Loosing you

(Encounter)

"So, Naruto kun, what are you doing sitting here alone anyway? I thought you were going over to Choji-kun's…."

Her voice trailed off, shock registering on her face as she realised what she had been thinking had just slipped out. Her face flushed crimson, her voice agape with embarrassment, making choking noises as she spluttered out at explanation.

"I mean, that's not what I meant! I meant that I was j-just, I was just passing by when I heard you two talking, but it wasn't weird or anything! I just happened to overhear, y-you have a very distinctive voice, that's all!"

Naruto stared at her momentarily, then began to splutter as hysterical laughter escaped his lips and his stony facade was broken. He leaned forward, clutching his sides and trying to catch his breath for a few minutes, Akane just grew more and more flustered with every moment.

"I-It's not funny!"

"You really are something, Shimizu Akane"

"Huh?"

Naruto glanced up at the choked response, his puzzled gaze meeting her surprised one. Her eyes immediately seemed to spark with something Naruto couldn't place, her pale face tinged pink, a soft muffled gasp escaping her lips.

He looked at the girl for several seconds, seated closely alongside him on the cold bench, already slightly damp from the rain the night before. A flustered expression still etched across her face.

'It's quite cute. This girl...' He couldn't help but the think about it.

She was deathly pale, especially evident with her vermillion hair contrasting against her skin and cascading down her shoulders like a waterfall in the sunset. A few waves throughout gave it volume, the brief glimpses of winter sunlight casting a sheen over its entire length. Her eyes were warm, they were averting his gaze now, but they seemed to glow as she looked down towards her small feet. Her irises were a familiar shade of mint green. Naruto avoided reminding himself why this familiarity pierced him so fiercely.

"I should probably head there soon, and you should get back into the heat of your home, I wouldn't want you to catch a cold or something" Naruto warned her assuredly, stepping out towards the road and offering his hand to help her up in the process. You could tell from her expression that there was something she wanted to tell him, the way a fire seemed to burn in her eyes like scorched ochre as though she would internally combust if she wasn't able to speak.

"U-uh. Thankyou. I -Uh - never mind" The girl sighed in defeat. She clutched Naruto's hand gratefully and hoisted herself up into a standing position, smiling warmly as she did so. A soft pang went through his chest as his eyes locked on her eyes again, for reasons he was still unable to face. He turned his attention to their intertwined hands instead, and slowly released his grip on her cold fingers.

"T-thank you for speaking with me Naruto-kun! I really appreciate and admire you, and I – well, have a nice day!' She bowed politely and hurriedly to him, turning around and dashing up the pathway and out of sight as quickly as she had arrived.

It felt like she came like a storm and left like that. An incident that felt like never happened.

He sighed loudly, his exhalation forming a cloud of mist in front of his tense face, his eyebrows furrowed slightly. He was deep in thought, wondering how the rest of the day would pan out, wondering if he should just leave his feelings out of his actions now and think objectively, or if he should look for the answers he so badly craved.

His impulsive nature won the internal argument, his hands balling into fists, his whiskers crinkling as he wrinkled his nose, huffing determinedly. He needed to find him, he knew he needed to find Sasuke and question him about Sakura if he was going to get any peace of mind. Whether it hurt him in the process or not was irrelevant, for now he would lock away any agony he was currently feeling. He'd picture something else instead when the time came in order to keep up his strong appearance.

'I won't fall apart like last time.'

He passed Choji's street without hesitation, running manically, his arms flailing behind him in his cold air. They felt numb, turning blue from the cold and lack of gloves he possessed. It was about half a mile to the football field where Naruto knew he would be, but not many others would be out on a day like today. Frost laced the grass as though it had been covered in white spray paint. The place looked almost entirely abandoned, mist forming over the pitch so you couldn't see the opposing goal posts. Naruto squinted his eyes in search of a lone figure, and found what he was looking for without much difficulty.

Sasuke seemed to be practicing drills alone in the middle of the field, his eyes downcast, his back muscles tensed below a short-sleeved football shirt. His ivory arms hung languidly by his sides, tinged blue, covered in goose bumps from the cold.

