New fic! Yay! Been bored and stuff lately, and I can't seem to think of a way to bypass the huge brick wall known as writer's block. It's really pissing me off.

Anyway, here you go.

Title – whisper

Rating – M

Paring –NaruSasuNaru, slight NaruSaku, and SasuSaku…and sorta ItaSasu if you squint really REALLY hard.

Warning – Dark Themes

Disclaimer – Don't own Naruto. The lucky guy in Japan does, and he gets paid for it. I don't own Dreamland by Sarah Dessen. It's based off that book, but not exactly, because I start veering off of that later.

The whole story is told in Sasuke's POV.

A/N – Extremely important to read this! Yes, I changed the story to yaoi. Why? Because I like it better that way. Don't like, don't read. And besides, NaruSasu (and ItaSasu) are my OTPs. P

-0-0-0-

It was only two weeks after we had moved from Japan to America when my brother disappeared. He didn't bring many belongings and just left my birthday present, wrapped neatly (everything about him was neat) in blue paper, on the corner of my bedside table. None of us woke up and heard him leave. That day, July 23 of my sixteenth birthday, was the day my family fell apart.

My mother's hysterical sobbing pulled me straight out of my dreamland. I sat up, fully awake and dashed out my bedroom door, afterwards tripping on the sleeping cat and whacking my face against the wall. My nose was aching, and probably bleeding, but I didn't bother to treat it. Instead, I found my way down the stairs and to the kitchen. My once poised and perfect mother was hunched over the table, shoulders shaking, while my stoic father's face looked crushed as he held Itachi's note in his hands. I felt as if there were strangers in this house; these two completely devastated adults couldn't be my parents.

"Why? Why? It makes absolutely no sense at all!" my mother managed to choke out between sobs. Her chest was heaving, and I quickly fetched a glass of water. She smacked it away. The buzzing refrigerator was the only noise in the room, happily gurgling on, just as if it was a normal morning. "He can't just do this! He can't!"

My father calmly re-read the note, and then let out a heavy sigh. Itachi's messy, scrawled words were scribbled on a napkin, as if he left in a hurry. Later, I had to squint to finally make out the words. It was short, sweet, and to the point; Itachi never really minced words.

Father, Mother, Sasuke,

Sorry. I'll explain someday. I'll keep in touch. Love you all.

Happy Birthday, Sasuke

I. Uchiha

My father read the note aloud, and my mother crashed again, crazily crying out and screaming. "It's all my fault! It's all my fault!"

I watched as he stood up and walked towards the phone, his brows furrowing in frustration. He was upset, an emotion rarely seen in my usually stoic father. I said nothing. He reached for the phone and dialed the police headquarters where he worked as Chief. "I'll get missing persons on this," he announced quietly, in that stern, finite tone indicating that nothing more should be said.

As my mother attempted to calm herself (ultimately failing, I may add), I glanced over her shoulder and saw our neighbors (the totally over welcoming neighbors who thought it right to come barging in on my birthday because we were 'new'), Namikaze Minato, Uzumaki Kushina and Uzumaki Naruto, cutting across our back yard and heading towards the door. In Naruto's arms, there is my birthday present, ungainly wrapped in a hideous orange paper. Such a huge contrast to my brother's clean handiwork. It's almost relieving…in a way.

"I don't believe this!" my distraught mother bellows again. "He's only twenty-one! He was supposed to graduate this year!"

I block out her screaming and open the back door, allowing my best friend and his parents inside. Naruto, with that same sunshine smile of his cheerily says, "Happy Birthday" before handing me my gift. With a small smile, I take it from his hands.

"What happened?" Kushina exclaims, her hand pressing over her mouth. "Goodness, Mikoto! You look horrible."

Meanwhile, my father was reporting everything to his co-workers. "Itachi Uchiha. My son. Yes, the one who helped you on that case. Five eleven, black eyes and hair…and…"

My head is spinning. I gulp down the glass of water my mother shoved away, hands clutching onto the counter for support. Naruto walks over and places a supportive hand on my shoulder. I don't smile, but I manage to mutter a "thank you."

