A.N.: Hello, minna-san! Long time no see, ne? I really apologize. For one thing, I wanted to know where this story would lead, and on that part…I have a vague idea. Yeah, I know, and I'm supposed to be the authoress… --;,,, Then, for other, I gave this thingy to my beta…but she still hadn't gave it back to me, and I've waiting since. But…since it seemed she couldn't give it to me yet…I'm posting it anyways…so, any grammar mistakes here are totally mine; I apologize about it before-hand, too. And third…I was a little insecure about this story…but thanks to a friend of mine that read it…I got more confident; thanks, Seripa-sama! T.T

Disclaimer: No, don't own it. I wish I did, though… T.T

Rating: T—for foul language, and slash (eventually…).

Warning: Slash—boy's on boy's action. Don't like it, don't read it. Any flamers will have their flame redirected. Constructive criticisms are openly welcomed, though.

SilentSyi: Up-dating, now! Hope you like this new instalment!

So, now without further ado, on with the story!

Note: Un-betaed.

Ship of Fools

By Yoru no Tsuyu

Chapter 1: Beginning of First Month—Clashes

Anata no niau iro wa watashi no to chigau
Kumiawaseteru iro sae link shinai
Anata no ookina kaban no nakami mo
Hitori de sugosu heya mo mita koto ga nai

The colors that suit you are different to those that suit me
Our color combinations aren't even linked
I've never seen what's in your big bag
Or the room where you spend time alone

- Sniper- Tsukiko Amano

As Naruto exited the old hag's office—he didn't even try to be respectful towards her, more now that he was irritated—and sighed as he exited it, nodding wearily at the pair of ANBU guarding her door.

Damnit…

The whiskered nin raised a tan hand over his golden tresses, carding them while he made his way out the Hokage tower. He wasn't sure what the teme's reaction would be over that—

"Naruto! Oi, Naruto!" a feminine voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto greeted the pinkette kunoichi, a grin on his face.

"So…Naruto…" the girl asked, stopping in front of him, "how did the…meeting…with Tsunade-sama go…?" she asked, a concerned and a hopeful look on her face. Even after all those years, she still…

"Well…" he said, stalling, elongating the word, "let's just that the old hag put the whole work onto me."

"Meaning…?" the girl asked, raising one of her fine eyebrows, not quite getting it, her hand itching to go and hit the idiot for calling Tsunade-sama like that.

"Meaning," he started, as they began walking out again, towards the exit, "that insulting Tsunade-baa-chan it's not good, especially if she has had a foul mood to begin with. She has just made me be the one taking care of that bastard. For. One. Whole. Year."

"But—"

"Yeah, yeah, the bastard got less ANBU guards keeping an eye on him, but I got to be the one watching him instead! Argh!" he didn't even want to face the perspectives of what such situation meant.

"But that's good! I mean, now the prospective victims got reduced to just you!" the medic-nin said, grinning herself.

"Not you too, Sakura-chan! You should feel sympathetic about me, not mocking me!" the boy whined.

"But I'm glad…that at least someone that cares about him it's the one that…" she said, her expressions darkening. Then, cheering up, she added, "You know what? How about I tread you to lunch, now?"

Naruto thought about it. "Well, Sasuke usually eats by himself, so…" he muttered. He really didn't want to give him the news. Not yet. "Okay! But ramen it is!" he said, stepping under the bright, bright sun, grinning.

"Na-ru-to! Learn to eat something else for a change!"

"But! But! You know that that's my favorite food!" he whined.

And so, they made their way towards Ichikaru's place, Sakura grudgingly accepting.

"But only two bowls! No more for you!" was the last thing heard over the distance, suspiciously belonging to the girl.

After eating his fill (even though without his stomach full), he parted ways with his female friend, and steeled himself for what he had to do. He decided he might as well just go and tell the bastard the news—it was worst to just prolong things. It'll be best to just get things get over it.

