Seeking True Love Version 2

COMPLETE EDIT 05/03/06 5.20 am

A/N Chapter 4 here! Before I start anything, I need to make a note here. In the last chapter, I've been told that I made a vital mistake. I used 'blonde' to refer to Naruto. But I was told that 'blonde' is used to refer to girls, whereas a boy would be referred to as 'blond'. Oops! My mistake. Sorry everyone. Oh ya, and also sorry for the 'teme' srew up. I've been told it was used wrongly in the last chapter. Sorry again! Well, at least I;m learning, ne? Maybe one day if I have the time, I'll make the corrections. ;; And to all the reviewers thank you so much! You guys are my motivators, so thank you all so much. And especially to kawaii kitsune-kun, thank you so much! I think you're my biggest supporter at the moment. It's really good to know that someone really likes this fic because I'm actually sacrificing schoolwork and working on this. ;; And yeah, I've changed the summary. Hopefully its better now Heh. On with the fic! This chapter is a drabble from Sasuke's POV. Hope you like it

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Naruto characters. This story is purely fictional.

Warnings : Yaoi. If anyone is uncomfortable with that then DON'T read further.

Pairings : SasuNaru (main) and other various pairings.

Chapter Four

Sasuke rolled over in his bed for the tenth time that night. Dressed only in a dark blue T-shirt and a pair of white, comfortable-looking boxers, he was as ready as can be for bed. But now, it was way past midnight and the young Uchiha had been trying, and failing, since the past hour to fall into that desirable world of slumber where everything was quiet and peaceful.

The boy rolled over to his side once more as he pulled the covers of his bed up to his waist. Curling up slightly, he tried to get comfortable as he shut his eyes tightly in another attempt to fall asleep. The seconds ticked by and in less than a minute, the boy was up again. Letting out a frustrated growl, he sat up on his bed and glared at no one in particular. Finally giving up, Sasuke sighed inaudibly before propping his pillow up behind him. Leaning his back against the pillow, now placed against the headboard of his bed, he sank into a comfortable position. It looked like he won't be getting any sleep anytime soon. Not until he sorted out his messed-up thoughts, that is.

He sighed. He didn't want to go through it yet. He had only just managed to push those troublesome thoughts back into the deepest corners of his mind where it couldn't bother him and he wasn't in any rush to retrieve those memories again so soon. After coming back from his 'meeting' with Naruto, the Uchiha had gone for a much needed shower. As he washed away the filth that he had collected from his training earlier in the day, he was left with the task of dealing with the events that had occurred that night. The new revelations that he had only just discovered from the blond himself wasn't pleasant on him. It had been very difficult to accept all that Naruto had said. All the love the blond held for Sakura, and… his own feelings for the blond… everything was so messed up. He didn't want to think about it. He wanted to just forget it. It was a coward's way out but he didn't care. Anything was better than putting himself through it again…

Sasuke's body slumped slightly in his bed. Naruto's words had affected him greatly. He felt miserable, depressed, tired… But there wasn't anything that he could do… was there? The blond couldn't know how he felt about him… And he would never know…

Before he could drown in his thoughts again, Sasuke let his eyes wander across his bedroom, more to distract himself than anything else. The brunette was motionless as his eyes traveled to every corner of the room as he took in his surroundings. His bedroom was just like how it was five years ago. There wasn't anything different about it except for the newly obtained cushions that were now piled neatly in a stack on the floor at one corner of the room. The bed stood right in the middle as it faced the balcony. There was a table on the right hand side of the bed, near the doorway that led to the room. Scrolls and books were strewn all over it, marking Sasuke's busy life as a shinobi. A long, oak cupboard, which was about three feet tall, was set against the wall to the left of his bed, as moonlight streamed in from the windows above it. The cupboard was fairly empty except for a television set that sat modestly on one side, a little dusty from lack of use. There was a comfortable looking cream coloured couch sitting by the sliding doors that separated the whole room from the balcony. The balcony, which could be seen from inside the bedroom, was decorated with a complete set of outdoor tables and chairs. All in all, it was very luxurious, considering it was only a bedroom. The Uchiha's were certainly a very rich and prestigious family. Their house had many rooms and they owned a large expanse of land. Since the whole Uchiha clan had been wiped out years ago by Uchiha Itachi, the sole survivor of the clan was Sasuke. Being the only Uchiha left apart from Itachi, he had inherited all of the Uchiha family riches and assets.

