Sheets rustled, some one had woken up. The figure placed its head in its hands. "Stupid…stop being so afraid…" the figures voice muttered. This was Sasuke, his past had once again returned to make his life a living hell. Sasuke swung his feet over the side of his bed. Black pajama pants covered his legs. He stood, glanced at the clock. In the darkness, an audible sound of disappointment resounded. It was four am. "Stupid dreams…" He paused at the door. "Nightmares…" He corrected himself. "Not dreams…" He walked down to the main floor of his home. Cool night air greeted him and he shivered. He had forgotten to close the window, again. Now his upper body would pay the price. Making no move to close the kitchen window, he opened the fridge. His shoulders slumped again, 'Ugh…forget breakfast…' he decided.

Walking slowly back to his room, Sasuke got dressed. He would go train for a while. Perhaps that would take his mind off his nightmare. Once outside, the early morning air brought goose bumps to Sasuke's already pale skin. A sudden burst of wind gained a slight turn of Sasuke's head.

"Knew you'd be up, Uchiha..." Temari, a blonde haired, bossy, hot-tempered girl from the sand village said plainly behind him. Sasuke frowned slightly.

"What do you want?" He asked harshly. He had no time for some girl who had suspiciously appeared behind him. He blinked, something in his mind clicked. Temari, he had seen her in his nightmare, defending Shikamaru and himself from something, then…he turned away from her, his eyes were closed tight. Then Itachi had killed them both.

Temari smirked. "I want to train with you, after all…" Sasuke could fell her breath on the back of his neck she was fast. "I've heard that you're the top student at the academy here in Konoha." Sasuke re-opened his eyes. He nodded and spun around.

"Fine" Sasuke said. "As long as you stop swooning over me…" Temari blushed. She looked down, but she looked up and smiled. The rest of the journey to the forest was a silent one. Even if Temari had tried to start a conversation, Sasuke was to busy pinpointing her weaknesses. Not to mention he was still trying to figure out his nightmare. Once they reached the forest, Temari broke the thick silence.

"Care if I go first?" She asked her voice seductive and slightly dark. Sasuke shook his head he tensed. Sasuke did not know how quickly she had been to unfurl her fan and attack, but all he remembered was being blown back into a tree, then waking to find her, above his face, tears welled up in her own black eyes.

As soon as he sat up, he was pulled into a hug. "Te…Temari?" He was slightly confused. She held him tighter and tried to compose herself.

"I'm sorry, it was Kankurou." Sasuke looked around, there, near Temari's huge fan, was part of Kankurou's puppet. "He came, and…well…when you hit the tree and got up, he knocked you out…I'm not sure how though…" He could feel her tears soaking through his dark shirt.

Sasuke returned her hug. "Well, I'm awake now…" He whispered, almost inaudible to himself. Temari again, started balling. Sasuke closed his eyes. He re-opened them and found Kankurou standing not to far away, an evil look plastered on his face. Sasuke tightened his grip around Temari. "Kankurou…" He muttered. The boy laughed. Temari buried her face into Sasuke's chest.

"Temari, Come on, Gaara wants to be out of here before noon." He picked up his sisters fan. "Let go of your boyfriend." The boy turned around and began walking away. Temari looked up at Sasuke.

The sun had begun to rise. The light hit her tear streaked face, making it glow golden. "I guess that's it then…" She said Sasuke nodded. She kissed his forehead and stood up. Sasuke stood up as well. "I'll miss you…" She looked at her feet. Sasuke placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I have a feeling we'll meet up again…" He said. Kankurou had stopped and turned, he was obviously getting inpatient. Temari nodded and gave Sasuke a last hug.

She waved to him and ran off. Once she had disappeared, Sasuke slumped against a tree. Would that be the last time he would have a reason to love and be loved? Staring up at the glistening leaves of the forest roof, he closed his eyes. All he saw was blood, and Itachi standing in the thick of it all. He sat straight up his eyes were wide.

He walked back to his home. On the living room coffee table sat the stupid scrapbook Sakura had given him on Valentines Day. It was opened to the page with the stupid pictures Kakashi had taken the summer before. He smirked. Sitting on the black couch, he closed the scrapbook. 'That may be the only thing left of them…' His thoughts trailed off. 'I will have to stay away from them…I cannot have them hurt…' he stood, placing the old book on the shelf, next to an old photo of his family.

He smirked at the burnt photo. His mothers face smiled back at him. Itachi and his father had been burnt out of the picture. Looking back at the window, he was met with an interesting sight. The dew on the grass leaves and ground glittered, making everything seem crystal like. It was six am now; Sasuke looked back at the photo.