He was glad now that he hadn't eaten that much, because his stomach was doing strange things that would do no good if it were full. And he was barely in front of the Uchiha's Compound's Gates…

He didn't want to know how he'll feel if…

He snapped out of it. It wasn't that big of a deal. And, anyways, if the bastard decided he didn't want to, it'd be just his damn fuckin' problem. If that was the case, he would just go to Tsunade-baa-chan, and tell her the bastard didn't want him to. And…if the pardonship was revoked, well…it wouldn't be his problem anymore.

It would be teme's.

Because, lately…all that happened was his fault.

With those thoughts on his mind, he went through those gates, and in the direction of the house he knew the teme was…confined, if the ANBU stationed there were any indication.

Nodding to the guards, and them nodding back to him, he entered the main entrance. The place was dark, but even in the darkness…he could see the place was practically sparkling.

What was about the darkness, anyway?

"Oi, teme! I'm back!" he called, knowing that the teme wouldn't like someone sneaking around the place.

Then again, he wouldn't like someone going around the place that…noisily, as the teme himself put it as.

He would just do as he pleased, then.

'Sides, the prick would already have realized of his arrival, whatever he announced his presence or not. He was a ninja, as well, even confined.

Squaring his shoulders, he went where he thought Sasuke would be. He wanted to get it over it—and absentmindedly he thought that it would have been better to just appear with all his stuff there—faster, and with the surprise element un there. He knew the surprise element was his forte, and it would stop the damn old hag from killing him for taking so long.

—as would do the Village Council, if they had the chance and-slash-or excuse.

He knew, really knew that what Tsunade-baa-chan achieved wasn't an easy feat—and it most probably had to do with Sasuke being the last Uchiha…and well, he should been feeling grateful.

Heck, he was grateful.

It was just that he'd have quite some things to do before the moving thingy. First, he would have to find out first as to how the teme would react to the moving—he knew how the bastard was protective of his space, and didn't exactly appreciate anyone intruding—and then he would have to talk to his land-lord about his apartment. He would also have to figure out what to do with all his stuff—but then he figured that he could still pay the rent, just to make sure he had somewhere to live by the end of the year, and avoid wasting time in looking for a place afterwards.

Yes, that was what he would do. And besides, one could never know if he would be kicked out eventually anyways, knowing the teme. After all, the bastard was known for being extremely protective of his personal space, and didn't exactly enjoy when one stepped into it.

But whatever happened, he was just hoping, praying, that whatever it did happen, that it wouldn't be a repetition of that—

Naruto gulped, blushing just the slightest.

—Of what had happened that day when Sasuke came back.

Sasuke felt Naruto's presence even before the moment the idiot set foot on his old house from where he was situated. Really, what now…? He suppressed a sigh. As much as he enjoyed the presence of his friend—

He supposed they were still (and at least, some part of his mind claimed) friends.

But sometimes it was just too much.

And he really wasn't up to face the blond again. Not this soon, anyway.

He had to—he had to—

He just couldn't.

The last Uchiha was situated at the far end of the place he lived before that fatidic day he left Konoha, looking outside the veranda at the dusking sun. Indistinctly he could feel the presence of his ANBU guards keeping him there; one of them was exactly above him, on the roof.

What a nuisance.

But he guessed he could do nothing about it. That was the least of what would have happened to him; after all, he was (or had been…?) an S-class missing nin. He had done treachery to the village he was born in.

He was somehow surprised he was still alive.

Maybe his Uchiha clan-name had to do with it—the remembrance and great name and admiration and prestige it still had, even now.

And now there was not remain left of that same very clan but only memories, and he as the last survivor.

Maybe that had to do as the reason why he was still breathing.

"Oi, teme! I'm back!" he heard the voice of the blond nin, yelling. His vein twitched, and he really restrained from the urge of muttering a very sarcastic 'really? I hadn't noticed', or to kick the other out of the house for being so damn loud.

At least, he wasn't sneaking around, and appeared out of nowhere like some ninjas keeping him from going anywhere did.

