It was always days like these that were most irritating. Irritating, yes, though amusing at best. Why do you ask? Well, I'm just a twisted person, to say the least, and I enjoy seeing other people's pain. Not pain exactly…more like frustration. Anger. And who else better than to irritate on such a fine day than my stupid blonde friend-yes, believe it or not, I actually consider him a friend to me-, Naruto? Which explains the scene at hand-his bright crystalline eyes wide with fury and his face contorted into one of extreme annoyance with his hands clenched at his sides.

"YOU TEME!!!!" He all but yelled at me, his face only a few mere inches from my own. Of course, I kept my composure-because this was nothing out of the ordinary-, and smirked condescendingly as he did so.

"You rang?" I muttered, feeling my dark eyes weigh heavily down on Naruto's, our eyes silently battling it out till the end.

"You're impossible!!" He spat, his arms crossing as he turned away from me for what seemed like the millionth time today. I only rolled my eyes, again, for the millionth time, and allowed Naruto a moment to cool off.

You might be wondering what exactly I did this time to anger the number one knuckle-headed ninja of Konoha. It's quite simple, really. He had made some comment about Sakura, I teased him about it, and he took it much too dramatically, which concludes to where we are now. I honestly cannot understand what that moron sees in her. She's so….useless. Annoying, stupid, and a creep-I swear I've seen her shadows in my house late at night before. Then again, Naruto was oblivious to practically everything and anything, so I couldn't blame him. He didn't even have the slightest clue that Hinata was all but in love with him. The idiot.

"And you're stupid. Now can we get past the obvious, usuratonkachi, and start talking about something that actually might matter?" I asked half seriously, the other half almost mocking the blonde-haired imbecile. At this he growled and snapped back around to glare at me, and I could have sworn I saw a hint of red flash in his eyes before they returned to a devastatingly bright blue. "Shut up, you bastard! Sakura-chan does matter, you just can't see it!"

After a light scoff, I find myself almost wishing that Naruto didn't feel that way about Sakura. It's not like she would ever return his feelings, and the slight chance that there was wouldn't last very long. I almost felt disappointed for him-he couldn't see what was right in front of him. "Sure, of course she does, Naruto, just like you're the best ninja to have ever been born. It all completely matters," I said mockingly, my own arms crossing absently over my chest as I did so. He pouted slightly, the one he always does when he's about to change the subject, and looked away, as if thinking of another come-back. Sadly, and to my dismay, he had none.

I had really done it this time. Of course I always piss him off, and it usually doesn't bother him much. At least not like this. He mumbled something under his breath, then sighed and shook his head. "What now, dobe?" I asked, one of my ebony eyebrows arching just a bit. He looked up at me, defeat in his eyes, then shrugged. "Dunno. Just thinking…"

Well that was a quick change of pace. Naruto didn't seem angered or anything at all now, just…thoughtful, I suppose. Or as much as an idiot like him could be. "…Why exactly don't you like Sakura-chan, Sasuke-teme?" He asked suddenly, curious eyes looking up to mine. Oh, the question that I had been waiting for. With a sigh, I looked around, before looking back down at Naruto. "She's annoying, like every other girl who stalks after me, and useless. Not to mention…" I trailed off, not exactly wanting to admit much more before I began to lose my self-control. Naruto looked at me quizzically, his head tilting slightly to one side. "Not to mention what, teme?"

"Hn, never mind, dobe," I murmured, averting my gaze from the blonde once more, but as we all know, he's a persistent one.

"No, tell me!" He cried, uncrossing his arms and throwing them out to his sides. I rolled my eyes and shook my head. "It's nothing important, usuratonkachi," I muttered, feeling some unknown emotion begin raging through my system.

This only began to anger the blonde as he huffed out through his nose, he eyes glued to mine. "I don't care, I want to know!"

"Why do you care so much?"

"Because you're my best friend, now tell me, you jerk!" He retorted, his mouth painted into a firm line across his face instead of his usual grin. After a moment, I tore my eyes away from his, opting to look past him, over his shoulder and into the distance.

"…She's a bitch to you, Naruto. Don't you ever see it? It irritates the hell out of me to see people pick on you, because…" I trailed off again, and I almost practically feel my cheek bones turning pink, something that I wished I could control. "…Because that's my job. I'm the only one who ever annoys you, and it should stay that way," I ended lamely, feeling completely helpless as I just stood there under Naruto's eyes, having them act like spotlights on the truth of my words. He was grinning all the while, just his usual, bright grin, and he raised his head. "So you do care about me! I knew it! I knew you weren't a cold, selfish bastard all the time!" He exclaimed, before pausing; a look of confusion passing through his features. "…WAIT!!! Why should it even matter that she treats me the same way you do?! ….ARE YOU JEALOUS?!?!" His eyes went wide, but his grin grew as he pointed an accusing finger my way.