Some one knocked on his door. A voice rang out in the silence. "Sasuke? Are you awake? It's me, Ino!" Sasuke frowned. He walked to the door. He stood there, waiting to hear her footsteps fade into the morning. "Fine, don't answer your door…" She turned on her heal and walked away. Sasuke stood there a moment after he was sure she had gone. He opened his eyes and looked around; he had slid to the floor.

Sasuke got back up and walked to his stairs. He took one last look outside; birds had already begun to sing. 'Hn…' he thought. 'Until these nightmares subside, I may not see that for a while…' in his room, the blinds were shut, and the light was off. It was dark, dark enough to sleep.

Sasuke flopped down on his bed. The ceiling was his only entertainment. He hated this, the stupid nightmares that usually came true, being cooped up inside until they stop, people getting all worried and constantly coming to see if he's okay. He closed his eyes in annoyance. 'I wish they would just stop…' he thought. He remembered the first time he had wished something. That day replayed through his mind, as if in slow motion. It was like a foggy dream…

"I wish you would just stop Itachi!" Sasuke screamed as loud as his infant voice would allow. Itachi laughed and shoved his younger brother down. Sasuke was four and Itachi was eight or nine.

"You want me to stop? Go tell mom! See if I care!" Itachi said, kicking Sasuke in the side. Sasuke started crying. Itachi had already run off when his mother came.

"Mommy…Itachi was beating me up again. I wish he would stop." His mother scooped the young boy into her arms.

"Oh Sasuke, be careful what you wish for…I had a sister once, she beat on me like Itachi does to you." She smiled and kissed the boys forehead. "You know what though? It made me a strong kunoichi. I want you to take your pain, and make it strength. My mother told me that." Sasuke hugged his mother.

"Grandma always knows what to say." He said. His mother laughed and kissed his cheek.

"She does, doesn't she?" She put Sasuke on the ground and took his hand. "Come on, you can help me with the laundry. Itachi will never think of coming near you when you're with me." Sasuke smiled and nodded.

The memory soon faded. Sasuke looked back at the clock. It was twelve noon now; he rolled over on his pillow and pulled the blanket over his head. "Mother…I wish I could hear you tell me that again…" He mumbled his dark eyes stung. 'I'm not gunna cry, not even once. I have to be strong.' He thought.

Sasuke once again closed his eyes and drifted into a restless sleep. He awoke to his phones answering machine the next morning. He glanced sleepily at the contraption, Sakura had called and she wanted him to pick up. "Sasuke, I know you're there! Answer the phone now!" Her voice said angrily. Sasuke groaned and rolled over; he put the pillow over his head. The machines recorded voice ended the message. Sasuke sat up, realizing just how hungry he was. The phone rang again while he was getting breakfast it was Naruto.

"Hey Sasuke, answer the phone, Sakura's going mad! Pick up, I know you're there!" Sasuke glared at the phone. He heard Naruto hang up. He set down his toast and walked over to the phone, the answering machine had, Sasuke felt his jaw drop slightly, 21 messages. He pressed a few buttons and the machines voice cut in.

"All messages deleted." It said. Sasuke rolled his eyes. He did not see why they should worry over him. He looked outside; the sun was already high up. He looked over his shoulder to the clock. No wonder, it was ten am.

Sasuke slumped his shoulder and sat down on the couch in his living room. Last time this had happened, it seemed almost a vague dream now, as if it had not happened.

"Sasuke…are you okay? You've been indoors for days now!" Sakura's voice came through the door. Sasuke reluctantly opened it. The pink haired kunoichi gasped. "Sasuke!" Sasuke's dark eyes were slightly red rimmed, as though he had been crying.

"Sakura…" He reached out and hugged the girl. "I'm sorry…" Sakura gasped again, but she returned his hug. The pink haired girl let go and sunk to the ground.

"Sasuke…you had me worried…" She cried. Sasuke knelt beside her and hugged her once again.

He held her tightly, not wanting her to leave. He felt so alone now, realizing how many people had died that fateful night. That night Itachi had decided to commit the largest mass murder in the history of Konoha.

Sasuke shook himself from the memory. He was lying on the couch, just as he had been before drifting into his past. He made no move to get up. Outside, a storm had stopped. He looked at the window; it was dotted with the last remnants of the rain. Finally, he got up. Sasuke walked past the phone, its message display blinked a glowing red one. His eyebrows rose.

"Hey Sasuke, it's me, Naruto…but you probably already guessed that…Uhh…I might come over tomorrow, because Sakura told me too…so...OPEN UP WHEN I GET THERE TOMORROW!" Sasuke smirked.

