Disclaimer: I own no characters and make no money off of this story; all the ridiculous amounts of income for the Naruto Franchise go to Kishimoto. I do however own this plot, and the inventions that I create for this story.

Warnings: Language, violence


Chapter Three

The hot sun pressed against his face, settling like a physical weight on his pale skin. He felt it drying, cracking, blistering, but couldn't shift. His tongue felt swollen and dry in his mouth, his eyes caked with sand and grit. Dried blood and sweat tugged uncomfortably on his hair. He made an effort to blink, the most movement his body could manage.

What had happened? His mind idly tried to work its way back through his memories to find how he had come to be lying here, but the last thing he could remember was the rush of soldiers and the endless screams of battle. A flurry of images, then nothing. He sighed, warm breath slipping over chapped lips.

And what had come to be of his father, and the war? The boy wished he knew. Had the Resistance won, or had they been defeated? They had seemed to have the upper hand, though that was mostly due to his own effort – and if he had been subdued, there was no telling how the rest of their division had fared.

Suddenly, he stiffened. His brother and sister, where were they? He tried harder, pressing his mind for any hint of their condition or whereabouts. Nothing.

What if they had been injured? What if they were dying now, just as he was, the desert sucking their life away? What if they were already dead?

His vision hazed with red at the thought, and he pushed himself to his knees out of desperation alone. The movement caused him to double over with racking coughs, his dry lungs violently protesting the effort he had expended. Each breath raked against his throat like sandpaper, and it was all he could do to catch himself on his fists. He gasped raggedly.

Don't complain, body, he growled at himself. It doesn't matter if I kill myself doing it, I just need to know where they are!

He lifted his head, dirty red hair slipping into his light green eyes and offering some pathetic shade against the harsh glare of the sun. His arms and neck shook with the effort, but he pushed himself to stay upright. He cast his gaze around him, barely noting his huge machine gun lying discarded on the ground beside him. The flag he had carried was nowhere to be seen – but was that because it had been stolen, or carried farther? He didn't care. The battleground was a sea of motionless bodies, nothing moving or breathing or making a sound.

Let them be okay, he prayed fervently. Let them be far away in the capital!

Just as his shaking arms failed him, he saw a familiar head of four blonde ponytails beside a mop of unruly brown hair, the bodies fallen on top of each other not far away. His head slammed against the rough sand again, but the pain barely registered. His brother and sister… they were here. They were injured, not moving-

A sob tried to tear its way through his frail body, but his mouth was so parched it was silent when it finally escaped.

His eyes were too dry to even cry.

Where's father when we need him, he asked the world viciously. Where's the goddamn needle now?!

He slipped into darkness before he could see a jeep pull up to the battlefield, dented and worn, and two men in green uniforms step out and walk among the bodies.

-.- -.- -.- -.- -.-

Sasuke hadn't said anything for five minutes, driving with his usual calm skill. The streets were unusually quiet, the houses and stores that blurred by dark and motionless. Finally, Naruto couldn't stand it anymore, hitting a fist against the dash and turning to glare at the Uchiha. "I said I would come over if I needed anything, you jackass. I don't need to be watched like some goddamn puppy."

Sasuke shifted in the driver's seat. Though Naruto could only see him every few seconds they passed under a streetlight, he knew that the Uchiha was looking at him out of the corner of his eye. "A simple 'thank you' would suffice, dobe."

"Thanks for what?" Naruto spat. "For spying on me, for waking up a girl who really needs her sleep, for picking me up like some fucking stalker?"

"I didn't spy on you. I came by to drop off food and tell you to go to sleep, because I knew you'd still be up working in that fetid room of yours. Yet just when I turned onto your block, you walk out the front door. I knew where you would be going and figured Ino would prefer a call from me at three in the morning than you – and she was awake anyway."

"I hate you."

"Yeah, sure."

Naruto leaned his head against the back of the seat and the window, the cold glass calming him. He let his eyes close, though after the amount of coffee he had ingested he was anything but tired. A few minutes passed as Sasuke slipped down the dark, carless streets at precisely the speed limit. Naruto listened to the quiet whir of the wheels and felt the car vibrate against his skull. He knew Sasuke wasn't driving him back to the Police apartment complex.

Sasuke tapped his long fingers against the wheel absently, and Naruto heard his unkept black hair brush against the leather seat in a way that signaled he was looking his way. You okay?

