A week had passed, one day slowly melting into the next. Naruto felt like he was losing his sanity with every passing minute as he sat in front of the doors to the conference room. Sasuke's trial was in session, and the Elders were being so quiet, the blond couldn't even hear whispers. One hour leaked into the next, and it seemed like no progress would be made. His most important person was just on the other side of those doors, no doubt arguing for his life. Somehow, despite his anxiousness, the knucklehead ninja fell asleep in his chair.

~Dream sequence~

There were bodies everywhere, blood pooling all over the floor. Above them stood Sasuke in all his glory, soaked in the red substance.

"I'm sorry…I'm so sorry, Naruto, but they wouldn't let me go. They wouldn't let me train to become powerful enough to defeat Itachi…so they had to go!" The raven sounded insane. Naruto fisted his blonde hair.

"NO! SASUKE NO!"

"Naruto…Naruto…"

End~

"Naruto…" Someone was shaking his shoulder. "Naruto, wake up."

Said boy jerked away, only to see the man he'd just been dreaming about. His blue eyes were as big as dinner plates.

"Naruto…I have bad news…" Sasuke frowned. Naruto put his hands on the other boy's shoulders.

"Oh, no! No…Sasuke-"

"I have to live with you, in your shitty little apartment." Sasuke peaked up at his blonde, a devious smirk crossing his lips. It took a minute for his words to sink in, and then Naruto reeled back and cuffed the raven over the head.

"Teme! You almost gave me a heart attack!" He hissed. Tsunade stepped out of the conference room now, sending a worrisome expression Naruto's way. The blonde ninja turned his head, a sour look on his face. He still wasn't ready to forgive the Hokage for lying to him. That had…really hurt him.

"Well…lets go then, Teme. We can stop by your old place and get clothes and stuff."

Sasuke shook his head, walking towards the door that lead to the street. "I have nothing there of value. All of my old clothes won't fit me anymore. And besides, I have no need for anything there. I'll just stop by a shop or two on the way home and pick up some things."

Home.

Naruto liked the sound of that.

XXX

"You're apartment is really small, Dobe." Sasuke said, looking around to size up where he would be living for the next year. He was to be put on house arrest, and Tsunade had pressed the fact that Naruto should be the one to watch over the ex-missing nin, since it had been him who'd brought the Uchiha back. Sasuke knew it was really to try and get back in Naruto's good graces. But he wasn't going to complain.

"Yeah, well it's been just me for…well…since I Was four. So eleven years." The blonde said casually, as he carried Sasuke's things into his…their…bedroom. Sasuke followed behind him, a shocked look on his otherwise stoic face.

"You've been on your own since you were four?" he asked disbelievingly. Naruto nodded as he set Sasuke's shopping bags in the closet.

"Yeah. I don't remember much before then. I don't even know who took care of me when I was a baby. I just remember always waking up alone. It kinda sucked, but I got used to it real fast. I sorta didn't have a choice." He collapsed on his bed, a huge sigh leaving his lungs. "Whew…I'm exhausted!"

Sasuke sat beside him, and pushed off the blonde's forehead protector, setting it on the bedside stand. "I'm sorry for what I said when we fought. About you not having family…"

Naruto held up a hand. "Don't worry about it, Sasuke. You were angry, I get that." He tried to smile, to cover up the fact that those words had hurt. Sasuke saw right through it.

"Stop being so understanding!" The raven hissed. "I know I've been a jerk to you…a real asshole! I know I've said things…done things…"

Naruto sat up, his blue eyes staring up into Sasuke's onyx ones. "Would you rather I hate you, Teme? Is that what you want? I forgive you, because that's what best friends do. They forgive each other. And I forgive you, Sasuke."

Sasuke took off his Leaf headband as well, and dropped it next to the blondes, before pressing his forehead against the utterly, ridiculously, adorable ninja in front of him.

"Baka…" there was a long, comfortable silence after that. Naruto's eyes slid shut.

"Hey, Sasuke…" he whispered finally.

"Yeah?" The avenger's voice was lighter now.

