Naruto 1. Showcase

**Discliamer: I don't own Naruto. Pft.**

**Another story from Vanity-sama:Hearts: Love me, adore me! Yeah, bitches! XD This story has shouta! That's some hot stuff right there! Ok, before the story starts, these are the characters and what type of animal they are:**

**Naruto- Mix between a Clouded Leopard, Eurasian Lynx, and Maltese Tiger**

**Sasuke- Albino Leopard**

**Itachi- Albino Leopard**

**Sakura- Siberian Tiger**

**Sai- Black Tiger**

**Hinata- Silver Mosaic Chinchilla**

**Neji- Arctic Panda**

**Shikamaru- Black-footed Ferret**

**Kiba- Shikoku Dog (Kochi-ken and Mikawa Inu)**

**Lee- Crossbreed of Green frog and Cyclorana**

**Gaara- Melanistic Red raccoon**

**And don't worry, it's not animal sex and stuff O.o They're like... people animals most of the time.**

A curtain of rain fell over the large city of Naha, but it did nothing to damper the lively streets. Women in expensive dresses and high heels walked elegantly down the sidewalks, their limo drivers right by their sides, umbrellas overhead; Businessmen stood under wide hangings that jutted from the hotels and restuarants, their suits damp from the foggy mist that came with the rain; Children ran across the busy streets, dodging the passing cars and shoving between taller pedestrians who began walking along the crosswalk. The entire city was a mess due to the yearly animal showing that came there every summer.

The animal showing was known across Japan as the "Showcase". Wealthy men and women would show the busy crowds their pets called "Purebloods". Those animals were very rare and have been commercialized as the ideal pet for both adults and children for the past five years. The Showcase's main objective was to not only create copies of these rare creatures, but also to eliminate all "impure" animals. They sought to destroy all animals that weren't perfect .

Amazingly enough, most of the Japanese population didn't disagree with their opinions and just last year, the capturing and slaughtering of impure animals began...

A gorgeous woman walked into the large building that would be holding the Showcase, her high cheeks barely hidden between flips of mud red hair. Her dark eyes scanned the area as she walked past many beautiful pets and their owners. She gracefully made her way up to the long mahogany desk that stood at the back of the entrance hallway, then lifted her hand to tap the bell that sat beside a sign-in sheet, the lengthy fingers and slender arm covered with a periwinkle colored, silk glove.

A few moments later, a short and obese man approached her, his rosy cheeks lifting as he smiled politely to the woman. His white, blue trimmed uniform wrinkled as he took small steps toward his desk.

"Here for the Showcase, ma'am?" he asked, his voice laced with a strong Osakan accent.

The woman nodded, her choppy bangs bouncing around her ears, "I brought my lovely Sakura here yesterday evening, so she could become a used to these surroundings," her smile was tight, the dark, dusty lipstick painted on her lips becoming smooth.

"Ah, the Siberian, correct?" the chubby man asked.

"Yes, please bring her out to me. I have less than twenty minutes before my showing," her voice was cold, yet sweet. She smiled once again as the man bowed before scurrying off to another room. She brushed a gloved hand down her hip, flattening out the wrinkles of her dark purple dress.

Noticing a presence behind her, she turned, the sight of a silver-haired man making her let out a quick huff of a laugh. The man was dressed in casual clothing, the lower half of his face covered in pure white bandages. If he were to stand in a line with everyone else in the room, he would be noticed quickly with his strange choice of clothing. No wealthy man had ever showed up to a huge event in anything but a suit, and this man was always breaking that stereotype.

"Kakashi," the named rolled off of her tongue like a Christian uttering the dark lord's name. Bitter and icy.

The man's exposed right eye moved into an upturned 'u', a smile wrinkling the bandages covering the rest of his face. He took the woman's hand and kissed the knuckles softly, but the hand was ever so politely pulled away, a slight twitch of her lips telling Kakashi that she didn't want him touching her.

"Sibel," his voice held amusement, "I see you've come to the Showcase this year...?"

The beautiful woman known as Sibel tightened her lips as if she was tasting a sour treat, her shaded eyes narrowing into dark slits, "Yes, to display my Siberian Tiger, Sakura. She's a pink-tinted type, fairly rare. What about you? Showing your lovely Albino Leopard, Itachi?" she held back a small smirk.

Every year, Kakashi would show off his Albino Leopard to the large crowds, earning his pet the top spot in popularity when it came to which animal people wanted as pets in the near future. But this year, that spot would become Sakura's. Surely people have become bored with the same pure white leopard with haunting, light red eyes. And of course, since this year's theme is family oriented pets, Itachi would quickly be unliked by the children. A gaint cat like that would not be the right type pet for them.

Kakashi rubbed the back of his head, "Were you looking forward to seeing him again? Yes, well, I'm sorry about that, but this year I've brought a new pet. Itachi wouldn't have been the right kind of animal for this year's theme," he explained.

Sibel found her hands unconsciously tightening at her sides. Needing something to do with them, she lifted her right one to the dark sash around her waist and she pulled out a fan. It was much like a traditional Japanese one, but it was different in it's shape. It took on a type of European Renaissance look.

"Is that so? May I ask what you'll be showing?" she gave him a fake smile.

"Ah, a younger Albino Leopard," he stated, "he's from the same mother as Itachi. Unfortunently, he'll be the last leopard I can show... since his mother's passed on."

Sibel found another smirk trying to crawl onto her face as she covered it conveniently with her fluttering paper fan, "I'm sorry to hear that," she lied, "then I suppose you'll have no more beautiful pets to show once Itachi and this new leopard of yours have passed on?"

"Unfortunently not," Kakashi leaned against the counter, "unless one of them mates with another Albino Leopard, then I suppose I'll no longer be coming to these shows."

"Oh, that's a pity."

"Ma'am, I've brought your Siberian Tiger. Our workers have already grommed her and trimmed her nails for you," the obese man came back, a rather large, but soft and sweet looking white tiger by his side. The white color of her fur was like snow, and as she stood under the lights, her gorgeous coat gave off a pink tint, a very rare trait for a Siberian.

"My, she's beautiful," Kakashi commented, "you've raised yourself a fine pet, Sibel," he complimented with a warm smile.

Snapping her fan closed, she nodded, "Yes, Sakura is one of a kind. Well, I'd love to wait here and see your new leopard, but I have a show in ten minutes. If you don't mind," she gave him a shallow bow and walked away from him, Sakura walking gracefully by her side, her emerald eyes glowing under the many lights in the main hall.

Kakashi waved to her as she left, obviously more child-like that most of the guests in the grand building. He chuckled, "She could always just say she dislikes me."

"Excuse me, sir, are you here for the Showcase, as well?" the man behind the desk asked.

Kakashi turned to him and crossed his arms over the desk's smooth surface, "Please bring out my Albino Leopard, Sasuke," he smiled underneath the bandages covering most of his face.

xxxxxxxxxxx

A rather small cub ran through the pouring rain, his extremely thin body winding in between peoples' legs as they walked. The kitten had pointed ears with black tips that pointed out like soft whiskers, and his fuzzy coat was a peach color, prints of black spots starting from his soft pink nose to the tip of his long tail. From his sides down, solid black stripes ocassionally decorated his fur, wrapping around his pure white stomach.

Many people stared at the cub as he ran by through the rain, most of them looking disgusted because he was so obviously an impure animal, but some looked because of his dazzling blue eyes that shimmered like coins at the bottom of the sea. A little girl tried to chase after him, but her father quickly held her small arm, quietly telling her to stay under the roof so she wouldn't get wet.

The kitten finally stopped his constant running as the scent of human food floated through the air, staining his nose with its delicious aroma. He hesitently stepped inside the building that held the Showcase, his sopping wet fur dripping water onto the carpeted floor. He shook off, much like a dog, and quickly went into the large room when he saw that it was empty.

He sniffed around, his small pink nose twitching every so often. Sneezing at the sudden strong wiff of perfume, he leaped behind a large vase that was set against the wall, watching as a large woman walked by, a toy-sized bear in her arms, the pet growling softly as it gnawed on a rubber toy. Slowly backing up, he ran down the hall, going inside the auditorium that was filled with people. He mewled softly as people so much bigger than him went by, almost crushing him with their shoes.

Leaping under a table, he began to lick his paws, trying to get rid of most of the dampness. But a loud roar interrupted him and his ears flattened on instinct. Moving forward slowly, he peaked out of his hiding spot, seeing the lovely Siberian Tiger, Sakura, baring her pearly white fangs and stretching out her elegant limbs on stage. His ears perked up and he ran out from under the table, making sure he was against the wall where no one would see him. He sat in a spot in the shadows, awed by Sakura's preformance.

"That was Sibel Claire's pet Sakura. A Pink-tinted Siberian Tiger," a voice said, but the little kitten couldn't see where it was coming from. Then applause broke out and he watched as Sakura gracefully made her way backstage, "next, we have a new pet from Hatake Kakashi-san."

The kitten sat up straight and then the lights went out, but he could see something come out from behind the curtains, then a stage light came on and it followed the slightly large creature as it walked down the stage.

It was a leopard. A pitch black leopard with blood red eyes and a light pink tongue than ran across his teeth as he watched the crowd around it. The cub's ears went straight up as the leopard sat down at the front of the stage, a long black tail fluttering back and forth. The leopard looked around and his red eyes immediately fell on the small cub sitting in the shadows.

"His name is Sasuke and apparently, he's a Melanistic Albino Leopard," the woman who was speaking seemed utterly surprised.

The leopard now known as Sasuke, kept his heated gaze on the little cat hidden away in the back.

xxxxxxxxxxx

Kakashi smiled as his pet returned from the stage, its shoulders rising and lowering as he walked. Standing up, he met Sasuke half way and petted him, "You did well for your first time. I think that deserves a nice dinner, don't you think?" the leopard stared at him, then let out a rumbling growl in repsonse to the question.

Pressing a finger behind Sasuke's ear, Kakashi watched as his pet changed shape, turning into a young male with skin as pale as the moon, hair as silky as the finest spider's web, and eyes as black as coal. He chuckled at the glare he was given.

"It still surprises me that you don't have red eyes in this form."

"Hn," Sasuke slid past his owner and began walking towards the back door.

Kakashi blinked, then turned around, "Where are you going?"

"To find a small kitten," the leopard stated as he slipped outside, the rain still pouring down in torrents.

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When Sasuke had looked at him, the kitten had ran, scared of the look the feline had been giving him.

Crawling into a damp box, he curled up, his body shaking from the cold of the approaching night. Tucking his head under his paws, he tried to sleep, hoping he actually woke up the next morning. But before he could fall asleep, footsteps alerted him and his head shot up, ears perking up as well.

Sasuke approached the small animal, his body drenched, his hair sticking to his cheeks, jaw, and neck. Silky black cat ears were set atop his head and a long tail swished back and forth behind him. He stared at the small kitten and it reminded him painfully of himself. Bending down, he held out a hand.

"Don't fear me," he whispered, his voice deep and rich. And even though it was loud because of the rain slamming against the pavement, the kitten was still able to pick up his words and he got up, wobbling over to the male.

Sasuke saw a small tag hanging from the cub's ear and he arched twin brows, "You've been tagged? But you're an impure breed," he pulled the animal into his arms and pressed his thumb behind one ear, watching as the small feline changed into human form, blond hair wet and sticking to his face. The child was small and clung to Sasuke, his fingers gripping tightly onto his wet shirt.

Standing up, he held the quivering boy close and looked into his eyes, "How can you change when you're impure?" he asked. He got no reply other than a loud sniffle and a sneeze. Smirking a bit, he carried the blond cub towards the back entrance to the stage.

"What's your name?"

"..."

"I asked you a question."

"... Naruto..." was the hushed reply.

**Sorry if it's confusing, but things get cleared up later.**

**I just thought of this and decided to type it. If I get a lot of reviews, I might continue it! So please review!**


	2. Different

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

**I wanna thank all my reviewers! Just make sure you keep reviewing, your comments help me a lot when it comes to my fics. Gives me inspiration, ya know? And this chapter is more cute than the last one.**

Kakashi made breakfast, like he always did on Saturdays, and continued to tell his chef that it was alright for him to take the morning off. It was always like this. Kakashi wasn't what you'd call normal, but someone could already come up with that conclusion with just one glance at him. The man would wake up giddy, happily go for a run around his estate, Sasuke by his side (even though the leopard loathed running early in the morning), eat a breakfast that consisted of smiley-face pancakes and star-shaped grapefruit cuts, go to work and drive his workers crazy with his strange antics, then he'd come home and have a delicious dinner with his pets who were usually up from their naps, all of them muttering prayer even though they were athiests.

But this morning, he was happier than usual. Not because he could fill his plate with as many smiley-face pancakes as he wished, since he was cooking (the cook usually set a limit since he didn't want the man getting fat), but because there was a new pet in the home. A very cute a playful one.

"Ah, such cuteness contrasts well with the personalities of my two other pets," he chuckled and turned off the stove, a large stack of pancakes sitting on a serving plate, ready to be made into happy faces. You'd think they'd have frowny faces since they were going to be eaten.

"Bya bya bya pyo!" his new pet must've been playing with the rocket ship Kakashi gave him.

Kakashi smiled under the bandages wrapped around his lower face and neck, and he carried the pancakes out, as well as the bacon and other foods that were need to make his happy breakfast.

"Breakfast!" he called, immediately getting a reply from his new pet. There was the sound of a vase breaking, Sasuke cursing, Itachi snorting in amusement, then a happy chirp of "food!".

A little Naruto ran into the dining room (in his human form), a loose white T-shirt hung over his skinny frame, reaching his knees. His large baby blue eyes were a very delightful sight to Kakashi, much better than the dark eyes of Itachi and Sasuke, who constantly watched him roam around the house out of shear boredom.

The kitten pulled out the chair at the bottom end of the table, his black spotted, golden ears twitching as he did so. Leaping up onto it, he sat, blond hair framing his chubby face, "Pancakes?" he asked cutely, completely used to asking his new owner for things.

When he'd first been brought to the mansion, the cub was scared to death. He was in a completely new environment, there were big pureblood animals around him, and since Kakashi was a slightly eccentric person, he scared Naruto at first. But then he got used to it all once he realized he wasn't going to be harmed in any way, deciding to call Kakashi his Aboji, Sasuke his Susu Oppa, and Itachi his Ita Oppa. Kakashi had asked him why he'd used Korean instead of Japanese, and the kitten had replied by saying that he was born in South Korea.

"Yes, pancakes," Kakashi set two hotcakes on Naruto's plate and pushed the bowl of strawberries, blueberries, and the can of whipcream towards him, "go ahead and make a happy face, Naruto. I'm going to go clean up that broken vase in the hall."

Nodding, the pet began to get creative, grabbing two large strawberries with his small hands and making them into eyes on his pancakes. He made a joyful "nyah" sound before grabbing a handful of blueberries.

Walking into the hall, Kakashi raised a silver brow at his two pets who were lounging in the library just a few feet away. Itachi was reading a literature book, while Sasuke was skimming through a book on famous paintings, his tail fluttering around behind him.

"One of you could've cleaned this up," he said, bending down to pick up the shards of glass, careful of cutting his fingers.

Itachi looked up from his book, naturally slanted eyes gleaming under the artificial light of the lamp beside him. He sat up straight and tilted his head, dark hair falling over clothed shoulders, "But it was the stray's fault," his voice was rich, yet bitter, like dark chocolate. And unlike his brother, Itachi had snow white ears, and a white tail.

Sasuke glared over at him, "I told you not to call him that."

Itachi let a ghost of a smile dance on his lips before he stood, placing his book on one of the many tall shelves in the library. He adjusted the black, leather collar around his neck and gracefully left the room, but not before saying something to his younger brother.

"I'd wondered why you brought that filthy thing into this house... and now I think I know why," he smirked and left his owner with his glaring little brother.

Shutting his book and placing it on the other side of the couch, Sasuke stood up, a scowl on his face.

Shaking his head, Kakashi stood, his hands free of cuts, "Why can't you two get along? Then we could be just one big loving family who take family photos together at Christmas."

Glaring at Kakashi, Sasuke walked past him, going into the dining room to take a seat next to Naruto. The blond was smearing whipcream over his pancake, coloring it in white. On his whiskered cheeks were little blotches of cream and some red from strawberry juice.

"Make sure it doesn't get on the floor," Sasuke said quietly as he sat, a pancake already on his plate. He raised a brow. It looked like a cat colored in with... blueberry juice?

"It's you, Susu Oppa!" Naruto smiled cheerfully, "I didn't have anything black, so I colored you in blue!" he giggled.

Smiling a bit, Sasuke patted the kitten on the head, "I look lovely, thank you."

Grabbing a fork, Naruto began eating, his cheeks puffing out as he shoved in more than he could chew. Swallowing a large mouthful, he took a sip of his milk, the creamy beverage leaving a mustache below his nose. He giggled again when Sasuke wiped it away with a hand cloth.

"Manners," the leopard said firmly.

Kakashi walked in and sat down after throwing away the glass and washing his hands. He grabbed a few pancakes and began decorating them. When he went to grab the whipcream, he spotted the colorful hotcake Sasuke was eating, "What a beautiful face, Sasuke, I didn't know you were so artistic."

Ignoring his owner, Sasuke kept eating, only stopping when Naruto got food on his face or on his clothes.

"Ita Oppa's no' eatin' wit' ush?" Naruto asked with a mouth full of strawberries.

"No," was the leopard's simple reply.

"But..." Naruto looked like he was about to cry, his blue eyes watering, lips forming a pout, "I made an Ita Oppa pancake," he pointed down to the hotcake he was currently wolfing down. The only thing left of it was an eye and part of the forehead.

"Why, how thoughtful of you," Kakashi commented, unwrapping the bandages from around his face to reveal smooth, pale skin and peach-colored lips. He wasn't ugly, so no one really knew why he hid himself. Taking a bite of his breakfast, he smiled, "oh, Naruto, I wanted to speak to you about something."

"Nya?" Naruto chewed slowly, recovering from his sudden sadness over Itachi's absence.

"I think you should start taking Pureblood classes."

Sasuke looked up from his plate, surprised. But then he narrowed his eyes into dangerous slits and growled at his owner, "How can he when he's not--"

Kakashi gave his pet a firm look, shutting Sasuke up instantly. Then he turned back to Naruto, "Would you like that? You can grow up and be just like your Susu Oppa."

Ears perking up and tail fluttering happily behind him, Naruto grinned, "I want to be like Susu Oppa!"

Chuckling, Kakashi began eating again, "Then your lessons will start on Monday," he completely ignored the glare that was burning into the side of head.

xXxXx

Itachi sat outside on the wooden swing in the garden, another book on his lap. His dark eyes scanned over the Latin words and he swatted away an approaching butterfly. He flipped a page, then looked up when the large doors that lead from the mansion to the gorgeous backyard swung open, Naruto running out in a new outfit. He wore knee-length khaki shorts and a bright orange hoodie, the large hood up over his head, blond spikes sticking out randomly. Kakashi had chosen not to stick the kitten in the type of attire the rich would wear, simple because he thought Naruto wouldn't like wearing the refraining clothes.

Indeed, Naruto loved wearing baggy clothes. He enjoyed the freedom the material gave his limbs.

Itachi scoffed and went back to reading, hoping the ball of sunshine wouldn't notice him.

"Ita Oppa!" the cub called from the path leading towards the garden. He jumped from stepping stone to stepping stone, coming closer to the older leopard, "Ita Oppa, how come you didn't eat breakfast with us?"

Itachi refrained from growling at the kitten, "I wasn't hungry," he stated. It was a lie, though. Right after he'd left his owner and Sasuke in the library, he'd gone out and caught a few mice out by the pool.

"Oh," Naruto stopped in front of Itachi and smiled, making the leopard want to scratch that smile right off his face, "Ita Oppa, guess what!" he jumped up and down excitedly.

Scowling, Itachi said, "What?"

"Aboji told me I'm going to be taking Pureblood classes! I'm going to grow up and be just like you and Susu Oppa! I'm going to be in the Showcase!" the blond's big blue eyes were sparkling with happiness, his small hands gripping the bottom of his bright hoodie, waiting for praise from his respected "older brother".

Itachi kept silent, his eyes narrowing, dark eyes flashing red, "You? In the Showcase?" he sneered, "I don't understand my owner or Otouto at all," he stood, "they only fuel your foolish dreams, even though they know that they'll never come true."

The desire to be as beautiful as Sasuke and the tiger, Sakura... to be in the Showcase and be praised and wanted by everyone in the crowd, that's what Naruto had wanted ever since he stumbled upon the event a few days ago. He'd lived alone, without the tender care of another, wondering if he'd even wake up the next morning... But now he was given a better life and he wanted to be like his Susu Oppa, he wanted to become a beautiful cat in the Showcase.

"Ita... Oppa?"

"You don't understand at all, do you? You're an Impure animal, you can never enter the Showcase no matter how many lessons you're given, no matter how strong your desire is," Itachi snarled, "ever since you arrived here, you've been wanting to be like us, but you can't..!"

Naruto stepped back, eyes watering, _Wh-why is Ita Oppa yelling at me?_

"You're different from us," Itachi added harshly, moving past the shaking kitten, and going into the mansion.

Turning, Naruto let out a quiet whine, confused as to why Itachi suddenly yelled at him, why he said so many mean things to him, "S-Susu Oppa!" he cried, knowing his oppa woud come to him. He waited patiently, sniffling and wiping his eyes with his sleeve. When Sasuke didn't come, he ran for the mansion.

xXxXx

Sasuke heard Naruto calling him while he was in the kitchen, but Kakashi moved in front of him, blocking his way out as he tried to go for the door. He glared at the silver-haired man, "What are you doing?" he asked, knowing better than to actually order his owner around.

"He'll come to you soon enough. Right now, I need to ask you something," Kakashi crossed his arms and leaned against the glass door, "Just like Itachi, I've been wondering why you brought Naruto here in the first place. Was it because you felt bad for him? How he lived? Or was it because of some other reason?"

Sasuke stared at him, _Why did I take him in?_

"Is it because you can't have kittens of your own?"

The leopard's eyes widened a fraction.

"It's very hard to find a mate when you're such a rare breed, Sasuke, I know that. And right after you were born, you were given your shots to make sure that you could only breed with the same species, to make Pureblood cubs. I can only imagine how you feel. To want to be a father, but you can't find a mate," Kakashi smiled a bit, "so you found a lonely kitten and took him in as your own, correct?"

Sasuke thought about that. When he took the cub in, he though he didn't really have a reason. He thought he just did it because he felt bad. But after what Kakashi said, he believed that he did it because he wanted a child of his own.

"Is that wrong?" He suddenly asked.

Kakashi blinked, but before he could say anything, he heard Naruto running up the stone pathway outside, crying. Moving out of the way, he opened the door, the bright orange blur running past him and tackling Sasuke. He shut the door and watched as the cub gripped Sasuke's shirt tightly, his head only reaching the leopard's hip.

"S-Susu Oppa, Ita Oppa hates me!" he cried, eyes red and swollen, "he said mean things to me.." he sniffled, "he said that I was different from you... that I couldn't be in the Showcase, no matter what..."

Sasuke let a growl errupt from his throat and he bent down, tugging the hood off of Naruto's head, golden locks falling over watery eyes, silky ears flat against his head, "Don't listen to him, he knows nothing," he ran his hand through the blond hair and smiled when Naruto's ears perked up, the left one twitching as Sasuke's thumb grazed it.

"B-but--"

"You're not different at all, you're unique," Sasuke said firmly.

Naruto sniffled, "Unique...? What does that mean?"

"It means you're going to be the best pet when you grow up," Sasuke smiled a bit, "and everyone's going to want you."

The kitten's eyes lit up and his tail began fluttering wildly, "Really?"

Kakashi arched both brows at their conversation, _When did Sasuke become so fatherly?_

"Really. Now, let's go get you washed up. We're going out to the shops today," Sasuke stood and took Naruto's hand.

"Ok!" The blond chirped, happily walking out of the kitchen with his Susu Oppa, a large smile on his face.

_I **am** going to be in the Showcase! Right beside my Susu Oppa, _Naruto thought as he gripped Sasuke's hand tighter.

**Please review, lovelies!**


	3. Training

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Fuck.**

**Sorry for the lond delay, minna! I had to type up new chaps for my other two fics:Sigh: And thank god one of 'em's gonna be finished with next chap. Meaning, more time to work on this story, yay! You better cheer:Throws yaoi manga:**

**Naruto: -Sitting down, his ears twitching- Please forgive Ni-Ni-Ru! She's been really crazy lately! -Smiles cutely- I'm gonna go find my Susu Oppa! Ja! -scurries away-**

**Oh... a lovely reviewer (who is Korean) mentioned that I use the wrong korean names, such as Oppa and Aboji. But me, being lazy and not wanting to confuse you all with sudden changes in the story, decided to keep it the way it was. Sooo, yeah? Sorry if I don't know Korean:Sweatdrop:**

**ZOMG, fluff at the end of the chap!**

When Kakashi had said he was going to get lessons on how to become the perfect Showcase pet, little Naruto had believed his teacher would be this elegant creature with a gorgeous fur coat, shimmering eyes, and a voice as silky as Susu Oppa's oh so comfy bed sheets. Boy, was he wrong.

"Listen, kid, I have books to write, places to be," his sensei said with a rough voice, his large paw flailing around comically as he ranted, "so don't waste my time with questions that aren't needed, bathroom breaks that aren't needed, or your little kitty tears. I'm gonna work you long and hard, brat!"

Naruto blinked large, ocean blue eyes and he tilted his head to the side, the bell collar around his neck jingling at his slow, but sudden, movement, "Nya?"

The teacher Kakashi had hired, a mountain ape named Jiraiya, sighed and sat back on his haunches, frowning at the kitten, "I should just change the release date of my book. This is gonna take a huge chunk out of my writing time," he pushed himself up with his thick tail and changed into his human form, amazing Naruto.

"Ano sa, ano sa!" Naruto raised his little paw, "how can you change without human touch?" he asked, truly intrigued.

Jiraiya smirked, his long white hair flowing down to his waist. Crossing his arms, he answered, "Because I am the great Jiraiya! I have trained for years, have become a master in the art of Pureblood training, and you dare ask me **how**?"

Naruto's left ear twitched, "Yes. How?"

Lips twitching, Jiraiya grumbled something about a stupid student that probably wouldn't amount up to anything, even with his great teaching, "It's because I'm old and wise, brat, old a wise."

"But what does being wise have to--"

"I'm here to teach you the ropes of bein' in the Showcase. If you want to question me, then--"

"Sorry," Naruto puffed out his chest and huffed, his ears flattening against his head.

"Apology accepted," Jiraiya smirked and started walking back and forth in the large room, "now, let's start with the basics. Well, you already know how to talk while in that form... I'm guessing Kakashi taught you?"

Naruto shook his head, "Susu Oppa did!"

"Hmm, well, then we should start with walking. You gotta learn how to walk," Jiraiya stated, pulling an orange book out from inside of his red coat.

Blinking, Naruto said, "But I already know how to walk."

"Not like a Pureblood, you don't," the teacher placed the orange book on top of his pupil's head and he grinned, "now, walk a full circle around this room without dropping the book on the floor. If you can do that by this evening, I'll personally buy you an entire week's worth of tuna."

Immediately getting to work, Naruto turned to start his walk, but the book fell before he even took a step forward. Mewling in annoyance, he used his tail to set it back on top of his head, moving forward to start his second attempt. After five seconds, the orange book fell, once again, and Naruto whined like a puppy would after being abused.

Jiraiya rolled his eyes and stalked towards the kitchen, wanting to sink his teeth into a delicious apple fritter that was always tucked away in the back of the fridge, just for him. He occassionally visited the Hatake residence, since Kakashi was a good friend of his, and there'd been a silent agreement between the two of them around the third visit four years ago. It seemed to go much like this: "If you give me all of the recent chapters to your book every time you visit, I'll make sure you have your own stash of apple fritters in the back of the fridge. Sound good?"

Yes, life was good.

"Ero Sennin!" his student whined from the room next door and he twitched as he opened the fridge.

_Ero Sennin? I'm gonna castrate that brat!_

Grabbing his apple fritter from behind the jar of pickles, he made his way back into the "training room", raising a brow as Naruto failed to balance the book three times in the 4.7 seconds he'd been standing in the doorway.

"You're hopeless," Jiraiya sighed, "listen, imagine that you're walking down the stage of the Showcase. You have to walk like the perfect Pureblood or else the audience will hate you right away, got it? Now, Sasuke's in the crowd of people, looking at you proudly, whispering 'that's my son' to the humans and other pets around him. You want to make him proud, don't you?"

Naruto nodded instantly.

"Then walk perfectly or your pretty kitty of a father will disown you, brat," Jiraiya hit home and Naruto quickly went back to his training, the book actually staying atop his head for a good ten seconds before plopping onto the floor.

xXxXx

Skimming through his monthly addition of "Pretty Lady", Kakashi laid sprawled out on his bed, the large flatscreen T.V. showing some sort of strange cartoon, no sound coming out, the word "mute" flashing at the bottom of the screen. He reached over and grabbed a marshmellow out of a large bowl sitting on the large wooden chest set up right at the foot of the bed. He popped it in his mouth, ignoring the constant sound of a falling book in the room beside his.

"How to lose twenty pounds in one week..." Kakashi trailed off as he read over an article, "Hmm, sounds unhealthy and unnatural. Who would deny themselves sweets?" he popped another gooey marshmellow into his mouth and chewed, turning the page.

Looking up when his door opened, he swallowed, his tongue running over his bottom lip to get off any creamy remains, "Sasuke?"

Said leopard took a seat beside his master and grabbed the ends of his bangs, inspecting them for split ends. It was like this between them sometimes. They'd just bask in each other's boredom. One would think they had more than an owner-pet relationship, "How is Naruto's training going?"

Kakashi shrugged and flipped over, legs spread, magazine raised in the air, "I haven't gone to see, but I'm sure he's doing fine. Jiraiya's only said fuck about ten times... and that's a lot less than usual," the silver-haired man smiled underneath his bandages, "so I'm guessing Naruto's doing great."

Sasuke snorted and crossed his legs.

"Is that all you wanted? To ask me how his training was going when you just could've gone out to see for yourself?"

Glaring, Sasuke leaned back against the soft pillows of the bed, "I heard from Itachi that you're trying to find me a mate," he saw Kakashi blink and cut him off before he could say anything, "I know I can't really trust my brother, but I thought I'd ask before I started assuming things."

"Oh..." Kakashi put his magazine down and scratched the back of his neck, "I can't say that he was lying..."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes.

"You need a mate, Sasuke. I know you're a bit happy now since you basically have a kawaii little kitten to call your own, but that doesn't change the fact that you need to reproduce. You have to create other bouncing baby cubs," Kakashi chuckled, "and I think I found you the perfect mate."

Raising a brow, Sasuke asked, "Is that so?"

"Yes. Do you remember our lovely Sibel Claire?" after a small twitch came from his pet, he continued, "well, I believe her Siberian would be a perfect mate for you. Imagine how beautiful the cubs will be!"

"I despise Sakura, Kakashi, you know that," Sasuke snarled.

"Ah, but you'd only mate with her once, then you won't have to see her again. It's just for kittens, Sasuke."

"I think you're forgetting the point. I **loathe** Sakura. I don't want to be near her, catch her scent anywhere near my territory, see her prancing around in my back yard as if it were hers, and I most definitely do not want to touch anything on her that might end up swelling with my cubs," Sasuke growled.

Laughing, Kakashi rolled back over, "Such a way with words. But Sasuke, if you don't want to mate with her, quickly find a mate of your own. I sort of... already signed some documents with Sibel already," he laughed nervously.

Standing, Sasuke hissed, "How dare you--"

Kakashi cut him off, "I'm your owner. I can do as I please with you. Be lucky that I consider you part of my family, Sasuke..." he sighed, "and if you really don't want to mate with Sakura, find a mate of your own."

The leopard growled, "How long do I have?"

"Five months. I know, I know, mating season's in few weeks, but I couldn't make it that quick. Feel lucky."

Leaving the room, Sasuke snorted. He looked down the hall and saw that the door was open to Naruto's training room. Curious, he peeked in, seeing the small kitten walking around the room, a book on his head. Jiraiya was leaning against the wall, eating his apple fritter, praising his student with a grin.

"I can't believe you actually did it, kid. In less than two hours, too. I gotta say, I'm amazed!"

Naruto let the book drop from his head and he happily bounced around the room, mewling and yipping in joy. He wanted to become someone his Susu Oppa could be proud of, and his dreams were coming true! He stopped his rapid movement when he caught someone standing in the doorway.

"S-Susu Oppa!" Naruto bounded towards his fatherly figure and rubbed up against his legs, wanting to be picked up, "Did you see?.! I walked around the WHOLE room with the book on my head!"

Sasuke chuckled and lifted the kitten up into his arms, pressing the tips of his fingers behind Naruto's right ear, watching as he took on his human shape. Ruffling blond hair, he smiled, "Is that right? And what exactly does that help you with?"

"Walking, balancing," Jiraiya answered from across the room. He pushed himself off the wall and took the last bite of his fritter, crumbs falling to the carpeted floor, "your kid's a quick learner, Sasuke, I'll give you that. Most of my students would take an entire day to complete that step, but he did it in less than two hours."

The raven held Naruto against him, used to the pawing hands and rubbing of a soft cheek against his neck, "So do you think...?"

"Hm? Oh, well, he definitely has the talent. I should be able to whip him up to shape within the month, but you still need to worry about one thing. Keep him a virgin until after his first Showcase."

Sasuke raised a brow.

"There are strict rules, you know," Jiraiya stated, "if a pet is to be entered in its first Showcase, it **must** be a virgin. So when he goes into heat, just..." he tapped his chin in thought, "show him how to find relief himself."

Fighting down a blush, Sasuke twitched, "You want me to teach him how to pleasure himself?"

"Susu Oppa, what does that mean?" Naruto asked, suddenly popping into the conversation, "and what's a virgin?"

This time, Sasuke couldn't hold back the blush and he sputtered, "I-It's nothing important. Why don't you take a nap in my arms? I'll wake you in a little while."

Naruto slowly nodded and rested his cheek against his Oppa's neck, closing his eyes and snuggling deeper in the strong arms he loved so much. Nodding off, he didn't hear Jiraiya's advice for mating season.

xXxXx

Itachi despised the new kitten. He loathed him with a burning passion. If his hatred were barbeque sauce, then you might as well just cook a couple of cows right now.

He disliked Naruto's happiness, the bright color of his fur coat, his innocent eyes, the way he purred and rubbed up against his younger brother as if he were a giant slab of turkey. Now, Itachi would be able to at least tolerate him if the cub were to keep his distance, but Naruto being Naruto, that wouldn't be happenning any time soon.

"Ita Oppa!" Naruto chirped and ran into the room while still in his human form. He had on bright orange cargo pants and a fitting black T-shirt, courtesy of Wal-mart. He hopped over to Itachi and smiled sweetly, his fuzzy ears standing up right, "guess what?"

Itachi, who had been reading a thin book of poems, looked up, reading glasses perched upon his nose. He didn't understand why the kitten still came near him. He did, after all, attempt to shatter the brat's hopes and dreams. He even served those broken dreams on a silver platter with tuna and saltine crackers.

He remained silent, narrowing his eyes, sending a warning glare the blond's way.

Swallowing, but keep his ground, Naruto continued, "E-Ero Sennin said that I might be able to be in a future Showcase," his voice was soft, "he said that I'm learning quick and that--"

"**Might**."

Naruto blinked, his ears flattening against his head, "H-huh?"

Itachi scowled at him, "He said you **might** be in a future Showcase. All teachers support their students, no matter how pathetic and worthless they are."

Backing up, Naruto looked away, "I'm not... worthless."

"Yes, you are. What good do you think you'll be to this family? You're nothing but a stray, an Impure. Filthy-blooded creatures such as yourself are hunted down and killed," Itachi smirked as the kitten's eyes watered, fear clouding over his eyes, "yes, but you already know that, don't you? That's why you try so hard to become something you're not. You want to stay in this home, leech of of us, keep yourself safe from the outside world. If you become loved in the Showcase, you may not be killed... that's your plan."

Shaking his head, Naruto whined, his tail falling limp behind him, "No! I--I'm doing this for Susu Oppa! I want to make him proud! I... I love Susu Oppa and I want him to accept me... as his--"

"As his what? His child? His cub?" Itachi sneered, "that can't happen. Your blood is filled with filth, his is not. While yours is like the drains under the city, his is like a river that flows, untouched by humans."

Eyes burning, Naruto looked up, feeling himself want to shrink back as Itachi stared him down, "You're wrong... I might have dirty blood... but--"

"You can't change what you are."

"Why are you... so mean to me?" Naruto cried, tears finally dripping from his lashes, "all I wanted was to be your younger brother... all I wanted was for you to be my Ita Oppa..." he sniffled.

"I already have a brother. You aren't needed," Itachi said harshly.

Turning on his heel, Naruto ran away, past Kakashi and Jiraiya who were talking in the kitchen, into Sasuke bedroom. He leaped onto the queen size bed and buried himself under the silky red sheets, but moved his arm so his sleeves would soak up his tears. He didn't understand why Itachi hated him so much. If he would've known he'd be hated in the household, he would've just let himself die on the streets like his family.

Hearing footsteps approaching the bedroom door, he kept quiet, the sobs building up in his chest. He wanted to just bawl like a baby, but Jiraiya had told him before training, that Purebloods didn't cry. They were strong, tough...

"Naruto, did Itachi say something again?" Sasuke asked softly as he came towards the bed. Sitting down, he smiled a bit when the lump under his sheets rolled away. He tugged the blanket down and saw a huddled up Naruto, the kitten shaking and wiping furiously at his eyes, turning the skin red, "stop rubbing," he ordered, and gently tugged Naruto's hands away.

"S-Susu Oppa, why does Ita Oppa hate me so much?" the cub continued to hold in his sobs, his voice shaking.

"He dislikes everyone. Even me, his own brother," Sasuke pulled Naruto into his arms and rubbed his back, "so don't waste your tears on him, when someday you'll probably need to waste them on me," he smiled and rubbed soothing circles with his palm over Naruto's shoulders.

Giving his father figure a lopsided grin, he giggled, "A-alright!" wiping away the last of his tears, he wrapped his arms around Sasuke's shoulders, "Susu Oppa... someday, do you think I could be your son? Your cub?"

The leopard was surprised by the question, but he chuckled, "Someday? I think not."

Naruto's ears dropped and he felt like crying again, "B-but--"

"Because I consider you my own, right now," he pulled Naruto against him and sighed, "you're my little boy."

Cuddling further into the older male's embrace, Naruto smiled. For some reason, his heart was beating wildly, but he didn't know why.

**Kakashi is very childish, is he not:Grin: Sorry that this chap is short, minna!**


	4. Kiba

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Shit.**

**Yay, another chapter! Sorry for the long wait! Oh, and some minor smut...? It's not between Sasuke and Naruto yet, though, unfortunently. Poo. But it leads to realizations about feelings!**

Blinking slowly, Naruto awoke from his peaceful slumber and stretched, his bones popping loudly, causing the older cat beside him to shift in the silk covered bed. His cerulean eyes watered as he yawned, tongue sticking out and curling up in a very feline way, his nose scrunching up. He shook his head, blond bangs falling into his eyes, and glanced up at his father figure.

Sasuke looked down at him with obsidian eyes, a small smirk in place, "We've been napping for two hours. I think you should go back out to train. I'm sure Jiraiya's wondering where you are."

Nodding, Naruto sat up, his ears twitching. He leaped off of the mattress and sent Sasuke one final smile before his departure, "Bye, Susu Oppa!" he waved cutely and ran out, a loud "where the hell were you, brat?.!" reaching Sasuke's ears. He smirked.

Outside, Jiraiya lifted Naruto up by the back of his shirt and carried him back to their training room. ignoring the child's whines and whimpering. Tossing him onto the floor, he crossed his arms, "I wanted to give you a head start on another lesson, but when I turned around, you're gone. Che, brat, how do you expect to enter a Showcase if you just skip out on practice?"

Naruto stood and rubbed his sore behind, a pout on his pink lips, "Sorry, Ero-Sennin, but I was with Susu Oppa and--"

"That's no excuse!" the white-haired teacher frowned, "now, we're moving on to the last lesson of the day; posture. You have to have good posture, kid."

Naruto nodded, the bell around his neck jingling.

"You'll probably get this down quick, though," he smirked, "you are, after all, Sasuke's son."

Eyes widening and glimmering with happiness, Naruto smiled.

"Listen up," Jiraiya uncrossed his arms and pointed down at the kitten, "the key to good posture is to think of something beautiful, go it?"

"Something... beautiful?" of course, the first thing that came to Naruto's mind was Sasuke. The leopard was the very definition of beautiful. His black coat shimmered like the ocean, when he walked his movements were like water, and when he posed for a picture, he oozed an aura of elegance and royalty... Naruto would do anything to be that gorgeous.

"Focus on wanting to be just as beautiful. Keep that thought and let your body move into position," Jiraiya said gruffly, stepping back to give his pupil some room.

Naruto nodded slowly and thought about the first time he saw his father on stage. How he didn't put too much weight on his legs as he sat, how his tail lay flat on the ground, curled around in a perfect loop, and how his eyes were half lidded, a usually bright red shadowed and turned a rusty incarnadine.

Jiraiya pressed a finger behind the cub's ear and watched as he changed back into his pet form.

Sitting back, Naruto made sure to keep most weight on his front paws, his tail fluttering to the floor and lopping around from the back, to his front. His moved his front paws together and straightened his spine, keeping his gaze down, as if he were watching an audience, waiting for their whispered praise.

"I'll be damned," Jiraiya chuckled and squatted down, running a hand from the top of Naruto's head, to the base of his tail, "curved perfectly, brat," he commented positively. He grinned and stood back up, "once again, you've surprised me with how quick you get a hang of things."

Naruto leaped up from his position and bounced up and down on his small paws, "You mean I did it already?" he asked, excited.

Jiraiya gave him a lame thumbs up and chuckled, "Well, since that was the last lesson of the day--"

"No, I wanna learn more!" Naruto begged, pressing a padded paw against his teacher's legs, "please?"

Sighing, Jiraiya scratched behind his ear, "It's not really possible to do it today. It has nothing to do with training, actually, it has more to do with your health."

"My health?" the little kitten asked, curious.

"You have to get shots in order to be entered in the Showcase, kid. I was planning on making you an appointment tomorrow."

Ears going flat, Naruto whimpered, "Sh-shots? I don't like shots!" he complained.

"Sorry, brat, but you can't be a part of the Showcase unless you get them. You either get the shots, or you can give up and disappoint you dad," Jiraiya knew mentioning Sasuke would pressure his student into saying yes. And he was proven right when Naruto hesitently nodded his head, "Good! You just rest up, get your spirits high, and I'll pick you up in the morning."

Pouting, Naruto watched his sensei leave, Kakashi stopping him in the hallway so they could talk. Getting up, he padded across the floor and decided to go take another nap with Sasuke. A comforting hour of sleep would make the nervous flutter in his stomach die down. Hopefully.

He poked his head into the room, but let out a small whimper when he saw that the leopard was missing, "Susu Oppa!" he whined, but no answer came. Turning around, he trotted into the kitchen, seeing Itachi eating a salad by the far end of the counter. He backed away, but before he coud leave, his eyes met narrowed cobalt.

"I suggest you stop sneaking around," Itachi sneered, placing a biteful of lettuce into his mouth. He'd much rather have a large salmon, but Kakashi made a rule that stated that all members in the household were to eat a bowl of salad before indulging themselves with the delicious gutting of fishes. Who made a stupid rule like that?

Naruto looked down at the floor, ears flopping against his head as he answered hesitently, "I-I'm looking for Susu Oppa..."

"Hn," Itachi took another bite and licked his lips, "he's out in the garden."

Ears suddenly perking up, Naruto threw a glance at his older "sibling", "Th-thanks," he ran past Itachi and nudged open the back doors with his head, running out, the doors closing behind him with an audible "click."

Itachi smirked to himself, "Just watch out for the neighbor's hunting dog. He's usually out looking for dinner at this time," he said to no one, chuckling.

xXxXx

Leaping over freshly planted tomato plants, Naruto looked around, the breeze of the cool evening brushing against his soft fur, cooling his heated skin underneath. He suddenly stopped in his search and sat, placing a paw on his furry stomach. If he had eyebrows, he would've furrowed them in confusion.

_My tummy's all warm and tingly..._ he rubbed it, not understanding why it suddenly felt so different. Come to think of it... it had become warm when some strange scent had flooded his senses. It was a strong aroma and it made the kitten tingle. He'd never smelt anything like it.

Picking himself back up, he continued his search for Sasuke, trying to ignore the ball of heat in the pit of his belly. As he reached the end of the garden, he looked into the woods that stood just beyond it, shadows hiding the depths of the huge area. Maybe Sasuke had gone in there?

He sniffed the air, and mixed in with that strong and odd scent was the smell of fish. Smoked salmon, to be more precise. He licked his furry lips and ran out of the Hatake property, his feet taking him into the woods. Smoked salmon was something that Sasuke usually smelled of. When Naruto would cuddle with the him, that specific scent would stain his senses.

_Susu Oppa must be in the woods! _ he chirped inwardly. But after making it a good twenty feet into the woods, something shocked him and he tumbled, falling down a steep hill that led to a creek further down. He didn't noticed until he hit the ground that he was in his human body.

Shakily getting up, he looked at his hands in confusion, _What happened? How did I change? _There was a shifting of fallen leaves behind him and he turned, eyes widening as something ran towards him. He didn't even get a chance to protect himself before he was slammed to the ground, claws digging into the skin of his arms. He winced, eyes shut tightly.

Then that scent from before hit him and he stomach got impossibly warmer, a dull ache beginning to throb between his legs. His cheeks were becoming warm for some reason and he wriggled around, trying to get out of the grasp of the predator. He slowly opened his ocean blue eyes and they met slits of pitch black.

The human-like pet above him had shaggy brown hair, slitted eyes, sun-kissed skin, and red marks under both eyes. His canines were bared as he smirked down at his prey, a pink tongue sliding out to lick pink lips. Tightening his grip on the cub's arms, the unnamed male dog chuckled.

"Looks like I've caught something better than a stray mountain cat," the dog ears perched atop his head moved around, as if listening to everything going on around him. He looked down at the color around Naruto's neck and read the metal tag, "Hm, one of Kakashi's new pets? But you don't smell like a Pureblood," he bent down and sniffed the blond, making him squirm even more and blush. He raised a brow, then smirked devilishly, "what's wrong, Blondie?" he asked slyly, "in heat?"

Naruto blinked up at the canine, "H-heat?" _Ero-Sennin and Susu Oppa were talking about that earlier... _

"Hn, what a nice surprise," the dog grinned, showing Naruto his fangs, "my traps caught me a virgin cub. Tell me, do you have a mate? I smell another male all over you."

Shaking his head slowly, Naruto said, "N-no..." he didn't even really know what a mate was.

"Good," the strange pet bent down and lapped at the kitten's neck, a long tongue running along a smooth jaw. He was rewarded with more squirming and a confused whine, _I thought I was only going to catch dinner. Didn't know I was going to have a delicious pet under me. Hmmm, the scent of his heat is driving me crazy!_

"Wh-what are you doing?" Naruto asked, panting slightly. He didn't understand why he was reacting that way, but what the male dog was doing to him made something between his legs ache. This had never happened before... what was going on?