Naruto hummed quietly and let a brief smile cross his features. Yeah.

Suddenly, Sasuke tensed. "Shit," he swore under his breath. Naruto sat straight up.

"What?"

The Uchiha glanced in the rearview mirror, and Naruto saw the faint glow of distant headlights. "We're being trailed."

Naruto chewed his bottom lip for a moment, thinking. "Who?" he finally asked.

Sasuke spared a moment to look over his shoulder, the blue light reflecting eerily off of his glasses. He let out a low growl in his throat as he returned his eyes to the road, scowling. "Huh, guess my telepathy is failing me, cause stuck from the driver's seat I have no clue."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Do we pretend we don't see them?"

"They're gaining on us. It would have been hard not to have noticed them by now."

"So then… do we lose 'em, or stay cool?" Sasuke was silent for a moment, hesitating. Naruto considered. "Maybe they know about the plan," he added softly.

"Maybe they don't," Sasuke retorted. "And if they don't, speeding up in only going to look suspicious." Sasuke raked a hand through his hair with a sigh, shooting a look over his shoulder at the car that had pulled up right behind them. "Maybe they don't even know who we are."

Naruto pursed his lips, glancing down at his bloody shirt and realizing Ino hadn't even commented on his attire. Why didn't she remind me I look like a fucking murderer? Naruto let out a frustrated sigh and slipped his hand into his sweats' pocket, running a finger along the edge of the chained blade and weighing his choices. None were particularly appealing.

Don't risk it today, Naruto, his inner voice said. Not when you're so close.

The blonde let out an even breath. "I guess we stay the same," he finally decided.

Just as Sasuke was about to nod, the rearview mirror exploded in a flash of red and blue. Naruto groaned and slammed his forehead against the dashboard as Sasuke swore loudly, pulling over.

"I look like I should be in jail," the blonde muttered petulantly, hearing the car behind them slow down and come to a stop.

"Maybe if you had taken a shower when you got home!" Sasuke hissed lowly. "You disgusting piece of-"

"Anyone," Naruto mumbled. "Could have been anyone, and it just had to be the fucking Police."

"Get your head up," Sasuke ordered quickly. "He's coming."

A tap came on Sasuke's window, followed by the blinding brightness of a flashlight on their faces. The Uchiha obligingly rolled it down, putting on his most polite face. "Can I help you, sir?" he asked coolly.

Naruto seized the opportunity to examine the officer as the older man smiled at Sasuke – a rather unconvincing smile, considering the only sign of it was the upturning of his eyes. The entire lower half of his face was covered in a black cloth mask, its severity in stark contrast to the mop of silver hair that was swept up to one side. He wore the standard green jacket of the Police uniform, but with no visible designations of rank. Naruto's eyes narrowed briefly before he turned his attention back to the man's face.

He only grinned when he saw the cold black stare fixed on him silently, unable to interpret a single emotion in the bottomless gaze. "How much hair gel do you go through in a week?" he asked brightly.

Lazy eyes grazed over his attire. "I'd ask the same of your detergent."

Naruto blinked once in surprise. He tried not to laugh, but couldn't help himself. "Not bad, old man," he snickered. In the corner of his vision, Sasuke buried his head in his hand.

The officer tilted his head with a cheery look, gaze sweeping over the two friends. "My first impression of you is that I hate you," he stated, out of nowhere.

Unperturbed, Naruto beamed widely and leaned closer to the driver side. "That's great. At the moment, I'm not particularly fond of you either. Don't mind Shiniqua, he hates everyone at first sight. Usually with good reason." He patted the Uchiha's shoulder companionably, inwardly dying at the pained expression that crossed over 'Shiniqua's' face.

"Do you have a reason for pulling us over?" Sasuke suddenly interjected, voice frigid as he shook off Naruto's hand and lifted his head to glare at the older man. "I was going exactly the speed limit, and observing all traffic laws besides."

"Good. Keep doing so." The officer straightened with another fake smile, revealing how tall he really was. Naruto's hand shifted in his pocket, and Sasuke's hand lifted off the wheel a centimeter warily. The mask on the officer's face twisted as though he was smiling, or maybe grimacing, and he took a step away from the odd pair. "Have a good night boys," he called, nodding shortly before moving back to his own car. The siren shut off as he climbed in and the vehicle noiselessly pulled away, disappearing in the opposite direction.

