Never Perfect

Author's note. Everybody....sorry this one took longer. I quit smoking so I can no longer sit on my back step having a smoke writing my little fingers off. Beta's by Telpei! Also thansk for all the reviews! Waffles....I love you..yes please please please.

After some time, their hearts began to slow and Sakura’s tears began to dry. Mentally, the trio began to regroup. Much to Naruto’s visible disgust at seeing his team mate touching them, Sasuke chose to bury the severed tails. He couldn’t see even this part of Naruto left for the scavengers to clean up. Also, the idea of anyone coming upon three human-sized foxtails was alarming. Sakura quietly went about using her healing abilities on the slashes Sasuke had obtained. While she was doing so and Sasuke was still under her care, Naruto headed back to the bushes where he had flung their packs previous to the battle and retrieved them. Sasuke’s analytical mind was hard at work as the adrenalin left him and other concerns came to light. Naruto had slashed Madara’s eyes but he hadn’t killed the other Uchiha. That man was still a threat even without his ability to control the Kyuubi. The other problem was the path and direction the man had taken was the way they wanted to travel themselves. Sound was now a dangerous direction to take. Sasuke had wanted to find somewhere they could stay for an extended period of time. Moving around constantly, doing nothing but running and sleeping was no way for them to try and sort out their rag-tag team. All of Naruto’s improvement had come from times of quiet and rest.

“What now, Sasuke? Naruto can obviously fight now. Do we go back? We can’t follow Madara’s trail.”

The black haired man was impressed. Sakura had become smarter over the years. He found himself, against his better judgement, beginning to respect her a little. As he watched Naruto walk back to their side and dump the bags, he thought about his answer.

“No. I won’t take him back. The unrest about how Naruto was treated needs a while to spread through the town. By the time we return to that place, I want the divisions clear: those who support Naruto, and those that would stand by Danzo.”

Naruto was as impassive as ever, seeming to have no reaction to their conversation. However, his eye was dark in the pale purple light of the coming dawn and one ear was trained in their direction, even as he rummaged through the bags to find a few more protein bars.

“So you would use him, his torment, as the catalyst for a civil war within Leaf?”

Sasuke shook his head. Truthfully he wasn’t sure what he had set out to do, what he wanted or what he was actually going to do. What he did know was he wanted Naruto healed and safe. But as for his revenge, he wasn’t sure anymore. He didn’t know if he could stand in front of Naruto with all of that blood staining his soul. Naruto was more than he had truly realised. Sasuke had always known, unlike most of the village, that Naruto was someone special, and even he had not judged Naruto’s full worth. The son of the Fourth. Had that fact been made public, Naruto would have garnered the same, if not more, attention then the ‘last’ Uchiha. The sun of Kohona. What a play on words. Could the Avenger honestly hope to make any claim on Naruto if he killed all those bastards? Let alone his heart, as he wished to? But, his family had been murdered on the council’s orders. Would he be betraying them for Naruto? Sasuke shook himself from his dark thoughts to finally answer the pink haired woman.

“All I’m saying is that if you and Naruto return to the Village Hidden in the Leaves once the lines are drawn, they cannot lock him up straight away. You stand a chance of being heard.”

Naruto shifted from his squatted position a few feet away near the bags. With his now normal silence in place he made his way back to their side and sat himself beside the Uchiha and laid his golden head on Sasuke’s shoulder. Sakura actually smiled at the gesture of support.

“Do you really think we’re going anywhere without you, Sasuke? I would really like to see you try it, just to see what happens. Naruto would follow you to the very gates of hell, just to stay by your side. I would be right behind him just to watch and laugh while he kicked the Death God’s ass to take you back.” Sakura stated in an even voice.

Sasuke surprisingly felt a single tear burn his eye. Naruto, the only person who had never really given up on him, would honestly find a way to defeat the God of Death if he had to – for him.

Sakura continued, even as he closed his eyes to trap the tear and stop it from falling. “We would not ask you to give up your revenge, Sasuke. Partly because of the fact that now it would be ours, too. All we ever wanted was your trust in us. We wanted you to trust that together, we’d find a better way to bring it all about, the right way.”

Sakura’s gentle words were echoed by the childish version of Naruto’s voice, in this exact place, using a child’s version of the same words. Things had changed. She had to be aware of that.

“I’m never going to be what I once was, Sakura.”

