Rivals For The Hokage's Love

Confronting the Hokage.

Neji and Kiba reached the Uchiha district a couple of hours after Itachi did. Only when they reached the neighbourhood did they realize that they had no idea which house was Sasuke's.

"Got it!" Kiba grinned. "I can track his scent!"

After a few minutes, Kiba and Akamaru picked up the Uchiha's scent, and followed it to what looked like the biggest house in the district.

Neji, being the fearless intimidating jonin that he was, went ahead and knocked on the door.

"What do you want?" It was a slightly irritated Sasuke who stepped out to talk to them.

"Sasuke, sorry if I'm bothering you. I'll make it quick," Neji said calmly, facing the Uchiha. "Do you know who Naruto loves? I mean, you're his best friend, so we thought you might know."

"You never said that you were Naruto-kun's best friend, otouto," a fluid, calm voice interrupted.

"No one invited you, Itachi," Sasuke grumbled.

"Hai hai," Itachi smiled amiably. "So what is the mission only Naruto'a best friend can handle?"

"We wanted to find out who he likes," Neji explained, hoping to gain Itachi's interest.

"Ah... good idea there," the older raven smirked. "Are you going to help out then, otouto?"

"What? Don't tell me you're down for him now, Itachi?!" Sasuke stared as his brother shrugged.

Neji and Kiba paled. Was this man, once ranked as an SS-rank criminal in the Bingo book, now to become their love rival? It was insane.

"Whatever," Itachi said smoothly. "Do you have a plan yet, Hyuga, Inuzuka? Sasuke isn't coming."

"Who the heck said I wasn't coming?!" Sasuke yelled, and his elder brother laughed.

"I thought first we'd ask him outright," Neji said. "If that doesn't work we can get the rest of the people who are interested, and make a plan."

"Sounds good," came a voice from behind them.

Sakura, Ino, Hinata, Choji, Kakashi, Jiraiya, Iruka, Gai, Temari, Hanabi, Obito, Rin, Tenten, Lee, Shino, Azuma, Kurenai, Udon, Moegi and Konohamaru stood behind them, smirking.

"Wha--?" Sasuke was speechless for a moment. "Come on! All of you are in love with him?!"

"Uh... no. I was just thinking how far you could go with this," Azuma laughed, as he put one arm around Kurenai. "We're getting married."

"Same here," Obito laughed, holding Rin's hand.

"Jiraiya, Kakashi, Iruka... what the hell are you three doing here?!" Sasuke asked, unnerved.

"Just checking on all you lovebirds," Iruka chuckled. "I have someone else in mind."

"Jiraiya, weren't you in love with Tsunade?!" Kakashi demanded, his eyes narrowing.

"That's not happening, is it?" Jiraiya sighed. "So I moved on. That lady ain't gonna change."

"Naruto is your disciple!" Neji pointed out.

"Same goes for you, Kakashi," Sasuke snapped when the silver haired man snorted.

"Ugh!" Sakura thew her hands in the air. "Well whatever! Who's going to ask him about it?"

All eyes turned to a certain fuming Uchiha, who earned a smirk from his brother. Sending a deadly glare back to the older raven, he sighed. "I'll do it, so shut up squealing."

Sakura and Ino immediately shut up and began arguing about who Naruto was in love with. Itachi smirked simply, already coming to terms with the possibility of it not being him. Kiba had already been rejected, so he wasn't holding out any hopes, but only Neji knew that. They were all talking about their plan when Itachi realized that they would soon be caught red-handed.

"If you all are going to discuss this, either come in, or we have to go somewhere else," he said, quietly but authoritatively enough to make everyone listen to him. "If we stand out in the open like this, there's a fair chance that we'll get caught, and Shikamaru doesn't seem to be too fond of this topic. He already told me off earlier, when I was on my way home and ran into them."

"Shikamaru doesn't usually get involved unless things get extreme." Sakura narrowed her eyes.

"Yeah," Ino said angrily, glaring at the cornered Uchiha, "which means you did something, huh."

Itachi was about to slip back into the house, but was confronted with his younger brother, who looked angrier than he had ever seen him, the Sharingan flaring in his uncovered eye.

"You. Better. Spit. It. Out. Now." Sasuke's words were nothing short of a death sentence.

"Well... oh, come on," he began, trying to negotiate, but caught sight of the Sharingan slowly evolving into a Mangekyo. "Okay, okay! I kind of kissed him unawares but -"

"YOU WHAT?!" Everyone there screamed, their eyes widening almost out of proportion.

The next thing anyone knew was that Itachi was flying over the opposite rooftop, and his younger brother was calmly rubbing his clenched fist. Sakura burst into giggles.

"Jeez." Ino shook her head. "What a weasel. You know, he was appropriately named."

"Can't deny that," Sasuke agreed, with a murderous look in his eyes. "Get inside, though."

"Thanks, Sasuke," Neji grinned, as Itachi reappeared, scowling, with a broken nose.

"Watch it, Itachi," Sasuke hissed quietly, so that only his brother could hear. "Just because he's denser than a block of lead, doesn't mean you can take advantage of that. After all, thanks to you, I never got the chance to be as dumb as him, and I'm the one looking out for him."

"As you wish, otouto," Itachi said calmly. "But does that mean you have kissed him?"

A smirk settled on Sasuke's lips as he remembered their first (and only) kiss. "I have. Ages ago."

"Oh?" was all the reply he got, as Itachi headed in to the living room with the others, making Sasuke jog slightly to catch up with his elder brother's smooth long strides.

"Back already, Itachi-san?" Neji smirked evilly, and to his surprised, Itachi simply smiled.

"What?" Sakura asked, as she caught sight of the mysterious smile. "ITACHI! Answer me!"

"Oh, nothing," Itachi grinned cheerily. "I just heard that Sasuke's participating in this rivalry."

"What?!" "No way!" "You guys are best friends!" "That's not youthful!" "He trusts you!" "Why are you suddenly interested in him?!" "NOOOO!" "Don't do it, Sasuke!" "No fair!"

"SHUT UP!" Sasuke bellowed, as the noise started to give him a major headache. "If you're going to be this noisy, get the hell out. I'll ask him tonight, so just shut up already!"

"Sorry, but you can't," Neji interrupted. "I'm meeting him at eight tonight, special mission."

Hanabi wondered why he would say something like that, then remembered what happened to Itachi when he confessed about the kiss. Neji was saving his neck beforehand.

They sat around talking until Azuma and Kurenai left at four, to pick up their daughter Mina from the Academy, dragging a very enthusiastic Iruka along with them.