Which he really was grateful for.

…But did the dobe have to be that loud…?

He heard the steps coming closer and closer—Naruto seemed to really know where he was—or had the idiot realized that was his favorite place to be…? As it was the only place he was now since he got back, other than his bedroom to sleep—and he guessed Naruto was being loud on purpose.

Because he knew, having experienced it first hand, that said blond could be as silent as he needed to be—Naruto had really left most of his former clumsy behavior.

"You're loud."

"Hello to you too, bastard." The blond replied, signaling his arrival to where Sasuke was, sounding mocking-hurt.

"Nn." Was the only sound that left Sasuke as a form of reply, that could mean anything from 'Yeah, yeah, sorry' to 'Go to hell, you're way too loud'.

"So…bastard…how was your day? It was a nice one, wasn't it? Not a cloud…" Naruto said after a minute, breaking the silence.

That was what most of their talks consisted nowadays, and it was something common to them now, like a routine, but now…

"Spill it out." He said, sharply, down to business.

Naruto was still and silent for a second, then he clucked lightly, shifting on his foot. Sasuke didn't face the blond, yet. "Never one to be fooled, ne?" he sighed, and adopted a more serious stance, even when Sasuke could not possibly see, since he wasn't facing him. "So, then, I'll go straight to the point. I talked to Tsunade-sama."

This time the brunet tilted his head to the side, now looking at Naruto at the face, raising one of his fine eyebrows, surprised that Naruto called the Godaime in a decent way, as it should have been; as if silently saying, 'And?', prompting the other to continue.

"Don't give me that look." Naruto said at the look the bastard gave him, before continuing, "Anyways, I talked to her, and well…talked about the poor ANBU guards having to suffer your insufferable self." Sasuke snorted at that, not being able to help himself. Sasuke stared silently at him, an almost empty expression in his eyes that Naruto could read as 'and your point is…?'. He didn't know nor couldn't decide whether to be proud or worried over the fact that he could read Sasuke so well now –well, better than most people, anyways.

Naruto decided to put that thought aside.

"So, yeah, and then…well…" now the blond idiot looked embarrassed, Sasuke mused, suspicious over that whole attitude, "Let's just said I bragged about my obvious superiority" he ignored completely the look the envious prick was giving him now, "and that she should find somebody as strong as myself to watch you out" at this, Sasuke kinda glared him, "because it was as hard as it was to the poor ANBU guards—whom I guess they must have better things to do—and that she should find someone who could watch you. And she got pissed."

Naruto guessed she wasn't the only one who got pissed, if the look that Sasuke was giving ç him was any indication. Sasuke got up then, and began walking away. He really looked irritated…

"And…well…" the blond azure-eyed boy continuined, following the pale nin, "she then said that if I was so strong and that if I was complaining so much, that I should be the one to do it." at this, the Uchiha tensed. "And she ordered me to take watch on you. For a whole year, under the same roof." Now the coal-eyed-boy stopped completely, shoulders tensing.

The silence stretched up in an awkward veil.

Naruto guessed the other didn't take it so well, after all…

Sasuke could feel both his fists barely trembling by his sides.

"I complained to her, too, y'know? It's not as if—"

Sasuke simply continued walking away, saying nothing.

"…I want this more than you do…" Naruto's voice whispered, trailing softly at the retreating back of one certain Uchiha. Then, the whiskered teen sighed, running a hand through his blond bangs, and decided it was better to just leave the teme alone.

Naruto thought it would be rather difficult to part from the place he'd lived since he had use of memory, upon inspecting it for the last time in what he thought it would be in a long while, hands on the door-knob, duffle-bag on his shoulders, but—

It was not as bad, he supposed.

He was always alone there, no family to share it with.