"End of message" The phone said. Sasuke turned off the machine. He walked into the kitchen and looked out onto the grass. He smirked again and turned on his heel towards the stairs. The sun outside reflected off the mirror in his room, creating little rainbows on his ceiling. They moved with the branches swaying outside in the warm spring breeze. It was so serene, and yet, so horrible.

The thick air inside Sasuke's room, made it feel like it had in the past. Warm and inviting during the hot summer months of Konoha village. He remembered sitting in his room, just sitting, watching the clouds from his window, enjoying the warmth of the sun baked windowsill and the glass pane.

A smile played onto Sasuke's lips. He sat down on his messy bed and gazed at the half-open window. Everything seemed to come to a stand still. Sunlight washed over his body as he opened the rest of the blinds. Its warmth reminded him of his mother. He did not notice the cloud move in front of the sun it ended the pleasant memory, replacing it with a horrible gut feeling that he was alone. The smile faded and Sasuke sat back down on his bed.

He lay down, staring at the once calming ceiling. It was all so dull now, as though the sun had never once, come through the boys window. Downstairs, the phone rang; he looked at the door across from where he lay. The phone stopped ringing, and the sun broke through the thick grey cloud that had covered it. The little rainbow patterns on his ceiling swayed there again. Sasuke closed his eyes and drifted into a light sleep, his body warmed by the bright spring sun outside.

Sakura punched her pillow. "Why does he always do this to me?" She wailed Naruto sat on her desk opposite the bed she was kneeling on. Naruto frowned.

"I'm sure he's fine Sakura, you said it yourself, and Sasuke ALWAYS pulls through." He hopped off the desk and walked over to the kunoichi. Sakura looked at the blonde boy. Naruto smiled. "You should know, Sakura, seeing as how you're so obsessed with him." Sakura hugged Naruto; her voice was muffled by his shirt.

"That's true, but I can't help but worry about him. Thank you Naruto…" Naruto sat down on her bed and returned Sakura's hug. "You have to make sure you get him to come outside tomorrow, I need to know he's okay" Naruto nodded.

"I'll call you tomorrow Sakura, until then, you should go to sleep." Naruto said and released the cherry blossom from his hug. Sakura nodded and waved good-bye to her friend. She hoped that what Naruto had said, about Sasuke always pulling through, was infact true, because if Sasuke was not all right, or worse, if he was dead…She stopped herself from screaming and lay down on her bed.

Sasuke woke early the next morning. Birds chirped calmly outside. Sunlight filtered in through his open window. Sasuke stared tiredly at the ceiling, bathed in golden light from the sun his nightmares had left him. Even so, Sasuke still felt the anger, and loneliness, like rocks in the pit of his stomach.

He got up and walked over to the window, he could see the gates of what was left of the Uchiha compound from his room. A small, orange and blue clad figure was walking slowly towards his home. "Naruto…" Sasuke muttered blandly.

He left the window and headed for the front door. Glad that Naruto had come to try to drag him outside, but annoyed at the fact that Sakura had not come with him. Sakura reminded him so much of his mother. Sasuke sighed audibly. Naruto was about twenty feet in front of the Uchiha's home when the door opened.

"Sasuke," Naruto ran up to him. Without thinking, Sasuke took out a kunai. Something was controlling his movements. "Ehh…Sasuke…what are you…" Naruto had no chance to finish asking the question. Kunai flew at him from almost every direction. The sun clouded over and it started to rain, which soon turned into a raging storm. Sasuke had Naruto held against a wall with one hand, and had a kunai at his throat with the other.

"You made a mistake in coming here Uzumaki…" Sasuke's voice hissed like that of Orochimaru's. Naruto squirmed, only to have Sasuke's grip tighten and the kunai slightly closer to his neck.

"Sasuke, wake up dammit!" Naruto gave up on escaping the boys grasp. Then, as if something had dropped on his head, Sasuke let go of Naruto's collar and fell to his knees, one hand over the curse mark given to him by Orochimaru.

"Naruto…get away…" Sasuke muttered through his pain. Naruto stubbornly shook his head.

"No," Blue mist surrounded the boys. Naruto frowned and put a hand on Sasuke's back. Sasuke managed to ignore the pain and look up.

"Oh no…" He whispered. Naruto looked at him, confused as ever. "It's the spirits…" Sasuke said, his dark eyes searching the ghastly mist, as though looking for some one. "The evil ones…" He added. Naruto looked at Sasuke's expression, he could not tell what it was, but the normally undaunted boy who stood up to everyone and everything, seemed worried and scared.

Arms wrapped around Sasukes shaking figure. A barely audibly gasp escaped Sasukes' lips. "I'm sorry Sasuke…" Naruto said quietly. "You should tell Sakura and me this stuff…you really worry Sakura…" Sasukes' eyes closed slightly. Naruto tightened his grip around Sasuke. The blue mist started to fade, Sasuke's consciousness faded slowly with it.