"Oi, Sasuke! I need to speak with you." Naruto hollered from the side-lines, putting up a friendly stance in order to coax his rival away from his incessant training. Sasuke's head snapped up immediately, his dark eyes scanning the horizon for the culprit of his momentary shock. His eyes eventually settled on Naruto face, as he stared blankly for several seconds in anticipation.

He heard the football captain mutter something under his breath, and place the ball down on the ground carefully before slowly making his way over to the edge of the pitch. He lazily sauntered over with each step making Naruto's irritation grow increasingly poignant by the second. He hadn't even begun to speak yet, and he already couldn't contain himself.

"What do you want from her, Sasuke?" Naruto snarled as soon as they had come face to face, not even bothering to exchange pleasantries. Sasuke rolled his eyes exaggeratedly, as if already expecting this statement as his only welcome. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his navy tracksuit bottoms, arching his back slightly and tilting his chin upwards, his eyebrows rising simultaneously. He deadpanned in response to Naruto's query, looking at him in silence with a mix of degradation, contempt and something else that was somewhat unrecognizable.

"Who?"

Naruto grabbed Sasuke's shirt collar wildly, pulling the raven-haired boy towards him, their noses a mere inch from one another. Naruto's ferocious gaze pierced Sasuke's widened ones. His nose and cheeks had turned crimson.

"What are you trying to achieve by going after her? You never even gave her a second glance before, so why now? Why- just when I- "

"Just when you were what, dobe? Just when you were going to go after her for yourself? I mean, look at you, you can't even say her name now, can you?"

Naruto's mouth hung open in response. His brain seemed to melt at the sudden accusations, ones that hit too close to home. He couldn't even respond coherently to them, his face still only centimetres apart from his opponent as he stammered.

"I-"

"Go on, baka, tell me what you were going to do to Sakura. I am genuinely not interested in your personal affairs, but I'll have to step in if you're pining for my lovely girlfriend" Sasuke seemed to snigger slightly as he teased him, placing one of his cool hands on Naruto's chest as if genuinely sympathetic as he chastised him mockingly.

Naruto realised the compromising position they were both in first, looking for an escape route from this situation alerted him to the close proximity in which they spoke to each other. Their bodies were far too close to each other than what would be considered normal, their faces far too animated, far too flushed with supposed rage to avoid suspicion from anyone who happened to pass by. Naruto didn't want to make a scene and revert back to a part of him he had left behind.(Not yaoi shit. Trust me!)

He backed away first, loosening his grip on Sasuke's clothing and letting his hand fall to his side He became stony faced, as though aware of his temporary defeat, cussing slightly under his breath as he didn't get straight answers once again. However, he was left with more information than he had anticipated.

'One things for certain. This guy has ulterior motives. I don't know what they are yet, but he also seems to have some sort of grudge against me. I just hope he is not using Sa… her to score against me.'

'I just need to figure out how all this is connected. And most of all, why he had to go after Sakura after he had already ignored her for years. It's just not normal.'

He took a measured step backwards, noticed a flicker of anger register in Sasuke eyes at his removal from the situation. He made a mental note of it and continued to press on with his planned retreat in response.

"I don't know what you're thinking Sasuke, but you should leave an innocent girl out of it. Sakura did nothing but care for you, the least you can do is appreciate that."

"You don't know what the word even means, baka. You're so stupid, honestly. You wouldn't know affection if it hit you in the face."

He scoffed lightly, swivelling as he did so, walking slowly away from their encounter as though it had never happened.

'Maybe that's for the best, at least for now.'

Naruto tasked disappointedly, but then too turned his back on Sasuke receding figure. They both strolled away from the confrontation silently, glad that nobody had witnessed the tension between them.

Alas, one boy has been gazing curiously at the pair from the moment Naruto had come into his field of vision. From the quiet corners of the upstairs library, a small figure peered out an old, condensation covered window, his vision flitting towards the football field. He witnessed the shouts, the close proximity, the tension between two rivals, and the sullen after math.

He watched until Naruto's back became obscured from view, and then sat there, staring blankly until it was time for him to leave. The quiet boy scratched his head worriedly, ruffling his bright hair in the process, thinking of a plan of action. It was one that could change everything, one he would implement the very next day.

TO BE CONTINUED

Author's Note: Okay, please don't give me any yaoi suggestions. Just stop that thought. Thanks.

Review~