The only thing he would miss now for a while was his independence, his solitude, though. Because even when he should loath it by now –the loneliness—that the sole perspective of someone getting too near wasn't something he felt so comfortable about—it was something so foreign to him…

…And well…it was even less comfortable the notion of getting somehow closer to the teme…

Naruto decided making his way up the roofs towards what was going to be the place he was going to spend there for a while—judging he wouldn't get kicked sooner than expected—since his head was full of thoughts and ponderings, and he just preferred this way, since it was more tranquil than the usual Konoha streets; and here, he wouldn't have the chance of meeting someone and getting delayed.

He didn't feel like making any kind of explanations to anyone; not yet, anyways.

He hated the look of pity everyone else of his friends gave him every time he talked of Sasuke, or the guarded looks he would get at the mention of the bastard's name.

He hated those awkward moments that would settle between them at the mere mention of his name.

It wasn't that he was blaming them—he really should had expected it, since they weren't as trusty of the Uchiha as he was—but…he sometimes wished things just were as before—as before the time when the teme was still with them, still as haughty and arrogant and strong and confident and reserved, but as loyal, as trustworthy.

…did that mean that Sasuke was not trustworthy now…?

He didn't quite know, honestly, but he really wished that the bastard could be trusted, again…

And that was why he was going to the teme's place now—he was gonna make sure the bastard made it through the probation time.

And he made it a promise of a lifetime.

Once he arrived to the Uchiha house and went to the ANBU there to dismiss them, the blond ninja learnt yet another thing that he should have expected; some ANBU where going to leave the guard duty, but not all of them. How naïve he could have been and think that a dangerous and ex S-nuke nin like Sasuke could be trusted only with the vessel boy, someone that still wasn't trusted by the village, and less by the Council and Elders?

Someone that was just as dangerous as the Uchiha was, if not more?

Heck, he was glad at least one of them left; that much was a miracle, things considered.

He just wished the time would come that he was considered worthy enough; that all the things that he did and kept doing in and for the village's name and sake were somehow enough.

Some silly wish he had, really.

Sighing inwardly, he just nodded and made his way inside the teme's place, and vaguely he thought that probably it was only the old-hag's doing that only those guards were left.

He didn't quite know what made the old-hag make him and even herself go through all that trouble…to make him be the one watching him.

And decided not to dwell on that much either; he would ask her that in due time. Besides, it wasn't as if he thought more about it, he would get the answers any time soon.

He spent the whole night doing that already, and with not success.

He found the bastard in the same spot as yesterday.

As the silence stretched, he pondered it that was all the teme would do; be there, do nothing, and just ignore him.

Because it was more than fifteen minutes that he was there, still, and the teme had yet to say anything.

Not that the teme was known for his eloquence…but yet…this was just too much.

It was too much because he had been talking to teme, and the other still said nothing.

He was nice, he was trying to be nice, and the teme just ignored him. Hell, he didn't have to act all happy for this turn of events, but at least…he shouldn't give him the silent treatment, dammit!

He sighed, trying to rein on his temper; just releasing him it wouldn't do any good. Fixating his gaze somewhere beyond where Sasuke was, he muttered, "Geez, Sasuke…at least show me where I am going to be settled. ….or do you want to be in your room?" and shoot, he just said that as an afterthought, and it just slipped of, and now crimson was finely dusting his cheeks.

It seemed that that big mouth of his was going to be his doom.

After some painful, very painful seconds extended through the room (the air felt so thick Naruto thought it could easily be cut with a knife), Sasuke silently got up.

Naruto decided to follow; silently, this time around.

On the very far end of the hallway, Sasuke slid open one room. From behind him, even when the light was off, the blond could make up a room.

It was the farthest room from Sasuke's, Naruto could tell –he knew which one was the teme's room, even though he never entered it—and that notion made him think if the teme really wanted him as far away as possible…?

"This will be the place you'll be. Try not to destroy it." The last Uchiha uttered before brushing past him, making his way back to where he was when Naruto had found him.

Naruto could only stare at the other's back in silence.

Next morning Naruto woke, bright and early. He was used, from the years he'd been training with old pervert Jiraiya, and after, to early training. Waking to such a foreign bedding had been kind of odd to him, but…he guessed he would just have to get used to it.