Naruto and Sasuke sat quietly for a moment after his departure.

"He didn't give us a reason," Sasuke finally said flatly.

"He didn't give us anything," Naruto agreed in a low growl. "No name, no ID number, not even a rank on his uniform."

"He could be a spy."

"Against us, or the Police?"

"We're on the same team, Naruto."

"For the time being." Seeing Sasuke's look, the blonde quickly added, "Either is a distinct possibility, but I'm not willing to chase him down and see… at least not tonight. Besides, he seemed too confident."

"He didn't even flinch at your outfit," Sasuke thought aloud. "Either he's a street rat dressed up or he's had officer training, and from the way he held himself I'd go for the latter."

"Some 'street rats' can pull off the Police act just fine," Naruto muttered to himself. Sasuke's small frown was proof he'd heard, and satisfying enough. He cleared his throat and spoke up. "I agree. And despite his grey hair, I don't think he was old enough to need those reading glasses in his jacket pocket." Naruto's eyes darkened as they met Sasuke's. "In fact," he said slowly, "considering the way he looked at us, all fake smiles and stiff shoulders, I'd hazard a guess they weren't reading glasses at all."

The words sank in. Sasuke chewed on the information. "Surely, no matter who he is, he would have known our identities before pulling us over." The raven-haired boy pinned Naruto with a dry look. "Fake names weren't necessary," he drawled.

"Maybe. If he did, he certainly wasn't interested in me, Shiniqua," Naruto suggested, as off-handedly as possible.

Sasuke cocked one eyebrow, ever so slowly. "I think we should get home," he said, each word deliberate.

Naruto nodded. "And tell Itachi when he wakes up," he agreed. "See if he knows anything useful."

"He will," Sasuke said, voice unusually soft. "He always does." Coal eyes fixed unnervingly ahead as he pulled away from the curb. Noticing the worried glance shot from the passenger seat, he smiled lightly. "Until then we get some sleep."

"Ramen first," Naruto said firmly, a grin twitching on his face.

"Fine." Sasuke gave in unusually quickly, a sigh his only protest. None of the expected, 'Coffee and ramen, what a diet for the gods,' or 'Breakfast of champions, dumbass.' Naruto was silent for several minutes, thoughts drifting from the strange 'officer' to his eventful night to the upcoming exam and back to Sasuke.

"Did we give anything away?" he muttered, forehead wrinkled in thought.

Sasuke snorted. "Other than you're a total moron, I doubt it." The stiffness in his voice belied his words.

"And you're not going to ask me why I left my house?" the blonde questioned nonchalantly.

Sasuke eyes slid over to him, considering, then back to the road. He smirked. "If it's important, I figure you'll let me know."

Naruto shook his head with a small laugh. Typical Uchiha confidence.

-.- -.- -.- -.- -.-

"Anything?"

"Uzumaki had blood all over him, and dried sweat. Uchiha didn't have a mark on him."

"Interesting… did you see where they came from? Perhaps Uzumaki was involved in a fight."

"They came from a little café in the center of town. No one else was there. Besides, it looked hours old. From this morning, maybe early afternoon."

"The exams perhaps? Check his report."

"Yessir."

"Where were they going?"

"The Uchiha mansion, sir, unless I'm mistaken." His tone made it clear how likely he thought that was.

"Any information on why they were together? Reports show the two are not on friendly terms." The voice hinted at laughter.

"No sir."

"Why they were out so late, then?"

"No."

A quiet scoff. "When I asked 'anything', I meant 'anything useful'."

Hatake Kakashi's black eyes were slightly glazed, as if his thoughts were elsewhere. He tried to keep his voice firm when he replied, "Have you ever seen Uzumaki, sir?"

"Not since-" the voice abruptly stopped. "Why?"

"He looks exactly like his father." He tried to ignore how the radio shook in his hand.

There was a pause on the other end before the familiar crackle broke the silence. "Very well. Dismissed, Kakashi."

"Roger." He went to set the radio down gratefully and started the car engine when the soft voice spoke up again.

"Go home and sleep. That's an order."

A muscle worked in Kakashi's jaw. He picked up the radio again, pulling his car away from the shadow from which he had watched the odd pair sit in the darkness after his conversation with them. What they were talking about, he wished he knew. It took an odd amount of effort to mumble a "Yes sir" and turn the vehicle away.

