Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Naruto woke up distressed, almost hyperventilating, in the middle of the night. He rapidly sat on his bed, moving his hand to his chest, trying to control his composure. However it seemed useless. 

Loud heavy breaths flooded the small messy room with an aura of sadness and a certain nostalgia of his childhood. A memory of the past, of the future that never was, of the incomplete present that haunted his mind. 

His heartbeat finally steadied after a while, and his breathing took a new relaxed pace. He inhaled and exhaled calmly, not wanting to become a prisoner of his own nervousness and fear.

However the tears wouldn’t stop. Somehow, he returned to the present, to his room. He could feel himself touching the soft blankets. He blinked the tears away, leting them slip down his cheeks. And he realised. It all happened inside the world of dreams.

A dream.

But it wasn’t new, he knew it very well. It was the same as always. A reminder of what never happened. A painful movie with always the same ending, untouchable and immovable. He closed his eyes, letting his feelings take over his body. The images hadn't been nice.

Not a dream, a nightmare. A memory.

He was four years again, all alone, waiting. Well, not alone. A brunet with a blurred face held him in his arms. The blond was positioned on his lap, feeling a strange paternal warmth. The man offered him a sweet smile and whispered calmly that everything would be fine. That there was nothing to worry about.

They were watching the TV, a special coverage of a couple going into a space mission for the next few weeks. The man had bright blond hair, a calm face and a wide grin plastered across his face. He held the red haired woman by her waist, looking at her like she was his entire world. 

She, however, looked impatient, nervous. She let herself be held by him, and even returned his warmth by holding his hand. And Naruto could see, behind all the frowns and angry expressions, how equally devoted she was to him. They were in love, a happy couple that had it all. For one moment, they just grinned at each other, and the world seemed to stop. 

And when they looked directly at the camera, Naruto felt they were reaching out to him. Like they were there, with him. They hugged him, whispered sweet words as they caressed him, held him. The couple wrapped his arms around him, warmth spreading all over his system. He felt safe.

Yet none of that was true. In reality,  he was cold. They were not there, no trace of them. Just the brunet, who was now crying.

The TV was black, like it was turned off. It wasn’t, the channel decided to not retransmit anymore. And the four year old kid couldn’t understand why the mysterious man was saying sorry like his soul depended on it. Why he was holding him like Naruto would disappear. 

Why he himself was dropping tears like an immense fountain. 

He couldn’t understand yet felt something was terribly wrong. He felt a puncture inside chest, making him forget how to breathe, how to live. The blond knew his life was about to change. Deep down, he understood in that moment that the most important people in his life would not be returning to him. And it hurt. It hurt like hell. 

And then all faded to black.

“Naruto, everything okay?”

Using the darkness as a cover, he wiped the remaining tears with his shirt and took a steadier position, to seem confident. To pretend he was fine. But he was not.

He followed the voice with his head, and watched as a head peeked out of his door. The same brunet from his dream, but older. His adoptive father since the incident 20 years ago. 

The incident…

He observed quietly the worried expression of the older man, tensing at the thought of him discovering the mess he was right now. However, his body relaxed unconsciously when the blond noted the other’s tired eyes trying to remain open. Iruka probably didn’t realise he was crying, which saved him from a longer conversation.

“I’m just fine, dad. No need to worry”

But the brunet, who was now approaching the bed, didn’t believe him. He never did, he had always been able to see past the other’s masquerade.

The blond always tried to keep him, them, away from his pain. Their worry of him was already enough as it was, they didn’t have to know the nightmares had become recurrent once again. It wasn't a big deal anyway.

He reluctantly let Iruka sit next to him, but never looking directly in his eyes. His dad raised his hand and let it rest on his shoulder. Naruto registered the warmth of his hand and relaxed his tensed shoulders.

“Naruto, you know you can tell me anything, you can tell us”. 

He reassured him, as he always did. Naruto felt lucky to have such a caring parent, thinking he didn’t deserve this. He had just returned from a long trip and decided to spend the weekend at his parents house. 

Well, more like he was obligated by the brunette to stay. Was he really going to burden them with his shit? He wanted to be happy in front of them, not to be a crying mess because of a distant painful memory.

“I know, dad. But it was really nothing”

Iruka didn’t seem convinced, but he didn’t push it anymore. The silence that arrived for the next few minutes was clear enough: Naruto didn’t want to talk about it. A heavy sigh left the older man's lips, understanding Naruto's thoughts clearly.

He gave him one last warm hug, whispering a quiet "remember we will always love you, no matter what" and proceeded to get up. The blond observed as he slowly approached the door and before exiting, he turned once more.

“I’m glad you finally decided to spend the weekend with us, it’s been so long” he smiled and paused, looking at the ceiling for a moment. Then at the blond. “Try to get a little more sleep, okay?” he said, in his characteristic sweet tone. 

“Will try, good night old man”, Naruto said, returning the smile as he scratched the back of his neck.

“Good night, brat” the other replied back, rolling his eyes. Somethings would just never change.

With giving him a final knowing look, Iruka closed the door previously opened, leaving Naruto alone again. Alone with his thoughts. Although he said he would try, in reality he knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep again even if he pulled all his efforts in. So he climbed into the bed, lied down, eyes looking at the ceiling. 

He needed to calm down. Maybe the constant nightmares was the way his brain had to prepare for what was coming in two days. He had spent all his lifetime preparing for this, and the proximity of the beginning of it was messing with his body. The expectations he himself established on him were getting overwhelming. 

But he wouldn’t back down. Not now, after everything. It took so long to finally convince his papa for a chance. He was going to do it. And he was going to make his mother and father proud, he was sure they would be watching him from the other side. 

He turned his head to the side, looking at his phone resting on the night stand. He took it, now remembering he had some messages he hadn’t answered yet, as the first thing he did when he arrived from the trip was come to his childhood home. The trip had left him exhausted.

He turned it on. It was 4 am, and there were 10 unread messages. Three from Shikamaru, two from Gaara, the rest from his friend’s group chat. Should he go to sleep once and for all? He groaned as he opened Shikamaru’s chat first.

Dude, did you arrive yet?

I guess you are already sleeping, what a drag

Are you up for a dinner meeting tomorrow? We could celebrate your new job

He debated with himself whether to answer now or leave it till it was a more reasonable time. He suspected if he answered now, his best friend would arrive at the conclusion that something was up. As Shikamaru always said, that would be problematic.

Yet knowing himself, if he didn’t do it now he would probably forget it tomorrow. So, he responded a quick “Of course! Where and when?” and left the chat. That would do, he will deal with it in the morning. He then looked at Gaara’s texts. 

Shikamaru invited us to ramen tomorrow since you are returning today.

Will you come?

Naruto sometimes wondered why they wouldn't just ask him through their group chat, but chuckled at the gesture nonetheless. He couldn’t understand why they always did this. Maybe it was a way to pressure him into going with them.

Although Naruto could never say no to them, especially since Gaara wasn’t a person who went out regularly. As he did with the other, he responded with a “Yeah sure!” and a sticker of a happy cat. He knew Gaara secretly liked those, even if he had never admitted it out loud.

Shikamaru and Gaara had been his best friends since kindergarten. They were there for him when his parents died in that tragic incident. They were there when he was left out from the other kids his age. They remained his friends even when he tried to push them away when the pain became too much. Really, he felt lucky.

They, together with his adoptive parents, were his biggest support, and the reason he was able to achieve his dreams.

Shikamaru was a genius, and also the laziest person he has ever met. During high school Naruto, who wasn’t really a brilliant nor a hard working student, had to remind him everyday of the projects they had due and even exams. And somehow, he always got good marks. It was something he had both admired and envied. 

He decided to study mechanical engineering, mostly because of his parents pressure but also because he really didn’t know what else to do. He wasn’t really passionate about anything in particular, he just wanted to achieve a decent life with a decent salary. And he did, of course.

Shikamaru was also very quick to realise when something was up, and had always offered a hand when Naruto most needed it. And Gaara was too, in his own way. Words were not the redhead’s strength, but the blond knew he could count on him if needed. 

As Naruto, Gaara didn’t really have the best childhood. The other kids liked to call him a monster because of his red hair and, as they liked to call, unnerving eyes. Little Naruto saw himself in him and decided to befriend him. And after trying for a long while, he was able to destroy Gaara’s walls and show the redhead life could be beautiful with company. 

He introduced him to Shikamaru, and soon the three of them became inseparable, like they were brothers by blood.

Gaara had always been closed off. He, as Naruto had experienced, didn’t let everyone near him and trust was something he thought had to be earned. The blond didn’t mind though, he loved him nonetheless. 

The redhead wasn’t as brilliant as Shikamaru, but he wasn’t dumb either. Because he wasn’t a social person either, he would spend most of his days studying. Even in college, when Naruto and Shikamaru tried to encourage him to go to parties he always preferred to stay to study. 

The blond guessed his decision was based on a mix of dislike for people and truly wanting to study. But figured the earlier was the major factor, and he couldn’t really blame him.

He realised after a few minutes he had been staring at his screen, which was now black, for far too long. Getting lost inside his thoughts wasn’t new though. He decided to turn off his phone once again and returned it to the night stand at his right. He would answer the rest tomorrow, surely it wouldn’t be that important. 

Naruto let himself sink inside the comfortable blankets, closing his eyes and running his hand through his hair. It was still dark outside, it probably would stay that way for two more hours. So he tried to sleep. Tried, but never succeeded. 

In days like this he never could, like some invisible force wanted to punish him by forcing him to stay awake alone in the dark.

So he stopped trying, staying silent and letting the characteristic sounds of the night flood his room. A few birds chirping, the light wind guiding leaves to his window. He could even hear some cricket.