"D'you remember back in the Academy…when that kid pushed me and we accidently…kissed?" his voice was so hushed; the other boy could hardly hear it.

"Yeah." Memories came flooding back. Back then, it hadn't meant anything to him, other than embarrassment. It'd only lasted a few seconds, but looking back on it now, it was the beginning of his infatuation with his teammate.

"I forgot what if felt like…could you remind me?" It was a breathless request, and the boy's bright eyes were still closed. Sasuke swallowed, allowing his own lids to slide shut. He leaned forward, and pressed his dry, chapped lips against the other boy's soft, supple ones. It was sweet, and careful. Sasuke lifted his hands up to gently cup Naruto's cheeks, pulling him a little bit closer. That's what he so desperately needed. To be close to Naruto.

"You know…" he said, pulling away and smoothing back Naruto's blonde hair. "Coming back here, back to you…that was the smartest thing I've ever done."

Even though he had heard those sweet words, Naruto still looked sad, a little forlorn. "I feel like this is a dream. Yeah, I know I swore I'd get you back, and I believed that I would but…all of this? It's really sudden. Unexpected."

Sasuke looked out of the window, his gaze distant.

"I know…"

XXX

His room at the Akastuki base had never really felt comfortable to him. Despite the fact that he'd been calling it home for almost six years, it didn't really feel like his. Then again, he was sure nothing every really would. Not after that night…

He shook his head, clearing his thoughts. He couldn't dwell on that happened, right? He had to accept his fate, and move ahead as best he could until the day came when Sasuke…when Sasuke…would avenge their clan, and kill him. But, if only…

"What's on your mind?" Came a gruff voice. It pierced his thoughts, and he turned to face his blue skinned partner and roommate.

"I'm just daydreaming, Kisame-kun." Itachi said simply. He really didn't want to discuss it, but if there was one person in this dark, cold world he found himself in that he could trust, it was Kisame. They'd grown close over the years.

"About what?" The ex-Mist nin pressed, sitting next to the younger man on the small couch in their room. The ever-present frown on the Uchiha's face deepened.

"About my younger brother. I just wish…things could be different." Itachi didn't know exactly how to put his feelings into words. He never really was good at that. "The only good thing about me leaving my village was meeting you."

This shocked Kisame. He sat back, and rested his elbows on his knees. He didn't know Itachi felt that way. Yeah, they talked. They ate all their meals together, and slept in the same room. Kisame felt more loyalty to the boy then he had for his old village, even despite the fact that Itachi was eleven years his junior. There was just something about him…maybe, his understanding. Even on the day they first met, Itachi never cringed at his odd facial features, or commented on his colored skin. He'd just accepted Kisame for who he was.

"Well, shit, Itachi. Didn't know you cared that much." Kisame inwardly cringed. How like him, to make this into a joke. His tone was teasing, bordering cruel. Itachi turned his head and looked at the older man.

"I do care, Kisame. You know the truth behind my defection from Konoha. I'm a caring person."

Yeah, Kisame knew the truth. As soon as Itachi found out how dedicated Kisame was to keeping secrets, he all but spilled the beans one night as they slept in a rickety hotel while on a mission. Kisame listened to every word, up until the very end, when Itachi had suddenly stood up, and practically ran into the bathroom. Kisame assumed he'd went there to cry, but he didn't ask any questions.

"Yeah, I know-" Kisame began, but Itachi cut him off, turning his whole body towards the shark-like man.

"I'm a master of deception, Kisame. But I can't deceive you. I don't want to deceive you. I want at least one person in the world to know who I am. To know the real me. And I'm glad it's you." Itachi was staring into Kisame's eyes with such…despair, it was almost unbearable. Kisame cringed.

"You're really hurting inside, aren't you?" The older man mumbled. Itachi's brow furrowed, and he nodded. Was he holding back tears? Kisame swallowed thickly. "Do you want…a hug, or something?"

Itachi was silent for a moment, before he nodded, and scooted closer to Kisame. Said swordsman reached out, and brought the younger man into his arms. As soon as his head connected with Kisame's shoulder blade, he began to sob.

Kisame let him, rubbing small circles on his back.