-.- -.- -.- -.- -.-

When Naruto and Sasuke arrived at the station the next morning after a nearly sleepless night and, on Naruto's part, a long, hot shower, it was buzzing with whispers.

"What do you suppose they're talking about?" Naruto asked his companion in a hushed voice. For once, all eyes hadn't turned to the top two students when they walked into the classroom. Sasuke shrugged nonchalantly.

"I just got here too, dobe." Black eyes flicked around the room. "Ino."

The room momentarily quieted at the unusual summon, but quickly returned to its busy state. The blonde bounced out of her chair and hurried to Sasuke's side, all but gluing herself to him automatically.

"What do you need, darling?" she purred. "Anything." She looked at Naruto briefly. "Hey Naruto. Good to see you're alive." Her attention immediately turned back to Sasuke with a look of adoration.

Naruto stifled a giggle at the way Sasuke's lip curled. "Tell me the news," the Uchiha ordered with thinly veiled contempt.

"You haven't heard?" she gushed incredulously. "That civil war in that tiny little country down south finally came to a head! There was a huge battle not far from the border."

Naruto and Sasuke shared an intrigued look.

"Who won?" Naruto asked.

Ino pursed her lips. "No one is sure. It was hard to tell the bodies apart by the time Patrol Squad got there, so they couldn't say for certain which side had suffered more casualties, or who had retreated or advanced. There were no flags either." She rolled her eyes. "Or at least that's the story the superiors are feeding. I wouldn't be surprised if Black Ops or SID was involved."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "I'll admit that that's interesting, but it's certainly not enough to get the whole class talking, especially with so little information."

Satisfaction flashed over Ino's face. "That's not the whole story. Out of everyone, Patrol Squad only found three survivors. Two boys, one girl."

"Don't tell me they-"

"Brought them here," Sasuke sighed, finishing Naruto's sentence. He rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Do the idiots never learn?"

"Don't judge prematurely, Sasuke," Ino pouted cutely. "These are trained soldiers we're talking about, and they're no older than you or I. Not to mention, I heard down the line from Shizune that the smallest was the first to wake, saw the other two, and refused to leave their bedsides. Rumor is they look nothing alike, but he acts like they're his brother and sister. On top of that, he hasn't said anything about the battle, and they were all so dehydrated and wounded that it should have taken days of IV infusions for them to even wake up."

"I don't like the sound of that," Naruto mumbled so only Sasuke could hear. "What made the little guy bounce back so quickly?"

Sasuke nodded slightly, but turned back to Ino when she gave him an impatient slap on the shoulder. "Meaning," she continued, stressing the word like she was insulted his attention had been diverted from her, "if they remember anything, which I doubt, then they'll hate their pathetic little country and the general of their division for nearly killing their siblings. If they don't remember anything, they're a blank slate with battle experience. Either way, they're an unexpected asset to the Force. It would have been a waste to throw them away."

Sasuke considered this with an expressionless mask. "I see your point," he conceded, unfazed by her casual phrasing of letting injured die in the field.

Ino beamed and looked about to force a make-out session on the Uchiha. Naruto decided to step in before an exhausted Sasuke lost his patience.

"Not everyone can draw those… insightful conclusions like you can, Ino-chan," he said, going for complimentary to draw her away from the raven-haired celebrity. "I'm still confused why everyone is so excited by this."

Ino just rolled her eyes and took a step away from Sasuke like they were clueless children. "You haven't heard their descriptions," she said, like that explained everything, and flounced back to her seat with a high-pitched giggle.

The two boys shared a confused look. "What the hell does that mean?" Sasuke muttered.

"Like I know," Naruto returned.

"Alright everyone, sit down and shut up!" Iruka yelled his normal greeting as he walked into the room, closing the door behind him. Naruto and Sasuke obligingly made their way to their seats in the back of the room as the other students shuffled into their places. "As you are all well aware, today you will be participating in the final two graduation exams. As some of you may not know, due to the unusual duration of some sparring sessions yesterday-" Iruka fixed his eyes on Naruto and Sasuke, who tried not to look pleased " –we will be finishing that exam before beginning the other two. I'm not going to waste all of our time going over what they are and who has yet to go, so I hope you got a good night's sleep and are properly prepared."

Sasuke shot Naruto a dry look, and the blonde shrugged apologetically.

