Chapter One: A Walk to Remember

By: DemonClowSorceress and Red

Disclaimer: No matter how kickass it would be to own Naruto, we do not. If we did, Itachi would be alive, and Sasuke and Naruto would be doing -

Red: DAMMIT, NO~! *holds up sign* ITACHI X NARUTO, DAMMIT!

It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon in the forest outside Konoha. The sun was shining, the birds were singing in the season of Spring.......and the two boys walking side by side were trying very hard not to act like total morons and embarrass themselves.

Naruto sneaked a glance over at Sasuke. The black-haired Uchiha was staring off to the side like he was bored. The blond bit his lip, worried. Maybe he's really bored? Maybe I shouldn't have asked him out here. I bet he'd like to be training or something......anything.....oh man, this was not a good idea..... He rubbed the bridge of his nose. But those guys were getting really annoying! I mean, it's not like......like we've actually done anything since we.....we said that we lo - ...... He blushed red as a boiled tako. Dammit, I still can't say it! And HE confessed to ME!

Sasuke saw him having a silent panic fit and wondered what the hell he was freaking out about this time. What could that dobe be panicking about now? An answer came floating up from the darker reaches of his mind. Wait......what if he's having second thoughts? What if he's switching teams? SHIT!

Now in the midst of his own panic fit, Sasuke turned to ask Naruto, but stopped, his mouth half-open. But if I ask him, he'll never give me a straight answer. He'll fudge about it and try not to hurt my feelings. He's just so......so......Naruto.....like that. He drives me crazy, but...... A small smile crept across his face. But -

"ZOMFG SASUKE!"

He reacted instantly to draw a kunai and look around for an enemy. Sensing none and realizing Naruto was staring at him, he straightened and sheathed his weapon. Then he smacked the blond upside the head. "Dobe! The hell you do that for?" he snapped.

"OW, Sasuke~" whined Naruto, rubbing his head with a pouty face. Then he remembered why he had shouted and leveled a finger directly at Sasuke's face. "Oh yeah! Sasuke, you were just smiling!"

The black-haired boy blinked, uncomprehending. "So?"

"Whaddaya mean, 'So'? You never smile!" Naruto's eyes glowed with sparkles of cuteness. "You looked......you looked....."

Sasuke lost his patience. "Spit it out!"

So he did. "You looked really HOTT!!" And of course, being Naruto, he said it when there was a lull in the forest noises around them. The declaration actually echoed a few times before completely fading, leaving Sasuke faintly blushing as Naruto's eyes went anime-big and shiny. Sasuke had to turn away, hand over his mouth and nose, willing himself not to erupt into a nosebleed at the kawaii of the blond -

And something hit the back of his spiky black head like a shot from a high-powered paintball gun at close range. Reflexively he spun and clonked the closest culprit.

For the second time in as many minutes Naruto felt his best friend's (he still couldn't equate Sasuke with boyfriend) fist connecting with his skull. "The hell was that for?" he yelled, foregoing the cutesy approach. It only worked a few times in a row, anyway.

"Don't hit me in the back of the head like that, idiot!" Sasuke snapped, rubbing his sore crown. "That hurt!"

"I didn't touch you!"

"Don't lie!"

"I'm not! For once, Sasuke, you're wrong and I'm right!"

"Does that make you happy?"

"......Yes."

Sasuke rolled his eyes and began walking down the path. "I'm heading back. Let's go."

He got five paces when another projectile left a lump on his head. He whirled around, but Naruto's hands were up in defense. "It wasn't me! I swear to - to - to the Ramen Gods!"

"There are no such gods, stupid!" Sasuke yelled back.

"I swear on my mom's - "

"You don't even know your mom!"

"......" The happy blond paused, hands dropping. "I know," he said in a trembly voice, and sank to a ball on the ground. Instant depression.

Oh damn, I made him depressed. Now I feel lousy. Sasuke went over to his side and knelt down. "Naruto....I'm sorry."

"Sure ya are," murmured Naruto, not looking at him.

"Really, I am."

"That's what they all say."

Blink, blink. "What?"

The blond shook his head. "Never mind."

Sasuke gave his depressed boyfriend a hug. "Hey, I said I was sorry. And I meant it. Okay?"

Naruto leaned into the hug, not saying anything. It was a cute scene........until two sharp objects hit each boy on the back of the head.

Both boys broke apart and drew their weapons, looking around for the culprit. Naruto pointed to the trees. "It came from up there!" he cried. But a projectile hit him on the other side. Fast as lightning his finger pointed in the opposite direction. "No, from there!" Another one hit from the opposite side, back and forth, until his head was lumpy with welts and he was panting from yelling so much.

Sasuke activated his Sharingan and scanned the surrounding foliage. A small discrepency made him blink and focus on it. "There. It's small and brown. But....what is it?" He frowned and scratched his head, then snapped his fingers. "Oi, I got it! It's an Onbaa!"

"Those are big and white, baka!" yelled Naruto. (See episode 185 for details)

Now, Sasuke didn't like anyone calling him stupid, not even his kawaii boyfriend. So he blew his top. "Then you come up with an idea, baka kitsune!"

"It's a Shinigami!" stated Naruto proudly, putting his hands on his hips.

Sasuke gaped. WTF? Is he serious? "What the - wh, wh, wha - NO!"

Naruto looked wounded, but came right back with, "A Soul Reaper!"

"No! FAIL!"

"Than YOU come up with something, temee!"

Put on the spotlight, Sasuke fumbled around for another idea as to what the mystery creature could be when he heard a branch snap. There was a piercing shriek, and the creature fell. Both boys reacted immediately to catch it, but they collided midway and fell in a tangle of arms and legs, Sasuke on the bottom and Naruto on top.

Naruto spoke first, and he sounded strange. "Sasuke....."

At first he thought the blond was injured; he sounded a little dazed. Twisting out from under him, Sasuke looked over Naruto's shoulder and asked, "What? What is it?"

"Look." So he did.

Nestled in Naruto's arms was a small, quivering mass of dark brown fur about a foot long. Two long ears swiveled to catch every bit of sound, while a tail lashed around like a crazy fuzzy whip. The creature's face was hidden, however, in the crook of Naruto's elbow.

"What is it?" whispered Sasuke.

Naruto stated the obvious, as he tended to do when he was shocked. "It's a quivering ball of brown fur with long ears and a tail."

"No shit, idiot."

The animal suddenly flopped over on its back, revealing its face. Naruto's eyes bugged out as Sasuke's jaw dropped onto the blond's shoulder.

Naruto spoke first. "It's a ... It's a squirrel-boy."

"It's a boy in a squirrel suit," corrected Sasuke.

They stared at the little boy, who stared back with big blue eyes. Nobody said a word, and then the little guy opened his mouth. "Chi."

"KAWAIIIIII!" screamed Naruto, going into full-blown adorable smile and sparkly eyes over the cuteness in his arms. Sasuke slapped a hand over his nose to prevent exposure of his nosebleed. "OMG Sasuke, he's SOOOOOO CUUUUUUTE!"

"Adorable," came the black-haired boy's muffled agreement.

HAHAHAHA! Sasuke's such a perv, huh?

Review this and Stay tuned!