Memories run through my head. Memories of my mother, tucking me into bed. My brother and I shared a room in our small apartment complex in Japan before we moved here to America after my father's huge and successful business endeavor. He would be perusing a novel, often times pausing to tuck a stray strand of long black hair behind his ear. Mother would smile, kiss us both and then tell us to listen.

"For what?" my little three year-old voice would squeak.

"For the voices."

After a short pause, Itachi would reply, "I don't here anything."

She would laugh and say, "You will. Someday."

Minato's voice dragged my back into the present. "What happened? What did Itachi do?"

My father returned from the living room, cordless phone in hand. After several minutes of watching and listening, he hung up and sighed. "They say they can't do anything for twenty-four hours, but their keeping an eye out. We should do so ourselves."

"What happened?" Minato repeats impatiently.

"It's Itachi…it seems as if he ran away," was my father's completely flat reply.

Or escaped….I shove the thought away, feeling guilty. Naruto and I proceeded up the stairs to get together a list of numbers that we could call for other information, leaving the adults: my stern, but angry father, Naruto's comforting and sweet mother, the intelligent and witty governor, Minato, and my sobbing, broken mother, down in the kitchen, left to their own devices. Just before I enter Itachi's room, I peek into mine and fetch the present. Slowly, I unwrap the blue paper and open the box. A note slips onto my lap.

Inside was a camera – what I've always wanted. And not one of those simple ones, a real photography camera. I pictured (pardon the pun) myself ecstatic, as I always dreamed of when I would receive such a gift. But my heart was a void. Sighing, I take the note in my hands and read it carefully. I almost scream at the words. In black ink and messy handwriting, it said:

I here them. See you there.

W H I S P E R

1. Watch

When I was younger, my brother, Shisui-nii-san and I would go to the neighborhood park. My mother and aunt would sit on the benches, laughing and commenting on how cute the kids were getting and taking random snapshots. One day, I asked my brother to push me on the swings. For once, he said yes (instead of poking me on the forehead) and I should have taken that as an omen, because I fell promptly off the swing and bumped my head on the ground. My left temple was bleeding.

Being the overprotective and slightly overbearing woman she was, my mother immediately went hysteric, and my aunt scolded my brother, who said nothing. Shisui was the only one with enough common sense to get a bandage and disinfectant and treat my wound. This story was often repeated over and over again at parties. Itachi and I don't remember it that well, but we do know that each time the event was retold, something more was added to it, until it just became fiction. The only real remnant was the scar across my left temple. As I grew up, no one really noticed it. Except for me and Itachi.

After Shisui died (suicide, as it was reported) my brother retreated into his own thoughts. He barely spoke to anybody. However, I could sometimes catch him peering closely at my face, searching for that scar, and than tracing his long fingers against it. He hated himself for hurting me, but we both knew it wasn't his fault. Just one of the few things we share in common.

I once asked him about his name, and tried calling him weasel. Itachi would laugh and say, "In Japanese, the weasel would often bring bad luck, even death." And I would stop kidding around right there, because his eyes would give a faraway look, as if he was thinking about Shisui. I never spoke to him about that afterwards.

0-0

My brother wasn't a bringer of death, or misfortune to me. What he was, was student council president for two years in his high school, valedictorian, star athlete, and all around, just the best. He volunteered, hung out with friends every Wednesday, and was famous in his high school for protesting against the social studies teacher about human rights. He made local news on that one, and my father reclined in his seat and stared proudly at his son's determined face.

There were only two times that he was completely depressed. One time, at the soccer championships, he missed the goal that could have won it all, and locked himself away in his room for two days straight. He never talked about it, and rectified the loss by scoring the only four goals in next year's championship. The second was at a congratulatory party for being accepted into a huge university, on a scholarship, too. He didn't say a single thing, and addressed thank yous with a nod. After that, we moved here, to a small suburb town called Konoha in the United States.

It was a week after that when I met him.