"Thank you…Naruto…" Was all he managed to say. Naruto looked down at his unconscious friend. He smiled and picked Sasuke up. Once inside the house, he put him on the couch and went to call Sakura,

He dialed her number quickly. "Hello?" her voice sounded relieved on the other end of the line.

"Sakura, good news, he's okay…" There was a sigh.

"Thank heavens! Where is he now?" Naruto smiled into the receiver.

"He's here, but…he's unconscious, Orochimaru took over his body and tried to kill me. He's okay now though." Naruto said he could see the slow, rhythmic rise and fall of Sasuke's chest from where he stood.

"Oh, well…Should I come over? I mean…well…" She paused. "Just to see him, I need to know he's okay…" Naruto thought a moment.

"Sure, come over when ever, he'll probably still be unconscious though, so…" The phone went dead on the other end. Naruto smirked and hung up the phone.

Before long, there was a knock at the door. The rain had lightened outside, and turned into a small drizzle. "Naruto," Sakura seemed to fall into Naruto's arms when he opened the door. She let go of him and walked into the living room. Her sad face lit up when she saw Sasuke's unconscious body on the couch. "Oh thank heaven above he's okay!" She said and ran back to Naruto. "I can't stay longer, sorry. Give Sasuke a hug would you. Mom wants me back so we can catch the train to the Hidden Cloud; she wants me to meet her parents." Sakura pecked Naruto's cheek and grabbed her umbrella. "Sorry! Bye Naruto!" She waved and was out the door.

Naruto waved. The door swung shut behind him as he walked into the living room. He was about to flip through the scrapbook he had noticed earlier when a movement from Sasuke caught his eye. Sasuke groaned and sat up slightly. "My head…" He muttered and looked around. Naruto smiled and was instantly kneeling beside the couch.

"Welcome back to earth." He said. Sasuke rolled his eyes and sat up. Naruto moved onto the couch and pulled the Uchiha into a hug. "Sakura wanted me to give you this," he mumbled. Sasuke raised one of his eyebrows.

"Give me wha–" Sasuke was stopped in mid sentence. Naruto was kissing him. The Uchiha felt his cheeks go hot with color. Naruto's hug tightened as Sasuke gave in to the kiss. Sasuke pulled back. "N…Naruto?" He knew his cheeks were flaming red; he ignored it and managed to stammer out a few words. "Wh…what was…th…that?" Naruto pulled the boy closer to him, a smirk plastered on his face.

"What does it matter…Sasuke" He was centimeters from Sasuke's lips. "Afraid you might lose…?" He whispered and kissed Sasuke again. Sasuke pulled back and stared at the blonde boy. I lose…l-like that?" He stammered. Naruto picked Sasuke up and placed him on his crossed legs.

"That's the point…you can't…" Naruto whispered. Sasuke felt his cheeks flamed hotter as the blonde boy kissed his neck. Sasuke whimpered Naruto licked his neck again. The blonde boy pulled away from Sasuke's neck. "You know…" Naruto sensed Sasuke's distress, the air seemed to give away the pain he held in his chest. "Sometimes…even for the toughest person, in the entire world…" Sasukes' cheeks slowly cooled, Naruto smiled before he continued. "Sometimes even for them…its okay…to cry…" Naruto watched as Sasukes' eyes flooded with old unshed tears.

Sasuke buried his face into Naruto's chest. No tears fell from Sasukes' eyes, he had promised himself never to cry. "I don't cry Naruto…I can't…" He muttered. This comment confused Naruto slightly, but he was aware of a faint almost completely gone, reason for this. Something exploded not to far away and Sasuke looked up and out the window. Flames and smoked obscured everything. Narutos' jaw dropped. Sasuke was aware that his own mouth had opened slightly. 'Something's gone wrong or worse...' Sasuke pushed the thought from his mind.

"What happened?" Naruto asked. Sasuke could only shrug.

"We have to get out…now…" Sasuke said firmly. "No one can know what's happened alright?" He glared back over his shoulder at Naruto. The Sharingan spun around his pupil. Naruto nodded.

"Okay, but…" The argument was a lost cause as Sasuke had already run through the door and towards the flames. Naruto followed reluctantly.

Upon reaching the flames, Sasuke spotted a smoke blurred figure it turned and faced them. Even though Sasuke could not see its face, he took a step backwards. From the smoke, the figure slowly emerged. When it was in plain view, Sasuke was aware of a slight burning on his neck, he was also aware that the figures eyes were very much, like his own…