Random missions

Title: Random mission – gold rush
Author: BeccaAmon
Pairings: Naruto + Sasuke
Setting: Narutoverse
Warnings: Ummm silly boys?
Disclaimer: Standard disclaimers apply.
Contact: Free_Fall00@hotmail.com
Archived at: http://adultfan.nexcess.net/aff/
Archiving: Please ask author for permission.
Author’s note: Just having fun with the boys. Hope you enjoy. I'd like to thank Ailetoile for beta-ing for me.
Feedback: Yes, please! ^___^

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“Alright!! I found one!”

Sakura’s exultant shout startled a flock of birds from a nearby tree. The winged creatures noisily took flight into the bright, wide and blue summer sky.

Sakura hopped around happily, displaying the golden nugget she had found beneath a weathered log. On the pebbled shore, beside a flowing stream, Naruto looked up from his seat.

In the distance, Naruto spotted Sasuke crawling around on his hands and knees through the tall grassy field. He hadn con combing the sea of green since the mission began.

Naruto grumbled to himself and went back to picking at the pebbles on the shore he plopped himself in. A nobleman had wandered into these woods when he was merrily drunk the night before. He had carried with him seven gold nuggets which he claimed to be the source of his good luck. Naruto snorted. Not so lucky when you lose them and break a leg tripping over a gaping root, he thought.

So the mission came to them this morning when he had only just woken up. Sasuke had had to drag him out of his apartment half asleep and not in the mood to search for gold amongst bushes and rocks under a garish sun.

He heard the rocks in his pocket clinking together as he shifted around to pick at a new patch of rock. Between the three of them they had acquired six of the nuggets in total. They’d managed to find two stones each, so there was only one rsivesive stone left.

“And I’ll find it,” Naruto swore confident He He glanced at Sasuke, who was almost finished with the grassy field and who would soon move on to a new patch of land.

Naruto gave a tight nod. “I’ll find it before he does!”

“Hey, Naruto! Less gawking, more searching!” From above, on a thick branch of a shadowy tree, Kakashi sat perched with his back to the trunk and his book in hand.

“Shut up! You haven’t found a single nugget at all! You’re not helping and you’re still getting paid!,” Naruto fumed from below, shaking his fist at the grey-haired Jounin.

Kakashi gave a dismissive wave of his hand and flipped another page in his book. “Yeah…Yeah… Less complaining, more working…Think of this as…Training”

“Training for what? Flipping rocks and discovering habitats for bugs?!”

“Patience, Naruto.” Kakashi shook his index finger at his irate student. “An exercise in patience.”

“Patience,” Naruto echoed.

“Yup! You could use some.” Kakashi grinned impishly, or so Naruto chose to believe. One could never tell with the mask in the way.

Naruto growled, crushing an innocent pebble into dust. “I’ll show you patience when I patiently kick your ass,” he grumbled, sifting through the pebbles once more and growling as more dirt got under his nails. He can only imagine what sort of eggs lay dormant within the brown grains.

The afternoon sun soon waned until it began to set in the horizon, painting the riverbank in rivulets of gold and red. Sasuke sat, disgruntled, on top of a large rock, a blade of grass dangling in between his lips as he looked around him for any suspicious golden sparks. Naruto perched near the water at the point just before the soil grew moist. He peered into the sparkling flowing water of the shallow stream, looking for any gleam of gold.

Sakura and Kakashi had long ago given up and, with cheerful waves, wished the pair good luck.

Naruto observed his rival looking across the stream. His eyes were drawn to the blade of grass trapped between lips. It caught the colors of the sunset as it was flipped up and down. His rival’s ever-vigilant eyes never ceased their search, even when his fingers had long given up raking through the soil and fallen leaves.

“Hey, Sasuke.”

“Hmm?” Sasuke met his blue gaze while picking off a fresh blade of grass.

“…You giving up?”

“No. You?”

Naruto grinned. “Nope!”

“Heh.”

Silence.

“Hey Sasuke.”

“Hmm?”

“I’ll win this round.”

“You can try…” the dark haired boy challenged.

“Hn! When I find that nugget you owe me-“

Naruto paused in his speech when he saw a promising glimmer in the stream. He squinted his eyes and looked beyond the moving water, into the rocky and sandy surface below.

“Ah!!!” Sasuke and Naruto simultaneously pointed at the same spot. They stood and glared at each other from both sides of the stream and jump noisily in the cold water.

“Get away Sasuke! I found it first!”

“Hn.”

The pair struggled in the water, unmindful of their soaked clothes and dripping hair. Naruto tripped the other boy when the Sasuke tried to walk to the waiting nugget.

“Gahh!!” And Naruto sputtered and coughed when Sasuke dunked his head into the freezing water.

In swift movements born of skill and competition the pair dove for what should be a frightened nugget.

“I got it!!!” They both screamed. They reached for the golden stone. Their hands closed over the tiny rock, fingers tangling, the stone trapped in between. They glared at each other with gritted teeth. They knelt with freezing water running along their folded legs and cold air cooling their wet torsos.

“Let go dobe.”

“Let go Sasuke!”

“I found it first!” They shouted together.

Snorting, Naruto tried to pry Sasuke’s fingers off the rock. Their fingers dug into the muddy stream floor as they tried to nudge each other out of the way.

The sun was but a golden red streak lining the horizon when Sasuke finally broke the glaring contest. Naruto, thinking he’d won, listened attentively to what the other boy had to say.

“I’ll tell you what…”

“What?” Naruto asked, his curiosity piqued.

“How about we trade?” Sasuke proposed.

“Trade?”

“Yeah.”

Naruto eyed the other boy guardedly. “What are we trading?” he asked.

“Equivalent trade dobe. You get the nugget and I gometomething from you.“

“Eh?! There’s no way I’m giving up my other nuggets! That’s just stupid-“

“No, not the nuggets.” Sasuke grinned. “I get this…”

Before Naruto could protest, Sasuke swooped down and a warm pair of lips had captured his own in a searing kiss. In the stunned silence, Sasuke had claimed his price.

Slowly, comprehension dawned on Naruto and he blanched at uns unsuspected contact. He fell backwards into the water, releasing his hold over the golden stone.

“What? What...?” Naruto sputtered as Sasuke stood up and tossed the stone from one hand to the other. The dying evening light gleamed over the golden surface, mocking the blonde boy.

“Equivalent trade, dobe,” Sasuke said, tossing the rock to the dazed boy. Naruto caught it deftly with shaking hands, baffled.

“What? What do you mean?!” he asked as Sasuke climbed back to dry land and began walking away.

“Hmm… Well…” Sasuke paused, squeezing water out of his drenched shirt. “I lied actually.”

He turned back to the equally drenched boy.

“Your kiss was worth more than a gold nugget, but there was no way I was going to offer the ones I found.” He winked teasingly.

“Idiot.” Naruto laughed.

“Yeah, well,” Sasuke shrugged. “I’m your idiot though”

“Damn straight!” Naruto yelled, pounding the water with his fists. He got up and left the stream, joining the grinning Sasuke as the pair walked into the forest to go back to the village.

“I won this round,” Sasuke boasted.

“Yeah… Yeah… I’ll get you next time though,” Naruto promised.

“You can try…”

Naruto snorted. “Equivalent trade,” he grumbled as Sasuke took his hand in his. “I can’t believe I fell for that!”

As the moon rose and the fireflies took flight, Sasuke’s distant laughter danced in the cool breeze.

End

An: Nyan~ sille she shot bug bit me ^^ I just had to write this. Hope you enjoyed.