The brunette snorted as a thought crossed his mind.

"Hah! Some people would kill to be living in this kind of luxury. But I... don't want it... The house is huge. Having a big house with lots of money… people don't know anything, do they? The hollow loneliness within a vast, empty space… it's merely a shelter from the cold outside… although in my case, the house can't even be considered as a shelter. The inside is just as cold as the outside. Perhaps colder…"

The house which the stoic ninja had inherited was definitely way bigger than was necessary for him. Since he was the only inhabitant, he had always been his own company. He didn't need such a big place to live in anyway considering that he was a shinobi and was mostly out. Sasuke let out a huff.

"Hah! Humans. Always wishing for something they don't have. But when they do have it, they'll find that it's not all that it seems to be…" Sasuke thought, indicating the riches that he owned now, which he didn't really want but which other people would have killed for.

Dark eyes scouted the room once more. On the other side of the television set, the raven haired boy noticed a picture which had been framed up neatly. Sasuke stared at it. He let his eyes rest on the small picture. It was a picture of Team 7. Complete with Kakashi-sensei, Sakura, Naruto and himself. It was the picture that he had left face down on the table when he had gone to join the Hidden Sound. That picture had been a burden then but now, he was very fond of it. There were even more pictures now, newer ones in fact, which he had set in elegant frames all around the house. It gave him a warm feeling whenever he saw one of these pictures of him, with the people he treasured most in the world...

Ever since returning to Konoha, he had learnt to cherish his present life more rather than the past. Orochimaru was now gone and although the Akatsuki were still at large, he had learnt to let go off his past bit by bit. Slowly, he was beginning to live a life for himself, rather than as an avenger which he had been doing ever since the tragedy that hit the Uchiha clan. He still wanted to avenge the death of his family and his vow to kill Itachi someday had remained. But, it just didn't seem to be as important as it had been before because now, he had found what was most important to him right here in Konoha…

Tearing his eyes away from the beautifully framed picture, Sasuke reached out to put his hand on his neck where the curse seal had once been. Not long after rejoining Konoha, the Fifth Hokage had brewed up a way to get rid of the three black markings. The dark haired boy had then complied without hesitation to the Hokage's request that he remove the curse seal once and for all. He didn't want it anymore. Before, the curse seal had been a source of power to him, but now, he felt that it was a source of regret and self-loathing. The curse seal made him feel dirty. Tainted. Scarred by an evil mark. The memories of himself when he had undergone transformation due to the effects of the curse seal will remain forever in his memory. He had been power crazy. He had to be mad to actually let himself be taken over by the demon within him just for the sake of revenge. He regretted dearly for taking that path but regret didn't change the fact. And he would always be burdened by the memory of it as he tries to compensate for his mistake now. Although the marks were gone now thanks to Hokage-sama's efforts, the young shinobi always felt ashamed of himself whenever he remembered it. It was a mistake that he himself had made, and he would have to live with it for the rest of his life.

The Uchiha continued to stare around his room. He curled himself slightly underneath the covers on his bed, sighing again. He had thought that his fatigue would overtake him and he would have no problems falling asleep. How wrong he had been. Now, he felt more awake than ever. It was a disappointment actually. He would have been happy to just have fallen asleep. Then he would easily be able to escape from the events of that night. He would be able to sleep peacefully but instead, he was lying here, reminiscing old memories that he had buried within himself for some time now. He was reminded of many things… He sighed again. Today had started out as a normal day. Who would have thought that many things would happen before the day ended? Maybe everything would be back to normal by tomorrow. It was just wishful thinking really. Sasuke knew that he couldn't avoid himself from what he was going to do tomorrow… It was inevitable.

"What am I to do with Sakura…?"

He shut his eyes tightly. It was his greatest worry at the moment. It had been easy for Naruto to say. The blond had just told him to cheer her up. Didn't he know that it wasn't an easy a task as he thinks it is? The genius ninja of Konoha really didn't think it was wise to go see the female chuunin so soon after what had happened. It would have been best for them to keep their distance, and eventually Sakura would accept what had happened. But if he were to show up again now, Sakura may not let him go. She'll be inclined to get the wrong idea again from his show of concern and then they'll fall back into the same situation. The raven haired boy really didn't want that to happen. He didn't want to get her hopes up again. It was difficult enough to reject the pink haired girl the first time and he didn't want to have the same thing repeating itself again. He didn't want to mislead her anymore. There was just no way that he could return the girl's sincere feelings… No way at all. He didn't want to continue hurting those he held dear anymore… He would have to think carefully about what he was going to say and do tomorrow. A few moments of silent thinking and he discovered that his mind was blank. He didn't know what he was going to tell the kunoichi.