"Due to… unexpected circumstances arising yesterday afternoon-" a spattering of whispers exploded at these words, and Iruka glared the room into silence again- "you will have ten minutes before the exams begin. Stay in the room, don't make too much noise, and if anyone gets hurt I will personally escort the guilty parties to the Captain's office. Do I make myself clear?"

Naruto rolled his eyes at Iruka's antics, and Sasuke looked at their teacher with a faintly amused smirk. When no one protested, Iruka nodded. He opened his mouth to give a parting order when the door opened and a familiar head of spiky purple hair popped in with a twisted grin.

"'Ello, kiddies," Anko leered. "I heard the commotion and thought I'd stop by. Just so you all know, you are absolutely forbidden to bust your way into the hospital wing and peek in on our injured visitors… no matter how hot they may be. And I mean forbidden of the punishment kind, not the 'do it because I just told you not to'." She winked conspiratorially.

"You're just saying that because you got to carry them back, and you don't want to share." Ino stuck out her tongue at the older woman and got a good-natured scowl in reply.

"Bet your cute ass on it, blondy," Anko grinned. "But you'll all get your chances soon enough." She looked at Iruka, who had his eyes focused on the ceiling as if in a silent prayer for patience. "You comin', Scarface?"

Naruto watched Iruka hold back his sigh with admirable self-control. "Yes, of course." He swept one last glare over the classroom. "Be good, children." With that, he stalked out of the room, following the witty Patrol Squad Vice Captain down the hall.

The moment the door closed behind them the room exploded with chatter once more. Sasuke turned to Naruto with a pained look.

"We have ten minutes," Naruto said, amused. "Wanna get away from the intolerable gossipers?"

"If you're thinking about going where I think you're thinking, no."

It took Naruto a moment to sort through the sentence, but when he had, his grin turned feral. "Not up for a little mischief, teme?"

"Count me out. I'm taking a nap." He laid his head down on the desk stubbornly as if to prove his point. Naruto leaned over so his lips were by his ear.

"You'd really fall asleep for ten whole minutes when your fangirls are already so hyper they don't know what to do with themselves?"

Sasuke twitched. Naruto knew he only needed another little push.

"We'll have top of the line intel before anyone else, and if we play our cards right, they'll be none the wiser. It can be our own little graduation test – get caught, we fail it."

Sasuke shifted his head to peer into sparkling blue eyes. "How do you have so much energy, dobe?" he mumbled. "You only slept for an hour."

"Come oonnnn!" Naruto coaxed quietly.

"Nara is in charge of our intel. Plus Ino, but she's already given us what she knows."

"You know Shika's too lazy to sneak out and spy on the newcomers for a bit of fun."

"So am I. Go away."

"Fine," Naruto sighed dramatically, pulling away. "I'll just do it alone, I suppose."

He stood up and walked towards the edge of the classroom, drawing out each footstep. He waited. Four seconds later, there was a quiet thump as Sasuke hit his head on the desk. "Dumbass is gonna kill himself," he heard the boy mutter, and suddenly he was right behind him. "Let's go, Naruto," he monotoned.

Naruto tried not to cackle victoriously.

A minute and a half later, the two were crouched in the room next to the suite where the three siblings were being held. They heard the low murmur of nurses and officers through the wall, but couldn't make anything out. Naruto straightened just enough to peek over the bottom of one of the low windows into the room, crouching again after a moment.

"There are too many people in the room to sneak in by the connecting door without being seen," he murmured. "From here I can't see the kids' faces, or hear anything the adults are saying."

"Not even with your senses?"

Naruto pressed his ear against the wall and motioned for silence. A look of intense concentration passed over his face. "I… vaguely…." Finally, he pulled away with a sigh. "I can only hear some of the words. I'm pretty sure the walls are designed to prevent eavesdropping. Ideas, smart guy?"

Sasuke smoothed his sweatshirt absently, an obsessive motion his hands couldn't resist when he started thinking. A minute ticked by. Naruto tapped his foot against the floor, growing impatient. "Seven minutes, teme," he hummed.

"I know!" he hissed under his breath. "If only Shino was here," he added as an afterthought.

"Or me!"

Both boys whirled at the sound of a familiar voice. "What the fuck are you doing here, Kiba?" Naruto growled. "And pipe down, we're not supposed to be here."

"Think I don't know that?" The boisterous boy shuffled over to them, keeping out of view from the window. A small dog trotted past him and straight to Naruto, jumping on his bent knees and licking his face with his fluffy tail whirling. Kiba grinned at the scene. "I saw you two slip out a while back, and I knew where you were going. Figured you'd need a stealth specialist on your side."

