Far From Perfect - NaruSasu

Naruto sighed in frustration, looking up angrily from his paperwork.

"Please bring me Kakashi," he spat with unintentional force at one of his guards. "I need to speak with him."

"Yes, Hokage-sama," the guard said obediently, bowing and skittering out the door. Naruto slammed a hand down on his desk, scattering the papers onto the floor.

He felt like sobbing.

FAR FROM PERFECT</i>

It was the same, always the same. Sasuke was back, but for how long? It infuriated Naruto beyond comprehension at how Sasuke felt he could stroll back into Konoha at his leisure, and then leave again.

It was only a matter of time before he left, and Naruto did indeed feel like crying, felt like breaking down as he had done last time, when Sasuke had evaded them in that canyon.

"Well," Naruto thought bitterly, "at least I've become Hokage since then. Not even Sasuke can deny that I've succeeded."

But on his orders, no one was to attempt anything with Sasuke. They were to let him go about his way, and Naruto could only hope that Sasuke would seek him out in the end and stay.

The guard returned with Kakashi at his heels, and Naruto straightened up to face them.

"Hokage-sama," the guard said, bowing low as he spoke. "Hatake-san was already on his way here to speak with you when I found him."

"Thank you," Naruto said, turning his attention to Kakashi as the guard bowed once more and left. "Now, Kakashi..."

"We're all taking this hard, Naruto," Kakashi told him as Naruto got to his feet. "But I can't believe that you, of all people, would sit back and do nothing. Especially given the fact that you now have to power to do whatever you see fit."

"What can we do?" Naruto shouted, nearly out of his mind with agony. "Send someone to capture him? Try and persuade him? You know as well as I do that there's no way in hell that would work."

"That's why I'm here," Kakashi responded, always calm. "I think you're just the person to do it."

"Do what?" Naruto turned to stare irritably out the window.

"Naruto, I want you to... seduce Sasuke."

"What?" Naruto swung around, completely caught off-guard. "You want me to what?"

"I've never been able to help noticing, but..." He cast around and went on: "There is something between the two of you."

Instead of a quick and vehement "There is not!", Naruto's eyes fell pensive. He didn't know exactly what Kakashi meant, but his words were indeed bringing warmth into his cheeks.

"You don't mean-"

"Not romantically, in a sense," Kakashi explained, and Naruto flushed deeper. "But there is a bond of sorts."

"Of course there is!" Naruto said, his indignation finally showing through. "He told me that himself..."

"And ths could be your last chance to make him stay."

Naruto opened and closed his mouth wordlessly and sank back down into his chair.

"What makes you think this will work?"

"No one but you has any chance at all."

"But Sasuke doesn't... feel that way about me!" Naruto said, as crimson crept back across his cheeks. "And I don't-"

Kakashi merely raised an eyebrow at him. "You know I'm right, Naruto. Now all we can do is wait and see what you can do."

As Kakashi turned and exited without another word, Naruto watched him leave with incredulation. Seduce Sasuke? He didn't even think that was possible. What on earth could he possibly say or do to seduce him?

With a growl, Naruto stood up and began unbuttoning his Hokage cloak.

---

Blonde hair shifted in the wind as Naruto strode uneasily through Konoha, feeling strange in the clothes he had worn nearly four years ago.

Hokage at nineteen was an impressive feat, but all that meant was that it had indeed been almost seven years since Sasuke had been a member of this village; seven years since he had left and joined the Sound.

Naruto gritted his teeth together as he passed Ichiraku, where the shop cooks bowed as they recognized him, even without his Hokage uniform. How many times had they all come here together, as genin of Team Seven, to have ramen and chatter animatedly about the training they had experienced that day?

"Sasuke..." he whispered audibly to himself. "I'm not going to let you get away this time."

He glanced from side to side, looking for any sign of the elusive Uchiha, knowing he could be anywhere. His heart thudded at the thought that Sasuke had already left, had left just as Naruto had decided to try and stop him.

He shook his head and ran a hand through hs har as he picked up the pace and began dashing through the village, now looking for anyone he could ask. But he groaned as he saw Ino coming down the road, and that was the last person he wated to ask about Sasuke.

"Naruto!" she called, waving at him with a spray of violets in her hand. "If you're looking for Sasuke, he went up on that hill over there!"