I was tending to my garden, planting, fertilizing, picking and pruning, all the while ignoring the summer heat, when someone called over the fence. Glancing up, I see a boy, with sparkling hair and gleaming blue eyes, and holding heaven: a huge, cold cup of lemonade. "Hiya! Did you want some!?" he cooed, offering the cup. "It's only a quarter!"

I fished in my pockets for a quarter, and I came out with a dollar, and handed it to him. "Keep the change," I said.

His face beamed in gratitude, a happy smile spreading across it. It looked really serene, calm, and pleasant, as if he was completely satisfied with such a simple reply. It was a nice, gentle smile, the kind in magazines, and the kind that took years to perfect. I loved it, in a way.

"You're welcome. And thank you for the lemonade," I responded, trying to smile back. It didn't feel right, and I don't think it shined like his smile. Sighing, I returned to the daffodil I cradled in my fingers. A shadow loomed over my shoulder, and the boy's voice rang loud in my ears.

"Wow. It's beautiful."

His smile may be beautiful, but his very presence, especially when my 'gardening time' was my 'alone time' was annoying. I offered him the flower, praying that he would leave. He smiled again and took the flower in his fingers, eyes dancing in delight. "Thank you, thank you! My name is Uzumaki Naruto. Yours?"

"Uchiha Sasuke…I mean Sasuke Uchiha," I corrected, letting the thought that I was in American now slip through my brain. His eyes widened, like a little child's who had just figured out that Santa wasn't real.

"You're Japanese, too! That's great. We could get to know each other," he exclaimed again. "I live right across the street from you, so yeah. I'll see you at school, Sasuke." He was trying to hide it, but I could see him blushing, cheeks giving off a tint of pink. I could feel it too; my face burning up. I couldn't discern whether it was the extremely hot weather or him. I shook my head, denying that it was the boy.

Naruto bounded off towards his house (it was the large yellow one across the street and to the left), and just before he entered the door, he turned to look at me, with those eyes; the same eyes that Itachi had whenever he thought about Shisui. Eyes of longing. For a split second, we make eye contact, and then he turns away, and I turn away, my heart thumping.

For the next few days, I couldn't forget that chance encounter. Until my birthday rolled around that is, and then my world shattered.

0-0

That morning, on July 23, everyone forget my birthday, and our kitchen became like a secret base, where the spies are trying to find someone on the run. Phones were ringing, voices yelling, and pandemonium took control. My mother sat by the phone, staring intently, as if any moment now, Itachi would call and claim it was a joke, and that of course he would return to college and graduate. My father shut himself in his office, calling all the numbers Naruto and I got together. He had gone through more than half with no luck.

"I can't believe he would do this!" my mother cried again and again. "College. He was going to be so successful!" All the heads around her would nod (the neighbors, and mother's friends who gathered here for her comfort) and hand her another glass of coffee.

Naruto had gone into my room and was currently looking through my computer, searching for my summer reading essays that he still hadn't completed yet. I didn't bother to stop him from copying and returned to my brother's room. I sat on the bed, looking around. It was too neat, and the boxes that still hadn't been unpacked yet sat in the corner. In front of the closet was the huge stack of things he and my mother had purchased on their weekend trips to department stores for college: pillowcases, a fan, baskets, blankets, hangers, suitcases. I wondered if he had planned this all out, if he had known that he wasn't going to use this stuff.

I sighed and looked out the window, and saw another big red house across the street. Sakura, a girl in the neighborhood I met earlier, was sitting on the front porch, laughing on her cell phone, probably talking to her boyfriend or something. Naruto's gonna be pissed, I thought, remembering the babbling the blond idiot had done before about the girl of his dreams. For some odd reason, the thought brought nausea to my stomach. Why was I so repulsed at the idea of Naruto liking her? I shook my head and stood up to move.

My foot caught on the leg of his bedside table; almost causing me to trip (I was awfully clumsy this morning). The drawer flew open, and scattered on the floor was the photos from the 'olden days' as he put it. There was one of us, just before we left our old house, and to our new life. He wasn't smiling. Neither was I.