He tried to concentrate on everything but his own mind. The way his hand felt the warmth of the blanket, the way his feet were slightly outside the bed because of his height, the way the pillow subjected his head perfectly. Iruka always said transporting the mind elsewhere helped. He just wasn't able to.

Tomorrow will be better. 

“Rise and shine sunshine”

Naruto groaned, not really waking up as he had never been sleeping in the first place. But he pretended to. He was tired anyway and it wasn’t something he had never done before, especially during his teenage years. 

He opened his heavy eyes, feeling the trace of the previous tears, and looked at the door to find a familiar silver hair leaning against the wide opened door. 

The look on his face was the same as always: calm, impassive and almost unexpressive. He was tired, probably slept four hours at most. Naruto guessed Kakashi must have been working till late, as he always did. 

Iruka surely tried to make him sleep and failed in the act, as the silver haired man was an expert at sleeping an average of four hours a day. Maybe waking him up was the punishment Iruka established for him for his lack of sleep.

“Come on brat, your dad is already pissed at me and if I don’t bring you to the table right now he is definitely going to kill me”

So Naruto was right, then he better pretend he had a perfectly good sleep in front of the brunette. If not, he was dead meat. 

“Yeah yeah, no need to remind me. I’m coming”

Kakashi seemed satisfied with his answer and left him alone, probably going downstairs to the kitchen. Naruto rolled his eyes, some things just never change. 

He reluctantly got up, groaning at the sudden light that came through the window. He put up some pants and the first shirt he found and began his way to the kitchen, following his papa’s path.

He quietly approached the dinner table, trying to ignore the strange dance their parents were in, but they were too loud. Kakashi had his arms wrapped around Iruka’s small waist, not letting him go out of his grasp. He had him trapped.

And the brunet really tried to get out, protesting and exclaiming he was not going to forgive him just for some cuddles and sweet words. Yet even Naruto could tell it was working, it always did. 

The couple didn’t seem to notice his presence until, by pure unluck, Iruka turned his head two seconds into his direction. That’s all it took. Three seconds later, he somehow was able to free himself from the silver haired man’s grip and launched into the younger man, who was trying to remain seated without falling to the ground. 

He was pulled into a tight hug by unexpectedly strong arms. Kakashi stood there for a moment, defeated, after he decided to join the affectionate action. They lasted in that position for the next three minutes, much to Naruto’s dismay.

When his parents pulled apart, he was able to breathe once again. He inhaled and exhaled hard, trying to regain the right breathing. The blond didn’t know what could have happened if they had stayed like that for even more seconds. 

He watched as Iruka brought some orange juice to the table and Kakashi brought the missing napkins to the table. They both decided to seat themselves next to Naruto, one at each side. 

“Are you finally going to tell us how your two-month trip went? We have missed you! The house isn’t the same without you” Iruka asked with his usual sweet tone. 

“Dad, I haven’t been living here since I was eighteen, what could have been different?” Naruto replied groaning, his dad had always been this clingy and he should be accustomed by now.

“But you at least visited every weekend! It’s been so long since we had a meal together. And yesterday you came home too late” The brunet whined, receiving a small chuckle from Kakashi in response.

“Don’t push him, love. He is tired from his trip” The silver man intervened before the clinginess became too much for their already mature son. Kakashi began to caress his partner's back.

“You just say that because you see him more! I only get to see my baby once a week” he paused, and then remembered something. He got flustered, pushing the arm on his back seat. “And don’t call me love, I’m still mad at you!”

“Dads please, could you not argue today? I’m already a bit stressed out about tomorrow” Naruto admitted flustered, playing with his interlocked fingers to calm himself down. The blond didn't want to feel like a little kid. He observed as the couple spared a glance at each other, like they were communicating with their eyes.

“You are right. We shouldn’t be like this, especially today. But Naruto, aren’t you a little excited, even just a bit? You've been preparing for this for as long as I can remember” Iruka asked worriedly, giving his familiar concerned look.

Was he having second thoughts on this? No, definitely not. But he was terribly nervous. Excited? Of course, his goal was about to come true. Yet his body would randomly send chills down his spine since one week ago. It wasn’t like he didn’t feel prepared, but he was scared of failure.

He didn’t want to disappoint them nor himself. But especially Kakashi. He was trusting him with this, it wasn’t something to take lightly. The expectations he himself implanted were now playing on the wrong side, and he was definitely questioning if he was enough.

He couldn’t continue with his trail of negative and intrusive thoughts because the silver haired man, seeing the lack of response and the uncomfortable silence, decided it was his time to join the conversation once again. 

“Kid, I know you are going to kill it out there. And when we finally launch it, we’ll be watching you proudly. I wouldn’t have chosen you if I didn’t believe in you” he reassured, placing his hand on his shoulder. And Naruto could feel some sort of relief. 

While Iruka had always been expressive and loudly supportive, Kakashi was more a man of action. Ruffling his hair, small smiles, even buying small gifts. Naruto knew he loved him, in his own way, yet he didn’t usually get this kind of speech from him. That was his other dad’s thing. 

So when he was the one to give moral support via words, Naruto knew the man really meant it. Although he sort of wished he demonstrated his pride more often.

“Thanks papa, that really means a lot” and Naruto wasn’t lying, his works always seemed to sink deeper in his brain.

“No need to get sentimental over silly lies. Now now, tell us how the trip went, I’m sure it all went wonderful” Kakashi said, returning to his impassive figure. Naruto, who had almost forgotten about that, began his answer.

“Well for starters, the conferences were really great. It was truly an introspective experience and all the stories from the veterans were amazing!”

The blond began to ramble about everything that happened, completely forgetting about the food in front of him. He spoke about the people he met from all around the world, about the conferences, about the airships he was presented to. Everything he thought was interesting. 

Although he made sure to leave out some unimportant details. Like he had been surviving on ramen and five hours of sleep.

Iruka listened closely, paying complete attention to what he was saying, even if he didn’t understand half of it. Naruto figured he was resisting his urges to ask about everything related to the basics of life, and he was glad. 

He didn’t want to lie and pretend it hasn’t been exhausting. But it was totally worth it. 

Kakashi however seemed, on the surface, uninterested. The blond hoped behind the neutral facade was even a tiny bit of interest. 

Well, at least the silver haired man was somewhat paying attention, to most of his rambling that’s it. However his blinks were becoming slower. Naruto guessed it was from the lack of sleep, rather than it being his fault. 

Moreover he continued, ignoring Kakashi’s sporadic yawns. He lasted talking for twenty minutes straight.

“Oh, and I made plans with Shikamaru and Gaara tonight. I hope it’s okay”

He observed as the brunette gaze went down, screaming disappointment with his expression. The silver haired man must have noticed it, as he leaned into the hand rested on the table and took it. He gave a gentle squish and Iruka responded by interlocking their fingers gently. They looked at each other and Iruka nodded in understanding.

“Of course, just make sure to say goodbye before tomorrow” his dad stated, slightly defeated.

He was truly amazed by their great non-verbal communication. It was intimate and precious, something only they could understand. One simple look could contain hundred words of meaning. A small touch could describe their entire trail of thoughts. 

What they had was definitely special and personal, although Naruto sometimes wished he could understand their love language.

He had always admired their healthy relationship, and always hoped he would find one like this for himself. Maybe, when the mission was over, he would find a cute girl or guy at a bar, late at night. 

They would go on dates, kiss, hold each other. He would cook for them, and they would support him and love him. He would settle down for the rest of his lifetime in a quiet home, preferable near his parents house. 

Yet this wasn’t the moment for that, he would focus on one thing at a time. This mission was his life for the moment, and the only thing which mattered.

“Will do, will do” Naruto agreed, nodding his head furiously and giving a bright smile in response. He went back to eating after hearing his stomach growling. Iruka just chuckled to himself. 

A new comfortable silence fell into the air as they finished their respective breakfasts. Before Naruto could take his plate to the sink, Kakashi got up rapidly and cleaned up the table by himself. 

Naruto threw him a knowing look, correctly guessing he was doing it to gain his father’s forgiveness. He didn’t mind though, less work for him then. The blond then excused himself, thanking the food, and went upstairs, leaving the couple alone.

He opened the door of his old bedroom and was greeted by a nostalgic sight. Now that the morning light flooded the room, he could notice the almost nonexistent changes his parents made in his childhood room. Even the bed sheets were the same. 

He casually took a look around everything and his eyes landed on the phone resting on the night stand.

Damn, I forgot I left it there.

He sat down on the messy blankets and took it carefully. Shikamaru and Gaara had already responded. And he group chat has even more unread messages. He groaned, opening Shikamaru’s chat as he previously did a couple of hours ago.

8 at Ichiraku’s sounds good?

Naruto sighed in relief, seeing as his friend had decided to not question it anything was wrong. He figured he would be asked about tonight, but that was a problem for the future. Getting excited about meeting his friends tonight, he began to tap his response.

Sure! See ya there!

He continued with Gaara, who had responded with a simple “ok”. He smiled, the coldness of his friend is something he had gotten used to a long time ago. The redhead was simply a simple person.

Finally, he got to the group chat. Most of his friends there were from college, and he was glad he could form such a good group. They would always hang out and not get tired of each other. Study meetings, lunch and dinners together, parties. 

He couldn’t  ask for better friends, although nowadays their meetings were almost nonexistent. Naruto has been focused on his objective, and he rarely went out with his friends to bars these days.

There were…lots of messages. He thought there was no point in delaying it any longer, so he started from the beginning. Apparently, Shikamaru has decided it was a good idea telling them Naruto was finally back, and his friends were excited. It’s not that Naruto didn’t want them to not know, he just forgot. 