It was only a place to sleep, anyways.

But seeing as this was actually the first morning that he had spend on this thought, well—

After changing from his night clothes, he stepped out of the room, hair down for his hitai-ate was yet to be on his forehead, being on his hand, planning to put it latter on. He stuffed it on his shuriken pouch, for the moment.

He was just about to go out for some morning training, when he heard a cool voice say behind him. "I don't think you're supposed to leave the house, dobe."

The blond shinobi whipped around, muttering "Don't call me that, teme", not being able to help himself.

"Nn." The other said (was it really a word…?) looking that pricky cunning self.

"And why shouldn't I leave the house, teme? It's you who can't leave." Naruto said, with a confident and triumphant tone on his voice, because the teme couldn't just argue with him with that—

"Baka. You're here supposedly to look after me; to watch me. Therefore, you can't just leave the house, with barely two ANBU guards checking on it." the dark-haired ex nuke nin said, with a mingled air of irritated and arrogant taunting air on his voice.

The bastard was really used to look down on him.

And he really enjoyed it.

But Naruto was relieved, actually; a little bit of old Sasuke was back, it seemed.

Not all, but—

But either way, the taunt was there, the bait was there—

And he couldn't help himself but to take it, nevertheless.

He didn't seem to be able to help himself of many things, it seemed.

He just spluttered, falling in what would've been his normal reaction. The other just turned around, an air of a smirk on the pale man's face as he did so.

He decided to follow the other, since there seemed it was nothing left for him to do. He wouldn't go back to bed, now. He guessed that, now that he couldn't possibly train, he could eat breakfast; that would surely cheer him up.

Turning on his heels, he returned to his now bedroom, and quickly began to rummage through his duffle-bag. Then, with what seemed to be a bag full of ramen cups, he cheerily and triumphantly went to the kitchen.

He just settled the bag on the counter, when that same familiar cool voice said behind him, "What are you doing?"

"Eh…preparing myself breakfast…?" Naruto said, eyeing Sasuke (who was leaning on some of the walls, arms crossed), one ramen cup out from the bag and on his hands.

The charcoal eyed-man eyed the cup with distaste, as he said, "You're going to eat that?"

"What's wrong with it?" Naruto said, trying to defend his favorite food.

The raven sighed, propping himself from the wall as he did so. "That's not really real food, and it's too early to eat that junk, anyway."

"Junk—?—"

The other clearly ignored him as he made his way to the counter, silently taking the bag of ramen along with cup that was on Naruto's hand, and threw it on the garbage bin.

"What the hell, Sasuke—? What gave you the right for you to just—" Naruto was outraged; who the hell Sasuke thought he was!? Really, if that was just the beginning, if it was just going to be like that every fucking day, then, it was gonna be impossible for them to—

What had been Tsunade-baba thinking!?

Breathing deeply, trying to compose himself, he said, fists trembling, "You really need to learn your boundaries, Sasuke." And with that, with not another word exchanged between them, he left, made his way to his room, and closed it with a 'bang'.

Naruto could not see how the hell they could survive like this, if it was just the beginning.

And for the life of him, he could not understand Sasuke, not at all.

.+End Chapter 1- Beginning of First Month—Clashes

Vocabulary:

Kunoichi: female ninja

-sama: respectful suffix, of more rank than -san. Roughly translated as Lady-Lord.

Tsunade-baa-chan: Roughly translated as Tsunade-old-hag.

Teme: derogative 2nd person singular, roughly translated as bastard.

Godaime: The Fifth

A.N.: Hope you like it. :D Opinions, constructive criticisms, questions are always welcomed. :D Chapter 2 is complete; I just have to check on it. And it will depend on my beta, hopefully, and if you guys like this or not. .+hint hint+. And this chappie was extra-long, just for you. .+wink+.

So, press that beautiful lil' review bottom over there…

Ja!