Hey thereee, . -salutes-

Swingin' by to drop off a few chapters of a WIP that I thought you might enjoy.

It's eventually a NaruSasuNaru... of which I haven't exactly decided yet anddd I'm not really worried about it.

Um... so yeah, that's about it for now. Comments/reviews/critiques are always encouragement.

Light blond hair whipped around and shimmered under the stifling summer sun and sea breeze as throngs of eager people bustled about in the gritty sand.

High up over top of the lively heads, reclining lazily in a pristine white chair, was Naruto Uzumaki: the proud lifeguard of one of the busiest portions of shore making up Myrtle Beach.

He grinned and lazily saluted a few ogling girls as he stretched, showing off his bronzed, toned abs. The girls giggled and ran into the water. Cerulean eyes couldn't help but follow the scantily clad behinds as they bounced oh-so deliciously into the sea. "Ahh, man, this job is fucking sweet." He drawled and turned his eyes skyward, still wearing the grin.

"Uzumaki! Eyes on the water!"

Naruto jumped a bit, startled, before rubbing his neck sheepishly. "Eh heh heh, my bad man." He smiled down at a fellow lifeguard zipped tight in his green, full-body wetsuit. "It's the girls. They make it hard to stay focused." He tried to explain.

"Do not let the bounty of your youth get the best of you! Lives are in your hands when you're in that seat!"

Naruto bit his lip to keep from chuckling. Lee was always so enthusiastic about 'the years of youth.' "Right, right. Youth!" He placated. "Got it." The blond made a gun with his fingers and pretended to shoot Lee, who promptly jogged away.

The wind whirled through the sweating, tanned bodies of the people lounging and playing Frisbee below him and the waves crashed methodically against the shore of wake-boarders and beach joggers. Naruto shifted positions in his chair, feeling the heat of the summer sun beating upon him even through the umbrella built overhead.

"Shit is too quiet around here, dude! Where the hell is your radio today?"

"Kiba! 'Ey, what the hell are you doing here? Thought you had some deal with your parents today out of town." Naruto greeted as the brunette climbed up the lattice of the chair to hang off the side up by his friend.

"I ditched." He chuckled and turned his ball-cap backwards. "Shikamaru said the weather was going to be perrrrfect for surfing… " His eyes roamed over the blue waves, sparkling. "And shit, he was right."

Naruto laughed. "You're going to be in so much shit."

Kiba shrugged. "Worth it. When do you get off?"

Naruto whipped out his cell and checked the time. "In fifteen." At his side, a grin spread wide across Kiba's tattooed cheeks. "Sweet. Come hit the waves with me!"

Naruto ran his fingers through his blond locks, tousling them. "Man, I can't. It's Friday." He turned apologetic eyes towards his friend's. Kiba leaned back and shook the lattice of the share, frustrated. "Sucksss. Can't you ditch the quack like I ditched my 'rents?"

Naruto shook his head. "Sorry dude. Another time, I promise."

"Fine, fine." Kiba jumped down with a thud in the baking sand. "I'll just have to surf by myself."

"It's karma!" Naruto wiggled his fingers dramatically and sniggered when Kiba jumped and slapped his leg before waving and running off to suit up.

Naruto wished that he could surf with Kiba. He wished that his childhood wasn't so fucked up that he needed counseling for it. But wishing never accomplished anything.

Miles down the shore, a rather dense crowd of beach dwellers packed in tight around a stage set up in the sand up by the shore shacks. It was a small gig, free to any on the beach who stop to listen to the local bands attempting to gain fame.

A new band mounted the steps and as the lead singer donned his ruby red guitar and adjusted the mic, hordes of girls flocked to the stage like he was a siren's call. "Sasuke! Sasuke!" They cried, jumping up and pushing their way to the very front.

All of a sudden, the drums kicked in and shortly, Sasuke began singing. The crowd cheered and danced along lazily, and mostly drunkenly, with the near perfect cover of "Percussion Gun" by White Rabbits.

Sasuke was proud of his band. Hell, he had to be proud of Taka since he was in constant defiance of his disapproving parents with each step he'd taken in the direction.

