A/N: Inspired by and titled after the song "Poison Oak" by Bright Eyes.

There are two parts:

Part One is titled "Yellow Bird", and focuses on the past, telling things from Naruto's point of view.

Part Two is "Serpent's Tongue", in which we learn about how things are going on in Sasuke's end.

This is merely a song inspiration; at the present time I don't intend to make an epic out of this.

Please enjoy! If you don't like same sex relationships (even without the sex) then shame on you for being hateful.

Comments and Criticism are welcome. I tend to not share my writing - trying to get out of that and hopefully learn some things (finding errors in spelling, grammar and plot are more my forte)

Part I: Yellow Bird

"Narutooo" a gentle voice called out in trepidation as the owner searched for his friend among the bushes and trees that made up the forest behind his family home. Eleven year old Sasuke turned away from the woods to see his brother lounging on a lawn chair in the shade of the house, reading a book while sipping lemonade. Sasuke scrunched his nose at his older brother turned baby sitter, annoyed that he wouldn't tell him where Naruto was hiding.

Sauke turned back to the forest and sighed, before continuing on his search. Only Naruto would think playing Hide and Go Seek was 'fun' when the Konoha summer heat was at its most unbearable. Sasuke would have preferred board games or even the new Zelda game, so long as they were sheltered inside the nice cool house drinking the same sweet icy lemonade Itachi was quaffing.

Lost in his thoughts, Sasuke nearly walked into a bush that mingled with an invasive foreign plant they learned about at school prior to the start of summer break – Mr. Umino had called it poison oak, and warned them not to touch it lest they suffer a very, VERY painful rash. He quickly skirted it, not eager to spend the first week of summer in misery.

Just as Sasuke was passing the bush however, a hand shot out and grabbed his ankle.

"AHHHHH!" Sasuke jumped up in the air and waved his arms to ward off the attacker. When he had landed and caught his breath, he looked to see the owner of the hand standing up from inside the shrub, clutching his stomach and laughing with boyish glee.

"Oh man Sasuke, you should have heard yourself! Screamed like a girl! HAHA!" Naruto's golden head jerked as he continued to laugh without pause. Sasuke saw red, and before he considered the consequences, he leapt at Naruto and started wrestling with him.

Not a minute later, they were found by Itachi who had left his comfortable spot in the shade to investigate the rumpus.

"Okay you two, stop fighting, yeesh" the fifteen-year-old male reprimanded with an undertone of boredom. He paused however, and backed away when he recognized the plant his brother and best friend were fighting in.

"Sasuke...Naruto...you do realize you're rolling around in poison oak aren't you?" Itachi raised an eyebrow at the young boys.

Sasuke glanced down, and realized that in his irritation towards Naruto's prank, he had forgotten about the plant.

"NARUTO!"

Naruto leaned against the bench and breathed in the cold winter air. It was clear in his nose, not like the musty summers so long ago. The snow covered the park in a thick pristine blanket that glittered in the light bestowed by the moon and stars hanging in the sky.

A cigarette hanged between his lips, burning slowly as he stared into nothing. He should have been cold despite his coat and scarf. Strange that he wasn't, as Naruto was a summer person. Sasuke would have loved this winter, with gentle snow flakes dusting his eyelashes. Sasuke was winter, even as a child, but his heart as warm as the sun. Naruto closed his eyes and remembered the aftermath of their accident with the poison oak.

Itachi has them sent immediately to the washroom, giving them damp towels to wipe away as much of the stinging oil as they could, as a bath would have just spread it to more uncomfortable areas. They had been applying medicine and trying to resist itching when Sasuke's mother returned from her shopping. Amused, she served up the boys extra ice cream after dinner, and escorted Naruto next door when his parents returned from work. Kushina scolded Naruto about "wandering into dangerous places" while his father stood to the side, trying not to laugh at his son's grumpy face and twitching fingers.