Anyway, his best friend has proposed to them meeting late at night to celebrate Naruto’s achievement, and they had immediately agreed. On one hand, he probably shouldn’t get drunk today, he had to be professional tomorrow. 

On the other hand however, it has been too long since his last night out clubbing. So, he decided to respond.

Hi guys! I just woke up from the trip. I’m excited to see you all again!

He then turned the phone off, tossing it into the nightstand, lied down and closed his eyes.

Everything will work out, it always does.

Chapter Text

“Call me if you need anything. And don’t forget your keys, and your wallet and-“

“Iruka, I think that’s enough. He is twenty four, not five years old”

The brunet has spent the last thirty minutes like that, showing his overprotective and clingiest side. In fact, he was probably going to arrive late now to the meeting. Naruto was getting flustered each moment more and thanked Kakashi silently when he intervened, sighing in relief.

“That’s right dad, besides, it’s not like I’m going to another country. Chill out”

Iruka seemed to relax for a bit and with a final unnecessarily tight hug, he let Naruto breathe again normally. Kakashi, on the other hand, also needed to say something to him.

“You better not get too drunk young man, or else you are dealing with the consequences by yourself” Kakashi stated in his characteristic serious tone. “And remember, tomorrow we are leaving early in the morning ”

“Yeah yeah. Can I leave now? I don’t want to worry my friends” Naruto pleaded with his eyes. His parents nodded in agreement, giving him one last embrace. He reluctantly returned it, accepting there wasn’t a way out of it, and with one last smile, he began his way out of the house.

He had already forgotten about the beauty of Konoha. There were trees everywhere, even in the most built-up areas. He was glad there weren’t many vehicles circulating for the moment. That way he could hear the sounds the city offered to him. 

He approached the subway nearby in order to arrive at the place where they were going to have dinner. And just as he guessed, he arrived at Ichiraku’s Ramen Restaurant ten minutes late.

The restaurant was exactly the same as he remembered. Same style, same facade, same smell. Same everything. He loved the place. Naruto remembered when Iruka and Kakashi first brought him there, two weeks later after his parents death.

The instant he tasted his very first plate of ramen he fell in love. An involuntary smile formed in his lips, clearly remembering everything he felt that glorious day. The noodles hitting his tongue and feeling it for the first time, the steam coming out from his then big bowl, the faces his parents made seeing him genuinely happy since the incident.

Not to mention the welcoming attitude from the owner. Apparently, his dad and papa were regulars at the place, and the old man Teuchi always told him about their younger days. Their first date occurred actually there. He secured those memories inside his heart, ensuring it would not be forgotten. 

For him, ramen wasn’t just a meal to be eaten. It was a place. A special one. He had gone with friends, family, alone. And Teuchi, always welcomed him with open arms. He had gone at his worst times, when the pain became too much and needed to be alone. But he has gone at his best times too.

When he decided to enter, he was surprised to find only Gaara insided. Well, maybe he wasn’t surprised. Shikamaru was also known for not being the most punctual person in the city nor the world. He approached the red haired man and saludated him with a big grin.

“Hey man! It’s been so long, anything new?”

Naruto asked, trying to sound casual and cool. He gave the other boy a pat on his back and then proceeded to sit in front of him. The boy was wearing black baggy jeans and a leather jacket. He received a small smile in response.

“Nothing much” Gaara responded with his usual unimpressive tone. He had a small glass of water at the side, which was almost untouched.

“Where is Shika anyway? I thought I would be the last one. My dad had restrained me more than necessary “ he questioned, laughing embarrassed and ruffling his own hair with his right hand. Gaara just shrugged.

“I don’t know, he was supposed to be here twenty minutes ago”

“Maybe I should call-”

“No need for that, I’m here”

Shikamaru suddenly appeared on the scene, tired as always. His hair pulled up in a messy bun that couldn’t have taken more than five minutes to make. He wore short pants and a white T-shirt, combined with a dark blue jacket, which seemed old. He slowly got to the table and took the other seat left, between them both.

“Long time no see, idiot. How are your old men doing?” He asked, turning his head to look at Naruto.

“Just fine. They haven’t changed a bit though”

“What a drag. Can’t wait to work with you tomorrow” He stated sarcastically, rolling his eyes. Naruto gave him a disappointed look, but then realised the implication of his words.

“Wait, what do you mean?” the blond asked puzzled.

“Didn’t Kakashi tell you? He included me in the engine team”

“Really?! And I’m just finding out now? Aren’t you excited? Oh, this is great!” He exclaimed excitedly. He began to think about all the possibilities and getting hyped about this new experience they would start tomorrow.

“Calm down, it’s too late to be speaking this loud. Besides, it isn’t that shocking”

“Well, you may be right. Anyway, less talking about tomorrow. I want to hear from your life updates!” Naruto exclaimed excitedly.

“Shouldn’t you be telling us about your trip? This is your night after all” Said friend intervened, probably hoping to deflect the confession he said he was going to make tonight.

“Nope!” Naruto proclaimed. Shikamaru rolled his eyes and sighed. Gaara looked defeated. 

They began their conversation with Shakamaru’s stories. He learned his friend had already been working for his father for a while ago, just two wells after he left for the trip.

Naruto wondered why Kakashi didn’t say anything, as this was his friend they were talking about. However, finding out now was just fine, at least they can celebrate their imminent success together.

Later they tried to drift their conversation into Gaara, but apparently he didn’t have anything new to tell. So, seeing they were getting nowhere, Naruto decided to tell the same speech he gave to his parents about the trip. 

They spent the rest of their dinner like that. Laughing at inside jokes, enjoying their reunion, and of course tasting and eating the delicious ramen. And then, Shikamaru got a call.

“Hello? Shino? No no, just finished eating. Okay. Be there in ten. Bye” Then he hung up and returned his phone to his pocket, sighing. 

“Well, I hope you enjoyed the calm mood. Time to go to the club. They are already waiting there”

Shikamaru looked tired. Gaara seemed everything but happy. Naruto, however, slightly widened his eyes in excitement and grinned like a baby who got his perfect birthday gift. He put back his jacket, grabbed his phone and got up from his chair. Without warning, he grabbed the others’ wrists and guided them to the exit, despite their complaints.

Ten minutes later they arrived at the place. On the way, Shikamaru, between heavy breaths, explained to him that this was a new club which opened a few weeks ago. Apparently, the club got really popular ever since its opening, and people from all over the city came to it. Looking at its facade, Naruto couldn’t understand why.

He noticed the bright como four letters revealing its name: “Konoha’s club”. It wasn’t fancy nor original, but at least it was representative. The doors were closed, and some posters with discounts could be seen.

Music could be here from where they were, and it was very generic. The blond guesses the popularity was a result of it being brand new and having great discounts on the alcohol. 

With one last final look at each other, they decided to enter, as Gaara had informed them their friend group had said they were already inside. Once in, they were hit with an energetic mood and excessive loud music.

People dancing across the dance floor, couples making out in the corners, guys trying to hit on some random girls near the bar. It was your typical night club, nothing special. 

The blond put his eyes to work and began the search for their group. Nothing, just random people everywhere. Suddenly, a hand posed rapidly on his shoulder, startling Naruto, who turned around almost instantly to be met with the eyes of his friend. A wave of relief flooded him and then proceeded to welcome him.

“Kiba man! It’s been a while huh? Where is the rest? And tell me, have you finally made your move on Hinata?” Naruto asked a little bit too fast.

“Calm down man! They are over there, getting some drinks” said friend answered while pointing in the direction of the bar. He then lowered his voice and got close to his ear, ignoring for a moment that Shikamaru and Gaara were still there. “And shh, I’m planning on doing it soon, don’t pressure me”. Naruto responded with an annoyed look.

Kiba was an energetic man, even more than Naruto was. They met in college, on the football team. Not even two days had passed since their first meeting and they were already friends. They would sometimes practice together, although as years passed Naruto had less and less time.

On the other hand, there was Hinata. She was beautiful, he wasn’t even going to try denying a fact. They ended up meeting thanks to his older cousin, Neji, who had some of the same classes with Naruto.

The girl was always shy, but spending time with her and her brother was fun. Over time, the blond figured inviting her to his group would be great, and so he did. That’s when both of his friends met.

Kiba and Hinata had been dancing around each other for a couple of years now, and still Kiba couldn’t take the courage to just ask her out. Truth be told, Naruto didn’t have enough romantic experience to be giving advice, as he had never been in a serious relationship.

Except for that one time…but it didn’t end well. Anyway, it was painfully obvious and honestly hard to watch them not being able to take a step. For the moment, he would let it be.

“By the way, remember to come tomorrow to my place. Kurama has been making a mess of it” Kiba sighed with annoyance.

Kurama was Naruto’s cat. He have been living with him since he moved out from his parents house. Its fur was bright orange and his face was almost angry always. 

However he was never mean to Naruto. In fact, he had a tendency to attack people who approached his owner. Whenever he brought people home he had to leave the cat inside his room for him to be relaxed. 

His friend Kiba was the only brave enough to deal with his cat when he was away. And he always had to make it up to Kurama.

Kiba readjusted his pose, getting out of the blond’s personal space. He then addressed the trio. “Come on guys, we’ve been waiting for a while, and everyone is excited to have you back, Naruto”. He took him by the wrist and guided him to the spot, the pair of best friends following from behind.

He was quite surprised to find everyone at the bar. Well, not really. He had been expecting everyone to show up, as it was said on the group chat. His eyes landed on Sakura first. His pink haired friend was beautiful as always.