He'd put them together himself. The only problem was he couldn't seem to get the publicity he desired so he'd taken to opening and closing each gig he booked with covers - songs that people knew and could sing along with when they rocked it out the Taka way.

Sasuke lidded his eyes and glanced over at Suigetsu who played bass for this particular song, but mainly stuck to second guitar. His signature white hair was mussed from nodding his head dramatically in time with the music and his lavender eyes scanned the crowd with excitement.

To the raven's right, Juugo's fingers pounded the keyboard flawlessly. The carrot-topped man usually was Taka's bass but Sasuke insisted that he doubled as the band's piano player.

And finally, behind him, was that woman. Karin. Sasuke was not particularly fond of her for various reasons, but he could not deny that she was the only drummer he desired for his band. She had the skills and the talent and it was undeniable that he'd be hard pressed to find better. And logistically, he supposed it would help to draw fans in if they possessed at least one woman in their group.

Sasuke wanted his band to succeed more than anything and he would do whatever it took to make that dream come into fruition. He would prove to his parents, to his brother… to himself that he could do this. Because fuck, if he didn't, he would have nothing. He risked everything just to get this far and it wasn't even half way to the goal line.

Just as the crowd seemed to really be feeling them, they played through the enforced limit of six songs all too soon. Sasuke turned and wiped sweat from his brow with the back of his hand before picking up the acoustic guitar and adjusting the tune. The raven forced a kink from his neck and before even turning around, began the opening notes to this show's closer-cover, "They Done Wrong / We Done Wrong," keeping the consistency with White Rabbits.

About half way through the song, Juugo switched from piano to Sasuke's previously discarded electric guitar which had never been a problem for them in rehearsal… but it certainly was tonight.

The stage was large, but excessively cluttered, and the cords were crossing from bands mounting and leaving the stage so frequently and carelessly. As Juugo walked back to his post and began to play, the cord to the amp ran taunt. It was twirled around Suigetsu's bass amp and as he walked, the amp began to slide across the floor until finally the line came unplugged from the guitar violently… but not before Suigetsu had tripped backwards over it.

Screeching feedback echoed over Sasuke's vocals and he visibly winced and spun to see what the hell had happened. The white haired man was scowling and pointing across the stage at Juugo accusingly, yelling something obscene. Juugo was holding his hands in the air passively and quickly running to plug the ruby beauty back in, fumbling nervously with the cords as Suigetsu rubbed his ass.

Sasuke stepped away from the mic, never missing a beat in his strumming, and ordered in a murderous tone, "Get your shit back together. Now."

Snickers from the crowd reached his ears and he closed his eyes against them and resumed his place at the mic, hearing Karin fumble slightly in uncertainty as it was just her drums and Sasuke's acoustic. Sasuke turned around and locked eyes with her, nodding his head ever so slightly in encouragement for her to continue despite the shitstorm.

Suigetsu threw Juugo's cord from around his amp and entered the song fearlessly, but his fall had knocked a tuning peg and a wrong note echoed discordantly. "Fuck." Sasuke whispered, steeling himself against the feeling of disappointment and embarrassment.

Just moments before the song ended, both Juugo and Suigetsu had managed to pick it back up and continue until it was through but to Sasuke, the damage had already been done. There was never anything he could accept less than perfection for the amount of time, effort and money they'd sunk into this.

After the song ended, the raven quickly gathered his equipment and exited the stage, wasting absolutely no time.

Back at the van they somehow managed to transport all of their equipment in, the rest of Taka joined him hesitantly.

"Sasuke, I… I'm sorry. The cord was-" Juugo tried but Sasuke turned and glared. "I don't want to hear it. There aren't any excuses for this."

"The crowd still loved us. They cheered even after the fuck up." Suigetsu enlightened while sliding his bass into the back nonchalantly. "Out of pity, Suigetsu." The raven's deep voice boomed even though it was quietly level while he sat in the back of the van.

"Really, guys. How the hell could you screw up that song so royally?" Karin lectured with her hands on her hips. "Honestly, how many times have you practiced that, Juugo. Sasuke's right, there's absolutely no excuses for what happened."