"I'm going to play with you, that's what," the brunette moved down and nipped at a jutting collarbone, pleased with the breathless whine he received. He sat up and moved his hands away, knowing the blond wouldn't run now. He skipped the foreplay, going straight for the prize. He tugged down loose fitting shorts and smirked at the little pair of boxers covering the small buldge.

Naruto whimpered, "Why are you...? I-I have to go find Susu Oppa..."

_Susu Oppa, huh? That must be his nickname for Sasuke, _"Don't worry, Sasuke said he wanted me to do this," he lied.

Blinking slowly, Naruto looked up at him, "Really...?"

"Yep, he said he wanted me to make you feel good," he groaned and tugged the boxers down, expsoing the small erection between tan, creamy thighs. Licking his lips, he leaned down, his tongue pressing against the head.

Eyes widening, Naruto arched his back and whined in pleasure. He didn't know what was going on. All he knew was that it felt sooo good. He bit his bottom lip and that long tongue worked his hard muscle, giving it delicious attention.

Smirking, the canine took the entire thing into his mouth, enjoying the throaty cry that tore itself from his victim's throat. But as much as he was enjoying his task, he knew he couldn't fuck the pet. If he did, Sasuke would surely murder him. So he decided on just using his mouth and hands.

Pulling back, he used the bit of precum that had started leaking out of Naruto erection to slicken up three of his fingers. He grinned and spread the cub's legs apart, immediately shoving one long finger inside.

Naruto felt tears welling up at the corners of his eyes as nothing but pleasure washed over him. He wriggled his hips as the finger prodded around inside of him. It was a tad bit uncomfortable, but not painful. He eyes snapped shut and he sobbed as a fingertip jabbed his prostate. His cry got a rise out of the dog and he smirked.

Rubbing his finger around and against the nub deep inside of the kitten, he entered two more, groaning when Naruto thrashed around, crying and whining. God, he **loved** it. Taking no mercy on the virgin pet, he shoved all three fingers against Naruto's pleasure spot, intent on making him sob and cry in ecstasy during his first orgasm.

Naruto could do nothing but cry out. As he felt the heat in his stomach tighten and let loose, he couldn't help but wonder why his Susu Oppa never made him feel good like that.

With a pleasurable cry, streams of cum spurted out of his small member and landed on his quivering stomach and moist thighs. He took a shuddering breath and closed his eyes.

The dog pulled out his fingers and licked them clean, _Damn, I just couldn't resist doing that... Shit, now I have to go hunting all over again, _he frowned and stood up, not bothering to help Naruto with his clothes.

Opening his eyes, Naruto looked up at him, "Ano sa..."

"Just get dressed, Blondie, and get back home. I'm sure Sasuke's waiting for you," the brunette ran a hand through his hair and started walking away, _Shino's gonna be pissed._

"A-ah, Susu Oppa!" the blond quickly got up and started tugging on his pants, wiping away his cum with some leaves. He turned to say something to the canine but he was gone. Blinking, he ran away, back to the Hatake residence.

xXxXx

"What makes you think I have anything to do with his disappearance?" Itachi asked as his brother glared daggers at him, "but if you must know, I saw him run outside earlier."

Growling at his older sibling, Sasuke went out to the garden and looked around. He heard the familiar voice of his cub and looked past the grape vines, Naruto running up to him. He smiled in relief, but then a strong scent filled his sensitive nose and his eyes widened a fraction.

"Susu Oppa!" Naruto hugged his father and smiled. He pulled back and looked up at the leopard with shining blue eyes, "Susu Oppa, how come you told that pet to touch me?" he asked innocently enough.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes, "What?" _That scent all over him... it's his--_

"I went looking for you and I met a pet, a canine. He started pulling off my pants and said that you told him he could--" he was stopped as Sasuke pulled him against his legs, "Susu Oppa?"

"Where did he touch you?" the leopard snarled.

Naruto pointed down at his crotch, his brows furrowed, "D-did I do a bad thing?" he asked, scared. He didn't want his Oppa to be mad at him... he honestly thought he had told that dog to touch him, "I'm sorry, Susu Oppa, I--" he watched his father bend down and pull him into a hug.

"You're not hurt, are you?"

Naruto shook his head slowly, "Why would I be hurt? He made me feel good."

Gritting his teeth and looking out at the woods over Naruto's shoulder, Sasuke growled, the sound vibrating low in his throat, scaring the blond cub.

_I'm going to fucking rip you to shreds, Kiba!_

**Hah, KibaNaru XD Sorry it's not SasuNaru, but that should happen soon enough.**


	5. I'm Your Kitten

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

**Sorry it took so long for me to update. I've been exercising like CRAZY so I can lose a bit more weight. You wanna know why? Because I'm gonna cosplay as Sai for Otakon this year! It'll be my second con and first time to Otakon! Also... I was working on drawing out my manga.**

**If you wanna check my manga out, go to Smackjeeve's and type in Prayer. I should be there. If not, type in yaoi and look for it. It's a banner with leopard eyes.**

Naruto began blushing as Kakashi explained to him the wonders of mating and pleasure, the man not letting up one bit, not even when he got to what the unknown canine had done to the kitten. He said that he had been a victim of rape and that, luckily enough, he was still a virgin, keeping him in the run for the Showcase. If the little blond had known all of that beforehand, then he probably would've tried to run from the dog...

The kitten sniffled and his ears were flat against his unruly golden locks, making him look small in the large kitchen. He was currently sitting on the counter by the expensive microwave, Kakashi chattering beside him about what had happened.

He let his blue eyes wander up from the floor, to look outside. Sasuke was out in the garden, yelling and hissing at Itachi, the older leopard only looking at his brother with a bored expression. That's when Naruto knew that Itachi didn't care what happened to him... he was the one who lied and told him his Susu Oppa was out in the woods...

_He just wanted to get rid of me, _the golden animal felt like bawling, _he wanted that dog to eat me..._ he wiped his eyes, _but I ended up... ended up getting--_

"--molested. My, I think I'll need to speak to Aburame-kun about this," Kakashi scratched under his chin, then crossed his arms, looking down at the small pet sitting on the counter, "now, are you sure he didn't penetrate you in any way?"

Naruto shook his head, his cheeks still burning, even though he was extremely upset. He'd had no clue about sex before the "talk" Kakashi had just given him, so thinking about all of those things that pets and humans did with each other... it was fresh and a bit embarrassing.

"Ne, ne, Aboji..." he blinked back the wetness of his eyes, "if that dog would've..." his face was as red as a tomato, "if he would've mated with me... I wouldn't be able to enter the Showcase?"

Kakashi nodded, "I'm afraid so. You have to be a virgin for your first showing or people won't like you."

"Oh..." Naruto thought back on his thoughts in the woods, "so if I... wanted to mate with someone now, I couldn't?"

Kakashi raised a silver brow, "Not if you want to be in the Showcase. Why? Is there someone you like?"

The kitten bit his bottom lip and flipped that thought around in his head. Someone he liked? He'd thought about his Susu Oppa touching him like that canine did. He'd even imagined the leopard licking that white cream off of his stomach... but Sasuke was his father now... and fathers didn't do that to their child, did they?

Naruto shook his head, "No... theres no one.."

"Ah, well, brace yourself, little one," his owner chuckled, "Itachi and Sasuke are coming back in."

Blue eyes flickered in fear for a moment, _What if Ita Oppa tries to do something like that again?_ he looked up when the back doors opened and Sasuke stormed in, eyes narrowed into dangerous slits, teeth bared as he growled. The hairs on the back of his neck were standing at end, making Naruto want to shrink back out of existence. He hated it when his Susu Oppa was mad, even when he was just angry at someone else.

"Don't try something like that ever again," he snarled at his elder brother, getting up in the other feline's face. But Itachi didn't seem fazed, he just smirked.

"But Otouto, how can you be so angry with me? Your precious kitten enjoyed it, did he not?" his voice was laced with humor. Oh, how Itachi loved to cross lines.

Naruto's eyes widened when he saw his father lunge at Itachi, theboth of them tumbling back and slamming into the counters on the other side of the room. Sasuke dug his claws into soft flesh and let out a frightening growl. Kakashi moved forward quickly and pulled out a syringe from the drawer beside him, thrusting his arm forward and shoving the long needle into Sasuke's neck, causing the cat to whimper and back away, his knees buckling.

Itachi stared at his younger brother while he fell to his knees, arms shaking. He let his lips twitch upwards, "See the blood on my arms, Otouto?" he whispered, watching as the smaller leopard tried to keep his eyes open, "it's the same color as Okasan's and Otosan's, isn't it?"

Sasuke fell sideways, his head smacking against the tiled floor, eyes still on Itachi, even as he drifted off into slumber.

"Susu Oppa!" Naruto jumped off of the counter and scurried to his father's side, lifting his head up and placing it on his small lap. He whimpered and brushed his fingers over damp bangs, "wh-why did you give him that shot?" he asked Kakashi, fear in his ocean blue eyes.

"It only knocks him out," the scarecrow put the syringe back in the drawer and sighed, "all pet owners are given different types of drugs and medicines just in case their animals get out of control, are sick, or when they are poisoned."

Naruto pressed warm palms agaist Sasuke's pale cheeks and he lowered his lids, giving his new father a sad look.

xXxXx

Aburame Shino, one of the judges of the Showcase, walked down his hallway, the collar of his heavy overcoat covering the lower part of his face. Even though his home was already pretty dim, he wore sunglasses, the item firm on the bridge of his nose. His brows were furrowed and his short brown hair brushed against his ears as he went into the living room, where his prized pet was waiting for him.

The dog that had defiled Naruto sat on the leather sofa, nose scrunched as if he smelt something horrible. But really, that was his "I didn't mean to molest the poor creature" face. His black eyes rolled to the side and he gave his owner a lopsided, nervous grin.

"Y-Yo, Shino!"

"..."

"Um, I made you dinner!"

"..."

"I know, I know, 'where's the cook?" is probably what you want to ask. Well, I kicked his ass out so I could make a special dinner for my sexy master!"

"..."

"I made your favorite! Ch--"

"I got a call from Kakashi," was the first thing Shino said, cutting Kiba off. His hand moved up so he could push his round, black classes further up the bridge of his nose. His tone of voice was proof enough that the phone call hadn't been a pleasant one.

Kiba froze and let out a high-pitched laugh, "Oh, um, about that--"

"Apparently, you touched his new pet inappropriately," the male tucked his pale hands in the deep pockets of his coat, the bottom of it making a swishing sound around his knees, "tell me, Kiba, when did you plan on telling me this?"

"... After we had sex?"

"..."

Kiba cracked under the silence. Damn Shino for turning him into a housebroken puppy! He walked over to his owner and looked at his own reflection in Shino's glasses, "I couldn't help it! He was in heat and he was giving off the most delicious smell! You know an animal can't resist a young pet when they're in heat!" he whined, "I swear to God, I tried to resist the temptation! I'm a sinner, temptation turned me into a whore!" he fell to his knees.

Shino raised a brow. Honestly, there were times where his pet made no sense whatsoever. He made no reply, but turned toward an open cage in the corner of the room, a place where his other small pet liked to sleep when tired during the day, "Hinata, go to the Hatake mansion and send them my apologies."

A little chinchilla scurried out of the cage it called its sanctuary and looked up at its owner with pale, white eyes. Shino bent down and touched below its chin, watching as it changed into a short girl with ear length blue hair, pale eyes, creamy skin, and a shy posture.

She sent a shy look toward Kiba, then to Shino, "Y-you want me to g-go see Hatake-kun?"

"Yes, if that's not a problem."

"No, n-not at all!" she smiled sweetly and left the room, her little eskimo looking coat hugging her small but curvy frame.

Shino turned to look at Kiba once again, the tan-skinned man shrinking back and letting out a shaky laugh, "I'll be escorting you on your afternoon hunts from now on," he went into the kitchen, taking a seat at the long table. He crossed his legs and looked at Kiba expectantly, "well?"

Kiba blinked and then made an "o" with his mouth, "Right, dinner," he ran into the kitchen and pulled the plate of food out of the warm stove, bringing it to his owner and sitting it down, "I'm not... I'm not going to get punished, right?"

Shino looked up at him, face expressionless.

Kiba sighed and hung his head low, "Damn."

xXxXx

Sasuke rubbed his sore neck, the muscles firm, but sensitive, fluttering under his rough touch. Beside him sat Naruto, the little kitten wringing out a wet rag into a small container full of hot water. He leaned forward and placed the washrag on his father's neck, giving him a sweet smile as well.

"Does it hurt, Susu Oppa?" he asked in a quiet voice.

The leopard looked over the small feline and let a smile slip onto his usually blank face, "Not as much thanks to you."

For some reason, Naruto felt his cheeks heat up and he looked down at his damp, pruney fingers, "I-It was no problem... I'd do anything for you," he glanced up under golden bangs when a hand was placed on his head, "Susu--"

"Why do you like me so much? And why do you want to be in the Showcase so badly?" he asked suddenly, but firmly.

Naruto blinked, then smiled, "Because you gave me a home when no else would..." he then thought about the second question, "and because I want to be just like you. I want to be seen as the perfect pet, and I want to be loved..."

"What? My love isn't good enough?" Sasuke chuckled.

Immediately shaking his head, Naruto leaned forward, almost spilling the steaming water in the container that was sitting on his lap, "N-No, your love is--!" he stopped himself and blushed, "your love is..."

Sasuke ruffled blond hair, "Don't think too hard, alright?"

Naruto nodded slowly, his cheeks still burning.

The bedroom door creaked open and Kakashi popped his head in, "Sasuke, Aburame-kun just sent me his apologies... so there'll be no need for you to rip his pet dog in half, ok?" he sweatdropped, "so I expect to see you in this bedroom every ten minutes I come to check on you. If not, you're going in 'the room', you understand?" then he left, before the leopard could reply.

Sasuke twitched.

Naruto looked up and blinked his big, blue eyes, "The room? What's that?"

"Some where I really don't want to go," he began rubbing his neck with the now luke warm washrag and sighed, "but since I'm stuck in here for the rest of the day... is there any game you want to play with me? Or maybe you'd like some help with your practice?"

"With my... practice?"

"To be in the Showcase," Sasuke smiled a bit, "you're training for that, right? I could help you out a bit."

The kitten's eyes widened, "Really?.! Thank you, Susu Oppa!" he wrapped his arms around Sasuke, "c-can you teach me how to growl like you? A really deep, but big growl?"

Sasuke chuckled, "Sure, but remember, you're still very young. So don't be disappointed if you can't do it right away," he looked over Naruto's small frame, then furrowed his brows, "actually, I think you're going through your change."

"My change?" Naruto asked, a bit excited. It sounded interesting.

"Every pet goes through it, but only during their first heat. By the end of the week, you should've grown dramatically. I'd say... you'd be around my age?"

The golden kitten's ears perked up and he straightened his back, "I-I'll be as big as you?"

Sasuke sighed, "Yes, so you really won't be my kitten anymore," he looked down when his lower torso was attacked by Naruto.

"I'll be your kitten forever," Naruto promised with a big smile.

"You can't keep that promise."

"I can, too. You'll see."

**Sorry it's short. Gotta exercise!**


	6. Fading

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

**If you don't already know, I just put up another new fic :Sigh: I told myself I wouldn't... but I did. If you guys would check that story out, I'd appreciate it.**

**OMG!.! Have any of you heard or seen the SasuNaru love confession? Dude, I so put it on my ipod. I frickin' cried! The actual voice actors did it, too:Hearts!**

Jiraiya shuffled his feet along the gravel path, Naruto behind him. He had on his usual outfit, a red coat, grey pants, and strange wooden sandals. The kitten, on the other hand, had on a cute little buttoned coat that was brght orange with swirls on it. Kakashi had gotten it for him, saying it fit him perfectly.

Scurrying to catch up with his sensei, Naruto stumbled, hitting a firm leg. He looked up at Jiraiya's annoyed face and smiled sheepishly. They were on their way to the doctor's in order to give Naruto all of his needed shots, and the blond wanted to do anything that would keep him from his dreaded fate.

"Ero-sennin, do I really need shots?" he whined.

"Yes, brat, so hurry it up. If we're late, I'll make sure you don't get any tuna for a week," the white-haired teacher threatened, making the little cat pout and cross his arms. It was true what Sasuke had said before... Ever since Naruto had gone into heat, he'd been growing rapidly. In a day, he'd gone from a small six-year old looking child, to a ten-year old, the top of his head now reaching Jiraiya's hip instead of his thigh.

Kakashi had said "growth" was his least favorite time of his pets' life. Mostly because he'd rather have a bunch of cute kittens than a couple of moody adolescent cats.

And when Naruto had gotten dressed so he could leave for the doctor's with Jiraiya, Sasuke had watched him from the doorway, a small look of sadness in his obsidian eyes. The blond had felt the eyes on him and had kept himself from running to his Susu Oppa and hugging him. He'd promised the elder leopard that he'd be his kitten forever, but he was growing so fast... too fast.

"Don't act so childish, you're almost an adult," the man said roughly, "by the end of the week, you should be as grown up as your father," when he didn't recieve an enthusiastic reply, he looked down, "what's wrong? Is your heat too much to take?"

Naruto flushed.

Since he'd gone into heat, the only sexual act he was a part of was that time in the woods with Kiba. Of course, the warmth still swelled in his stomach, still begged to be released, but he supressed his urges, not wanting to embarrass himself. Besides, he didn't want to just mate with anyone... he wanted to mate with someone he really liked...

_Someone like Susu Oppa..._ he thought, blushing. He didn't know why he felt so good when he was with his father, but it was completely different from the feeling of being with Kakashi. With that man, he felt happy... but with Sasuke, he felt a tingle of longing eat away in his stomach. Since the night before, after their talk, his heart would speed up when around the elegant leopard. He hated the sensation, as much as he loved it.

"N-no, it's just... I don't want to grow up," he admitted, "Susu Oppa won't want me anymore."

"What makes you say that?" Jiraiya raised a white brow.

Naruto shook his head, refusing to answer. As they approached the outskirts of the city, the blond looked forward, watching as beautiful women and handsome men walked down the streets with their pets, all of the human-looking animals obeying orders given to them.

"Ano sa, where's the office at?" he asked, stepping into an alleyway, his newly bought sneakers kicking up soggy cigarettes and pebbles.

"Right across the street," Jiraiya pointed ahead at an older looking building that seemed to be a good three stories high. People walked in and out, their pets by their sides, "and we won't need to sit around in the waiting room. The name Hatake has its perks, you know," he grinned and led his pupil across to road, careful of cars and teenagers on bicycles.

Naruto looked around when they entered, the walls all a sickly white, a few abstract paintings hanging here or there. Many people sat in the large waiting room, reading magazines or watching the flat screen television in the corner of the room, while their pets sat quietly and politely beside them or on the floor.

Jiraiya went up to the front desk and smiled handsomely to the young red-haired receptionist. He received a scowl in return.

"Don't fuckin' smile at me, geezer, I'm not in the mood," she leaned forward, her dark eyes narrowed, "now, whaddya want?"

The teacher twitched at the rude woman and snorted, "I'm here to bring in Hatake Kakashi's new pet."

"Hn, gettin' his shots? Should be fun," she smirked and pressed a button on her desk, the metal door beside them sliding open. She shooed them away and went back to grumbling to herself.

Gulping, Naruto followed Jiraiya into the dim hallways, various doctors walking around, laughing and talking about recent events or things in the news. He grabbed onto the back of his sensei's coat and stayed behind him, scared because of the lack of light.

"They keep it dim because most pets that come in have extremely sensitive eyes," Jiraiya stated, bringing them into an office in the far back. A man with shoulder length white hair and green eyes slipped out, his white coat swishing around his ankles. With a strained smile, he greeted Naruto.

"You must be Kakashi-san's new pet. Naruto, correct?" his voice was deeper than Sasuke's, and a but huskier, "I'm Kimimaro and I'll be administering all of your shots," he motioned for the child to go in, but stopped Jiraiya. He shook his head and smiled politely, "I'm sorry, but when pets are given shots, their owner's can't be present. I'm sure you understand, it's for safety reasons."

Raising a brow, the older man nodded, "I see, then send him out to the waiting room when he's finished," he turned and walked back down the hallway.

xXxXx

Sasuke sat at the kitchen table, staring down at a thick novel with uninterested eyes. It'd been a good hour since Naruto had left and he really had nothing to do. Before he'd taken the kitten in, he'd always just read at home, go outside to catch some mice if he was bored, or take a cat nap. But he'd gotten so used to playing silly games with Naruto (like hide and go seek, tag, or find the cat nip) that everything else seemed boring and annoying.

Itachi walked in, his outfit consisting of black sweat pants and tight black top. It was very un-Itachi like, but Sasuke could care less, his thoughts on his utter boredom... and the same sentence in his novel that he read over thirty-four times.

"Good morning, Otouto," the sly older pet said as he took a seat across from his brother, a cup of hot coffee in his hands. He sat it down and folded his arms, dark eyes on Sasuke, "bored without your darling kitten?"

Sasuke was snapped back into reality and he glared, baring his fangs, "Shut up."

Itachi smirked, "Well, you should know that I came out here to apologize."

The younger of the two actually blinked, "What?"

"I came to apologize and to tell you that Naruto-kun is probably in danger," Itachi's smirk widened, "and for once, I had nothing to do with it."

Sasuke stood and slammed the palms of his hands down on the table, "What do you mean he's in danger?" he hissed venomously.

"You and Kakashi might not have remembered, but all pets have tracking devices in their bodies. If Naruto-kun's doctor doesn't find one, he'll be labeled as a stray and put to sleep," he took a slow sip of his coffee, "so, to make up for being such a horrible brother, I'm going to tell you to hurry and leave before he's dead."

Before Itachi could glance over at his brother, Sasuke was gone.

He smirked.

xXxXx

Naruto sat atop a metal table, fiddling around with the zipper of his orange coat. The doctor had told him to stay in the room after he'd given him a look over and a body scan. But he was confused... after Kimimaro-sensei had finished with the scan, he'd given Naruto an odd look.

_He looked a bit upset..._

Glancing from item to item, he spotted the tray of needles and syringes sitting on the marble counter across the small room. He swallowed thickly and tried to ease himself by humming a song Sasuke had taught him when he'd first moved into the Hatake residence.

The door creaked open and he jumped a bit, his ears perking up. Turning, he watched as Kimimaro and a person he hadn't seen before came in, serious looks on their faces as they mumbled to each other. Even with his sensitive hearing, Naruto couldn't pick up on their hushed words.

Kimimaro turned to the blond and gave him a strained smile, a different syringe in his hand. It didn't come from the tray that was on the counter, so it must've been one he'd just brought in...

"I noticed something during your scan," he said, nodding his head to the side, motioning for the other male to go around the table, behind Naruto. The young cat didn't think much of it, though, "you didn't seem to have a tracking device in your body."

Naruto furrowed his brows in confusion, "A... tracking device? What's that?"

Kimimaro sighed and before Naruto knew what was happening, he was yanked back, his head slamming against the hard table. His vision swam for a moment and when he looked down, he realized he couldn't move his legs or arms. They were completely numb.

The man that had yanked him down held up a needle and gave him an apologetic smile, "Gomen, Naruto-kun, but we can't have you flailing around. One of us might get hurt," the male had silver hair tied back in a shaggy ponytail, and glasses were perched upon his young face.

The blond whimpered and tried to move, but no matter what he did he couldn't, "Wh-what're you doing?" he asked, very confused.

"Like I said," Kimimaro began, holding up the syringe, "you don't have a tracking device implanted in your body. That means you're not a Pureblood," he took a hold of Naruto's limp arm and lifted it, turning it over so the large vein was apparent.

Eyes widening, Naruto tried to move, but only his hips and head could, just barely.

"You're an Impure, Naruto-kun, so that means we have to dispose of you. It's a shame, too, you're such a beautiful animal," as the silver-haired man leaned forward, Naruto saw the nametag.

Yakushi Kabuto.

"Ero-sennin!.!" he cried desperately, but his voice only echoed throughout the room. His cries became louder, but abruptly came to a halt when the long needle was shoved into the blue vein of his arm. A strange feeling rushed through the kitten's body and his breathing became calm. For some reason, he felt calm and tired, "E-ero-sennin..." his plead was hushed and low.

"I really didn't want to euthanize you, but I had no choice," Kimimaro ran his hand over Naruto's face, closing his eye lids. The weakening kitten didn't even have the strength to lift them back up.

"Susu Oppa..." he whispered, feeling his mind drifting, "Susu Oppa... I love you..." he hoped, deep down in his heart, that Sasuke could somehow hear him. That his father, the one person he cherished the most, would hear him and know that he died loving him. That he was still **his** kitten.

His heart began to slow down and his breathing stopped.

The sound of items breaking.

The sound of screaming and yelling.

The dull feeling of something being shoved into his arm once again.

Then emptiness.

xXxXx

"My goodness, Kimimaro-sensei killed a pet?" a chubby woman asked, so surprised that her eyes seemed to bulge. Her hand was over her mouth and she kept her gaze on the medics that carried away a body covered in a white sheet.

"Jiraiya-san came in too late," an older woman added, "and he fought with the doctor and his assistant. Kimimaro-sensei wound up with a bunch of needles in his chest and he ended up dying as well," she shook her head.

The police were speaking with Jiraiya inside of Kimimaro's office, the older man looking both angry and sad. No one charged him, for it was an accident and he was acting on impulse. Anyone else would've done the same if their prized pet was euthanized. And thaankfully enough, no one but Kimimaro and Kabuto knew that Naruto was an Impure. If knews would've gotten out that Kakashi had such a creature for a pet, there'd be even more trouble.

And Kabuto was nowhere to be found. He'd escaped Jiraiya's clutches earlier and had fled before the cops had come. There were no traces of him at all.

Behind Jiraiya, Sasuke stood, his hands grasping Naruto's cold ones. He stared down at closed eyes, a whiskered face... the same face that lit up everytime Sasuke agreed to playing a game with him. Leaning over the table, he closed his eyes, pressing a velvet ear against his child's still chest.

There was no heart beat.

"I'm sorry," Sasuke whispered, his voice empty. He'd already dealt with so many deaths in his life, so of course no tears would be shed... but he really wanted to cry. His eyes refused to produce the salty drops, but inside, he desperately wanted to cry.

Even though Naruto hadn't been with him for long, he'd felt a connection with the kitten and had immediately created a firm relationship with him.

_Just this morning he was curled up against me... _ the leopard lifted the small body into his arms and cradled it, telling himself that his child was only asleep, that he would wake up soon and whine for a can of tuna or a plate of salmon. Naruto would wake up and nuzzle his head into Sasuke's chest, begging him to wake up so they could play outside in the garden...

The policeman that'd been speaking with Jiraiya left, and the white-haired teacher turned toward Sasuke, sighing, "Please forgive me. After I knocked Kimimaro-san to the floor, I injected the reversal drugs into his system, but... but his body didn't respond."

Sasuke ran his fingers through blond locks and pulled the boy further into his embrace, wanting to warm the freezing body, "Don't blame yourself. There's no one to blame but Kimimaro and Kabuto," even to himself, his voice was dead.

Jiraiya placed a large hand on Sasuke's shoulder, "I convinced the police to let us keep his body. I'm sure you'd like to bury him yourself. Now, come on, we need to take him to Tsunade so she can take the drugs out of his body. I doubt you'd want to leave them in... and Kakashi's waiting there for us."

Sasuke looked back down at his son, his heart aching.

To finally have a kitten of his own...

and then for it to die...

it made him feel like he failed as a father.

It hurt.

It hurt so much.

xXxXx

A blonde woman with hazel eyes and a curvy figure stood before Naruto's body, the small frame laid out on a white table, looking like he was only asleep. She wrote things down on her clipboard and blinked slowly when she saw one of the child's fingers twitch. She shook it off, suspecting it only to be a muscle spasm, but then a whimper reached her ears and she looked back at Naruto's face, seeing dull blue eyes open, the orbs shaking and shifting around, as if frantically searching for someone.

"Jiraiya! Get in here!" she yelled, tossing her clipboard onto her desk. She leaned down next to Naruto and pressed a hand against his chest.

_No heartbeat, no breathing... _she smiled, _those reverse drugs Jiraiya gave him must've finally kicked in. But for them to start working after the heart and mind had died... it's very rare._

Jiraiya came into the room, having been out sitting with Kakashi, Sasuke, and Itachi. The elder leopard had only come because Kakashi'd ordered him too, and because, even though something was definitely wrong with his state of mind, he cared about his little brother.

"What is it?"

"This little brat's body somehow managed to take in the drugs you gave it, even after it failed. I have to say, it's a damn miracle," she smiled down at the child, "he's not breathing and his heart hasn't started up again, but they will soon. His muscles are going into contractions."

"But his eyes are open--"

"Jiraiya, his mind is still dead. Once his body starts coming back, so will his mind. His eyes are only open because his eyelids are also going into spasms," she watched as Naruto's body shook, then looked over at her friend, "don't tell Kakashi's youngest pet, yet. Let it be a surprise. We all know a little surprise would be good for that child's heart. Especially a good one," she smiled.

"Go it," he grinned over at Naruto's shaking frame, "glad you're back, kid," he whispered, then left.

Tsunade waited until the young cat's body calmed before checking his heart.

It was beating.

She also saw that his chest had began rising and then started speaking, knowing that, by now, Naruto's mind had probably faded back into existence, "Stay calm. I know you're probably scared, remembering what happened, but it's alright. They're both gone and Sasuke's here, waiting for you to get better," she stroked his hair and waited for a reply. She got one when Naruto's eyes suddenly shut tightly and tears fell down his temples, into his hair.

He opened his mouth, his words weak, "S-s-susu Oppa..." he sobbed, not understanding what was going on.

Tsunade knew that when something like this happened (as rare as it was), the person would die, then when they would come back, they'd say they saw Heaven or Hell. But when she studied a pet years ago that had went through something similar, she'd found that the pet didn't go to neither. They were just stuck in darkness.

Naruto tried to get up, but his limbs were to weak. He cried and cried, Tsunade running her hand through his hair to soothe him. She hummed to him and shifted, lifting him up into her arms.

"You're very lucky," she smiled and walked out into her small hospital's waiting room, Sasuke sitting out there with his face buried in his hands. She knew that Jiraiya probably took the other two out, so Sasuke would be the first to see his child.

Naruto had quieted down, his sobs reduced to quick breathing and a few sniffles.

"Sasuke, someone's here to see you," she smiled and gently lowered Naruto to the ground, watching as the blond child ran to his father, his words incoherent as his crying began again. He wrapped his arms around the leopard.

Sasuke stiffened, then slowly lifted his head, blond being the first thing he saw.

"Susu Oppa!" Naruto cried, shaking, "I-It was so dark, I--" he didn't get to finish as he was enveloped in warmth, strong arms pulling him against a firm chest. He dug his forehead into the heat and sobbed, his tears wetting his father's shirt.

Sasuke held him tight, eyes wide.

"It was so dark..." Naruto sniffled, "I was so scared... I didn't know where you were..."

"I'm here..." Sasuke kissed him on the forehead, "I'm here now. You're alright."

He looked up at Tsunade, happy, but confused as to why his little boy was in his arms.

The blonde woman just smiled.

**Yes, drama, but it ended up happy. See some more drama unfold next chapter!**


	7. Crush

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

**Sorry for the long wait, but I just haven't been in the writing mood. I'm definitely NOT sick of writing the story, it's just, I've been getting headaches a lot lately and have been taking naps :Sweatdrop: so I haven't been in the mood.**

**Yosh, Sasuke took over Orochimaru! XD**

It had been an entire month since the incident that left both Sasuke, Kakashi, and Jiraiya a little shaken up. Naruto had reverted back to his usual cheerful self, but with every word he said, there was a sense of fear looming behind it. Like if he kept talking, the words would trail off, he'd become deaf, then his mind would fade off... just like the feeling when he'd died. He wanted to talk... but then everything just dulled down and he was gone.

Other than that, the pet had made a complete recovery, but both Sasuke and Kakashi noticed that something was still wrong. It'd been a month since then and Naruto had yet to grow to his full size. It should've been done with two weeks ago, but he seemed to be stuck at the age of fourteen, without any signs of maturing further.

Tsunade sighed as she did a check-up on Naruto, turning to Sasuke (who had brought the blond to the small hospital), "I never thought this would happen. There was only a three in one hundred percent chance that it would happen to him..."

Naruto looked up at the doctor with confused blue eyes, "Ano sa, Baa-chan... is there something wrong with me?" he asked with a slightly deeper voice. He may not have grown a day past fourteen, but he'd hit the point humans called "puberty".

The blonde woman nodded slowly, "It seems as if the euthanizing drugs and reverse drugs have mixed together, stunting his growth," she said more to Sasuke than Naruto, "he's not going to grow anymore and I doubt he'll be able to successfully impregnate a female once his next heat comes around. The drugs have messed with all of his organs, their functions..." she sighed once again and ran polished nails through her long hair, "his heart is weak, so if he gets too frightened or too happy, it might fail on him; his blood is circulating at a normal rate... but it's slower than most animals, so he might get light-headed easily; his intestines are starting to inflate a bit, so expect him to complain about severe stomach pains; and the drugs seemed to have screwed with how his brain sends messages, so as his mind matures (since his body can't), he'll probably have to deal with minor seizures or he might even go brain dead every once and a while."

Sasuke soaked in all of that information. It was bad enough that he almost lost his child, but knowing now that the young cat would be reduced to something akin to a sickly handicap, worsened his mood. He gritted his teeth and lifted Naruto up into his arms, making sure the boy was comfortable against his chest.

"Thank you for informing me, Tsunade-san," he muttered quietly, "I'll make sure he's taken care of."

Tsunade nodded and gave her cute patient a smile, "Stay healthy, brat, and listen to everything your father says. I don't want you getting hurt," she brushed her fingers against his cheek and bidded them both farewell, going back to her office to do some paperwork.

xXxXx

Sibel Claire sat in the kitchen of Kakashi's home, her dainty hand holding up a glass tea cup, hot herbal tea ready for her to drink. She used her other hand to press the silver tray littered with sweets such as cakes and tarts toward her pet, Sakura. The pink-haired beauty smiled a bit and happily took a cherry tart, biting into it slowly.

Kakashi was leaning against one of the marble counters, eyes glancing up at the clock every so often. He unconsciously thrummed his fingers against the smooth ledge and sighed, "I apologize, Sibel. I thought Sasuke and Naruto would've been back by the time you arrived."

"It's quite alright," she dabbed at her lips with a soft napkin, "I have the entire afternoon," she straightened herself and turned to Sakura, "Dear, go freshen yourself up. Sasuke-kun should be arriving soon," her tone was a little bitter.

Sakura said nothing, her chair scooting back as she lifted herself up and scurried away from the table, her soft, white ears twitching atop of her head. As soon as she stepped into the main hall, she ran into Itachi, the taller feline narrowing his dark eyes.

"Excuse me," Sakura muttered angrily as she shoved past him. She was polite and respectful when around her owner, but when she wasn't, she was a rude little thing.

Itachi glanced at her retreating figure, then smirked, _So that's the pet Kakashi wants my otouto to mate with? Hn, their personalities match, _He wandered into the kitchen and opened the fridge, rummaging through, much to Sibel's horror. A pet getting food without his owner's permission? Unheard of!

"Kakashi, not to be rude, but..." she gave Itachi a disapproving look, "you let your pets get their own food when they please?"

The scarecrow blinked, then scratched his neck with stubby nails, "Maa, I don't believe in all those silly rules. What good is having a well-disciplined pet?"

Sibel narrowed her eyes, "There are dozens of answers I can give you for that question."

Kakashi chuckled, "Wrong. There's only one answer, and that is..." he smiled, "no good at all."

The woman sat her cup down and crossed her legs, furrowing her freshly plucked brows. She didn't understand how a respected and rich man such as Kakashi would have so many different views on the world of pets. If he didn't like the system, then why did he choose to become a pet owner in the first place? Honestly, she would never be able to understand that man. He was just one big fleshy lump of mystery.

"How so?" she drew her words out.

"It's alright to have a well-behaved pet... but one like Sakura..." he laughed nervously when Sibel cast him a cool glare, "she just doesn't seem like much fun. You put too many restraints on her," he gave her an apologetic smile, "let her do what she wishes occassionally. That's how you truly raise a good and trusting pet. I'll never have to worry about Sasuke and Itachi running off, because I don't set too many restrictions."

Clearing her throat, Sibel remained silent, letting her eyes follow Itachi as he pulled a covered plate of freshly sliced pineapple out of the fridge. He grabbed a fork out of a drawer and took a seat across from her.

"Good afternoon, Lady Claire," he greeted her with a polite, yet fake smile.

"Hn, Itachi," she pulled out her European fan and began cooling herself off, the soft gusts of wind blowing her bangs against rosy cheeks, "How have you been doing these days?" she asked, even though she didn't really care. That's why Itachi kept his reply short and to the point.

"Fairly well," was all he said.

"Aboji!" Naruto called as he slid into the kitchen, his sneakers scuffing up the kitchen floor. He grinned and helf up a hand, showing his silver-haired owner a little pink bag that was littered with kitty faces, "look what Susu Oppa bought me!" he had grown a bit older and had become more mature, but he still held that innocence that both Kakashi and Sasuke loved, "strawberry cookies!"

Kakashi chuckled and patted the fourteen-year old on the head, "Did he? I hope you're going to share. You know how I have a sweet tooth."

The young pet wrinkled his small nose, "Get your own," he huffed. Blinking when a hand was placed on his shoulder, he glanced up and smiled sweetly to his father, "Susu Oppa!"

Sasuke rubbed the skin there before spotting Sakura in the hall. He stared at her and she stared back, a large smile slipping onto her pretty face. Scurrying forward, she bowed, pink hair cascading over small shoulders. He furrowed his brows, "Kakashi, I don't remember arranging a meeting to see her--"

"Don't be rude," his owner cut him off, firmly, "Now, go into the living room and talk about the housing situation with her," he ignored the glare his pet gave him, then turned his full attention back to his newest feline.

Naruto watched them leave, a bit upset that the tiger was holding Sasuke's hand. But he brushed the feeling away and glanced down at the little pink bag of cookies, "Ano... Aboji... is that the beautiful tiger from the Showcase?" he asked quietly. If it was, then he knew that his father would probably be mating with her. Kakashi had explained a while ago that he'd be getting Sasuke a pretty mate soon, and that it would have to be a pet high in the Showcase ranks.

"Yes, her name's Sakura," Kakashi smiled, "she's gorgeous, isn't she? By the way, I think I should be finding a mate for you. You're at that age now."

The blond blushed.

Sibel interrupted the conversation, "What type of cat is he, Kakashi?" she raised her brows, curious. She'd never seen a feline with such soft looks or stunning blue eyes. Tucking her fan away, she stood, gracefully sliding over to the two, inspecting Naruto with slanted eyes.

Naruto became nervous.

"He's a Clouded Leopard," the scarecrow lied quickly.

Sibel creased her brows, "But the patterns on his ears are--"

"Lady Claire, are you finished with the pastries?" Itachi spoke up from his spot at the table, smirk in place, "because I'd like one."

"Ah, go ahead," she waved her hand at him in dismissal, then looked back at Naruto, only to find him missing

"Hmm, I can't seem to keep him in one place," Kakashi laughed happily as he offered his guest another cup of tea.

Sibel narrowed her eyes.

xXxXx

Naruto poked his head around the corner, ears lowered to his head. Just the lovely smile on Sakura's face told him that she was quite taken with his father. The way she brushed her fingers against his slightly large hands, how she giggled when he gave one of his dry jokes, and the long unblinking stares she gave him all signalled her infatuation. But it was alright... wasn't it? It wasn't like Naruto was jealous.

Of course, he'd never know if he was or not since he'd never experienced the emotion. Anger, happiness, sadness, just simple feelings. Those were what he was used to, but not jealousy. What did jealousy even feel like?

He remained silent as he watched their interactions. Sasuke gave a small smile every one and a while, his beauty making up for the lack of expression. But Sakura... to Naruto, the Siberian Tiger was like a large beaken of light. She made the room so bright with her smiles, laughter, and beauty. It amazed him that Sasuke hadn't kissed her yet.

He blushed a bit, eyes drifting down to gaze at the floor, _She's just so pretty... why wouldn't he want to kiss her? _he listened to the pink-haired female tell the stoic raven a joke and he cracked a tiny smile, _and she's funny... She's perfect, isn't she? _ he asked himself.

Fingers pressing into the wooden frame of the door, Naruto continued to watch, not even noticing how his mood went from curious to depressed. **He** wanted to be the one to shine like the sun in Sasuke's life, **he** wanted the raven to let him stroke his hand, to let him tell silly jokes, no matter how ridiculous they might be.

He then realized that he was already a light in his father's life. All Sasuke ever did around him was smile...

_So... he wants a brighter someone in his life?_

"It's not polite to stalk someone," Itachi said smoothly from behind the pet.

Naruto spun around and held back the urge to swallow. He hadn't talked much to Itachi in the past few days, and he wanted to keep it that way. He might've grown, but he was still afraid of the large cat. Everything that he'd told him a week or two before came rushing back.

"I-Ita Oppa..." he continued to call Itachi by his nickname.

The large leopard sneered, "You're so nervous when around me. Is it because of what I told you weeks ago?" a smirk slid onto his luscious lips, "I suppose an apology is at hand, then. I'm sorry for being so cruel to you."

Naruto's ears perked up and he blinked beautiful eyes, "Wh-what?"

"I'm apologizing. Do you forgive me or not?"

"O-Oh, I do," he whispered. He didn't understand... why was Itachi just suddenly ask for forgiveness? The raven wasn't one to feel the least bit guilty, no matter what he did, so... why? It didn't make any sense.(1)

"Good," then the leopard slid past him, back into the confines of his own large bedroom, the oak door shutting quietly behind him.

The blond remained still, surprised and completely confused. What had happened... couldn't possibly be real, could it? He smiled brightly and turned, ready to go share his good news with Kakashi, but was stopped when he ran into Sasuke's chest, his forehead smacking against a hard collarbone. He whimpered and cradled his injured skull.

"Are you alright?" Sasuke asked as he pulled Naruto's hands away, inspecting the injuries.

"Itai..." he whimpered, "it's ok... just sore."

Sakura glanced over Sasuke's shoulder and cooed when she saw Naruto, "He's so adorable!" she went past the young leopard and cradled Naruto against her, not noticing that his face was buried in her breasts. She hugged him and giggled, "What's your name, sweetheart?" she asked with a soft voice.

Naruto turned his head and inhaled deeply, thankful for the oxygen, "N-Naruto," he mumbled before being hugged tightly again. He whined in pain, now knowing that Sakura was as strong as she was beautiful.

"S-Susu Oppa!" he reached out for his father and grabbed his wrist.

Sasuke chuckled, "Sakura, let him go."

"Oh, gomen," the pretty woman apologized sheepishly, petting Naruto's golden locks with thin fingers. She then pinched his cheeks, loving how soft and tan they were. She said they reminded her freshly baked bread. How that metaphor came about, nobody knew, "tell me, Naruto, do you think Sasuke-kun and I make a cute couple?" she asked sweetly.

Naruto then felt his stomach drop. The jealousy was back, accompanied by Mr. Depression. He looked down, avoiding Sasuke's gaze, "I suppose..." he grumbled.

"You suppose?" she blinked emerald eyes.

"He's my son, Sakura. He's probably not used to me being around other females," Sasuke commented.

The tiger made an 'o' with her mouth, then smiled down at the young pet, once again pinching his cheeks, despite the whining coming from her cute little victim, "Ah, I see!" she chirped, "then I understand what you're feeling, Naruto!"

The blond blinked, "You... do?" he doubted it.

"Being stuck in a home full of males, having such a handsome and caring father... you probably developed a crush on him," she explained and turned to Sasuke, "it's completely normal. I see it all the time when I go to work with my owner's husband. It's a stage of pet development sometimes. The child will develop incestuous feelings toward one of their parents."

Naruto swallowed and blushed hotly, continuing to avoid Sasuke's burning gaze. He missed being an innocent, completely oblivious kitten sometimes. Then he wouldn't have to deal with hormones or the process known as "growing up".

"Awww, do you have a crush on Sasuke-kun?" she teased.

Forget her being beautiful and funny, Naruto **hated** her!

He yanked himself away, unaware of the tears forming in his sky blue eyes. His heart thumped loudly in his chest and he clutched the fabric covering the smooth expanse of skin, teeth digging into his bottom lip. He actually met his father's gaze, but their eyes didn't stay connected long enough before a sudden thought hit him.

His heart was beating too fast.

He stepped forward, fear now shooting through his body, only making his heart beat faster. He may not have understood most of what Tsunade had said, but he definitely knew what she was talking about when she mentioned his heart.

Sasuke seemed to realize what was happening at the same moment, because he caught Naruto before he could fall to the floor. Naruto could hear Sakura scream in horror, then their were footsteps, but he kept his eyes focused on Sasuke's. Even as his heart stopped in his chest, the tears of embarrassment and frustration slipped down his temples, into his messy hair. He saw Sasuke look down at him, his obsidian orbs begging for him to hang in.

Pink lips moved, but nothing came out, and he slowly closed his eyes.

_"Awww, do you have a crush on Sasuke-kun?"_

He then heard sirens and realized he was being placed on the floor. Men were talking all around him, then something was placed over his chest. An electric shock went through his body and he wanted to cry out in pain, but his state of weakness prevented him from doing so.

As he began to black out, he felt a warm hand cradling his, pleads of "stay with me" and "don't leave me again" reaching his sensitive ears.

_Susu Oppa... _ he wanted to whisper.

"He'll be fine. His heart's beating," he heard one man say, but he still saw nothing. It was still black.

As he drifted off, he heard the "thank god" of his father and smiled.

_I don't have a crush on him...you can't call the flutter in my stomach and the throbbing of my heart a crush..._

**(1)- I know some of you think it's weird that Itachi just apologized, but I'll let you know now that it's all for a reason. It'll come up in later chapters.**


	8. One week!

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

**I'm trying to update faster, but I'm all sickly. Mehh, so once again, forgive me if this chapter's pure crap.**

**I saw 300! ZOMG, I loved it! A lot of nipples, though... and too many lesbians... but the guys were hott :drool:**

**This chapter's more light-hearted... except for the beginning.**

Naruto awoke in Sasuke's bed, the thick sheets around his freezing body. There was a freshly soaked washrag on his forehead, droplets of water slipping down his forehead, soaking into his already damp hair. He inhaled deeply, wincing at the sudden jolt of pain in his stomach. He quickly moved his small hands to his tummy and kept them there, feeling as if he was about to burst.

"S-Susu Oppa," he whispered painfully. He wanted to cry, it hurt so bad. Trying to sit up, he let out a loud wail, his body lurching forward, his frame slipping off of the mattress and falling to the floor. The sound of footsteps was heard, then the door to the bedroom was slung open, Sasuke standing there.

The leopard ran to the fallen boy and lifted him carefully into his arms, "Naruto, what hurts?" he asked, worried to death. His little boy was crying, tears staining his flushed cheeks. He was biting his bottom lip to keep the sobs from escaping, "Naruto, tell me," he asked again, pulling out a box full of different tablets. Tsunade had dropped them by the house in the morning, telling the raven which ones to give to the kitten when some different body reaction happened.

