It's been exactly 76 days (two and a half months) since that day; that disgusting, terrorizing day that has been taunting me every single second since. That moment plays over and over again. The moment when he finally ousted me for the vulgar brainless little insect that I am and he squished me under his boot, severing every single last tie that we ever had. I definitely do deserve it though. What I did was despicable, purely unforgivable.

Every time I step out of the house I get reminded of him... and her. Even when I'm on missions I get reminded of him. But that doesn't mean I'm safe at home, oh no that'd be to easy, whatever room I'm in I get reminded of days off from our missions when he'd come round and we'd hang out together. Best friends forever aye?

As I lay in bed, with all these questionable emotions, frustrating past events, and an even more confusing present, I begin to think I may crack. Naruto suddenly runs through my head, he's smiling at me like the way he used to. He calls my name and I hear it echo around my head. I grabbed my shirt and ran outside; I needed the air. I stepped outside and locked the door.

I walked around town, pulling off my 'I'm not interested in anything around me' look and closed my eyes. I heard some girls talking about me in the distance, but I ignored them. They weren't all fawning over me like they used to. Now, something else took flight on the gossip circuit. I subconsciously walked past the Ramen Shop that Naruto loved so much.

I gasped out loud and slapped my hand across my face to throw a scream back down to empty black hole inside me. I inhaled deep and shoved my hands into the pockets of my trousers and locked away all emotions in a safe place at the back of my mind. As I meandered around town aimlessly I started getting sucked back into reality ever so slowly. I started thinking about the last time I had been down to the river to just swim or into the forest just to walk. It seemed like forever ago. Oh and of course the last time I had been with...

I came to a dead stop in my tracks and my thoughts as I tried to face his name. I couldn't. I tried to shove it back into the deep dark corner it belonged in but –of course- it wasn't going to play fair. No. Instead it brought up all sorts of memories like the first time I saw Naruto when he finally came back to Konoha after that day - Long after I came running home with my tail between my legs.

I find myself walking back over to the ramen. It seems that all my walks end up here. Her...his cute face pops up in my head, and I smile at the thought of his wide grin. Suddenly, I hear voices behind me, and they aren't unfamiliar. It's Naruto and someone else. I quickly try to hide, but it's to late so I just pretend like I have every right to be there. He is with someone and their hands are intertwined. Naruto completely ignores me and his boyfriend flips me off before they take seats inside the ramen shop. I poke my head in only to see Naruto being fed noodles from his boyfriend's chopsticks. The sight is enough to stop my heart. I had been trying to get over Naruto ever since what happened 76 days ago. But seeing Naruto and Kiba...together...on a date...it hurt so badly. I shouldn't be feeling so hurt. I rejected this man because I was too afraid to accept what I had become.

And now look at me; a broken, decrepit version of my former self. I was tearing apart inside, I couldn't handle watching this. I gulped down the lump rising in my throat, order myself some ramen and took a seat whilst trying desperately not to notice them. Failing dismally of course. Although I looked anywhere and everywhere else I could always see them out of the corner of my eyes. Even when I put hair in front of my eyes or shut them I could hear them.

"Naruto you idiot you got some down your shirt" I hear Kiba laugh lovingly. "And your face, you're such a mess!"

I could hear him blush and then a flick of a tongue and a girlish giggle. I could only guess but I'd say Kiba just licked it off his face.

"Come on Naruto you big idiot lets get you home you have a long night ahead of you." he dragged out that word on purpose I bet. Jackass. "Ugh you such a dick Kiba" Naruto joked to him. 'Hn' I smirked slightly inside. "Teme."

Ouch. Now that one hurt. I pushed back in my chair – making sure it scrapped loudly – and rose to my feet.

Finally, they both looked at me. Naruto stared at me coldly as Kiba wrapped his arms around Naruto protectively. He barred his teeth and growled at me. I allowed to let myself look defeated, hoping Naruto would at least feel pity towards me. But no, there was no emotion to be wasted on me. I stepped outside the shop and looked up at the sky, feeling sort of bad for the old man behind the counter who had to witness my tantrum. But I just couldn't help myself. My little kitsune, in the arms of some horny dog. The thought of Kiba having his way with Naruto made me want to vomit. I clutched at my stomach in an attempt to soothe the knots of guilt and sadness that had made a home inside me.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura! She had gotten better over the years, but she could still be annoyingly overprotective, like a big sister in many ways. "Sasuke-kun, what's the matter?" She had been the first one I came to after my Naruto ordeal. She helped me sort out my confusion and helped me come to terms with my...preferences.

"In there." I pointed to the ramen shop. She followed my finger and smiled sadly.

"Ahh, so that's what's the matter."

"Hn."

"You still have a chance, you could win him back."

I remained silent and Sakura sighed, "Well, I'll always be here if you need me." And with that she walked off.

If only she knew… I mumbled internally. I sighed and my feet began moving again as my head stayed froze on Naruto's smiling face.

I vaguely remember the pacing buildings fly pass as my feet picked up the pace to try and keep up with my thoughts. The buildings turned to trees and I just kept going and going, hoping the freezing wind will could cool my mind and rip the boiling heat straight out of my chest.

I slowed at the sound of rushing water. Maybe a swim would cool me off… I thought vainly.

