of tea to be refilled. A tragedy to have one’s beloved leader killed. But this Tsunade seemed a most competent woman. Perhaps she should send the Gardener along for this trip.

Chikako set the letter down and looked the two ANBU over. "Your new Hokage can have whatever help we can offer but I must ask that you take some of the mushrooms we're harvesting with you. For reasons we cannot understand they make both man and beast immune to this plague when brewed properly. If you can spare a little time on your travels I'll send as many of these medicinal fungi as your village requires and our Master Gardener with your Hokage's commission once it's finished tomorrow night."

A little bird flew through one of the open windows and perched on the edge of the table where a few grains of rice had been cleverly placed. It’s voice was light and sweet between each grain as though it had done this many times before.

"Since Azami gave insult to your honor as Konoha ANBU you shall be staying at her family’s estate near our purest stream. Ask for a man by the name of Ikuzo. He and his daughter can see to your comfort. They live at the northern end of this valley."

Sasuke and Naruto stood up and bowed politely to the woman before thanking her and heading out the door. Sasuke looked at Naruto for a moment then back to looking ahead.

"You've seen that guy before right? The one they called "Striker"?" Sasuke asked as they made their way in the direction the old woman indicated.

Naruto stifled a groan and shook his head. "Not really all the ANBU kind of look alike after a while as a genin you know? Suppose I should pay more attention to that now."

Naruto looked out from the balcony at this thorn village. Off to the east hidden by tall buildings were the burial mounds common for this area.

"You said you worked with him right?"

Sasuke smirked a bit under his mask. He decided now was a good time as any to get his lover back for scaring the crap out of him earlier.

"Yes, but not very often. If I remember correctly, he was extremely touchy-feely with me on our last mission together." he imagined the look Naruto was giving him and continued before the blond could open his mouth.

"Don't worry though...he didn't do too much."

"What?!" You let him do what??! Sasuke, I thought I was the only one you wanted!" Naruto's shoulders shook with barely suppressed rage and emotional hurt which passing people serendipitously ignored with mute indifference. "I thought you said I was special..."

Naruto turned away from Sasuke and looked off to the north where this Ikuzo they’d be staying with lived.

Sasuke winced a bit. Not meaning to hurt the dobe’s feelings.

‘Damnit, now I have to apologize.’

"Don't be so dramatic dobe. I was only kidding. And anyway, do you really think I'd let someone do that?" He knew Naruto would have a reaction like that. He was always so worried that Sasuke was going to leave him. It was a bit pathetic really in Sasuke's eyes.

He'd make it up to his blond lover later. But for now, they had business to take care of.

They approached the door and Sasuke knocked on the wooden surface and waited patiently for someone to answer.

The door slid open without a sound and a woman of average height and build stood there. Violet eyes seemed to glow in the sun like precious gems.

"Yes?" She looked down as though ashamed to be seen by anyone. "You must be the ones my husband and I were told to expect. Please come in." She stepped back to let her guests in and quietly slid the door shut behind them.

A stern looking man stood looking out a window towards a garden filled with the reddest roses imaginable, along with a scattering of other brightly colored flowers of equal beauty. Like the woman he had black hair though his eyes were as brown as freshly churned dirt with flecks of gold here and there. Hearing his wife approach with two people in attendance he sighed. Ever since the plague his family had suffered greatly, forced to bury his two sons and infant child. Because of that damnable plague he had only his oldest female offspring to carry on his clan’s name. Azami took after her grandmother with her quick wits and quicker temper. Ran, thankfully took more after her mother's soft habits and gentleness mercy to be sure considering her position.

Sasuke figured he should speak, considering the awkward silence that fell as soon as the man known as Ikuzo seemed to be sizing them up.

"Thank you for letting us stay here. I know these are difficult times for you and your family, but I can assure you that we're only here to help in any way possible." He looked at Naruto for a moment and nudged him a bit so he’d say something at least semi polite.

