Disclaimer: I do not (sadly) own either Naruto or Kirepapa. I only own this fic.

Chapter 1

A sigh escaped from between two pink lips.

"That's the fifth time you've done that in an hour." A feminine voice called annoyed from the living room.

"I can't help it! This damn painting won't finish itself" the 'sigher' whined.

"Well if it did that then we'd both be out of jobs. Now hurry the hell up, I have to get that last one turned in to the gallery before ten" the voice demanded.

"But Tsunade, that's in only a few hours. You can't rush art!"

"When you've had two months to finish it and you wait till the day before the deadline to start, I sure as hell can!" with another sigh Naruto Uzumaki hung his head in defeat.

"Papa, I'm home!" a young voice called. The blonde's head flew up, the man's aura suddenly a glittering testament of his delight. He leapt up from his seat on the floor and practically danced to greet the one true joy in his life, completely ignoring Tsunade's cry of "Get your ass back here!"

"Oh Sakura-chan, baa-chan has had me working all day, my fingers are gonna fall off, my eyes hurt, and my butt is numb from sitting on it too long. But that doesn't matter anymore because you're home and I get to see your smiling-"a loud 'skreeeeeech' sounded throughout the house as Naruto came to a sliding halt in front of the pink haired teen standing in the doorway. It hadn't been the girl herself that had caused the artist's reaction, but instead it had been the six (count them six) boys standing behind her.

"I brought a couple of friends home" she smiled, innocently unaware of how inappropriate it looked when a seventeen year old girl brought home her own harem of men. The blonde growled.'

"What, pray tell, are these young men's names?" he smiled but that combined with the growl made him look insane. All but one of the boys flinched.

"Oh right! This is Kiba-kun" she pointed to a brown-haired boy with strange red tattoos on his cheeks 'who the hell tattoos their face' "and this is Shino-san" a boy wearing sunglasses nodded 'yeah cuz you really need sunglasses inside the house' "Shikamaru-san" she motioned towards the one who looked bored stiff 'yeah nice to meet you too'. "Neji-senpai" a brunette with unbelievably pale eyes bowed 'damn pretty boy' "and Lee-senpai" Naruto's cerulean eyes fell onto the boy who quickly bowed before giving the blonde a thumbs up, the artist's eyebrow twitched 'bushy brows…'.

Then his eyes moved to the last of Sakura's 'guests', no introduction was needed for Sasuke Uchiha. This particular boy had been a thorn in his side for almost five years and showed no signs of ever leaving. 'Bastards! All of them, here to take advantage of my precious Sakura-chan'.

"Hello Naruto-san" the raven haired Uchiha said almost teasingly, all the blonde could do in return was glare but that only made the teen smirk.

"Papa we'll be in the living room, OK" the girl smiled ushering her 'friends' into the living room just as Tsunade walked out, a look of murder on her face.

"All right, I'll bring you some snacks for your friends" his attitude abruptly becoming sickeningly sweet. Suddenly, a hand wrapped itself around his forearm and pulled him towards his art studio.

"The only thing you'll be doing is finishing your painting! Now get in there and finish or so help me, I'll make you regret the rest of your life" with strength that could rival an ox's, she tossed him like a rag doll. He slid for a few feet and came to rest in front of his half finished painting. Tsunade stood above glaring.

"But…but baa-chan!" he looked up at her towering figure.

"NO!" he flashed her 'puppy-dog' eyes.

"No" he sniffed sadly.

"n-no" his bottom lip stuck out and began to quiver.

"Um" the corners of each blue eye acquired a tear.

"All right! You have twenty minutes, no more!" she turned away from him and crossed her arms, a blush ever present on her cheeks, she was pathetic. The artist leapt up to his feet before running out of the room to the kitchen, a wicked grin across his face.

-15minlater-

Sakura's head rose at the entrance of her father. He swept in holding a tray of assorted sodas and a plate of seven cupcakes, one for each of them. On top of six of them Naruto had spread a thin layer of blue icing and on the seventh he had put a liberal helping of pink (this one obviously for the girl of the group).

"Here are some snacks. They're homemade so they may not be that good." he fluttered his eyelashes "Please enjoy."

"As always, Naruto-san, you are quite generous. Thank you" he smiled (the patented Sasuke smile that had weakened the knees of every person he had ever blessed it upon). Naruto glared for half a second before reapplying his 'sweet and innocent' face.

"My pleasure!"

He set the tray down and flashed the teens a dazzling smile. The effect was instantaneous; five of the boys blushed and mumbled their thanks. The blonde bowed before sweeping out in a swish of yukata material.

Sakura had always known that everyone who met her father thought he was beautiful. Even though he was thirty-five his face had always held on to its youthful glamour. This was most apparent in his round cheeks and his impossibly resilient blonde locks. The most stunning attribute , though, had always been his impossibly innocent blue eyes that, she noticed, could get anyone to do anything for him if he looked at them a certain way.

