The Beginning
Naruto ran as fast as he could towards the edge of the city, dodging people on the busy pathway. He barely noticed the people who would call out to him telling him to slow down.
Nearing the Black Forest he searched for the familiar hairstyle of his best friend, but couldn't pick out the duck butt head. He wandered over to the entrance of the forest, and reached up on his tippy toes to read the plaque drilled onto the large wall.
"Black Forest- Find the spirits of the damned, and forever you will be cure- cuse-"
"Cursed, dobe" Naruto quickly turned around to find Sasuke standing behind him with a smug look on his face. "You need to learn to read"
"Shut up teme!" he huffed, crossing his arms and pouting. "Just because I'm not a geek like you!" Sasuke just laughed, grabbing Naruto's arm and pulling him into the forest. "What was so important that I had to meet you here right now."
"Be quiet and I will show you" he pulled harder on Naruto's arm dragging him further and further into the forest. "Its a surprise."
"Oh! Teme can't you just tell me now!" he began to pout, but Sasuke couldn't see because he had his back on him.
"We're almost there" they walked down a worn path for a little while longer until they pushed through a barrier of trees and into a large clearing, or it would be if it didn't have a large tree right in the center, its branches spreading out across the clearing, making it dark.
The tree was so large Naruto guessed it would take at least 5 grown-ups to hug there way around the trunk.
"What do you think?" Sasuke finally let go of Naruto's arm, and spun around to look curiously into his eyes.
"It's so big! How did you find it?" he walked closer to the tree, noticing that some-one had recently carved something in it.
"By accident I guess." seeing that Naruto had noticed the carving Sasuke quickly rushed to stand in front of it "Since I wasn't here for you birthday the other day I thought I'd give you this tree"
He stepped away from the tree, and Naruto read the carving "Naruto's Tree, From Sasuke" Naruto jumped quickly in Sasuke's arms giving him a big hug.
"Teme! Thank you." he jumped back, slightly embarrassed, Sasuke hates hugs, which Naruto thinks is really odd, what 7 year old hates hugs, even if there from another boy.
"How does it feel to be another year old Naruto?" Sasuke sat at the base of the tree, patting the spot next to him.
"I don't know, the same as always." he said as he sat next to him, he sighed heavily, this tree was the best present he'd gotten this year. "Sasuke, your my best friend right?"
"Hn" Naruto looked over to see Sasuke playing with a blade of grass. His face fell thinking about how Sasuke's the most popular boy in the village, he could have any one as his best friend.
"My only friend" he whispered, reaching down and picking at the edge of the tree. "How long will we be friends?"
"Why?" Sasuke's uninterested tone hid how concerned he really was about Naruto's doubt concerning their friendship.
"Uh- no reason." Naruto quickly jumped to his feet, startling Sasuke. "I have to go, other wise Iruka-san will get angry"
"Oh, meet me here tomorrow." Naruto quickly ran out of the clearing, leaving Sasuke by himself.
He sat for a while longer, wondering why the only person he likes to spend his time with is an obnoxious kid that can drive him crazy at times. He use to like playing with his elder brother, but he isn't the same since he started high school.
And he dislikes all the other boys in his class, same with all the girls especially that pink haired one that clings onto him as if she were dying.
He got up, dusting himself off and walked around towards the back of the tree, pulling out a pocket knife Itachi had given him and carefully carved "Forever Friends- Naruto and Sasuke" he would have to remember to show Naruto tomorrow, if the dobe remembers to show up.