He met her at a college party and they messed around for about two months, when they decided they were better off as friends. She was wearing her typical light pink shirt and some blue jeans. Her hair was tied with a red ribbon.

He then noticed the Hyugaa brothers: Neji and Hinata. The boy had long black hair, and it was surprisingly too neat and clean. He was wearing casual clothes, nothing too fancy. Hinata, on the other hand, was wearing a beautiful white dress that Naruto was sure she wanted to impress Kiba with. And sure she did, Kiba was one blink away to begin to drool.

There was also Shino, a weird friend of his who had an unbelievably obsession with bugs. His sense of style was even worse than Naruto’s and his hair was messy seven days a week. Nevertheless, he was a chill guy who always brought into conversations unexpected facts.

The trio greeted everyone, hyping the already excited mood. Their main focus for the first few minutes was Naruto, who found himself subjected to endless questions and who did his best to respond to them all. Sakura was happy but annoyed he didn’t keep much in touch. Neji seemed genuinely thrilled, in his own way, to be there.

“Okay guys enough about me. Let’s dance!” Naruto exclaimed and dragged everyone into the middle. 

As he promised to his dad, he didn’t drink alcohol at all. And he was offered, many times actually. But true to his words, he only took some sodas here and there.

Yeah, he would make sure nothing problematic happened during their night. He could have fun without making a mess, it wasn’t like he was a walking troublemaker. 

All was going well, suspiciously well. They were dancing, laughing, feeling the music and sounds vibrate through their bodies due to the unnecessary potent music the club was playing.

The blond could now leave for a moment the expectations and worries behind. He was there to have fun and to disconnect. And his friends were great at helping him achieve that state of mind.

Everything was going great. 

Until it wasn’t.

At some point, as Naruto was sipping a bit from his drink, he realised he needed to go to the bathroom. He wasn’t a short guy, so he was able to scan the club and find at one corner the signal for the restroom. After explaining his situation to Shikamaru, who just rolled his eyes in response, he proceeded to make his way to it.

Moving between the agglomeration was difficult enough but doing it while maintaining his drink stable was torture. He was trying to keep his eyes up and only looking down when he felt he was going to not tread someone’s feet by accident. 

Passing the people as best as he could, he saw his destination for a fraction of a second and took a deep breath, rejoicing at his near arrival. However, when he was about to get to it, he collided with something, almost falling to the ground. But it wasn't something rather someone. 

He opened his eyes carefully and immediately noticed the lack of fluid in his glass. Naruto looked up at the person he had bumped into. Indeed, as suspected, his soda was now in the mystery person’s jacket. Shit fuck, how did I miss him from my view.

The boy in front of him still has his eyes closed, he probably was still startled from the bump. One hand was posed against his head as the other tried to bring stability to his body. Unconsciously, he took advantage of the other’s unawareness and the blond began to analyse the dark blue haired boy, who was probably around his age. Just for a moment.

The first thing he noticed was his not too long straight hair that covered, for the moment, most of his face, preventing him from seeing his features. It was almost as if the body intentionally brought his hair down to avoid attention.

He also noticed his clothes were too black. If it wasn’t because the blonde was too close to him, no one would notice the stain of his wasted drink.

He couldn’t tell much more about him, yet he had a strong feeling this person wasn’t really a social one. All his vibe was screaming “leave me alone!”, and his posture was anything but relaxed.

His wonders were answered when said buy abruptly opened his eyes and sent him an immediate death stare. Naruto felt a chill run down his spine, unprepared for what was going to come.

“You idiot! Why weren’t you looking where you were going?!”

The mood from the boy in front of him was contrasting his delicate body. His voice was explosive and it was certain now, the boy was furious. Naruto felt terribly guilty and a little bit terrified, deciding to try to apologise and not cause a scene.

“Dude chill. I’m sorry okay? I had an emergency and was going a little bit too fast and-“

“Well I don’t care! Now I’m soaked because some dumb blond decided to not look to his surrounding”

But the stain is not even noticeable…

“It was an accident. Again, I’m sorry”

“Sorry isn’t going to make up for this!”

“Well I’m sorry mister emo guy here can’t handle a little stain!”

Okay, Naruto didn’t mean to say that. Well, it was what he was thinking. However this wasn’t exactly handling the situation maturely. He shouldn’t be starting a verbal fight just for something that was mostly his fault.

Yet he couldn’t take it back, because the boy was being too rude over a silly mistake. The other just widened his eyes for a moment. And then responded back.

“Excuse me? Who do you think you are?! You aren’t even going to apologise for this?!” 

“I already did, asshole!”

“Did not”

“Did too”

“Dobe!”

“Teme!”

“Well I think that's enough, ne Sasuke?”

A voice suddenly interrupted their childish argument. The boy, whose name the blond assumed was Sasuke, looked even more annoyed than before. He looked at his possible friend like he had looked at him just a few moments ago. With fierce, intense and annoyed eyes. He really is an antisocial guy. 

The new person was tall, probably Naruto’s own height. His hair was white and he almost had shark teeth. His posture expressed confidence and he seemed close to the dark haired boy. Clearly a social guy. Naruto noticed he was wearing more vivid colours too: blue jeans and a white jacket. It was like they were opposites. 

“Hi, I’m Suigetsu. The asshole’s best friend. Excuse him for his reaction, he doesn’t usually go out to places like this and isn’t used to being with people. Sorry for this. Have a great night”

Without saying more words, he took the other’s wrist and, against his will, took him out of the corner they were in. Naruto stood there confused by all the recent interaction for a few seconds until Shikamaru appeared by his side and took him out of his trance. 

“Dude are you okay? You’ve been going to the bathroom for about fifteen minutes now”

He glanced at his friend, who looked between worried and annoyed by his short disappearance. Shikamaru raised his eyebrows, waiting for an explanation from the blond. Although Naruto wasn’t going to admit he just had a fight with some random weird guy over an accident.

“Just bumped into someone, nothing to worry about”

And Naruto really hoped there was nothing to worry about as he made his way to the bathroom, his last thought being about the encounter he just had and his black eyes.

I hope I don’t see that teme again.

Chapter Text

Life always knew how to make the greatest comebacks, for better and for worse. Now he wasn’t a superstitious guy, not even close. And yet, karma was something Naruto started to believe since he was in tenth grade, when he decided to make a little prank to Shikamaru. And was rewarded with a sprain two days later during a ‘friendly’ football match between classes. 

It wasn’t always bad. There was that one time he  helped a grandma with her heavy bags and life gave him ramen during dinner. Or when he aided his dad Iruka with assembling a new bookshelf and ten minutes later found a bill of ten on the floor.

For each action there’s a reaction, as the grand Newton once stated. Life was just a construct of situations created by actions and their consequences, either good or bad ones. It was science, and luck didn’t actually exist. 

However sometimes he felt he was the unlikeliest man alive. He remembered the day when he didn’t welcome his dad when he arrived home and life decided to send him a severe cold. He spent one week at home and missed all his classes that had to be recovered later on. It wasn’t funny.

Or when he forgot to set up his alarm, couldn’t wake up on time to school and literally missed a surprise exam. He spent all the evenings crying, even though his fathers reassured him it was just a mistake. Not funny at all.

And what happened today was anything but hilarious. Fuck you life.

It all started the morning after the club experience. They went home shortly after as they needed to wake up early. Sleeping well was essential to have full potential during the day, and the blond knew it very well. Kiba was kind enough to drive him home as he didn’t live too far away. Although Naruto would be picking up Kurama after work tomorrow.

And when he returned, the house was in complete silence. He could even hear the sink dripping and Kakashi’s loud snoring.

Assuming, praying, his dads were sleeping, he turned on the lighter on his phone and made his way to the bedroom. Once he secured the door and made sure it was correctly closed, he took off the shoes and thanked the relief his feet now felt.

He carefully slid the jacket under his shoulders, following the natural curve of his body, and placed it on the first chair he found. Naruto then glanced at  the perfectly folded pajamas over the table that were probably placed by Iruka.

He began to undress to change into those. First the pants, then the shirt. Same order he always did, as bad habits die hard. He took his phone before sitting on the bed. It was 2 in the morning. Not too late but neither was it early. He should sleep, as he needed to wake up early and get ready. His father would kill him otherwise.

Yet he didn’t feel any kind of tiredness. Instead, his mind wouldn’t stop speaking about everything, overthinking. It first drifted into the project, wondering about all the things that could go wrong.

Would he be able to finish what his parents started? What his mom and dad tried to achieve and failed? Was it really worth it to risk it all, trying to understand the motivations his family had?

He didn’t have an answer, and feared no one did. However, was there any meaning in his life if he didn’t search for those? And still, he was scared his motivations weren’t really his but from those who aren’t there anymore. 

His life should be complete and perfect. He had a loving family, great friends, and a cool job. He should be happy, content. However, he didn’t feel complete, it never really did. There was a hole inside, begging to be filled with something he didn’t quite figure out yet. He hoped after this, life gained a new meaning.

He dismissed those thoughts, finally leaving the edge of the bed and getting inside the warm blankets. He positioned himself looking upwards, staring at the ceiling. Once he finally closed his eyes, images of the altercation from earlier clouded his mind.

The boy, Sasuke, was hard to forget. His features were unique, and their encounter was anything but normal. The man was definitely an asshole and an arrogant bastard, and yet something about him piqued his interest. 

Naruto prided himself for being someone understanding with others. But he just couldn't stand someone who thought of himself like he owned the world. God, the raven had been so entitled. He had literally apologized right after he bumped but the other had to be and asshole about it.

Naruto didn’t want to think of that man anymore, he wasn’t going to see him again anyway, so why was he sparing even a fraction of his time thinking about an idiot. Really, it wasn’t normal to get that upset by a tiny drop of soda on your jacket, no big deal.