I slowly drudged up to the waters edge and stared down at my blurred, disfigured self. I looked disgusting. No wonder Sakura gave up on me. I looked like a zombie… so pale, dark sunken eyes, my hair a ratted mess. When was the last time I had a haircut? I used to care so much about my appearance… now look at me. "Disgusting" I yelled and leapt for the disgrace.

The ice-cold water wrapped around and my face twisted into a sickeningly sadistic smile.

Eventually, I had to come up to breathe, even though I had thought about ending it right there, but then I wouldn't have another chance with Naruto. Not that I did anyway. I re-dressed myself and ignored the perverted girlish giggles. The swim hadn't really helped keep my mind off things, but at least I had calmed down a bit. I decided to make a visit to an acquaintance of mine for some advice. I knocked hesitantly on Lee's door when I heard banging and fits of laughter. Lee answered the door with mussed up hair and Gaara clinging to his neck. I could tell that neither of them were too terribly happy about seeing me after the whole incident in Suna, but once I explained to them that I intended to mend my ways and win Naruto back, they were delighted.

"I mean I can't really wrap my head around the whole Kiba thing. He really loved you, you know. I'm not too excited about you trying to get him back."

"Listen, Gaara. I have been beating myself up over this for weeks. I really like him and I want him back! I want those memories, though few, to be relived and expanded upon."

Lee and Gaara turned to each other with weary stares. Gaara turned back to me with a rather reproachful look, "Are you Sure? I don't want my precious, hapless friend, Naruto, to get broken again due to your inconsiderate stupidity and inane whims." He said with a slight bit off added malice.

I frowned and looked at me shoes, "I know, I know" then with a sudden surge of determination shooting through me I locked my eyes onto Gaara's and continued with, "But I promise you, I will love him and never, ever hurt him again."

Please, Gaara, please! I almost begged but my pride decided that I should probably keep my mouth shut.

The corners if Gaara's lips turned up, "Damn right."

"We need a plan though… and a damn good one at that. Actually, we'll probably need a few." Lee sighed and looked into Gaara's face with that same lovesick expression. Oh how I yearned for that expression. I had to turn my head away.

"Gaara… didn't Naruto say that he was in love with this Kiba now though? This is certainly going to be difficult." Lee said rather skeptical.

Gaara sighed in response, "Yes, Lee, he did. However, in actual fact it's just that he thinks he's in love, when really he's still in love with Sasuke. From what it sounds anyway…"

My head snapped up and my eyes locked on to his, "from what it sounds?" I said confused.

Gaara nods, "Oh yes, yes. From what you've told us about his exceptionally childish behavior in front of you, being purposely malevolent, being overly touchy-feely…sounds like he's trying to make you jealous. I mean he is never like that in front of us" he sighed again.

"Oh! And of course from what Hinata-chan said Kiba said, Gaara" Lee said happily. Gaara looked at him slightly surprised then smiled. I stared at them both, eyes darting from face to face, totally lost.

"Oh yes of course! How could I forget!" Gaara turned his attention back to me, "Hinata-chan said that Kiba had told her that he found Naruto crying in his sleep and when he shook him awake he screamed out Sasuke's name and burst into a flood of tears."

A knife stabbed right trough my heart at the thought of me causing Naruto to cry again. And then the revelation came… I made him cry, my name he screamed, me! He still thinks of me! Even though the thought of me was still causing him pain hurt so very much, the fact that he thought about me at all made it pound hard in my chest

But even though my heart pounded so hard, I could still feels tears brimming my lids and threatening to fall. I stood up and faced the window as to avoid the awkward situation. Then, my thoughts betrayed me. I started thinking about Naruto and his new flame. I thought about our angry departure. I thought of all the wonderful times we had together, and I started to sob. Shaking with every intake of breath, I fell to the floor and curled up.

"Naruto..." I whimpered pitifully. I dug my fingers into the tacky shag carpet. "Naruto..."

"Sasuke, please get a hold of yourself. Look at you, you've been reduced to a crying mass on the floor. If you miss him so, go win him over!"

"I agree with my Gaara-chan."

I sniffled, wallowing in self-pity. "I will. I can't stand seeing him with that...thing." I ran out of the house without so much as a goodbye. I had to start formulating a plan; a plan that would win over my Dobe.

As my breathing shook with every stride and my head was spinning round and round without any real thoughts, I decide to stop. I stood in the middle of the street, almost completely oblivious to the people around me and their stares. I pulled in all of my breath in one huge deep intake and very slowly released it and let it slip through my chapped lips as I deflated and sagged back to my pathetic hunched over stance.

'What am I going to do?!' I screamed internally again and again.

"Here you go you ingrate." An annoyed voice said to me as they shoved a piece of folded paper under my nose.

My eyes flickered up and I looked into the slightly annoyed face of Lee. "Lee…?" I questioned confused as I took the paper from his hands and unfolded it and scanned across the words:

10 am training in woods

I stared down at the paper wide eyed at the paper as I small smile cracked across my disgruntled face. I looked up to say my thanks but all I saw was a green blur as Lee ran back up the street. I carefully folded up the piece of paper and clutched it tightly in my hand as my heart pounded thunder.