I glared heatedly at him, that same emotion coursing through my body once more as I reflexively snatched Naruto's pointer finger and bent it back. "Usuratonkachi….if you knew what was good for you, you wouldn't point fingers, or else I might just have to break it off," I growled, my eyes delving into Naruto's impossible azure, pure anger clearly raging in them. He let out a soft whimper, backing up slightly and wincing as he did so. "S-Sasuke!! Let go!" He cried out softly, trying to free himself from my hold, but I only tightened my hand around his finger and bent it back just a bit more.

Some may say that this was a cruel and slightly unusual punishment. Whoever said that I wasn't cruel? After another few moments, he began to grin again, looking back up to me. "You're just denying that you're jealous of her, huh?!" that only earned him another blast of pain as I bent his finger back a bit more, feeling that it was coming to its limit. "Never," I growled lowly again, trying my best to hide whatever other answers the blonde could possibly find.

Yet somehow, he did find the answer. "…Or you're jealous that I like her and you just want her all to yourself! YOU BASTARD!!!"

…Well, he found half of the answer, that obviously being the first half. I rolled my eyes and pushed back just a little bit more, then stopped-I didn't really want to break his finger off, anyway. "Funny, now you have four fingers pointing back at yourself instead of three. Looks like the odds are against you, usuratonkachi. Why in the world would I ever want Sakura for myself?" I asked rhetorically, knowing that the blonde would give me an answer anyway.

He huffed again and pulled his hand away, a pained expression crossing his features as he shook his hand in the air. "You never make any sense, so why should your reasoning behind wanting Sakura make any!"

"None, because I udon't want her/u!!" I spat back, feeling my cheeks flush as I murmured "Besides, we always want what we can never have…" Naruto looked completely perplexed by this and looked back at me, holding his right, abused hand with his left.

"…Then...who do you want?" He asked, and as I glanced back at him I saw the blush that had powdered its way onto his cheeks and this almost-hopeful glint in his eyes. I had to look away because it was far too much for me, and I frowned, my stomach dropping while my heart raced inside my chest. "Doesn't matter."

I wished he had just given up there, but he didn't. Soon enough I was able to shake him off of my tail, and so he never knew. Not even up to this day where we are now, with myself in the hands of Orochimaru and him so desperately running after me. If only he knew….

And then it hit me. Metaphorically and physically. Those same bright blue eyes that had delved their way so deep into my heart, and that blinding grin that had followed my dreams all these years.

"SASUKE!!" He yelled, presumably tackling me to the ground beneath us into a fierce hug. "Sasuke!!! What the hell are you doing here?!" He asked, not looking up at me as his face was buried into my shoulder. With my eyes wide, I looked down at him before smirking and, very loosely, wrapping my arms around the blonde that I came to know. "What do you think…dobe…?" I murmured softly, feeling his arms tighten around me as I spoke.

"S-sasuke….you…you mean…?" He asked, his voice breaking a little, seeing as silent tears had begun to leak from his eyes and land on my shirt, staining it with his happiness. I sighed, knowing that I couldn't yet go back to the village-yet.

"No, Naruto….I'm not coming back to the village…I have other things that I have to do…" I murmured, feeling my stomach sink lower as I felt his body stiffen. "…I'm going to bring you back. You know I will, teme…"

"Of course, usuratonkachi. But until that day comes, you'll just have to wait. Besides…it'd be useless if I went back now," I replied, one of my hands slowly stroking his back, trying to comfort him, at least a little. I was never good with people…

With a small sigh, he looked up at me, his eyes now tired, and yet still so very determined. "…then why….?" He asked softly, one of his hands touching my shoulder and slowly pushing my ebony bangs back, only to let them fall in front of my face again. I frowned, still feeling guilty, but also something else. That same something, that same emotion that had been coursing so heavily through my veins that day. And I knew that today was when it would all finally unravel. "Naruto, dobe…do you remember that day when you thought I was trying to have Sakura for myself and you wouldn't leave me alone about who I wanted?" I asked very softly, my eyes not completely meeting Naruto's. I saw him nod, and I exhaled shakily, feeling my cheeks flush once again-once in a very, very long time.

"…All I wanted was you."

And then I was certain that the feeling raging inside of me was love.