Sasuke growled in frustration. "Why does Naruto do this to me? Couldn't he ask for something simpler…?"

Feeling agitated, Sasuke wondered why he couldn't just say 'no' to the blond boy. It would save him so much trouble. The blond was able to manipulate him so easily now and he probably didn't realize it. Somehow, he just couldn't bring himself to disappoint Naruto even if it meant he was putting himself in a troublesome position. Sasuke huffed.

"I'm pathetic, aren't I? I can't even go against him anymore… Since when did I care about that dobe this much…?"

Thinking back, the raven haired boy wondered how it all started. How he had joined the Hidden Sound… all that had happened, and also how… how he had discovered that he had fallen for the orange clad shinobi and also, how he had come to terms with the feelings that he had now. The feelings that told the brunette that he cared a lot more for the overly-active blond than normal friends would. That it wasn't just care or concern for your best friend anymore. It was affection. Sasuke was attracted to Naruto. In fact, he was hopelessly in love with the loud ninja. Naruto can be so dense sometimes. He could never tell when someone actually cares for him.

It happened during the whole Orochimaru ordeal. Sasuke realized now that the feelings that he had had for the blond then were more than he originally thought it was. Back then, he had hated Naruto. Well, he thought he hated him anyway. Hated him for improving so much and that had led to jealousy on his part. Feeling the familiar sense of disgust at himself welling up inside of him, he recalled the time that he had resented Naruto when the blond had improved greatly as a shinobi. At that time, the Uchiha had not been able to accept the fact that the blond had become stronger than himself. He refused to accept that fact. Caught up in his own greed for power, he refused to acknowledge Naruto's strength. Because acknowledging that Naruto was more superior than he was would mean that he was admitting that all his life's efforts had been surpassed instantly by the blond. It had rendered the reason for his existence meaningless. And he just couldn't accept that. He rejected the blond. He couldn't accept the simple truth that he was losing to Naruto as a ninja. He was jealous to the point of insanity. Perhaps it was because of all these heated feelings, the Uchiha had not been thinking straight, and that had led him to make the mistake of his life by leaving Konoha. He had been driven to Orochimaru by his own self-conceit. He had become degraded as a ninja as he fell into the clutches of evil, losing all sense of honor.

Sasuke could still recall, ashamedly at that, his battle with Naruto at the falls before he had gone to join the Sound. He… he couldn't believe it himself now. He had tried to kill the blond. If it hadn't been for the Kyuubi's special abilities to regenerate, Naruto would have died…

Sasuke shivered. When he thought about it now, a chill ran up his spine. What would have happened if the blue eyed boy had really died on that day? He… he didn't think he could ever forgive himself if that had happened. Not that the younger boy could die so easily…He was definitely strong. Still… that incident had haunted the dark haired boy for a long time, up until now. He could never forgive himself for trying to kill the one that meant the most to him…

When Naruto had finally managed to knock some sense into his head, the blond was able to save him and brought him back to Konoha, of course, with some help from the other Konoha nins. Orochimaru had been disposed of and the Konoha nins had finally succeeded in their mission, which had been unfinished for years, to bring back the last of the Uchiha clan. Sasuke had actually been very grateful that his friends had still cared for him enough to save him. Even after what he had done, they never gave up on him. And he was very thankful for that. He had realized then, what great friends he had had. He had always blamed Itachi for subjecting him into never-ending loneliness. Itachi had killed his whole family, and left him all alone. He had been deserted. Abandoned. He had hated Itachi for making him feel the pain of loneliness, without anyone to care for him. How stupid he had been. He never realized that he had many friends who had cared for him right here in the village. Friends who would never have left him alone. Friends who would never abandon him. Friends that would have filled his loneliness. But he had chosen to follow the grudge from his past that he still held against his brother… and caused himself to fall deeper into the dark abyss of solitude…