They spent a week recovering from the poison oak, which had cut their summer rather short. This upset their other friend, Sakura, who had been looking forward to them joining her family on their beach trip. She ended up being stuck with Ino-pig and a boring Shikamaru, who she declared to be "THE laziest boy on the planet! Really Naruto, he would give you a run for your money!".

But even during that week quarantined in their rooms, they weren't lonely. Naruto tossed over Sasuke's can across the space between their houses, and they talked, or sometimes Naruto would play his video games while Sasuke read, and occasionally they would rattle their respective tins to ask a question or comment.

Naruto remembered a particular conversation that happened when Sasuke was in the middle of reading Peter Pan.

It was late, the fireflies even having gone to sleep in their leafy homes, and Naruto continued on trying to work Zelda through the Water Temple. Despite his dedication, he paused the game when his can rattled, indicating Sasuke had something to say. It was rare enough that Sasuke started a conversation.

"What' up?" Naruto queried.

"Did you know that Peter Pan almost died in the original play?"

"No, but in the movie, Hook tried to blow him up! The sneaky bastard!"

"Hn. Well, Peter and Wendy were stuck on a rock, and the tide was rising, they were going to drown. A kite came by though and Peter told Wendy to hold onto it to fly away and-"

"Wait, a kite? Sasuke, kites can't carry people, unless you know, it was huge, like elephant huge, or maybe even whale-"

"Narutooo" Sasuke sighed in exasperation "it's a story, and let me finish!"

"Alright alright. So...Wendy flew away with the kite..."

"And Peter was left behind, and he says 'To die is an awfully big adventure'"

Naruto paused at that. He couldn't imagine dying being an adventure, especially if it meant no more summers, no more soccer, no more swimming at the water hole and especially no more Zelda.

"Well, um...you mean like an after-life? Or reincarnation?"

"I don't know, the book doesn't say whether Peter or the others believe in God and Heaven, though maybe the author did. Or maybe he didn't, and if he didn't and still thought that death was an adventure-"

"Wait, I thought Peter was the one that said dying was an adventure"

"Idiooot" Sasuke drawled out the word as he was wont to do when Naruto missed an obvious point. "James Barrie is the one who wrote the play, so obviously he would write stuff he believed and thought right?"

"I guess so..." Naruto yawned and laid down on the bed, staring at the ceiling decorated with glow-in-the-dark stars and planets. "So, Peter Pan thinks death is an adventure, does that mean he isn't scared to die?"

"Guess so"

"Man, that's pretty brave. I'd be scared of dying. Or maybe pissed, especially if I didn't finish Ocarina of Time."

"That's all you ever talk about now"

"It's a fun game" Naruto's eyes were heavy, as he listened to his friend talk. Sasuke could have such a gentle voice sometimes, and right now it was soothing as Naruto laid on the bed.

"Are you falling asleep Naruto?"

"Hmm" Naruto confirmed as he finally closed his eyes and his breathing began to even out and slow down. Just as he entered into his dreams, from far away he heard Sasuke speak, saying that he wasn't afraid to die. Naruto dreamt that night of his brave friend saving him from evil ramen thieves and Mr. Umino's homework assignments.

Naruto took another drag of his cigarette, and then breathed out rings of smoke. It was part of a list he and Sasuke had devised the next summer, laying on Naruto's porch, writing down all the things they would do together before they died. The first thing Naruto had wanted to put down was learn how to do smoke rings, even if he had to wait until he was 20* to buy the cigarettes to practice with.

After they reached item number fifteen, Naruto asked Sasuke what he wanted to do, as most of the suggestions were the blonde's idea. Sasuke paused, then blushed and fidgeted, and after long moments, in a low and soft voice, he told Naruto that he'd like to try on a dress. Naruto stared for a moment, causing Sasuke to worry that his friend would think him a freak, until Naruto stood up and grabbed Sasuke's hand and urged him to follow, heading towards the stairs.

"Come on you can try on my mom's dresses!" he told his shy friend, dazzling smile adorning his face and it grew even wider when Sasuke smiled back.