"Oh, lay the hell off him. It's a live show, shit goes wrong all the time in live shows. It's normal. And you're only bitching because it wasn't you that fucked up." Suigetsu leaned against the van casually and pointed a finger at the woman.

"Live shows are all we get. This is how we are defined by everyone who hears us. Do you understand that, Suigetsu?" Sasuke sat motionlessly while his onyx orbs locked onto lavender. The bassist shrugged. "Sure, but it's normal."

Sasuke was on his feet with a hand fisted in the man's clothing in less than a second. He snarled and slammed him against the truck violently. "Do you fucking understand how much I've sank into building this band! You are here because I let you be here, Suigetsu. It's my money funding your ass because I thought you and I were on the same page. Are we not?" His fist tightened in Suigetsu's already torn t-shirt.

Juugo rested a hand on Sasuke's shoulder in attempt to calm him but the raven ignored it and seethed just inches away from Suigetsu's face. "Alright man, alright. I get it. It's just… you know, sometimes you make a big deal over something that's just a part of the road we're on."

Silence fell between them thick, something tangible. Sasuke's eyes bored holes into Suigetsu who stared just as intensely in return. Then suddenly, in an explosion of anger and frustration, Sasuke drew his fist back and ran it into Suigetsu's jaw with no restraint.

Suigetsu's eyes grew wide and a hand came slowly to his rapidly swelling face as Sasuke clenched his jaw. "Failure is not part of the road I am on." His words brimming with unspoken threats and implications, he turned and left.

Once positive he was out of view, he dug through his pocket for his cell, flipped it open mid-stride and hit 1 on his speed dial. The jeers and snickers from the crowd were echoing in his head as it rang and rang and rang. With each passing moment, it felt as if Sasuke was being swallowed by his frustration.

Sasuke flipped his phone shut and whispered, "Fuck you, Itachi." Only steps later, he called the only other person he had in his life - one which he had to pay to be there.

"I need an appointment with Dr. Hatake."

Naruto sat his backpack down on the floor and plopped into the plush leather chair, head falling back immediately.

"Rough day?" Kakashi Hatake, professional and city-celebrated therapist, questioned with his feet propped upon his redwood desk and a pen tucked behind an ear.

Naruto sat there for a while relaxing in the cool air-conditioned room. "No. No, actually it was a pretty good day." He raised his head and smiled slightly. "Just making sure it stays that way."

Kakashi smiled and nodded. "How have you been sleeping?"

"You know, about the same. Three or four hours at a time." The blond mop fell back once again and rolled lazily to the side.

"Is it the nightmares?" The silver haired man questioned, drawing his pen from behind his ear languidly. Naruto nodded. "Are you recalling anything from them?"

"…No."

Kakashi scribbled. "Are you practicing what I suggested?"

"The whole wake up and write it down thing?" The doctor nodded. "Yeah but it doesn't help. It's just the same thing over and over and I always wake up at the same damn part."

"And what part is that?"

Naruto sighed and sat forward, resting his elbows upon his knees and cradled his head in his hands. "This damn player-piano starts playing some song… some classical one. And there's this bird in a cage that starts squawking. Then I wake up."

"What color is the bird?"

Naruto furrowed his brow. "Uh… it's…" He thought for a moment before shaking his head slowly. "I don't know."

Kakashi wrote on his pad again. "Next time you have that dream, try to remember to write it down." He wrote a moment longer before questioning, "And how is school?"

"Good. School is good."

"Naruto."

"What! It's good, man!"

"…Naruto."

The blond sighed and smiled. "Math is kicking my ass, alright?"

Kakashi returned the grin and tucked his pen back into the bed behind his ear. "And your social life?"

"Eh, you know. It's booming. I'm the man." Naruto beamed and Kakashi chuckled. "Make sure you're not spreading yourself too thin between your friends, work and school." The doctor advised before adding, "You've been doing very well lately, Naruto."

"Thanks, doc. I try." He shrugged. Just then there was quite a commotion outside the office's door. A deep voice nearly echoed inside the room. "Let me the fuck in!" It was proceeded by a few banging noises and a loud slam of a door. Naruto raised his eyebrows at Kakashi who shrugged and reached for the intercom, feet still propped upon the desk. "Iruka. Everything alright out there?"