As Sasuke thought back, he admitted that the three years with Orochimaru had been… hell. True, he did become a lot stronger, but at a very high price. With Orochimaru, there was no…warmth. Everyday, he had to deal with the fiend's stares as the evil Sannin smiled evilly… greedily at his body. He knew Orochimaru had been planning to take over his body, but at that time, it didn't seem to matter. He had been too far gone in his quest to fulfill his revenge that he lost all sense of rational thinking as well. The other Sound ninjas weren't too friendly either. Every one of them kept to themselves selfishly and never gave a damn about him. He knew that most of them there disliked him. They didn't like the fact that Orochimaru was inclined to pay more attention to him. He was, after all, the chosen 'container'. And so, he had endured three years of loneliness. Fending for himself and being coldly treated every single moment of his waking hours, it was a total opposite of the treatment he had gotten back in Konoha where everyone smothered him with care and affection. He quickly adapted to his new surroundings though. It didn't matter how people treated him, he only cared about his quest for power. But still… it had been really cold… those three years…

The thing that the raven haired boy had realized that was odd about himself back then only came about two months after his stay at the Sound village. He realized that he had an incessant yearning for some company. Not just anyone's company though… the one he wanted was Naruto's company. He had felt weird at that time. He missed the noisy shinobi. But, why was he missing the younger boy's company? Sure, he missed a lot of other people too. Sakura, Kakashi, his friends… but somehow, he wanted to see the blond more than anyone else. He found himself wondering what the blond was doing at times and where he was at the moment. He missed the wide grin that the blond always had on his face, the non-stop chatter in that uniquely loud voice of his, the musky smell of Naruto when he sweated it out during training, the warmth from him when the blond made contact with him, either when sparring or when bickering… even his annoying habits. He had missed the blond terribly, missed arguing with him, missed looking at him, missed him so much... But why? He had asked himself that question for many weeks, but had still remained confused as to what he was feeling.

It was one night that it happened. He finally understood what his feelings for the blond had meant. It had been about five months since he joined the Sound and as usual, he was in his own room that the Sound nins had prepared him under Orochimaru's orders. He had been sleeping, resting himself up for another day of harsh training to make himself stronger when suddenly, he had been assaulted by a dream. It had been a very disturbing dream. He could see, in his dream, a familiar figure… a blond. Naruto. He had dreamt about the two of them… together. Then he became uncomfortable when the dream became warmer… and warmer. It had felt so… hot. He was with Naruto, and they were doing… a lot of things. He could feel the warm caresses, the intimate touching that was going on in his dream... The closeness of two bodies… The young Uchiha had woken up in a start, his body heated and disturbingly aroused. At first, he waved this situation off as an increase in his hormonal activity. After all, he was a healthy, young male. These types of situations could happen all the time. But after two months of having the same, similar dream, of the same person, he had become very suspicious. Perhaps this was more than just an increase in his hormonal activity. These kinds of occurrences weren't normal. After another month and he still had the same dream, the raven haired boy came to a conclusion. He… missed the blond… a lot. And not in a way that friends should… He realized then that the blond was special to him. He missed the blond more and more everyday, not to mention the lust he felt for him too. The hot, wet dreams had become more frequent as he continued to yearn for the other boy all throughout the three years. Yes. Three whole years. It was a long period of time. But he never forgot Naruto…

Blushing, Sasuke remembered a number of the, uh, 'intimate' dreams he had had. He could also remember that he had found himself thinking about the blond often back then and over time, he accepted the fact that he really liked the boy. As he thought about the blue eyed shinobi more, he realized that Naruto was positively… cute. The boy's actions that had seemed so annoying before… he had missed them. Irritating as it might have been, Naruto's antics were… entertaining and funny. It was a part of the blond. Sasuke realized that those antics were amongst the things that he cherished most in the blond. Anything the younger boy did somehow always managed to brighten up his day. Arguing with the blond everyday, the Uchiha had taken guilty pleasure in infuriating the blond. Life had definitely been more enjoyable in Konoha, despite everything that Sasuke had said and eventually, he found himself regretting his decision to leave. Only a little though. He wasn't going to admit that he had been wrong. He wasn't going to back out. His revenge was his first priority.

But as time passed, his intense feelings of revenge had dwindled, replaced by the emptiness he felt within as he continued to pine for his kitsune. Unable to forget Naruto, his feelings merely grew more and more with everyday that he denied himself from seeing the blond. He was left to fight and struggle with his own emotions. His priorities had become jumbled after a year and many times he had contemplated just going back to Konoha. But he couldn't go back. Not anymore... He had betrayed Konoha. There was no way that they would accept him again. He had become exiled, a missing nin. And not only that… he had tried to kill, the one he had missed the most… just before he left. There was no way that they would forgive him, no way that Naruto would forgive him.