They spent the rest of the afternoon with Sasuke trying on the pretty spring and summer dresses Naruto had seen his mother wear. They hung loose over Sasuke's slim frame, some of them gathering at his feet, though others were short enough that his toes peeked out. The straw hat Naruto's mother favored nearly consumed his head, and so Sasuke took it off. He stood patiently as Naruto figured out how to work the old polaroid camera that his grandfather had given to him before he passed away, and gave tentative smiles as Naruto snapped pictures, encouraging Sasuke to pose and to smile wider.

Naruto gave the polaroids to Sasuke, and grinned as his friend stared down at the pictures. He didn't think Sasuke looked any better than he did now, looking natural somehow in the feminine clothing, and that he wore the warmest smiles that day. For the first time he felt a flutter in his stomach when he looked at his best friend.

Two nights later though, when Naruto asked about the polaroids, Sasuke told him to be quiet, afraid that Itachi or his mother might hear. He gestured to the locked drawer where Naruto knew Sasuke kept his journal and precious letters from his late father.

"What, why? Don't you like them?"

Sasuke looked down in shame at that question, and murmured "It's not natural for boys to wear girl's clothing Naruto...I don't want to risk any one else seeing them."

Naruto stared, wanting to protest that it didn't matter because Sasuke was so pretty in the dresses and that anyone who couldn't see that was a big fat pig-headed idiot. But seeing his friend, already despondent and nervous, he didn't want to pressure him anymore than he already felt.

Naruto shrugged and hugged his friend, and then proceeded to distract him with a game of scrabble, which he lost spectacularly with a loud declaration that Sasuke was "The Master of all Master Spellers!" and groveled at his friends feet. The laugh that fell out of Sasuke's lips was the best thing Naruto ever heard, and he knew then that he loved Sasuke as more than a friend.

After that he stuck even closer to Sasuke than usual, willing to give up afternoons of soccer and exploration to spend time with Sasuke, and spent even more time talking to him late into the night.

But it wasn't until the next summer that Naruto dared to give Sasuke their first kiss. It was soft as a teddybear kiss, and fleeting but sure. Sasuke had gasped, eyes wide, cheeks pink with blush, and then he smiled the warm smile that Naruto loved.

"Naruto" a baritone voice spoke. Naruto looked up at the tall dark figure who had brought him out of his thoughts and recollections.

Naruto flicked his cigarette into the snow, the ember dying out. "Hello Itachi" he greeted the long haired man, now in his late twenties.

It had taken two years before Sasuke had the courage to tell his mother and brother of their relationship. His mother had squealed at how cute they were together, while Itachi smiled smugly and informed them that he had always known. Sasuke had been relieved that his mother and brother did not hate him.

When they told their friends later on, Sakura and Ino congratulated them, and then avenged them when Kiba began teasing Sasuke while Lee hugged them, spouting out phrases about the beauty of youthful love. Sasuke had blushed throughout the whole ordeal, but eventually graced them with a rare laugh.

Naruto's parents were much more subdued, but equally as accepting. It had given the shy dark haired boy confidence in himself, and made Naruto very happy.

Until that day, when Sasuke had walked away after their fight, slamming the door on his way out, saying he was taking a walk when Naruto called out after him. He didn't return by the morning, and when Naruto went to the garage, he found the car gone.

It was eight days later when authorities found the car long abandoned in Tokyo's warehouse district. Sasuke long gone, and nowhere to be found in the country.

"Any news?" Naruto asked after the minute of silence.

Itachi frowned, and then sat next to Naruto on the bench. After a moment, he spoke. "Detective Hatake has a lead, but it's months old".

"It's more than what we've had before" Naruto straightened, his eyes wide with hope.

Itachi sighed, and for a moment Naruto was reminded of Sasuke, and all the times he had sighed in irritation, boredom, melancholy, and love. The ache of the reminder tore Naruto's heart, seeing some of Sasuke in his brother and yet Itachi was so different from Sasuke that the gestures were alien.