"Uh, yeah. We’ll be gone before you know it. You won't even know we were here." Naruto struggled for words that sounded sincere but all he could come up with were his usual fare; to the point and usually indiscrete. He could just kick himself for that! That wasn’t anywhere near as good as what Sasuke had said! How was he suppose to be a good ANBU much less future Hokage if he couldn't say all those nice words that made people believe you? What a disaster! His first mission and already he had looked stupid twice.

Ikuzo frowned and regarded the two young men as though they were the reason for his recent hardships and losses.

"Help? Help would have been better rendered while my sons were alive and well to honor my ancestors. But in the wisdom of the land and all others who live in this world we were cut off like diseased grain and rice! You may stay but I don’t have to enjoy your presence since it comes with the disgrace of my eldest daughter. My wife will make her room available to you." Fire blazed in the older man’s eyes as he turned his back on the ANBU. To say more would be to add insult to the injuries done to his pride. The sooner these outsiders left the better.

Naruto blinked and leaned back away from Ikuzo's anger and frustrations. He could almost feel the heat coming from the old man’s body; it was like standing in front of a wildfire.

Sasuke wanted so much to tell this man off. How dare he be angry at them? But then again he could understand the hurt the man was going through. He discretely grasped Naruto's hand to try and calm his lover a bit. He knew Naruto was a bit sensitive when it came to emotions. He wanted to reassure the blond, at least a little that the anger was not really directed toward them, but at the situation.

"Again, I apologize for our intrusion, but I assure you that we will do as much as we can to prevent any more deaths in your village."

A muscle in Ikuzo's chest twitched uncontrollably as he stared out the window. "That much at least I can accept.” he turned away form the men completely and walked off to his private rooms to recover his composure and to give his eldest offspring a tongue lashing to remember.

The woman, presumably Ikuzo's wife, stood silent during this whole exchange without batting so much as one full eyelash at her husband’s outburst.

"I'm afraid you've come at the worst time for us. But if it pleases you, Azami's room is not far from here. I can have dinner sent to you at the appropriate hour if you choose not to dine with the household"

Akahana turned with the grace that comes with good breeding and silently led the way down a wide hallway to the bedrooms.

Sasuke, still holding Naruto's hand followed the woman to the designated room. It was nothing like a young girl’s room at all. It was very simple, with plain white walls, a double bed with a dresser and a desk. Nothing of personal value seemed to inhabit it.

"Thank you, but for the sake of confrontation, it would probably be best if we ate alone." he placed his travel pack on the floor close to the door and watched as Naruto did the same.

Akahana just gave a polite nod and gently slid the door closed.

Naruto growled loudly and threw his mask across the room.

"Who does that old man think he's talking to??! It’s not like WE did anything at all! I mean yeah people died and all that but it's not our fault! It’s not anyone’s fault! And what was that bit about accepting? That old woman said we were to stay here so he can’t even kick us out if he wanted to!"

Naruto had taken to pacing the room and gesturing angrily as though to release his pent up frustrations. "It’s not that I wouldn't bring all those people back to life if I could but..."

He turned and looked right at Sasuke for some kind of reassurance, comfort, anything. This whole mission was getting to be a drag.

Sasuke removed his mask just as Naruto started his little tirade, or maybe it was a tantrum. He could never tell with Naruto. Either way, he stepped close to the blond and put his arms around him.

"Don't worry so much about it. He wasn’t angry with us. It's understandable to feel anger in general when you lose people close to you."

He knew all about that a little too well, so he could sympathize with the other man, to some degree at least.

Naruto leaned into Sasuke's embrace and leaned his head against the raven haired man’s chest.

"What are we doing here? Get some gardener, help, and some stupid plant. Is it really worth all this? How well do we even know this crusty old Master Gardener when we see them anyway? No one here seems at all special or important form what I’ve seen. And that Striker doesn’t count."

Naruto closed his eyes and listened to Sasuke’s heartbeat. On those rare nights when he couldn’t sleep that steady beat lulled him to the sweetest dreams of his life.