"Oh man, she was hott!" Kiba whistled.

"Is she your sister, Sakura-chan?" Lee asked. Sakura blinked 'sister?'

"She was very beautiful" Neji added and Shino nodded. Several hands reached forward, each taking a cupcake (leaving the pink one for Sakura). No one noticed the smirk that made its way onto the raven haired Uchiha's face.

"So anyways Sakura-chan, is she dating anyone? Kiba chimed in licking blue icing from his fingers. Sakura raised an eyebrow questioningly 'huh?'

"Dating anyone?" she asked.

"Yeah cuz I wanna know if I can make a move" Kiba looked eager. 'Wait, what is he…? '

"No, he's not dating anyone… but he had a wife if that's what you're asking?" she answered not understanding the boy's question. Five of the boys winced, some of them grabbing at the uncomfortable feeling that suddenly rose up in their stomachs. There was a sigh from the sixth male of the group.

"Naruto-san is Sakura's Father… so now that you know this, I have to ask you if this information changes your feelings for him." Sakura looked at her friend confused.

"Feelings? What feelings?" none of the boys answered either question, all of their faces taking on a sickly white appearance.

"Hey are you all OK?" she asked concerned.

"We-we're fine Haruno-san (1). We just remembered that we had to do a project." Neji answered ever the composed one. The others nodded an all ran for the door. Neji quickly bowed "Thank you for letting us over" and soon followed after the others out the door. Sakura looked after the group confused.

"What just happened?" she asked the remaining male, all she got in reply was a smirk.

Naruto smiled wickedly at the sight of the boys sprinting towards him, who just 'happened' to be passing by.

"Oh, do you need a bathroom?" the blonde asked innocently "I'm so sorry we don't have one. The park nearby has one but that's ten kilometers away so it might just be easier if you just went home (2)" the boys blanched, quickly said their goodbyes, and ran out the front door. Naruto called after them "come back soon" 'NOT! Serves you right for trying to take my precious Sakura away' a cackle escaped his lips as he pulled a glass bottle from the sleeve of his yukata. The white pills inside shifting around from the movement, a white label proclaiming the pill's use and the name 'Laxatives' scrolled across in big blue letters.

"Ahh my secret ingredient. Always makes my cupcakes just right for Sakura-chan's guests" he tossed the bottle in the air before catching it and carefully lacing it back in his sleeve. He walked towards the living room to check on Sakura.

He was unable to make it to his destination before an unbelievably strong hand shot out of nowhere and grabbed the back of his yukata.

"Your twenty minutes are up" a demonic voice said as he was dragged backwards to his studio.

"Save me Sakura-chan!"

"Finished" a very fatigued artist moaned and collapsed backwards on the floor "just take it and leave me to die". The blonde woman ignored the man's comment and looked to the finished painting, a contented smile forming on her red painted lips.

"As always each of your paintings, for some reason, give me a feeling of peace"

"Peace? What the hell are you talking about? 80 percent of them are battle scenes" the woman shook her head.

"I don't mean it like that. It's just… I don't know. When I see them, I feel like you're telling the story of these two men's lives and by doing so their spirits can rest in peace. Do you get it? You're giving them closure." Naruto's eyes fell onto the latest painting of his "Shippuden" series. "Shippuden" was his second series (3); the first had been his famous "Uzumaki Chronicles (4)". Both series centered around a young ninja and his best friend as they took separate paths to become strong, inevitably making the boys enemies (hence all the battle scenes). Naruto had never been sure as to what inspired each scene, they just always seemed to flow from his fingers and this most recent one was the most confusing as to of its origin.

The painting before him depicted, as usual, a battle scene with the two shinobi. The raven haired one held his sword ready for attack, lightening running along the blade. The blonde one held, within his hand, a swirling mass of light that was usually his form of attack. The confusing part though was the fact that they weren't facing each other, but stood side by side fighting an unknown (and mutual) enemy. They were supposed to be against one another and yet here they were clearly fighting together. All Naruto could think was 'what the hell did I miss?!' That's when Tsunade gasped.

"Are they fighting together?!" her eyes wide and mouth open 'took her long enough'.

"Yeah. I know it shocked me too". The art dealer sniffed sadly. Naruto looked at the women shocked.

"Are you crying?" the words flying out of his mouth before he could stop them but was surprised when the woman didn't hit him. Her gaze remained on the two shinobi, a tear sliding from the corner of her eye, a small smile ghosted over her lips. The feel of the tear shocked her and her manicured hand flew up to catch it.