"So what's the lead?" Naruto nudged Itachi.

"He was last spotted in Mexico, in Cancun. They think he's still in the country, possibly in a city called Guadalajara.".

"Mexico" the name was flat on Naruto's tongue. He couldn't imagine a more faraway place at the moment. So far removed from Japan, across a vast ocean, across time zones and languages and cultures. He couldn't comprehend it. The United States he could see – he'd been to New York City once – but he heard so little about the warm country south of the U.S., and only ever heard snippets of their Spanish language.

"According to Hatake he's been spending quite a lot" Itachi paused, narrowed his eyes and his lips thinned in a grimace. "he suspects that he might have gotten into some illegal activity, to have access to so much money. At the very least, he's an accomplice" Itachi finished.

"No" Naruto protested, hands grasping at the air "He wouldn't do that. Sasuke's not like that."

"Naruto..."

"No" he firmly interrupted Itachi. His breath has ragged as he drew in a shaky breath. He refused to think that his shy, beautiful, warm Sasuke would do anything wrong, anything that would stain his smile and poison his heart.

Itachi sighed beside him. "I didn't want to show you these..." Itachi reached into his coat pocket and drew out photographs. Naruto sucked in his breath and held it as Itachi handed them over, faced down.

Nartuo stared at them, and with a trembling hand reached out and loosely grasped them and turned them over for his eyes to witness.

He gasped. There was Sasuke. His beautiful Sasuke, with the arm of a long haired, pale skinned man wrapped possessively around his waist. He had a beer in his hand, dressed in only a pair of blue and black bermuda shortsas he and the man lounged by a pool. A private one outside a spacious white stone mansion by the looks of it. The other photos were similar, and in each one Sasuke frowned, scowled, or had a look of cold indifference.

Sasuke didn't drink beer. Sasuke didn't like to dress in only shorts, even on the hottest of days he would insist on wearing a shirt.

Sasuke didn't like to be so blatantly touched by anyone but Naruto, and even then only in the privacy of the home Sasuke had inherited from his mother when she had passed away. It was a dark year, Sasuke had began to change. But Naruto never imagined a change like this. Not like this. Not into a stranger that Naruto couldn't recognize.

Where was Sasuke's smile? Did he laugh anymore? Did he have anyone to talk to about his writing, his deepest thoughts? He couldn't imagine the creepy yellow eyed man who was touching his Sasuke to be the kind of man who would patiently listen to Sasuke's carefully written down prose.

The more Naruto stared at the photos however, the more he became afraid that this new Sasuke, who looked cold and angry, who drank beer and lounged in expensive pools while tanning in sporty shorts wasn't the Sasuke he knew, who was soft, and gentle and warm and smiled at the littlest things.

"The man in the photo is a drug lord called Orochimaru. He fled Japan ten years ago when he was suspected of illegal drug trafficking and human experiments. He's crafty enough to avoid direct association, which is why Interpol hasn't been able to bring him in yet." Naruto heard Itachi but it seemed as if he was far away, speaking of a person they only knew from a friend of a friend, or someone you've only ever seen on TV.

"No" Naruto's voice was weak. A hand landed on his shoulder. "No!" Naruto stood up and threw the incriminating photos to the ground.

"No! Damn you Itachi! That is not Sasuke! That isn't Sasuke damn it!" Naruto yelled at Itachi, fists clenched roughly, azure eyes sparking in anger and teeth grinding loud enough to hear.

Itachi stared up at the fuming man before him. He too was saddened by the news the detective had given him. Grief had filled his heart when he thought of his little brother on the other side of the world, in the arms of a cruel and evil man. Grief filled him when he thought of what his mother would have felt, had she still been alive to see her baby boy disappear, to become the subject of suspicion and rumors.

He hadn't wanted to tell Naruto what Detective Hatake's firm had received from the Interpol agent who had been tracking Orochimaru since his exile from Japan. Sasuke's case was now being handed over to them, Hatake would only receive monthly updates, limited reports and no guarantee that Sasuke would return safely.