Sasuke pulled away after giving Naruto a small kiss and went to his bag.

"We should change. These uniforms get annoying to wear after a while." He threw Naruto his bag and started to meticulously remove the many articles of clothing that were involved in the ANBU uniform.

He did take a moment to glance over at Naruto while he was lifting his shirt over his head, to admire the subtle muscles that moved when his lover lifted up his shirt. He stared a bit too long though as Naruto turned around and gave him a sexy little smirk. Sasuke looked away with a huff and proceeded to finish changing.

Naruto shrugged on a pair of soft black pants and shot a lewd glance in Sasuke’s direction. They had a bed, a room to themselves and a while before dinner. The only thing that could make this whole deal better would be some candles a little hot wax and Sasuke wrapped in tight fitting leather.

"That's an awfully big bed just for us to only go to sleep in..."

Naruto smiled evilly and took a small leash from his travel pack; the first one Sasuke had ever gotten him. Simple black, with a clasp that held the collar firmly against his throat. No amount of pulling would break the leash especially when the collar was locked closed with Sasuke’s silver key.

Sasuke gave an amused snort at his lover. Trust Naruto to think of these things.

"First of all, that is the worst pick up line I've ever heard dobe. Second, how did I not notice you packing that before we left?"

Even while asking these questions though, he was slowly walking up to the blond and stood before him waiting for his answers with a raised eyebrow.

"You were so busy trying to get ready to leave and shut me up about the tattoo to notice it was missing or where I put it. And come on what do you expect for a pick up line after that overgrown pig nearly tore our heads off? I'm just lucky you were there and not someone else or I would have let that Ikuzo have it right in the kisser."

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In the kitchen Ran and her mother were making dinner with a small wrinkled woman. Along with the standard dinner a truly foul smelling soup was being made for the guests. A thick broth that seemed to stick to anything it touched bubbled flatulently in the small pot the Grandmother was stirring while Ran carefully added chopped onions to her father’s soup.

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Back in the bedroom Sasuke already had Naruto pinned down to the bed and had his lips covering the blond's in a sensual kiss. His hand had drifted down Naruto's naked chest to the hem of his black pants where he dipped his fingers underneath the fabric to tease his lover a bit.

Naruto groaned softly and arched his back under Sasuke's practiced hands. This was the kind of torment he enjoyed so much, the kind he couldn't wait to suffer through, but the worst part of this one time was that he had to be quiet. The old man would probably throw a tantrum and maybe kill them if they were caught like this. Oh but keeping it in hurt like a train wreck! Tearing at his insides and at the back of his throat for release like some wild animal screaming at the bars of its cage while the smell of freedom crept across the floor.

Sasuke decided to give Naruto a little reprieve and firmly grasped the blond's erection. He started to steadily stroke the length as he leaned down to lightly whisper something to the blond.

"You know if you want to do this, we have to be quick...and you have to be quiet."

He gave his lover's cock a particularly hard squeeze to emphasize his point.

"Got it?"

Naruto sucked a breath through his teeth with his blue eyes wide and pleading locked on the ceiling. It would be the hardest thing he'd ever done in his life! Another deep breath suffused with longing and undeniable desire. He could do this.

"Yeah."

Sasuke smirked and started his slow rhythm again. He leaned down and pressed his lips to Naruto's savoring the taste of his blond. He never could get enough of Naruto's taste. He pulled back from the kiss and sat up taking his hand out of Naruto's pants and sliding them down and off. He stared at his lover for a moment, just admiring him in all his naked beauty. He smirked as he thought of the reaction THAT statement would get him. He leaned down between Naruto’s legs and gently ran his tongue along the blond’s inner thigh, purposefully avoiding the area where Naruto wanted that tongue the most. He gently bit down on the soft flesh and felt the shudder run through his lover at the rough action.