The blond snuggled into his father's chest and clutched the warm shirt, pulling his knees in toward himself, "M-my stomach," he whined, voice shaking.

Opening the box, he pulled out two blue pills and gently lifted Naruto's face up, fingers under his chin. He gave the boy a fond smile and told him the tablets would make him feel better. Once the kitten opened his mouth, he placed them on the pink tongue and watched as Naruto swallowed them, tears still running from his puffy eyes.

"Come here, I'll make the pain go away," Sasuke whispered and lifted Naruto into his arms, sitting down on the edge of the bed, then craddling the small body in his arms. He lifted up the young cat's shirt and pressed both hands down on the tan stomach, transferring heat. He knew that heat on a woman's stomach helped cramps, so it should help other things, right?

Naruto whimpered and kept himself in his father's embrace, "It feels nice..." he commented quietly, keeping down an unwanted blush. He started thinking of Sakura and how just that one question caused him to almost die...

He buried his head into Sasuke's chest, suddenly feeling sad, "I don't want to die, Susu Oppa..." his words were whispered.

Sasuke's eyes widened a fraction and he sighed loudly, "You're not going to die. You're just... sick."

"If I'm sick... can I still compete in the Showcase?"

"I don't think you can--"

Naruto jerked himself away, despite the searing pain inside of him. He fell against the headboard of the large bed and his breath came out in heavy pants. He shook his head, denying Sasuke's words, "I-I want to be in the Showcase!"

"Naruto, come back--"

"No! If I'm going to die, then I want to at least be in the Showcase before it happens!" the blond cried.

"You're not going to die! Naruto, stop it before your heart rate goes up!" Sasuke growled.

_I wanted to make you proud, Susu Oppa... and then I wanted to be with you... I want to make you happy, but Sakura can do that for you. So the only thing I have left that will prove my worth is the Showcase..._

"Please," the kitten begged, "please, Susu Oppa..."

Sasuke sighed and ran a hand through his hair, "Fine, but come back here before you get hurt again," he pulled Naruto back into his arms and couldn't help but smile at the delighted look on the cat's face.

xXxXx

Jiraiya patted his pupil on the head after another day of successful training. It'd been a weak of non-stop work and on various occasions Naruto would pass out, but other than that, it went well. Naruto was now in shape to compete in the Showcase, and all he needed before being shown was a good grooming

"We'll have Yamato-san come over in the evening to get you cleaned and trimmed up," the mountain ape said as he and Naruto entered the kitchen for dinner. Kakashi was placing the last of the plates on the table and smiled underneath his mask, "Naruto-kun, could you go tell Sasuke and Itachi that dinner's ready?"

"Ok!" Naruto chirped and ran down the hall to Itachi's bedroom first. He knocked and heard a muffled "what?" from inside. He smiled and pushed the oak door open, the hinges creaking a bit, "Dinner's ready, Ita Oppa," he said quietly after he noticed that the older leopard was lying in bed, no shirt on his frame. He seemed to be sweating.

"I'll be out in a moment," Itachi lifted himself up, silky black hair falling over his shoulders. Naruto couldn't help a blush from spreading across his cheeks. He didn't deny that he was attracted to his father... and Itachi was so similar to him. So he thought the older of the two to be just as handsome.

"I'm sorry for waking you up," the kitten whispered, then shut the door, making his way to the library. He knew Sasuke was in there, the raven having spoken about reading up on the English langauge. He scurried into the large room and peeked around, finding the leopard sitting in a far corner, a dusty book on his lap.

Sasuke looked up when he noticed the scent of the room change from dust to rain. That was Naruto's unique smell. He closed his book and chuckled when he saw the boy stumble over the Persian rug, yelping loudly.

"I suppose dinner's ready?"

Naruto glared down at the rug, then threw Sasuke a large smile, "We're having spaghetti!"

"I'll make sure to get the parmesan cheese out for you," the raven stood up and brushed his pants off. Ruffling his son's hair and scratching a bit behind one soft ear, Sasuke smirked and walked out. Naruto stood there for a moment, then grinned and ran out, grabbing Sasuke's hands with his as they made their way to the kitchen.

"Jiraiya tells me you're ready for your first Showcase," Kakashi brought up as soon as Sasuke and Naruto took their seats at the dining table. Sasuke handed the blond the container of parmesan cheese and raised a brow as he began to smother his spaghetti with it.

"Mmm!" Naruto nodded his head, slurping up the noodles and swallowing, "only one week until I get to go on stage," he clenched his fork, excited, "I'll make your proud, Susu Oppa," he smiled toward his father, laughing cutely when his cheek was pinched by said male.

"Don't worry about making me proud, worry about Kakashi. He's the one showing you to the people."

Itachi came in after another five minutes, looking exhausted and wearing only a black robe. There was a little picture of a fish on the front; it was a gag gift from Kakashi last Christmas, but Itachi actually liked it, despite its cuteness. He sat down at the table and stifled a yawn.

Kakashi raised a brow as he munched on a meatball, "Up all night?"

Itachi didn't answer. Instead, he opted for just eating his dinner, the long noodle not looking very appealing to him. Across from him, Jiraiya smirked. Oh, he knew why Itachi was so tired. He was sure Sasuke knew, too, but Naruto was probably still a bit too slow to understand what the change in an animal's scent and exhaustion meant.

Blue eyes peered past the salad bowl, "Ita Oppa..." Naruto began, "you smell odd..."

Itachi twitched, Jiraiya chuckled, and Kakashi made an 'o' with his mouth, now understanding what was going on with his oldest pet. Then he laughed, almost choking on another juicy meatball. He swallowed a mouthful of water and coughed loudly, causing Sasuke to look at him with disgust.

"It's that time of the month, is it?" he teased.

Jiraiya gave a gruff roar of laughter, "You make it sound like he's on his period!"

Naruto watched as his older "brother" squeezed his fork tightly. He was so used to seeing Itachi as a very calm, angry, bitter, and stoic person... This knew side of him seemed so unreal. He was frustrated, looked sickly, sweaty, and just out of place in the household.

"Time of the month?" the little blond asked, curious, "does that mean he's in heat?"

Everyone at the table looked at him, surprised.

"Ita Oppa, make sure no one touches you! Aboji says if someone touches your Ochinchin, you get pregnant!" Naruto exclaimed, not wanting Itachi to have a baby he wasn't ready for.

The older leopard narrowed his eyes dangerously, scaring the little cub. Next to Naruto, Sasuke snorted in amusement.

"No one's going near my Ochinchin," Itachi snarled, finishing up his dinner.

"You see," Kakashi spoke up once he finished his meal, "Itachi's different than most males. When he goes into heat, he keeps himself away from others... unlike Sasuke who used to go out and hump all the little girls."

The raven sputtered and held down a heated blush, "I did not," he growled.

"Ahhh, that's right. There were some little boys you fornicated with, too. I remember Kaname, he was such a cute thing. Always so happy and lively. Whatever happened to him?" he tapped his chin in thought.

Deciding that his little brother needed a little more embarrassment, Itachi commented, "Otouto got him pregnant."

Snickers were shared among the table, while Naruto and Sasuke remained quiet, the raven glaring daggers of ice.

"Males can get pregnant?" Naruto asked, verious thoughts running through his head, _What if... what if Susu Oppa loved me and we had a little kitten together? _he grinned at the thought, but then Sakura's face appeared in his mind and he frowned.

Sasuke sat back in his chair and scowled at everyone but Naruto, "No, they can't. Itachi's being stupid."

Naruto looked down at his half-finished plate of spaghetti with a pout, slightly disappointed.

xXxXx

Yamato-san was a nice looking man. He did make very scary faces sometimes, but that was only when his pet wouldn't keep his paws to himself. He had a Black Tiger named Sai, and the large pet had taken an immediate liking to Naruto. He'd followed the blond everywhere and had managed to molest him twice before Sasuke had threatened him.

Naruto had to say, Sai looked a lot like Sasuke. The only thing different was Sai's fake smile and his short hair, "Ano... Yamato-san," he'd gotten used to using formal Japanese names, "when are you going to...?"

"Groom you?" the tall man chuckled, "why don't I do that right now? Kakashi said he wanted to get you registered for the Showcase by seven, so I think I should get started. Head into the bathroom while I get my bag."

Naruto nodded and ran to the large downstairs bathroom, squeeking when Sai appeared in front of him, a large smile in place, "U-um."

"So, you're actually going to enter the Showcase?" he asked.

The blond nodded slowly, stepping around him carefully.

Sai gave another fake smile, "Then you need to watch out for Gaara-san and Neji-san. They're very popular, and if you're not careful, they could keep you off of the Showcase stage for good."

"Gaara and Neji...?"

Sai laughed, "A raccoon and a panda," he responded, "They're cute in pet form, but as humans, they're vicious, so watch your step."

Naruto was confused. The same pet that had tried to molest him like the canine named Kiba had... was trying to keep him safe? Maybe he was bipolar or something...

"Why are you...?"

"Because," Sai said, "I'm going to be in the Showcase as well, and I'd like for you to stay as long as possible so we can 'bond'," he purred.

Naruto pouted, not liking the dark tiger very much.

**Please review:Hearts:**

**And I told you this chap was pure crap :Huff:**


	9. Pretty Little Thing

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

**Once again, sorry for the long wait. Still haven't been feeling too good; have a cold. But I want you to know that I'm gonna try my hardest to give you a new update once every two days... until I leave to go to Georgia next Friday.**

**Oh! And my birthday's on Wednesday! I'll be 16:Hearts: I wanna drive... but my grandma's all "You need a job to pay for insurance"... damn ass won't pay it for me! and then I CAN'T get a job because my frickin' grandpa won't let me! How am I supposed to pay for college?.! What's wrong with my god damn family?.! I probably won't even get a nice birthday present... :Sigh:**

Sasuke hissed at the black tiger who continued to rub against his cub as Naruto tried to fill up the bath tub in the large downstairs bathroom. But no matter how many times he warned Sai, the pet wouldn't back off, continuously purring and saying filthy things to the golden cat. Sasuke had seen enough of it and was about to slit the other male's throat, but Yamato placed a hand on his shoulder from behind.

"Sai means no harm. He's not very social, so when he sees someone he likes... he tends to become overly friendly. You understand, don't you?" Yamato walked ahead of Sasuke and told Sai to leave, so he could get to work on Naruto. The bag he had tossed over his shoulder was dropped to the floor, carefully.

Sai nodded and gave Naruto another sensual smirk before slithering past Sasuke like a watchful snake, his pitch black eyes blending in with his dark bangs. He noticed the scowl the other pet gave him, but he just laughed fakely and continued on his way to the living room, plopping down on the sofa with a grace equivalent to Itachi's.

Inside of the bathroom, Naruto was stripping himself of his clothes, whining cutely when the zipper of his light coat got tangle in his messy hair. Yamato chuckled and helped him, managing to only pull out a few strands of bright hair. He then took the top and folded it neatly, handing it over to Sasuke (who still stood in the doorway).

Naruto unfastened his pants and slipped them off, along with his forest green boxers. With a grin, he hopped into the tub, proving the saying that cats didn't like water wrong. He got into a confortable position and began swishing his tail around in the tub, pretending the furry apendage was an andaconda, just like the one in the movie he saw with Sasuke a few nights before.

Yamato folded the other articles of clothing and handed them to Sasuke, as well. "Please take those to the washroom," he nodded his head to the pet.

Sasuke gave him a small "alright" before saying, "How long will this take? We need to sign him up for the Showcase before nine."

"Hm, not too long. An hour at the most. I'll just need to clean and groom him, then put him in one of the new wardrobes I chose for him. Best to leave a good first impression with the judges when signing him up, eh? The judges are always wandering around the main corridor when pets are being entered," the man pulled a few special bottles from his bag and placed them on the ledge of the round tub.

The raven nodded and left, muttering a "be good for Yamato-san" to Naruto before departing.

"Bye bye!" he waved to his father's retreating figure and smiled widely, eyeing the little bottles Yamato had set out. He picked one up and sniffed it, his tail fluttering behind him in delight. The scent was strong, but very pleasant. "Yamato-san, what's this?"

"My own concoction," the other answered with a kind smile. "Crushed rose petals, grinded cocao nuts, and fresh honey. Smells good, doesn't it?"

"It does!" Naruto chirped and placed the bottle back on the ledge, quickly moving his body in the shallow water and reaching up to grab the soft washrag that sat atop the shampoo bottles. He was about to pur some of Yamato's body wash onto the rag, but the man stopped him.

"I'll do it."

"But I can do it myself--"

"I know that," Yamato laughed. "But there are certain techniques you must use to make sure the scent sticks to your skin. Who's the expert here?" he asked with a teasing tone. The pout on Naruto's face gave him his answer.

"You're treating me like a baby, Yamato-san!" he huffed loudly and batted alluring lashes. "I'm fourteen!"

The older male sighed and patted the cat on the head. "That may be true, Naruto-kun, but your body is small. I have to take extra care of you or else something might happen."

"Might... happen?" Naruto blinked owlishly. "Like what?"

"I'm sure you're aware of your condition?"

The young pet nodded slowly, but then shook his head rapidly. "I only know about my heart," he placed a sopping wet hand on his chest, droplets of water running down the smooth flesh. "Baa-chan said a lot of other things, but I didn't know what she was talking about. She used a lot of big words."

"Neither Kakashi or Sasuke told you what she meant?" when he saw Naruto frown and shake his head softly, he continued. "Have you wondered why you're still so small for your age? You should've grown to Sasuke or Itachi's size by now."

Naruto bit his bottom lip and nodded.

"Well, your growth was stunted the day you were almost killed by Kimimaro. I'm not going to go into great detail, but know that you will not grow to your father's size. You'll age mentally, but your body will remain the same."

Blue eyes widened, black pupils becoming smaller in the vast expanse of cerulean. His slightly damp ears flattened against his messy hair and he let out a sound close to a whimper. "I'm not... going to grow?"

"I'm sorry, but no. Don't think of it as a bad thing, though," Yamato gave him a reassuring smile. "That fact will help you with the results at the Showcase. The people are now looking for family pets. **Small** pets who will do great with children."

Naruto suddenly smiled, his ears perking back up. "So... me being small will make people like me more?"

"Exactly. And that coupled with your magnetic personality... I think you have a very good chance of winning. The only thing you'll have to worry about is you being an Impure. If the judges or anyone else finds out you'll be killed."

"I know, I'll be really careful!" the blond chirped loudly, his voice bouncing off the tiled walls. He sat back and the tub water sloshed around his waist. "And Yamato-san... what about the other stuff Baa-chan talked about?"

Yamato rubbed his jaw in thought. "Now this might deal great damage to your Showcase results... but you won't be able to impregnate a female. If you're one of the top pets, you'll have to mate with a female and produce kittens so you can start a new line of Purebloods. But since you can't do that... I suppose scientists could just clone you and have the clone produce the kittens..."

Naruto wasn't too bothered by the new knowledge. He knew he wasn't going to mate with just some random remale cat. He only wanted to mate with his Susu Uppa... He blushed as he thought of Sasuke holding him, kissing his neck like the romantic people on television did. He'd sit and watch T.V. for hours, just watching the romance movies, wishing that he could have that type of relationship with his father.

"And then there's just one more major issue you'll have to get used to. Messages to your brain will become slower as your mental age progresses, so expect a few seizures every now and then. You might also just black out for no reason. If you become light-headed, call for help immediately, alright?"

With another deep nod, Naruto smiled. "It won't be so bad, right? The only bad thing is my heart."

Yamato chuckled. "You're so positive. I wish Sai was more like you, and not his usual lazy self."

Naruto giggled.

xXxXx

Sasuke sat on the other side of the couch, his legs crossed, gaze on the television. He tried to ignore the tiger beside him, but it was becoming a very difficult task, since Sai was humming a gay little tune while thrumming his long nails against the soft arm of the couch. Sasuke knew it wasn't intentional, but dammit, how he wanted it to be. Just so he could have a reason to slam his fist into Sai's face.

Sai seemed to notice the leopard's anger (how couldn't he? The raven was practically oozing an aura of annoyance and irritation) and turned, tossing the other pet a simple smile. "Is something the matter, Sasuke-san?" his voice was so sweet it was sickening.

"No," Sasuke snarled, keeping his eyes on the T.V.

"You're going to burn a hole into the television if you keep glaring at it," Sai joked. "Tell me, are you worried that Naruto-san is going to be found out?"

Sasuke sent him a glare as dark as death.

"Don't worry about him. He looks as beautiful as a Pureblood," a sly smile slid across the black tiger's face. "No one will find out unless you or Kakashi tells them. Or unless... I tell them?" his smile widened.

Turning sharply, the raven bared his fangs, the white canines glistening with saliva. He'd waste no time in ripping out Sai's larynx with his fangs if the other pet even dared to threaten Naruto.

"Don't worry, I won't tell.. I wouldn't dream of getting little Naruto-san into trouble," Sai said unconvincingly. "But I have to ask, what would become of you if the public found out that you'd taken in an Impure? Why, you'd be stripped of your title as favorable pet, right?"

Letting his eyes melt into red, Sasuke let out a feral growl, his last warning to the tiger. If Sai were to say one more thing to upset him, then there would be bloodshed. "I care more about his safety than my title," his voice was smooth and dark.

Sai kept his false smile. "Is that so? I find your feelings for him to be quite strong. Much stronger than that of a protective father," he leaned forward. "Could it be that you've fallen for the boy? He's beautiful, cute, and his personality just drags you in, hm? It would be so easy to fall for him."

Sasuke calmed himself and settled with just glaring, his crimson eyes fading back into obsidian. "I have a mate who will produce healthy cubs," he stated, even though he wasn't fond of Sakura. He could tolerate her, but would never love her. "And Naruto will find his own mate," he told himself, but he already knew the young cat couldn't get a female pregnant.

"But you want him as your mate," Sai crooned.

"I do not," the raven growled.

Yamato cut off the conversation with his entrance into the living room, his long legs blocking the T.V. screen. He gave them a brief smile while wiping his wet hands on a cinnamon colored wash towel. He glanced back and forth between Sasuke and Sai, shaking his head a bit.

"Please don't start a fight, Sai, I would prefer it if you didn't make it a habit."

"Sasuke-san started it," the tiger said teasingly before sliding back to his side of the couch, looking around Yamato's calves to see the low television.

The pet owner sighed and turned to Sasuke, "I'm done grooming and dressing him now, if you'd like to see," he then chuckled for no reason. "I must say, the outfit he chose is quite... interesting."

Standing up and straightening his shirt, Sasuke walked into the bathroom, pushing open the half-closed door with a soft shove. He looked in and blinked slowly, his lips twitching upwards into a small smile, than soon morphed into an amused smirk.

Naruto stood there in a sun dress, the white article of clothing fitting him and showing his feminine curves and pretty legs. On the dress were little blossom designs that differed between the colors of orange, red, yellow, and pink. His golden hair was trimmed so the bangs were thinner and hanging over his bright eyes, the farthest locks curving inward at his temples, caressing his cheeks. He looked so cute standing there, carefoot and grinning toothily.

"I wanted to look pretty for Susu Oppa!" the boy hurried to his father and smiled. "Do I look nice? Yamato-san said I was beautiful," even though he knew what sex and hormones were... it seemed he still had no clue about gender identity.

Sasuke chuckled, and picked his boy up, groaning a bit at how heavy Naruto was. He was somewhat glad the cat wouldn't grow anymore. Pressing his forehead against Naruto's, he smiled. "You're gorgeous," he whispered. "But after we sign you up for the Showcase, I'll have to talk to you about what boys do and do not wear, alright?"

Naruto giggled and nuzzled against the leopard. "Ok!"

**Short but... cute? XD**


	10. Meh?

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

**Yeah, I know, it's been sooooo long since I've updated, but I was in Georgia without a computer, so don't blame me! And damn, I'm not gonna be cosplaying as Sai for Otakon :Sigh: But I'll be another wonderful character from my new favorite show, Code Geass! I'm gonna be C.C.! She's so pretty :Grin: If you're going to Otakon, you'll definitely know who I am. I'll have bright green hair, a white suit with various black belts, and I'll be holding a Pizza Hut box XD Yosh!**

The evening was cool and breezy, drawing people and pets out from their apartments and townhouses. The lowering sun could be seen out near the bridge that connected the island their city was settled upon to the main land. The sky was darkened, but still bright with hues of red, orange, and yellow. It was definitely a sight to behold.

Kakashi, Naruto, Sasuke, and Itachi walked down the crowded sidewalk, approaching the place where the Showcase would be held in two days. Itachi lingered behind everyone else, a black coat on, his nimble fingers fiddling with his collar. Kakashi and Sasuke were in the middle of the group, looking casual and suave, while Naruto moved swifty in the front.

His pretty sundress swung around his girly legs, tickling his calves, causing him to giggle every so often. He held a feminine posture as he moved, people around them looking at him curiously. Some even looked jealous, wanting their pets to be as cute as Naruto.

"There it is!" the little cat pointed to the large building, his ears twitching atop his mop of golden hair. Reaching back and taking Sasuke and Itachi's warm hands, he dragged them forward, knowing very well that it was inappropriate to be too friendly with your owner when in public. He gave Kakashi a bright smile instead, then continued to yank the handsome leopards toward the front doors of the Showcase building.

Sasuke rather enjoyed his son tugging him around, but Itachi was annoyed. He was still in heat, his stomach ached, and he needed release bad. During all of his other heats, he just waited for them to end, but with all of the frustration he felt when around Naruto (not the sexual kind), he needed a good fuck. NOW.

As they pushed through the front doors, they were met by a pretty black-haired woman holding her own pet pig. It looked like it was an old-time pet, since it didn't have a collar, like all transfiguring pets did. She greeted them and showed them to a register table in the main hall.

"Please go to the table at the end. Tsunade-sama will be glad to sign you up," she said kindly.

Naruto blinked beautiful blue eyes. "Baa-chan?" he looked behind him, at Kakashi. The man nodded slowly and they went to the very last table. Sure enough, the blonde doctor was sitting there in a fashionable forest green dress, her bright red nails tapping the smooth wood of the register table. She gave them a smile and sat up straight, pushing a clipboard toward them.

"You look nice in that sundress, Naruto," she let out a soft laugh and handed Kakashi a pen. "Just make sure you don't wear that for the Showcase. The judges won't appreciate a crossdresser."

Naruto nodded in understanding, then leaned forward while Kakashi filled various sheets out. He was going to enter all three of his pets into different categories. "Baa-chan, what're you doing here? Don't you work at the hospital?"

"I'm here for every Showcase," she explained. "Since I'm a well-known and highly respected doctor in Japan, they drag me here every year, just in case something might happen to a pet or owner. Now, what category are you going to enter him in first, Kakashi?"

The scarecrow finished up with the papers and smiled beneath the wraps covering his lower face. "Beauty."

Tsunade chuckled. "How fitting for him. He is a gorgeous pet," she looked up at both Sasuke and Itachi, who were looking around at other pets. She knew how competative they were when it came to pet showings. "And I'm guessing Sasuke and Itachi will be in the ordering category first?"

"As always, Tsunade-san," Kakashi's eye crinkled.

Naruto glanced all around, wearing an expression of awe as he saw all of the pets in the huge hall. They were dressed so nicely, with diamond or emerald collars around their necks. They all spoke quietly to each other, with permission from their owners, of course. But Naruto was too scared to speak to any of them, suddenly feeling so different. All of them had dark hair and haunting eyes, much like Sasuke's, while he... he looked so bright in the room. He thought that him being an Impure would be the only thing he'd need to worry about... Not his looks.

"What's wrong?" Sasuke asked, placed a comforting hand on a small shoulder blade.

The short blond tilted his head up, not afraid to be honest. "I'm so different from them."

Even though he didn't explain who "them" was, Sasuke had a vague idea. "Why do you think you're different?"

"They're so beautiful and elegant," Naruto bit his bottom lip and watched as a pretty female canine blinked long lashes at another handsome male dog. "And they're so...perfect. But I--"

"You're perfect," Sasuke said and ruffled soft hair. "They might look like all of the pets you see in magazines and on billboards, but that gets old quickly. People want something new, something so bright and... different. Differences can be a very good thing sometimes, Naruto."

Smiling, Naruto took the raven's hand and laced their fingers together. "You really think I'm perfect?" he calmed his beating heart, not wanting to collapse again. Ever since Sakura came for a visit, Naruto had wanted to hear such nice words from his Susu Oppa, wanted to feel special and as beautiful as every other pet. "More perfect... than Sakura-chan?"

Sasuke smiled and traced over whisker marks. "More perfect than Sakura."

The young cat's stomach did flips and his fingers tightened around Sasuke's hand. He pressed himself as close to the leopard as possible, and inhaled the spicy scent he'd come to love. His smiled against soft fabric and whispered. "I love you, Susu Oppa," and he meant it.

Bending down a bit, Sasuke surprised Naruto by giving him a chaste kiss on the cheek. He straightened himself and fixed the other's ruffled dress with a small smile. "You're so affectionate. I'm going to miss that once you become older..." there was no 'I love you too' or 'stay by my side forever'.

Ears drooping, Naruto looked up. He wanted to be the one person his father loved the most, and he just wished that Sakura would vanish from the face of the Earth. Sasuke noticed his upset look.

"What's wrong?"

The skinny blond shook his head slowly, soft tuffs of hair caressing tan cheeks. He clearly looked disappointed and a small dash of pink dusted his cheeks, causing Sasuke to chuckle richly.

"I see," he lifted his son into his arms and hugged him. "I love you, too."

Naruto smiled brightly and wrapped smooth arms around the raven's neck, happy that his Oppa loved him. He knew it was only fatherly love, but it was a lot more than nothing. He knew most fathers wouldn't tell their sons they loved them, because it was too girly. But even when Sasuke said it, he didn't seem any less manly than the moment before.

"Come on, we're meeting with Sakura behind the stage. You're going to meet other pets in your division," Sasuke carried the golden cat down one of the hallways, muttering something to Itachi before walking by. The other leopard nodded and took a sip of the wine he was drinking. He happened to snatch it from an older woman when she had sat it down. Pets weren't allowed to drink alcohol.

As he let his eyes roam around the room, he spotted a beautiful red fox lying by its master's feet at one of the register tables. The gorgeous male animal had nine soft-looking tails and eyes the same color as his dark red fur, sparkling under the hall lights. He licked his padded paws, then noticed Itachi staring and sat up, tails fluttering around behind him.

"Kyuubi, fetch me a meal from the dining area," his master said, no bitterness whatsoever in his voice. He wasn't like most owners who bossed their pets around, he just probably couldn't leave his post at the table and was starving. His growling stomach told Itachi that was the truth. The blond man (who looked much like an older Naruto, except human) leaned over and ran a finger up the base of his pets spine, the fox changing.

The pet known as Kyuubi had long crimson hair that looked orange under the lights. His skin was creamy and his figure was slender and almost curvy, like a girl's. The fox began coming toward Itachi, but walked past him, his fragrance causing the leopard to smirk. So the other man was in heat, too, hm?

_Delicious, _was all Itachi said before following after Kyuubi.

xXxXx

As soon as Sasuke walked through the heavy maroon curtains that hid the stage, Sakura came up and latched onto his arm, scaring Naruto, who was snuggling against the male's chest. The blond was pulled from his comfort and almost slipped out of his father's arms when the pink-haired girl yanked him forward.

Sasuke held down his desire to glare, politely greeting his future mate. "Good evening, Sakura. I don't have much time to spend with you, unfortunately. I can only stay long enough to show Naruto around, I hope you understand."

The Siberian Tiger nodded and tugged them further along behind the stage, where other pets were at, talking to each other, their owners not too far away. When Sasuke entered, most of the animals turned, their eyes widening.

The leopard sighed. They were all very young, so they were probably fans of his. Sasuke was, after all, the hottest pet in PureBlood Vogue magazine (A/N- XD). They all scurried up to him, immediately asking for autographs, some girls even asking for a lick on the cheek.

Naruto cuddled against his father and hissed at them, the first time he'd done that since Kakashi took him in to his home. Sasuke was shocked and all of the excited pets calmed down and back away, scared. Why wouldn't they be frightened? The golden cat was covered in their idol's scent, meaning he was part of his family. They would be crazy if they weren't scared of someone so close to the famous leopard.

"Aww, he's being protective of you," Sakura smiled and patted Naruto on the head, scratching behind an ear. Naruto had noticed before that the tiger was much like a human. He didn't want to say it, but he heard a lot of stories about her from Kakashi and Yamato... and she was generally a kind pet. She treated everyone so kindly...

But Naruto wanted to hate her, wanted to blame her for taking his Susu Oppa away from him! He couldn't bring himself to it, not now...

"Oh, Naruto, I baked these for you," she held up a little wrapped package of sushi, the wrapping a baby blue with pictures of little squids on it. The blond took it with a bright smile, despite his bitterness. How could he ever hate such a kind and pretty person like her?

"Thank you, Sakura-chan," he hugged the package to his chest and looked up at his father. "Susu Oppa, you can put me down. I'm going to look around here while you talk with Sakura-chan," he really didn't want to leave, but he knew he needed to, for Sasuke's sake. For him to get closer to Sakura and become happy.

Sasuke nodded and watched the boy walk off, turning when Sakura attempted to start a conversation. She had her hair up, kept together with chopsticks the color of sand. On her slim frame was a pretty pink dress. She honestly looked very nice today.

As Naruto searched around, he spotted two men in the back. One had blood red hair, green eyes surrounded with black rings, and pointed ears atop his head. Next to him was a milky-eyed boy with long chocolate hair and pure white ears jutting from the sides of his head. Naruto noted that they were as white as Itachi's.

He passed by them, thinking that maybe were the Gaara and Neji Sai had mentioned earlier. As he walked by, he stumbled and caught himself on the doorframe to a white door just in one of the close hallways. He blinked, thinking that it was strange to have an entire long hallway leading from the main hall just covered in paintings, then to have a random door at the end.

Looking behind him, he noticed no one had seen him. Being the young thing he was, curiousity got the best of him and he twisted the door knob slowly, expecting maybe to see something close to what he saw in horror movies. But instead, he was met with a warm office space. He stepped in and peeked around a jutting bookcase, eyes widening at what he saw.

Itachi was mounted over a very flexible pet, thrusting into him with abandon, sweat coating his ivory skin. The fox below him was moaning and growling, his thick member bobbing between his legs, precum dripping to the wooden floor. Red eyes fluttered open, but they were so foggy and unfocused that there would be no way for him to see Naruto standing there.

And the leopard either chose to ignore the blond or he honestly didn't sense him there, because his fucking became rougher, his claws digging into beautifully fair skin, drawing blood and leaving delightful bruises. Kyuubi mewled, eyes almost rolling into the back of his head as he was pounded into the ground. Reaching back, he wrapped fingers through sweaty raven hair and arched his back like a bow, crying out in ecstasy as his body shook with orgasm.

Naruto's face was such a dark red as he remembered the time with the canine, Kiba. He felt something warm in his stomach and an ache between his legs, but ignored them, glued to the sight of Itachi slamming into the other male, his own climax washing over him. The leopard growled and sank his fangs into the soft skin of Kyuubi's neck, making him whimper and thrust back against him, unconsciously.

Stepping back, he shut the door quietly and spun around, blood rushing through his system too fast. He was confused... He'd never thought his Ita Oppa would do something like that, and definitely not so rough... He then received an image of Sasuke doing the same thing to him and his heart sped up. He put a hand to his chest to stop it and succeeded, but he felt very light-headed. Thankfully not from his heart, but because of his confusion and all of the rushing blood.

He stumbled and fell against the wall, his eyes slowly closing. He knew he wasn't in danger, because his heart wasn't hurting.

"Is he the new pet?" a silky voice asked, pale white eyes the only thing Naruto could see through his thick lashes.

"Yes, Uchiha's son. Bring him to the back, he needs water," a red-head commented, lifting Naruto up. The blond could barely acknowledge them, but he did with a faint smile before he drifted off into darkness.

**Please review!**


	11. My Wife the Fox

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

**OMG, it's been forever! I'm soooo sorry, but the heat wave kept me out of my writing mood. Hopefully I'll be updating again soon, just tell God to make sure there's no more heatwaves. A permanent winter would be damn nice.**

Naruto's eyes snapped open and he sat up, a thin white sheet falling from his naked chest. He swallowed and looked around, spotting no one in the small room he was in. There was no light except for the glow of the fishtank beside the closed window and the night light by the small bed he was in. He pulled the thin sheet back up to his chest with sweaty hands and fearfully glanced around, as if expecting something or someone to just pop out of the shadows.

He didn't know what'd happened after he'd passed out, but he remembered seeing striking green eyes, as well as pale white ones. They'd reminded them of Shino's pet chinchilla, Hinata.

Shifting on the mattress, he tossed the sheet off and placed the heels of his feet on the carpet, the material irritating his skin. He stood slowly and, after swallowing once again, he shot for the door, hoping that the hotel's hallway was just beyond it. He yanked on the door's handle and swung it open, surprised to see Sasuke and Kakashi sitting just outside. He noted that his father looked terribly worried.

"Susu Oppa!" he called, eyes tearing up. He didn't care that his mysterios saviors were gone and he didn't even notice that he was completely nude except for his little white socks. All he knew was that his beloved Sasuke was right there in front of him. Running forward, he leapt into the leopard's arms, giving him a strong hug.

Sasuke sighed in relief, hugging back. "I'm glad you're alright. Hyuuga and Sabaku told me you'd fainted. What happened?"

Naruto suddenly flushed, feeling light-headed from the rush of blood to his face. "U-Um, nothing..." he lied. How would he tell Sasuke that he saw Itachi and another pet... mating in one of the staff offices? He fiddled with one of the buttons on Sasuke's dress shirt.

"And what happened to your dress?" Kakashi added with a chuckle, running a cold finger down Naruto's naked side. The blond meeped and wiggled closer to Sasuke, but realized he was pressing his intimate parts against the leopard's nice shirt. He blushed again and pulled away, but the raven kept him in place.

"Hyuuga gave it to me before he left. He took it off of Naruto because he was overheating," Sasuke held up the folded article of clothing and let Naruto crawl off of his lap. He smiled lightly at how cute his son was and helped him with the dress. Even though he knew his boy was at the mental age of thirteen, he looked like a ten-year old. Flattening out the poofs, he ruffled Naruto's hair. "There. Now remember, next time you see them, you should say thank you."

Naruto nodded happily and twirled around in his pretty sundress, smiling to both Kakashi and Sasuke. "Aboji, Susu Oppa, do you think I'll be able to win the Showcase?"

"For the Junior division, of course," Kakashi answered proudly. "You're the perfect pet. Sweet, tender, cute, affectionate, obediant, loyal... I wouldn't be able to imagine you not winning."

Naruto let pink dust his chubby cheeks. "How about the adult disio--divin--divi--" he pouted, having trouble with the word.

"Di-vi-sion," Sasuke helped him.

"Arigato!" the blond grinned. "Division! Do you think I'll do well in the adult division?"

"You'll be able to enter that once you become older. But because of your size, I don't know," Kakashi answered truthfully. "We could just tell them you're a small breed and I'm sure they'll allow you to enter. Just make sure you're mature and behave yourself. But even if you do enter, you'll have to be better than both Itachi and Sasuke."

Naruto looked at his father and almost frowned. "I don't want to go against Susu Oppa... I'd never win. He's so pretty and everyone loves him..."

Sasuke interjected. "Everyone will love you too. Trust me," he gave the young cat a reassuring smile.

The blond's ears perked up and he let his tail flutter happily behind him at the compliment.

xXxXx

Itachi straightened his shirt and stepped out of the small office, leaving inside a cum-covered pet that was definitely sexually satisfied. He smirked and let his eyes roam the empty hallway, wondering where everyone was. Surely they all hadn't left yet, right? There was going to be a small party in the auditorium and he knew his owner wouldn't miss that for the world. Free food and alcohol could never be resisted by Hatake Kakashi.

He walked down the hall with a grace like no other, his white leopard ears twittering every so often, paying attention to every sound. His path was cut off by a grumbling man who he remembered to be the fox's owner. He frowned and quickened his pace, not wanting to be caught at the scene of the... defiled body?

"Kyuubi?" the golden-haired gentleman called, sounding worried. "What if someone kidnapped him?" he looked around furiously. "Kyuubi, please come out, where are you?"

The older leopard almost felt bad for the man. He'd thought his beloved pet was kidnapped, then he'd find him lying on the floor in a tiny office, filled with another pet's essence and in a state of pleasant euphoria. Damn, the fox was probably going to become pregnant.

He winced and entered the auditorium, finally finding all of the owners and their lovely pets. He'd completely forgotten that male foxes and some breeds of cats could become pregnant. He wasn't heartless enough to abandon his kittens, but he didn't think he could handle the commitment that came with siring kits.

"I was looking all over for you," Kakashi waltzed over from one of the many snack tables. "Where have you been? There's so much beer, have some!" the scarecrow shoved a bottle of expensive beer into Itachi's arms and frolicked over to a well-endowed woman dancing to ritsy band on the Showcase stage.

_He's drunk, _Itachi mused, placing the alcoholic beverage back on the serving table. He wasn't one for beer or wine. Looking around the huge room, he immediately spotted Naruto with Sasuke in the center of the crowd, the little blond tugging on Sasuke's hands, asking for a dance.

He actually thought the boy was cute, but then shook his head. He told himself that it was just the afterglow of sex that made him think that. There was no way in hell that he'd think something so disgusting as an Impure would be even considered cute.

But despite his ramblings, he watched his little brother and his "son" dance. It was actually quite amusing.

"You!" someone shouted from the doorway behind Itachi. The tall pet turned and came face to face with the fox's angered owner. "You mated with my pet! Where's your owner, I need to talk to him about this!" behind him, Kyuubi stood, a look of orgasmic bliss still evident on his striking face.

Itachi groaned inwardly. There went his helping of salmon for the next ten years.

xXxXx

Kakashi finished signing the various forms that were spread out over his kitchen table, shaking a cramp from his hand and occasionally stretching his stiff mumbles. He would frequently mumble something under his breath, a few words audible, such as "murder", "no salmon", "Itachi", and "mutilation".

Next to him, leaning against the wall, was Kyuubi's owner, Misora Lukki (pronounced as Loo-key). He was, apparently, a young doctor born from a Japanese man and a Swedish woman, and raised in Cote D'Iviore, Africa. He was a handsome man with a mind just as beautiful, but damn was he pissing Kakashi off.

He'd never signed so many flippin' papers in his entire life!

"Sign here, and here, and oh! Over here, as well," Lukki smiled sweetly, despite the look Kakashi was giving him. "Oh, don't be such a sour puss, Hatake-san! You should be happy that your prized pet is now going to have cubs! More profit for you!"

"It's not the profit I care about," the silver-haired man sighed and scratched the back of his stiff neck. "I'm just upset that he mated with a pet without my consent. And a fox no less, I already know that those cubs won't be accepted in society."

"That's why you're signing this form, here," Lukki held up one of the forms. "It says that once they're born, custody will go to me and Kyuubi in Africa. The system of having pets, Impures, Purebloods, and all are just a part of Asia's culture. We have no such creatures in Africa, except for a few who accidently ended up in the country in ship cargo, such as Kyuubi."

Kakashi cocked an eyebrow. "So they'll be safe there?"

Lukki grinned. "As safe as an antelope in the center of the herd!"

"Um, I don't... exactly know how safe that is...?"

In the living room, Sasuke sat next to his brother, while Naruto was placed on his lap, the little boy swinging his legs back and forth, his heels tapping against the cough between the raven's legs. He was out of his dress, now wearing a pair of yellow cotton pajamas and baby blue socks to keep his feet warm. He leaned down and tilted his head, giving Itachi a dazzling smile.

"How come you look upset, Ita Oppa?" he asked. "And where's your wife?"

The older of the two siblings gritted his teeth, his glaring contest with the piggy bank above the television intensifying. Wife? Wife?.!

"He's not my wife, and I'm upset because I got him pregnant," he hissed. "This is why I lock myself in my bedroom when I'm in heat. You're lucky you don't have to worry about that, Otouto, since you have a willing mate."

Sasuke scoffed, but smirked. "You had a willing mate. And it looks like you'll have him for quite sometime, then little cubs to deal with."

Itachi scowled at his brother.

Naruto stopped swinging his legs and looked at Itachi with wide eyes. "Ita Oppa... your wife is pregnant? But... Kyuu-Kyuu's a boy, right? Susu Oppa told me boys couldn't have kittens," his heart began to beat quickly, but not fast enough to harm him. He placed a hand over his chest, though, for safe measures.

"Pureblood foxes can carry children, as well as certain breeds of cats."

"What kind of cats?" Naruto's voice became a notch louder, wanting to hear the answer so badly.

Itachi crossed his legs and focused on the television, the word "mute" flashing at the bottom of the screen. "What does it matter to you?"

The blond cat blushed prettily and stuttered. "N-no reason... I just wanted to know."

Sasuke looked down at his boy suspiciously.

Kakashi came into the living room a few moments later, rubbing his hands together and trying to make the cramps in his fingers go away. Lukki waltzed in right after him and smiled to the occupants of the home. "I want you all to know that I'll enjoy being a part of your family!"

Itachi rubbed his temples, wishing that everything was just a bad dream.

Damn, a fling with Kyuubi wasn't worth all of this!

xXxXx

The next day, Lukki was still in the house, having shoved the fact that Kakashi's pet had impregnated his lovely fox in the man's face and getting himself a guest room in the large home the previous night. Naruto had enjoyed the "sleepover" and had played simple cardgames with the doctor until his bedtime. Itachi, on the other hand, had been forced to share his room with Kyuubi and, still in his early stages of heat, had fucked the pet against the wall, into the floor, on the bed, on the dresser, against the wall again, on the window seat, and against the bedroom door.

Now he was sitting in the home's library, Kyuubi across from him reading through an old history book. He didn't like the fact that he was going to be a father and now had a mate he didn't even know very well... but it was tolerable. Especially since the fox was such a good fuck, a real looker, and quiet.

Kyuubi glanced up from his book when he noticed Itachi's stare. "Yes?" he asked, his voice deep and rich.

"Ever had sex in a library?"

He'd just have to cope with being a soon-to-be-father by screwing the brains out of the fox's pretty little head.

**Hah, what a strange relationship they're going to have.**

**Please review!**


	12. It's Time

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

**Life sucks... that's my only comment for today... And that I'm sorry for the long wait XD**

**Oh, and there's SasuxNaru stuff in here!**

Wiggling around on the loveseat in the living room, Naruto glanced around, hoping no one could see the little tent he was sporting. It'd been like that the entire day, since he'd woken up from a wonderful dream about his papa doing naughty things to him, like that canine had. A blush dusted his cheeks and he was glad that the room was dark, the only light being that of the T.V. screen.

It was movie night, something Kakashi had put together just a few weeks beforehand. He'd said that watching a family film together would bring every one closer to each other, but now there were two new members of the so called "family", and all of the extra hormones were just driving Naruto crazy. He wasn't naturally horny, just with all of the men in the home, it drove his senses haywire.

"I loathe this movie," Itachi was sitting in the armchair, Kyuubi placed on his lap, against his firm chest. It'd been, of course, Kakashi's idea for them to sit like that. The two didn't even want to be romantic with each other; they just wanted to be together until the kits were born, then go their seperate ways... But a little sex every now and then was plus. It wasn't like the babies were going to be harmed with a little animalistic fucking. Psh.

"I think it's cute," Kyuubi cut in with a smirk. He enjoyed pissing his "lover" off, mainly because it led to mean, rough sex later in the night. It seemed those two were a match made in heaven.

Kakashi placed his hand in the popcorn bowl, his gaze transfixed on the screen. He had an obsession with Korean dramas or movies and could easily drown out Itachi's complaints. Pulling up a handfull of salty popcorn, he felt his hand brush against Lukki's and he narrowed his eyes.

It was just like a Korean drama... two people brush hands on accident while getting a handfull of food, then special circumstances make them fall in love. He looked back at the television and rolled over the thought of falling in love with handsome Lukki... It wasn't that bad of an idea, but he shook his head, knowing he was looking too far into things.

Besides, it was just their hands touching by accident, it wasn't like Lukki even thought much of it, right?

Kakashi glanced over and saw the blond male grinning, then blinked.

Naruto shifted uncomfortably in his seat and his ears flattened. He slowly climbed off of the chair and mumbled his apologies before running off to his and Sasuke's bedroom. He didn't notice the dark eyes focused on his back as he closed the wooden door.

Looking down at his 'problem', the little blond flushed red and debated whether or not he should touch it or wait for it to go away. He knew a bit about sex... but nothing about how to do it without a partner. But it seemed quite simple...

"Just touch it," he told himself in a whisper.

_If you touch it, it'll fall off!_ it a little voice in his head crooned. For some reason, it sounded a lot like Kakashi's voice.

Slowly walking over to his and Sasuke's bed, he crawled onto it and snuggled into the thick covers. He embarrassedly spread his legs and snuck a small hand down into his pajama pants, gently touching the hard organ. He licked his lips and closed his eyes, his flush seemingly covering the entire length of his body now.

He thought about Sasuke. How his dark eyes were so intimidating at times, how gentle his touch was when he carried the young cat to bed almost every night, how he was so handsome and sweet. Swept up in the thoughts, he stroked himself and let out a whimper, his canines digging into his full bottom lip and almost drawing blood.

The feelings were intense and Naruto thought he was going to burst into flames with just the simple touch on his shaft, but he kept himself calm, not wanting to scream in pleasure and have anyone running into the room. He wiggled around, his toes curling and uncurling, his small stomach muscles contracting under tan skin.

"S-Susu Oppa," he moaned delightfully, stroking himself faster. This was a completely new feeling, much different than when Kiba had touched him. Mainly because, back then, he had no clue what was going on, just that the dog was petting him in his "secret places", he'd called them back then.

Arching his back a bit, he whined, rubbing his little thumb over the head of his penis, a little glob of precum smearing over the tip and onto his fingers. He moaned and groaned, his ears going flat against his head, his tail writhing underneath him.

As he felt his tummy tighten, he thought of his beloved father touching him like this, licking his skin, nipping at his heated member, then he came, a small amount of sperm spurting out and hitting his smooth stomach and dipping hips.

"Susu Oppa...!" he yelled as quietly as he could.

He panted and swallowed a huge mouthfull of air, opening his blue eyes to stare at the ceiling. He slowly sat up and heard just the smallest sound, turning to see Sasuke standing inside of the room, his back against the closed door. His expression was full of questions and Naruto shook, tears unconsciously coming to his eyes.

He'd never wanted Sasuke to find out that he... he...

Hot tears rolled down his cheeks and he let out a wail so heartbreaking that it could shatter the coldest man's heart. Because of one stupid decision, he'd broken his firm relationship with his father... just because of his sick mind that told him it was ok to fall in love with your parent...

But instead of hearing yelling, he was embraced in warm arms and was given reassuring whispers by Sasuke. The leopard tugged his boy onto his lap and brushed his fingers through his blond locks, saying as much as he could to calm the child down. He hadn't been so surprised when he'd walked in to see Naruto calling his name in a moment of bliss, because he saw it coming.

The way Naruto clung to him and smiled was very different then how any other pet would cling to their father figures, and then the blushes and stuttering... Sasuke had realized his son's feelings a good week ago, but said nothing about it, not really knowing how to go about the situation.