When he had thought that, he had felt a part of his heart eating at him and all thoughts of leaving the Sound would be forgotten. It was too late… He had felt sad… The thought that the blond could never forgive him had made him miserable. His feelings had truly become clearer and clearer during that period of time. Perhaps that was why Sasuke could not kill the blond back at the falls. At the very end of their battle there, he had had a chance to take the blond's life once and for all. But he didn't. Why? He had wanted the Mangekyou Sharingan, but he just couldn't bring himself to kill the blond. He had later pushed it off as not wanting to be like his brother, who had killed his closest friend in order to become strong. He had made up excuses. But why? Maybe… and most probably, he had already subconsciously fallen for the blue eyed fox boy even before then…

"Ceh, how pathetic…" Sasuke thought to himself as he lay down on his bed, eyes out of focus as memories of the three years of his life in loneliness resurfaced from the depths of his memory. He continued to reminisce.

After that, Sasuke had given up. He lost all hope of ever turning back, so he kept on training under Orochimaru. He might as well finish what he had come to do since he had no other paths to choose from anymore, knowing that he would never be forgiven by the people that meant the most to him. But he still couldn't forget Naruto. When Naruto had come for him, he had been happy. But he never showed it on the outside. It was too late. He refused to go back. He couldn't. He didn't want to face everyone. He was a coward. Even when they told him it was okay, that they forgave him, he refused. He felt he couldn't turn back. Everything had become too serious. It was all real. He didn't deserve to go back. He didn't deserve their forgiveness. He didn't deserve to be close to Naruto anymore. And with that conclusion, he had fought. Fought everyone, including Naruto, because he didn't want to go back. He couldn't. He just couldn't…

He had put up a very good fight with Naruto then, and they had found that their strengths were equal, but Naruto had edged over him. Because Naruto's will to bring him back had been stronger. And finally, he gave in. He had been too powerless to fight what he really wanted anymore and so, he allowed himself to be brought back. And then, he was finally brought back to the Leaf. He was thankful. He had missed Konoha a lot.

Upon reaching the village, he had been brought to the Godaime where he could only apologize for his deeds. He had then proceeded to go to trial where he had been mercifully given a chance. The Godaime had punished him but he felt lucky. His punishments had not been that severe. The Elders and the Godaime herself had been very merciful towards him. He was touched by their kindness and from then on, he pledged his loyalty to Konoha forever. He vowed to never go against Konoha ever again and was willing to sacrifice himself for the sake of the village. It was the only way he felt that he could repay the kindness that had been shown to him and he promised himself that he would never go against his vow. He wanted to redeem himself from his mistakes, little by little.

The first few months of his return, he had been quiet and closed. He didn't know how to react to everyone. He had never thought that he would be allowed to step foot inside of Konoha anymore but he did. He spent most of the first few weeks being silent and suspicious. Somehow, he couldn't believe that the people of Konoha were so forgiving. How could they have accepted him just like that? But indeed they were that kind of people and they certainly had easily forgiven him. Most of them anyway. There were still a few that did not trust him but as time passed, they too slowly learned to forgive and accept him once more. And as of late, quite a large majority of the villagers could accept him as their own once again. They slowly forgot the betrayal that Sasuke had committed against them and never bore any grudges. They allowed him the chance that he thought he should never have deserved to get.

Over time, Sasuke had opened up more too. The Godaime, his friends… had all assured him that he was accepted again in Konoha, albeit with resentments from a few and punishments to go along with it. The Elders still insisted on keeping an eye on him even till now but Sasuke was happy enough. He was back where he was happiest before he had made that mistake. Of course, life could not be the same as before so soon, and he did have to carry out his punishments too, but he slowly adapted in as people got used to him once more. He was happy. He felt reborn. But the thing that made him happiest was being able to see Naruto again.