"Don't know many stealth specialists you can smell before you can see," Sasuke muttered.

Kiba's eyes narrowed dangerously. "What was that, Uchiha?"

"Nothing, mutt."

"You think you tough just 'cause you got money and family name, pretty boy?"

"You think you are just because you've been in the locker?" Sasuke sneered. "Try me."

Kiba reached into the pocket of his worn beige cargo pants, pulling out brass knuckles and slipping them on with deliberate slowness. "You wanna go toe to toe?" he snarled.

Naruto slipped between them. "Okay, stop it you two. You're gonna blow our position." He glanced at his watch. "Six minutes to be back in the classroom. If you're gonna do something, Kiba, better get to it."

The delinquent kid smiled. "I'm gonna need a distraction. Care to do the honors, Naruto?"

The blonde returned his expression. "It would be my pleasure."

"Hate to break up the formalities," Sasuke drawled, "but am I supposed to just sit here?"

"You could go back to the classroom and let yourself be fawned over. I hear you're good at that."

"Or you could handle the distraction, and I'll cover for us back in the room, in case you two don't get back in time." Naruto glared at Kiba. Sasuke just snorted.

"You're better at the flashy, dobe. Give these idiots something to look at. Just don't show yourself – they probably meant their threat of punishment." Naruto's eyes grew shadowed, and Sasuke could all but read the 'especially for me' on his face. He gave the blonde a tentative smile. "They won't know what hit them," he assured him. "Just do what you do best, and I'll go wrangle the others." The Uchiha caught Kiba's surprised look and recovered himself enough to leer rudely. "And don't think I'll cover for your lame asses, because I won't. You have five minutes." He crawled towards the door, turning just in time to sneer, "Naruto, don't let Inuzuka's mangy mutt touch anybody. I don't want my commanding officers to have fleas distract them when they're proctoring my final."

He slipped away before he could see Kiba's mutinous look. "I'm gonna kill-"

"Sasuke's always like that, K-dog. Let it go." Naruto patted his friend's shoulder sympathetically. "How much time you need?"

"As much as you can get me."

"Four minutes, then. That gives us one to get back."

Kiba nodded and shifted closer to the adjoining door, one hand on Akamaru's head as the puppy sat obediently and stared up at him adoringly. "Think he really won't cover for us?"

Naruto shook his head with a laugh. "Hard to tell, honestly," he said quietly. Then suddenly, he was gone.

-.- -.- -.- -.- -.-

Sasuke leaned against his desk with a heavy-set scowl, an expression which seemed to allow his ears to filter out all high-pitched sounds. He did his best to ignore the swarm of girls around him and allow his thoughts to drift, but between their incessant talking and annoying tendency of touching him whenever he lost focus, he wasn't getting very far. Not to mention his eyes always slipped back to the clock at the front of the room.

Those two idiots were running out of time. Sasuke didn't care if they got caught, he just didn't want them to get punished and ruin his own chances in the final exam. They were tested on teamwork, and like it or not they would need everyone to pull their own weight.

Sasuke told himself this as his stomach twisted uncomfortably at the thought of what the officers would do to Naruto if they had promised others painful punishment. He straightened the pencil on his desk obsessively.

"You seem distracted, Sasuke." A female voice startled him out of his thoughts, because for once it wasn't screeching in the upper register at the volume of a banshee. Hyuuga Hinata had somehow worked her way through the crowd to stand behind him, pale eyes averted shyly. Sasuke felt himself relax slightly.

"Yeah, I guess I am," he replied, turning to face her. As always, Neji was at her side, but for once he was standing a little ways off instead of protectively in front of her. The aloof boy stared at Sasuke indifferently, but made no move to step into the conversation between him and his twin. The Uchiha nodded to him with something like gratitude.

"Naruto?" Hinata asked softly, a small smile on her pale lips. The Uchiha shook his head at her uncanny ability to read his thoughts like an open book.

"As always," he sighed. "He's such a dumbass."

"I think he tries to be," the girl replied off-handedly. "I don't suppose he'd miss today, of all days."

"I wouldn't put it past him," Sasuke growled.

Hinata tilted her head cheerfully. "When you say it like that, it's almost like you lack faith in him. If he wants to be here, he will be."