He couldn't love his son back, not that way.

"Don't cry," he said softly, stroking the cat's neck. "It's alright, I don't hate you."

Naruto pulled away and looked into Sasuke's obsidian eyes, hoping to find the same kind of love that he'd wished to have from his father, but didn't find it. That fact only made him cry more and Sasuke kissed his forehead gently, telling him to calm down so they could talk.

"I don't wanna talk!" the golden cat wailed. "You think I'm gross, right?" Naruto wiped at his eyes. "It's not right to love your own dad, right?.!" all of the racket was drawing attention outside of the door. Lukki was tempted to just burst in and say that Naruto could find better, but Kakashi prevented him from doing so with a firm stare.

Sasuke sighed and let Nauto climb off of him. "You're just confused. You don't know how you should feel about certain people, so you focus most of your emotions on me, since I'm the most important person to you. I took you from the streets and gave you a home, so you think you should love me--"

"No!" Naruto yelled, looking up at his father figure with burning cerluean eyes.

The raven touched Naruto's arm. "Don't make yourself upset, you'll pass out--"

"I don't care! D-don't tell me I'm confused about my feelings... I--I love you..." the blond whispered breathlessly. "And all of the times I've passed out were because I was so upset to see you with Sakura..." his bottom lip trembled as he felt the urge to cry again. "I want you... I don't want you to mate with her, mate with me!" he grabbed Sasuke's wrist.

He didn't know what was going on. First he was enjoying his own touches, then everything went horribly wrong and his emotions were going haywire.

Now the raven didn't know what to say. His little boy was confessing his love to him and as much as Sasuke felt he needed to return that love, he couldn't. He was going to mate with Sakura, create a new family to carry on his blood... But he knew he needed to give the blond something.

He leaned forward and gently kissed the growing cub softly, his lips only brushing against the other's.

Naruto's eyes widened.

"Just this once, only because you're in heat. I'm not going to mate with you, but I will touch you," he stated firmly.

Despite the pain in his chest, Naruto nodded and let himself be lowered back onto the mattress. There was a hot mouth on his neck and he mewled, praying to whichever god was real that this would be enough for him. Just this single moment.

xXxXx

A few days had passed and it was now the beginning of the Showcase. Naruto was in his pet form, being held by Sasuke who was brushing his thumb behind his left ear. The blond purred and arched his back, loving his father's touches. Ever since that night, they'd been more touchy, but Sasuke made it fairly clear that it wasn't going to go any further. He was still going to mate with Sakura.

At the moment, Naruto was ok with it, but knew that once he saw Sasuke with the Siberian Tiger, he'd become swallowed up in his emotions again. He huffed in Sasuke warm arms, wishing he'd never fallen in love in the first place.

"Your division starts in an hour. Do you want me to take you backstage?" Sasuke asked, fiddling with the tag hooked to Naruto's ear. "It will give you time to prepare. Practice anything you think you might forget."

The little cat meowed his approval and they started their walk into the auditorium where people were already waiting for the first showings. There were many aristocrats and businessmen, probably here to find a good pet for their children. Sasuke went up the side steps to the stage and was met by Sakura, who was helping some of the younger pets with their collars and grooming.

"Sasuke-kun," she smiled and approached them, scratching behind Naruto's ears too. "And how are you, Naruto? Are you excited? I really think you have a chance at winning," she said honestly. So honestly, that Naruto felt bad for disliking the sweet tiger.

He nodded his head and let himself be lowered to the ground. As soon as hit paws touched the hardwood floor, he saw Sai enter through the back door and he inwardly pouted. Of course the perverted Black Tiger was here.

"Ah, sweet Naruto-san," he greeted the little cat and then held his hand out for Sasuke to shake. His smile was, like always, false. "I hope there are no bad feelings between us, Uchiha. I have no desire to steal away your precious cub," he gave Naruto a look, but then smiled once again to the leopard.

Knowing the pale man was lying, Sasuke smacked his hand away and growled. "You **will** stay away from him, do you understand? He deserves much better, not a street stray like yourself."

Sai's smile faltered and he narrowed his eyes. "Bringing up my past is not a smart thing to do right now, Uchiha," his teeth were gritted. "If I remember correctly, your little cub was a street stray as well."

Sasuke hissed at him and Sakura pushed him back. "Sai, why don't you get ready for your showing?"

The tiger sent the leopard another glare before giving Naruto a strained smile and leaving, his body more stiff than it was when he'd entered. The little blond actually felt bad for the other feline... because if what Sasuke said was true, then Sai was very similar to himself.

He was tempted to follow after, but then Sakura bent down and told him that she was going to help him practice a bit before the show. He couldn't deny the girl's offer, so he followed her away from both sasuke and Sai.

He'd wanted to be in the Showcase so bad, but now all he could think about was his life problems, as well as Sai's. Shaking his head, he tried to rid himself of the thoughts and prepared himself for the showings. He let a smile slip onto his face and he focused on making his father proud.

**Sorry it's short, I'll make up for it!**


	13. Proud

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

**Huh, ya know... I'm going through this whole "reliving childhood memories" phase and lately I've been watching Dragon Ball Z because that show's the shit, yo... and now, for some odd reason, I'm watching Sailor Moon... XD Probably because of the whole Serena Darien thing. I'm a girl, I can't help it if I like tragic romances and stuff.**

**And Lukki isn't an OC. He's the fourth Hokage... just with a diff personality and a cooler name than what most authors give him... Arashi, psh. How lame and unoriginal XD**

**I really liked this chapter!**

Sakura ran a hairbrush over Naruto's smooth fur coat, talking to the pet about how a lot of children were going to love him. She was so excited for the cat, not hiding the fact one bit as she scratched him behind the ears and prepared him for the showing. The girl was so kind and Naruto felt horrible for not wanting Sasuke to be with her.

She would be the perfect mate... Sweet, caring, protective, smart...

The feline lifted his head and nudged the girl's hand with his wet nose, mewling softly and fluttering his puffy tail. Sakura giggled and pressed behind his ear, watching as he changed into his human form. He stood there, naked and shivering from the cold temperature of the room, his hands rubbing up and down his arms.

"Ano sa, Sakura-chan... where are my clothes?" he asked, looking around. A lot of other pets were bustling about, getting ready for their own shows. He noticed that both Gaara and Neji were there, supervising the going-ons in the room.

"Right here," Sakura lifted up a small male kimono. There wasn't a strict code on what the pets could wear, so with Sasuke's help, she had chosen a beautiful silky red kimono with golden trimming. She held it up in front of the blond and smiled, brushing his bangs out of his eyes. "You'll look so pretty in this," she told him honestly. "Sasuke-kun and I picked this out just for you," then she tapped his tose with her pointer finger.

Naruto smiled brightly and took the item of clothing, hugging it to his chest. "I'll go put it on in the changing room!" he ran across the room and stopped in front of Neji and Gaara first, the two of them sitting in a pair of oak chairs, reading through some sort of script together. Neji glanced up first, his piercing white eyes running along the curves of Naruto's face.

"You're Hatake-san's pet," his voice was as smooth as Sasuke's, but not as deep and alluring.

At that, Gaara's head lifted, red locks of hair fluttering across his black and grey ears.

Naruto smiled. "I wanted to say thank you for saving me the other day. If you wouldn't have carried me to that room and taken care of me... I probably would've died. I'm very grateful."

Gaara kept his face blank. "A pet with a weak heart shouldn't be in a business such as this."

"But--"

"Let him do as he wishes," Neji interrupted, holding up a hand. "He isn't of our concern, Gaara. Besides, if his heart was so weak, I'm sure Hatake-san wouldn't have let him join the Showcase, correct?"

Aqua eyes turned to stare into milky white. Without changing his expression at all, Gaara said, "If you collapse from just seeing Itachi-san and Kyuubi-san fucking, then your heart must be fairly weak."

Naruto blushed, covering his ears immediately, his kimono almost falling to the ground. He managed to catch it between his elbow and chest, stuttering, his cheeks a burning. "W-well, I just wanted to say thank you, so I-I'm going to be leaving," he laughed nervously and pattered away, running into the changing room and closing the door quickly behind him.

He went into one of the stalls and tried to make his blush go away.

_He made a naughty joke with a serious face! _the feline yelled internally. _Sai was right, I should be on the alert... No one can do that!_

Stripping himself of his warm clothes, he tossed them into the corner of the small stall, looking at his girly frame in the smudged mirror. He turned to the side and touched his stomach, noticing how it dipped in like a woman's... Frowning, he puffed his chest out and tried to flex his muscles. Unfortunately, the poor child had nothing on his arms but skin.

He huffed and carefully tugged on his kimono, buttoning the front and running his small fingers over the golden designs that ran from his chest to the start of his hips. There were vines and beautiful foreign birds, swirling and twining across his outfit. He smiled at his reflection, the image reminding himself of his mother.

His mother used to wear traditional Korean clothes all the time, her light brown hair always up in a flower clip. She would sing lovely songs that she said were passed down through the family, then lift a small Naruto in her arms and take him out to the market. She did the same thing each and every day, buying the boy a tiny trinket each visit.

His pink lips parted slightly and he turned from his reflection, realizing that he'd never thought much about his parents after being sent to Japan... His world had only been revolving around his new family.

"Naruto, what's taking so long?" Sakura peeked into the changing room. "We have a few things to go over before the show starts."

Naruto bent down and grabbed his clothes, opening the door and stepping out, careful of not getting his kimono stuck on anything. He smiled to the taller girl. "How do I look?"

Clapping her hands together, Sakura squealed. "You're so pretty!" she wanted to lift the boy up and hug him, but Naruto was too big for that. Well, mentally he was. "Let's go show Sasuke-kun!" she took the blond's hand and led him backstage, Gaara and Neji still going over their script for something.

Naruto his bottom lip nervously. He hoped that Sasuke would say he looked good...

"Sasuke-kun! Isn't Naruto cute?"

The black leopard politely excused himself from the fellow pet he was talking with and turned around, looking surprised. He stepped forward and bent down on one knee, giving his boy a billion dollar smile. "Come here," he called.

Naruto's blue eyes became even brighter and he ran to his father, leaping into his strong arms and wrapping his own around the male's neck. He pressed his cheek against a hard shoulder and purred when Sasuke ran his fingers through his messy golden locks. Leaning back, he looked into dark eyes and batted his long eyelashes.

"Am I pretty enough for my Susu Oppa?" he asked softly.

Sasuke noticed the seductive look, but knew that the little blond was giving him that expression unknowingly. Whoever was going to be Naruto's mate in the future was very lucky and was going to have a beautiful wife... husband... Who needed technicalities?

"I'm not even worthy of you," Sasuke chuckled and kissed his son on the lips softly. The least he could do to keep Naruto's desire for him at a minimum would be to give him kisses here and there. Itachi had taught him once that too much of one thing got tiring after a while. He hoped that Naruto would get tired of his feelings for him and move on. The child deserved so much more, not a pet who would be thrown away once the public grew annoyed with him.

Naruto blushed, but smiled and pressed his hands on both sides of the leopard's face, squishing his cheeks together, causing his lips to pucker out. The blond laughed and kissed him back, just a sweet chaste brush of the lips. He knew not to make it more because someone might see it as something more than a loving father and son kiss (A/N- Kisses between a father and a young son is ok... OK?.:Grumbles: It was in Pursuit to Happyness... so it's gotta be fine!).

Sakura looked out through the curtains at the large crowd sitting at the many tables set about the auditorium, then glanced back at Naruto and Sasuke. "Naruto, there's five minutes left before the first pet goes on."

Naruto hugged his father one last time before rushing away, putting on the zori sandals sitting by his stack of clothes. "Wish me luck, Susu Oppa!" he grinned.

"All the luck in the world," the raven replied and stood back up, leaving the backstage area to join Kakashi and his brother at their designated table. The scarecrow had gotten the best table in the house, right up front near the runway. It paid to have the most popular pets in the Showcase business.

As he sat down, he noticed that the two chairs across from him were empty. Lukki and Kyuubi were nowhere to be found.

"Are they already preparing for their showing?" he asked his brother, knowing not to ask his owner when he was drinking wine. That man would go crazy after the smallest amount of alcohol.

Itachi brushed his hair over his shoulder and continued to eat his salmon. He seemed to have an unhealthy obsession with the fish. He looked at his plate in thought, thinking about a naked Kyuubi lying on a dinner table with salmon pieces lying over his smooth stomach and quivering thighs.

Sasuke frowned when his brother didn't respond. "I asked you a question, Aniki."

Being drawn away from his perverted fantasy, Itachi turned. "Hm?"

"I asked you if Kyuubi and Lukki-san were already preparing? I didn't see them backstage, so I suppose they're in one of the hallways?"

"Yes, they're both perfectionists when it comes to their jobs. Lukki-san **wants** the best pet, Kyuubi wants to **be** the best pet. So different from us, yes?" he took a sip of his wine. "They strive to be the best, while we are the best and don't want to be."

Sasuke actually laughed at that and leaned back in his chair as the lights dimmed a bit. Tsunade stepped out on stage, looking annoyed to be there. She had on a green dress that actually fit her body well. The woman had said once that there were hardly any clothes that fit her perfectly because of the size of her chest.

She coughed into her manicured hand and ran her hazel eyes over the crowd, as if waiting to see someone spontaneously combust. Maybe then the show would be canceled and she could go back to work. Her poor assisstant was there by herself on one of the busiest days of the week.

"Welcome to the 16th annual Showcase of Nippon," she said with a false, but pretty smile. "We have a wide selection of very beautiful pets and we know you all will make your choices wisely. Like every other year, the winner from each age competition will be featured in Japan's most famous PureBlood magazine and will also be taken to my hospital so that breed can be cloned(1). We will then sell the cloned pets to paying owners."

Sasuke tapped his fingers on the table, wondering what Naruto would say about being cloned. He knew the feline couldn't impregnate a female, so maybe he'd be happy to be able to produce children of his own despite his condition.

"If you'd like information on how to buy a pet, then come ask me after the show," Tsunade almost ground that part out. She hated dealing with clueless people. If they had no clue about what they were doing, then the Showcase wasn't a good place for them in the first place. "Now, to start off the Junior Showcase, we have--"

Sasuke drowned everything out, not caring the least bit. He'd seen most of the fresh pets, knowing Naruto had nothing to worry about. The only thing the blond would need to be worried about was the older pets. But Naruto wouldn't have to deal with them until the next Showcase in five months.

"You seem so sure he will win, Otouto," Itachi smirked. He wouldn't admit it, but he believed the young cat would win, as well. There was no other animal in the building that could compare to Naruto, not even the senior pets. He disliked the blond, but knew a good pet when he saw one. He was sure he, himself, would have some competition during the next Showcase.

"He's my son, of course he will win. An Uchiha shines above everyone else(2)," the younger leopard's voice was firm, knowing.

"Yes, we do, don't we?" Itachi chuckled.

Tsunade read over the next contestant and grinned cheekily, no longer bored or annoyed. "Our next pet belongs to the one and only Hatake Kakashi," she stated in amusement. Everyone in the auditorium began whispering to one another, except for Kakashi himself, his gaze on a little orange book in his grasp. "A Clouded Leopard named Naruto."

"Ah," someone beside Kakashi's table spoke. "Clouded Leopards are extremely rare!"

Behind the stage curtains, Sakura said her final words of encouragement and Naruto took a deep breath, his fear vanquishing. He stepped out onto the runway and made sure to walk exactly like Jiraiya had tought him; with a spring in his step and a swing to his hips. He also threw the crowd a breathtaking smile, which his sensei had said would gain him a ton of votes. "The only thing better than a perfect pet is a perfect pet with an alluring smile and charming personality," the old man had said with a mouthfull of soba.

Sasuke watched the boy who was acting as if he practically owned the stage. His smile was stunning, his eyes brighter than ever, and his posture was charming and friendly. He smiled when his eyes met Naruto's and the blond's smile widened even more (if that was even possible).

_What a charming little brat, _Tsunade thought fondly. "Naruto, we must see your pet form now. Where must you be touched?"

"Behind my right ear, Obaachan," Naruto answered sweetly and curtly, the crowd whispering and making positive comments. The older woman touched the patch of fur behind the large ear and as the blond changed, she lifted the red kimono from the ground, as it had fallen off during the change, like the clothes did most of the time.

Naruto stood there, cerulean eyes scanning the crowd, looking for expressions of acceptance. He received many of those desired looks and felt his stomach flutter with warmth. He made sure to walk to both ends of the runway so everyone could see him. His figure may have been small, but his stance and posture made him seem big. His ears were straight up, spine in a slight arc, and he made sure the movement of his tail matched his steps and body. There would be no room for mistakes, that's what Jiraiya had taught him.

Every little thing mattered.

Itachi lowered the wine glass from his lips, surprised at how stunning his "little brother" looked on stage. He expected the twerp to do good... but not this good. Next to him, Kakashi wore an impressed smile, why Sasuke's obsidian eyes gleamed with pride.

xXxXx

"You did so well!" Sakura pulled Naruto flush against her and kissed his cheek. "You'll win your division for sure," she tapped him on the nose with her finger. "Now, let's find Hatake-san and Misora-san so you can sit with them," she led him down the steps that connected the backstage to the sitting area and as soon as they hit the bottom step, they were surrounded by women and businessmen.

"You're the most gorgeous pet I've ever laid eyes upon!" a busty woman claimed loudly.

"I hope you win, I was looking for a pet like you to give to my daughter," an older gentlemen stated with a slanted smile.

"You're so kawaii! Can I have a hug, Neko-chan?" a little girl squealed.

Sakura blinked and looked down at Naruto, wanting to see how he reacted to the sudden attention. She was surprised to see him grinning and running to give the girl a hug. She sighed.

_Only he would be so bold as to hug someone of higher status. But I suppose that's what people like about him, _ she excused herself and Naruto, then took him away from the loud group of people.

"I take it you like the attention," she laughed and took him to where Kakashi was sitting, still reading his little orange book. "Hatake-san, I brought Naruto to sit with you. I suppose Itachi-kun and Sasuke-kun have already left to go backstage?"

The silver-haired man glanced up from his book, then closed it, stuffing it into his back pocket before patting Naruto on the head. "Yes, they just left... And thank you for watching Naruto-kun for me. Ah, where might your owner be? I haven't seen her around."

"She's been helping with things up front. She'll be coming back here to a table shortly," Sakura looked at the dimming lights and stepped back. "Well, I must be going. The Senior division is about to start," she smiled to Naruto. "You did well Naruto, you're going to win for sure!" then she ran toward the steps that led to the stage.

Kakashi glanced at Naruto and chuckled as the child squirmed in his chair. "Anxious to hear what Sasuke has to say? Let me just mention that before he left, he wanted me to tell you that he was extremely proud of you."

Naruto heart thumped in his chest, but it was nothing for him to worry about. His eyes watered and he wiped them with the back of his hand. "Susu Oppa... h-he's proud of me?"

Tears fell down his face, despite constantly wiping them away, a silly smile on his childish face. He sobbed and sniffled, his shoulders shaking, even when Kakashi held him against his chest.

"You're going to choke on your snot if you don't stop blubbering," the scarecrow teased, but held his pet against him as he cried his eyes out.

"He's proud of me...! Susu Oppa is proud of me...!" his heart fluttered and more tears fell, dripping from his chin and wetting his kimono. His lips quivered, but the huge smile still remained on his face.

At that moment, he felt like he could burst from happiness.

**(1)- Clones in this story aren't exact replicas of the original. Just copies of the breed.**

**(2)- I LOVE this line, I dunno why. For me, it's just so... touching. It shows how much Sasuke loves him and how he thinks of him as his own son.**

**This chap's a lot longer. I hope it made up for the previous one.**


	14. And The Winners Are!

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

**Can you say end of the year projects? ... Good. XD But it's almost summer, meaning I'll be updating more!**

Lukki approached his and Kakashi's table near the front of the stage, rotating his watch around his wrist out of old habit. With a handsome smile on his face, he pulled a chair out and sat down, noticing the raised eyebrow of the silver-haired pet owner. Twisting his lips into a childish grin, Lukki leaned forward.

"Your pets are going down," he seemed so sure of himself.

Kakashi chuckled and took a sip of the water he had someone bring him. He didn't want to be drunk during his pets' showings, so he'd shoved all the alcohol to the side.

"We'll see about that."

Naruto ignored their converation as he stared at the dim stage with big blue eyes, half expecting his father to be the first one up. His tail fluttered wildly behind him and he anxiously tapped his nails against the glass table, the sound not really in any specific pattern. Anyone could tell he was excited.

_I want Susu Oppa to win, but I want Ita Oppa and Kyuu-Kyuu to win, too!_

The chattering crowd went silent as Tsunade, once again, walked onto the stage and cleared her throat in annoyance. She sighed inwardly, tired already. Placing her manicured hand on her hip she greeted the audience like before, with a tone of authority and boredom, if those two even mixed.

"The judges' decisions on the winner for the Junior division will be announced at the same time as the Senior division winner, which will be at midnight," she explained, glancing up at the huge clock by the doors which read 9:52 p.m. She mentally screamed. "The same prizes and publicity will be given to the senior pets, like always. So let's begin the second half of the Showcase, shall we?" she welcomed a female Chinchilla out onto the stage and Kakashi chuckled in his seat.

"Why if it isn't sweet little Hinata. Aburame-san sure did doll her up. She's beautiful, isn't she, Naruto-kun?" the scarecrow asked the young cat. Naruto nodded his head quickly in agreement and watched as Hinata strolled down the walk with an air of innocence around her. She was beyond pretty, her blackish blue hair curving upward near her chin, a faint dash of blue around her eyes. She smiled shyly to the audience and her eskimo like dress swished around her, creating a lovely effect.

Naruto stared in amazement, realizing that the older pets were way out of his league...

_How am I ever going to be as beautiful as her...?_

Hinata gave one last fleeting smile and made her way backstage, another pet immediately coming out. It was Sai, in all of his proud glory. Unlike the chinchilla, he had an aura of strength and handsome beauty. His ivory skin contrasted well with the dark garbs he was wearing, the silky material brishing against his body in all of the right places, making him look almost like an angel. It amazed Naruto how different Sai could be on stage and off.

The male winked at Naruto, definitely more cheerful than when he'd stormed off after his "chat" with Sasuke earlier.

Many more pets came on and, finally, it was Sasuke's turn. The leopard came out in human form, like everyone else had. Naruto had asked why they weren't showing off their animal selves and Kakashi replied by saying that all of the pets were going to come out at the end as animals and be judged on that then. He said it saved time.

Sasuke's movements bordered between smooth and cocky, his posture ever so royal. He kept his face blank, making many of the audience members see him as an elegant china doll, expressionless and beautiful. He let his dark eyes hover over Naruto and the little blond blushed prettily under the heated gaze. Sasuke smiled to himself and went backstage.

"Next is also one of Hatake Kakashi's pets, Itachi, an albino leopard," Tsunade announced.

A few moments went by yet no one came out.

"Um, Itachi?" the blonde woman called, but no one emerged from the dark curtains. "I suppose we should move on to the next pet."

Kakashi spit out the water he was drinking and coughed loudly, drawing attention to him. He shot up out of his chair and quickly made his way to the stairs that led backstage. Lukki stood and followed, beckoning for Naruto to come with him, not wanting the boy to stay alone.

"I wonder what happened to Itachi?" the owner asked himself.

"Help me look for him," Kakashi told them both when he realized they were following him. He began opening doors, a lot of the pets hanging around backstage staring at him with raised brows. Those pets included Gaara, Neji, Kiba, Sasuke, Sai, and many others.

"I can't believe Aniki went missing," Sasuke grumbled, a bit amused. He was about to talk to Naruto about how proud he was of him, but the little kitten was already searching around down the halls for Itachi.

"Hey! Kyuubi's missing too!" Lukki exclaimed, his voice cracking.

Naruto scampered across the hall, opening various doors and peaking in. He eventually reached the final door in the hallway and blinked up at the huge sign on it that said "Employees Only". Pushing it open, he popped his head in and heard shifting and some voices. Walking past the entrance, he glanced around the corner and blinked at the scene.

Kyuubi was, like last time, being thrust into by an eager and horny Itachi. But this time, he was being slammed into the wall, his cock rubbing up against the green paint and smearing precum around as he whined, whimpered, and moaned. The fox was arching back against the leopard, his arm bent back and claws digging into pale skin. Mouth open in a silent scream, Kyuubi shook and let his eyes flutter open as Itachi pushed into him harder.

"Mmm, Itachi-- ahh!" Itachi sunk his canines into the other pet's shoulder. "Uhh... harder!"

Naruto squealed loudly and fled the room, worried that either his heart was going to explode or that his face was going to melt. He ran blindly down the hall and wound up running into a warm body, stumbling back. His wrist was caught by Sasuke and he blinked, his cheeks still tomato red.

"Naruto found them," the raven called to Kakashi and Lukki. Both men immediately ran down the hall and filed into the room, shouts and indignant screams coming from their a few moments later.

Sasuke lifted the blond into his arms with a bit of trouble with how heavy he was. "Your heart's not racing, is it?"

Naruto slowly shook his head, smiling a bit. "B-but I don't like walking in on them everytime they do that."

Laughing, Sasuke ruffled Naruto's hair. "I would imagine it to be horrible. No one would want to see Aniki's behind, hm?" he joked. Naruto laughed along with him, but shut up when a soft kiss was placed on his lips.

"Susu... Oppa?"

"Do you know that I've very proud of you? Not only did you do a good job in your first Showcase, but you were able to show the judges something that the other pets didn't."

Naruto blinked.

"A sincere personality," Sasuke answered. "There are hardly any pets these days that show their true selves when onstage. I know it sounds silly and mushy, but it's the truth. Most pets are artificial now, but you're not, and everyone can see that. I know you're going to go far and I'm so proud of you," he pulled the cat into a hug and chuckled when Naruto basically purred and wrapped his arms around his neck.

_He's proud of me!_

xXxXx

Sakura helped Naruto change into something more comfortable while Sasuke watched Kakashi and Lukki scold the two hormone-driven pets. They were sitting in plastic chairs, boredly staring up at the high ceiling as they were yelled at. While Kakashi seemed more amused with the situation, Lukki was furious, conveying his anger through his violent hand gestures.

Flailing his arms around like a retarded humming bird, the older blond hissed. "I trained you for months so you could win this and you throw your chance away like a crumpled piece of paper?.! How can you even compare satisfying your sexual needs with becoming an idol of Japan?.!"

"Itachi's pheremones--" Kyuubi was cut off.

"I don't care about Itachi's pheremones, you need to learn self control! That's it, you're gettin' the muzzle and jacket!" Lukki grinned evily.

"The muzzle and jacket?" Itachi raised a brow.

Kyuubi looked afraid, very afraid.

xXxXx

"We will now announce the winners for both divisions," Tsunade spoke, clearly tired. "The results were based on the judges' choices and the vote of the audience. Now, for the Junior's division, the new Showcase pet is..." she was given an envelope from a lanky male in a tan suit. Opening it, she smiled. "Naruto!"

Sakura squealed and hugged the little cat, squishing him. "You won!.!" she shouted happily. "You won, you won, you won!"

Naruto's eyes were wide with disbelief. Sure, everyone told him he'd win, but he just thought they were being nice. Pulling away from the pink-haired tiger, he ran onto the stage and clapping met his sensitive ears. Tsunade gave him a golden plaque that said he'd won and he clutched it to his chest tightly, feeling the urge to cry.

"Neko-chan!" the little girl from before hollered, being shushed by her father quickly.

Tsunade patted him on the head, happy that he had won. She was handed another envelope and opened it, almost laughing to herself. "And the chosen pet for the Senior division is Sasuke. Two Hatake pets in a row, hmm?"

Naruto turned and ran to his his father as soon as the leopard emerged from backstage. He smiled against the raven's hip, his tears soaking through his outfit.

"You deserved this," Sasuke spoke softly. "And you should give the crowd one of your gorgeous smiles."

The little blond nodded and wiped his eyes, turning back around to face the clapping audience with a thankful expression.

_I achieved part of my goal. I wanted to win the Showcase, but... I still have a Senior Showcase to be in next time, right?_

xXxXx

In the Hatake household an hour later, Kyuubi was sitting in his guest room with a leather muzzle over his mouth (keeping him from talking) and a leather straight jacket around him, binding his arms. He growled and glared at Itachi who was staring down at him with a humored smirk.

"My, don't you look delicious," said leopard licked his lips. "Lukki-san said that it was to teach you self-control, but there's nothing wrong with me molesting you, ne?"

Kyuubi was pushed back and he cursed against his muzzle, his words nothing but hushed whimpers as Itachi attacked his tanned neck.

xXxXx

Naruto cuddled against Sasuke in bed, yawning for the twentieth time in ten minutes. He was exhausted but couldn't go to sleep because he was still too happy about the Showcase results. Sasuke had tried to calm him down for the past thirty minutes, but eventually gave up.

"Go to sleep, Naruto, we have a busy day tomorrow. Photoshoots, visits to Tsunade-sama--"

"How come we're visiting her? We just saw her tonight."

"Medical reasons."

"Oh..." Naruto restlessly kicked his legs up and down.

Sasuke groaned and rubbed his temples. "If you go to sleep I'll wake you up with a good morning kiss."

Naruto immediately stopped all movements and snapped his eyes shut, trying to will himself to sleep. He thought about boring things; like reading old history books(1) or newspaper articles, and within a matter of minutes, he was snoring lightly in his father's arms.

Sasuke chuckled and stretched, thankful that he could finally go to sleep.

But that was when something began knocking against the wall from the neighboring room, undoubtedly Kyuubi's bed. Then there were hushed groans and creaking.

Sasuke growled.

_Fuck._

**(1) I LOVE history. :Hearts:**

**Hah, sorta funny chap XD Review please? I'll love you.**


	15. The Creation of Kitties!

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

**Yeah, I know, it's been forever. But I was workin' on one of my other fics... and I got carried away with all of the lovely reviews XD **

**Once again, who all's goin' to Otakon?**

Naruto awoke to a pair of warm lips against his and immediately knew whose they were. He kept his eyes closed, wanting to see if his father would continue to kiss him if he refused to wake up. There was a shifting on the bed, then Sasuke bent down and bit the cat's neck, earning a loud yip. Sasuke pulled back with a smirk and tossed Naruto his wardrobe for the day.

"Trying to be sneaky?" he asked, standing up and slipping on his own clothes. "You should know better."

The blond pouted and sat up, pulling the new clothes against his chest, his hair messy and sticking up in random places. He held up the shirt first and blinked at the pink material, then looked at the tiny pink shorts. Climbing out of bed, he pulled off his PJs and struggled to stick on the dress-like shirt, but ended up with Sasuke helping him.

"We're going to see Baa-chan today?" he asked, making sure. He laughed when Sasuke scraped a nail down his back, tickling him.

"Yes, she's going to do a little... check-up on you," he didn't want to tell Naruto about the cloning until they got there. "And maybe she'll even have a new cure for you? I'm sure there has to be at least one way to fix your stunted growth."

Naruto turned and smiled brightly. "But Susu Oppa would still love me, even if I was always short?" he asked, his voice like a pleasant summer.

Sasuke chuckled and handed Naruto the shorts that went underneath the shirt. "Of course."

But lately, his love was changing.

xXxXx

Tsunade was sitting at the desk in her office, scribbling down various numbers from thick white packets beside her. She had on her reading glasses, frowning at all of the work she had left to do. Heaving a sigh, she pushed her work aside and crossed her arms over her desk as Shizune came in.

"Tsunade-sama, Hatake-san is here with his pets for the cloning session."

The blonde woman smiled fondly and waved her hand around. "Let them in. Finally, something interesting to do this morning."

Kakashi came waltzing in, raising his hand in greeting to the doctor, Sasuke and Naruto right behind him. Itachi and Kyuubi were at home being watched over by Lukki. The two pets had to be seperated after their little sexual act that night when Kyuubi was supposed to be punished.

"Good morning, Tsunade-sama. I hope you're not busy with anything," Kakashi wondered.

"Hn, nothing but annoying paper work. But that can wait, Naruto's first cloning is more important," she stood and walked around her large desk, her high heels clacking against the hard marble floor. She smiled at Naruto's adorable outfit and lifted him up, sitting him on the high sitting table. "Sasuke, I'm going to give Naruto a check up, so go ahead into the restroom," he handed him a small cup. "Remember to wash yourself off before giving me your semen sample."

"..." Naruto flushed a bright red. "Nani?.!" he had learned about semen a while ago and felt himself blush in embarrassment.

Sasuke smirked and ruffled Naruto's messy hair. At first, when he'd realized his son's feelings, he knew he had to handle it like a responsible parent. But the more he touched the responsive child, the more he started to want to continue the caresses. The blue-eyed pet gave off what seemed like a constant stream of pheramones and Sasuke was being drawn in.

He didn't want to fall for his own son, for he had Sakura and cubs to create. He also felt dirty for loving someone he considered his own flesh and blood. But the longer Naruto smiled at him, the more he felt himself faultering. It had been sudden, his feelings.

"You'll have to do the same," he told Naruto before heading off to the bathroom.

Naruto turned to Tsunade and tugged on the sleeve of her white coat. "I'm going to have to...? WHY?"

Tsunade smiled fondly and began checking his ears and eyes while the cat's tail swished around nervously. She told Shizune to jot down a few things on her clipboard and began to check his throat, answering the blond's question while doing so.

"One of the prizes that came with winning the Showcase was the creation of clones. All I need is a small sample of semen and we'll be able to make other pets like you that we can sell to owners. You may be in a child's body, but you're at the mental age of an eighteen-year...old..." she furrowed her brows, staring down at naruto's blinking face. "Ok, maybe you're still mentally at the age of nine."

Naruto giggled and kicked his legs back and forth. "Baa-chan, what's a clone?"

"Copies of something."

"You're going to make copies of me?" Naruto's eyes widened with curiousity. He pouted, though, when he thought about more little Naruto's trying to capture his Susu Oppa's attention. "Ano sa, I don't want anymore of me..."

Tsunade laughed. "Don't worry, as soon as they're two weeks old, they'll be given to buying owners. You won't have to deal with them after that. Hell, Gaki, you don't have to deal with them at all. They'll be here in the hospital until they're sold. Just know that you're giving children cute little kittens."

Naruto smiled brightly. He LOVED kids. They liked to hug him, pet him, and give hime cute little nicknames.

"And all you have to do is--"

"I know, put my... stuff in a cup?" Naruto gave her a lopsided smile, his cheeks dusted pink.

Chuckling, Tsunade took the clipboard from Shizune and handed Naruto his own small, clear cup. "Clean yourself off before starting. We don't want to create any disabled pets, don we?" she helped him off of the table and pointed to the bathroom in the back. "Sasuke should be coming out soon, so wait by the door."

Naruto nodded slowly, wondering what would be wrong with having a disabled pet. They were just like every other pet, just lacking in a certain department. He stood by the door and lowered his ears, hoping not to hear any of his father's moaning. But the door opened quickly and Sasuke came out holding his half-full cup.

The young cat blushed.

"S-Susu Oppa, how am I supposed to...? I'm not..."

"You're not aroused."

Naruto nodded in embarrassment.

Sasuke thought about his options. He could tell Naruto to think of something arousing (which would probably be him anyway), he could tell him that there were dirty magazines under the sink, or he could give him a hand... He tried to ignore the desire to help him, but he couldn't resist, what with Naruto's confused blue eyes.

"How about I help you?" he lead Naruto into the restroom and locked the door behind him, pushing him over to the toilet. and sitting down. He sat Naruto on his own lap and slowly began to pull down the pink shorts. "This is the best way to do it," he told the blond, his hot breath washing over the cat's tan neck.

He told himself that it was just the heat talking. It had rolled around again and he knew he was only acting on his lust. But then he thought about Sakura... He'd never been able to feel the same lust for the female. He'd forced himself to think of her sexually, but it never got him aroused.

"Susu... Oppa, I thought you..." Naruto wasn't complaining, though. He'd wanted this forever, for Sasuke to touch him like a lover and give him the upmost pleasure. The leopard's calloused hand slipped under his panties and touched his growing erection, stroking the foreskin and pulling it back.

Naruto whined and spread his legs, looking down through his thick lashes as Sasuke's hand went up and down on the small shaft, pulling back the skin. The large thumb rubbed over his slit and he shivered, arching his back against Sasuke's chest. But then the pleasure stopped and Sasuke had his hand in the sink, soaking a soapy washrag.

The leopard rung it out, then began washing at the small organ, cleaning it thoroughly so that nothing would go wrong with the semen sample. After cleaning it, he tossed the rag aside and began running his clean hands over Naruto again, rubbing into the small slit and the underside. He smiled against his son's neck as he rubbed him, loving his moans and breathy whines.

"N-Nya--" Naruto writhed and mewled as Sasuke lifted up his shirt and made him bit onto it to keep his moans quiet. He nibbled on the cloth, making it wet with his saliva as a hand ran over his flat stomach and long fingers rolled his nipples. He moaned and panted, bucking his hips upward.

Sasuke began pumping the cum-coated penis, yanking and pressing in all of the right spots. As he felt Naruto's small body tremble, he put the cup under the blond's dripping wet head and captured all of the spurting cum.

"A-ahhh!" the cloth left Naruto's open mouth as he let out a long, sinful moan. His hips jerked and he watched as his seed filled the tiny cup, some hitting Sasuke's hand. He whined as his erection wilted and Sasuke licked at his sweaty neck. "Susu Oppa..." he murmered.

"Let's give this to Tsunade-san. And... don't think too much on this. I only did it to help you," Sasuke then cleaned Naruto's sweat away with the damp rag and pulled the pink shorts back up, handing the cup full of semen to his son.

Naruto nodded slowly, a bit sad.

xXxXx

Tsunade took the boy's cup and handed it to Shizune, along with Sasuke's.

"Take these and put them in the lab. Begin creating the kittens and I'll be down shortly," she told her assistant and ripped a piece of paper from her tablet, handing it to Kakashi. "These are the foods I found help with stunted growth. There might be a good chance that he'll be able to grow if he eats these every day. Understand?"

Kakashi nodded and folded the sheet, pushing it into his back pocket. "Thank you for today," his eye twinkled happily. "We'll be by within the week to see the newborn kittens. They should be born in two days, yes?"

"At the longest, three, but we've never had a pause in creation, so I suppose I'll see you then," the woman turned to Naruto. "I hope you have fun at your photoshoot this afternoon. I remember being there for Sasuke's first session," she chuckled. "He was so nervous and terrified."

Sasuke scowled. "I was not."

"Now, now, no need to be shy," Kakashi crooned. "I remember that day, as well. You were so small and frightened by the bright lights."

The leopard snarled and took Naruto's hand, leading him out of the room and into the hallway, grumbling about idiotic adults. Naruto smiled up at him and kept up with the fast and rushed pace.

"Ano, Susu Oppa, are the photoshoots going to be fun? I don't like boring stuff," he pouted, looking utterly adorable.

Sasuke let his frown slip from his handsome face, to be replaced by a soft upturn of lips. "You'll enjoy them. After all, you do like being in the spotlight."

Naruto grinned and tightened his hold on his father's hand.

"And about the kittens... they're mine?" he had been curious. Even though they were clones, were they still his cubs?

Sasuke thought about the question and eventually nodded. "They were created from you, so therefore they're your cubs," he smiled. "I've had many during my years as a pet."

"But I'm your favorite, right?" Naruto giggled. 

"Always," Sasuke replied.

**Hah, handjob XD**


	16. You're a Superstar!

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

**God, working on all of these fics is driving me into insanity... :Dies: **

Naruto looked around at all of the bright lights with sparkling eyes full of wonder, his hand still in Sasuke's. There were at least twenty different photographers there, almost half of them from Europe, where the popularity of Pets was becoming popular. A lot of the men bent down to speak to him, friendly and sharing techniques on how to get past being camera shy. But Naruto only grinned and declared he wasn't nervous or shy at all.

"I suppose they're going to feature us in the first European Pet magazine," Sasuke said as he used his fingers to shape Naruto's hair. He smirked at the scrunched up nose of his son and chuckled. "This is what a parent does. They groom their cubs."

"But I'm not a cub!" the cat pouted. "I'm an adult now!"

Sasuke let the smirk slip from his face as that fact hit him full force. He knew Naruto was young physically, but he was aging mentally. He was, indeed, and adult now, despite his personality and behavior. Sighing, he rested a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "Humor an old man," he let his lips twitch upward.

Naruto blinked, then nodded slowly, understanding. He smiled gorgeously and pounced on his father, licking his cheek. "Ne, Susu Oppa, how come you have to mate with Sakura?" he asked suddenly and randomly. "Baa-chan said she could make clones of you for other owners, so why do you need to make cubs with her?" he wanted a good reason. He wanted a reason to believe that his father being with the tiger was right.

The leopard sighed. "Because we are needed to create a new Pureblood breed. Only certain animals can mate and make an entirely new breed of pet. Once Sakura and I have cubs, they'll be Blue tigers, which is what Sai is."

The blond's ears perked up. "You'll have... Sai kittens?" he giggled, thinking of tiny forms of Sai running about being perverted little devils.

Sasuke shared his amusement by chuckling. "I would hope not."

Kakashi was just a few feet away from, listening to their conversation while sipping from a juice box. He never liked being at photoshoots because they were boring. It wasn't as if he was the one they were taking pictures of, so why bother coming? He should've just dropped his pets off and left to go play bumper car at the local community park.

But then he shrugged, realizing that Lukki probably had it much worse than him. The scarecrow would've gone mad having to deal with two horny adult pets, especially when one of them was Itachi. The albino leopard was hardly ever anything but quiet, but when he had his eye on something...

Kakashi just shook his head as he finished up his grape juice, tossing the cardboard into the trash and grabbing another one from the mini fridge on the table. He'd just have to deal with the situation as best as possible; with a bunch of juice boxes and some porn magazines.

"Don't take too long, I have business to attend to," Kakashi told his pets, reading through a dirty magazine he had rolled up and stuffed in his back pocket. "I have a lunch date with Sibel and Sakura, and I also need to go to the police station."

Sasuke frowned. "The police station? What for?"

"Hmm, well, apparently..." Kakashi flipped a page in his magazine, eyeing the contents with a joyful, upturned eye. "They found out that the doctor who tried to kill Naruto-kun works for someone named Orochimaru, who lives in China. Like most people, he hates Impures, but he's taken it a step further, by killing any Impure animal he sees. He had a few of his followers work at the local pet hospital here and they killed sick Impure pets that were brought in, lying to their owners and saying that their sickness was what caused their deaths."

The leopard scowled.

"So," Kakashi started again. "They want to see me so I can identify the people who tried to kill Naruto-kun. They might have a lead on where Orochimaru and his henchmen are in China. They have satellite photos, etc," he waved his hand pointlessly, closing the magazine, finding it boring. "Ah, as a matter of fact, I think I'll head out now. If anyone asks, I ate something bad and I'm in the restroom."

Naruto blinked and Sasuke sighed, leading his son over to where the photographers were calling to them.

"They found the doctor who..." Naruto trailed off, not really wanting to think about the time he'd almost died. "Are they going to put him in jail?"

Sasuke scowled. "I'd hope so. But once they find him and bring him to Japan, I'll make sure he's dead before he's put in his cell," he growled, but calmed down once he realized he'd scared one of the young female photographers. She was a mousy woman with large glasses and messy cinnamon hair. She smiled nervously to the intimidating pet and scurried away, a folder full of photos hugged against her chest.

"Ah, could you two come over here, please? I'd like to take a picture of you for the cover of the new Pet magazine in Spain," an older gentleman with a thick mustache and a blue and lime green suit called to them, a kind smile twinkling on his long face. He got in front of his camera and motioned for them to move in place.

Naruto happily shuffled in front of the small set that looked like a park and sat on the bench, swinging his legs back and forth. There was a low hanging branch and the leaves brushed against the tips of his cat ears, making them twitch and flutter downward. Sasuke sat beside him and immediately took on a pose, crossing his left leg over the right and pulling Naruto onto his lap.

The little cat mewled in surprise as he was plopped down onto the warm lap. Remembering what had happened last time he's been on his papa's lap, he blushed prettily and his tail twittered around nervously. But a warm whisper into his hair calmed him down and he smiled cutely.

"Just act natural," Sasuke told him gently.

The photographer readied his camera and brushed his thumb over his mustache. "Naruto," he had a strong Spanish accent. "could you act as if you've found an interesting bug in the tree? Sasuke, look at him softly, like he was the most precious thing to you," he chuckled. "Of course, as your cub, he probably is."

Naruto smiled at that and shifted into a comfortable position, leaning against Sasuke's shoulder and reaching up, his shoulder bent. His small fingers brushed one of the leaves as he thought about finding a teal dragonfly that had perched itself on the branch. He held a look of wonder as he thought about actually seeing one, since he'd yet to. They didn't come out until the evenings and he wasn't allowed outside past then.

Sasuke watched his son and smiled contently, a light flashing quickly, followed by a thankful sound from the Spanish photographer. Naruto plucked the leaf from its branch and broke out into a huge smile, then there was another flash. The little blond realized that what the man wanted was something cute and gentle, so he wrapped his arms around his father's shoulder and pecked the leopard's cheek, easily creating the cutest scene anyone in the small studio had ever scene. There were a few more flashes, then the photographer thanked them, shaking their hands eagerly.

"Only nineteen more," Sasuke told Naruto and hoisted him up on his shoulers, causing the cat to giggle and wiggled around.

xXxXx

Back at the Hatake residence, Lukki was currently tied up and gagged, shoved in the corner of the living room behind the wooden lamp table. He struggled to get free, sweaty and covered in the cold spaghetti sauce that he'd been making before the attack. He growled behind the ducktape and black washcloth, trying to block out the moans and groans coming from the bedroom Kakashi had rented to him.

_Kyuubi was such a good pet before he met that crazy animal! As soon as I get out of these stupid ropes, I'm taking Kyuubi and we're going back home! Screw the Showcase!_

Inside of Lukki's bedroom, Kyuubi was literally being devoured by his "mate", long licks and kisses being planted on his tan, flushed skin. He didn't mind admitting that he loved the attention, but at the moment, he somewhat felt that sex wasn't a good idea. After all, he had kits growing inside of him.

"Itachi--stop..." he murmered, but the leopard continued to nip at his shoulder, licking at a small scar there. He twisted a bit and pushed the raven up, receiving a glare. He glared right back. That was how their relationship was. It consisted of strong physical attraction and a respect for each other, but no love. Love was what Kyuubi wanted, but he knew Itachi wasn't the type of pet to go beyond what they already had.

"Why?"

"Mating might hurt the kits," the fox told his mate honestly. "I don't want to risk it, despite how good you feel," he smirked and sat up, pulling his shirt on and looking down at the shredded leather straight jacket lying on the carpet. Itachi had torn the article of clothing right off of Kyuubi's body after he realized it prohibited access to the leopard's favorite expanse of skin; the fox's stomach.

Itachi growled in annoyance, but backed off and pulled his own shirt on, straightening out the wrinkles.

"I hope you plan to make up for the lost sex once the cubs are born," Itachi said in his usual clipped tone.

Kyuubi snorted. "I'll be back home, in Cote D'iviore, remember?"

Itachi raised his brows. "You won't be leaving this house until a week after they're born. I expect you to make up lost time during those seven days. I'll even be kind and wear a condom."

Kyuubi let a smile crack on his face. "How nice of you."