"I don't even know why I'm crying. I feel like I've known them for so long and was forced to watch their animosity that seeing them together like this just makes me so happy." She paused to wipe away another silent tear. "What's this one called?" Naruto peered at the figures of his painting; their faces looked upon their foe with mirror expressions of hatred, their stances complimenting each other's harmoniously, they seemed so in unison that they almost looked like one entity as if they were bonded by soul, heart, and mind.

"Bonds" (5) the name having blossomed in his mind at that moment. Tsunade's smile unexpectedly turned wicked.

"So when are they gonna hook up?" Naruto looked at her confused.

"Who?" she rolled her eyes.

"Who else?" she motioned to the painting "Them" the artist gasped, his head spinning back to the battle scene.

"But they're both men… and all they do is fight. They hate each other!" the dealer sighed.

"First, so what if they're both guys. It's the Twenty-first century! Plus women tend to lean towards the 'BL' fandom. Second, the fighting could just be sexual tension." She didn't pay attention to the incredulous expression the artist shot her "Finally, haven't you heard, there is a thin line between love and hate. And from what I've seen throughout this series, their hostility teeters on longing."

"That doesn't even make sense!" he threw his hands up in the air.

"Just watch" her eyes became dreamy "They'll soon realize their undying love for each other and then… they'll do it like rabbits" Naruto sighed.

"You have problems." Then a pause "Hey wait a minute! Didn't you promise me an award for finishing my painting?" The woman was pulled out of her musings.

"Oh right" she reached inside her large suitcase "I know you'll love it" from the black bag she pulled out a worn sketchbook and handed it to the man still sitting on the floor. He looked at the bent corners and slightly dirty cover.

"Uh thanks?" she laughed at his puzzled appearance.

"Just look inside idiot" the man opened the sketchbook, an abrupt look of shock and joy spread across his tanned cheeks.

"This…this…this" the man stuttered.

"Yes, as you so eloquently put it, this is the sketchbook of Satsuki Ueha, featuring 'her' "Avenger" series" Naruto's fingers softly ran over the first sketch, noting the elaborate 'S.U.' signature in the corner.

The scene the sketch portrayed was the aftermath of a murder. The murderer stood over his victim, a bloody kunai clutched in his hand (it was this kunai that had inspired the "Uzumaki Chronicles"). The man's eyes, in the final work, were red with strange tadpole like markings around the center. His cold, pale face was only marred by two lines starting on either side of his nose then moved outward towards the corners of his mouth (these lines had been the inspiration for the whisker-like marks on his blonde character's cheeks). Even though the murderer wasn't very detailed the victim himself was drawn so clearly that he looked as if he had been an actual person.

"Don't drool on the thing! That sketchbook is worth a lot, you're lucky that I deal for Ueha also or you would have had to pay for it" she got no response "Whatever, I have to go and turn this one in" she carefully picked up 'Bonds' and walked to the doorway before turning her gaze back to the artist "Hey brat, good job today"

"Yeah OK you too" the distracted man responded not seeing as a fiendish grin slipped over Tsunade's face.

"Oh and don't forget, your next one is due in three weeks" that broke the man from his thoughts.

"WHAT THREE WEEKS?!" The last time I was given two months!" The woman had already vacated the room and house, the sound of her cackling could be heard all over the neighborhood.

Naruto sighed placing the sketchbook carefully into the front of his yukata for safe keeping. He grabbed his own sketchbook and took it to his favorite spot to brainstorm, the garden on the side of his house. He leaned against the trunk of the only tree there and placed his pencil tip to a new page. His fingers began to doodle of their own free will while he let his mind wonder.

'So' he thought 'the anger between my shinobi is fading huh?' Enough for them to team up and join forces.

"there is a thin line between love and hate. And from what I've seen throughout this series, their hostility teeters on longing."

Longing? Did the two men actually long for each other? A pair of onyx eyes flashed into his thoughts. Naruto blushed and quickly shook the image away.

Back to the subject, the shinobi. Did they really look like they were in love with each other? Had he, by mistake, painted their expressions in such a way that it had led Tsunade to believe that they secretly cared for one another? How would that even look? The sound of the front door closing dragged the man out of his thoughts.

He looked down at his sketchbook and his face reddened. There before him, as a rough depiction, were his two ninja locked in an almost violent kiss (this was apparent by the way the blonde grabbed at the brunette's hair and the way the brunette had a hold of the front of the blonde's shirt). He abruptly stood up and dropped the sketchbook onto the grass before stiffly walking towards the front of the house.

"Naruto-san, why are you outside this late?" an infuriatingly familiar voice asked 'that damn boy! Why didn't he run out with the others?' Naruto turned towards the boy who had been an annoyance since Sakura brought him home for the first time when they were twelve. It had only been in the more recent years that Sasuke had become a true problem. It's just that the kid never gave up.

"Ahh Sasuke, still here I see" 'Bastard!'