Naruto turned toward the hill she had pointed at, where the sunset was burning down under the grassy knoll, and swallowed hard. He looked back at Ino, wondering why she had spoken so calmly, but watched as she ran to greet a hassled-looking Shikamaru, and he remembered that they were dating.

Shikamaru grinned sheepishly at him, with a certain knowing look in his eye, and Naruto couldn't help but feel as though he was saying "Go get him, Naruto", as though...

No. Naruto shook his head again, waved his hand at the pair, and trudged slowly up the hill, feeling his breath catch as he came over the crest and saw the very person he was looking for.

Uchiha Sasuke stood on a grassy knoll overlooking the Hokage Monument, his back to Naruto. He hadn't changed much since the last time Naruto had seen him, three years ago. He still wore that ridiculous outfit Orochimaru had given, although, Naruto was surprised to see, he'd switched the white kimono top for an Uchiha-crested black shirt.

His form was taller, and his muscles were perhaps a bit haughtier, but he was still the same Sasuke that Naruto had always known.

"Naruto."

Naruto took a step back out of shock, watching as Sasuke turned to face him.

No.

He was different. More different than Naruto had ever known him to be.

His features, although still those of Sasuke, were gentle and stress-free. His lips were turned up into a soft smile, and he looked positively carefree.

"Sasuke," Naruto said, taking a difficult step toward the other. "What are you-"

"Hokage," he said, turning completely around with a grin on his face. "Congratulations. You face looks nice set in stone."

Naruto opened his mouth wordlessly again as Sasuke, still smiling like a child, gestured toward the Monument. Naruto couldn't for the life of him figure out what was going on, or why Sasuke was acting so strange. He took a few more steps forward, until he stood mere feet from Sasuke.

"Sasuke... I don't understand what's going on, but-"

Naruto cried out in alarm as Sasuke took a quick stride forward, seizing the blonde in his arms with a contented sigh. Naruto stood in confusion for a moment, allowing himself to be held tightly.

"Can I tell you something?" Sasuke whispered lightly into Naruto's ear, his naturally seductive voice sending a chill down the Hokage's spine. "I killed him."

Naruto's gasp was loud enough to make Sasuke chuckle.

"So... are you here to stay, Sasuke?" Naruto asked, his voice hitched with desperation. He remembered Kakashi's suggestion, and he in turn wrapped his arms around Sasuke's back, bringing his face to the raven's neck. "Please... stay with me. Don't leave again."

Both were silent for a moment as they continued to hold each other, Naruto staring at the shadows cast on his stone face from the slowly sinking sun.

"It's not as though I don't appreciate this," Sasuke said, his tone laced with amusement. "But I'm here to stay."

"Sasuke!" Naruto didn't believe him for an instant. "You have to stay with me! Stop lying!"

"I'm-"

"No," Naruto said, his act of seduction and his true feelings merging together as he went on. "I can't have you leaving again... you're just... too perfect, too smart, too strong... everything..."

"Naruto." Sasuke spoke in a shocked voice, his hands running along Naruto's back comfortingly. "I'm not perfect. And I really am here to stay."

"Sasuke..." Naruto looked up, surprising both himself and Sasuke as he blinked away the tears pooling in his blue eyes. "I didn't mean that... Kakashi told me to try and flatter you so you would stay, and..."

"He would do that," Sasuke grinned, clutching Naruto tighter as they settled down onto the grass. The blonde clung to him for a few more moments, and finally sat up beside Sasuke to face him.

His eyes didn't lie. Sasuke, at nineteen years old, was still very much the same as he had always been, still the same person who haunted Naruto's memories. But there was something unmistakably different about him.

He finally looked relieved.

Utter relief. That was the only way to describe Sasuke's new demeanor, Naruto thought, and he couldn't really blame him. And now...

"That makes two of us, Sasuke," Naruto said, staring into Sasuke's eyes as they brightened. "We've both got what we wanted most."

Sasuke gave him a meaningful look, and Naruto went on as pale pink flooded his cheeks.

"I mean," I wanted to be Hokage, and you wanted to kill Itachi..."

"So why weren't you satisfied?"

"What do you mean?"

"I can read you better than you think, Naruto," Sasuke said quietly. "You didn't seem truly satisfied... and I'll admit it, neither was I... until right now."

"Well..." Naruto sighed in exasperation. "I mean, I wanted you back, too, but..."

"I won't lie now and say I didn't think about you every day that I was gone."