“Humph.” Sasuke suppressed a smile at the rude sound Naruto had just made and rubbed his cheek over that soft sunshine hair. The points of Naruto’s ears tickled more than his grown spikes. A clean scent drifted up and filled Sasuke’s nose, making him wish to lose himself for a few precious moments in the fox man, before Sakura’s voice reached him once again.

“Sasuke, none of us are ever going to be who we once were. Not you, not Naruto not me. However, things will slowly begin to turn in our favour. The changes are making us stronger, making our ability to avoid our previous pitfalls better. Not just that, but things are coming out in the open. Danzo had Naruto’s name carved on the Honour stone. Naruto Uzamaki-Namikaze.”

Naruto’s head shot up, nearly clipping Sasuke’s jaw in the process. Sakura smiled gently at him, seeing the shock of his parentage being so openly acknowledged.

“The whole Village knows who you are, Naruto. Not just that, but you saved us all, every man woman and child, ninja or not, from Pain. I don’t think there are many who would want to stand against you, let alone fight you.”

Sasuke took a deep breath to calm his raging emotions. He was once more surprised at himself as feelings of pride and jealously warred inside him. Naruto was not his. Not in the way that he could rip him from the village and never let those people have him. The Uchiha would have to learn to share. But not yet.

“Be that as it may, Sakura, he is in no condition to return yet.”

Sakura nodded but Sasuke was not finished.

“Our options are limited. However, Sand is looking more and more inviting despite it being a fortnight or more of travel away.”

“No.”

Naruto’s voice was firm. Sand was out obviously. When the fox nin didn’t elaborate Sakura spoke up.

“Well we need to stay close to fire country, but we also need to stay on the other side of its boarders. With the state the Leaf Village is in at the moment, they cannot spare their ninjas for incursions into other countries. They will most likely call to their allies for aid. Naruto’s right. We need to stay away from Sand. They’re more likely hunting us than willing to help us.”

Once more Sasuke was made to realise he had written off this woman when she had truly become an impressive Shinobi. She was analytical and strong.

“Well, the good news is that the Dobe is safe from Madara, for now. Now he’ll be after my eyes instead.”

Naruto released a soft warning growl.

“Yeah, yeah Dobe. None of us are particularly happy about that.”

“Teme.”

Sakura giggled at their little by play. Sasuke was hard pressed not to smile himself. The sight they must be. The students of the Three Legendary Sannin were all now Missing Nin and sitting on the Sound territory of the Valley of the End, while having a name calling contest. If he were an ordinary person, Sasuke didn’t know if he would be laughing or scared out of his mind because of their presence. Maybe they were all a little crazy. Drawing his mind back to the present, Sasuke could see Naruto seemed a little tired. He knew the battle had to have taken its toll physically as well as mentally; perhaps they could risk going to one of the nearby hideouts to rest. He decided to share his thoughts with his team mates.

“Madara will take a little while to regroup, and he won’t come at us alone or so cockily next time. There is a small base a few hours from here, and I think we could have some time to rest once we make it.”

The pink haired woman nodded and Naruto stood, making his way back to the bags. Sakura dashed after him, calling out before she even reached him.

“Oh no you don’t! I’m carrying my own bag this time and don’t think by flashing me you’ll get what you want! It won’t work a second time.”

Naruto’s face showed a little bit of shock before achingly slow, the smallest, softest smile graced his lips and eye. Both of his team mates stilled in that moment, hearts warming from that tiny play of emotions. Sakura shook herself from it to snatch her bag, while sliding Sasuke a sidelong look to express her wonderment at that short moment. Naruto bent to take the other but as he did so a comical look of surprise stripped everything else from his features as his pants, which had been ripped at the back from when his tails had explosively exited his body, slipped towards his knees. Naruto dropped the bag and made a mad grab for them, red dusting his cheeks. Sasuke chuckled; perversely pleased by the flash of tan ass he had caught.

“Give me the bag. There should be some cord in there to tie your pants up. I guess we’ve got no choice but to visit a town soon.”