"Of course Naruto-san. I know better than to sample your homemade snacks." The onyx eyed teen smirked, swiping his bangs out of his face. 'That little…'

What do you mean Sasuke? Is there something wrong with my cooking?" the artist giving him the look of true innocence.

"Your cooking? No, but that little extra ingredient…" the teen stepped forwards, their chests almost touching 'Oh crap, this kid is tall' "that you 'accidentally' add can be discouraging." the teen seemed to be leaning in. The image of two ninjas kissing ran through Naruto's mind and he instantly felt his cheeks burn. Sasuke leaned within centimeters before suddenly pulling back, a familiar glass bottle lay in his hand. 'When did he…?'

"Laxatives are not a common seasoning" he shook the bottle, the pills inside crating a little 'tinkling' noise. Cerulean eyes narrowed no longer feigning innocence, he had been caught.

"They deserved it. They should have thought twice before trying to take advantage of my precious Sakura" the raven haired teen sighed.

"None of the guys that follow Sakura home have that kind of intention towards her" he said trying to get something across to the naïve blonde.

"Yeah like I'm going to believe that when you've been hanging around for years!" the blonde snapped "I've confronted a few of them. It was obviously a touchy subject because they freaked out, started babbling on about coming over to see 'someone else', and then they would get all grabby" a gasp escaped the man's lips as he was roughly grabbed by the front of his yukata and pulled forward.

"What happened? Did they hurt you?" Sasuke held fast to Naruto, his eyes menacing. The blonde blinked in confusion.

"I-I just kicked them or threw a few punches. They couldn't have hurt me, I can take care of myself" the teen sighed, his fingers still wrapped in the cloth of Naruto's clothes.

"Your so stupid sometimes. Confronting them, seriously?" his eyes shifted down and a barely visible blush spread across his face. The blonde followed his gaze and realized that the boy's hands had inadvertently opened the front of his clothes, leaving the artist almost naked.

"Sorry" he mumbled, moving his hands to close the front. He gave a slight jerk and a sudden 'thump' was heard. Something had fallen. Onyx eyes widened in interest at the sight of Satsuki Ueha's sketchbook on the ground in-between their feet. He bent down and his hand brushed over the cover before…

"No! Don't touch it!" Naruto swept down upon it, his fingers grasping it tightly. He pulled it against his chest and wrapped his arms around as if to protect it. "It belongs to the person who is most important to me!"

"What?" the teen's eyebrows flew up "Most important? Who, Sakura?"

"No, important in a different way" the man's eyes blazing.

"Who, a woman?"

"K-kind of… so what? This doesn't involve you!" he huffed indignantly.

"True. It doesn't, but can you blame me for being curious?" he said indifferently.

"What does it matter to you who I deem important or not? You're too busy trying to take advantage of Sakura!" the teen rolled his eyes.

"As always, you have to bring her into the conversation. Stop trying to change the subject" the blonde growled.

"She is my daughter and I have every right to be concerned for her well being and what's good for her well being isn't you!" Naruto stepped forward his fist clenched at his sides tightly "I won't allow you to hurt her. She has believed that you have been her friend for so many years that, I know, it would break her heart if you betrayed her by trying to take advantage of her kindness!"

"You don't want her to get hurt? In that case… you don't have anything to worry about. I only see Sakura as a friend." the Uchiha wouldn't look Naruto in the eyes.

"How could I possibly believe that?!" the artist all but screamed.

"Because I'm in love with someone else"

-Chapter 1 end-

Okay that's the end of chapter one (obviously). I really want to know what you think about it. I encourage criticism. I'm thinking of posting each chapter like they are in the manga and this part of the story is where chapter one ended so… Oh that also means that there will be around six chapters in all and that each chapter may vary greatly in length.

If you haven't read the manga I encourage you to go check it out but I warn you that it can get a bit dramatic at times and it IS yaoi.

I also would like to point out that even though I am following the story line pretty close I do have some deviations to make the story more of my own. -

Ok now A/N:

(1) I decided to let Sakura keep her last name because I can't see her as Sakura Uzumaki. I'm just saying that she took her mother's last name or something along those lines.

(2) LOL this line that Naruto says to the boys is almost word for word from the manga because this was my absolute favorite line in the manga. I couldn't stop laughing.

(3) Yes I know the name of the second series isn't all that imaginative but I thought 'hey it sort of adds a little bit from the show'.

(4) This other title I took from the video game because it would have sounded strange if Naruto had named his paintings "Naruto" (of course Uzumaki isn't all that much better)

(5) OH yeah I went there! I recently saw the preview from the second Shippuden movie and I nearly died when I saw Naruto and Sasuke fighting together. It made the Sasunaru fan in me cry for joy.

Well that's all for now. It will be about a week before I get to post the next chapter (I hope) so I ask that you all be patient. I hope you all liked it.

Till next time…

Ram of the forest