Ugh, I guess I better sleep for real. The accumulated exhaustion must have finally kicked in as the blond only needed ten seconds to drift away from the real world and finally slept.

Six hours later, the alarm he didn’t even remember setting up started to sound loudly. He woke up rapidly, startled and disoriented. Then realized the strident noise was coming from his phone.

Groaning, he turned to where the phone was. Trying to maintain his eyes open, Naruto turned it off, after a few misses, and went back to bed. 

“Okay, time to wake up” 

He got up from his bed and, almost automatically, headed for the nearest bathroom. Taking care not to make noise, he opened the tap of the sink and splashed on his face and hair with some water with the help of his hands..

He hoped that would wake him up and prevent him from going back to sleep. Then he dried himself with the first towel he found and for a moment looked at himself in the mirror.

Naruto saw himself as he was. Tall, blond, terribly handsome. Well, maybe the later was an exaggeration, although his dad always said he was the prettiest boy in all Konoha. At first glance, he could ignore the sleepy bags under his eyes, which probably would stay there forever. A result of his sleepless nights.

He could also ignore the scars that adorned his cheeks and would haunt him for life. Three small lines on each side that, as his classmates had said in mockery, made him look like a fox.They were the memory of a mistake from the past, something he could no longer erase and that his own body was in charge of remembering every time he saw his reflection.

They were a reminder of the loneliness he once felt. A loneliness that still existed inside him, but he had learned to cope, mostly with the help of his family.

Naruto then proceeded with his morning routine. He got a little palette of make up he brought and began to cover the scars. He couldn’t help but be ashamed of them, even if both his dads had assured him they didn’t define him, that they made him unique.

But he didn’t want to be judged, more than he already was everyday. Who wanted that? He wanted to be normal, to feel normal. Was it really that bad to cover his outside flaws? People did it everyday. It wasn't a big deal.

When he was satisfied with the results, he left the bathroom and returned to his bedroom. There, he changed into comfortable clothes: baggy pants, white shirt and black hoodie.

Kakashi would surely ask him to wear more formal clothes, but as his papa should know, Naruto was a free spirit. Yep, he was getting killed once his old man woke up. Yet he rather be himself that being told what to do.

After that, he looked at the clock on the bedside table. It was 8:15. His parents would be up in fifteen minutes. That was the time he had to prepare a surprise breakfast for his beloved parental figures. He wanted to make a good gesture to them, especially Iruka, to make up for all this time away from them. After all, they gave him everything. 

However there was a small problem. In all his years of independence, he had never really learned to cook elaborate dishes. In fact, most of his life was based on instant ramen and derivatives.But, he thought he was capable enough to prepare scrambled eggs and a fresh orange juice. Well, he hoped.

With a headband to push his hair away from his face and the pink apron which his father Kakashi used to wear when he was younger, he started cooking. Taking from the fridge the last three eggs and from the cupboard an old frying pan, he lit the fire and carefully dropped a couple of drops of oil on the pan. Five minutes later, he successfully finished the scrambled eggs. At least their appearance seemed edible.

He was pleasantly surprised by the already-made juice that resided in the top part of the fridge. Probably his papa was responsible for it. Well, why waste the little time he had left if he could just pick up that perfectly full and beautifully looking jug? The blond, final but not least, took three glass cups from the cupboard, some napkins and plates and placed them on the table.

Just as he predicted, he heard at 8:30 an alarm coming from upstairs. It only took five minutes for both of them to come down. They looked like total opposites though. The silver haired man was the definition of messy.

Rebellious hair, almost closed sleepy eyes, a dirty shirt and trousers Naruto couldn’t figure out how they were not falling to the ground. Iruka, on the other hand, was ready to start the day. Cleaned, hair tidied up, comfortable clothes. It was as if he had been awake for hours. 

“Morning brat” Kakashi mumbled between yawns.

“Good morning Naruto! Did you prepare breakfast? That’s so sweet.” Iruka greeted him, leaning closer into a hug. Naruto, without much of an option, returned it by embracing his arms around him too.

“Dad, you can let go now. This old man and I need to go in like five minutes” Naruto was suffocating now, but Iruka apparently had enough and released him from his arms. Kakashi turned to the blond and with his tired tone informed him of something relevant.

“Naruto, I forgot to tell you. We have a general reunion at half past nine. You will be able to meet the leaders of each team for the final fase. Please, put some formal clothes “

Said blond silently took the victory of predicting the man’s words and furiously rejected his offer with his head. Kakashi sighed in disbelief, accepting his kid was the way he is and not even a huge scolding from the brunette could change his personality.

Not wasting more time, the three of them sat on the table, just as they did last day. Once finished, the silver haired man rushed to his room in order to change and, not even five minutes after, his papa came down dressed in a black suit and white shirt. 

“Come on brat, let’s get the car” 

“Coming old man!” He shouted from the kitchen, giving his dad a final kiss on the cheek.

And with that, they made their way to the place of Naruto’s new journey: the Hatake building, also known as his dad’s company. Kakashi’s business, founded by his sadly dead father, focused on creating technology for the aerospace sector.

Rovers, spacesuits, even rockets. However, due to a terrible accident, the company decided to stop doing space missions for a while and started selling his technology to other organizations.

20 years ago, the mission had presented problems from the start. Yet their goal was simple: they wanted to travel beyond the moon with human presence, not just remote rockets. Specifically, and after much research, the target was set at Calisto, one of the natural satellites of Jupiter.

The montage of the vehicle was exhausting and a large group of people were included. Six years of hard work lead to the day of the launching. A married couple was selected among the best astronauts, and the whole team was confident the mission was going to go well.

But it didn’t, and the couple, Nauto’s parents, died before they could pass through the atmosphere due to a hole in the fuel tank. The mission was immediately shut down and the company had to deal with financial problems and their destroyed reputation.

When Kakashi took over, he had to spend five years redesigning and changing everything to be considered a great company again. To be considered reliable.

However six years ago, Kakashi decided to restart the mission. The insistence of his son have been one of the greater factors for that.. And Naruto was the one who would be travelling into space, just like his parents once did.

His dad Iruka immediately tried to dismiss the idea, too scared that something would happen to him. Kakashi was also reluctant, but preferred to accompany his son during the process rather than shut down his dreams. Besides, he was confident their technology was advanced enough to complete it this time. And now, there was only one year of preparations left.

After a silent five minute ride on his papa’s unnecessary expensive car, they arrived at the facade of the installation. Naruto had always been amazed by its image. A big building that reached the sky with hundreds of floors full of people working and creating.

The building was essentially white except for the big blue window on some rows. At his right side, resided the parking, which was able to host hundreds of cars too. At his left side, there was the hangar, where the big constructions were created and built up. 

As a kid, the hangar had always been his favourite place. Kakashi would sometimes bring him with him during work hours when Iruka had to spend extra hours at school and couldn’t take care of him. Naruto spent his time there being a little troublemaker.

He would inspect all the tiny places of the place, touch everything that seemed interesting and annoy the workers with his long one-sided talks. He was fascinated by everything he could find inside. And still is. 

“Come on, Naruto. The general reunion will begin shortly”. Kakashi reminded him, already moving towards the entrance.

Right. Duty called him. As the astronaut in charge, his papa had stated he was going to be the one guiding and administrating the different teams of the mission. Apparently, he would be the one coordinating the different sectors and securing the mission went smoothly. It was a great responsibility Naruto was ready to take. He had been preparing all his life for this after all.

Now he would be presented to the leaders of each team. A total of six different people he would have to control and have answers for their questions and doubts. Time to put his engineering degree to some use. Naruto already knew Shikamaru was the leader of the engine group, and he knew he would work with him well.

He, however, was a bit nervous about meeting the rest. Would they be old people with lots of experience? Or younger promising people? He knows his dad always contacts the best of the best, but he hasn’t advanced him anything about the staff who will be working on the project. His questions were about to be answered as the silver haired man led him to the meeting room. 

The room was large and yet empty. Only they both were there. Well, it was to be expected. After all, it was only fifteen minutes past nine and the meeting was at half past nine. Twelve chairs were always placed around the large table, which also had a glass of water for everyone. His papa began to set up the computer for the presentation of the project and Naruto was ready to sit down and wait patiently.

And that’s what brings us to the very moment life decided to make its come back.

Just as he sat down, the door opened slowly to reveal a young black haired man behind it. The very same man from the night club. The blond widened his eyes in surprise.

This has to be some cruel joke. 

“You! What are you doing here?”

Naruto asked immediately after, getting up from his seat without much thinking and completely forgetting about his dad being there. Sasuke, on the other hand, transformed his initial calm expression into a frown and then into recognition and anger. Knowing they were not alone, the raven asked as relaxed as he could.

“No, what are you doing here?” He asked, arms crossed in front of his chest and face impassive.

They both kept glaring at each other, no one daring to answer without being able to insult each other right in front of the older man. Naruto noticed the other’s formal clothes. A perfectly placed black suit, a smooth red tie and he was sure his shoes cost more than the damn computer. 

His hair was straight and part of it was brought into a high ponytail. He also noticed that under his eyes he had tried to apply some make-up to try to cover his dark circles but had not succeeded at all, because there was still some darkness. Or maybe the blond could notice it due to his experience with make-up. 

“You two know each other?” Naruto was brought back to earth by a confused Kakashi with a puzzled expression across his face. 

What could he say to his dad? That he had an incident yesterday when he promised he wouldn’t get in trouble? Nope, not happening. But the silver haired man was waiting. Thankfully, the emo guy decided to give an answer before Naruto could collapse searching for reasonable lies.