He had wanted to spare the man he considered as much a brother as Sasuke, the man that had given his heart to Sasuke. Naruto had been the only light shining in the few months after their mother's sudden death from illness, gradually moving into their house to help them keep it livable, getting them out of bed and cooking them warm meals, cajoling smiles onto their faces and laughs out of their breaths.

He kept up the garden she had lovingly tended to in memory of her late husband who had been caught in crossfire during his work overseas as an ambassador, and took steps to preserve her clothing until they could bear to organize it. Itachi had been forever grateful to Naruto's efforts in keeping Sasuke and himself from sinking into the darkness of grief, and yet, despite the blonde's loving efforts, Sasuke still began to change.

"Sasuke"

The dark haired teen looked up at his brother who stood in the doorway. Itachi's eyes were raw, shadows under them marring skin that had paled from a healthy cream into sickly ash. Sasuke idly wondered if he looked the same.

"You should come out Sasuke, just for a little while." Itachi's tired voice belied his efforts to get his younger brother to do anything but sit and stare.

"Later." Sasuke answered abruptly, and turned his gaze back to the wall. His eyes darkened to black from their normally earthy color. Itachi didn't like the look, it made his soft brother seem rigid and amplified the glacial atmosphere that had been surrounding him since the funeral a week and a half ago.

Itachi drew in a breath, and tried again."Mother would have wanted you to move on Sasuke, to go out and..." Itachi paused and swallowed the ache "and live."

For a minute it seemed as if Sasuke hadn't had heard Itachi, but then he turned his head slowly toward the 23 year old.

"I want to be alone Itachi. Please leave." and with that, he turned back to the wall.

Itachi stood there for a bit, wanting to say more but felt hopeless, and so turned and left. When he returned later, he found Sasuke and Naruto outside leaning against the apple tree, engaging in quiet conversation. The sight relieved Itachi, and he believed that everything would be okay now.

But it wasn't to be.

It was so slow at first that Itachi hadn't seen it, until arguments became more frequent between him and Sasuke, and then Sasuke dropped out of college after less than two months, began to stay out late, and more and more Itachi would drop by for dinner only to find Naruto eating alone, a chair waiting to be sat upon and a plate waiting to be filled.

They still waited, every single time he visited Naruto in their home, the plate and chair were still there. The house was beginning to show signs of the loneliness and despair that before he could never have imagined belonging to the sunny blonde. The rooms remained dark most of the time, the garden no longer tended but instead spiritless and muddy. In the days after Sasuke left Naruto would read over Sasuke's poems and plays, searching for some clue, some insight into why Sasuke had disappeared and where he could have gone to. The papers still littered the tables, a testament to Naruto's desperation and continued hope that if he just looked hard enough, he'd know how to bring Sasuke home.

A home that Sasuke left, and didn't look to be coming back to.

"Naruto" Itachi paused to find his words, and stared at a spot beyond Naruto's shoulder. "I still love Sasuke, and will always love him. We're family after all, and he's all I have." He licked his lips and breathed deeply to steady his emotions. "and you're right. That isn't Sasuke." He moved his gaze to Naruto's and held it, not wanting to say the next words but knowing they had to be said.

"He's lost, Naruto." and then Itachi couldn't hold it in anymore, and he broke, shoulder's slumped and head limp. He heard Naruto move to a crouch and felt gloved hands around his shoulders, tugging him close. Itachi allowed his head to lean against Naruto's chest as he let it all out.

He hadn't cried since his mother's death. But at least death is final for the living, and while painful for those left behind, it was a comfort to know the conclusion of one's life. This uncertainty, this gaping maw of confusion and turmoil was unbearable.

As he soaked Naruto's scarf with his tears, he felt a similar wetness on his shoulder, and knew that Naruto too was scared of what the future held for Sasuke, what kind of pain was in store for all of them.

* In Japan, the age limit is 20 as opposed to 18 in the U.S.