The blond had been resentful and yelled at his stupidity for joining the Sound nins for the first few weeks. Well, that was to be expected. After all, the Uchiha had tried to kill him. But after that, he had become more accepting and seemed to forget it all. The dobe was really very simple minded. He could never hold a grudge against anyone, whether friend or foe, for long. He had forgiven the Uchiha, and Sasuke was very happy to think that. Naruto had cared for him enough to look for him and never once gave up on him. And now, he easily accepted the raven haired boy again. Sasuke was ashamed. He didn't deserve to be forgiven… but he was glad that Naruto was willing to forget what had happened between them and wanted to become friends again. Naruto had saved him from the darkness that had been devouring him up slowly from within. But then again, maybe Naruto only did it because of his promise to Sakura. Apparently, Naruto had made a promise to Sakura that he would bring the Uchiha back. Sasuke had felt slightly disheartened whenever he thought that Naruto only came to look for him because of Sakura but he dismissed it, trusting that Naruto was not as cold-hearted as that.

And after that, the best thing that had ever happened to Sasuke in his whole life had happened not long after he had returned to Konoha. He and Naruto had gone on to patch the differences between them and soon, they had built a fast and steady friendship. Special and private moments together were spent between them as they found it in their hearts to open up to each other. Deep-rooted feelings and their painful pasts, they could understand each other's emotions so well. The bond between them had strengthened after everything that had happened and their relationship had evolved into something special. They understood and trusted each other and had since become the best of friends. Sasuke truly treasured their relationship now. Their bond was unique in its own way, and he knew that he was the only one privileged enough to share this special bond with Naruto. He felt a certain happiness at knowing this special bond was only between him and Naruto alone and it became one of the things he cherished most about his life. Though he knew Naruto's feelings about it were only as far as friendships could go or maybe even brotherhood, but he wasn't going to let that put him off. He regarded this bond with a special place in his heart, for it was probably the closest he could ever get to the blond fox boy.

As Sasuke reflected back to that time when he had decided to turn to Orochimaru, he realized that there was more to what had driven him to Orochimaru then his yearning for power. He didn't just go to Orochimaru for power alone. Maybe he had been trying to run away, escape the fact that he had let the blond deep into his heart. Much deeper than the Uchiha would have ever allowed anyone had he been aware. But then again, emotions were never something that one could control, was it? Heh, if it was true that he really had been trying to run away… then that just proved that he was a fool… Yeah. He really had been an idiot back then, hadn't he? He was just glad now that all that was over now…

Sasuke's smile wilted a bit. As memories of past time slowly dissipated, he was left once more to think of the events that had happened earlier that night. There was nothing to it. He was forced to think about what had happened that night if he wanted to get some sleep. He had a feeling he wouldn't be able to sleep unless he got all of this out of his system. He had to decide now what he was going to tell Sakura. He had to decide how he was going to act around her, and what he was going to do. But right now, only one thought crossed his mind.

"Ever since before, Sakura was everything to Naruto. And it remains until today." He sighed. All he could think of right now was the feelings the blond had for the kunoichi. He couldn't concentrate. Subconsciously, a conclusion was slowly beginning to form itself in the brunette's head…

"Perhaps Naruto and Sakura really were meant for each other. He cares for her so much, and I know that if Sakura could just learn to let me go, she would be able to get along much better with Naruto…"

Bowing his head, Sasuke thought some more.

"Whatever it is, they make a much better pair than I could ever wish to be with either of them… Especially Naruto… I don't deserve him… I'm not worthy of him…"

There. He had admitted it. Those were Sasuke's deepest thoughts. He was unworthy. He always felt he didn't deserve all he had now. Most of all, he felt he didn't deserve Naruto. No matter how much he loved the blond, he could never bring himself to confess his true feelings. Because he felt he didn't deserve it. He had tried to kill him for heaven's sake! The blond had always treated him well, done everything for him… but Sasuke… He felt that he'd never done a single thing that could help the blond. All he'd ever done, was bring trouble to the blond. All the wrong deeds that he had committed… His very existence was a bother…

"I'm not worthy…" those words had always repeated themselves in his head whenever he felt an urge to confess his true feelings. All the guilt he felt for everything he had done… It had held him back for many years. And these same words would hold him back for many more years to come until the day he died. He could never tell the blond. He would never allow himself to. The blond would only reject him, and he would be hurt even more. And even if by any small chance the blond did accept him, he felt that it wasn't right. Even if the blond could accept him, he could never accept himself. He could never make Naruto happy, the way Sakura could… and so he kept his feelings to himself. He contented himself by watching the blond from afar and just by being his best friend. Those private moments they shared together, those heartfelt talks they had about their feelings, it was all he could ever get and that was all he needed. Making sure Naruto was always happy was enough. Yeah. He knew it was a dumb thing to do but sometimes, true love didn't need reason. He was happy if the one he loved was happy…