Just then, the door creaked open and Kakashi came in, a bag of groceries in his arms. He walked past them and grabbed the sharp scissors that were on Lukki's craft table, then turned back around, glancing at the two adult pets. He chuckled in amusement.

"Did you two know that Lukki-san's tied up and gagged out in my living room?" he asked them. "I wonder how that happened? Hmm, maybe it was the neighborhood kids again... They do tend to sneak into my house when I'm out. Maybe I should set up bear traps for them. It's always amusing to see someone squirming with their leg stuck in the jagged metal teeth of one of those things," his eye crinckled upwards in delight, then he left, humming a happy tune. "One moment, Lukki-san, I have to put the groceries away!"

Itachi scowled while Kyuubi laughed heartily.

xXxXx

The rest of the afternoon had gone by in a rushed blur. There had been a ton of photos taken, some breaks for water and snacks, then more pictures. By the end of the photoshoot, Naruto had become half blind from the flashes and Sasuke was irritable because his clothes were sticking to him from the heat of the room.

"Thank you so much for your time," the Spanish photographer bowed to them, used to the Japanese customs. "I hope to see you two again next issue?" he had a twinkle in his honey eyes, as if knowing ahead of time they'd win the Showcase once again.

Naruto nodded enthusiastically and tugged on Sasuke's warm hand, tugging him out of the room and into the main hall of the convention building. "Susu Oppa, is Aboji going to pick us up?"

Sasuke sighed and lifted Naruto up, carrying him on his shoulders as he walked out into the streets of Tokyo, thunder rumbling through the dark sky. It was almost night time and he knew that his owner wasn't going to drop by anytime soon. It seemed like they were going to have to walk home today, despite the weather.

"I don't think so. He has a lot of things to do and he's probably not done yet," the leopard answered, walking down the nearly empty sidewalk. It was amazing to see hardly anyone present on the usually busy Tokyo streets, but it was going to rain and no one wanted to get their new Harajuku designs wet.

Naruto stared up at the rumbling clouds, waiting for the frist drop of rain to fall. The sounds of police sirens was distant in the background, steam rising from the sewers just below them. He lowered his eyes and looked around, stunned at the emptiness around him. He'd never seen the city without its thousands of people walking the old streets.

As Sasuke came to a stop in front of a shop, Naruto stared into the alley way across from it and noticed a slumped figure sitting atop a closed dumpter. His father sat him down and asked him if he wanted to come in, that he was going to buy an umbrella, but the golden cat shook his head.

Once Sasuke was in the shop, Naruto ran across the street, his small feet pattering against the smooth pavement. As he approached the alley, raindrops fell, slipping down his face and neck and creating damp dots all over the sidewalks and roads. He peaked around the brick wall and watched the figure move only slightly.

"Hello...?" he hesitently asked.

The person lifted its head and pitch black eyes stared into Naruto endless blue ones.

"Naruto-kun?" the voice was smooth and young.

Naruto blinked his large eyes and stepped forward, the wide collar of his shirt slipping over his shoulder.

"Sai?"

**I have a more chaps written up. Man, I wanna get all my stories done with so I can start new ones XD**


	17. Sai

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

**CANDYBARS... :Twitch:**

Sai leaned forward and ran a pale hand through his neat black locks, looking at the golden cat with expressionless eyes. He usually held a smile, whether it be fake or not, but this time he didn't, his jaw slack. He had on a nice pair of clothes, but his shoes were gone, his feet bare and covered in what looked like ashes and mud.

Naruto scurried close to the dumpster, his small fingers on the dirty edge. He stared up at the other pet with curious eyes and attempted to climb up, only to slip and almost stumble backwards over an empty can of corn. He pouted and his ears perked up at the sound of Sai letting out a whisp of laughter.

"What are you trying to do?" the tiger asked, the rain pelting down over the city now.

"Climb up there with you," Naruto replied with his arms crossed.

"I'm sure your father's waiting for you," Sai leaned back against the filthy brick wall, wiggling his toes as they became numb. "I doubt he'd like you hanging out with me. I am a street stray, after all," his smile was small.

"No you're not. Yamato-san's your owner, isn't he?"

Sai nodded. "I meant street stray as in my behavior, my habits."

Naruto became confused, his head tilting to the side, golden locks brushing against his smooth cheeks. But his name being called from across the street broke him from his confusion and he turned quickly, watched as Sasuke looked around frantically. Naruto gave Sai an apologizing smile.

"I'll sneak back here tomorrow, so make sure you're here, same time!" he exclaimed, then ran off.

Sasuke looked into the street as Naruto ran toward him, leaping onto the sidewalk and into a puddle of water. The rain had gotten heavier and the leopard sighed, taking in his son's drenched appearance. He shook his head and pulled Naruto in front him, trying to keep him from getting soaked even more.

"I guess there was no point in buying an umbrella? And what exactly were you doing over there?"

"Um, I thought I saw a kitten..." the blond lied with a lopsided grin.

Sasuke snorted and pressed Naruto forward, leading him down the sidewalk and around the corner. "It seems as though you have my same habit of picking up strays," he smiled and ruffled the boy's wet and messy hair, not noticing how Naruto glanced back at the dark alley way.

xXxXx

Kakashi walked back into the house after having left two hours before to go to the police headquarters. He folded up his wet umbrella and put it in the coat closet, leaning it against the wall, then shrugged of his coat. He glanced around the dark home and raised his silver brow, wondering where his pet and house guests were.

Before he'd left, he had a talk with Lukki after the blond became furious with Itachi and threatened to just take the fox and go back to Africa to abort the cubs. Of course, that had upset Kyuubi and angered Itachi, but after a chat with the man, Kakashi had managed to calm him down and place him in a more reasonable state of mind.

"Lukki-san?" he called out. The only answer he got was silence. Kicking off his boots, he walked through the quiet house and peaked into Lukki's room, finding the younger man asleep on his bed in only a pair of jeans and unmatching socks. Moving back, he continued on to Itachi bedroom, where he found both of the pets on his bed.

He was surprised to find that they weren't having sex like horny bunnies, but lying there in comfort as the small television was playing a Disney film. Kyuubi was asleep, nestled in the messy blankets with his shirt pulled up. Itachi was beside him, gently rubbing his mate's stomach.

It was definitely a surprising site, but he knew from experience that even the roughest and coldest of pets became kind and gentle to the mother of their children. Even when there wasn't a deep love between them, the father would care for his mate and be very protective of the babies until they were old enough to be sold.

Kakashi cleared his throat and Itachi let his dark gaze wander to his owner. He gave him a look that clearly said "leave us alone or I'll gut you. I don't care if you're my owner or not."

Doing as he was told (in order to keep his insides intact), the scarecrow sauntered back into the living room and turned the television on, knowing how Naruto liked to watch cartoons before bed. He then made his way to the kitchen and pulled out the meal he'd made the blond. It consisted of a few of the foods mentioned on Tsunade's list to help with Naruto's stunted growth.

Heating it up in the microwave, he heard the front door open, the sound of shows being thrown into the coat closet, then the patter of small feet.

"Aboji!" Naruto chirped as entered the kitchen, starving. He sniffed the air and licked his pink lips. "What's that smell? Celery?"

"It's a soup I made to help with your growth," Kakashi pulled the soup from the microwave and sat it on the counter, placing a spoon in there. "Make sure you eat all of it, I'm going to go have a word with your father."

Sasuke glanced at Naruto one last time before following Sasuke into the living room. He crossed his arms and waited for the silver-haired man to speak.

"They have pictures of Kabuto, one of the doctors who tried to kill Naruto-kun. They say he's somewhere here in Japan, but they lost track of him. He was with a few other men and one they say is Orochimaru, a snake-like man," Kakashi stated. "They're going to search for them, but they said they can't guarentee a capture."

Sasuke growled. "They kill innocent animals, Kakashi, why would the police not try to capture them with all they have?"

"They basically could care less about the slaughter of Impures. That's how things are this day in age, only Pureblood's are important, you know that. If you Orochimaru dead, then chase after him yourself, that's the best you can do."

Scowling, Sasuke looked into the kitchen, watching as Naruto finished up his meal and put the bowl in the sink, his tail fluttering around. He was singing a little song he'd taught him a while back, a big smile on his childish face.

"If it comes down to that, I will."

Kakashi chuckled beneath his mask. "I never would've thought of you'd be such a good father. With all of your other cubs, you just ignored them and let Tsunade-san handle them. But with Naruto, you take on the roles of both mother and father. Maa, I hope Itachi can be like you."

Sasuke snorted and smirked. "Hn, I highly doubt it."

"Susu Oppa, can we watch cartoons now? There's a new episode of Poupuu-chan on tonight!" the blond came hurtling into the living room, flopping into the couch and curling up in the corner, hugging a soft crimson pillow. He grinned up at his father and Kakashi, expecting them to stop their conversation for him.

Kakashi chuckled and patted the boy on the head. "I'm going to head off to bed. I promised Lukki I would show him around the city tomorrow morning," he sighed and scratched the back of his neck where a misquito had bitten him earlier. "Ah, and I called Jiraiya this afternoon. I thought that Naruto should be trained a bit more before the next Showcase. Now that he's won once, he'll need to be better. The judges will be looking at how far he's gotten since his first Showcase win."

Sasuke nodded and sat down beside Naruto, letting the pet snuggle into his side.

xXxXx

The next day around six, Sasuke was outside with Kakashi in the garden, Itachi and Kyuubi were out doing who-knows-what, and Jiraiya was asleep on the couch, his perverted Icha Icha book over his face as he snored loudly. Naruto was sitting in the middle of the living room floor, thinking of how he'd escape from the home in order to see Sai in the city.

_Aboji and Susu Oppa definitely wouldn't let me go and Ero-sennin's too lazy... _he pouted and stood up, going into his and Sasuke's room. He sat on the open window sill and looked out over the land, seeing the Aburame residence right below, along with a few more backyards beside theirs. He blinked suddenly, hit with an idea.

Crawling out of the window, he slid down and grabbed onto the flag pole that jutted from the cement wall. It had the flag of Japan on it, not because Kakashi loved his country, but because it was mandatory for every home to have it flying for the public to see. He leaped to the ground and made sure to walk downwind of Sasuke and Kakashi, so his father wouldn't catch his scent.

Running into the woods, he avoided the smell of tuna and other fish, knowing that it'd just be another trap. He walked for about ten minutes, finally reaching the fenced backyard of the Aburame residence. Climbing over the wooden fence, he leaped into the grassy yard and sniffed the air, catching the distinct scent of the chinchilla, Hinata.

There was a loud sound of metal creaking, then Kiba (in his dog form) ran from the screened porch, fangs bared. Naruto squeaked and closed his eyes, waiting to be attacked, but it never happened. He peeked through one eye and then, sighed in relief when he saw Kiba just standing there, recognition in his slitted eyes.

The brown, shaggy dog changed into his human form and raised a brow.

"I thought I apologized for molesting you," he grunted. "I don't like doing things twice, Blondie."

Naruto shook his head. "No! I just wanted to ask a favor of you!"

"..."

The blond blushed and wringed his hands together. "I-I need someone to take me into the city, so I can see a friend. My owner's busy..."

Kiba grinned. "Snuck out of the house, didn't you? You're just like that damn Uchiha," he tapped his chin in thought. "Hmm, well, I suppose I could take you."

Naruto's ears perked up.

"Shino lets me go out on my own without him, just as long as I tell him first... But what do I get out of this, huh? What could a little brat like you give me for my services?"

"Um, I could..." Naruto pouted.

"I was kidding," the canine rolled his eyes. "There's nothin' a twerp like you could give me. Let me just go tell Shino and I'll be right back. Get your ass out front," then Kiba went back onto the porch, going into the house.

Naruto smiled and hurried to the front yard, stopping, though, when he saw Kiba talking to his owner through one of the small windows on the side of the large home. He blushed prettily when he saw them kiss, wondering if it was ok for an owner to kiss their pet like that...

He shook his head and rushed to the front of the house, passing Hinata, who was picking flowers from the yard and putting them in a blue vase. She saw him and her cheeks turned a light pink.

"G-Good evening..." she spoke quietly. "Y-you're Naruto-kun, yes?" she smiled sweetly. "Y-You were very lovely during the Showcase th-the other day..."

Naruto brightened up. "Thank you! I think you were very beautiful, Hinata-chan!"

The blue-haired chinchilla clutched the vase to her chest and thanked him, squeaking when the front door almost right behind her opened quickly, Kiba running out with a huge grin. He patted the girl on the head and told her he was leaving.

"Have fun," she told them both, then went back to picking various wild flowers.

Kiba stuffed his hands on his pockets as they passed the neighborhood sign, heading into the city. "So where are we headin'? Where's this friend of yours at?"

"Across from a shop called Saenagi's," Naruto answered, looking around. He knew it was close by because it didn't take long for them to return home after purchasing the dark red umbrella the previous evening. He turned the corner and his blue eyes brightened when he saw the store, running across the street with Kiba right behind him. He peaked into the alley and saw Sai leaning against the wall, tracing the brick with his claws.

"Another Showcase pet, huh?" Kiba sighed. "And a veteran, too."

"Sai!" Naruto ran to his friend, looking down at his feet. "Ano sa, you're feet are all cut up..." he spoke, worried.

Sai smiled a bit, just a crack of the lips. "I'm fine. I run around in my bare feet all of the time."

Naruto thought about that, then spoke up, wanting to know what the tiger had meant the previous night. He looked up at the other animal with big ocean blue eyes, his pupils getting bigger as the sun finally lowered behind the buildings.

"Ne, what did you mean yesterday...? About how you act..." he saw Kiba lean against the other brick wall across from him, going through names in the cellphone Shino had given to him as a gift. The Aburame male was very kind to his pets, treating them as if they were humans, like everyone else.

"You do know how Uchiha called me a street stray at the Showcase, right?" Sai lifted Naruto up onto the dumpster, then climbed up there himself, ignoring the phonecall Kiba was making. When Naruto nodded, he continued. "Well, I, myself, am a Pureblood animal, but my habits are that of an Impure animal. You want to go outside and just explore sometimes, don't you?" he asked.

Naruto thought about it and realized that yes, on occasions he did just want to run away and explore in the wild like he would do with his family in Korea. He missed all of the insects, the birds flying around him, the other animals that just roamed around... In Kakashi's home, he was inside being pampered all of the time. It's not that he didn't like it, he did, it was just that he wasn't like them.

"I was born a clone of my father, but I was the only one that was handicapped. My other siblings were perfect and normal, but the doctors found that my blood was somewhat different, that it closely resembled that of an Impure animal. Luckily for me, Yamato-san, my father's owner, refused to have me put to sleep and kept me," Sai smiled at the memory. "I grew up and acted like an Impure, but he never treated me like one. Even to this day, he lets me run around like some wild animal," he laughed lightly.

"Yamato-san must really love you," Naruto smiled, knowing that Kakashi would've done the same for him in that type of situation.

"I hope your cubs aren't born with handicaps," Sai said suddenly. "You went to have clones created yesterday, didn't you, Naruto-kun?"

The golden cat nodded and leaned forward, his ears twitching. "If something's wrong with one of them, I'll just keep it," he smiled. "I'd like to be a daddy. I think it'd be nice. And maybe Susu Oppa would like to be the daddy, too..." he blushed cutely and puffed out his cheeks, causing Sai to laugh.

"You're beautiful, Naruto-kun, if he refuses to fall in love with you, then you deserve better."

"Like you?" the cat gave him a suspicious look, but smiled.

"If anything goes wrong, I'd be happy to accept you and make you my mate," Sai chuckled.

"Hey," Kiba broke them up. "Blondie, I'd like to stop by the store before it gets dark, so hurry it up."

Naruto pouted and leaped off of the dumpster. "I'll see you soon? You should ask Yamato-san if you can come over sometime," he smiled.

"I'll ask," Sai replied kindly.

"Ok, then! I'll see you sometime soon! I have to go before Susu Oppa and Aboji find out I snuck out! Bye!" he rushed out of the alley with Kiba right behind him, mumbling about being yanked around.

Sai climbed off of the metal dumpster and brushed his pants off, feeling like walking in the forest. He looked back, but Naruto was already gone. He smiled to himself.

He'd love to have the cute blond as his mate, but that would only happen if Sasuke didn't return Naruto's feelings.

So _I suppose I'll just have to find someone even cuter._

**Please review! Get me to a thousand:Hearts:**


	18. On Hiatus For a Little While

**Forgive me all for not updating this in, like, almost two whole months. School's stressing me out, I have boy troubles (they suck ass), my family's getting on my nerves, and I have sooooo much make up work to do for missing a week when family came up to visit. :sigh: and I'm sorry to say this, but KWSC is going to be going on hiatus for a while. I haven't been too into wanting to update it, either, but I've always hated how authors just discontinued a story, so I'm not gonna do that. :bows: please forgive me, I'm sure some of you understand, since you might be going through the same thing yourself! And in KWSC's stead, I'll be trying to work on Salavtion, my World War 2 fanfiction that I put on hiatus a while ago. I've been needing to update it and I just lost the desire for KWSC :sweatdrop: but I'll get it back, son't worry! Everyone falls out of a fandom sometime or another, but they always come back... somewhat :nervous laugh:**

**Love, Vanity-sama**


	19. Cubs

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

**I don't know how often I'll get to update this, but I didn't wanna leave it on hiatus anymore. And for those of you who are still staying with this story, thank you so much for the kind reviews:bows: I love that you all are soooo positive and kind :grin: so I refuse to let you wait any longer for updates.**

**I'm sure everyone wants to see Naruto's cute cubs, right?**

Naruto peaked around the fence to see that Sasuke and Kakashi were still in the garden, finishing up with laying out mulch and such. They were both coated in a thick layer of sweat and dirt, their sleeves rolled up. The blond could tell that Sasuke was especially hot, since his silky, black ears were twitching in annoyance atop of his head.

Stepping back, he scurried to the side of the large home and looked up, his bottom lip jutting out cutely. The flag pole he'd used to get out of the house was too high up from the ground and he couldn't jump that high, despite his cat reflexes. Looking around, he spotted an empty milk crate by the fence that seperated one residence from the Hatake's and smiled brightly. Hurriedly making his way to the item, he lifted it up and carried it to the side of the house, leaping onto it and reaching his arms up.

Crouching down, he jumped up and grasped the flag pole, his fingers twitching in irritation at the coating of dirt on it. He swung himself back and forth until he had enough momentum, then he used what little arm strength he had to hoist himself up onto the pole.

"Nyah!" he squeaked when he almost slipped, his ears flat on his head. Sure, he had his moment of agility and grace, but it was over now, his slight fear of heights kicking in. He mewled softly and glanced up, the window in arm's reach. Quickly shoving upward, he grabbed onto the sill and hauled himself into his and Sasuke's bedroom.

"And just where have you been, brat?" Jiraiya asked gruffly from his Indian-style position on the king size bed. He was frowning, his Icha Icha Paradise book tucked away in his back pocket, a little sliver of bright orange visible behind him.

Naruto swallowed nervously and rubbed the back of his head, stepping closer to his sensei. "I-I went for a walk."

"Hn, a walk? If you would've just asked me, we could've went for a walk together. There was no need to sneak out," the teacher uncrossed his legs and stood up, bending back so he could stretch. "Not that I believe your excuse."

The young cat huffed and crossed his arms, his tail fluttering back and forth behind him in impatience. He just wanted to go outside with Sasuke and Kakashi.

Jiraiya raised a brow. "So where did you really go? Don't worry, I won't tell your father."

"Really?"

"Really."

"I went to go see Sai with Kiba, in the city," Naruto said truthfully, uncrossing his arms and fiddling with the hem of his shirt. "I was worried..."

The older man nodded and pulled his novel back out, flipping it open to the page he'd marked with a frog bookmark. "He told you about his 'problem', I take it? He's a fine pet, so it's a shame he has to deal with that," he looked up from the words typed on the page and noticed Naruto staring at him. "What?"

But Naruto remained motionless and Jiraiya was beginning to get worried.

"Naruto?" he stepped forward and shook the boy's shoulder, letting out a muffled curse when the other fell back as if his body was only a sack of potatoes.

Unmoving blue eyes finally blinked and there was a deep intake of breath before Naruto latched onto his teacher's arm in reaction to his fall. He could hear his heart hammering in his head and he looked up at the white-haired ape with confusion written all over his face. He'd heard Jiraiya talking, then it just went black for a moment.

"Are you ok?" Jiraiya asked, worried.

Naruto steadied himself and rubbed at his face, wondering what could've happened. He felt so light-headed and his chest ached horribly. Then he remembered one of the problems Tsunade had said he'd have. The thought of his brain stopping, even for just a few seconds, frightened him and his bottom lip trembled as fear rippled through him.

"Naruto?" a large, calloused hand touched messy locks of blond hair, but the cat ripped himself away from the other almost immediately, his footsteps loud as he rushed downstairs.

Eyes wet, Naruto swallowed down the sobs that wanted to make themselves known and hurried to the kitchen, ignoring the stares he received from Itachi and Kyuubi (who must've returned from wherever they'd gone while he was out). He shoved open the doors that led to the large Hatake garden and he could barely make out the outline of his father through the tears in his eyes. But the scent of the leopard was so distinct and had been carved into his mind the moment he'd touched him that afternoon in the rain so long ago. So as he ran, he was able to find his way easily.

Sasuke caught the scent of his cub in the wind, but before he could turn, a flash of blond latched itself onto him and wailed, a sound that could break anyone's heart in an instant. Without even understanding what was going on, Sasuke pulled Naruto away gently and bent down, immediately bringing his son back into his arms so he could hold and comfort him.

"Shhh, what's wrong?"

"I don't wanna die!" Naruto cried and wiped his tears on the raven's shoulder, his nails digging into the back of his sweaty shirt. The smell of sweat was strong to Naruto's sensitive nose, and he felt everything become all too real. He really was close to death, despite how healthy he felt and acted. "P-Please don't let me die...! I don't wanna leave you, Susu Oppa!" his pleading was muffled by the shirt, but Sasuke could still understand him.

Kakashi stood there, watching them. He then turned when he caught Jiraiya exiting the home from the corner of his eye, the bulkier man looking troubled as he approached them. He nodded to his friend and Jiraiya sighed, glancing at his trembling student.

"What happened?" Sasuke asked harshly, dark eyes boring into the ape's.

"I don't really know for sure. I was talking to him in your room and he just zoned out. When I shook him after he didn't snap out of it, he fell over," Jiraiya scratched his neck. "Then he went back to normal. It was strange."

Sasuke held Naruto closer and cradled him as he cried, whispering soothing words in his ear so he'd stop. "His brain must have..."

"Should we call Tsunade-sama and tell her?" Kakashi asked, wiping sweat from his brow.

"No," Sasuke answered. "I don't want to put Naruto through anymore testing, he's had enough of that already. It happened only once and Tsunade said it would, so we won't need to worry unless it happens more often."

Kakashi nodded. "Jiraiya, you should go home. There won't be any lessons today, not with the condition Naruto's in right now. Let's reschedule for next week, alright?"

The taller man nodded and mumbled a "get better, brat" to Naruto before heading back in the home so he could leave through the front door. As he stepped through, Itachi leaned out.

"Is something wrong?"

Sasuke lifted Naruto up into his arms and he stood, carrying his son to the kitchen where the two other pets were, their lunches already eaten. Itachi stepped back, his snow white ears contrasting greatly with the heavy atmosphere that suddenly warped everyone. Sitting at the table, Kyuubi looked up, worried as he saw the weeping clouded leopard cub.

"Itachi, please put together some of the foods Tsunade-sama reccomended for Naruto-kun's growth," Kakashi asked his eldest pet while getting a wash cloth from the cupboard underneath the sink. He soaked it in cold faucet water, then rung it out before going back over to his newest pet, lifting his face away from Sasuke's shoulder with much effort, considering Naruto was thrashing around as if being away from Sasuke would result in death. "Naruto, I'm only cleaning your face off. Your nose is running."

The blond sniffled and finally relaxed under his owner's touch, the cool and damp rag feeling wonderful on his heated cheeks. His eyes were red from crying and his shoulders were still shaking as sobs continued to slither up his throat. He kept them down though and soon settled down, his tears finally coming to a stop.

Sasuke kindly placed a small kiss on his cub's forehead, wanting to do so much more to comfort him. He couldn't in front of Kakashi, Itachi, and Kyuubi. He didn't want them to think he had those kinds of feelings for the cat he considered his son. He even felt disgusted with himself for wanting to kiss the smaller male...

Naruto sniffled once again and reached forward, placing his small hands on Sasuke's cheeks, the warm fingers brushing over cascading, black bangs. The depth of Naruto's eyes only got deeper as he stared at the leopard, then he smiled, a sad twitch of his pink lips.

"I don't wanna die..." he whispered fearfully and his golden bangs fell over his eyes, shadowing his young face. He clutched onto Sasuke's shirt tightly. "I don't wanna leave you... Susu Oppa, I don't wanna be without you..."

Itachi glanced over his shoulder at the two and noticed something smouldering in his sibling's eyes. He finished heating up the soup that Kakashi had made and brought it over to the table with a spoon, sitting it down next to Sasuke. Calling softly to Kyuubi, he led his mate out of the kitchen and dining area, and to their room. They passed by Lukki, who was fast asleep on the couch, where Jiraiya had occupied previousloy.

Sasuke smiled softly and brushed his fingers through Naruto's hair.

"You're not going to die, so don't worry. It's a side effect to what happened to you... nothing more. You'll be fine, I promise."

Naruto looked straight at him with pleading eyes. They seemed to shimmer under the kitchen lighting and he tugged on Sasuke's shirt more, the scent of sweat lingering around them. He smiled.

"Promise..."

"Yes, I promise. You'll be fine," the black leopard reached up a bit and ruffled the blond's hair. "Now, eat your soup so we can get cleaned up. We're going to the hospital tomorrow morning."

Naruto blinked, his eyes still a bit watery. He felt safe now that Sasuke had promised him nothing horrible would happen. Words meant nothing, because fate was fate, but... he desperately wanted to hold on to that promise.

"How come we have to go to the hospital? I don't have to... you know..." he blushed faintly. "I don't have to do it again, do I?"

Sasuke chuckled and shook his head. "No, you don't. We're going to go see if our cubs are there."

Naruto blushed hotly, but shook his head and smiled crookedly. He knew what the "our" in that sentence meant, but his mind had decided to misinterpret it. Reaching to the side, he pulled the bowl of soup toward him and started to eat, even in the akward position he was in.

Kakashi watched them and laughed quietly beneath his mask, already understanding what was going on between them. He believed there was nothing wrong with it, he just didn't want to deal with a fuming Sibel Claire once she found out the handsome and dashing Pureblood was more interested in a stunted male Impure than her beautiful and sweet White Tiger.

xXxXx

Naruto happily ran into the average-sized hospital building, asking every nurse he saw where the cub nursery was. He practically bounced from one foot to the other when one of them pointed just down the hall, to a see-through window that undoubtedly peaked into a nursery. He took off down the hall in his snug blue pants and light sweater (since it was cold out), and pressed his hands up against the glass as soon as he reached it.

His smile was huge and Sasuke coudn't help but smile also when he reached the nursery, as well. He lifted Naruto up when the boy complained of not being able to see and he let his eyes scan over the comfortable-looking beds within the spacious cages. There were three golden-colored cubs within on of the large beds and two white ones in the other cage, shifting in their sleep.

"Those three are yours," Sasuke whispered to Naruto and pointed to the golden lumps of fur. "The white ones are mine."

Naruto practically pressed his cheek against the glass to get a better look. His smile was huge and his heart throbbed happily in his chest as he looked at the cubs. He remembered when he was that tiny... and his tummy did flips as he realized that those tiny things were **his**.

"How come yours are white, Susu Oppa?" he asked, curiously, finally looking over at the two others.

"Itachi and I are Albino Leopards, but I was born melanistic; albino-like red eyes and black fur. But that was a defect, so my cubs usually aren't born with it."

"Oh... they're very pretty," Naruto said in awe.

"Your cubs are beautiful too. Just like their father," Sasuke found himself saying without even noticing. As he continued to look in at their cubs, Naruto blushed hotly beside him.

**Sorry that was short and uneventful, but I wanted to get something out to you all tonight :sweatdrop: Please review!**


	20. Seung

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

**Sorry it took so long, but I've been talking with this guy ... :sweatdrop:**

Tsunade stepped around the corner with a clipboard tucked under her arm, her hazel eyes falling on the two males watching the kittens sleep in the pet nursery. She smiled and approached them, pulling out a set of keys from her coat pocket and pushing a golden key into the door knob that led into the room.

Naruto looked over at her and his ears perked up, twitching in excitement. Was she letting him and Sasuke in to see their cubs?

"You two didn't waste any time in coming here," the doctor chuckled. She then turned her attention fully to Naruto, pushing the door open with a resounding 'click'. "I was able to spend a little extra time on your kittens last night and managed to have them created as Purebloods. It took a while, but I removed all of the genes and such that weren't linked to a Clouded Leopard."

The blond blinked his ocean blue eyes. "They're Purebloods?"

Sasuke stared at the doctor, curious. He'd never heard of that being done before. He hadn't even known it was possible, but Tsunade wasn't really an ordinary doctor, so he could expect a medical feat like that from her.

"Well, all but one," she let them enter the room and she asked one of her pupils to open the cage that held Naruto's kittens, the small girl doing as she was told and pulling back the metal bars. "This one here," she pointed to the one on the right, black spots going from his snout, over the top of his head, across his back, and to the base of his tail, "I wasn't able to change his genes before it was time for them to go in the growth incubator. He's an Impure, so I'm not sure if we'll be able to sell him to an owner. Because once that person finds out, then this little one will most likely be put to sleep right away."

Naruto leaned forward on Sasuke's shoulders and watched the cubs breathe deeply in their sleep, their tiny paws twitching as they dreamed. He looked at the one that was supposedly an Impure and pouted, his brows knitting together.

"I don't want to give them to owners..." he whispered.

Tsunade looked a tad bit shocked. "The only reason they were made were so that they could be sold to families. You can't keep them."

"C-can I at least keep the one that's like me?" he reached in and stroked the soft, yet damp fur of the Impure, earning him a sudden yawn from the little creature.

"Hmm, you'd have to ask Kakashi," Tsunade commented.

Sasuke hoisted Naruto up and put him back down on the tiled ground, the face of his little boy already turned his way. Those bright eyes were so full of determination and he sighed inwardly, not wanting to be the one to talk to Kakashi about keeping another pet. The scarecrow did, after all, depend on selling his pets' cubs for income and such.

"Susu Oppa... I want to keep him. What if someone finds out what he is...?"

The leopard ran a hand through his silky, black tresses. "That would pose a problem, considering the owner would assume you were an Impure, too," he sighed aloud. "I suppose I could talk to Kakashi about it."

Naruto hugged him, wrapping his arms around his hips and snuggling his face into the raven's toned stomach. He smiled happily and his tail fluttered around in utter abandon and joy. "Thank you!"

xXxXx

Naruto was crouched down in the middle of the play room that was near the back of the hospital, created especially for people to play with the newborn pets they planned to buy. It was a pretty big room, the walls padded with soft pillow-like fabric that would keep the pets safe from any harm. There were chew toys and random interesting items flung about on the floor, being tossed around as three kittens ran around, playing with each other.

Smiling brightly, Naruto watched the two girls tackle their brother, biting at his ears like they were treats. The boy mewled and flung himself away, ripping around the room, his dark blue eyes full of excitement. One of the girls, a light gold with white paws and brown patches on her back, didn't bother chasing after the runt and trotted over to Naruto, rubbing against him and purring. She knew he was her papa.

Laughing cheerfully, the blond petted her and scratched behind her ears, still elated with the fact that these three kittens were his. He was surprised that they were so big after just a day, but Tsunade had explained to him only ten minutes ago that she had put a chemical in their system that had enhanced their rate of growth so that they would age a month. It was better to have them at a decent age when being bought.

"I wish I could give you names," Naruto whispered and scratched behind the ears of the little girl, her tail spotted, stripes running up her legs. Her nose was pink, unlike her other siblings. "But I don't have the right to..." he puffed his cheeks out, knitting his brows together. He wanted to keep the kittens, wanted to take care of them, but he knew he couldn't. He had a chance with keeping the little boy... so he guessed that was good enough. Better one than none.

Speaking of the little runt, he scurried to his father and leaped at him, knocking him on his behind. He was feisty and energetic, just like Naruto, his eyes sparkling. The design on his fur was so unique.

Lifting up the tiniest of the three, Naruto nuzzled his cheek against his small, furry one. He was starting to really fall for the cubs and he desperately wanted to keep them with him. It'd be a burden to Kakashi, though, he knew that...

"Naruto-kun?" Shizune peaked into the room and smiled to him. "I need to take the cubs to Tsunade-sama's office so that their ears can be tagged," he lifted up one of the females and cradled her in her arms, despite the little one squirming. "Unfortunately, we've come to the decision that the male can't be sold... so if Hatake-san can't take care of him, then we'll have to put him to sleep..."

The blond stiffened and flashes of what had happened to him seemed to swim in front of his very eyes. His lips tightened and in that one moment he looked so much older than his physical body could allow. He stood and held his other two kittens to his chest, the both of them mewling and tapping each other's paws together in some sort of swatting game.

"Baa-chan wouldn't put him to sleep..." he murmured and hugged his children tighter to him as he followed Shizune out. He knew that the well-endowed doctor would never do such a thing...

Arriving at the spacious room that was a few flights up, Naruto saw Sasuke standing next to Tsunade, speaking with her about something too quiet for his sensitive ears to pick up. He felt the small tag that was attached to his ear flutter across his head and he was reminded of the fact that he was an Impure, yet he still had a tag...

_I don't even remember what those guys looked like who tagged me... or why they even did it in the first place..._

Sasuke turned when he heard the two enter and took the little boy from Naruto's arms (Tsunade doing the same with the girls), running his slender fingers over velvet ears. He smiled to himself and glanced down into the blond's hopeful eyes. He knew what Shizune had told him, but it wasdn't going to happen.

"I got in contact with Kakashi," he told the boy. "He said that you may keep the cub, just as long as you take care of him."

Naruto's whole posture changed. His ears perked up, his lips lifted, his tail futtered around enthusiastically, his eyes widened and sparkled, and he thrust his arms out to take the small creature back. Sasuke gave the boy back and naruto hugged him tightly, earning him a muffled mewl in response.

Tsunade smiled and slowly lowered the girls onto the table, pulling out of her coat what looked like a whole puncher. She rubbed some creamy oil on each one of their left ears and pressed the device onto the first girl's, the cat howling in pain for a few seconds. Tsunade did the same with the other, but she didn't howl, only growled.

"Wouldn't it be safe to tag his ear, as well?" Sasuke asked. "So that no one will be suspicious?"

Tsunade nodded. "That would be a good idea. Shizune, take the females back to their cages so that they can rest. The families that bought them will be coming by in the evening."

The black-haired assistant nodded and lifted the females up. "Naruto-kun, would you like to say good-bye to them? They'll be taken away tonight."

Naruto quicky scurried to Shizune after the doctor had taken the boy, and reached his hands out to pet his cubs softly. They purred and pressed their faces against his warm palms, not wanting to be taken away. He looked at them sadly and pouted, retracting his hands. A longer good-bye would probably get him too attached for his own good...

"You'll probably see them again in a future Showcase," Shizune assured him. "They're beautiful animals, after all."

"I guess..." Naruto's cheeks puffed out and he looked like he was on the verge of crying, but a large hand plopping down on the top of his head made the air rush out of his cheeks. Looking up, he saw Sasuke's handsome face. He blushed lightly, feeling suddenly embarrassed about acting so childishly...

_Susu Oppa was able to let his cubs go so easily... I should be able to do the same, too._

"Here, all done," Tsunade ran her long nails over the cub's back and scratched near the tail in an affectionate manner. "Milk is bad for him, so make sure you only give him water until two weeks have passed. Ahh, and have you been eating anything with my special ingredients yet, Naruto?" she said, referring to the list of foods that would help him grow and get stronger.

Naruto nodded and took his cub, smiling brightly.

"Naruto, what do you want to name him?" Sasuke brought up, not wanting the pet to go nameless.

Blue eyes flickered down to the squiggling bundle and he grinned.

"How about... Seung?"

xXxXx

Itachi glared at the new member of the household as he was carried inside within Naruto's thin arms. Seung was too small, in his opinion, a runt. Sure, he had seen Naruto succeed when he was positive he wouldn't amount to anything, but the cub was smaller than Naruto had been, his blood also impure.

"If you keep collecting pets, this place'll become a zoo," Lukki muttered beside Kakashi, brightly smiling despite what he'd said. He practically flung himself at Naruto and began giving all of his attention to the kitten, laughing when he gnawed and nipped at his pointer finger. "Aww, he's so cute! Naruto, you sure know how to make some damn good babies!" he teased.

The littlest blond flushed in embarrassment and smiled nervously.

"Ignore him," Sasuke spoke from beside him, hands tucked in his pockets. He idly wondered if Naruto's attention would now be more focused on the animal than on himself? It was selfish to want the boy's attention all to himself, but he was a selfish creature.

"I-I need to get him some water and then I'm going to nap with him," Naruto told them and headed toward the kitchen, humming happily.

Itachi and Kyuubi turned to Sasuke, smirking knowingly.

The raven glared and scowled at them. "What?" he snarled.

"Jealous?" Kyuubi asked with his chocolate-like voice. "I can tell by the glint in your eyes that you are."

"Yes, Otouto, afraid that you'll be ditched for something so... impure and inferior? You feel as if it doesn't deserve Naruto-kun's attention? After all, it is just a weak little cub," Itachi drawled venomously.

Sasuke growled at them and went into the kitchen to help Naruto.

He was **not** jealous, not at all.

**Yeah, short, but better than nothing at all.**


	21. I've Chosen You

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

**OMG, it's been four months! I'm so sorry I haven't gotten an update out earlier! Hopefully, this chapter makes up for the long interval :bows: please forgive me! :cries:**

"Nyaaaa!" Seung opened his mouth to receive the spoonfull of tuna. Chomping down, he cooed in delight and his tail fluttered back and forth in happiness. He loved all the attention he got from his new family, especially from his papa.

Naruto smiled and continued to feed his cub the can of tuna. It'd been two days since he'd brought Seung home and everything was going pretty well. All except for Sasuke's silent treatment toward the child. The blond had fought with his Susu Oppa about that, but the panther was dead set on ignoring the cub for some reason.

"He's just like his dad," Kakashi stated off-handedly while skimming through a pet owner magazine.

"Papa," Seung licked his lips clean of the fish he was eating. "Can we go to the park?"

Naruto blinked. "The park?" he turned to Kakashi. "Is that ok?"

"I'd prefer it if you brought Sasuke along with you. If something were to happen I could trust him to protect the both of you... Speaking of Sasuke, where is he?" the silver-haired man looked around the kitchen and dining area, only seeing Lukki passed out at the dinner table with a plate of peach cobbler in front of him.

"Susu Oppa's in his room," Naruto helped. "He's been there since this morning. I don't know why, though..."

"Hmm, they're your kittens, so you'd think you'd be the one to go through the depression," Kakashi chuckled and closed his magazine. "Naruto-kun, why don't you take Seung outside in the yard while I go have a chat with Sasuke?"

Seung wiggled in his chair in excitement. He hadn't been outside since he'd been there due to the constant rain showers. "Outside! Outside!" he chanted childishly, holding his arms out for Naruto to pick him up. There was no doubt that he was a spoiled kitten.

Lifting the blond-haired mirror image of himself up into the air, Naruto smiled as brightly as the sun that day. Even though he was so small, his face held the maturity of a parent and Kakashi was almost positive that the cat was losing his baby fat...

Shaking his head, he pushed his pets forward. "Get going, while the sun's still out, hm?"

"I wanna see the flowers, Papa!" Seung sung, pointing out at the garden. As he and Naruto went out to enjoy the day, Kakashi tucked his hands in his dress pants' pockets and headed in the direction of Sasuke's bedroom, lightly rapping on the door.

When there was no answer, he almost rolled his eyes.

"Sasuke, quit acting like a jealous child. Once Seung is old enough, he'll be going into Yamato-san's care," the leopard's owner twisted the door knob only to find it locked. "So you don't have to worry about your precious cub giving all of his attention to him, instead of you."

The door opened quickly and swiftly, Sasuke's dark eyes glaring at him from under thick bangs. He was dressed in a pair of comfortable dress pants and a beige sweater, his collar hanging loosely around his neck. If Kakashi didn't know any better, he'd have to say his pet looked thoroughly... pissed.

"My, you look awful today," Kakashi raised one brow, the other eye hidden beneath his usual bandages.

"What is it that you want?" Sasuke hissed.

"You've been ignoring Naruto-kun for the past two days, as well as Seung. If I were to throw in my two cents, I'd have to say you were... jealous? It's quite normal for a male to become jealous when another male enters the household and is around his female, but Naruto is most definitely not a female. I'm curious as to what's running through your head, Sasuke."

Sasuke sighed and let his owner enter his room, quietly closing the door behind him.

"Kakashi, I don't know what's wrong with me. I... I'm developing these feelings for Naruto that shouldn't be there. I need to mate with Sakura and create a new line of Purebloods, but I..."

Kakashi smiled underneath his wrappings. "You want to have Naruto-kun as your mate?"

Sasuke growled and sat down on his bed, rubbing at his temples.

"He's my son and he's so small. Not only that, but I don't want anything to happen to him if the public found out."

"Sasuke, I raised you as far more than just my pet," Kakashi started. "I taught you morals and human behaviors, and I always told both you and Itachi that you needn't go by society's standards. You may not be the same as me or Lukki, but you aren't just an animal either. You choose for yourself what you want, what you need to do. If you would prefer to be with Naruto-kun thank with Sakura, then that can be arranged. I only hope you know what kind of wrath you'll bring upon yourself when she's told."

Sasuke smirked.

"I would hate to hurt her feelings, but this is how I truly feel. I don't want to be unhappy with her."

"I understand," Kakashi nodded and crossed his arms, leaning against the wall. "Just tell me... when did these feelings come about?"

The leopard threw his owner an expression of wonder, as if he didn't even know the answer himself. "I'm not sure..."

Kakashi chuckled. "Just don't do anything stupid. Treat him well and keep him safe. I would be devastated if our little Naruto-kun were to be hurt in any way," his one revealed eye danced in amusement. "Just remember that Seung comes with the deal of having him as your mate. You can't keep ignoring him."

Sasuke scoffed. "I know."

"You just don't like Naruto-kun attention being focused on him, is that it? Like I said, I talked with Yamato-san and Seung will be given to him once he comes of age. You'll only need to be around him for a few more weeks until he leaves. Now, Naruto-kun and Seung are outside, and I'm sure they'd love for you to join them. Why don't you spend the rest of the afternoon with them?"

Nodding, the handsome leopard stood and brushed himself off, running his fingers through his dark hair. "You have no problem with me taking Naruto as my mate?"

"Not at all. I expect you to follow your heart, as cheesy and cliche as it sounds. Now get going," Kakashi waved his hand. "Dinner will be ready in two hours, so be in by then."

"Hai," Sasuke nodded his head and exited the bedroom, being eyed by a very alert Kyuubi who was lying on the kitchen couch in his animal form. He let out a sound of approval toward the leopard and Sasuke smirked, watching as Itachi came strolling down the hallway.

The albino stopped mid-stroll and stared at his little brother.

"Your scent is mildly fruity this afternoon, Otouto," he teased, causing his brother to scowl at him. "You always give off this aroma when you're in a fairly chipper mood. I'm guessing it has to do with Naruto-kun?"

Sasuke let loose the faintest of fanged grins before he masked his face again. But Itachi saw the slip up and his dark eyes narrowed.

"Well, this is unexpected. I thought you would know better than to take him as your mate."

"Don't start on me, Aniki," the youngest of the two growled. "You're a hypocrite. You're judging me for what I'm doing, when your lover is a fox. Your cubs are obviously not going to be Purebloods."

Itachi glared daggers at him.

"I have to stay with him, I have no choice in the matter. I'm paying for my mistakes."

"Bullshit, Itachi. You can't tell me you don't love him!" he knew Kyuubi was listening, but he didn't quiet himself. "I've seen the way you look at him, the way your body relaxes when you're beside him. Us pets were made for multiple breeding, but we still have the instincts of humans. We still have the basic instinct to mate with only one other. You're clearly showing signs of that."

Itachi remained silent as his brother continued on.

"Don't let your pride get in the way of your... **human** feelings, Aniki," the word 'human' rolled off of his tongue in an odd manner. Never before had he referred to himself as a human... "I made that mistake... but I'm correcting myself now. You should do the same. Before you know it..."

He remembered Naruto's lifeless body lying on the operating table in Kimimaro's office. He could still picture the pale face of his cub, the way his mouth was slack, the veins jutting out from his skin...

"...He'll be gone..." a realization came to him. He'd always loved Naruto, ever since he'd seen him alone at that Showcase... "Then you'll regret never acting, never showing him how you really feel..." he sighed and stepped back. "I have to go. Forgive me for talking out of place..."

Turning on his heel, he left the hallway and went into the kitchen.

Itachi remained motionless, his eyes only moving to land on Kyuubi's animal form on the sofa. His red eyes gleamed at him, full of curiousity, wonder, and a hint of... pain. Surely the fox didn't... love him. They had agreed on only staying with each other until the cubs were born, no strings attached, nothing. But even he could feel it, feel the shifts in their relationship. It was so strange, so bothersome, so... human.

Walking over to the gorgeous fox, he sat down next to him and reached a frail hand out to pet dark red fur. He watched Kyuubi slowly relax and close his eyes, burying his head against one of the couch cushions.

"Never had I thought of myself as human," Itachi muttered softly. "But lately, I have been feeling a lot of human emotions... Kyuubi, have you felt them too?"

Kyuubi was asleep, though, his breathing deep and silent.

Itachi's lips twitched.

"And just maybe... I want to continue to feel like a human. I want to continue to feel this..." he continued to pet Kyuubi's fur coat. "I want to keep these feelings..."

xXxXx

Seung continued to run around and chase after butterflies, having caught not a single one yet. Just like his father, he was determined and wouldn't give up until he at least had one of the insects in his hands. Leaping high into the air, he missed one by an inch and ended up tumbling back into the sandbox that Kakashi had got the day before for him.

He puffed his cheeks out, but blinked large eyes as he saw Sasuke, upside-down, in his vision. "Sofu?(1)"

"Susu Oppa!" Naruto chirped as his saw his father from his spot by a flower bed. "Did you come out to play with us?"

Sasuke smiled fondly, lifting Seung up into his arms. "Something like that..." he held the kitten up high and watched him as he giggled and squirmed. He looked so much like Naruto had when he was smaller... "I'm sorry I haven't paid much attention to you, cub."

"My name's Seung," the cub pouted in a very Naruto-like manner. "Sofu," he grinned.

Sasuke's brow twitched. "I'm not quite that old yet."

"But you're Papa's papa, so you're my sofu!" Seung stated matter-of-factly.

Chuckling, the leopard put Seung down and watched him run off to continue his attempt at catching a butterfly. Glancing over at Naruto, he walked in his direction and sat down in the grass, plopping a hand on the boy's head.

Naruto laughed and grinned. "I've missed you! What've you been doing in your room all that time?"

"A really large puzzle," Sasuke lied with a smirk.

