Note: I will not accept flames for this, for I wrote it for a friend of mine, not for you. I just decided to post it here anyways. Any flames will be deleted. Also, even if you don't like Naruto, this isn't too much of it and can be enjoyed anyways.

I was walking home from school one day, glad that my short hair could still block the sun from my left eye, when I noticed that, once more, I was being followed.

This had been happening for almost months now, and it was starting to piss me off. Didn't he know by now that I knew he was there? I mean, it wasn't so much ninja skills (I don't have any -.-; ) as it was that creepy feeling of being watched and seeing things one moment that disappear the next.

Maybe he did, maybe he didn't – either way, I knew he was watching as I opened the door to my house, being greeted by eerie silence. I guessed my brother had gone to a friend's house (probably Daniel or Logan's) and I was relieved, for now I had privacy, to talk to him.

Finally, I thought as I left the front door unlocked, both to let my brother in when he came back and also as a signal that he could come in – now, whether he took that as being naïve or as an invite was his problem. I sat in the living room cross-legged (my room was way too messy and embarrassing) and waited.

In no time at all, I heard the dogs start barking in the kitchen, and I smiled. Apparently, he tried going through the back door and forgot about Daisy and Violet. It wasn't because they were vicious dogs or anything (they were Basset Hounds, for Pete's sake!), but they were loud, and the perfect alarm system for intruders. I wonder if he realized that I knew perfectly well that he wouldn't use the front door. And the back door is always open. Ha, a ninja like him would do better to examine all of the facts of his 'mission' before executing his break-in. Anyways, I waited to see if he would come in after that racket, and I closed my eyes and took a deep breath to be totally calm for the confrontation.

As soon as that breath was released, however, I felt the cold sting of some sharp blade up against my vocal chords, so close that if I breathed too deeply or talked too low I would get at least a long slice on my throat that, although not fatal, might make me dizzy and lightheaded from loss of blood. As if I wasn't dizzy enough – I had recently been sick more times the last few months than the last three years combined. I was already at a disadvantage, but he knew I didn't mean him any harm.

At least, I hope he did – I didn't have any ninja skills to defend myself with or even know when he came up to me with my eyes closed, and he knew that I hang out with his cousin who hated his guts. If he did decide to kill me, it's not like he'd get caught; he was a ninja, after all, and although not as good as some others (his brother comes to mind immediately), he was way out of my league. I only know a bit of martial arts, and although I wouldn't die without a fight, I'd still die. And, even if I didn't, it'd be hard to explain to Miki why I suddenly had a huge bloody bandage on my neck without letting it slip that it was her cousin's doing.

Why, you might ask, would I be protecting who my friend hated, the enemy of my friend, who had been stalking me for quite some time? Well…I'm not really sure. I mean, it's not pride, because I could care less if someone called me a wimp, and it certainly wasn't out of pity, for he'd come back and kill me for it either way. I guess I was…curious. I wanted to know why he did what he did, hid from my view, and followed me all day except when I was around Miki. Of course, they say that 'curiosity killed the cat', but I'm not a cat and I could die anyways so I might as well be curious.

I heard him grunt quietly, "Don't move," and if he didn't have a weapon up to my throat I would've probably growled back, "Not like I have a choice…." To tell you the truth, I had been having a bad day, so I wasn't in the mood for some fancy ninja-stuff. I wanted to scream at him, "If you're going to kill me, do it now before suspense beats you to it!" I didn't, of course.

Slowly, he lowered whatever it was from its dangerous position and I felt the movement of the cushion beside me, which surprised me as I didn't think he'd relax that much around me. When he said I could open my eyes, I glanced over and found that he instead was sitting on the back of the couch with his feet resting on the seat cushion, and I thought, Should have figured. He had his hands clasped together in that mafia-gang-leader-examining-his-prey pose, as if he had the same curiosity as I did for him.

Was that why he didn't kill me? I'd have to ask him, I guess.

He leaned back a bit, almost like taking a step back to look at a painting, before asking me, "You do know that I could kill you anytime I want, right?"

"Yes," I answered seriously, for I know the danger I was in. "I also am fully aware that you could get away with it scot-free, even if I tried to create evidence before I died."

I knew how crafty ninjas could be (past experiences with Naruto taught me that), and apparently he was somewhat impressed by my solemn expression for he returned his position forward to that scrutinizing stare of his. I was surprised he wasn't using Sharingan, but I guess he didn't need to with me.

"So," I began another conversation with a question, "why does Miki hate you so much?"