“We just met yesterday at the club, sir” he said, his voice steadier this time.

His tone was convincing, yet Naruto somehow knew it wasn’t enough for Kakashi to believe nothing had happened at all between them. Although the blond did believe it was just a silly encounter that got unnecessarily violent.

“Ah, I see. What a small world” Kakashi glanced at Naruto. His glaze said it all, he knew there was more into it. He continued. “Well since you are early Sasuke, I would like to formally introduce you to my son Naruto. And don’t need to call me sir, too formal, Kakashi is just fine”. 

The raven seemed surprise but didn't comment on it. The man then bumped Naruto’s shoulder, signaling his cue to introduce himself. Reluctantly, he did as he was indirectly asked.

“Hi, I’m Naruto Uzumaki. A pleasure to meet you, I’m the astronaut in charge” he offered his hand to the raven, who hesitated for a few seconds and then returned the shake. His grip was surprisingly strong, as his hands had seemed fragile and small. Kakashi observed their interaction. 

“I’m Sasuke Uchiha, the leader of the life support team. The pleasure is mine”

Even though the guy was really good at faking smiles, the blond could see the discomfort and disgusted expression behind that facade. The raven wasn’t obviously convinced the blond was the one in charge. 

He could almost imagine what the other was thinking. And it wasn't for sure nice things.

Naruto couldn’t comprehend how the man in front of him was some sort of engineer. Really, it didn’t suit him at all. The blond had thought at first he was some kind of lawyer or something. Yet he was going to be stuck working with him.

This guy is supposed to keep me alive out there?! What a joke.

After what felt like forever, they stopped shaking hands and the Uchiha excused himself. Then, he made his way to his seat, which he decided would be the one as far as possible from Naruto. And the blond was very happy about it, no need to lie. Just when he thought the uncomfortable moment was over, his father turned to him.

“Naruto, may we have a word?”

Fuck you life.

Chapter Text

The blond could only nod in agreement. He didn’t want to be scolded on his first day here, how could he show he was good enough for the job if he was acting like a child? No, he had to take this seriously.

Naruto during his way out, glanced for a moment at the Uchiha only to be found by black orbs observing directly into his own eyes. Ignoring the look of curiosity the Uchiha was giving him, he followed his dad to the corridor outside the meeting room. 

They positioned themselves in front of the other. The younger was nervous, the older was calm. Making sure no one was near, the silver haired man turned to the younger with a knowing expression

“Should I be worried about the clear tension between you two?” Kakashi placed his arms on his waist, looking at his son with genuine worry.

And Naruto wasn’t surprised by the question. Not at all.

“No papa. We just had a rough first impression. He-” fortunately, his father stopped him before he could say something he would regret later.

“Naruto” voice was firm yet calm. Naruto’s next words died on his throat and he quickly felt silent, something about the other’s mood averted a sense of seriousness. The older man sighed, placed a hand on the blond’s shoulder and looked into his eyes. 

“Listen, I don’t care if you don't like him. But he is one of the best engineers around here, it took a lot to finally bring him here for this. You don't need to be friends, just stand each other.”

“But you don’t understand-” The blond didn't even know why he was trying to protest. If he didn't keep his mouth shut, he would probably end up digging up his own grave.

“And, honestly, I don’t want you to die when you go to outer space for two years. I’m already reluctant to let you do this, and I don’t even understand how Iruka didn’t kill me for allowing it”.

Naruto avoided his eyes, feeling ashamed and guilty. Kakashi was expressing his most vulnerable side, and here was Naruto acting like a little kid with no maturity. He couldn’t face him like that. The man just continued.

“So please, behave. Who knows, perhaps you find that you have more in common than it seems”. 

The blond very much didn't believe it, yet he responded with a defeated nod. The man smiled, and Naruto turned to him. He sighed.

“Okay”. His papa placed his right hand on his shoulder, and gave him a light smile, feeling content.

"Great, now come one. I’m sure the rest will be here at any moment now”.

His old man wasn’t wrong. One by one, he observed as five other people entered the room and took a seat, the first of them being Shikamaru. He waved to his friend who returned the action tiredly.

The boy was definitely tired and already bored about being there. His hair was messy, but it was perfectly camouflaged by the tall ponytail he was wearing. His clothes were similar to Naruto, except a bit more formal.

His pace was steady and calm. And honestly, he had never walked with a hurry nor with pressure for anything in his life. His house could be on fire and Shikamaru would still walk his way out of there.

You could say his philosophy was based on enjoying the little things in life and that's why he never run, it would be fancy to describe it that way. But no. He just didn't care.

Two minutes later, Naruto was surprised when behind Shikamaru his other friend Neji entered the room. He hadn't told him anything about it. Then again, they hadn't spoken that much yesterday. He would need to ask about him later though.

Neji was wearing formal clothes just like that Sasuke guy did. However his suit was gray, and a black tie resided in front of his chest. Hair following it's natural flow and face calm as always. His mannerisms were steady, and he only gave the blond a small smile while entering.

Now that he thought about it, both Neji and Sasuke had things in common, at least from their outside appearance. Pale, delicate skin and straight almost black hair. But at least Neji wasn't an entitled asshole who valued his pride more than everything. No, his friend was usually nice.

Following him, a new pair arrived. One had black short hair and big eyebrows. The other was a girl brunette with two buns on each side. She looked annoyed by the yapping his friend was giving. Naruto noticed as the black haired man waved furiously at Neji and the brunette just sighed in shame.

Do these three know each other? I'll also have to ask.

Final but not least, a tall guy entered, five minutes late. His hair was white and… wait. Naruto remembered this person. It was the very same one from the club, the one who stopped their 'fight' before it got supposedly worse.

The guy, contrary to what might seem, was wearing pretty much the same outfit as his friend. He didn't seem like the type of person who would worry about clothing though. Guess you can't judge a book by its cover.

What was his name again? Suge, sugu, su-

"Suigetsu, why the hell are you dressed the same as me"

And even though the comment was made from the other side of the room and it was directed to the Suigetsu guy, Naruto had heard it somehow. It totally wasn't because he had been watching him closely.

Well, that explains a lot.

He observed their interaction closely out of curiosity. The white haired man gave his friends a pat on his shoulder and the raven gave the other a death glare. It made him wonder how this two ended up being friends to begin with.

Then, the taller mouthed something along the lines of "you are grumpier than usual". Sasuke's eyes glanced for a second at Naruto, giving his answer. And the blond had to look away for a second. His friend was almost laughing quietly.

Really? It's not like I followed him here on my own accord.

His attention to the pair was suddenly cut when his father finally started speaking. Kakashi stood up from his place at one of the corners of the table and readjusted his suit.

"Now that everyone is here, I would like to talk about what will be expected this next three years"

The sliver haired man began to explain the background that has brought them to this moment. He talked about how six years ago the project was reopened, how the spacecraft has been built effectively. Although it was preferred to keep its construction a secret from the public.

He then proceeded to explain that for the next whole year, this new six teams were supposed to revise and double check everything. For the next 365 days, each one of them would be in charge of securing the mission was a success. And after that time, they would be required to do the tracking of the spacecraft during the expected two years of space travel.

Suddenly, the white haired guy raised his hand. And before his father could continue, Suigetsu questioned, skeptic, why would he go trouble himself with searching new people if he already had a team who had built the whole thing.

"Wouldn't it be more logical to just let the people you already hired to complete their job? I'm mean, no offense, I'm excited for the opportunity. But I'm curious"

Kakashi didn't tense or show any signs of being surprise. He just proceeded to answer in the same tone he had been using since the beginning of the reunion.

"Well, financially it could be a better option. However we must address this from the perspective of security. In aviation there is this thing called redundancy and diversity. The more points of view assess the project, the more secure it will be".

His speech lasted about ten minutes more after that. And Naruto was honestly getting tired, talking about protocols and more protocols. He thought the job was going to be more exciting. Maybe it was just for today.

And honestly, he was getting tired of remaining in the same position for a such a long time. The chair was getting more uncomfortable as time passed.

He was terribly glad when his papa finally said he was going to say one last thing. But all the excitement for finishing died when he heard him speak.

Because to finish the reunion, Kakashi decided it was a good idea to mention the accident from twenty years ago. But the blond thought otherwise.

Yes, he understood why he was doing it. The man needed to state clearly the implications of the job, and the necessity of making it right this time. He could acknowledge that. Sending someone to space has never been easy nor safe.

But for Naruto, it has always been a sensitive topic. And his father knew it. He knew how on every anniversary of their death he spend all day alone with his demons. He knew how each time it was brought up he was on the verge of a panic attack. He knew.

And yet he decided to mention it when Naruto was there. Why? There had to be a reason right? He wouldn't speak about that so careless, specially knowing he too had lost them that day.

He swinged his head to the right, nor fast nor slow. His papa noticed, and began to stare at him too. His eyes were tired, as always. For everyone else, nothing on his expression changed. But Naruto knew better, and the eyes staring at him were revealing so much with so little.

Ah, so that was it. His papa was giving him one last chance. One last opportunity to back off from the mission. To stay safe and move on. And he could feel the prayers his papa was giving. I want you home, safe and sound.

He prayed that his son realized the danger, and finally saw it wasn't worth the risk. That other one could do it. And yet other one wasn't Naruto. He needed to do this. His chest was ready to fill the void with it.

The blond had finally though at least his papa was okay with it, apparently not. He couldn't blame him though, nor him or his dad Iruka. He obviously understood. But it was too much to know their real thoughts on this.

And so the blond looked away. And Kakashi understood what it meant. Sighing in defeat, he finally finished.