Another odd memory struck at my heart. It was that time, before we moved, and I had said goodbye to my old high school and my so called 'friends.' My brother was talking to a girl that lived around the neighborhood when I got home. She handed him a letter, and he shook his head and apologized, saying, "I'm moving, remember. Sorry." The girl nodded and left without another word, but I could see the thorough disappointment in his face.

"Poor girl," I said, walking toward the door.

"There's nothing I can do," Itachi flatly explained.

I smiled at my brother and after fumbling with my keys for a few moments, managed to unlock the door and proceeded inside. He followed me and dropped his bag on the staircase, sighing. "It's odd, isn't it? We've lived here our entire lives, and now we have to let go. I just feel that we should be more…scared or reluctant. But for some reason, I don't feel any attachment to this village at all."

I paused, listening to his quiet voice. "That was more than you spoke in a week," I commented.

He chuckled darkly. "You're such a pain. But I love you anyways."

"Likewise," I said.

That had been three weeks prior. He had to have been planning this. He had to.

Taped to the wall above the desk were all the ribbons, and awards he had accumulated all these years: spelling bees, honor roll, scholarships; and on the desk sat athletic trophies: soccer, basketball, track. There were also pictures of friends, in one of those mall booths making silly faces. There were a couple of us, too. One from the holidays, when we were kids, and many others.

On the other side of this wall, in my room, I had the same bed, same set, same wall. But on my wall and desk, I had pictures of my old friends, my third place ribbon from the science fair, a certificate from the AB honor roll, and a second place trophy in track. Most would have been happy, but Itachi had left a long, long trail ahead of me. I couldn't do anything but pale in comparison.

I wasn't jealous. I was so proud. He came always to cheer me on and encourage me. Granted, he wasn't crazy, or extremely hyper, but he would always beam proudly, and say, "I knew you could do it." I don't know what I would do now, without that.

I saw the trail he left, I saw him a far distance a way. I saw Sakura's sweet smile and Naruto's amazingly captivating azure eyes just slightly in front of me. I saw Itachi turn around, smile, and then rush off the road. I saw everything disappear.

I had always counted on him to lead me…but now I have to find a new road all by myself.

0-0

Please read and review. Thank you.

And if you plan on reviewing for crap and things like that, saying that I stole the story or anything, I'll totally ignore you. Because a lot of people base their stories off of books, and I plan on veering off to my own story line. So don't start with me, k?

Thank you all!

Character Profiles of Protagonists.

Uchiha Sasuke

16 (as of today)

5'7 (he's pretty short)

Junior attending Konoha High School

Family – Uchiha Fugaku, Uchiha Mikoto, Uchiha Itachi

Likes – Nothing much…except (maybe) Annoying blond boys and older brother

Hates – Annoying blond boys, Annoying bubble gum haired girls, pedophiles, orange

Goals – He'd rather not say

-Naruto's new neighbor, a quiet stoic kid. He admires his brother, hates his father, and loves his mother. He secretly likes gardening (gay written all over him)

Uzumaki Naruto

15 (will be turning sixteen in October)

5'10 (loves to work out)

Junior attending Konoha High School

Family – Namikaze Minato (the governor), Uzumaki Kushina

Likes – Ramen, attractive things, working out, sports

Hates – Math, anything school related, hurting friends, failure

Goals – To become like his father, but be individual as well

-A friend who enjoys…being friends. He immediately ran up to Sasuke with lemonade upon word of their arrival. He wants to 'light the fire' in the Uchiha

Uchiha Itachi

21

5'11

Graduating Konoha University this year (not now, obviously)

Family – Uchiha Fugaku, Uchiha Mikoto, Uchiha Sasuke

Likes – working, reading, sketching, annoying little brothers

Hates – failure, perfection

Goals –

-A runaway from the Uchiha family. Mystery shrouds his disappearance

Haruno Sakura

16

5'5

Junior attending Konoha High School

Family – (not important XD)

Likes – Sasuke, boys, cheerleading, school and mushy gushy love stories

Hates – annoying blond idiots, Ino, and rock music

Goals – to win Sasuke's heart, become a doctor

-A young girl living across the street from Sasuke. She enjoys dancing, singing, and acting, and medical stuff. She really is a secret yaoi fan.