Well, next chapter. This story has been harder to write than my other fan fictions. I whizzed through writing those chapters but this one has been a lot harder – I've had to pay attention to what's correct about the times – for example, no TV! The other ones, I could use my manga books and the episodes to help. This one is a hell of a lot harder to write but I do enjoy writing things that are different every now and again.

Chapter 2

The boy woke up to warmth and light. Where was he? He opened his eyes fully to see that he was in a soft feather bed, dressed in some pyjamas. He couldn't remember what had happened. He was being attacked by the gang and then… and then… the man came and helped him. That was when he passed out. Does that mean he brought me back to his house?

He sat up and realised he was quite achy and sore. He remembered the knife being pointed at him and shivered. A tear welled up in his eye.

"You finally awake? I had to cancel some arrangements I made because of you".

The boy turned to where he could hear the voice and saw the man walk in to the small guest room. He seemed to have changed his clothes also.

"Thanks for saving me; again". He added as an afterthought.

"Don't mention it. I couldn't just leave you there; your death would have been on my conscious". The tall man smirked slightly at him. He didn't like the look on his face.

"Listen, I'm sorry you felt obliged to help but you didn't have to I…I can take care of myself and I don't have any money so I can't pay you and, and, and…"

"Listen stop stammering. You don't have to pay me; I have a bit of money already. This isn't going to kill me. Plus you obviously can't take of yourself very well. Who are you?"

"My name is Naruto Uzumaki; I'm sixteen – almost seventeen! – and I'm an orphan with nowhere to live".

"Right". Sasuke looked at the boy. He had short spiky blonde hair, still slightly damp from the weather; ocean blue eyes and slightly tanned skin. He had scars across his face that made him look slightly like a fox. He wasn't a tall boy but he wasn't really small and he was rather skinny. He also had an undernourished look about him and was quite dirty but he expected that if he was living on the streets.

"Who are you?"

"Me? I'm Sasuke. You don't need to know anything else about me".

"Well, thanks again".

"Hey, stop thanking me. Once was enough".

"Sorry".

"Don't apologise loads either. You don't have to speak to me with endless gratitude, that'll just annoy me. Speak to me how you would usually talk to people. Just forget what I did for you. Stay here". Sasuke marched out the door.

I hope I didn't make him mad, after all he did for me… No! I have to forget, he said. Just act normally. Naruto looked around the room and noticed there wasn't much in there. There were several candles lighting up the room and a dresser in the corner, next to an armchair. Apart from the bed there was nothing else. He wanted to get up and explore the rest of the apartment, hoping to find anything that related to the guy's personality. He seemed to be quite alone and annoyed. A sarcastic person who didn't get on well with people that much. I wonder what his profession is… I wonder how he chased those men away. I don't remember him fighting them at all. Who IS he?

Naruto heard the door open again and Sasuke had come in with a bowl of soup and some bread for him on a tray.

"Here", he said. He placed the tray on his lap and sat in the armchair.

"Thank you". He picked up the spoon and started to eat the soup. It tasted nice. The soup was rich and warm and in no time, Naruto had devoured all of it, including the bread.

"Yummy!" he smiled. He made to get out of bed and take it out but Sasuke walked over and took the tray from him.

"Let me do it, you don't know where my kitchen is". Sasuke said as he walked out. Naruto looked on at him.

He is a nice guy – he just needs someone around to cheer him up.

Sasuke came back in the room and saw Naruto; he looked at the boy who seemed to have cheered up a lot. He smiled to himself. He walked over and sat on the bed next to him.

"Listen, it's alright, if you wanna stay here for a bit. I don't mind. Just until you get back on your feet and find somewhere to live. You might want to go and find a job too".

"What do you do?"

"Me? I'm a performer. You don't need to know anything else. Well get some more rest. Stay here. I'll check on you later".

Sasuke shut the door behind him as he left the orphan in his guest room. What was wrong with him? He was being seemingly nice to a complete stranger. ­What's wrong with me? Snap out of it why am I helping him out? Naruto. Quite a sweet name actually. Okay shut up brain! Shut up! Sasuke sat down in his living room which was down the hall from the guest room which Naruto was staying in. He sat down and read the day's newspaper which he hadn't managed to read yet even though the maid had left it on the table that morning. He read for some time and then heard muttering coming from where Naruto was. He got up and walked in.