"Anyway, thank you all for your collaboration. I will give you all you tasks and time table in a minute, please feel free to take the rest of the day off"

As soon as Naruto heard those words, he picked up his things, which wasn't much, and exited the room before anyone else could follow him. He wasn't angry or disappointed. Not at all. He just needed to breath for a moment. So he walked away.

Now outside the Hatake buildings, he was lead unconsciously to the subway. He reached for his right pocket to find his phone. Calmer than before, he let his father know he was going back to his apartment.

He also messaged Kiba, asking if he was home. He still needed to pick up Kurama from him, and now that he had some free time it would be a good opportunity. Besides, his cat would be able to comfort him in better ways he could do it alone.

Surprisingly, he received an answer in just a few seconds.

Hey man!

Yeah you can come, but do it fast.

I have to leave in short

Okay great!

Be there in 20

Putting the phone back on his pocket, he approached the empty bench near the wall to wait for the subway. He couldn't help but curiously think about why Kiba was rushing…

As he had foreseen, Naruto arrived twenty minutes later. He was now in front of Kiba's apartment. The third door on the second floor. Under the door there was a big doormat, apparently new yet already dirty.

After knocking three times, he began to hear small footsteps hurrying to the door. And when the presence arrived and began to scratch the other side of the door, he heard a man shout.

"Goddammit, Akamaru! What are you doing?"

Akamaru was Kiba's dog, and if you asked the man his best friend. They had spent all their lives together. The dog was very friendly, but sometimes he could get over-energetic. Naruto liked the pup, but he could be difficult to handle.

Akamaru tended to act however he wanted. Similar to Kurama. However Kiba's pet was on another whole level.

While his cat was calm and just spent most of the day alone in tranquility, the dog spent all day searching for attention and playing with everything he could find. Well, actually the pet looked a lot like his owner.

He heard some angry threats and barks before the door flung open and he was greeted by his friend holding the dog on his arms.

Naruto was taken aback by the looks his friend had. When did he had a sense of clothes? And is that hair gel on his hair?

"Hi bro! Glad you made it on time. I was about to leave. Wait let me-" He put down the dog and began to search with his eyes for the cat. Spotting him behind the couch, Kiba approached him quietly and picked him up.

Kurama, as expected, was showing his clear discomfort and tried to scrath his friend. The blond gave him a small smile, he had missed his pet. Successfully, Kiba was able to bring him to the front door and handed him to Naruto.

His pet immediately reached for his owner the moment his eyes caught glance of him. Almost jumping from the brunet's hold, Kurama threw himself into the blond. He almost failed to catch him. His orange cat then decided to start cuddling and feeling his warmth.

"There there Kurama, we are finally going home"

"It's honestly amazing this crazy mood change. I spent like two weeks trying to make him comfortable around me" Kiba looked defeated, sighing.

"What can I say? I'm his favourite person" he gave his pat a small kiss on his head as he caressed his back. The cat relaxed in his arms. "By the way, why are you dressed this nicely?"

"Ah that…" suddenly, the face of his friend resembled a bright tomato. A date maybe?

"Don't tell me… you finally asked Hinata out?!"

The pieces of the puzzle were clicking together. The nice clothes, the cologne he had thought he imagined it, the perfectly styled hair. And above all, the awkwardness and shame his friend reflected.

"No way! When did it happen? Just yesterday you were being all cowardly about it!" Naruto questioned, truly shocked. He had thought they would keep orbiting around each other for a few years more even.

"Well…yesterday I drove her home and then asked her out. Don't ask me how I did it, it was probably the alcohol. But I'm really glad it happened you know. So yeah" Kiba admitted, scratching the back of his head.

"That's awsome, I really hope you work out. Good luck"

Then Naruto gave him a thumbs up and Kiba grinned back at him. The blond observed as he went inside to take his phone and keys, finally closing the door and ignoring Akamaru's whimpers.

They said their goodbyes and he turned to his dear cat.

"Okay little troublemaker, time to go home"

Chapter Text

Morning came rapidly. The sun rose, allowing the small rays of lighting to enter the room Naruto was in. Some of them were able to rest on his eyes, provoking his awakening. Small blinks turned into an opening. His eyes were observing, but he couldn't really see. He was too sleepy to comprehend anything.

So, for the moment, he maintained them shut. He was sleeping face up, and all his sheets were scattered over the floor. Suddenly, he felt a light weight on his chest. A fluffy orange weight to be exact.

He lifted his head slowly, trying to not wake up the animal resting on him. After some struggle, he finally caught glance of him.

Kurama was sleeping peacefully all curled up on his body. His face was hidden behind the long tail, and Naruto could swore his little paws were crossed. So cute.

He watched as his cat followed the rhythm of his breathing, moving up and down with the rising and falling of his chest. The blond couldn't help but smile to himself. Tentatively, he decided to push his luck and led his hand to the pet's back.

When his fingers were placed on him, the cat stirred a little. Fearing the worst, he immediately pulled away. Once he realized the cat remained asleep, he tried again. This time, he felt no movement when he slightly touched him, so he proceeded.

Once he was settled, he began to caress his fur . It was terribly soft. And stress seemed to flee away as his fingers ran trough his back.

Feeling more confident, he decided trying to readjust his position. He lifted his chest up, trying to sit on his bed and lay his back on the wall. Taking the pet with his arms, he relocated him onto his lap carefully. If Kurama woke up, he didn't give any signs.

Naruto then sighed. He returned his left hand to where it was and used his right to get his phone. Unlocking it, he saw it was only seven in the morning. He still had sometime before getting ready to work.

Ignoring the notifications popping up, he put the phone aside and turned his glace to the ceiling. The realization of his situation was getting real inside his head. He had always imagined this moment of his life, it was all planned. And yet…

What will space feel like? Will I'll be able to understand your admiration for it? What attracted you both so much to leave everything behind?

Maybe he was an idiot. And who was he kidding, he was fucking scared. Who wouldn't be? In one year he would be traveling for who knows how long and with the chances of survival being low. A suicidal mission all would say.

How could he assure his parents he wanted this, even thought he sometimes wished they had stopped him trying to achieve his dream?

He couldn't help the sadness that would come if something happened to him. Iruka would cry till he used all the water inside his body. Kakashi would try to hide his pain, letting it consume him as he tried to be supportive with his man.

He didn't want to cause any more pain. Dammit, he had it all. Loving parents, great friends, good career, awesome cat. His life truly seemed perfect. Yet…something was missing.

His trail of stress was cut by the sudden movement of Kurama. The cat was staring at him, however it wasn't a cute face rather than a like a death glare.

"Good morning Kurama! Did you miss me?" He said with a low voice.

The blond's smile was awkward. He had already suspected the cat would have some resentment for his two months absence. It was nothing new. He grabbed the pet by his waist and lifted him till his eyes were on him. He was looking at him angrily, squeaky eyes and grouchy snout colored his face.

Kurama, of course, didn't answer, but instead he growled at him. Naruto rolled his eyes in response, trying to think on how to compensate him. After some consideration, he tried to explain himself first.

"Okay I get it. You are mad, but I had no other choice"

Silence, Kurama didn't move. It was cristal clear he wasn't going to get his forgiveness with pretty words. Time to put the last trick on his sleeve.

"Fine, I will buy you that expensive food you like so much for the week" he sighed, already imagining the loss of money he is going to have to go through to compensate him. His cat could be such a nuisance sometimes.

On another note, should he be worried about his attachment issues? Probably yes.

Naruto still remembered the first time he had to leave him alone for a weekend. A few months after finishing college, Shikamaru, Gaara and him decided to make what Naruto liked to call a "boys trip" to Tokyo. And to do so, the blond had to leave the cat with his dads, which didn't end well.

Maybe it hadn't been the greatest idea now that he thought about it, as Kurama had been just a kit at the time. But he couldn't have expected him to eat almost nothing during his absence. When he returned, his pet had proceed to cling to him for one whole week. Naruto was only able to leave the house if he took Kurama with him, which meant only for getting groceries and to the vet.

Yes, the cat was now more independent and he could handle being alone for quite the time. As he got older he began to accept his owner couldn't be home all the time. However, two months have probably been too much. He will need to prepare his pet for when he sets off on his long journey to Calisto, or else it wouldn't end well.

He was brought back to reality when the orange cat he was still holding reacted happily at the offer, moving his fluffy ears back and forward. Dismissing his previous thoughts, he brought Kurama closer to his face and gave him a quick nuzzle.

"Okay buddy, time to wake up for real. Today starts real work".

The blond placed him on the right side of the bed as he pulled the blankets off. With the low light the sun was giving, Naruto was able to found his slippers and proceeded to lead himself to the bathroom.

As he always did, he splashed some water on his face to definitely wake up. Same as always. He wasn't definitely a morning person, and through the years he had found this the only way to not go back to sleep.

Taking the nearest towel, he began to dry himself up, moving it delicately around his eyes and cheeks. His sleepy bags were still present, probably they wouldn't leave for a long time. When he was satisfied, he took the make-up once more and covered both his whiskers and eye bags. Then, he readjusted his hair till he was content.

Now that he was partially ready, he went to the kitchen to make himself breakfast. He first opened the kitchen cupboard to take the cat food and placed it on Kurama's favorite bowl. Said pet approached the room silently and began to eat as Naruto prepared himself some coffee.

The coffee on his hands was warm. He sipped a bit from it, immediately regretting it when his tongue began to burn.

"Ugh, that shit was too hot"

Kurama glanced at him and then started to stare for a full minute. And after that, he laughed at him. Or at least what Naruto guessed was a laugh.