Naruto, still red faced, clutched his pants while throwing the other man the bag. Sasuke sorted through it, finally pulling out a length of cord. Dropping the bag, Sasuke joined Naruto and then knelt at his feet, wrapping the cord slowly around his waist to secure the pants. Once he had tied it off, his hands hesitated, resting on Naruto’s hips before lifting his eyes to Naruto’s face and he licked his lips suggestively. That one blue eye widened before lust darkened the orb. Sakura broke their staring contest by clearing her throat and Naruto used the opportunity to slip from the Uchiha’s grip. Sasuke rose to his feet, free of embarrassment. He wanted his intentions out in the open. Sakura pointedly looked away from them and towards the lightening sky.

“Come on, Day is already breaking.”

Anyway Sasuke chose to look at it, the main Oto Village was beginning to look tempting. They could henge in, get what they needed, and get out. Or perhaps an even better plan would be to stay outside and send in a henged shadow clone. It would be much safer, with a lower risk to any of them. Sasuke was sure he had enough chakra to make and maintain one. He was no powerhouse like Naruto, but his reserves were above average. He was attempting to make a mental list of the things they would need, but other worries were pushing on his mind. Sasuke was well aware just how lucky they had been when it came to their battle with Madara. The man had not used half of his abilities and it was pure strength of will that had driven Naruto to be able to make that slash over the man’s eyes. If Madara had come at them seriously from the start, or had known from the beginning about Naruto’s true parentage, they’d be dead. They were just NOT that good, even together. Luck. Pure dumb luck. Pushing aside that frightening thought, he vocalised his list. It was remarkably short.

“Food and pants, anything else?”

Naruto cleared his throat not looking up from his contemplation of the river.

“Bandana.”

Sasuke’s eyes squeezed shut for a second, his chest tightening with an aching pain for the blond man, before they opened and travelled to Naruto. He saw the blond’s left hand hovering close to the flattened ears. Sakura made a sympathetic noise and moved to his side, taking Naruto’s face in her hands. When she spoke it was gentle.

“It’s okay, Naruto. We understand. We don’t see you any differently.”

The way she was holding him, made Sasuke’s already uneven emotions boil. His voice came out harsh.

“Let’s go. Now. Head due North.”

Sakura abruptly released Naruto, who looked away and chose to repeat himself.

“Bandana.”

Sakura backed away and then took to the trees. Naruto waited a few moments and then moved to follow but Sasuke was at his side, taking his arm in a firm grip and using it to pull Naruto into his own body.

“Forget understanding. That implies there’s something wrong in the first place. Fox ears, tails, however you come, I want you. Need you.”

Forgetting all tenderness, Sasuke grabbed hold of the back on Naruto’s head and pulled it down to lock the blond’s lips with his own almost savagely. Despite the height difference and the need to bring Naruto’s lips down to meet his own, Sasuke could feel the way, this time, Naruto submitted himself to the rough claiming. Finally their lips broke apart from each other. Their arms were now wrapped tight around the other, foreheads pressed together. Naruto’s voice was low, husky as it was breathed across Sasuke’s sensitized mouth.

“Why?”

That one word was heartbreakingly soft. Vulnerable.

“God, Naruto. You’re asking that now? What about when I came back to pull you out of that God damned hole? Or, back when I went against Madara? Or way back when the curse seal had me and I choose not to kill you? Even back then. It’s always been you. I have no romantic speech to give you. I never did, I just feel it. Can’t you?”

Naruto gave no verbal answer, but that one blue orb closed and he nodded, making both their heads bob in unison.

“I want you. I want us. Somewhere safe, so you feel you can take your time, touch me however you like, maybe let me touch you too, if you feel safe enough for it.”

Sasuke could feel Naruto’s breathing speed up in response to the images his words were creating. Sasuke took a big chance and activated his Sharingan.

“Naruto trust me. Open your eye. I want to show you what I see.”

Naruto must have felt the Uchiha’s charka shift and guessed what he had done because his body trembled. Trusting Sasuke with that would be a huge thing. He had half blinded himself out of fear of being controlled by the Sharingan.

“I won’t go into your mind. I’ll just give you the images of what I imagine.”

Naruto drew in a shaky breath, but then set Sasuke away from him. So the fox had been right. Well, in time. Naruto would let him in again. For now Sasuke took a steady breath to get himself back under control. Naruto’s face was in shadow but Sasuke touched his shoulder and gently let the Sharingan slip away.

“I would never force that on you, Naruto, and I’m not angry.”

The blond man nodded but shrugged out from under his touch to take off after Sakura. Sasuke allowed a few moments to quieten his own whirling mind before he then followed, always keeping Naruto just in sight.