Naruto was muttering in his sleep. Sasuke put his hand on the boy's head to feel if he had a fever or not. The boy rolled over slightly and kept on muttering. He seemed fine but whatever he was dreaming about seemed to be disturbing him.

"It wasn't my fault…not my fault".

Sasuke got out the pendulum from his pocket and asked, "What was-nt your fault?"

The boy started to stir awake but Sasuke had already perfected dream hypnotism. He placed his hand over the eyes of Naruto and used voice hypnotism and through the telepathy of the pendulum in his hand, he could see what Naruto was dreaming.

There was a burning house, Naruto was inside it. He was surrounded by fire. There was a man on the floor dead nearby; Naruto screamed at him to wake up.

"Wake up, please wake up!"

Naruto didn't seem to be affected by the flames at all. He ran over to the man and tried to wake him up. He was floppy and wasn't moving. He was obviously dead but Naruto didn't seem to see that. He was about the age of twelve or so, so it was some time ago. Naruto eventually gave up and tried to find if there was anyone else still left in the building. He was coughing a lot now. It was several minutes later, after finding a small child, he jumped out of the nearest window; the child screamed with him as he went. It was two storeys high but there was air out there and they needed it desperately. Naruto landed on his feet and looked at the crowd. He fell to his knees and started to cough, the little girl he was holding hugged him, not wanting to let go. As he coughed, he cried, the little girl looked distressed. He turned to look as the building exploded; glass shattered and rained upon him and the spectators. Naruto covered the child and his face was scratched – that was how he got those scars.

"What about mommy and daddy?" the little girl said. Naruto hugged her close. He continued to cry.

"Hey, you, did you set fire to the building? You seem to be the only survivor", a man pointed accusingly at him.

"Yeah, well did you?"

"No! I live there with my…" Naruto's face looked shocked as he remembered the dead body he was near and tried to wake up earlier.

"Why would you set fire to your house building?"

"I DID NOT SET FIRE TO THE BUILDING!"

"Despicable".

"Look it wasn't my fault. It wasn't my fault! IT WASN'T MY FAULT!"

Naruto sat up so suddenly, Sasuke jumped.

Naruto turned to look at him; there were tears in his eyes. He looked down at the bed again. Sasuke wanted to hug him. He quickly hid the pendulum in to his pocket.

Naruto jumped on him and cried. Sasuke was stunned; he really didn't know what to do. He hugged him back tightly – it was the only thing he could think of. It also seemed the right thing to do. After several minutes, Sasuke let go of him and went to go and make him a drink. He came back a few minutes or so later with a cup of cocoa and a tea for himself – something told him that was what his favourite drink was.

"Cocoa? How did you guess?"

Sasuke ignored what he said and just handed the mug over to him.

"Want to talk about it?"

"What?"

"Your nightmare?"

"No".

"Sure?"

"Yes".

God, you sound like a frickin parent! "Sure?"

"Yes".

"Okay, I'll leave you again".

"No wait!"

Sasuke had just reached the door when he turned to see Naruto looking kind of embarrassed. Sasuke felt his own cheeks blush slightly but Naruto wasn't looking so he managed to hide it.

"What?"

"Can…can…can you stay here until I go to sleep?"

"Why?"

"It'll help me to sleep".

"How will that help you?" Sasuke asked puzzled.

"Well, my guardian used to do that and then…"

Sasuke waited, as Naruto paused.

"Then?"

"He died".

"What? He died every time he would sit with you waiting for you to sleep?"

"No!" Naruto smiled slightly.

"Then what?"

"He would sit with me and it would make me feel better".

"Oh I see! No".

"Aww, please!"

"No". Sasuke turned back to the door.

"You stupid bastard". Naruto clapped his hands over his mouth. Sasuke turned around slowly to face him. He had a smirk on his face.

"What was that?"

"Nothing!"

"It was something!" Sasuke sighed exasperatedly. "At least that means you're finally coming out of your shell. Fine, I'll stay in here; just let me get my paper. You sure are high maintenance for someone who is old enough to take care of himself".

"Hey!"

Sasuke smirked at him and went to collect his paper. He came back to see Naruto in the bed, watching the door, waiting for him. He started to feel like caring for the boy – but he couldn't figure out why. Well, he can stay here for as long as he likes, I mean he's not going to be able to find a new place to live very soon.

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Reviews! Reviews! Reviews! Well, say it three times it might come true…xx :p