"Liar!" Naruto snickered. "You hate puzzles!"

"Ah, that's true."

They remained there in silence for the next few minutes while Seung continued to play, just enjoying the sunshine and nature. It wasn't every day they got to enjoy each other's company like this and they were going to soak it up for all it was worth.

"The next Showcase... it's in a month, right?" Naruto suddenly asked. "Do you think Seung will be old enough to enter the junior division?"

Sasuke kept his gaze on the passing clouds as he answered.

"He'll be old enough, but... I don't think he'll be with us then."

Naruto's eyes widened. "What?"

"Kakashi signed an agreement with Yamato-san, stating that once Seung becomes old enough, he'll be given to him. I know you're upset, but Kakashi can't care for all of us," Sasuke rubbed his son's shoulder in a comforting manner. "But you'll be able to see him every now and then, so don't be sad."

The blond couldn't hold back his pout and whiny whimper. "I want to keep him..."

"I know you do, but it's for the best. He'll be in a much bigger home, with a lot of other cubs like him. I'm sure Sai will take good care of him too," he almost didn't say the last part, but he knew how much Naruto was fond of him.

Naruto's ears perked up and he smiled. "Yeah, Sai'll take good care of him!"

Sasuke smiled and tugged his cub against him, messing up his hair in an affectionate manner. Oh, how he adored the boy.

xXxXx

Naruto yawned as he fell back on his and Sasuke's large bed, having already put Seung to bed in Kakashi's room, where the owner preferred him to be. He didn't want any kittens getting up in the middle of the night to raid the fridge again. Rolling over, the young cat cuddled into the blankets and purred contently.

"You seem tired," Sasuke commented while taking off his shirt and pants, leaving himself in a pair of silky blue boxers. It was hot out these days and he refused to sleep in his thick winter pajamas.

"I was chasing after Seung alllll day," Naruto whined. "He's so quick, I can't keep up with him! Was I like that when I first got here? I don't even remember."

Sasuke smiled. "You were quite the ball of energy. I couldn't put you down for two seconds without you running off through the house."

Naruto laughed. "What were you like as a kitten, Susu Oppa?"

"...I don't like to think about those times," he tried not to growl. "When I do, I question myself..."

"Oh... Well, I hope you'll tell me about it someday," Naruto didn't want to pry, no matter how curious he was. "I don't like it when you keep secrets from me."

Inhaling deeply, Sasuke got rid of the slight nostalgia he'd felt with Naruto's question and laid down in bed. Turning off the lamp light, he turned toward the clouded leopard and stared at his outline in the dark.

"Susu Oppa...?"

"Hm?"

"I love you."

Sasuke's arms moved on their own accord and pulled the frame of the smaller male against him, pressing a soft face against his neck. There was a muffled gasp of surprise and he chuckled deeply. Pressing his hand into golden locks, he played with the soft strands.

"I've been thinking..." Sasuke began, "about what I was doing with myself these past few months. I was so concerned with creating Pureblood cubs with Sakura that I didn't even take time to really roll over my own desires in my head, my own wants, my own needs... I was so caught up in my role as a pet that I didn't stop to think with my own mind, use my human thoughts."

"Human... thoughts?" Naruto was blushing at the close contact with the older feline.

"When Kakashi took me and Itachi in, he treated us like we were human children, with the few exceptions of our needs as pets. He taught us to think like people, not animals. I just never realized where the line between human and animal thoughts was..." Sasuke rubbed Naruto's back. "I found that line today... and I realized I was teetering on the edge of it. I want to follow what my human side wants..."

"Susu Oppa... what're you talking about?" Naruto squirmed against his father figure, confused with what Sasuke was talking about.

"You'll figure it out once you're older," the leopard smiled kindly. "You'll have to choose between your human and animal side at some point in your life. But just know now that I'm going to stay with what I've chosen..."

Naruto pulled back lightly and looked up in the dark at Sasuke, not being able to see as well in the dark as when he was a cat. "What have you chosen...?"

"Naruto..." Sasuke reached up and cupped the boy's cheek, leaning down to press his forehead against the blond's. "Do you still love me?"

Naruto flushed hotly and nodded, his bangs obscuring his eyes and tickling his nose.

Sasuke leaned in closer and brushed his lips against light pink ones.

"I love you, too, Naruto."

Blue eyes widened as far as they could go, tears suddenly springing to life. There was the feeling in those words that Naruto could hear in his own when he said them to the older cat... Was this all real? Were his feelings really being returned?

"S-Susu Oppa..." his voice trembled and his eyes slipped shut as lips pressed against his, sending a jolt of pleasurable electricity down his spine. His heart was pounding in his chest, but he didn't care. If he was going to die, he wanted to die in the arms that were securely wrapped around him. He let himself be engulfed by the sensation, so much so that he didn't even realize when those lips pulled away from his until his chin was lifted up.

Eyes slowly opening, he realized he'd been crying and he blushed in embarrassment, wiping at his damp cheeks and lashes.

"I've chosen you over Sakura, over more cubs, over everything else..." Sasuke whispered and held his cub's hands in his, rubbing his thumbs over soft palms. "I've chosen you to be my mate."

"M-m-mate," Naruto uttered the word as if it were sacred. Then a full-fledge smile bloomed on his face, bright enough for Sasuke to see in the dark.

"What do you say?"

"I accept!" Naruto giggled and hugged Sasuke tightly, not knowing how his life could get any better than it was at that moment.

**(1) Sofu means grandfather in Japanese.**

**I hope you liked this chapter! It had SasuNaru fluffiness and the right amount of... drama-ishness? XD Please leave reviews!**


	22. Growing Up

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

**Yeah, I know, it took me a while XD but it's summer, so I should be updating more often! And I thought I should update before I go visit my girlfriend in Pennsylvania, so please enjoy and review! :hearts:**

Sasuke ran his fingers through Naruto's soft hair as they watched Seung play in the yard, the both of them sitting on a dark red blanket Kakashi had gotten for them. It had been three days since they'd became mates and Naruto was definitely happier than he'd ever been before, his smile never disappearing, not even for a single moment. Sasuke was even more cheerful, wearing a smile most of the time while around the blond and his cub.

"I think we should get ready to go see Tsunade-sama," Sasuke said deeply and ruffled his mate's hair affectionately. "Your appointment's soon."

Naruto pouted and kicked his legs a bit.

"I don't wanna go, Sasuke. She's just going to tell me the same thing she did last time," he crossed his arms and shook his head, trying to fix his hair that Sasuke had messed up.

"What did... you call me?"

The blond blinked, then a surprised expression crossed his young features.

"I-I called you Sasuke!" he shifted and turned over, his face close to Sasuke's. His bright blue eyes were filled with such surprise that it almost made the leopard want to laugh. But instead, he just stood up and took Naruto's hands with his, helping him up as well.

"I think that means you're finally growing up," the raven's smile was so handsome as he looked down at Naruto. "Tsunade-sama did say that there would be small changes in the beginning that would signal it."

The blond jumped up and down in excitement, causing Seung to look over at him in curiosity. The small cub leapt over to them and hopped onto Sasuke's back, meowing happily. His tail swished back and forth and his ears twitched.

"Papa's happy!" he chirped.

"Come on, Seung, we have to go get dressed so that we can see Baa-chan! Hurry, hurry!" Naruto ran into the house faster than Sasuke thought possible, resulting in Itachi almost having the door smashed against his face. He growled as the smaller male ran by and Kyuubi chuckled while eating his breakfast with Lukki at the kitchen table.

"What's he so happy about?" Kyuubi asked when Sasuke entered the kitchen with a squirming Seung still on his back.

"There's a chance his body is finally starting to age, so he wants to go see his doctor as soon possible to find out," the dark-haired pet reached back and pushed a finger against Seung's side, smirking as the boy giggled. "Go get dressed with your papa."

"Hai!" Seung hopped off of him and trotted out of the kitchen, greeting Kakashi happily as his owner entered.

Kyuubi made an 'ah' sound in acknowledgment, having heard the story about Naruto's problems from Kakashi. He didn't know the blond that well, but it made him happy to know that something was going well for him now, after he'd heard the horrible things that'd happened to him.

"I did notice that he was losing his baby fat," Kakashi commented while getting orange juice from the fridge. "Also, I noted that his voice is getting a little deeper. Do you think that he's really starting to grow?"

Sasuke smiled lightly.

"I hope so."

Kakashi chuckled.

"Ah, it looks like things are really looking up for him."

xXxXx

Thunder rumbled through the sky and lightning flashed overhead, but that didn't dull Naruto's bright mood in the least. He was wearing a pair of cargo pants that Sasuke had chosen for him a few weeks ago, black sneakers, and a red hoodie that was too big for him. A huge grin was spread across his face as he jumped over each crack in the sidewalk, Seung following suit, almost tripping over his long tail.

"Be careful," Sasuke chided and let the both of them have their fun. He looked up at the dark sky and frowned, not liking the fact that they'd all probably get wet on the way home since he'd forgotten their umbrellas at home.

Naruto leapt down the three steps that led to the entrance of the small hospital and opened the door with much gusto, keeping it open so Seung and Sasuke could go in, his ears twitching at the various sounds of the first floor. He loved how different things were always going on at once there.

"Naruto-kun," Shizune greeted him with a sweet smile. "Tsunade-sama's waiting in her office upstairs. Oh my, is this little Seung? He's gotten a lot bigger in these past few days," she bent down and patted the boy on the head, scratching behind his ears. "How do you like your new home?"

Seung gave her a grin similar to Naruto's and he puffed his chest out.

"I love my Aboji's house! It's really big and he has a big yard outside where I can play!"

Shizune laughed and stood back up, hugging her clipboard to her chest.

"That's wonderful," she smiled at Sasuke and bowed her head. "Good afternoon. Oh, you don't have umbrellas? But it's going to storm soon... Well, I'm sure we have an umbrella in the back room you can use for the walk home, if you'd like one."

"Thank you," Sasuke thanked her and nudged Naruto toward the stairs. "Let's not keep her waiting too long. Shizune, do you mind watching Seung while we see Tsunade-sama? I doubt he'd be able to sit still during the check-up."

"I don't mind at all," the dark-haired woman laughed. "Come on, Seung, let's show you the kids' room," she took his hand the little cub waved good-bye to Naruto and Sasuke in a manner that seemed so final.

"Bye-bye, Papa, Sofu!"

Naruto waved back and headed up the stairs with Sasuke right behind him, Tsunade standing at the top of the stairs with her usual cocky stance. She ruffled the boy's hair as soon as he came within touching distance and immediately complimented him on his looks, causing him to blush.

"I can tell your body's starting to age now," she nodded to herself and lifted up his chin, inspecting his bone structure, his eyes, and his ears. "You've lost all of your baby fat and your face is becoming more defined. Those are good signs. Although, you are coming along at a much slower pace than I would've expected..."

"B-but I'm growing, right?.!" Naruto's eyes became wide and his smile almost split his face in two. "I'll be as big as Sasuke soon, right?.!"

Tsunade laughed.

"I don't know how soon, but yes, you'll be as big as Sasuke... Hmm, when did you start calling him by his name?"

Naruto blushed.

"This morning."

"Ah, that's another sign of maturing. Your mind had been the only thing to age, but it was still aging fairly slow. But now that your body's growing, your mind will mature at a much faster speed. Soon, you'll be an adult," Tsunade explained while she brought Naruto over to the height chart, writing data down. "Ahh, you've grown two inches."

"I have?.!" if Naruto's smile could get any bigger, it would've ripped his face completely in two by now.

"It looks like the food plan I put you on works," she noticed Sasuke's look of relief and chuckled. "Oi, I heard from Kakashi that you two are mates now?" she smirked. "If you ever want a cub of your own, you know you can always come to me. My partners and I are working on how to create eggs from sperm."

Naruto blinked.

"Sperm?"

"... Yes, I believe you still have the mental set of a six-year-old," Tsunade laughed. "But soon you'll be as smart and mature as your father. And because of the types of cats that were bred to make you, there's no doubt you'll be bigger than him too."

"REALLY?.!" it seemed as if everything was surprising the blond today, his tail swishing around faster and faster. "I'll be bigger than Sasuke?.!"

Tsunade grinned at Sasuke, noticing his frown.

"Yes, that's right. Now, let's see here..." she flipped through the pages on her clipboard and came to a stop on the fourth page. "I almost forgot about your cub. How is he?"

"He's doing fine," Sasuke answered for Naruto, since the brighter feline seemed to be in too much of a good mood to pay any attention to anything around him. "Jiraiya is supposed to stop by tomorrow and start giving him lessons for the Showcase in a month. I think he's going to do as well as Naruto."

"That's good to hear. Because I was going through the data we collected on the boy when he was made and there was a strong chance that he would develop diabetes, due to some glitch in his creation. I didn't want to contact you until I was one hundred percent positive that he'd get it, but I thought I should tell you now. But now that I know he hasn't shown any signs, then I'm sure he'll be fine."

Naruto blinked and came back down from his state of happiness.

"Diabetes? What's that?"

"It's nothing to worry about," Sasuke told him. "He doesn't have it, so it's not important. But is there anything else you need to do, Tsunade-sama?"

The blonde woman flipped through her papers again.

"The main reason for today's check-up was to give him pills to help with his growth. I didn't know his body would have changed already, so the pills should do wonders on him now," she lifted up a bottle from the counter in front of the window and handed it to the black leopard. "Give him one in the morning and one in the evening, every day. Not only will it help with his maturing, but it will help with his heart problems."

Sasuke smiled.

"Thank you for all you've done."

"It's no problem. It's my job, after all. And I love Naruto as if he were my own son," she smiled affectionately at the boy and scratched behind his ear. "You two take care, and say hello to Seung for me."

"Hai! Bye, Baa-chan!" Naruto took Sasuke's hand and they both headed down the stairs.

xXxXx

Seung was playing with the building blocks on the soft carpet in the kids' room while Naruto and Sasuke were upstairs, his bright eyes focused on the little man he was using to build what he called 'Paradisu City'. He moved the little cars to the parking lot he'd built and pouted when one of the blocks fell off the very top.

"Maa," he whined and picked it back up, placing it neatly back where it had been moments before. As he inspected the building for any more faulty blocks, he heard tapping on the window behind him, his ears twitching slightly. Turning, his eyes became as wide as saucers when he saw one of his sisters in her cat form sitting on the window sill. She was tapping one of her front paws on the glass.

Getting up, he looked around and saw Shizune getting coffee from one of the machines across the hallway. He hurried and got up, running to the window and pushing it open.

She meowed and nuzzled his cheek with hers in greeting, hopping off the window sill. She moved her head forward in a gesture for him to follow her and he did with a big smile, having missed his big sister a lot. He would just make sure that he'd be back before his papa came back.

Jumping out of the window, he ran after the female while laughing, completely oblivious to the black car parked in front of one of the shops across the street.

He kept up with his sister until he reached a back road and she leapt onto a second floor porch to an abandoned apartment complex. She began licking her paws and he jutted his bottom lip out, crossing his arms.

"Why'd you jump up--"

He stopped mid-sentence when he heard a car coming up behind him. Turning quickly, all he saw was a pair of bright head lights before he was hit and his body hit the pavement. He cried out in pain as blood seeped from scrapes and cuts on his body, his eyes watering. What had happened?

"I-Itai..." he whimpered and squirmed when multiple pairs of hands yanked him off the ground and into the car, his back hitting the soft seat. His vision was swimming, but he could still make out the outlines of three people. One was definitely a female, while the other two were younger men.

"It's definitely **his** son," a raspy voice said from the driver's seat.

"Orochimaru-sama," one of the men called, "What do you want us to do with the cub? We could use it as bait to lure Naruto out."

"No," Orochimaru seethed. "Just dispose of it. Naruto-kun was not meant to reproduce."

"Then what about the females?" the girl asked.

"Sakon killed one of them this morning," the snake replied with a chuckle. "And the one we used to lure this cub out will be disposed of as soon as we return to the docks."

"When are we going to get rid of Naruto?" the girl asked, holding the squirming cat down. "Kabuto and Kimimaro obviously failed the first time we tried, the fuckers," she complained.

"Soon enough," was Orochimaru's only answer, then the car started moving again and the sound of rattling met Seung's sensitive ears. He couldn't get away from the people that were subduing him, but he tried, his calls and whimpers not being met with any reply other than the rough hands already on him.

"Papa!" he called pathetically, almost squealing when two needles were shoved in both arms at the same time. He could hear the blood rushing in his ears and his sounds quieted down to silent pleads. He felt so calm and at peace all of a sudden, his eyelids lowering slowly but surely. He could hear the people laughing above him, but he didn't care, too focused on how the bruising caused by their fingers didn't hurt anymore.

Then the car came to a stop somewhere and he was barely aware of the door opening, his body being lifted up and thrown out onto what felt like gravel. Strangely enough, he couldn't feel the pain of the rocks digging into his skin.

"Papa..." he mouthed weakly, creating a scene much similar to when Naruto had almost died in Kimimaro's office. His eyes stayed open as his breathing came to a shuddering hault, his small fingers gripping the stones beneath him as his heart slowed down.

Unlike Naruto who had survived due to Jiraiya injecting him with a reveral drug, Seung wasn't so lucky. He was left to die in the rain that soon began to fall, his blond hair obscuring his dead eyes, his barely fluttering tail falling limp over his right leg.

His heart then thumped for the last time before the rain began pouring down over him.

xXxXx

"N-Naruto-kun! Sasuke-san!" Shizune met the two mates at the bottom of the steps, her breathing heavy. "It's Seung! I went to go get coffee and when I came back to the room, he'd jumped out the window! He ran off and I don't know where he is!"

The happy look that Naruto had on only a second before slipped away and was replaced with an expression of fear and worry. His hand fell from Sasuke's and he immediately took off for the kids' room, his heart beating frantically. Why would Seung have left suddenly? There must've been a good reason.

"Seung!" he called and jumped out of the window, running across the street. He could smell his cub's scent in the air and followed it, the rain falling in thick sheets over him. His eyes watered as he thought about his boy out in the rain, probably cold and shaking. He could hear Sasuke calling his name behind him, but he didn't slow down, intent on finding Seung and bringing him home where he could dry himself off and sit in front of the fireplace.

Turning a corner around an old apartment complex, he saw the outline of someone in the grass in the distance and he smiled in relief.

"Seung, why did you run off?.!" he called out over the rumble of thunder. As he approached the figure, he noticed that he was lying on the road and he blinked the rain out of his eyes.

Then realization hit him and his heart throbbed in agony, more agony than he'd ever felt before. He fell to his knees in front of Seung's dead body, his eyes wide in shock and confusion. His cub had just been there not even forty-five minutes ago... He'd been right in front of him waving...

"Wh-wh-what happened...?" tears fell from his eyes and mixed in with the rain drops. His throat constricted painfully, even as Sasuke's warm voice reached his ears in the background. "Who did this to you?.!" he screamed in pain and pulled his dead son against him, his body shaking as he sobbed.

He knew.

He knew what his son had gone through.

But instead of being in that dark place for only a moment, he was going to be stuck there forever. He was going to be stuck there, alone and scared...

"I-I'm so sorry!" he cried loudly and not even Sasuke's warm arms around him could calm his aching heart. Sadness and anger swelled in his heart and even though he felt like he could pass out, he kept on screaming and crying for his dead cub.

With a tragedy like that, there would be no doubt that Naruto would change.

And he did.

Today was the day that Naruto grew up.

**Please review!**


	23. Silence

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

**Sorry for the long wait. I just recently found out that I most likely have a form of OCD, so I've been workin' through anxiety and depression. But don't worry loyal fans! Vanity-sama will never give up on her stories!**

**So enjoy this chapter of KWSC! This chapter is dedicated to all of my fans who still stick with this story! I love you all to pieces!**

Sasuke stared at the closed door of his and Naruto's bedroom.

It was almost eight at night and the clouded leopard had yet to exit his room for anything. He hadn't eaten for days, he hadn't slept from what Sasuke could tell, and he hadn't talked to anyone about the death of his cub. The only thing the boy did was shower in the large bathroom inside of the room every morning.

Saying that Sasuke was worried was a complete understatement. Never in his life had he been so worried about something, mainly because it had to do with his mate... No one could dare say that he wasn't upset about Seung dying, for he had mourned over the loss for two days, devoid of any emotions save for anger and confusion. But he managed to move on while Naruto hadn't. He had an excuse, though, he had been the cub's mother.

Kakashi walked out of the kitchen with a cup of hot coffee in his grasp, steaming rising up like clouds in the dimly lit living room. He was just as worried about Naruto as everyone else, but he knew that the blond would be fine after a while, so he didn't sit around waiting for him to heal like Sasuke was doing.

"I suggest you go into the room anyway. The door's not locked, you know, he just expects you to respect his privacy. The only way he's going to get better any time soon is if you talk to him and console him, like any other human being," he smiled.

The leopard looked up at his owner and nodded in a shallow manner. Standing, he approached the door that seemed to be eminating sadness and put his hand on the knob, twisting it open. The strong smell of an older cat hit him and he scrunched his nose, not used to that.

He'd known that Naruto was going to start growing, if he could go by what Tsunade had told him... But he hadn't expected it to be so sudden and fast.

Sitting on his bed was a much taller, leaner version of his cub. How much could he have grown in only that week? He was probably 5'7" now, instead of the puny 4'4", and all of his baby fat was gone from what he could see. His hair was still very messy, but his eyes were slanted more, almost almond-like. It was definitely his mate...

"Naruto," he called and shut the door behind him. He wasn't used to seeing the other male so much bigger than he usually was. Would he still be the same? Would he be completely different?

Naruto looked over at his father and smiled so faintly that no normal person would be able to spot it, but it warmed the senior leopard's heart.

"I was... scared to come out," the blond stated rather shyly. "I was afraid of showing you how much I grew while in here..."

Sitting down beside his lover, Sasuke placed a hand on top of a head of golden locks.

"Is that the only reason you cooped yourself in here for an entire week?" Sasuke tried to tease, earning him another half-smile. It was an image he'd treasure until his death.

Naruto licked his dry lips and looked down at his larger hands.

"I was able to... **accept** Seung's death three days ago," he growled, the sound echoing in the room and sending a shiver up Sasuke's spine. Such a dangerous sound shouldn't have come from his mate. "But I will never forgive who murdered him."

"I know," was all Sasuke said.

"I'll kill whoever--"

"Stop it," Sasuke snapped. "Revenge is never the answer. My brother opted for revenge before and it ended in our parents getting killed. Don't you ever even think about revenge."

Naruto's ears flattened on his head and he gave his mate a hurt look. He hadn't meant to make him angry, not at all. Plus, shouldn't it be okay for him to want revenge for the death of his cub?

"I'm sorry... I didn't mean to upset you, Sasuke, I just..."

Sasuke sighed and leaned back on his arms.

"I know," he repeated. "Just promise me that when you confront whoever did it that you won't give in to your desire for revenge. If you are to kill them, you kill them because of everything else."

Naruto almost felt like laughing.

"I can kill them for everything else except the death of my cub?"

"I find it easier that way," the black leopard smiled bitterly. "To kill in a selfless manner is much better than killing in a selfish way. So when you confront them, think of what they **could** do to everyone else, and kill them because of that. That way, you get your revenge indirectly."

The blond smiled.

"That makes no sense," he told Sasuke.

"Believe me, it works. It keeps that heavy burden off of your chest."

"But it makes no sense," Naruto repeated, on the verge of pouting.

"You'll understand some day. I suppose you're still a little too young," Sasuke teased with a sparkle in his dark eyes. He'd missed his mate that whole week he'd kept himself in here, but now he was just happy to be in his presence again. Naruto may have changed physically, but he was still quite the innocent kitten Sasuke knew him as. "Now, come on, I'm sure the plates of turkey Kakashi was shoving under the door every day wasn't enough to fill you up. Let's have some salmon."

Naruto almost began salivating at the attractive thought of eating something other than processed aviary creatures. It'd been such a long time since he'd enjoyed the flavor of smoked salmon. Of course, he would enjoy a whole lot more if Kakashi would cook it on the grill like he used to.

"Would you want it cooked on the grill?" Sasuke asked, as if reading his mind.

"Hai!" Naruto smiled cheerfully, his heart free again, yet still weighed down by his cub's death. It was sad and threatened to ruin his suddenly good mood, but he had to live with the fact that no matter how long he ruminated over it, Seung wasn't going to come back.

He wasn't going to see the happy kitten chase after butterflies anymore...

"Naruto?"

The blond blinked his bright cerulean eyes and smiled reassuringly, noticing the hint of worry in his lover's voice.

"It's nothing!" he lied with a large grin. "I was just wondering if we could have crab dip, too?"

Sasuke smiled warmly.

"Anything you want."

xXxXx

Kyuubi rolled over on the leather sofa so that he faced away from the bright television, having found the contraption too distracting. He'd plopped down on the piece of furniture earlier in hopes of finding a good movie to watch before the entire family came back home from shopping for the much taller Naruto, but had no luck. Unfortunately, instead of being able to get up and do something else, the unpleasant reminder of him harboring Itachi's cubs hit him full force when something seemed to shove violently against his stomach.

He winced at the memory of one of his kits kicking him.

"Itachi will pay dearly," he seethed to himself, fervently hoping that his mate would walk right through the front door with the rest of his happy family so that he could rip his pretty tail out slowly and ever so painfully. Yes, Kyuubi was **not **in a good mood.

It was nice to be alone in the spacious home, though. He didn't have Kakashi and Lukki getting into small arguments every few minutes or so over whether or not the plastic should remain over the corn when a frozen dinner is placed in the microwave, he didn't have the rowdy Naruto bugging him all the time to play videogames with him, and he most certainly didn't have to deal with the all-too-happy atmosphere.

But he had to admit that he did miss Itachi a bit... Sure, he would get angry at the albino leopard for putting him through what he was going through, but he was positive every soon-to-be-mother got that way every now and then. All he wanted was to feel the warmth radiating from the other pet's body and smell his strong aroma.

Opening his closed eyes, the fox sighed and propped himself up on his elbows.

He was going to miss this... all of this. He would complain about how annoying Naruto was, or how stupid his owner was, or how much he hated being around so many sickeningly joyous people, but in all honestly... he cherished every moment he had in the Hatake household, for he'd be leaving only a few days after the kits would be born.

"That leaves me about three months," he told himself under his breath, his own voice being drowned out by the loud commercials on TV. He spared a glance at the bright screen and watched as a lively woman advertised the upcoming Showcase that was going to commence in one week. That was odd... the next one wasn't supposed to be for a while.

Muffled laughter reached his ears and he turned his head toward the long hallway that lead to the front door. He heard the door opening and Naruto's matured laughter floated into the home, warming up the seemingly lonely atmosphere. He should've expected everyone to come home when he was in pain.

He cringed as another kit kicked him in the stomach.

"Kyuubi, are you alright?" Lukki asked as he walked past the sofa, spotting his pet lying there with droplets of sweat rolling from his temples to his defined jaw. "You're looking a little pale..."

"I'm fine," the fox hissed as he felt another strong kick. "It's the kits, they're saying 'hello'."

The blond man blinked, then furrowed his brows. He turned slowly, though, when he felt the presence of someone else, coming face to face with Itachi. The leopard looked concerned, having finally warmed up to his mate more and more the past few days.

Kyuubi smiled reassuringly, but wasn't too convincing considering his breathing was shallow and his skin was a little more pale than usual.

Itachi went over to his lover and carefully lifted him up.

"You need to rest in bed for a while," his deep voice chimed. "You shouldn't be moving around too much."

"What's wrong with Kyuu-Kyuu?" Kyuubi could hear Naruto's new voice asking curiously behind him. He leaned his forehead against Itachi's boney shoulder and exhaled, his eyes closing. Being pregnant was a hassle, that was for sure. It made him tired all of the time, he craved sex he couldn't have, and he was always irritable. Right now, he was in one of his more tired and calm moods, which he was sure Itachi was thanful for.

Entering his bedroom, Itachi closed the tall door behind him and locked it, wanting to be positive that no one would come in and disturb them. He pushed back the heavy comforter and laid Kyuubi down on the plush mattress, brushing back the sweaty red bangs.

"What were you doing while we were out?" he asked.

Kyuubi snorted.

"All I was doing was lying on the couch and watching television. I wasn't running around or anything like that; I know better."

Itachi sat down next to his lover and placed a hand on the bulging stomach. The kits were going to be really small, so the red-head's tummy wasn't too big. He could feel them moving around and smiled to himself. Never in his life would have thought that he'd smile over something like this...

"So what did you guys buy little Naruto?" Kyuubi asked, breaking the sudden silence.

"Clothes," Itachi stated, "and a few other things. He kept begging Kakashi for a camera, so he ended up with one. I'm sure he'll be following everyone around, asking to take pictures," he grimaced. "Joy."

Kyuubi laughed and rolled closer to the other male, breathing in deeply.

"Anything else?"

"We signed ourselves up for an upcoming Showcase. We were surprised that there was one happening so soon, but Kakashi didn't mind."

"Ah."

"Are you tired? I'll leave the room if you'd like," Itachi went to stand up, but Kyuubi wrapped his frail fingers around the thin wrist, crimson eyes staring up at onyx ones through messy bangs.

"Please stay. I don't... want to be alone right now," he admitted while looking away.

Itachi couldn't help but smirk a little.

"Alright."

Kyuubi smiled a bit. All he could think about at the moment was how he desperately didn't want to go back to Africa.

He wanted to stay with Itachi forever.

xXxXx

Naruto turned away from the magazine he was looking at when he heard the bathroom door open, Sasuke emerging with long silky PJ pants on that were low on his slim, milky hips. The blond blushed prettily and went back to looking at his reading material, trying to get rid of the flutter in his stomach. When he was smaller, he was only a tiny bit tempted by the sight of the beautiful man half-naked, too concerned with just cuddling with him and having him read him a bed-time story. But now that his body and mind had matured, he could feel his animal instinct kick into high gear.

"Is that a gossip magazine?" Sasuke asked while drying his hair with a velvet towel.

Naruto huffed, but kept his eyes glued to the page he pretended to be reading.

"No, it's about cameras..."

"You've taken a liking to cameras, I take it?" Sasuke smiled and threw the towel on the floor, running his thin fingers through his hair before sitting down next to his mate. The closeness caused Naruto to swallow and his face to heat up. He didn't understand at all. He wasn't in heat, so what...?

_I've always wanted to make love with him... _Naruto admitted to himself shyly.

"Yeah..."

The leopard cocked an eyebrow at the strange behavior. He wondered why the boy wasn't looking him in the eye and leaned forward, his eyes meeting Naruto's startled blue ones. He took notice of the pretty flush and smiled warmly. Ah, he understood now.

"You **are** growing up, aren't you?" he teased playfully.

"Of course I am," Naruto closed the magazine, the blush never leaving his whiskered cheeks. "But I've... I've always wanted to do **that** with you. The urge was never this strong, but I... I wanted to even back then."

Sasuke reached over and grabbed the blond's chin with his hand, firmly forcing him to look him in the eyes. He could see Naruto's small pupils get bigger, then get smaller, then get bigger again. The smaller feline was trying his hardest to keep himself under control. He'd never experienced such a strong need for mating before since his body was so tiny and couldn't handle it, so it'd never tried.

"I would never deny you that pleasure," he purred, his voice rumbling deep in his chest. "If you want it, then--"

"I-I want it," Naruto cut him off, needy. "Can I...?" he lifted his arm and gently ran his fingers down Sasuke's cheek, his eyes moist. Was he finally being allowed to do this? The title of father and son were gone, replaced with the title of lovers... Was he finally allowed to share this with the one person he adored the most?

Sasuke pulled the smaller male against him and tangled his fingers in unruly golden locks, his lips pressing fervently against the other's. Never had they shared a kiss so passionate as this one, both of their bodies setting on fire. The leopard could feel the desire rolling through him in waves and he almost flinched at the intensity.

Naruto couldn't contain his need, his lips pressing so lovingly and rough against Sasuke's. His eyes were closed in the heat of the moment and his eyelashes caressed his cheeks, his back arching so that his body could fit perfectly against the bow that Sasuke's body was in.

Neither of them had thought that this was going to happen tonight. They'd thought that they were going to get cleaned up then go to sleep with the thoughts of tomorrow on their minds. But the both of them weren't disappointed at all with the change of plans.

"Sasuke," Naruto murmured softly when a warm hand made its way up his shirt, hot fingertips brushing along his ribs and sides. "Sasuke," he repeated, overwhelmed. He could feel his heart speeding up, but thought nothing of it, the passion so strong. Wrapping his arms around Sasuke's shoulders, he tilted his head back and moaned when a hungry mouth latched onto his pulse, canines digging into his skin. To him, it hurt sooo good.

Sasuke could feel the pulse with his tongue, loving the delicious feeling of his mate's blood pumping so furiously in his veins. He sucked on the smooth skin and growled like a posessive lion, his thumbs brushing over the younger cat's nipples softly.

"A-ah," Naruto's body shook and he exhaled rather harshly when he noticed the frame around his vision was becoming dark. He blinked slowly and the darkness slipped away, so he brushed it off as nothing, his nails digging into the raven's shoulder blades.

"I love you," Sasuke pulled back and breathed against Naruto's collarbone, his hands moving underneath the blond's arms to run along the dip in his back.

So long had he yearned to hear that being said in a moment of bliss such as this.

"I love you too," Naruto smiled, but his upturned lips shifted and he made an 'o' with his mouth when a rather talented mouth placed pleasurable kisses up his neck and along his jawline, a tongue darting out to taste the salty skin.

Sasuke pulled away once again and that action earned him an impatient groan, cerulean eyes staring at him in annoyance. He smiled and used his thick tail to rub Naruto's thigh affectionately as he pulled his mate's shirt off and began working on his bothersome cargo pants.

Naruto blushed a bit at the thought of being completely naked in front of the leopard, but he realized that he'd been his birthday suit before while under Sasuke's scrutinizing gaze. Well, he'd never scrutinized, but... it was still very, very embarrassing, especially since he'd never really gotten the chance to check out his own newly formed adult body.

"Don't be embarrassed," Sasuke crooned, noticing the other's timid actions and nervous looks. "You're beautiful."

A smile so gorgeous spread across Naruto's face and Sasuke thought he was going to die from the sheer beauty of it. Never in his life had he seen something so breathtaking.

Removing the final piece of clothing, Sasuke kissed down a tan chest and let his tongue linger on the hard nubs, his muscle swirling in circles aroung them. He loved the way Naruto squirmed underneath him and it made his member twitch between his legs. He'd never wanted anyone so much before.

Naruto's head was spinning so much that he thought he was going to pass out, all of the heat so unbearable. His heart hammered in his chest and he smiled to himself, feeling a calm sensation come over him. He thought it was supposed to be normal, but after his body decided to stop responding to Sasuke's lingering kisses and loving touches, he began to worry a bit.

"Sasu...ke...?"

His heart throbbed and pounded, almost painfully so now. Everything around him sounded muffled, as if he were underwater, and Sasuke's voice sounded frantic above him. He couldn't move, he couldn't breathe, he couldn't feel... Everything was just numb. His eyes refused to move, but he could see Sasuke moving through the blurred colors, their bedroom door opening and people coming in.

He couldn't hear them anymore, though, the world closing off on him. The darkness was seeping into his vision once again and it refused to go away, like a mist rolling through the woods behind their home...

The last thing he saw before everything went completely black was the distorted image of Sasuke. He could see him reach out to him, but then darkness consumed him and he was back to where he had been a long time ago, when he had "died" the first time.

The coffin of blackness.

"_N-No... Sasuke? I don't... I don't want to die!"_

His thoughts only echoed in his head, ever so faint. He'd always been able to hear his voice when he'd "died" before, but as he spoke, his words faded into nothing and his voice became softer. If he couldn't hear himself anymore, did that mean there was no way he could come back?

"_Baa-chan! Get Baa-chan! D-Don't let me die! Sasuke... Sasuke..."_

_"Papa..." _ Seung's voice chimed in his head. "_What are you doing here, Papa? You should be with Sofu... not here with me."_

"_Seung...? I-I want to go back to him, but..."_

_"You can't stay here with me."_

_"How do I get back to him?.!"_

Seung's voice came again as a whisper, but Naruto couldn't hear it.

_"Seung?.!" _his own voice sounded muffled and distorted and he knew he was getting closer to not being able to come back. _"Sasuke, please... p-please..! Sasuke! Sasuke!" _he repeated the other's name like a mantra, even though he could hardly hear himself.

_"Sasuke!" _ he yelled again. His voice was only a whisp of a murmur, though. Pain was laced in his final desperate attempt.

_**"Susu Oppa!"**_

But he heard nothing and everything else became silent, his thoughts not there anymore.

**I know, I'm a horrible, horrible person :evil grin: Lotsa reviews, yes?**


	24. Kyung Soon

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

**Yes, another update! "Finally!" you all shout. Oh, and if any of you don't know, the sequel for When Sounds Become Visual is back in action, so stop by there and drop a review! Yes, shameless advertisement.**

"Dammit, try harder!"

"W-we're trying as hard as we can, Tsunade-sama... He's not responding to anything... He's not coming back..."

Five doctors and two worried nurses all surrounded a large, metal table in the center of the main surgery room. They had various types of machinary with them, beeping and humming sounds echoing around the room. One of the doctors, a man with a shaved head and a bright white coat on, shook his head and turned off the light that was hanging over the table.

"He's gone."

Sasuke, who was outside of the room and looking through the glass window, narrowed his eyes dangerously and slammed his fist against the glass. His rage was evident in his face, his teeth gritted and eyes burning into a red that was similar to Itachi's.

His mouth moved, but no one inside of the room could hear him cursing at them and yelling at them to bring Naruto back.

Tsunade shouted in anger and shoved her doctors aside, turning the light back on. She grabbed a needle from the tray of medical instruments and dipped into a small bottle she'd pulled out of her pocket. Some of the doctors recognized what it was and their eyes widened.

"Tsunade-sensei... Do you really think that's going to work? That's used to induce a seizure in patients..." one of the nurses watched the blonde woman sink the needle right into Naruto's temple.

"I had promised myself to only use this as a last resort," she growled, waiting for a reaction from the lifeless body. "It should jump start him... and hopefully he'll be able to stay awake long enough for his body to stabilize. If not, there's no way we could bring him back again. Misora, bring Sasuke in here **now**!" she snapped at one of the nurses.

A shorter girl with brown hair nodded before scurrying over to the door and opening it, not even having to call for the raven before he ran into the room and shoved the doctors out of the way, his dark eyes landing on Naruto's face. He was pale... too pale...

"Don't touch him yet," Tsunade ordered him. "His body should react to the drug at any second. I would have to say that he's very lucky I'd ordered this weeks ago for him... just in case something like this happened," she sighed. "He should be coming to..."

As if his body was triggered by the woman's words, Naruto's muscles began twitching and jerking. Soon, his whole body began to shake and gurgling sounds were coming from his throat.

"What happening--"

Tsunade cut him off, telling everyone to back off. "He's going into convulsions. It's painful for him, yes, but this is the only way we could bring him back long enough for him to even have a chance," she grabbed something from the tray and opened Naruto's mouth, placing it inside so that he wouldn't choke on his tongue.

"Naruto..." Sasuke whispered. He hoped to whatever god existed that his mate would live. He didn't know what he would do without the cheerful male in his life. It seemed like only yesterday he'd found him in that alley, cold and wet from the rain.

The heart monitor that Naruto was attached to picked up on his heart beat, the sound music to Tsunade and Sasuke's ears.

Blue eyes snapped wide open, glazed over from death. His body continued to shake violently and he made sounds similar to that of swallowing or gagging, his lips moving.

"Get to work on stabilizing him!" Tsunade shouted and stepped back, letting her men work on the feline. She placed a reassuring hand on Sasuke's shoulder and smiled. "Don't worry, he'll be fine."

Honestly, Sasuke felt like crying. So many close calls, so many hours of worrying over the pet he cared for the most... He didn't know how many more of these times he could handle.

"I thought he was never coming back..." Sasuke admitted. He didn't hide the tone of anguish in his deep voice. "All I could think about was when he was a cub and I would pet him or hold him in my arms... I couldn't let go of my boy... And even though we're mates... I can't let go of thinking of him as my little boy, my everything."

Tsunade looked out the window at the rest of the family that was in the waiting room. She smiled softly and nodded in understanding.

"It looks like Naruto finally has his own loving family now," she said. "He's come such a long way from the orphan you found in that alleyway, don't you think so?"

Sasuke nodded and wiped away the tears he tried his hardest not to let fall. He never let himself cry. NEVER.

"He's stabilized, Tsunade-sama! He's going to make it!"

"Tsunade-sama--"

"Sa-sasuke! Sasuke! Sasuke!" Naruto's croaking voice broke through their voices and silenced the entire room. A doctor stepped aside and a large hand reached out between him and one of the other professionals. It reached out toward Sasuke, fingers outstretched.

Tsunade pushed the leopard forward and Sasuke hurried to the table, taking Naruto's hand with his. He couldn't help but let tears slip from his dark eyes when he saw those beautiful cerulean eyes gazing up at him, that gorgeous face framed by his sweaty golden locks. His limbs were still shaking, but not enough to worry about.

"Thank you..." Sasuke whispered. "Thank you...!"

"I was so scared..." Naruto told him, his own eyes watering. "I didn't want to leave you...! Sasuke, I never want to leave you...! I couldn't find my way back!"

Sasuke inhaled deeply and pressed Naruto's cold hand against his cheek, shutting his eyes.

"But you're back now... and that's all that matters."

Naruto smiled weakly.

"Yeah..."

--

"Would you like some tuna?" Kyuubi smiled and offered Naruto a small plate with fresh tuna on it. He had his hand on his slightly bulging stomach and looked on the brink of passing out, but he refused to sleep. He may not have been that close to the blond leopard, but he was worried that the other cat would end up having another seizure.

He'd watched Naruto convulse on the operating table and it wasn't the most pleasant sight he'd ever seen, that was for sure.

Naruto smiled and, with much reluctance from Sasuke, leaned forward to take it. Ever since they'd gotten home, Sasuke had held the blond against him every second, never leaving him for a single moment. He looked tired, too, from worrying so much, but wouldn't let himself sleep unless Naruto slept.

"Thank you, KyuKyu," he said the nickname fondly, using his fingers to eat the delicious fish. He purred in appreciation, much like he normally did. None of the household members could tell he was scared to death of every second that ticked by. He didn't know if the medicine they'd used on him would cause some strange reaction, or if he'd end up in the same position as when he'd arrived at the hospital...

"You scared us all," Kyuubi commented, sighing. "If my own kit were to go through something like that, I don't think I'd be able to handle it. You're very strong, Sasuke."

The darker leopard didn't say anything.

"Kyuubi," Itachi called from the hallway that led to the library. "Let them be. Come with me into the library, I need to speak to you."

The orange-haired fox stood slowly and gracefully, nodding his head to Naruto and Sasuke before joining Itachi and smiling to him kindly, his crimson eyes sparkling in affection. Naruto watched them, then his eyes landed on Kyuubi's stomach and he wished he and his mate could have cubs of their own, without any special kind of science. That thought made his anxiety subside for a while.

"Are you feeling alright?" Sasuke asked, his head tilted back and his eyes closed.

Naruto smiled to himself a bit. "I've been better, but I'm ok. My headache went away."

"Ah..." Sasuke absently stroked his lover's arm with his thumb, his breathing quiet and steady. He could feel his consciousness slipping away, but he tried his hardest to stay awake. What if something happened? What if he wasn't there for Naruto? What if... what if...

But he couldn't keep his eyes open and sleep was too tempting. His mind slipped away from the real world and the last thing he saw was his one and only turning toward him and staring at him with those beautiful blue eyes.

Naruto watched Sasuke sleep, but carefully untangled himself from the pale pet after a minute or two, not able to sit still anymore. He inhaled deeply and went in the direction of the kitchen, seeing no one around. Spotting a note on the table, he read it and laughed lightly. Kakashi had scribbled a message about him going to the store and there was a small doodle of an angry turnip under it.

_I would've missed Aboji, _he said to himself. He shook his head to get rid of the darkness that consumed his thoughts. He didn't want to think of the hell he was trapped in while "dead." His heart thumped painfully in his chest at the thought of Seung being stuck there for all of eternity.

Stalking forward quickly, he pushed through the back doors that led to the back yard and let a small whimper escape from his lips once the cool air hit his heated skin. The pain was too much; so overbearing, so intense, so consuming!

"I'm so sorry...!" he fell to his knees just beyond the garden where Seung would chase after butterflies and dragonflies. Tears forced themselves past his lashes and he wrapped his arms around himself, bending forward and pressing his forehead into the lush grass. The sky was pink, red, orange and yellow; such a pretty background for Naruto's bitter anguish.

Blue eyes opening, crystal clear tears fell into the grass and resembled the glistening dew of morning. His lips trembled as his thoughts fell onto his kitten, then to Sasuke, then his owner. He'd let everyone down... He'd done nothing to save Seung, he'd worried Sasuke to the point of absolute exhaustion so many times, and honestly... he thought he wasn't worthy of being the great Hatake Kakashi's pet.

"Mom, Dad..." he whispered, pain laced in his deeper voice. "Please tell me... What's my purpose? Everything in my life so far has gone wrong, except for Sasuke..." he smiled faintly. "But I feel as if I'm failing him... as a lover **and **son, as wrong as that sounds..."

"Naruto-kun," a voice spoke up from above him.

Cerulean eyes shot wide open and Naruto sat up abruptly, coming face to face with Sai. The tall cat smiled and held out his hand, looking as if he had a secret to tell. His short black hair was messy from the wind, but he still looked very handsome.

"Sai... I haven't seen you in a while..."

"You're very beautiful," the other cat stated out of the blue, his expression changing to that of wonder and appreciation. "I'm stunned that you changed so much since the last time we saw each other. You're gorgeous."

Naruto blushed lightly and thanked him. "Um, Sasuke and I are sort of..."

"Sorry. I didn't mean to make you ucomfortable. I was just stating the obvious," Sai smirked. "I came by to see how you were doing. My owner informed me of the past events... and I wanted to say that I'm very sorry for your loss."

Naruto's face went blank at that.

"Don't be sorry..."

"But in spite of the tragedy... may I offer you a beacon of light?" Sai straightened up and for an instant, Naruto found himself drawn to him. He gave off such an aura of elegance and perfection that it was almost impossible to stay away from him. How had he not felt that in the beginning? Or maybe what drew him to the other cat was the sense of... curiosity. What exactly was Sai speaking of?

"Sai...?"

Sai stepped to the side and revealed Kiba, the dark-skinned dog holding the hand of a small pet that looked similar to...

The blond's eyes widened and he held a hand out, his body shaking.

"Seung...?"

"This is one of your other cubs, Naruto-kun," Sai announced. "After my owner told me what happened and mentioned that someone had taken your other two... Kiba and I went on a little hunt," he smiled again, kindly. "We found her on the verge of death in an old warehouse downtown. She had a chain wrapped around her throat and it permanently scarred her skin there and almost suffocated her, but she managed to survive a few days with it."

"Papa!" the girl ran from Kiba, a little sundress on her lithe body. She had sun-kissed hair that fell in waves to her shoulder blades and her eyes were so blue that Naruto could see himself in them, as if looking into water. "Papa!" she repeated when she reached him, her smile stretching from one cat ear to the other. She was hoisted up into the air, Naruto's heart about to give out.