Sasuke chuckled, realizing for the first time that the gaggle of girls had retreated several feet and were silent, albeit glaring daggers at the strange duo. Not for the first time, he was thankful for his cousin's presence. "I don't get it, Hinata," he said. "You know the exact words to say to me, but you're a stuttering mess around Naruto. I think he'd like this side of you."

Hinata had the decency to blush and smile sheepishly, though it didn't quite reach her perturbing lavender eyes. "And you are always so kind to me, yet so cold to everyone else. I think the world would enjoy this side of you," she returned quietly. Neji's quiet snort behind could almost be ignored.

Sasuke stared at her, eyes narrowed thoughtfully. He opened his mouth to retort when something large and heavy barreled into him, unbalancing his precarious position and sending him tumbling to the floor.

"What the fu-Naruto!"

Blue eyes twinkled. "Miss me, sweetheart?"

Sasuke shoved him roughly and jumped to his feet, brushing off his sweatshirt frantically and feeling a slight crinkle under his hand. "You idiot! What was that for?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. Did I get you dirty?" Naruto hopped up with a smirk. Noticing Hinata, his smile grew wider. "Hey there Hina-chan. Been keeping Sasuke company?"

Hinata turned a bright red, but managed to smile and murmur, "Yes, Naruto-kun. Though I think we're b-both glad that you're here now."

Sasuke spared a moment to give Hinata a small smile, then turned to Naruto. "Find anything?"

Naruto nodded. "Later."

"Where's the mutt?"

"Kiba," Naruto glared for emphasis, "is back in his seat. Where we should be." He raised a hand to the Hyuuga. "We'll see you in a minute, Hinata." Noticing Neji, he offered a wan smile, which was unreturned.

The two boys slipped back into their chairs, and Sasuke pulled out the piece of paper Naruto had stuffed in his sweatshirt pocket when he tackled him. The dobe had probably written it on the way back from the hospital wing, or hurriedly put the notes on paper before leaving. Holding it under his desk and checking around him for spying eyes, he turned to Naruto's quick-hand scrawl.

Three siblings, our age. All very pale, bad sunburns. The girl is blonde, medium-build. The bigger guy has dark hair and what looked like face-paint, stockier. Smallest guy was awake, red hair, green eyes. Looked strong despite small build. Smelled funny. Seemed to have fragged memories. Hand was shaking, very twitchy.

The Captain was talking to Shizune. Expected them to wake by tomorrow afternoon. Condition like Ino said. They plan to put them through the exam in a few days for formalities. Silver-haired guy was there too. Talked to smallest guy, agreed to test him.

Sasuke lifted his eyes. 'Silver-haired guy was there?' he mouthed to Naruto. The blonde nodded. Straightening his sweatshirt and brushing off bits of dust, Sasuke folded the note again and slipped it away. 'Who?' he lip-signed.

Naruto just shrugged. His eyes darted to the clock, which shifted to 7:10 with a near-silent click. The door opened and Iruka stalked in, considerably more reserved than earlier. "Everyone, single-file line, follow me."

"Now to wait out the rest of the spars," Naruto groaned, standing with the rest of the students and hanging back, waiting for the line to form. "Joy oh joy."

"Suck it up," Sasuke hissed. "We just have to get through today."

"Actually, Sasuke…" From the way Naruto rubbed the back of his neck with a sheepish grin and let Sasuke step in front of him in line, cheeks turning pink and his other hand twitching by his pocket like it half-expected a fight, Sasuke could tell he wouldn't like what followed those two words. His eyes narrowed.

"Dobe…" he warned. If you say it, I will punch you in the face, he thought, trying to project it mentally into Naruto's head. After all these months, all this work, all the planning–

"We're going to need to call off the plan."

Apparently Sasuke needed to work on telepathy – the idiot just didn't get it. The sound of a fist crunching bone followed.


Posted: 07-20-13

Last Updated: 07-20-13

Chapter Word Count: 5,842

A/N: Sorry for the wait. End of Junior year tests and shenanigans combined with online classes and assignments and a two week vacation in Colorado left me with little free time this summer. And now only two weeks remain. TT_TT

Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Also, if anyone is wondering about the chapter names, they are names of tracks from Yoko Kanno and The Seatbelt's amazing anime Cowboy Bebop. They really have no relation to the chapter, but I like their randomness.

Please leave a review so I know what you like and dislike, so I might change it and get better. You can make me improve!