He lifted up his head a bit so his mouth was right over the tip of the blond's cock. He gave a little smirk and looked up into glazed blue eyes.

"What do you want?" he asked as his breath ghosted over Naruto's cock.

Naruto bared his teeth. Trust that bastard to string him along with promises of the flesh! He wanted sex rough and long! He wanted the kind of sensual pleasure that went with warm afternoons back home where they had hours to play the game of slave and master with no fear of interruption! He wanted all that and more if only they weren’t in some crusty old guy’s house with his wife and kids. That really tore it right there. What was worse he had to stay perfectly quiet.

Naruto licked his lips; it was so hard to think when he could feel the heat of Sasuke’s body so close to his own.

"I want.... you to make me forget everything that's happened since we got here." Naruto said in a quiet whisper.

Satisfied with that answer, Sasuke leaned down and gave a small lick to the tip of Naruto’s cock. The blond haired ANBU sucked in a breath and tried as hard as he could not to moan aloud.

To Naruto’s relief. Sasuke sat up and regarded his lover for a moment. He then reached for his bag and pulled out a small bottle of lubricant. This made Naruto’s eyebrow shoot up into his hairline.

“Looks like I’m not the only one who’s prepared huh?” he said with a smirk that could rival his lover’s.

“I never said I wasn’t prepared did I?” the raven asked smoothly as he poured a small amount onto his fingers. He leaned over and deeply kissed the blond as he traced Naruto’s ass hole with his lubed fingers. He gently slid one in and felt his lover tense up a bit.

Sasuke pulled back from the kiss and leaned over to whisper in Naruto’s ear, his breaths creating wonderful sensations for the blond ninja.

“Relax baby. You know it’s going to hurt more if you tense up like this.”

Naruto tried to take in deep breaths and relax his body to allow the intrusion. He finally was able to relax enough to have Sasuke insert another finger into the tight hole. The dark haired ninja took a few more minutes to make sure his lover was stretched enough. He pulled his fingers out of Naruto and grabbed his arm to pull him up to a sitting position. Sasuke then lay back against the headboard and motioned for Naruto to come closer.

Naruto looked a bit puzzled, but crawled over to his lover and looked at him quizzically.

“I want you to ride me.” was all Sasuke said. It was simple and to the point. He knew Naruto loved to have sex like this. Even though Sasuke was still the one doing the fucking, he allowed Naruto to have a little bit of control once in a while.
Naruto, not wanting to pass up such a rare opportunity, quickly straddled Sasuke’s lap and grabbed the lube from the sheets. He poured some into his hand and started to gently stroke Sasuke’s throbbing erection, coating it in the slippery gel. Once he figured Sasuke’s cock was lubed enough, he lined it up with his pink hole and slowly lowered himself onto the raven’s impressive length.

Sasuke sucked in a breath, suppressing a moan as he felt the tight heat of his lover’s body surrounding him. He grabbed Naruto’s hips to have something to hold on too. He knew he’d probably leave bruises there, but frankly he didn’t really care at this point.

Naruto had finally slid all the way down and was now fully seated on Sasuke’s thighs. He used his knee’s to lift himself up and lower himself back down slowly, with the help of Sasuke’s hands. The pace began to speed up as Naruto got more used to the penetration. He grabbed a hold of Sasuke’s shoulders to give himself better leverage to slide up and down Sasuke’s amazing cock.

Sasuke’s breathing was starting to get erratic. He knew he was getting close and he could tell his lover was as well. He angled his hips just right so that when his Naruto lowered himself, the raven’s cock would directly hit the blond’s prostate with everone of the blond’s downward thrusts. Naruto was starting to have trouble keeping in his moans. Little whimpers were escaping that gorgeous mouth and Sasuke leaned in to kiss the blue eyed man, their tongues battling for dominance inside Naruto’s mouth.

Sasuke took a hand off of Naruto’s hip and encircled it around his throbbing arousal that was crying out for release. He started to stroke it at the same pace as Naruto’s movements. It wasn’t long before Naruto came all over Sasuke’s stomach and hand, trying as hard as he could not to scream. Sasuke followed not too far behind.

