Disclaimer: I wish.

It was a seemingly normal fight until Sasuke's last insult.

"If you want to go, Sasuke, then go. I won't stop you." Sasuke took a step toward the door. "If you walk out that door, I will never bother you again. I won't try to be your friend. I won't try to speak with you. You will never have to deal with me again."

Sasuke's face was blank, but he was full of conflicting emotions. Suddenly, his face hardened. He walked toward the door and left without looking back.

Naruto slid down the wall and cried.

Naruto was true to his word. A week had passed and Sasuke had not seen hide nor hair of Naruto. He had thought he would enjoy this break from his friend's idiocy, but frankly, it was disconcerting. He would never admit it, but everything seemed too quiet without Naruto there to balance it out with his irritating cheerfulness.

He missed him.

While out buying groceries earlier, he had run into Neji and Hinata. To him, they were acquaintances; to Naruto, friends.

"No. Naruto hasn't been acting strangely. The only thing that's different is that you aren't with him." Hinata said. Privately, Neji disagreed. Naruto's happy demeanor seemed more forced recently. The blonde had been taking on more missions, even D-rank, just to stay busy.

Neji would never tell Sasuke that. It wasn't his place. If Naruto wouldn't tell anyone, neither would he.

"Actually, I think I saw him at Ichiraku less than an hour ago. Why don't you try to catch him?"

"I think I will." he said, walking nonchalantly toward the shop. He went inside, but Naruto was not there.

"When did Naruto leave?" he wondered aloud. "He's usually here longer."

"We were worried." Ayame said. "He only ate one bowl."

That was Sasuke's first hint that something had changed.

One week later, he gave in and talked to Kakashi. "Why are you training us separately now?" he demanded. "We were doing fine before!"

"Naruto requested separate training. I saw no reason to refuse." Sasuke was stunned. He hadn't actually thought Naruto had meant it. He had to find a way to fix this without being obvious.

He went to Naruto's apartment (because that's not obvious Sasuke). He knocked, but no one answered. Unbeknownst to him, Naruto watched him from behind a curtain. "I- Where have you been, usuratonkachi?" he said angrily to air.

Naruto made a decision. He said he wouldn't speak to Sasuke, but being seen was a different matter. He had never said he would avoid him; that was to protect himself. In order to avoid suspicion, he would have to be near Sasuke. He didn't have to speak to him. He didn't have to look at him. But if he was never near his "best friend," someone would catch on.

And so Naruto opened the door, walked right past a stunned Sasuke, and toward the academy to play with Konohamaru and the others. Sasuke followed, but Naruto never said a word.

After a month of this, their friends were beginning to suspect something. For a while they had believed they had had another petty argument, but Naruto was never this quiet near Sasuke. Something was up.

"Hey guys!" Naruto yelled, running toward Ichiraku. He was meeting his friends for lunch. Unfortunately, Sasuke was also present. After Naruto had greeted everyone but him and even ordered food, Sasuke decided enough was enough. He grabbed him by the collar and pulled him away from the stand.

"Come with me," Sasuke ordered.

Naruto's eyes dulled, but he didn't struggle. He said he wouldn't bother Sasuke, and he never broke a promise.

"What is wrong with you?" he said in a threatening tone.

Naruto didn't answer.

"Why won't you talk to me?" he shouted, throwing a punch.

Naruto let him, and fell to the ground. When he got back up. "I have a mission. Goodbye Uchiha-san."

That formal tone hurt him more than the avoidance ever could have.

That was when Sasuke realized that his choice that evening at Naruto's apartment had caused this. It was his fault.

And he didn't know how to deal with that.