"You little menace. Just a a moment ago you were whining about my absence and now you make fun of me! Not cool"

He sighed, looking at his cat. He was making those cute eyes Naruto could never resist.

"I hate you"

A pause.

"Well shit"

He sipped once again from the cup, this time finding its content in a better temperature. The moment he finished, he got up and went to his bedroom. He changed into some comfortable clothes and mentally revised everything was done.

"Okay my little demon, I'll be back by noon. Don't miss me too much" He said as he petted the head of his pet, who leaned into the touch.

As soon as he stepped a foot outside, his phone began to vibrate inside his pocket. Without thinking too much, he picked up his phone to find out who was calling him in such a hurry and his eyes widened when he saw his papa’s name on the screen. Hesitating a little, he decided it was best to take it, as it could be work related. He hoped at least, since they hadn't spoke about what happened yesterday.

So, Naruto picked up the call and answered to his father. "Dad? Everything okay?" Maybe he should have formulated the question differently.

"Yeah, I just need you to come to my office before going to the hangar. We need to discuss some details that we couldn't yesterday because well…you know". His voice showed worry, but Naruto wasn't going to comment it.

"Oh yeah sure. I was actually on my way"

"Great, be safe. And text your dad when you are free this weekend, he wants us to have dinner." The blond could perfectly imagine his dad whining all day about missing his son. He knew Iruka appreciated time alone with his partner though.

"Right, will do. Love you dad, bye"

"Me too, take care" Kakashi replied back, ending the call afterwards, not giving room for a longer conversation. Not that Naruto would pursued it though.

For the moment, he was just hoping for a better day than what yesterday was. But life wasn't that kind these days.

"So this is your timetable. I assigned you for today to do a general check with each team. Tomorrow you will start administrating the documentation I placed on you desk. Then each Friday we will do a general reunion with the leaders. Ah, and I already called Jiraya"

Kakashi was explaining to him everything he needed to know. He would be working Monday to Friday, nine to five and with a one hour pause to eat.

His office was anything but neat, and the blond was having a hard time concentrating. Papers everywhere, some dirt on the bookshelves and there even some pens on the floor. Well, like father like son, although he should probably say like son like father.

"Wait, Jiraya? Is he coming back?"

Jiraya was an old men he met during his years of training to be an astronaut. He was actually what he liked to call his sensei.

The man's hair was long and savage, his characteristic white making him recognizable from the distance. He was…weird to say the least. When Naruto had met him he had called him a pervert. And how could he not when the man was literally reading porn their first meeting.

However, he turned out to be a very wise gentleman. He knew well the profession to which he was devoted, for he had been one of the best in his time. And as he spent time with him, he learned to like his company and really appreciated it.

The old man had quite literally taught him all he knew about being an astronaut. Not only that, but Jiraya had also been the master to his parents. Which allowed him to tell stories about them. And Naruto was glad he could learn more about the couple.

"Yes, two times a week you will be training with him. It's mandatory for you to keep in shape" Kakashi declared, returning the blond to the ground. He was surprised but also happy. The old man was someone he could be himself with, and working with him had been always chaotic.

That also means I won't have to see that prick Sasuke too much.

After listening to his thoughts, he mentally slapped himself in disbelief. First of all, why would he spare even a fraction of his time thinking about that idiot. And second, he did promise to at least get along decently with the jerk, so spending his time in the same space as him shouldn't be a problem.

When his father explained everything he needed, Naruto turned to leave and finally start his shift. However, he was stopped by Kakashi's voice.

"Wait! I just…wanted to say I'm sorry. I wasn't fair yesterday"

The blond was surprised by his words. His papa almost never apologised. Not a meaningful apologise at least. So him taking accountability for what happened was kinda shocking. He was almost too stunned to speak.

"It's fine. Your opinion aren't knew so you don't have to worry"

His words may have been harsh, yet they weren't exactly a lie. A silence fell between them, and Naruto could only stare at the other, as if he was waiting for a response. Maybe he was.

"I know but. Look, whatever you do, I will support you. Even if I don't like it. Your dad and I will be there for you"

These words had a lot of meaning, Naruto knew how hard it must have been for the other to express them. So he accepted the comfort, accepted the support and with one final smile, he left the room. He breathed for a moment, and then walked away.

"Okay, first I need to make a little visit to Shikamaru's team. Hopefully he won't question me too much about yesterday".

He paused for a moment. A sigh came from his mouth. He was already in front of the door that lead to the room. It was a dull and boring as someone would imagine. He placed his hand and the doorknob, and before twisting it to enter, he let our another long sigh.

"Of course he is going to ask…"

The sight in front of him wasn't surprising. The office was big, two tables displayed next to each other. Some people were warning with their laptops, others were dealing with some kind of schemes. There were even a couple of theme looking at some formula written all over the whiteboard on the left.

With a quick scan, he was able to find his friend on some small couch near the right corner of the room. The brunet has the same face as always, and he typed on his laptop as if his fingers were guided automatically. His eyes seemed to drift apart and yet he was focused on his work.

Guessing Shikamaru didn't hear the door violently open, he decided to approach himself his friend's position. With a rather fast pace, he reached his side in no time and tapped the other's shoulder to get his attention. He noticed a small flinch from his friend and then his attention drifted to the blond.

"Yo Naruto, don't you see I'm trying to work here?"

Said person decided to take a small look at what he was doing. There were some numbers and graphs on the screen. If he remembered correctly, Shikamaru was leading the engine team, and his father did say they had use a nuclear thermal rocket for this.

From what he recalls from his degree, this type of rocket worked by using a nuclear reactor to heat a propellant, which is expelled to the outside with a nozzle. That is what creates the necessary thrust to push to aircraft into space.

He looked a bit closer at the graphs and read something about the core and temperatures. Something seemed off, weren't the temperatures created by the core too high?

"Ne Shika, aren't these numbers too big? If the core is too hot, the fuel can be damaged" the blond explained, giving his friend a curious look. He probably had already something in mind.

"I was looking into that yes. I fear it will degrade if it reaches this limits. But don't worry, I already have some solutions in mind" Shikamaru answered, turning his head once again to the laptop.

"Wait let me guess, you will be lowering the power of the reactor. Although if you do that maybe it won't be able to reach the Kármán line"

"Great attempt, but you are right. We will need all thrust possible to reach space. I was thinking about adding more hydrogen to increase the flow and produce some cooling. Though I fear it will also increase the cost because we will need more propellant"

The black haired man then made some changes on the numbers and began to run a new simulation of the engine core. Two minutes later, the results given now looked a lot better.

"See? I do think it has inconvenients and we will also need some more space inside the rocket. Yet it's the best solution I could think of for the moment" He sighed deeply. "What a drag".

"Don't worry my friend. I'm sure you will get it. You are the best after all. Do you require my help?" Naruto offered, wanting to ease his stress in the measure of possible.

"Nah it's okay. My coworker there is already preparing a new budget for this changes so we can show it to Kakashi"

"Oh. Well you better get it by Friday then"

"I know" Shikamaru paused for a moment, as if he was thinking about how to say the next words. Naruto had already a feeling of what it was about. "Speaking of Kakashi, are you both…on good terms?"

"Yes"

"You answered weirdly too fast, don't you think?" He responded with a little smirk. Bastard.

"Okay fine. We talked this morning. You now he is, how both of my parents are. They aren't exactly thrilled about this" Naruto said, taking a chair that was near and sitting. "But we are fine"

"If you say so, I won't push. Remember you got my support, Naruto". He said, and the blond could only nod with a small smile. Deep down, he knew his friend was also worried. He was just too stubborn to give up on what he has dreamed all his life.

"That aside. There was another not work related thing I wanted to ask. Can I?" The friend ask, closing the laptop on his lap. His tone indicated curiosity. His gaze was now locked on the blond, as if he was going to analyze every word he said.

"Yeah sure" Naruto hesitated, a little fear appearing on his chest. His gut was telling him he wouldn't like the question.

"I noticed the guy from the bar will be working here. And yesterday, you were kind of eating him with you glare buddy. Do you have something to tell?"

He should have expected it. It was rare enough he hadn't already asked about it. But what did he meant? He hadn't been glaring at Sasuke. Not in the slightlest. He definitely wasn't listening to his words. And if by some little chance he was indeed doing it, it was because his white haired friend was loud.

Stop thinking about that jerk! It's bad enough I will have to talk to him today.

"I don't know what you mean by that" he tried to play it cool, to dismiss it all. Yet Shikamaru definitely noticed his first lack of response. He wouldn't be surprised if he has read his thoughts.

"You can lie to me. Just don't lie to youself. Your interest was piqued. That hasn't happened since-"

"Okay yeah maybe. But he was so rude to me! I'm definitely not interested. I was just curious how the teme acted around others" he interrupted his friend before he brought that name up.

"I certainly don't believe it. It's fine though, I already asked Gaara to meet on the weekend so we can discuss it" he stated with a big smirk splattered across his smug face.

"I hate you, how could you bring Gaara into this. I told you, it's nothing"

"Keep telling yourself that. Besides, the guy also was stealing glances to you, if you care" he added, and Naruto didn't know what to think. That…can't surely be true. And if it is, he was probably just mocking me with his friend.

"Shut up. I gotta go" the blond answered, glaring at Shikamaru.

"Sure, I should get back to work too" he opened his laptop once again and the screen inmediatly lit up. Before he inserted his password to unlock it, he said one last thing. "Just don't do anything stupid, Naruto"

"Don't worry. I have everything under control"

With one last look, Naruto finally left the room, leaving an exasperated breath once he was completely outside and alone. With a long sigh, he opened his phone and checked what was next. It seemed he was going to visit that Suigetsu guy.

Great, just great.