A few moments later, the secretary finally replied. "Yeah… there's just a client who's um… adamant about seeing you now despite his appointment is scheduled later this afternoon. He's retreated to the bathroom for now."

Kakashi's eyes flashed briefly with recognition and a small smirk played upon his lips. "Ah. Naruto, do you mind if we cut the session short? I'm afraid there's a bit of a time-bomb in the men's restroom at the moment."

The tanned lifeguard chuckled and shook his head. "Nah, it's cool." He grabbed his bag. "I better get outta here before the poor bastard explodes. Gotta say though, I didn't know someone around here had bigger issues than me." He joked and paused in the doorway. He raised a hand to Kakashi. "See ya, doc."

The silver haired man shook his head and stood to stretch. He sauntered over to lean in the doorway and just as the door shut behind Naruto, Sasuke emerged from the bathroom looking extremely petulant. "Get your ass in here, drama queen. And you're paying for the remainder of my other client's session as well as the time allotted for your scheduled appointment."

Sasuke scowled and pushed passed the man to sit in the leather chair with his arms folded across his chest, back ridged. Kakashi sighed and shut the door quietly behind him before making his way back over to his desk.

"So, to what do I owe this pleasure?"

"Are you sure you're a professional." Sasuke grunted and eyed the man rather impassively. "Why yes, I am quite sure."

"Simply because you are friends with my brother does not mean you can treat me however you please."

Kakashi smiled. "Of course not, Sasuke. Now really, why such an urgency to see me?"

"Taka."

"Always Taka."

"We had a show today on the beach. Juugo and Suigetsu fucked up the closer."

Kakashi's smile dropped and he slowly drew the pen from his ear, unexpectedly becoming qualified as he always did. "And you see this as your own failure?"

The raven snorted. "Taka is my band."

"But Juugo and Suigetsu are not you."

"I punched Suigetsu."

Kakashi paused in his indolent writing and looked up at Sasuke through his lashes studiously. "Why?"

"I felt like it."

"Why?"

"Because he said it was normal."

"That what was normal?"

"Fucking up a live show."

Kakashi resumed writing. "Do you regret it?"

Sasuke's eyes flickered to the window behind the man and back, his face unreadable. "Why would I?"

"Because it's your slip-up that they ruined the closer."

Sasuke was quiet and he licked his lips before tilting his head back cockily. "Fuck you." Kakashi smiled. "This is my job."

"It doesn't change anything. None of it should have happened. We rehearsed too many times for this novice bullshit."

"Sasuke, these things take time and experience. What doesn't kill you will only make you stronger. You have to have patience."

"Patience?" The raven chuckled before slamming his fist on the leather arm of the chair. "I don't have the luxury to be patient. My parents have given me one month before I'm on my own. This needs to happen now or Taka is through."

"I presume this is the ultimatum they have given you if you don't start walking the path of a doctor?"

"Of course it is. I have to be just like Itachi or I'm not good enough. Fuck that."

Kakashi tapped the end of his pen against the tablet. "Are you establishing that complex again?"

"No." The raven scowled deeply. "No. I only came here because he wouldn't answer his damn phone."

"He is a surgeon, Sasuke. He's a busy man. Cut him some slack."

"Please. He doesn't need slack. He's perfect. Nothing he does is wrong."

The doctor frowned and rolled his shoulders, regarding Sasuke in silence before jotting something down onto the tablet. Sasuke rolled his eyes. "I said I wasn't."

"Of course you aren't. Back to the ultimatum. What are you going to do if they cut you off and you don't have a deal?"

"It isn't an option. We will have a deal."

"Not if you keep failing."

"Stop saying that!" Sasuke stood and braced his hands on the desk. Kakashi 'hmm'd' and wrote once more. "You certainly are unusually animated today."

Sasuke slowly removed his hands from the cherry wood and lowered himself back into the chair, straightening his navy v-neck.

"Just stressed?" Kakashi offered. Sasuke didn't answer, but turned his eyes out the side window. Kakashi raised his brows a bit in amusement and leaned back in his chair. "This is more the Sasuke I am used to analyzing."