"Huh?" Naruto blinked several times, now painfully aware of the heat consuming his face, and he knew that as close as Sasuke was (when did he get that close?), he could feel it too.

"You did everything... everything... to try and stop me, to bring me back... you truly cared for me."

"Of course I did!" And now even Naruto couldn't resist the scorching power of Sasuke's eyes, or the truth that was beginning to settle into his own mind. "And I know you cared... deep down..."

"Of course I did..." Sasuke mocked softly, and it was only then that Naruto's senses kicked in, registering all the prolific changes in the Sasuke he had once known. The Uchiha was still smiling, widely now at that, and he was beautiful in a sense Naruto had never realized before.

He found himself becoming lost in those dark charcoal eyes, and then he laughed.

Sasuke blinked as the blonde moved closer.

"Has it really come to this?" Naruto asked, never once taking his eyes from Sasuke's. "The two most fierce rivals in all of Konoha, after everything they've been through, and after all these years... they can be drawn together like this?"

Sasuke grinned lazily. "The Hokage and the delinquent."

"And to think," Naruto went on, now feeling even more blissfully calm with life at the moment. "This is what everything that ever happened here is coming down to."

"What do you mean?"

"It's more than just us..." Naruto said. "I mean, this is the end we've all been waiting for."

"Like some old shinobi movie?"

"Like some old shinobi movie." Naruto chuckled. "Exactly like one."

"So where does that leave us?"

Naruto blinked, and for the first time, took his eyes from Sasuke and looked around. Was this really the beginning of his future... a future with Sasuke?

He glanced around at the receding sunset, and down the hill's crest, and back to the smiling and patient boy opposite him.

"What happened, Sasuke?"

The raven didn't have to ask what he meant. "I don't know. I think this is how I always would have been... you know, if I hadn't had my heart set on revenge against Itachi."

"But... even with him dead, why do you have any reason to change?"

"What's the point in being cold to anyone anymore?"

Naruto grinned at him. "Sweet, caring Sasuke?"

Sasuke closed his eyes as his gentle smile widened. "I would have given anything to be that way... although, being an uncaring avenger had its advantages."

"I think I like you better like this."

"Yeah?" Sasuke fell silent, feeling rather like a schoolgirl, ready to share a heart-shattering kiss with her crush.

Naruto sat quietly for a moment, his head still inclined toward Sasuke's. The warmth of the air, and of Sasuke's breath, and of the unspoken want between them was calming.

"Sasuke," he said softly, inching his palm forward until it closed around the raven's. "I think... everyone wants us to."

"And that's how you justify it?" But he was smiling, and Naruto could feel something melting in his heart. He'd never seen Sasuke smile like that, never seen him smile like he was truly happy.

"Is this what love is supposed to feel like?" Naruto asked. "Because it feels pretty nice."

"Love?" Sasuke responded, his hand shifting under Naruto's. "I've never even thought about love."

"You haven't?"

"No one ever told me to search for 'true love'. Not that I should, or had to, or even might as well. So I didn't think about it; it never even crossed my mind, not even when I thought about restoring my clan. I never thought about how I would."

How? Naruto smiled to himself, looking back into Sasuke's bottomless eyes. Of course you would think you could make it happen like magic.

"But," Sasuke went on, a hint of a smirk settling into his smile. "If I had, I'm sure I wouldn't have thought it would be like this."

"And neither would I," Naruto said with a laugh. "But I think that comes back to 'sweet Sasuke' over 'avenger Sasuke'."

"Are you saying you would have loved me if I had always been like this?"

Naruto's body tingled at the word 'love'. His lips turned up into a wider smile and his fingertips felt the shock of happiness as Sasuke's hand squeezed his back.

"But it's everything we've been through," Naruto said, leaning in closer than ever until he was nose-to-nose with Sasuke. "That's brought us this close."

"All that tension between us..."

"All that fighting I did to get you back..."

"And you said I was perfect?" Sasuke's cool breath was making Naruto's head spin. "You were wrong."

"But Sasuke, I still..."

"What?" Sasuke brought tentative fingers to Naruto's shoulder, knowing just what the blonde was about to say.

"I..."

Naruto's lips burned with the words he longed to say; he wanted nothing more than to tell Sasuke how much he loved him.

"Naruto..."

Blue eyes widened as Sasuke smiled even more softly.

"...I love you."

"Heh..."

Black eyes widened as Naruto leaned forward to seal the fate of Konoha.

"You beat me to it."

OWARI</i>