His thoughtful expression twisted into a scowl at this, and he muttered, "She doesn't understand anything, about me or my bastard brother." His voice was strained with contained anger, and it made me wonder why he held it back. Maybe it was some type of super-ninja training or something – whatever it was, I don't think it was healthy.

"Oh," was all I said as I waited for something to happen. I didn't think I should delve any further at the moment and so I instead sat quietly as he seemed to mull over information he had, eyes always on me to keep watch on my movements. I shuffled a bit to get into a more comfortable position and watched as his gaze flickered before finally he spoke.

"Why don't you hate me?"

I tilted my head curiously (a subconscious movement that he followed once more with his eyes), and hummed, "Hm?"

He shifted so his hands left to support his chin, keeping his gaze steady. "You're friends with her," he avoided saying her name as he did for his brother, "and yet you do not join in her antics."

By "antics", I assumed he meant her jokes and taunting, saying that she could kick his ass easily. I blinked once with thought, and then smiled. "Well, I did say your hair looked like a duck."

He scowled, but I was sure that he was slightly relieved to finally be able to squeeze me into a category or two: "weird" and "crazy". After all, I was taunting a very skilled ninja about his 'do, and from my previous experiences with "men" I've found that they are actually quite vain of their hair.

Speaking of hair, my air-conditioning doesn't work and the fans all sucks, so I kept blowing and pushing back my hair as it clung to my face and irritated me. Stupid hair. I should cut it shorter, like Naruto's except not blone. Hm, I wonder if I could get it to stick up in spikes like his….

Anyways, I guessed it was my turn to speak with all of the silence, and so I asked, "Are you running to or from something?" That was a tricky question with no right or wrong answer, I know, but I meant it to be; it would show me how clever the "Uchiha prodigy" really was.

And I found that the answer was "extremely", for he trained his gaze onto mine in a mental challenge and tossed it right back into my court with, "Where are you running to?" Damn, he was good. It was half-insult half-question, the bastard.

But I liked the way he thought, avoiding the bullet and shooting right back all in one fluid motion. I smiled. If he sticks around long enough, things might get interesting…. "I don't run," I then answered, "I just walk briskly." And let him take that however he likes. I had dodged his bullet too, and now it was my turn to fire right back.

"What do you strive for?"

"Revenge," was the first word immediately out of his mouth, but then he added as an afterthought, "understanding, completion…and you?"

"Peace" was my first answer, but I decided instead to get to the root of it by saying, "Open minds, open hearts, and understanding, too." I could have made a comment about the "revenge" bit, but anything that went like "it will devour you from the inside out and rot you to your core" was corny, cliché and wouldn't get through to him anyways, so for that I just bit my tongue.

His go.

"Why would you want open minds, open hearts? Why would you want everyone to know your thoughts? Your personal secrets? Fears? Ideas? Reasons? Past? Everything?" He seemed rather annoyed by the prospect of that.

"Isn't understanding the same as an open mind?"

He shook his head. "Why would you burden yourself with other people's problems, foolishness, hatred…." I felt he was leaving something out, but I didn't press him as he repeated, "Why?"

I thought long and hard about this question, for the nearly fevered way he had said it showed that his impression of me was at stake here (and maybe even my life). I had to answer this perfectly – and yet, imperfectly – right in between.

Perfectly flawed? Or flawed perfection?

"Humans are selfish," I finally told him, "and are easily led by temptation and curiosity. I want to poke into people's lives and learn all about them, become their friend, and help them in any way I can, and it makes me feel…." I was going to say "good", but that was such a weak word. "I feel as if I am special and can make a difference, and I enjoy the praise and thanks I get from those I help because it makes me feel proud of myself."

Hopefully his cynical mind would view that in a semi-positive way (for him), or at least not label me as "dumb" as well. And apparently, that was all he needed, for he did not push me for more and I did not give him more. We were at a stalemate.

But, no, we weren't, for I had given him two real answers while he had only given my one. And yet, I felt that that was good enough for now, for one was always more comfortable when in the lead and he was no exception.

Then, I heard knocking, but as I turned in alarm to the front door, he simply got up calmly from the couch – the door I had originally left open was now locked.

Damn ninja.

I told my brother "hold on" through the door before turning to my stalker as he began to coolly walk to my room (to jump out of my window, no doubt). "Wait," I called after him, desperate now for another answer to even the playing field and put me at ease, "why have you been following me?" The blue-shirt wearing ninja turned to give me an indifferent glance, but nothing more.

After a moment of silence, the front door opened as my brother shouted, "Never mind, I had my keys."

"There's a shock," I mumbled when I glanced at him, and then I looked back to my room with disappointment. As expected, it was empty, and even the window had been carefully closed.

Sasuke was gone.

~Fin~