Naruto breathed heavily as he collapsed on Sasuke, resting his head on his lover’s shoulder. Sasuke reached up and wrapped his arms around Naruto offering comfort and love in the afterglow of their lovemaking.

“That was amazing Sasuke.” Naruto said as his breathing started to become easier. “I love you.”

Sasuke ran his fingers through Naruto’s silky golden hair and gently kissed his forehead. “I love you too Naruto.” He never really showed affection like this towards his lover. But sometimes, he just couldn’t help but pamper the blond with love and affection. Damn Naruto and his ability to be liked by anyone.

They lay there for a few more minutes until Sasuke finally shifted, a sign that Naruto should get up.

“We should get dressed. Or at least somewhat dressed. They should be bringing us our food soon.” Sasuke handed Naruto his pants as he said this and after the blond took his pants Sasuke put on his own.

As they got dressed, both of the young ANBU were thinking the same thing.

‘I really hope no one finds out about this.’

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Ran walked slowly down the hall towards her sister’s room with a heavily laden tray that held the guest’s dinner and their medicine. Grandmother had carefully ladled the soup into the bowls without losing a drop. The stuff smelled like old foot or maybe nasty old shoes but it was good for you. Rice, tea, and a sticky sweet she loved were carefully balanced on the tray along with a quickly written note about the smelly soup. Already the birds of the day were saying their goodbyes to the sun and the bugs and things of the night were waking up. With all the care of a mother hen she set the tray on the floor and gently tapped on Azami's bedroom door. As much as she wanted to see these strangers and talk with them, She knew it probably wasn’t a good idea. But striker, Mr. Ramen and that angry man had to eat sometime. Maybe she'd call the angry one after a hawk she'd seen once in a book with a short red tail.

Without waiting she turned away and hurried back to the kitchen. That room smelled a little funny like some old memory she'd almost forgotten.

Ran stepped into the kitchen where her grandmother usually ate her dinner just in time to take hold of the memory with that odd smell. It had been a while ago while her Grandfather still lived. A few towns over there'd been an old tree with scars running up and down its trunk. So tall and proud that chestnut tree stood with its shrine adornments and glistening leaves. The oldest tree in the neighboring villages her father had said. How long ago that seemed, grandfather died months after because his heart broke into little pieces at hearing that Azami was going to be a ninja. The clan needed to keep its secrets, the women of the clan were supposed to stay and secure the one greatest treasure of theirs: the Blood Rose.

Ran smiled at her grandmother and sat next to her with a small bowl of soup cradled in her hands. "Grandmother, do you remember that one time we went to see that old chestnut tree and how funny it smelled? I think maybe Azami is growing a small tree like that in her room. It smells just the same."

Azami was crouched on the roof above the kitchen where her sister’s sweet voice could be heard clearly. She at least didn’t have to concentrate to remember that old chestnut tree her grandfather had loved so well. With it's odd smell that she learned much later smelled almost exactly like semen. Such a smell was unforgettable in its essence and difficult to sponge out of furnishings. Her eyes narrowed at the thought of those outsiders staying the night in HER room and having sex on HER bed! A fitting punishment to be sure as far as Chikako would be concerned but unwanted in the extreme.

She dropped to the ground outside the kitchen door, Azami dearly wanted to avoid meeting her father this night but such a thing was not meant to be. The lights in his private rooms were all lit and his silhouette paced about while her mother’s kneeling form merely nodded in response to unheard questions. A trying day, a distasteful night. Things couldn't possibly get worse.

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Of course Naruto was the first to notice the smell of food outside their door. The two ANBU were still comfortably lounging on the bed in each other's arms in the afterglow of their sexual encounter.

Naruto got up from the bed and slid the door open to reveal a tray of food, and something else that he couldn't quite distinguish. All he knew was it smelled horrible. He picked up the tray and carefully, so as not to spill anything, set it down on the desk in the corner.