He cried out in joy and held the small child against him as tightly as possible, pressing his face into her soft, curly hair. She smelled so sweet, just like Seung had. Tears of happiness fell down his cheeks and mingled with her curls, but she didn't mind, her small hands rubbing little circles on his back. She could barely remember her father, but she could recognize his smile and eyes anywhere. They were the same as hers.

"Her name's Kyung Soon," Kiba said with a big grin. "When we found her, we decided to give her a Korean name, since you're from Korea... Ya don't mind, do ya?"

Naruto shook his head and smiled into Kyung Soon's hair. "Not at all. It's a beautiful name. Little Kyung Soon," he pulled back and looked at his daughter, so happy that he could still have at least one of his cubs in his life. He would never let his guard down around her, not like he had with Seung...

"What do we have here?"

Kakashi pushed open the unlocked fence to the backyard and raised his brows at the two uninvited guests. Looking at Kiba, he 'hmmmed.' He was pretty sure he'd asked Shino nicely to keep his frisky pet off of his property at all times, so as not to have a repeat of the little incident a while ago. Once his eyes landed on Kyung Soon, though, he was speechless.

"Naruto..."

"Sai and Kiba heard about what happened to Seung and my other cubs..." the blond started, cradling the girl against him once again. "They searched all over Naha for the two remaining ones and found her," he smiled and lifted Kyung Soon up, lowering her to the ground so that her white sundress fluttered around her knees. "They found her chained up in a warehouse... Her name's Kyung Soon. Isn't she beautiful?"

The silver-haired man chuckled and bent down, reaching into his paper bag full of groceries to pull out a stuffed rabbit. "I bought these for Kyuubi's kits, but it won't hurt to give one to her. Come here, Kyung Soon, you can have this."

The small kitten's eyes lit up and she ran over to Kakashi, plucking the stuffed animal from his hands and hugging it to her cheek. She bowed politely and smiled as brightly as the sun, her fuzzy ears perked up at the top of her head. "Thank you!"

Kakashi straightened up and pet Kyung Soon on the head, turning to Kiba and Sai.

"I must thank you for what you've done for Naruto. He seemed so lost without Seung... I'm glad at least one of the others was able to survive and find her way here," he chuckled again. "She's very lucky that Orochimaru didn't make sure she was... well...deceased..."

"Orochimaru?" Kiba asked, confused. "When we found her, there was a group of people on the other side of the warehouse... We were able to sneak her out, but I did catch a guy's name. It was definitely Orochimaru or something like that... We were going to call the cops, but we had Kyung Soon and that was all that we thought was really important..."

Naruto's eyes widened, but then narrowed into thin slits. His fists clenched at his sides and he grit his teeth, his ears flattening against his head.

"Kyung Soon, stay with Aboji."

The girl blinked.

"Aboji...?" she pointed to Kakashi.

"Yeah, stay with him."

"Naruto-kun, what're you--" Sai began, but he stopped himself when he saw Naruto change into his animal form, the leopard so long, lean, and gorgeous that he matched Sasuke in beauty. He didn't have much time to gawk, though, because Naruto ripped off through the yard and jumped over the fence.

Kakashi sighed and led Kyung Soon toward the house. "Sai, Kiba, could you please follow him? I'm afraid he's going after Orochimaru himself... and I don't need him getting hurt."

Kiba gave him a thumbs up before he fell to his knees and changed, his dark brown coat even darker from the setting sun. He jumped over the fence, as well, followed by a sleek black cat with hauntingly golden eyes.

"Where did Papa go?" Kyung Soon asked, clutching the bunny to her chest tightly.

"He'll be back soon, so don't worry. Now, let's head inside and you can meet your other Papa," Kakashi tried to take her mind off her missing parent.

--

Naruto ran past the pedestrians on the streets, their pets watching him sprint by with their ears up as high as possible. Quite a few of them even attempted to run from their owners so they could follow him, tasting the scent of the hunt as he went by. Sakura, who was with Sibel Claire in a hair salon, pressed against the glass window as she saw the cat run by.

"Was that... Naruto?" she watched Kiba and Sai right behind him and pursed her lips together, wondering what was going on. Turning, she saw her owner facing the other direction while talkin with the hair stylist. She slipped through the open door and hurried down the sidewalk, jumping and transforming into a large white tiger. A few kids nearby screamed in fright and clinged to their parents.

_Hey! _ she called out to Kiba, speeding up until she was right on his flank. _What's going on?_

The Shikoku dog didn't look back. He, instead, sped up and all three of them turned the sharp corner that had oncoming traffic. Kiba skid to a halt, then went across the street so as not to get hit, amazed that Naruto would just leap onto taxi cabs and small cars, hopping from one to the other with such grace.

_It's a long story, so I'll tell ya later! Right now, we have to keep track of him!_

Sai roared so loud that the windows of the small street shops shook and all of the onlookers on the sidewalks moved out of the way, scared that the pet would attack him. He quickened his pace and managed to reach Naruto's side, the both of them looking at each other.

_Slow down, Naruto-kun! They probably already left!_

But Naruto refused to listen, his eyes flickering away before he suddenly stopped and sprung upward, sinking his claws into the fabric of an overhang. He pulled himself onto it and sped across rooftops, swirving away from the following pets.

Kiba cursed and stopped, looking around for a way to get to the clouded leopard as quickly as possible. A sudden scent reached his nose and he craned his neck to the side, watching a black flash go by him. Behind him, Sakura yelled _Sasuke-kun!_

Sai slowed his steps, his mouth open as he panted from all of the exertion. He didn't know how Naruto could keep going at that speed. Kiba snorted and howled in annoyance.

_We already know where he's headed, so let's just find the shortest route there, _he growled. _Sasuke should be able to catch up to Naruto in no time. Come on._

They all headed in another direction, hoping they could reach the warehouse before Naruto and Sasuke. But Sakura stayed at their flanks, staring back at where Sasuke had disappeared, wondering why the pet she adored had such a look of pain and anger in his eyes.

--

Naruto could practically smell the scent of his cub in the air around the dirt road he was on, his large paws kicking up pebbles and twigs. He was sure the warehouse was close by and he would have his revenge! He felt like he was betraying Sasuke, but the desire to avenge his dead son was so immense he couldn't fight it off.

_Seung... _he thought to himself and came to a stop, but a dark growl behind him made him turn. Cerulean blue eyes met blood red ones. _Sasuke?_

_Kakashi told me where you were going, _the leopard snarled, baring his fangs. _But not after revealing that little girl... Could you not be satisfied with having a living cub, Naruto?.! You just decided you had to come out here and risk your own life, as well, huh?.!_

The blond was taken back by the angry tone and crouched down, revealing his own long fangs. He stepped back, then swirled around and took off, kicking up stones into Sasuke's face. The darker leopard stretched his mouth open wide and made a sound as if he were about to go after his kill.

Naruto didn't even get to go very far before he was slammed into the gravel, growling in pain. Did it really come down to this? Fighting his own mate?

_You said you wouldn't seek revenge, _Sasuke hissed. _All I asked of you was to not go down the path I did! After what Itachi had done to our parents, I wanted revenge, too! But he wasn't in the right state of mind... so I forgave him. You have to be thankful for what you have, not be sad over what you lost!_

_Don't preach to me! _Naruto growled. _I'm __**not **__you!_

_But I made you who you are! _Sasuke glared at him dangerously, pinning him to the warm earth. _I taught you everything you know, I raised you to be who you are!_

Naruto was about to speak, but his lover cut him off, looking about as dangerous as ever.

_Make your choice on what you're going to do now. You either stay right here with me, or you run off and you lose me, _Sasuke's voice was low.

Those words struck Naruto to the core and the snow leopard stopped his struggling, his neck stretching so he could brush his snout against his mate's jaw. His affectionate gesture caught Sasuke off guard, but the other feline returned the nuzzling and stepped back, changing back into his human form. He watched Naruto morph back as well and he pulled the tan cat against him.

"I only want to protect you," he whispered to the blond.

Naruto felt like crying, but he just rested his head against Sasuke's collarbone. He was a complete idiot... and it was so much harder than usual to control his emotions.

"I just wanted Seung to not die in vain," he closed his eyes tightly. "I'm sorry..."

"Don't be... I would have wanted to do the same..."

"Sasuke-kun?" Sakura approached them from behind a small storage building, Sai and Kiba at her side. She looked so confused as she stared at them, her eyes go back and forth between the two. It was as if she was critically analyzing something, but didn't know how to go about it.

But she knew what was going on and she only smiled at them, ignoring the pain in her chest at the loss of the person she cherished the most. Her beloved Sasuke didn't belong to her anymore, but if it was Naruto... it was okay, right? Yet even as she bent down beside them and asked them if they were okay, wearing a pretty smile on her face, she couldn't help but wish that Naruto would just disappear off the face of the earth.

She didn't want to see them together like that.

But if she would've known that her words would soon bring on a string of such painful events, maybe she would've kept her mouth shut and would've just wished for the best.

**Yes, I hope this chapter was long enough for you. Not that many more chapters, then the story will be over, sadly. Please review and give your theory on how the story will end!**


	25. Where's My Happy Ending?

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

**Thank you all for the reviews last chapter! I love all of you to death! :hugs:**

**Also, if you're a Code Geass fan, you know the drill. In your review, give me an "All hail Lelouch!" XDDD He is one of the most amazing characters ever created o.o Honestly, folks, if you haven't watched Code Geass, I suggest you do. It's my most favorite anime of all time and Lelouch Lamperouge is my favorites CHARACTER of all time! Yosh!**

**Yeah... sorry... I just got so emo when he "died". But like a lot of Lulu fans, I believe he's still alive!**

Sibel Claire approached the old warehouse that had police cars parked all around it, officers walking around holding clipboards and talking into their mouth pieces. The red and blue lights of their vehicles were flashing almost hypnotically, attracting local residents and a few news crews from further uptown. A woman was trying desperately to ask a few of the men what was going on, but they just told her to stand back and let them do their job.

"Sakura!" she snapped as she saw her pet staring into the crowd with Kiba at her side. Emerald eyes met hers and she could see the fear in them, assuming that her pet had some part in whatever was going on. "Why did you run off from me? And what is going on?"

The white tiger bowed her head and apologized, smiling nervously.

"I felt like something was wrong, forgive me," she apologized again. "But... Hatake-san's pets found where someone was killing and dumping Impures."

Sibel's eyes widened and she covered her mouth in shock and disgust.

"That's horrible! I can understand that Impures aren't really acceptable, but why would someone go to the lengths of disposing of them?"

Kiba snorted, his hands shoved deep in his pockets. He could see Naruto and Sasuke right beside one of the cop cars, their fingers laced together and the blond male's face full of sadness as he watched them inspect dead carcasses. Of course Naruto would be sad, his third kitten was among the dead in that pile, the female's body cut up and burnt.

"We found a gentleman who told us a description of the man that he saw here two nights ago," an officer sniffled from the cold evening and rubbed at the bridge of his nose with his gloved hand. He flipped through a small tablet and held the page up to his companion, his mustache bristling. "Description fits Orochimaru, eh? He's notorious for these kind of murders."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed at the name, his hand tightening around his mate's. Naruto only comforted, placing his lips soothingly against the raven's jaw, kissing there. He was angry, but he wasn't going to let himself get out of control again. All he wanted to do was go home with Sasuke and wish that none of this had ever happened.

"Sasuke? Can we... Can we go home? It's getting chilly and I'm tired..." Naruto pulled his lips away from the warm skin and smiled sweetly. He could feel Sakura's eyes on him, making him uncomfortable as he spoke with his one and only. The tiger was obviously angered by the thought of them being together, but he believed she wouldn't do anything to harm them.

"Sure," Sasuke sighed and they both pushed through the crowd, exiting the area through an alley. Kiba was right beside them in an instant, followed by Sai who had been perched on a rooftop across the street. Sakura remained with her owner, though she glanced at them one final time before they disappeared, the cold wind blowing her short hair around her neck.

"Try not to run off like that again, ok?" Kiba complained, punching Naruto in the shoulder with a grin on his handsome face. "I hate to admit it, but I couldn't keep up with you," he admitted in embarrassment.

"Just like Sasuke," Sai commented, expressionless. "He's becoming quite similar to him, aside from his anti-social personality," he smirked.

Sasuke smirked right back, the air light and playful. Despite what had happened earlier, the atmosphere was happy and carefree, just how Naruto liked it. He thought that none of the pets around him would get along with each other, but he'd been proved wrong. Though, that wasn't ncessarily a bad thing.

As everyone just joked and made fun of each other, Naruto only smiled.

He had Sasuke, he had his friends, he had his family, and he had Kyung-Soon. No matter what happened in the near future, nothing would take those things from him. With a big smile, he promised himself that he would protect those close to him and wouldn't let anything else happen to them, his blue eyes on the sky that was a canvas of various warm colors. The whisps of clouds were reflected in his irises as they all walked on, talking as everything was right in the world.

And god, Naruto hoped that everything was.

--

Kyung-Soon watched her papa enter the house with Sasuke by his side, the both of them looking exhausted and roughed up. She was perched on top of Kakashi's shoulders, wearing baby blue hand-me-down PJs from when Naruto was a kitten, her curly golden hair in low pigtails. She smiled happily when she saw the both of them kick off their shoes and walk into the living room.

"Papa! Susu-muuuuu!" she crooned and reached out both arms, her hands wide open so as to grab them from so far away. She waved them up and down and puffed her cheeks out when Naruto only grinned at her, stopping right out of arm's length. "Nyaaa, Papa! Papa!" she cried.

"I'm here, Kyung-Soon," he reached out and lifted her off of their owner's shoulder, happy that Kakashi had taken such a liking to the cub. Her thin frame made her extremely light, her short legs kicking lightly as she excitedly waited to be snuggled into his warmth. Once he was in reach of her grubby hands, she grabbed into his shoulders and pulled herself against him, pressing her cheek against his neck.

"Papa..." she whispered and closed her eyes, smiling to herself. She waited so long just to be with him when she fell asleep.

Sasuke watched them with a content look, not the least bit jealous. He held no hostility for the young female like he had with Seung. But it was more of a male dominance thing back then... He placed his hand on the girl's hand and she cooed, curling up more against her father's chest and snuggling into his heat.

"Poor thing, she was exhausted," Kakashi explained with a chuckle. "But she refused to sleep until the both of you returned. And it's so early too, she'll be up before dawn if she sleeps through the night."

"Fun," Sasuke smirked, turned to see that Lukki was passed out on the couch with a bag of potato chips on his stomach, crumbs all around his mouth. He snored rather loudly, then crinkled his nose and rolled his head to the side. It looked like he was out cold. "Where are Aniki and Kyuubi?"

Kakashi pointed toward to the library, stifling a yawn.

"They went in there to be alone since Kyung-Soon was too happy to leave them alone earlier. She found Kyuubi rather fascinating, what with him being a fox, and wouldn't stop playing with his tails."

"Ah," Sasuke nodded his head slightly and looked at the slumbering child in his mate's arms. "I think we're going to head to bed. We have to go see Jiraiya tomorrow, don't we?"

Kakashi chuckled again.

"Yes, Jiraiya arranged a 'spa' day at his school for us before our next Showcase. He's been out of town for a while and wanted to see how his star pupil has grown."

Naruto blushed a little. "M-Me? His star pupil?"

"He seemed to really like you," Kakashi said with a twinkle in his eye. "And won't he be surprised when he sees how much you've grown, let alone how you're now Sasuke's mate."

The blond laughed and rubbed his little girl's back.

"I guess so. But we're going to head to bed, so we'll see you in the morning, Aboji," he called his owner by his nickname, earning him a soft expression from the much older man. Kakashi placed a hand on his shoulder and patted it before heading into the kitchen for a cup of tea, mumbling a 'good night'.

Sasuke and Naruto went past the library on the way to their bedroom, the both of them sneaking a glance into the large room. They saw Itachi with Kyuubi on his lap in one of the red, plush chairs, their eyes focused on a rather thick book. The leopard's hand was on the fox's stomach, his thumb stroking over the clothed belly. Naruto's attention was drawn from the scene when Sasuke kissed his neck and headed to their room, his blue eyes lighting up almost immediately.

He couldn't wait to sleep with his beloved, his gorgeous cub at his side as well.

Once they were in their room, he laid Kyung-Soon on the bed and covered her up, pulling back so he could take off his long pants and shirt, shivering at the chilly room. He turned to see Sasuke take off his own clothes and he could feel a knot begin to form in his stomach, memories of the night they'd tried to make love flooding through his mind.

He wanted to share that special moment with Sasuke, but he was so afraid the same thing as before would happen all over again. The last thing he ever wanted to do was see that pained look in his lover's eyes again. Clutching his removed shirt in his hand, he looked down at the floor from beneath messy golden bangs. He wanted to make love with Sasuke, but he wasn't sure... if he could.

"Naruto?" the dark-haired pet asked, wondering why the male was being so quiet.

Lifting his head with a smile in place, Naruto discarded his shirt and leaned over to peck Sasuke on the lips, wishing he could do so much more, but afraid to try anything. He didn't want to die, he didn't want to be alone... He didn't want Sasuke to be alone. Crawling into bed beside his cub, he snuggled close to her and enveloped her in his warmth, his arm reaching out to turn off the lamp that was left on earlier.

Sasuke's eyes reflected like a lion's in the darkness, the light from the window bouncing off of them to make a turquoise sheen. He climbed into bed and got as close to Kyung-Soon as possible, his lips so close to Naruto's. He could feel the other's breath against his cheek and smiled, leaning forward only to feel those lips he craved meeting his half way.

The kiss was soft and loving, like the kind shared between a married couple who had been together for so long. Neither of them could imagine what life would be like without the other. It would be so dull, so bland. Like white rice, Naruto thought.

"I love you," Naruto whispered into the darkness, their breathing mingled with Kyung-Soon's the only sound in the room. He wanted to show the other his love, wanted to have that 'special moment' with him... but he didn't know if he could.

"I love you too," Sasuke murmured back, lacing their fingers together by Kyung-Soon's side.

They fell asleep, their hands joined and their faces so close, a smile on both of their faces. The only thing the both of then wanted was for their lives to be peaceful like this, for even just a little while.

--

"Welcome to Master Jiraiya's Training School for Pureblood Pets!" a pretty maid welcomed the Hatake family with her hand out toward the open door behind her, clearly very happy to meet such gorgeous and well-known pets. She was very suprised to see Kyuubi there, though, having always admired Lukki and his lovely fox, but never really thinking the two of them would ever become friends with Kakashi and his pets. It was very rare for two owners to come together.

"Pretty!" Kyung-Soon pointed around her at all of the paintings hanging on the long hallway they were walking down. They were of scenes out in the country or of the beautiful city of Venice, the water colors attracting Naruto's cub to them.

Jiraiya was in a large room where there were various cubs sitting on mats. They stared at him in awe, as if he were the most important person they'd ever seen, their eyes wide and full of devotion and excitement. A young boy raised his hand high in the air when the man asked a question, eager to share his opinion with his class.

Kyung-Soon was holding Sasuke's large hand, peaking into the room from around him, her ears perked up. She watched with much interest as the students all talked and shared things with each other, Jiraiya nodding to them every once and a while. She seemed to be staring at one boy in particular and that made Naruto pout. Was his little girl already interested in some stupid boy after being in his care for only a day?

Sasuke caught onto it as well and smirked at his mate. He remembered when he was a young cub and had his first crush. Unfortunately, it had been on a human girl and he'd known it wouldn't have worked out. Some people would say that pets could have the same rights as humans, but they were never allowed to be in relationships with them.

Releasing the small child's hand, he directed her toward the room.

"You can watch from the doorway if you want."

Kyung-Soon immediately scurried over to the door and peered in, entranced by all of the pets her age. Being stuck in the warehouse... she'd never imagined there were others just like her. She smiled a smile that matched her father's, but squeaked and blushed when Jiraiya took notice of her. The man blinked owlishly.

"Well, if you don't look just like Naruto," he laughed gruffly and excused himself from his class, asking the maid that had greeted them to watch over them for a while and give them a break. His eyes met Naruto's instantly and he held out his hand. "It's been a while, brat. How've you been holding up?"

But instead of grasping his old teacher's hand, Naruto flung himself at him and grinned.

"Ero-sennin!"

"You haven't changed at all," the man chuckled, patting him on the head. "Boy, you're all grown up now, aren't you? I heard from Kakashi a while ago that you and Sasuke...?"

Naruto pulled back and smiled as warmly as the summer sky, his eyes taking on a shine that Jiraiya had never seen there before. But there was also a slightly nostalgic and painful tinge to them, as if he'd lost something precious.

"We're mates now..."

"Are you happy?"

The blond smiled even brighter, the pain expanding, becoming more evident to the teacher. He furrowed his thick brows, wondering what could've happened to cause him to look that way. Then he remembered Kakashi having told him something about the loss of a cub... How could he have forgotten something like that?

"As happy as I can be," Naruto replied. Jiraiya could tell what he meant by those words.

_He could be happier. He misses his cub. But... he has this little one here, doesn't he?_

Kyung-Soon continued to watch the class go about their daily exercises, not paying any attention to her parents and the white-haired ape.

"That's good," he smirked and decided to pat Sasuke on the head, too, earning him a scowl. "How about you? Are you happy?"

"I would be a lot happier if you removed your hand."

"Now, that's no way to talk to him," Kakashi chided, directing Lukki and the others into another room. "You two can spend some time with Jiraiya while I take everyone else into the cafeteria. We're **starving**," he said in a tone that made both Naruto and Sasuke know he was lying.

Something was up, Sasuke could tell.

Jiraiya seemed to have read his mind and he chuckled.

"I didn't ask Naruto to come here to give you a 'spa' day or whatever Kakashi told you. There's something... really important I need to tell him. It's about his family back in Korea..."

Naruto felt his heart stop.

He didn't know whether he should feel happy or upset... But looking at the expression that his sensei was wearing, he couldn't help but feel his chest tighten.

Ever since he was brought home by Sasuke that day after the first Showcase he'd ever seen, he'd expected everything to be normal, like it had been with his family back home. He'd expected to be loved and cherished and having nothing go wrong, to be a pet that everyone wanted, to become as close to a Pureblood as possible, to live that life he and his family had always wanted... But... But...

Where was that life? Where was that happy ending?

**Short, I know, but it was better than waiting a long time for an update, right? Oh snapz, Naruto's family! Le gasp!**


	26. Instincts

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, but I wish I did.**

**If you guys wanna know, I filled out this beta thing on my profile, so if you want me as your beta for an upcoming story, then contact me. I don't really know how the beta thing works, so sending me a message over my myspace, which is the homepage link on my profile, in a review, or private message will be fine.**

**Enjoy the new chapter of KWSC! It has action, drama, romance, and most importantly... SEX XD Yes, delicious animalistic sex. I know you might've expected something romantic and sweet since it's their first time going "all the way", but they're more animal than human. What do you expect? Yesh, naughty language.**

**There's a fight scene between Naruto and Sasuke in here. If you want a visual of one of the parts, here's a link where you can see what it's like. Remember to remove the spaces.**

**http : // www . youtube . com / watch?v = w8Ybg8R5U _ Y**

Sasuke told Kyung-Soon to go into the classroom that Jiraiya had emerged from, the maid from before happily grasping the child's tiny hand and leading her to a seat at the rounded table. A lot of the young pets greeted her with smiles and flittering tails, asking her what her name was and what kind of animal she was. The raven watched them interact for a moment, until Jiraiya called for him to follow him and Naruto.

They headed down a long hallway that had book shelves embedded in the velvet walls, all filled with all types of books that were covered in a thin layer of dust. Sasuke assumed they were just there for show. There were six doors on the left and three on the right, the end of the hall just another wall with a huge mirror on it. He could see his lover's nervous expression in the mirror's reflection, as well as Jiraiya reaching into his pocket to take out a silver key.

"Take a seat wherever you like," he told them both as he twisted the knob and opened the door to reveal a large office littered with piles of stamped papers, empty bento boxes, random stuffed animals, and photographs of family and friend. Naruto's face lightened up a tad when he saw a small photo of him, as a cub, on a dusty shelf in the corner of the pastel room.

Sasuke placed himself in a comfortable leather chair in front of Jiraiya's desk, eyeing the little plastic Hanpandas on the man's desk with a curious face. Naruto settled down in the matching chair beside him, a little too quiet for the leopard's liking. But the both of them jumped and made a sound of surprise when Jiraiya dropped a thick manilla folder onto his mahogony desk.

Putting on spectacles, Jiraiya cleared his throat.

"Don't assume this is bad news, Naruto, I just want to inform you of your parents' whereabouts," he said with a handsome smile. The moment he said that, the blond's face became five shades brighter. Tan hands gripped the arms of the leather chair and pink lips opened wide.

"Where are they?.! A-Are they alive?"

Sasuke felt a tinge of jealousy. Never had Naruto really mentioned his parents... he'd always called him his father and that was that...

"They're in North Korea; in the city of Pyongyang. I have photos here that a colleage of mine took while traveling there. It was an odd coincidence, though, if I might add. He met them in the forest while hiking and asked to take their pictures. They agreed and he talked to them for a bit, then found out that they were looking for their missing son named Chin-Mae. Does that name sound familiar, Naruto?"

Naruto's beautiful cerulean eyes widened as he heard the name, the hair on the back of his neck standing up.

"Chin-Mae... was my Korean name..." he said, stunned. "My family's been looking for me this whole time...?"

Sasuke wanted to growl, but kept his posessive side toned down. He wasn't going to ruin his mate's happiness just because he was jealous. Honestly, he was afraid that Naruto would go back to Korea with Kyung-Soon and leave him all alone. He knew it was a childish thought, but he couldn't shake it.

Jiraiya's smile slipped into a mask of indifference as he pushed the photograph toward his past pupil, watching the cat's expressions change on a dime. It was happy, then sad, then angry, then happy again. So many thoughts were probably running through his head at that single moment.

Naruto looked down at the man with hard features and brown hair, ears similar to his own atop his head. His eyes were a deep green and his lips were in a thin smile. Overall, he was very handsome. Next was the woman, his mother... She had soft blue eyes, curly blonde hair, and ears that were a dark brown with black spots. Her skin was light in color and her face angelic and warm, as well as her smile. She had her small hands on the shoulders of two twins, the both of them boys. They resembed their father exactly, except for their mother's light skin and sun-kissed hair.

"They look like how I remember them... but I don't recognize the two cubs..."

"That's because your parents had them after you were taken from them," Jiraiya answered, taking the photo back and staring into his ex-pupil's blue eyes. "Yes, I was even able to get some information on what happened to you and why you have that tiny tag on your ear that marks you as a Pureblood."

Both Sasuke and Naruto's hearts sped up.

"When you were a small cub, Orochimaru had taken you from your parents because his ambition was to get rid of all of the Impures in the world, so that he could create what he would call a 'nobility' class of pets. His 'base' was a pet hospital in South Korea, so in order for no one to get suspicious, he had to tag the ears of every Impure he brought in so that people would think they were Purebloods," the old man stated. "Unfortunately for him, a curious little girl stopped by the yard of the hospital and snuck in so she could take a kitten home with her. She just happened to pick you, and you were lucky enough to be spared from dying that day."

"A little girl... was the one who got me out of there?" Naruto tried to remember that, but he was having trouble. He just remembered being with his family, then waking up in a strange building, and then being in Japan. A few days later, he'd met Sasuke...

"I don't expect you to remember all of this, considering you were so young back then," Jiraiya skimmed over some of the papers in the open folder, pulling one out and sliding it in front of Naruto. "But if you sign this, I'll be able to bring your family over from Korea to visit with you for a week or two. Of course, you don't have to sign it if you don't wish to do so."

Naruto was torn. He desperately wanted to see his parents again, but as he glanced over at his mate, he could see the jealousy and hurt in his eyes. He probably felt as if his little, blond lover was replacing him.

"Can I... wait until later to sign it? Things have been kind of hectic around here and I don't want my parents to visit until everything's normal," Naruto explained, a strained smile on his lips. "Especially since Orochimaru's been... around..." he broke off.

Jiraiya nodded and returned the paper to the folder, tossing into the open file cabinet in his desk. He laced his fingers together and propped his chin up on his knuckles, black eyes filled with curiosity.

"Are you sure that's the reason?"

Naruto frowned.

"Of course it is."

"Ahh, alright then," Jiraiya grinned. "Since the both of you are here, why don't you enjoy my school to its fullest and visit the springs? They were built to relieve stress of the older students."

Naruto looked over at Sasuke and was relieved to find that the black leopard's eyes were back to their normal, clear sheen. He leaned forward in his chair and smiled happily, excited to try something new. He'd never really been to a spring before.

"That sounds fun! Sasuke, wanna go?"

"Ah, ah, ah," Jiraiya's smile darkened. "You can only go on one condition."

Naruto blinked his bright, blue eyes while Sasuke scowled and narrowed his.

"Huh?" the blond piped up.

---------

A bunch of young pets ranging from amphibians to huge mammals sat along the wooden walls of the huge room, a thick layer of white sand coating the cement floor, and red lanterns hanging from the ceiling. Even some of the smaller students who were gifted with the talent of excellent climbing skills sat on the beams above to watch what was going to happen below, whispering and laughing with each other as they made bets.

The teachers of the establishment stood by the large entrance doors in case they needed to get the students out because of an emergency. They looked almost as thrilled and excited as the younger pets.

And in the center of all of this were Naruto and Sasuke, the both of them in their animal forms on opposite ends of the sand-covered floor. The golden cat ran his ocean blue eyes over the oggling children, remembering when he was like them and amazed by everything...

_It wasn't that long ago either_, he mused.

Sasuke shook his huge right paw, annoyed by the sand that was getting between his fur and his padded toes. He didn't know why his mate had agreed to Jiraiya's terms of having a "death match" in order to go to the springs, since they could've just gone to one downtown without all of this hassle. Besides, the last thing he wanted to do was fight Naruto, but it had been the blond's choice to do this, so he wasn't going to hold back.

"Minna!" Jiraiya shouted by the entrance doors, his white ponytail over his thick shoulder. "Consider this a gift from me to all of you for all of your hard work! A match between one of Japan's most well-known Pureblood pets," he held a hand out toward Sasuke, the melanistic animal digging his claws into the sand and licking his whiskered lips, "and his mate, a fine Pureblood who is already topping the ranks!" he held out his other hand toward Naruto, the golden mix-breed getting on all fours and crouching low, his pupils becoming thin slits in anticipation.

_You're a little too excited,_ Sasuke smirked inwardly.

_You're a little too __**under**_ excited, Naruto stated. _Ever since you stopped me from going after Orochimaru, I've been craving a fight. It's like something inside of me __**needs**__ it._

Jiraiya raised his thick brows, suddenly realizing something. He turned his head and spoke to one of his assistants, holding off the fight for a moment. He was glad that being a senior pet allowed him to butt into coversations that were only meant for the ears of transformed pets, or else he wouldn't have remembered.

"Koshou-chan, what three species make up Naruto genetics again? It seems to have slipped my mind."

The bob-haired woman pushed her spectacles further up the bridge of her nose and smiled kindly. "Sir, he's a mix between a Clouded Leopard, a Eurasian Lynx, and a Maltese Tiger."

"Ahhh, three very amazing species," Jiraiya crossed his arms over his chest and looked back out over his students and the two pets ready to fight. He cleared his throat and shouted a "tatakai!", starting the battle.

_His desire for a fight comes from the Clouded Leopard within him, _Jiraiya noted.

Naruto immediately sprung forward, using his body-length tail to menuever himself through the thick sand that would usually slow any other cat down. His eyes were focused on Sasuke's approaching form and he growled in excitement when he noticed he was going a lot faster than his mate. Jumping onto one of the wooden support beams, he dug his strong claws in and climbed up faster than Sasuke's eyes could catch.

"Sugoi!" the students cheered, followed by surprised yelps from the kids sitting on the beams of the ceiling. Sasuke could see the children moving, but not his opponent. He stood in the middle of the sandy floor and looked up, his ears perked. Unfortunately, he was looking in the wrong place.

A loud screech of a growl came from behind and he turned quickly enough to see Naruto run down the wall, head first, and jump off. The black leopard was knocked into the sand and claws dug into his skin, causing him to hiss. He hadn't expected the blond to be so smart and strong when it came to battle, since he'd never really fought before.

_Instincts, _Naruto growled as he was kicked off and hissed at. He didn't even pause before he let out a roar so fear-inducing that it even startled Jiraiya and the staff, and charged at Sasuke again. This time, he was knocked to the side by Sasuke shifting and slamming his head into the other feline's ribs.

Naruto slid across the floor and sneezed loudly from the sand in his nose, his lips pulling back to bare fangs that were longer than any other cat's. He snarled and let out another frightening roar before charging. Sasuke ran forward and they both met head on, teeth and claws latching onto whatever skin they could reach. Sasuke shoved Naruto down and they both kicked, bit, and scratched like they were fighting over territory, blood being drawn and splattering across the sand.

Jiraiya hadn't imagined it would go so far, but he knew that the both of them would know when enough was enough and when they had to back down. He knew it was in both of their natures to desire dominance, but eventually one of them would have to give up and he honestly didn't know which one of them was going to be the one to do it.

"Waaa!" the children cheered when Sasuke slammed his huge paw into Naruto's chest and sent him falling onto his back before he slipped onto his stomach and lifted himself up. The both of them stepped back and began walking in a single circle, their paws kicking up sand and the skin on their snouts crinkling as they heaved huge breaths of air, their eyes watching every single movement each of them made.

_Eurasion Lynx's are excellent when it comes to stalking. I can't hear Naruto making a single sound, _ Jiraiya noted, amazed at both of the pets' shows of strength and smarts.

Sasuke came to a stop, followed by Naruto. Then the large black leopard snarled, refusing to lose, and pounced on the golden cat. Naruto kept himself from falling back and they both ensued in another close combat fight, more blood being shed as Naruto sank his teeth into the top of his opponent's front, left leg. There were matching growls and roars, then before anyone even knew it, the fight stopped.

Blood was soaked into Naruto's beautiful coat, smeared all over his lips. He licked the substance away with his long, pink tongue, while Sasuke breathed heavily, his legs shaking and blood dripping from him. He lowered himself as if bowing, drawing an end to the fight.

The students cheered, while the teachers approached the two injured pets with worry in their eyes.

"They're both fine," Jiraiya told them all. "Just a little cut up. They wouldn't do any permanent damage to each other. Besides, this is a celebration!"

"Celebration... sir?" one of the male teachers asked, confused.

Naruto walked over to his bowed lover and licked at his wounds, purring in apology. His heart was beating fast in his chest and he couldn't stop himself from breathing hard, but he felt more alive than ever before, the cuts all over him stinging.

"Yes, celebration! Tsunade-sama called me and told me that she strongly believed Naruto would do much better in adrenaline-provoking situations after she injected him with medicine, so this fight was not only a treat for the students, but a little experiment," Jiraiya grinned. "And he did fine."

The blond feline's head shot up at that, as well as Sasuke's. After all the strenuous fighting and the exhertion, Naruto hadn't passed out...

"A-am I...?" Naruto began, but trailed off.

"You're on the road to recovery, gaki," Jiraiya patted his head and smirked. "You're not completely healed yet, but you're on your way. Now follow Koshou-chan to the springs; you'll be cleaned up and left in private for as long as you like. I'll keep your owner and everyone else busy."

Naruto smiled, feeling as nothing could get better than that.

----------

Sasuke sighed deeply as he sunk into the steaming water, his damp hair clinging to his cheeks and jaw. There were scratches all over him, but since the springs had a medicinal purpose, he was sure they'd heal up by the end of his bath. Looking over at his mate, who just dunked his head under the water and came back up, he smiled softly.

"Congratulations," he spoke warmly. "You've defeated the undefeatable."

Naruto grinned and waded over to his lover, wrapping his arms around his shoulders and licking along the raven's neck. "I learned from the best."

"I didn't even teach you a thing about fighting," Sasuke chuckled. "Like you said, it was just your extincts."

The blond smiled for a moment, but then something hit him and he smirked like a starving Hyena on the hunt for its prey. He leaned in and ran his tongue up that slender neck again, nipping at the skin slowly. His actions earned him a low growl and his blue eyes sparkled in amusement.

"Do you think we could... finish what we started before?" Naruto's voice was smooth and sultry, causing arousal to boil in the pit of the black leopard's stomach. He'd been so worried before about his lover almost dying again that he'd refused to make any sexual advances toward him. But now that an expirement had been done and Naruto seemed to be doing fine, he wanted nothing more than to claim the boy for his own.

Naruto didn't even get an answer before he was pushed back, lifted up, and lowered onto the polished floor of the springs' deck. Drops of water slid down his sides and his legs were bent and open, revealing his hardening member. The very image put Sasuke in an overwhelming state of arousal and he climbed out, putting a leg on each side of his mate.

"Eager, are we?" Naruto joked, earning him a deep rumble from Sasuke's chest. He felt as if he were in heat, but he knew it wasn't that time of the year. Sasuke just did that to him and he was so excited to finally be claimed and not have to be worried about his life being threatened in the process.

Sasuke ran his hands up the younger cat's sides and bent over to lick and nip at exposed skin. His tongue rolled in circles over a hard nipple and he sucked on it, enjoying the light moans errupting from Naruto's throat and the way his back arches like a bow.

"I don't want to waste any time," Sasuke growled. "I want you." His erection throbbed between his legs and he nipped on the rosy nipple one last time before kissing up a tan chest, neck, and to soft lips. The mashing of lips was full of desire and lust, groans and moans echoing throughout the empty room.

"Sasuke..." Naruto whispered before he closed his eyes softly and tilted his head back, warm lips on his throat and a large hand stroking his cock. He bucked his hips as a thumb rubbed his slit.

"My, what do we have here? This **is **a public place, you know," Itachi's voice broke through the sound of moans, grunts, and rushing water from the waterfalls in the springs. There was a white towel slung around his feminine hips and his arms were crossed, Kyuubi coming up behind him in a white robe to cover his slightly bulging stomach.

Sasuke growled in a posessive manner and covered his lover's body with his own, as if his territory were being threatened by the other male. His actions caused both Itachi and Kyuubi to raise their brows. The older leopard reached back to wrap his arm around his fox's waist, leading him past the two aroused pets.

"We'll be in a spring a little ways down, so try not to make too much racket."

Naruto, who had already been flushed from the sexual acts, flushed even more and pushed himself so he was propped up by his elbows. He inhaled deeply and licked his lips, looking into the raven's deep charcoal eyes; and before he knew it, he was being yanked to his feet and pulled away from the springs.

--------

"A-ahh! Oh God...!"

Naruto cried out and whimpered as Sasuke's fingers assaulted his clenching hole, stretching him wide and pushing in deep. His deep, blue eyes fluttered opened, watered over in a thin layer of pleasurable tears. He'd always wanted this to happen, but he'd never dreamed it would feel so good.

Sasuke mouth closed over his love's erection and he licked and nipped as he thrust his fingers in and out of that tight passage. He could feel the animal in him slipping out and he knew that neither of them were complaining about it. His own cock throbbed and ached to be inside Naruto, but he resisted the urge to just thrust into his body.

"Sasuke..." the blond groaned. "Please... more..."

The black leopard shivered at the words, immediately pulling his hand and mouth away so he could shift into a more comfortable position. He bared his fangs in a manner that most felines did when about to mate and grabbed onto Naruto's hips, forcefully turning him over onto his stomach and yanking him back so he was on his elbows and knees.

The blond cat arched his back downward and a deep rumble came from his chest, from excitement of the act that was about to come. He spread his legs further apart and lifted his fluttering tail to expose his awaiting pucker. He panted like he was in heat, small beads of sweat dripping down his neck and temples. The floor of the shower room in the springs was rough on his knees, but he didn't mind.

"Mmm," Sasuke's voice was deep and alluring. "What do you want me to do?"

He might've been an animal, but he still loved to tease like a human.

Naruto moaned in deparation, hanging his head down between his shoulders, cheeks flushed. He wiggled his hips in a seductive way, but didn't get anything more than a chuckle, which frustrated him.

"S-Sasuke, please...!" he begged. He didn't wait all this time just to be teased! "Please just take me...!"

Sasuke didn't even speak before he pushed his hard member into that waiting channel, shoving it in as deep as it would go. His movement got him a delicious intake of breath and a sexy whine. The lack of lubrication didn't harm the blond at all, it seemed, because he was mewling and begging his mate to continue.

The raven pulled out faster than Naruto could take a breath, and slammed back in, repeating the motion over and over again. He grunted and growled at how tight the other feline was and dug his nails into the tan skin of his lover's hips.

Naruto couldn't keep back his loud moans and wails, his legs spreading as far as they could go and his back arching even lower. Everything that Sasuke was doing to him drove him mad and he clawed at the wooden floor beneath him. His closed eyes shot open when a calloused hand wrapped around his bobbing cock and stroked it in time with the frenzied thrusts.

"N-nghh, Sasuke! Sasuke!" he cried, his ears going flat atop his head. "Deeper...!"

Sasuke did just that, pulling back until the tip of his dick was the only thing left inside of the blond, then pushing in hard and deep. He continued the slower, but deeper, thrusts and leaned froward to sink his fangs into his mate's tan neck.

The blond saw white as the delicious pain ripped through him and sent him into orgasmic bliss, his neck arching and blood dripping onto the floor.

"M-more...!" he cried. His only reply was Sasuke's still-hard erection slamming into him even faster than before. He moaned loudly as a skilled tongue lapped at the blood on his neck and soft lips sucked on the wound, his member becoming hard again. "O-Ohhh!"

Sasuke rubbed at Naruto's hard member faster than he had before, his own orgasm approaching. He could feel it bubble and coil like a snake in the pit of his stomach, aching to be let out. He clenched his teeth and thrust into Naruto a few more times before he could feel the feline beneath him shake in ecstasy once again, cum splattering on the floor.

With three more good shoves, he removed his hand from Naruto's shaft and placed it back on the tan hips, digging his claws into the flesh. The muscles in his stomach clenched and unclenched as he shoved in all the way and emptied himself inside of the tight channel, filling his lover to the brim.

Naruto collapsed into a heap of goo once Sasuke pulled out, his sunflower-kissed hair matted down to his forehead and neck by sweat. His whole body was flushed pink and the raven's cum seeped out from between the quivering thighs, dripping onto the already soiled floor.

His beautiful blue eyes opened and peered out under long lashes to see Sasuke smiling at him, his own cheeks a little flushed.

"I can't move..." the blond admitted with a sheepish grin.

"That means I did well, right?" Sasuke smirked, grabbing one of the towels off the rack beside him. He began to clean himself off, then tossed the rag onto his mate's face, chuckling to himself.

"No wonder Sakura wanted you so much," Naruto laughed, but then realization hit him and he blinked his large eyes. "Sakura... Did Aboji tell her about us yet?"

Sasuke suddenly frowned.

"He hasn't had the time--"

"Waaaii!" Naruto sat up abruptly. "She saw us together when you stopped me from going after Orochimaru! I knew she was acting weird... She probably hates me now," he huffed. "She probably thinks I'm trying to steal you away from her or something..."

"Naruto, calm down, I doubt she--"

A loud bang came from outside the shower room, followed by hollering and shouts. It sounded like the maid that had greeted them earlier when they'd arrived at the school, her soft voice now full of panic.

"Master Jiraiya! Master Jiraiya!" she called, her voice getting closer. "The fox! It's Lukki-sama's pet!"

Sasuke quickly got up and wrapped a towel around his waist, shoving open the door of the shower room. He startled the maid, but she made her way to him in a hurry.

"What about the fox?" he asked, worried.

"He's going into labor, sir!"

**I hope you all enjoyed this longer chapter! Please review!**


	27. Sarang Hamnida

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. But daaaaamn, he's fine as hell!**

**I know, it's been FOREVER. I hope this chapter makes up for the lack of updates for the past few months. I'm doing better OCD and depression-wise, so there should be more updates now.**

"K-Kyuubi's going into labor?" Sasuke asked, stunned. He'd never really paid attention to how long the fox had been pregnant... But now he realized he should've. If doctors didn't get to Kyuubi in time, he would most likely die of blood loss. Foxes were known for the extra amount of blood they shed while giving birth, which was something very important that the maid probably didn't know.

While Sasuke snapped out of his daze and yelled at the nurse to get help immediately, Naruto quickly pulled on his clothes and ran past his mate to find wherever Kyuubi and Itachi were. He could sense Sasuke's fear back there and he wasn't going to wait around for something bad to happen. Sniffing the air, he caught the scent of blood and leapt over a smaller spring, turning a corner where there was a large mangrove growing through the floorboards.

"A-ahh!" Kyuubi's pained voice filled the air, catching the blond's attention. He ran further and stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Itachi hunched over his gasping mate, gripping his blood-covered hands. His cerulean eyes became wide in fear as he saw all of the blood smeared on the floor and all over their bodies.

Itachi turned to face the newcomer, blood in his hair and all down his jaw and neck. His eyes were full of loathing and worry, his fangs bared.

"He can't change!" he growled, scaring Naruto. "They're trying to tear through his stomach because he can't change! I'll kill them before they kill my mate!"

That was when Naruto realized that it was Kyuubi gripping onto Itachi's hands, not the other way around. He was trying to keep Itachi from harming the kits... and in doing that, he was killing himself. That realization hit the boy hard and tears sprang to his eyes, making them burn painfully.

"W-why can't he change...?" his voice cracked as he spoke.

"He's too weak!" Itachi's own eyes filled with tears he could no longer hold back. He refused to let the man he loved die. He tried to rip his hands away, but Kyuubi used all the strength he could to keep him in place so that his children could survive.

After a few moments, Kyuubi's howls and painful cries dulled down to pathetic whimpers and Itachi's tears slipped down his pale cheeks as he realized his lover was close to death. He could see the movement inside of the bulging stomach and silently wished that it could have been them dying instead of the person most precious to him.

Just a few seconds later, footsteps were heard and the professional doctors in the building were at Kyuubi's side, trying to help him. They pried his hands from Itachi's wrists and ordered the other pet to step away.

"His heart rate is extremely low and he's losing too much blood," one doctor said, grabbing a syringe that was full of blue fluid. "Inject him with Stato Vilo. The cubs should come out easily then."

Pushing the needle into the fox's chest, the doctor expelled the liquid and watched as Kyuubi's body convulsed one time before his chest heaved at a normal rate. The woman beside him lifted his arm and pushed her own syringe into the bend of his elbow where the vein was, quickly pulling it back before the man changed into his fox form, whining and wiggling around in agony.

"One cub is coming out, sensei," another woman that was placed by Kyuubi's legs stated and reached out to help with the birthing process. "Nagato-san, prepare a stretcher. As soon as the pet has given birth to all of his cubs, we'll need to take him in for surgery to stop the internal bleeding."

Itachi watched on, his heart pounding in his chest. Never in his life had he been so scared or even showed so much emotion... and as he noticed his younger brother's eyes on him as he approached from behind, he knew he was letting too much slip. Inhaling deeply, he let a calm expression slip across his face and relaxed his tense shoulders, watching the doctors help his lover survive and remove what he called 'burdens.'

Naruto turned when a hand was placed on his shoulder, his blue eyes meeting charcoal black ones. He smiled fainly and mouthed a 'he'll be okay' to Sasuke before looking on as each kit was born, their small, furless bodies wiggling around on the warm blanket that was lying on the ground for them. They looked so small to him as one of the male doctors sucked the liquid out of their tiny throats with an even smaller instrument, their cries breaking out instantly.