Suddenly, the brunette thought of something, and he froze. The conclusion that had begun forming in his head since the past few minutes were now so obvious. His eyes widened as comprehension dawned on him. The only sound that could be heard now was the soft ticking of the alarm clock from the table beside him and the sound of his own racing heartbeat. He swallowed thickly as he slowly formed a plan in his mind. All Sasuke wanted now, was for the people closest to him to be happy…

"I only want Naruto to be happy… and Sakura too…"

An idea had popped in the genius shinobi's mind. He remembered the words that the blond had uttered earlier.

Flashback

"If I were you, having Sakura-chan would be like a dream come true… I could never ask for anything more…"

End Flashback

Would the blond really be happy if he had Sakura? Naruto's words at that time… they had sounded sincere, although Naruto had been raving like a lunatic when he had said that, and it didn't matter anyway whether he had meant those words or not. The young Uchiha had always known that Naruto was infatuated with their pink haired teammate.

"Would he really be happy with her…?"

Sasuke's eyebrows creased as he thought further. On the other hand, Sakura was also in a very vulnerable state now. She needed someone to look after her. It was the perfect chance. This seemed to be the best thing to do… Sasuke felt his heart sink as the 'conclusion' became clearer and clearer to him.

"Perhaps… what they need the most now… is each other."

The raven haired boy could still remember the scene where his two teammates had embraced with Naruto comforting the kunoichi. He still remembered his thoughts then. He had thought then that his two teammates were meant for each other… The boy started to tremble as he sunk deeper underneath his covers, burying his face in the sheets.

"Maybe… maybe this is the way it should be…"

Feeling a pang in his heart again as he felt his emotions rising once more, Sasuke resigned himself to his fate. He had decided. If this was what he had to do for the sake of both his teammates' happiness, for the sake of Naruto's happiness, he would do it. Even if it meant pushing the one he loved to another… This was for the best. After all… he could never dream of himself in a future with Naruto… it was impossible. On the other hand, he knew that if Naruto and Sakura started a relationship, it would definitely work. He just knew it. The two were just perfect for each other! And so, his mind was made up. Tomorrow, he would see Sakura. And also, starting tomorrow, he would put his plan in action. His plan to bring Naruto and Sakura together. It was for the best after all, wasn't it? That way, everyone would be happy… Well, almost everyone anyway… Feeling more miserable than ever, the Uchiha heir tried to convince himself that this was the best thing to do. He didn't care. He tried not to care. He had already decided. He was going to get them together no matter what. It didn't matter how he felt.

"As long as you're happy, Naruto… I'll do anything…"

The dark haired boy once again buried his head in the pillows, trying to will the ache that had started once again in his heart to go away. With that decision made, he finally knew what he had to do. Tomorrow would be a new day. He knew what he had to do now, and he planned to do it, no matter what the cost… It's the only thing that Sasuke felt he could do for his friends now, to repay them, after everything that he had put them through before this. Not only for Naruto, but for Sakura too. This was for the both of them… He loved his friends and his only wish now, was for them to be happy. And if the cost of their happiness was his own, then so be it. That was all… And with that, the raven haired boy was finally, mercifully granted the wish to fall asleep where his problems were non-existent. However, he had a troubled sleep that night as the chilly wind outside beat across the windows as if to highlight the doom that Sasuke had subjected himself to since the moment he decided to give up his heart for the sake of his friends' happiness. The Uchiha rolled once more in his bed, forehead wrinkled as he frowned in his sleep. The only time where the dark haired boy's true emotions could be seen… was in his sleep. No one was there to see as a lone tear slid down the fair, smooth skin nor did anyone hear the soft, desperate whisper that was uttered with sadness and despair in the cold of the night.

"Naruto…"

Tomorrow would be a new day… And the wheels of fate, has started to turn…

End Chapter Four

A/N Sorry for this long and tedious chapter. I know it's boring but I felt that I just had to fit it in somewhere. It's an important part as it explains much of Sasuke's feelings and what he thinks. It also explains my own version of what happened throughout the whole Orochimaru ordeal. Hehe There are probably many mistakes in this chapter. I had to do it in a hurry. College is bombarding me with work again. Whatever it is, reviews please!