"Shut up." The raven's phone began to ring and he dug it out to see it was Itachi calling. He promptly shut the device off and shoved it back in his pocket.

"He's going to worry." Kakashi pointed out. Sasuke shrugged and ran a hand through his hair before standing and making his way to the door. The silver haired man's eyes followed him in silence. Sasuke opened the door and paused, putting his hands in his pockets but refusing to turn around. "We'll have a deal." With that, he left.

Kakashi gave himself a moment and debated on which move to make. Eventually he sighed and picked up the phone receiver, dialing a number with his eyes on a particularly odd shaped cloud outside his window. "Itachi? Your brother was just in to see me."

"Is everything alright?" Came Itachi's monotonous voice through the line. It was an Uchiha trait but Kakashi had known the man long enough to make out how concerned he was.

"You know, I believe he's coming to a breaking point. He told me your parents are planning to cut him off in one month if he doesn't bend to their desires and on top of that he's having trouble with the band. Which, of course, he is reflecting upon himself as his sole liability. Mmm, he also punched Suigetsu today."

On the other end of the line, Itachi was quiet. "…He didn't tell me they were going to cut him off."

"Of course not. He looks for your approval just as much, if not more, than your parents. He wants to succeed for you, too. Sasuke… has a lot of pride, Itachi, and he feels he has to do things himself otherwise he perceives he's not strong enough."

"Where is he?"

"He just left. If you're at the hospital, I'm sure you can manage to get to him."

"Thank you. Goodbye, Kakashi." The line clicked before the doctor even had a chance to respond. He put the handset in its cradle and returned his attention to the oddly shaped cloud.

Itachi found his brother two blocks away from Kakashi's office, sitting on a bench outside an antique music shop. Itachi had known he would be there. When his little brother was troubled, he always found his way to that old oak bench facing the dusty display window of the shop. Ever since he was little and troubled, it had been something of a haven despite sidewalk traffic.

The sun was just setting and the street was nearly empty. Itachi, still in scrubs, pulled over and parked at a meter before j-walking over to the bench.

He sat down beside Sasuke without a word and looked at the instrument arrangement in the window that never seemed to change through the years.

Silence nestled between them comfortably. Itachi cocked his head slightly to the side and rested an arm on the bench behind Sasuke.

"I'm going to buy that violin when we make it big." Sasuke uttered quietly. Itachi's heart lifted a bit. "You've always wanted that, overpriced as it is. Ever since you were little."

"It's not overpriced. An aged violin plays the sweetest. Even a new violin is aged for seventy-years at the least." A flock of birds passed overhead, chirping melodically. "So the maker of the violin will most likely never get to hear his creation played."

Itachi was thoughtful. "That's rather depressing." Sasuke didn't respond. He sat quietly next to Itachi and fixed his gaze on the immaculately carved wood.

"Why didn't you tell me you're going to be cut off in a month."

Sasuke turned his head to look at Itachi. "He told you?" His voice was low and angry. Itachi turned his onyx eyes to his brothers identical ones. "Why didn't you tell me?"

The younger raven shook his head and turned his eyes impassively back towards the display. "Because it doesn't matter."

"And why not, Sasuke?"

"Because we're going to get a record deal."

Itachi studied Sasuke's profile. "How do you know?"

"I'm going to make it happen, Itachi."

"I don't doubt you." When Sasuke kept his eyes fixated upon the violin, Itachi stood and let his hair fall loose about his shoulders before turning and jabbing two fingers into his brother's forehead. "Come on. Let's go grab dinner."

Sasuke swatted at his hand. "Stop fucking doing that. And you're still in your scrubs." He stood anyway and shoved his hands into his worn denim pockets. Itachi smiled and shrugged as they crossed the street together. "So?"

"You're weird. Where are we going?"

"Wherever you want to go, little brother."

Sasuke got in the passenger side of Itachi's sleek black M6 BMV convertible. "Let's go to that Italian place Mom used to take us when Dad worked late. And I'm paying for myself."

Itachi smiled and relented. "You're ridiculous, Sasuke."

Sasuke smirked in return. "Shut the hell up and drive, asshole."