Not a moment later, two doctors blocked Naruto's view of the pets and spoke quickly to each other, their movements rough and sharp as they examined something the blond couldn't see. The woman sighed loudly and turned to her superior, cradling something in her blood-covered arms. The man beside her held a clipboard, ready to write down what she was about to say.

"Birth was successful. The fox will survive once he has undergone surgery and given iron injections. There were seven kits born, but unfortunately, one had inhaled too much liquid when trying to escape from its parent's womb and died from suffocation. Six remain and are in healthy condition."

Sasuke cringed, knowing the news of the single cub dying would hit Naruto like a brick and make him remember Seung's death. He glanced over and took note of the rage in his mate's beautiful eyes. He was sure that the boy's desire to kill Orochimaru was coursing through his veins at that moment. Sighing, the black leopard pulled Naruto against him.

"I know what it reminds you of, but calm down. Please."

"I'm calm," Naruto gritted his teeth.

Behind them, Jiraiya cleared his throat. They both turned on their heels, the anger slipping from the blond's eyes quickly enough. Sasuke bowed his head in respect to the man and pulled Naruto back with him so the senior pet could go through and get to where the doctors were.

"I'll deal with this matter. I want you two to take your cub and go home," was what the monkey said. "She's been very curious of the smell of blood coming from in here and I don't need her to see anything she doesn't need to, especially after being chained up by Orochimaru for so long. Kakashi and Lukki will be staying here with me, got it?"

Sasuke nodded and slowly led Naruto away from the crowd of people, out of the springs, and into the main hallway where Kyung-Soon was standing with one of the institute's teachers. The little girl smiled happily and ran to her parents, tugging on their much larger hands while quickly telling them about the new friends she'd made.

"That's nice," Naruto put on a smile, obviously still a little upset. But he was getting over it and only loved on his daughter as she spoke about lessons she'd learned. "I'm sorry to tell you this, but we have to leave now. Susu-mu and Papa have to take you home so that you can get all cleaned up and ready for bed."

Kyung-Soon pouted and her soft car ears flattened on her head.

"We have to leave already?" she whined.

"It's getting late," Sasuke commented. "When we get home, we'll make you some tuna that you can have before you take your bath, alright?"

That statement alone cheered the small cub right up and she nodded, grinning from ear to ear. She reminded Sasuke of his lover in so many ways that it was almost frightening. Enjoyable, but frightening.

"Papa," Kyung-Soon looked up at Naruto, her hand gripping his tightly. "How come I smelled blood earlier? It was really strong..." she scrunched up her nose and mewled. "It made my head hurt."

Sasuke cut in before Naruto could answer, squeezing the hand of his daughter's that he had in his own grasp.

"Someone just fell and cut their arm on the rocks in the springs. It's nothing to worry about."

In the back of his head, he was worrying about his brother and his mate. He hoped that they were doing alright...

--------

_"Chin-mae... Chin-mae, darling... where are you?"_

_"Mom...?" Naruto stared into the looming darkness, seeing a shadow darker than the darkness itself standing in the distance. "Mom...? Is that you?" he ran forward, tears coming to his eyes. He was going to see his mother for the first time since he was a cub, and he would probably see the rest of his family too._

_The figure stepped out from the shadows. It was definitely his mother, her arms spread wide open as her curly, blonde hair fell in thick swirls down to her waist. Her blue eyes were very welcoming, her lips parting to beckon him._

_"Chin-mae, I've missed you..."_

_Naruto ran even faster and wrapped his arms around his loving mother when he reached her, his heart hammering in his chest. He couldn't believe that she was actually there, right in his grasp. Her familiar scent was there, as well as her simmering warmth._

_"Chin-mae..." she whispered, "why did you replace me with someone else?"_

_The blond's eyes widened and he pulled away, seeing Sasuke standing there with a hurt expression on his handsome face._

_"Naruto... I'm your father, aren't I? Are you going to go back to your family once you see them again? Will you leave me behind?"_

_Naruto stepped back, watching the scenery change. His cerulean eyes fell on the small frame laying on the gravel road, rain pouring down around the both of them. Seung was laying there, eyes dull and his tail slowly fluttering on the ground. He was barely breathing._

_"S-Seung...!" the older feline shook and fell to his knees, slowly reaching out to touch his son. He ran his fingers along the child's wet cheek. He was alive... Naruto was seeing him alive...!_

_Seung's body convulsed slightly and he tilted his head to the side slightly, eyes slowly closing and lips parting._

_"Papa..." he breathed shallowly. "Papa... Are you going t-to leave me behind? Leave the memory of me here...? Leave me and S-Sofu here...?"_

_Naruto shut his eyes tightly and yanked his hands back, screaming out as loudly as possible. This couldn't have been real. It had to be a dream._

_A dream._

Naruto sat up in bed, his throat starting to hurt as he found himself screaming the last syllable of his son's name. Sweat slipped down his temples, his blue eyes frantically searching the pitch black room for his son. He gripped the sheets around his waist and jumped when a hand wrapped around his wrist.

Turning to the left, he looked down and saw the faint outline of Kyung-Soon. Her eyes were full of tears, filled with the guilt of knowing she'd been the one to lead her brother to his death... She'd been the one to lead him into Orochimaru's grasp. She'd been so scared of dying... and the human man had told her that he wouldn't kill her if she lead her younger brother to him...

He'd said that... He'd said that he wouldn't kill her brother... That he'd just keep him to test him...

"Papa... Seung... was my brother, right...? I..." she looked down with so much guilt in her pretty eyes.

Naruto spoke to her while noticing that Sasuke was absent from the large bed, his spot ruffled from recent use. He was probably in the bathroom or downstairs getting something to drink. He was having a little trouble sleeping recently...

"I know what happened between the two of you the day he... passed on," the blond ran a large hand through his hand, sighing and breathing in deeply. He was slowly getting over the death of his youngest cub, but it still just ripped him up inside. He could remember exactly how Seung looked in the rain when he'd found him... "It's alright, Kyung-Soon. There's no need to feel guilty. You didn't know... Kiba and Sai told me."

The little girl smiled slightly and hugged her father, turning to look at the door when Sasuke entered, his shirt having been discarded somewhere in the room. He was breathing heavily, a glass of water in his hand. He hurried to his lover's side and lifted the male's tan face up, looking into gorgeous ocean-blue eyes.

"I heard you scream..." he left out the part of him hearing their deceased cub's name in said scream. "Are you alright? I got this for you. I'm sure your throat is sore," he smiled faintly, sitting right beside Naruto. "Kyung-Soon, Papa and I need to talk, so try to sleep while we go into the hallway, okay?"

The blonde nodded with a neat little bob of her head, then nuzzled her cheek against Naruto's arm before shifting and snuggling under the covers. As she felt the both of them get up and slowly exit the room, she peaked at them quickly before turning over and yawning.

Outside of the room, Naruto leaned against the far wall and sighed, taking a sip of the water that cooled his scratchy throat. He looked over at his mate and smiled, as if to reassure the extremely worried leopard. The last thing he wanted to do was worry Sasuke.

"You shouted his name," Sasuke stated bluntly.

Naruto chuckled, looking away.

"You don't think I know...? God, I made Kyung-Soon cry..." he swallowed thickly. "The nightmare... it just really scared me for some reason. It made me remember something that I shouldn't think about... but that I **should** think about at the same time. And it just made me realize an issue I have to resolve..."

"What issue?" Sasuke questioned.

"My parents..." Naruto looked at his mate. "I don't know what I'll do once I see them again. They'll want me to go back to Korea with them... but I have my new family here in Japan," he looked torn. "My nightmare played on my stress... and I feel as if I'm leaving everything behind if I go back to Korea. My love, my friends, my new family, my memories..."

"Naruto," the raven started, "if you really want to go back to Korea--"

"I don't! I want to stay here with you and--and everyone else..." Naruto quieted himself down, trying not to wake everyone up. "But my mother and father... What would they say if I told them I didn't want to go back to Korea with them...?"

Sasuke pulled Naruto in a hug and sighed against his flattened ears. He could tell that his lover was stressed out and scared, and he just wanted to tell him that he could really go back to Korea if he wanted, but... he wanted him to stay in his arms for the rest of their lives. It sounded too mushy to him in his mind, so he chose not to voice it aloud.

"You take whatever path you think is the best for you. If that path happens to be one that leaves me behind... so be it. I want **you** to be happy."

Naruto's eyes burned as he pulled back and looked up into the darker leopard's face.

"Sasuke... I would never leave you behind. I've wanted you for such a long time... I'm not going to let you go--" his words were put to an end when lips crashed against his, his tall body being pushed firmly against the peach-colored wall he was leaninng against. He kissed back with much gusto, his eyes slipping closed. Damn, he loved the feel of Sasuke's frame against his.

"Um... Ahem."

Both parties turned to stare at Lukki, the man dressed in black slacks and a red dress shirt. He was adjusting his black tie as he smirked at them, his usually tussled golden hair in a neat, combed fashion. To them, he looked ready for a night on the town.

Sasuke pulled away from his flushed mate, clearing his throat.

"Are you going out? If so, I'm assuming that my brother and Kyuubi are doing just fine."

Lukki nodded.

"They're both with Tsunade-sama right now, along with the kits. They're doing just fine!" he exclaimed happily. "And yes, I'm going out. Kakashi and I are... how do you say... going on a date?"

Both Naruto and Sasuke stared at him, stunned.

"A... A date...?" the repeated the man in unison.

"Yeeeep. A date," Lukki smirked. "We're going to a quaint little cafe in the downtown area," he waved to them before turning on his heel and heading toward the stairs. "I suggest you two get to bed. The next Showcase is in two days and you need to be rested up! Ciao, minna!"

Naruto stared at Kyuubi's master with a disturbed look on his face, his stress and worry having already melted away. His own master... and Lukki... going on a date together? Kakashi always looked like he could hardly even stomach the man, let alone possibly date him... Did he lose a bet? Was he blackmailed?

"Maybe... we **should** get some sleep," Sasuke chuckled, trying to forget about the information that he'd just been given. He didn't want to know anything about Kakashi's 'personal' life. "You look worn out and we have to have you in top shape for the Showcase."

Naruto nodded.

"I suppose so... I am tired and I'm sure Kyung-Soon isn't enjoying sleeping alone."

He let Sasuke lead him back into the bedroom; Lukki and Kakashi's date had been forgotten, the worry over family had been tossed aside for the time being, and their sudden lust for each other had been left in the hallway. They just smiled to each other and laid on each side of their female cub, holding each other's hand as they drifted off to sleep.

----------

"Paaaaaapaaaa," Kyung-Soon ran to her 'mother' in the garden, a little pink sundress on her scrawny frame. She played with the curls of her ponytail that was draped over her shoulder, a big pout on her face. "Papa, I can't find Nuna..."

Naruto frowned, looking up from the magazine he'd found lying in the kitchen.

"What do you mean you can't find him? And Kyung-Soon... it's not really nice of you to call Sai your older sister..." he chuckled. "Um, you two were playing hide-and-seek, weren't you? I guess he beat you this time."

Kyung-Soon puffed her cheeks out and crossed her arms, harumphing in a very Sasuke-esque manner. Glancing around, she hoped to find Sai. She wasn't going to admit that if she didn't, she would cry. Sai was her "precious person", in her opinion, and she was worried he'd ran away from her!

"Nuuuna!" she called, running past the garden, trailing along the woods that connected the Hatake residence with the Aburame residence. She could barely see Kiba in his pet form running around the yard with Shino standing by their large porch. She slowed down her movement to watch them play frisbee, but then hurried her pace when she heard a shuffling sound close by. "Nuna! Is that you?"

Looking around, she spotted said feline snoozing behind a couple of fallen trees. His knees were bent and he was slouched over, but he looked so comfortable and content. Kyung-Soon's ears flattened against her head and she whimpered, wondering exactly how long Sai had been there. She felt horrible for making him wait so long...

Eyes opening quickly, Sai jumped up into a protective stance, but relaxed when he saw that the person standing in front of him was his his 'playmate'.

"I'm sorry..." Kyung-Soon apologized, bowing. "I didn't mean to make you wait so long."

Sai chuckled, stretching.

"You haven't even been with your parents that long and already you're mature enough to apologize. It's quite alright. I had a pleasant nap," he teased, causing the cub to blush.

Kyung-Soon ran forward and gripped onto the bottom of Sai's shirt, clinging to him. She nuzzled his stomach with her smiling face and mumbled a "sarang hamnida (1)" against the soft fabric. Since being rescued by Sai and Kiba, the little girl had taken a strong liking to the black tiger. She adored him like no other except for her papa.

Sai's lips twitched downward for a moment, but the frown disappeared from his face in an instant.

"Same here..."

**1- I love you in Korean**

**I hope you all enjoyed this chapter of KWSC :D**


	28. The Truth Is Found Out!

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

**Thank you all for staying and supporting my story! When I'd posted the first chapter of this fanfiction, I'd assumed it wouldn't do so well since I just wrote this on a whim. But now I look at where it is now and I'm glad I got the random urge to write this. All of you have helped me see one of the few talents I have and I'm grateful.**

**Thank you.**

Naruto stood on the very top of Kakashi's house, the heels of his feet pressed together on the ledge that led over the attic window. His shirt had been discarded on the ground below only minutes ago as the heat caused him to sweat buckets. Since being told that he could do whatever energetic activities he wanted without the possibility of dying, he'd been running around as much as possible.

At the moment, he was taking a break from playing tag with his daughter, Sai, Sasuke, and Kiba to enjoy a rough breeze that was blowing his hair all around his face. He looked down to see Kyung-Soon and Sasuke running through the various paths that led through the flower beds, Sai leaning against the white fence with Kiba by his side. Looking over the fence, he saw Shino on his back porch with Hinata, his quiet chinchilla.

Turning when he smelled a familiar scent, he frowned at the sight of Sibel Claire and Sakura stepping out of a long, black limo. What were they doing here? Hadn't Kakashi told them that Sasuke couldn't mate with the pink-haired pet?

"Sasuke, Sakura's here," Naruto yelled down to his lover.

It was as if the good atmosphere had crashed down around Sasuke, because he felt annoyed suddenly. He'd thought that Kakashi had dealt with Sibel and her pet already. He did **not** want to deal with Sakura's tears when he told her he had no interest in mating with her.

"Who's Sakura?" Kyung Soon asked, panting a little from running around so much. She'd been having tons of fun and was upset that it had to stop. Watching Sasuke disappear into the house, she looked over at Sai and Kiba, noticing the amused looks on their faces.

"Don't worry about, he has it all under control. Come on, let's finish playing before I have to head home for dinner," Kiba grinned and trotted over to the little girl, lifting her up into the air. "You'll be it this time, little brat!"

Naruto smiled at them, but couldn't help worrying over what could possibly be happening inside. He hoped for the best, hoping that Sakura wouldn't get too angry and cause a scene. Though, from what he'd seen of her, she didn't seem like the type to throw a fit...

---------

"Hello, Sasuke," Sibel Claire greeted the pet that entered the kitchen through the sliding doors. She had on an expensive silk dress that was the color of stormy skies, her hair tied back in an almost painful-looking bun. She had her trademark fan with her, blowing air over her light make-up. Sakura was right beside her, in a pretty white dress that was simple and innocent.

She smiled at Sasuke and walked over to him, wrapping her arms around his neck in a small hug. He could feel her heart beating fast in excitement, as if today was the day they were supposed to mate. He felt guilt tug at his heart for a moment, but he hugged her back and sighed, realizing that his decision couldn't be kept to himself any longer.

"Where might Kakashi be?" Sibel asked, pulling lip stick from her purse and applying it to her thin lips. As if hearing her, Kakashi walked down the hallway in nothing but a pair of long sleeping pants and entered the kitchen with a loud yawn. Sibel couldn't help the blush that crossed her pale cheeks, her eyes glued to the faint happy trail underneath the man's belly button. "I-I'm assuming you didn't expect to see me this morning..." she cleared her throat.

Kakashi blinked and turned toward her, having not even realized she was there. He smiled sheepishly, a little embarrassed to show his scarred face to her. He didn't think that there would be company, so he hadn't taken the time to cover his left eye and lower face.

Both Sakura and her owner cringed at the scars covering his otherwise handsome face. What could have happened to him to cause such horrible scarring?

"Forgive me for not being in a better state of dress. I didn't think I would be getting any guests today..." Kakashi ran a hand through his messy hair and went into the kitchen to pour himself a cup of tea. "I'm going to go ahead and say you're here to speak with me about Sasuke and Sakura?"

"Y-Yes," Sibel looked away from Kakashi's face. "I don't mean to be rude, it's just..."

"Distracting?" the silver-haired man laughed. "I know. Don't worry about it. I don't expect you to act like you see something like this every day," he waved his hand over his ruined face. "It was a childhood accident."

_So that's why he always covers most of his face, _Sakura told herself.

"Ah... anyway," the woman sniffled, looking over to her pet. "I wanted to speak to you about a date... for the mating, I mean," she held back an embarrassed laugh. Surely, she couldn't take interest in a man she'd known for years just because he'd decided to not wear a shirt in her presence one time.

"About that..." the man chuckled. "The mating won't be happening. I'm sorry to inform you of such news, but Sasuke has taken a romantic liking to our little cub, Naruto."

Sasuke cringed. Did he really need to put it so bluntly? Looking over at Sakura, he saw a frown on her face. For some reason... she looked like she'd expected it to happen.

Sibel scowled.

"He's taken a liking to his own **son**?"

"We're not blood-related," Sasuke growled, anger rising. He despised the unapproving tone her voice. There was nothing wrong with their kind of relationship at all.

"Sasuke, calm down," Kakashi sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Sibel, forgive me, but I think you should leave. I'm sorry about this, but I'm not heartless enough to have my pet mate with someone he has no interest for."

Sakura's eyes started to water and she bit her lower lip, her peach-colored cheeks tinting a faint red. She tried her hardest not to cry, but her heart was hurting too much. Tears slipping down her face, she glared at Sasuke with enough anger to make him look away and feel a twinge of horrible guilt.

"Don't cry, child," Sibel scowled at Kakashi and snapped her fan against her hip to shut it. She was beyond angry, she was livid. "If you can't even go through with a simple step of the pet-owning process, you have **no** business being an Owner at all. You treat your pets like they're humans. Well, they're **not**."

Sibel grabbed Sakura's wrist and yanked her out of the kitchen, her heels clacking angrily against the tiled flooring. Before they even reached the door, a sob tore itself from Sakura's throat. Kakashi felt bad for the tiger, but he wasn't going to force Sasuke to do something he didn't want to do. Even if he was some mutated form of an animal... he felt, thought, and acted just like a normal person.

Sasuke stepped back, then turned around to go back out into the yard so he could take his mind off of what happened. He enjoyed Sakura's company as a friend, but nothing else. He wouldn't have been able to like her romantically, even if he had tried. She was beautiful, smart, funny, yes... but she wasn't Naruto.

Kiba saw the feline exit the house and the grin dropped from his handsome face as soon as he saw the scowl Sasuke was wearing. Something bad had happened, he knew it.

"Hey, man... Are you alright?"

"Sasuke!" Naruto jumped down from the roof and hurried over to his lover, Kyung-Soon catching up to him and grabbing onto his hand. She gnawed on the inside of her cheek, not liking her Susu-mu's expression. "What happened?"

Sasuke sighed.

"Kakashi told Sakura and her owner that we're mates," he directed his words toward the blond. "Of course, Sakura got upset since she's liked me for a while... and Sibel wasn't too thrilled either. I'm sorry, Naruto, things will probably be very tense between you and Sakura at the Showcase in a few days now that that's happened..."

Naruto shook his head, smiling slightly. "No, it's okay... It would've eventually happened. I like Sakura, but our relationship's more important than her being my friend."

Trying to lighten up the mood a little, Naruto grinned and swayed his hips, making Sai and Kiba snort in amusemernt.

"Are you sure you wouldn't want a pretty kitty like her? She's a pure-blood Siberian Tiger and I'm just a lowly Impure," he smirked. "I'm not worthy of you, oh great Sasuke-sama."

Sasuke chuckled and put his hand on his mate's head, ruffling his hair.

"You've always known how to cheer me up," he smiled.

Behind the fence that separated the backyard from the driveway, Sakura stood there with her soft ear against the closed wooden gate. Tears continued to fall down her flushed cheeks, her eyes wide. She couldn't believe what she'd heard... She'd just wanted to go back to tell Sasuke she deserved a chance... and she'd overheard one of the biggest secrets that could be kept...

Naruto was an Impure...

----------

"Tomorrow's the Showcase," Naruto told Kyung-Soon, his large hand on her head. He remembered when he was around her size. That hadn't been too long ago...

Looking over at his lover, Naruto smiled. He was still so amazed that he was able to grow and now be as big as Sasuke; maybe even bigger.

"I want to enter, Papa," she puffed her cheeks out, playing with the long strand of curls that was hanging over her shoulder. "It's not fair that all those other little pets can enter, but I can't."

Sasuke chuckled.

"They're all a few months older than you and have gotten the proper training. Jiraiya's been busy, so we haven't been able to train you for a Showcase yet. He should be free next week if you're that eager."

"I am, I am!" Kyung-Soon bounced as she walked, drawing attention from pedestrians strolling by. There was no way that they wouldn't be drawn to such a pretty creature like her. She had as much allure as her parents.

Kakashi and Lukki mostly kept to themselves the entire walk to Tsunade's small hospital. They'd spent an evening together and they both had to admit that they liked each other, but they didn't really know if a relationship could work. In a little less than a week, Lukki would take his pets and return to Cote D'iviore. How could they have a working relationship with such a huge distance and such a huge time difference?

Leaning over toward Kakashi, Lukki smiled a bit.

"Let's just stay friends, alright? I know we're both thinking about the same things. A relationship wouldn't work, as much as it really hurts."

Kakashi raised a brow.

"You said you only grew fond of my lately. How could it hurt you?"

"I lied," Kyuubi's owner shrugged. "I couldn't tell you that I'd liked you since you let me move in because that would've made things a little... awkward," he laughed quietly. "But don't think much about it. These things happen all the time. We wouldn't work out as much as I want us to."

The scarecrow sighed and reached out to rub his friend's shoulder.

He liked him a lot, but Lukki was right. There was no way it would work.

It looked like they'd just have to stay friends.

And when they found themselves in opposite countries, they could think and dream of what never was, but what could've been.

Naruto peered over his shoulder at the two owners treading behind them, his eyes full of sudden sadness. It hurt even him, to see those two men who obviously really liked each other have to split up and never have a chance together. He knew life wasn't some magical fairytale where everything happened the way you wanted it to, but he wished that things could always work out when it came to the heart.

"They're grown men, they'll pull through," Sasuke tried to joke, knowing how upset his mate was getting.

"It's not only that... It hurts me to see them not really having a chance to be together, but what about Kyuubi and Itachi? You've seen them around the house the past few months... They're practically in love with each other and I know they'll both be torn in two when they have to be seperated..."

The leopard sighed.

"I'm sure they'll be fine--"

"Uwaaaaa! Papa, Susu-mu, look! The doggy's so big!" Kyung Soon broke off their conversation when she ran over to the huge white dog that had just left the doctor's with his owner. The woman who was leading him stopped and turned to smile at the approaching cub.

"Well, hello there," she bent down and Kyung-Soon was amazed when the woman's head didn't even reach her dog's. "This here is Azusa. He's an Argentine Dogo (1). I brought him to the doctor's because he has a Type 6 Hyperactive Thyroid that's making him grow faster than he should."

"He's huuuuuge! (2)" she reached out to pet him below his ear, eyes widening when he changed into a young boy with pure white hair and light blue eyes. He had pale skin and an intimidating look to him, but she found herself not too afraid of him.

"Kyung-Soon, come inside when you're done," Naruto smiled, waving back to her as they all entered the building through the automatic doors.

"Okay, Papa!" the little girl turned back to the pet before her and she smiled brightly. "I've never seen someone with white hair before except for old people," she commented.

The boy scrunched his nose up at her and remained silent.

His owner laughed.

"Don't mind him. Argentine Dogos are quiet dogs. He looks intimidating, but he's a very sweet pet. Come on, Azusa, say hello to the pretty girl."

Azusa looked away, but mumbled a soft "hello" in his young voice.

Kyung-Soon blushed. "H-Hello."

"But I'm sorry, we both have to go. He has to train for the Showcase tomorrow. It's his first time," she pet the girl on the head. "Get inside before your family starts to worry," she waved, then turned with the boy right at her heel.

There was something about him that just... made her want to see him again.

Ahhh, so much for her little crush on Sai.

---------

Inside one of the hospital's rooms, Kyuubi was relaxing in a bed, fast asleep. The birth had been too much for his body to handle, so he'd been dozing in and out of consciousness every now and then, remaining awake only long enough to smile to Itachi and his cubs that were brought in every once in a while from the nursery. Itachi was sitting next to his mate's bed, reading through and old, thick novel that he'd borrowed from Tsunade, when the Hatake family entered.

"Is he alright?" Lukki asked, looking over at his slumbering pet. "There wasn't any permanent damage, was there?"

Itachi looked up, shaking his head. He closed his book slowly and sat it on the counter beside him, which was already littered with the comic books he'd specifically gotten to let Kyuubi read. The red-head had taken a strong liking to the picture books when he'd been given one from the waiting room since it was the only reading material they'd had left.

"Are all of the kits okay?" Kakashi looked around the spacious room, trying to keep his mind off of his current sadness... He'd only known the man for a few months. It shouldn't be so devestating to think of him leaving. He'd move on. He was a grown man with many options.

He didn't believe in waiting for one single person.

"They're fine," Itachi answered, standing up. "All of them are running around in the nursery if you'd like to see them. I was just there an hour ago."

"I want to see them! I want to see them!" Kyung-Soon bounced up and down in excitement. "What are their names, Ita-mu? How many are girls?"

Naruto and Sasuke both chuckled at the girl's excitement, leading her back out of the room so they could go to the nursery, telling her a 'you'll find out' before they turned the corner and disappeared. Both Kakashi and Lukki stayed behind, wanting to see how their older pets were coming along.

"You could've come home, you know," Kakashi smiled underneath his mask. "To at least get an extra pair of clothes."

Itachi snorted.

"I wasn't going to chance him waking up and me not being here."

Lukki grinned, ignoring the painful twinge in his chest. "It sounds like you're in loooove."

"I am," the albino leopard stated as if the whole world already knew. He'd accepted it a while ago and knew that the entire Hatake household pretty much knew anyway. It was, in Sasuke's words, obvious. "I'm in love with him and I'm proud to be the father of his kits."

Both Kakashi and Lukki were somewhat hoping he'd be in denial about being in love.

So that he wouldn't hurt as much as them.

----------

There were six half-breeds running around the nursery when Naruto, Sasuke, and Kyung-Soon entered the nursery. All of the rooms in the facility were empty, so Shizune had let them run around freely since there would be no other children around. No one in the hospital wanted to chance anyone finding out they weren't Purebloods.

"They're all so cute!" Kyung-Soon smiled brightly as they all turned their heads in her direction, mewling and yipping as they bounced over to her. Two of them jumped as high as they could in an attempt to lick her small hands, but they couldn't reach. The other four just watched her, excited to have another guest. "There's four boys and two girls..." she looked at all of them.

"Aren't they precious?" Shizune asked, walking over to the entering pets with a sweet smile. "I've never seen a fox mix before... They're very beatuful and playful. They're leaving to go with their owner back home soon, ne? The country that Kyuubi-kun came from... what is it called?"

Naruto and Sasuke both thought about that for a moment.

"Cote... Cote dio-- No, that's not right..." Naruto laughed nervously. "Um, some country in Africa. It's small, that's all I know."

"Hmm," Shizune frowned. "Do they accept Impures there...? I don't want them to be in any danger..."

Naruto smiled. "No need to worry! Kyuubi said that in Africa, there aren't that many pets, so there isn't anyone who will be a threat."

"Ah, that's good to hear," the woman laughed. "I was a bit worried for a moment there. I'm sure if Lukki-san stayed in Japan, he would make a fortune off of them in Showcases. They're gorgeous animals."

Kyung-Soon lifted one of the girls into her arms. They all looked exactly the same, save for them all having different eyes. They were all red, but different hues of the color. Each of them were black with nine long, fluffy tails. Scratching behind the kit's ear, Kyung-Soon giggled.

"Do they have names?" she asked.

Shizune nodded.

"The one you're holding is Jahi. It means prominence in Swahili," she smiled. "Kyuubi wanted them to have traditional African names. The four boys are Nabhani, Dakarai, Masozi, and Lesedi, and the other girl is Akinyi."

"Such pretty names," Kyung-Soon commented, putting Jahi down so she could play with the other pets too.

Naruto and Sasuke smiled at her.

"It's a shame that Kyuubi-kun and his cubs will be leaving... I would have enjoyed seeing them in a Showcase... I also would have enjoyed seeing them with their father. Itachi-kun didn't seem too upset, but he was always good with masking his emotions... Do either of you know how he's dealing with this...?"

Sasuke sighed, looking at the young woman. "Aniki... he's strange. He used to be cold-hearted, but now he's opened up and is in love with someone for the first time... and I can honestly say that he's hurting. He's hiding it, but he's in pain."

"I feel bad for him..." Naruto said, turning to look at his daughter and the other kits running around and having fun.

He was sure that it hurt Itachi to know that his new family he'd made... would be gone in less than a week... The thought itself made his own heart hurt and he held back tears.

_Maybe things will work out for the both of them... Maybe..._

**(1) - Argentine Dogos are amazing dogs. I want one when I get my own place. They're HUGE.**

**(2) - That's what she said. Hah.**

**Not much happened in this chapter, but you got insight into Kakashi and Lukki's minds, a dangerous new development with Sakura knowing Naruto's secret, and a meeting with Kyuubi and Itachi's adorable kits!**

**Kitty, Want Some Candy? will be coming to an end soon. Not that many more chapters and another one of my stories will come to an end.**

**Please review! Thank you!**


	29. I'm Sorry

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

**I have a Twitter now. My username on the site is xXAsian_CandyXx. Follow me, guyz!**

"Why are you so excited?" Itachi asked Kyung-Soon, straightening out his dress shirt.

It was finally the night of the Showcase and everyone in the Hatake 'family' was backstage, getting ready for the beginning of the show. Pets were scattered everywhere, being pampered and primped by their owners, all looking as perfect as a photo-shopped picture.

Kyung-Soon was hopping around in excitement, watching every pet that passed by her. She'd never been to a Showcase before and all of the hustle and bustle around her made her not want to stay still. It wasn't a good thing for Itachi, though, considering he was the one who had to watch over the little girl.

"Because there are so many pets here!" she replied enthusiastically. "They're all so pretty!"

Itachi raised a fine eyebrow, deciding to leave the cub to stare at her surroundings so he could watch his mate walk around and talk to other owners and pets about his newborn kits. News of the birth had spread all around Japan, mainly because it was rare for foxes to be brought to Showcases in the country, let alone give **birth** in it.

Kyuubi was smiling as he spoke to everyone about them, a proud look on his handsome face. While he had his mind on explanations and stories, Itachi had his mind on his new family leaving him to go back to Africa. He'd see his children for a little over a week, then they and his 'wife' would be gone. It would be as if they'd never even stayed in the Hatake household.

He'd found love for once and he'd have to give it up. He had no say.

"Itachi," Kakashi came up to his older pet, holding a bunch of papers in his arms. "You're supposed to be watching Kyung-Soon. Did you not see her run over to that group over there?" he pointed to Neji, Gaara, and an unknown pet that he could only assume was a part of the frog group. He had a bowl cut, round eyes, and a cheerful smile.

"Ah," Itachi was pulled from his thoughts and frowned. "Forgive me... My mind was elsewhere. I'll get her right now--"

Kakashi held up his hand.

"There's no need to worry about it now. I know for a fact that Maito Gai's pets will watch over her. Him and I go way back," he smiled. "Just tell me what's on your mind."

The albino leopard sighed and ran a hand through his long hair. He didn't really know where to begin, but he decided to just make his explanation short and to the point. There wasn't any point in beating around the bush.

"Kyuubi going back to Africa isn't what I want..." he answered with a low growl that some pets in the area heard, a few turning their ears in his direction. "I want him **and** my kits to stay here."

Kakashi sighed and sat down in the seat opposite of his pet.

"I share your feelings, but there's nothing I can do about it. Their home is in Africa, just like our home is here in Tokyo. Neither of us can just ask them to stay, Itachi. If they could stay, they would've chosen to, I know that for sure. Kyuubi would never want to leave you unless he absolutely had to."

Their conversation was cut short by an intercom turning on, a female voice announcing that the Showcase was about to begin and that everyone pet needed to be in order backstage.

"I know that it hurts," Kakashi spoke as he stood up and adjusted his tie. "But remember... you'll get to see him every year. I made plans to have Lukki and his pets visit us every summer," he smiled slightly. "It's better than never seeing them again, ne?"

He then disappeared, leaving Itachi to smile slightly to himself. It was much better than not seeing Kyuubi and his kits ever again. At least they'd be in his life.

Sasuke and Naruto came up from behind him and the blond patted him on the head with a grin.

"Come on, get in oooooorder. I can't wait to beat you in the competition," he teased.

Both leopards smirked, sparked by the thought of a challenge.

"Oh, you think you can beat me?" they both crooned in unison.

"Yep," Naruto's grin grew. "I'm young and much more attractive than the both of you," he joked. "I'll win with ease."

As they all got in order, chatting and making bets, Sakura stood close to the curtains with her eyes downcast. Her mind was a battlefield, different choices butting heads like rams. She'd found out that Naruto was an Impure the other day, but she hadn't told anyone... and she didn't know if she should.

Sure, Sasuke would never be hers because he'd chosen the younger feline over her, but was reason enough to spill his secret? It wasn't child's play; he wouldn't get a slap on the wrist and be let go... he would be thrown out of his home, onto the streets where no one would help him... Not everyone was as kind as Kakashi; not everyone would take him in, especially now that he was an adult.

She didn't know what to do... If she tattled, then she could have a chance with Sasuke. If she tattled, then she could be the one he would kiss and be affectionate with... But if she chose that... Naruto would be an outcast. She would hurt the boy she'd grown quite fond of...

Was she cruel enough to hurt a pet that was barely even an adult...? A pet that had only ever been kind to her?

"Sakura!" Naruto smiled and waved at her from where he was standing a few yards away. "Come over here and talk with us! I don't want there to be any hard feelings between the both of us because of what happened the other day!"

The tiger fought back the guilty tears that were threatening to spill over, putting on a fake smile.

"I'm coming, hold on..." she replied quietly, breathing in deeply. Stepping away from the curtains, she approached Naruto, Sasuke, and Itachi. She didn't want to look at any of them, but decided that it was best to make it seem as if the incident a few days ago hadn't phased her at all. "Hi, Sasuke-kun," she chirped. "Hi, Naruto-kun. I wish you both the best."

Itachi scowled, knowing that the girl was ignoring him on purpose. She loved getting a rise out of him, but he wasn't going to give in to her so easily.

"Ne, ne, Sakura," Naruto blinked. "You look like you're about to cry. Are you okay? You look a bit pale, too..."

"I'll be fine," Sakura quickly covered, laughing nervously. "Don't worry. Just a little nervous. I don't feel like I could win against any of you, that's all..."

Sasuke 'hmphed', while Naruto chuckled.

"But you're so pretty and smart. You're talented, too. I'm sure you'll do fine"

"You're only saying that because you know you'll either get first or second place," Itachi smirked.

"A-aha..." Sakura let Naruto and Itachi talk, turning her face downward. She couldn't do it... she couldn't tell on him. He was too nice, too good of a person to have that happen to him...

But if she told, she'd have a chance to win first or second place in upcoming Showcases...

Biting her lip, she shut her eyes and breathed in shakily.

What should she do?

What would be the best decision...?

Tsunade smiled at the entering people, passing out pamphlets for the Showcases. The crowd was slowing down and she was happy for that, wanting to take a break so she could get off of her feet for at least five minutes. She didn't have the most tiring job, but with her age and her ample breast size, standing for more than thirty minutes was quite the task.

"I can't wait to sit down," she groaned in the empty entryway, listening to the clapping coming from the Showcase room. She assumed that the show had started, so she walked over to the table where she'd set up her stuff, and sat down. "Ahhh, this is more tiring than running around in the hospital," she said to herself.

There was a few minutes of silence, before the front doors opened. Deciding to just give them the pamphlets while sitting, she lifted them up and put on a cheery smile. There were three people standing in front of her, the one in front a greasy man with a sleazy smile.

"Welcome..." she trailed off, furrowing her brows. The younger man behind him looked familiar...

"Forgive us for being late," the sleazy gentleman cooed in a frightful manner. "Our car decided to stop working in the middle of the city... Would you mind escorting us to where the Showcase is being held? This is our first time and we have no idea where we're going."

Tsunade hid her expression of disgust at how dirty the man was and stood up, bringing them further down the hallway where it was dim because of the lighting. She told them that it would be hard to find seats since the Showcase had already started, but the greasy man only chuckled and said that it was fine.

"Where are you three from?" the blonde doctor asked, leading them to the entry doors. "You have very different accents."

"We're from China."

"Ah, I see... It must be--" Tsunade's eyes widened when she felt a sharp pain in her neck. Her body shook and she fell forward, her vision blurring. "M-Melodrynocide..." she muttered, knowing exactly what they'd used on her; a poison that causes temporary death.

The female of the group grinned and reached down to yank the doctor up by her hair.

"Have a nice nap, cunt," she laughed obnoxiously and threw Tsunade onto the ground, leaping over to her to run to the doors that led to the Showcase room. "Orochimaru-sama, can we start the operation now? I want to get Naruto myself," she grinned darkly, hand on the door handle. Reaching behind her neck, she pulled a snake mask over her face.

"Orochimaru-sama, are you sure that you want to go through with this massacre?" Kabuto pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "We were already doing so well killing Impures in secret... Doing this, you're killing innocent people and Purebloods in the process... Is that pet really worth all of this?"

The snake only smirked, the wrinkles around his eyes crinkling. He nodded to the girl, Tayuya, to open the door and begin the operation.

"He is worth all of this and more... You know this. With him... I can create the perfect Pureblood..."

Kakashi sat at his front row table with Lukki, sipping from his wine glass. He was highly impressed by the pets that were on display this Showcase. So much so, that he wondered if any of his pets would win first place. But while he thought about that, Lukki had worries clouding his mind.

He'd heard from family back home that pets were finally starting to become big in South Africa and that they were sure there'd be laws against Impures soon, no matter how small the population. He wasn't sure if he should go back home to that... but at the same time, he didn't want to not be near his family. There'd be no way they'd move to Japan.

But at the same time, if he stayed, he'd be able to have a relationship with Kakashi. Sure, neither of them knew if it would last, but he knew that the silver-haired man wanted to at least try. He'd be happy with just trying.

He didn't know if he could stay, though... Kyuubi's kits weren't exactly Pureblood and there would be more strict laws about getting rid of them in Tokyo than in Cote d'Iviore...

His thoughts were interrupted when a gunshot rang out, followed by a man yelling about his daughter being shot. There was an uproar of voices before he turned around to look, seeing a young woman with a snake mask on in the far corner. She had two guns pointed at the crowd, yelling something to them.

"Orochimaru..." Kakashi leaned forward and whispered into Lukki's ear. "He's behind this... We need to sneak backstage and get Naruto out of here, **now**. I'll get him while you get all of the other pets out of here."

He slowly got out of his chair and crouched down, quickly moving between the tables full of scared and distraught people. He couldn't believe that Orochimaru would make any sort of movement in the public eye. As he got closer to the stage, more gunshots rang out and he watched the man in front of him fall to the ground with blood seeping out of his neck. Looking up, he saw another person in a snake mask sitting on the high beams in the ceiling, gun pointed down at the ground.

Rushing forward, he clambered up the stairs and rushed through the curtains.

"Everyone," he heard Lukki whisper loud enough for all of the confused and startled pets to hear. "All of the management and security of the Showcase are trying to take down the shooter outside... so I'm going to escort all of you outside of the building so you can get to a safer area. Naruto," he looked over at blond, "I need you to go with Kakashi."

"Why? I can protect him," Sasuke growled.

"It's Orochimaru who's behind this and Kakashi is going to get Naruto somewhere where he can be guarded," Lukki answered. "Please let him go and all of you, follow me. Your owners will be okay, so don't run past the curtains."

Naruto looked back at Sasuke and Kyung-Soon as his wrist was grabbed by his owner. He saw his daughter cling to the leopard, fear in her blue eyes. He knew going with Kakashi was the best thing he could do right now, but all he wanted to do was stay with his family and protect them.

"I didn't think he would pull a stunt like this," the man spoke softly to Naruto, rushing him down a hallway in the back and into a room that had a small window near the far corner. "Go through there," he ran his hand down the Naruto's back and watched him change into his pet form. "Once outside, run as fast as you can to Yamato's house. You remember where he lives, right? Go there and he'll keep you safe. Hurry!"

Naruto nodded his head and crouched down, leaping up to break through the glass. He hit the street behind the building roughly, but got up quickly and made his way to the main street. Cop cars and ambulances were everywhere, but he did hear one thing over the sirens: a woman screaming how the culprits had disappeared.

_They're after me... They know I got out!_ The pet sped up as pedestrians watched people come out of the huge building on stretchers, blood coating their clothes and skin. He could smell the stench from where he was, even though he ran faster and faster away. If he stayed on the main road, then he'd have a better chance of escaping from Orochimaru. The streets were congested, packed with people and cars.

Breathing harder, he turned past the coffee shop that marked the half way point to Yamato's house. Even the scent of Sai could be picked up from the sidewalk he was on. As he saw the main gates that led to the spacious mansion home, he also saw a car parked on the side of the road where there wasn't much traffic.

He knew it was Orochimaru. He could tell by the smell... It was the same smell that he'd smelt on Seung the day he'd died...

He wasn't going to let himself be caught.

Turning around swiftly, he jumped onto the low roof of a watch store and sped over rooftops so he could find somewhere to hide. Looking everywhere, he found a hole through a fence behind a shop that most likely led to Yamato's backyard. Jumping off the building, he slipped through the hole and smiled inwardly when he saw Yamato standing on his back porch deck, waiting for him with Sai at his side.

"Hurry inside!" the older man called, opening his back door.

Naruto was panting by the time he entered the house, his heart hammering in his chest. Sai was by his side in an instant, running his finger down his friend's spine so he could change back into a human.

"Kakashi called to tell us you were coming... We saw Orochimaru and his men just outside of the house, but we knew that they wouldn't dare enter here," Sai spoke.

"I have all the state-of-the-art security here. If they took a single step into my yard, a machine gun would go off," Yamato stated almost chillingly.

Naruto stared at the owner, eyes wide.

"M-Machine gun...?"

"It's nothing to worry about, Naruto-kun," Yamato chuckled. "It only goes off when someone I haven't labeled in my security bank steps foot on my property. "I also have a lot more things that could cause, well... fatal injuries. So you don't have to worry about Orochimaru coming into this house."

The blond nodded slowly, but looked down, worry lacing his face.

"Kakashi said that Sasuke and little Kyung-Soon got out fine and are safe, if that's what's bothering you," Sai smiled. "Come on, we'll show you where you'll be staying until Orochimaru's in jail."

"Okay..."

Everyone was okay. That was a huge relief to Naruto, but... he was so stressed about the snake trying to catch him and everyone possibly being in danger... He didn't know what to do. All of his loved ones could die because of him...

_Sasuke..._

He followed Sai to a bedroom on the second floor that was styled like old-time Japan. There was a sleeping mat on the floor, a screen door that led to the bathroom and closet, and no windows. Lanterns hung from the ceiling and there was even a small pond in the corner of the room, the chirping of crickets soft in the background.

"It's nothing like your bedroom at home, but this is the safest room in the house for guests. No windows, a password-lock door... You'll be safe," Sai commented. He was staring at Naruto's expressions as he spoke and he had to say, he didn't like any of them. His face went from sad, to angry, to sad again... then finally, to guilty. "What's going through your mind?"

Naruto's cerulean eyes shot over to his friend's.

"Nothing... I'm just a little stressed out. I'll be fine once I get some rest, though."

"Ah, alright..." Sai narrowed his eyes, not liking the answer. He knew that something bad was running through the other pet's mind. "Well, the code to this room is Q37YK. Can you remember that?"

Naruto stayed quiet for a moment before mumbling a 'yes'.

"I'll be in the kitchen with my owner. If you need me, I'll be down there. We're going to be watching out for Kakashi-san and the others. They're supposed to be arriving as soon as they can."

_Sasuke, I'm sorry..._

Naruto watched Sai leave, everything going by too fast. It felt like only moments ago, he'd been preparing for the Showcase... Sighing, he looked at the inside of his bedroom, then at the stairs that Sai was walking down.

The sound of the pet's voice echoed throughout the almost empty house, causing Naruto to feel even more horrible than he already did.

"I'm sorry... I can't stay here..." he whispered to himself. "I know you want me to stay safe... but... I can't put any of you in danger."

He couldn't stay there and hide until the cops finally found Orochimaru. He couldn't live like that, risking his family's life like that every day. If he gave himself up, then no one would be in danger anymore... If he gave himself up...

"Sasuke... take care of Kyung-Soon for me..."


	30. please

**I know this is misleading, since you all probably thought this was an update. But I have a question for all of you...**

**As some of you know from e-mailing me and asking me where I'm at and why I'm not writing, I'm having an extended bout of writer's block. Like most authors, I feel like what I'm writing is complete shit. I write something, then I delete it and become severely depressed because I LIVED for writing for all of my fans. I need help, I do. Writing was what I did to help relieve stress and get away from life, but I feel like I can't even do that right anymore.**

**I thought of an idea to help work up my writing skills and I wanted to know what you all thought about it...**

**I have stories that I've finished up; I know the plot, I know the results, etc. I wanted to know what you all thought of me re-writing a finished fanfiction of mine but in a different character's perspective or in a different way. If you're interested in that, please review this and tell me which story.**

**Options are limited, but it's between Dotless Dice and When Sounds Become Visual.**

**For example, I could re-write Dotless Dice completely from Sasuke's view and of course, you all know my writing skills have gotten a little better so it'd be deeper and more descriptive than before. It was my first fic, after all.**

**With When Sounds Become Visual, I could have an alternate ending where there wouldn't even be a sequel! I could have it from Sasuke's point of view also, and I could also include an entire chapter to the past between Sasuke and Naruto and how they met! Throw ideas at me and I can work with those! With those stories already written up, it helps me out a lot. I can work around those and see if they help me get through this lengthy writer's block.**

**I just want to get back to writing so my fans are happy. I've heard from a lot of you that my stories have made you smile on a bad day, or helped you get away from troubles, or even inspired you to write fanfictions of your own!**

**If you all will let me, I'd love to write to make you all happy again! Thank you!**

**Vanity**


	31. new story is out

**Thanks to all of you who reviewed and left me positive feedback!**

**After some consideration, I decided to rewrite When Sounds Become Visual! The first chapter of the new story has been posted this morning and the new story is called "re: WRITE ~ Letters From the Sky".**

**Read and review, please! I'd love to know what you think and if my writing's not as shitty as I think it is.**

**Vanity**


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Naruto, Drama, Romance