During the time the blond was retrieving the food; Sasuke had gotten up and was eyeing Naruto. He knew his lover was a good eater, but the smell of the foreign concoction in the bowl, along with Naruto's scrunched up nose, suggested he might have a bit of a battle trying to get the blond to eat it. According to the note, it was a sort of medicine to ward off the plague that ran rampant through the town.

Naruto stared at the thick brown whatever it was as if it were some kind of poison. Chunks of brown floated on top and sank back down slowly when the stuff was stirred. It was the thickest soup he'd ever seen but it was too runny to be anything else. How could anyone eat this crap?

"Sasuke what is this stuff it's like, ugh! It smells so bad I can almost taste it! Ew, and it's sticky too! Oh gross I’m not eating that.”

Naruto skimmed over the thick soup and picked up one of the two bowls of broth used to start most any meal. It smelled like a little piece of heaven after that thick mass of whatever and tasted a lot like ramen at the same time. Ramen, maybe he could get that little girl to bring him Ramen next time.

Before Naruto could take a sip of the broth, Sasuke snatched it away and replaced it with the medicine.

"Drink that first. Then you can eat." he said simply as he drank down his with a grimace. A slight grimace, but it was still there.

"It's supposed to be some kind of medicine. I don't want you getting that damn disease."

Naruto stuck his tongue out and stared at the muddy brown stuff. Sour milk he could handle, slightly sandy bread he could choke down, even over ripe fruit on occasion but this? Oh God no, he couldn't do this it was way too disgusting.

"Couldn't they have made it smell better or something? There’s got to be a spice to do that right? AHA! I saw that you hate it too!" Naruto smirked at Sasuke and lowered the medicine. Maybe he could get rid of this stuff somehow.

Sasuke glared at Naruto a hint of red to his eyes. "Of course I hate it, it's disgusting. But you have to drink it or else you might get sick." Sasuke smirked. He had an idea. He walked up to Naruto and sat in his lap with one leg on either side of the blond's hips, effectively blocking the blond from putting the bowl down.

"Now, I'm going to stay here until you drink that. And don't give me that look, there's nothing sexual about this at all."

Naruto crinkled his nose and looked at the medicine. He could tell just by looking that Sasuke was not about to let him get away with not eating this thick mud in the bowl which left him with one of two choices. Eat it on his own or put up a fight and have Sasuke pour tit down his throat.

With a resigned sigh Naruto closed his eyes and pretended that he was really eating ramen with really runny eggs in it instead of medicine. It was Ramen that tasted like old socks mixed with tree moss and old spongy noodles left out too long. Worse and worse it clung to his tongue and slid down the back of his throat so freaking slowly that the blond was sure he'd never be rid of the taste.

When the bowl was emptied and the worst of Naruto's nausea had subsided, he opened his eyes and looked at Sasuke. He never wanted to eat anything like that ever again.

Sasuke just looked at his lover, making sure he drank every last drop. Once he was satisfied, he got off of Naruto and handed him his tea to wash the flavor down a little.

"Don't worry; I think that’s the only time you'll have to drink that. We're not staying here for very long anyway." He picked up his own tea and took a sip. Picking up his rice and chopsticks, he proceeded to eat something that didn't taste like the underside of a shoe.

Naruto threw his tea back and grimaced. That stuff really killed the after sex drive and he could STILL TASTE IT! the blond snatched the bowl of miso soup and drank it down as fast as he dared to with Sasuke sitting right there in front of him.

Somewhere in the house Ikuzo was giving someone a tongue lashing though the words were lost in the sounds of the night.

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TBC

Zen: Mkay then, that’s all for now. Please comment ppl. We both really want to know what you think of this. It’s hard to get into the story and the writing process if we’re not motivated. And the lack of reviews is not very encouraging. So if you want chapters to come out faster. Review and you’ll get them.