Disclaimer: Naruto is something I do not own.
A/N: No more Shounen-ai warnings! If you're up to here, I suppose you're interested enough in the story to see what's happening. And if you're reading, do review. Please? It makes us writers happy to see that other people are encouraging us or offering us advice, or even telling us flat-out "this part is wrong".
Okay, on to gratitude! I'm being sappy here, but I love you, Ketsueki Kaen and Sachiel Angelo, my loyal reviewers. And you too, Sasunaru BIGGEST fan! Do come and read and review again! Also, a big thank you to the people who have faved this and alerted it. I'm glad people are interested in this story.
~Chapter 4: Phase 1~
Uchiha Sasuke never felt more like an idiot his whole life. His so-called "plan" of Operation: Capture Naruto had so many gaping holes, it'd be a miracle if it were to carry out smoothly. Kami, what happened to my so called intelligence? He thought to himself, grimacing slightly. A snide voice answered him inside his head. Wiped away from pedophilic Orochimaru, that's what happened.
"Oh, shut up." He grumbled out loud. That voice reminded of Sakura's alter ego. Yes, he knew she had one. He was, after all, the most observant male other than Shikamaru. "I didn't ask for you to butt in." He heard his "Inner Sasuke" snort.
That did it. Not only did Naruto have no romantic feelings toward him, but he was beginning to go crazy as well.
Can't you just leave me in peace? I never asked you to come out.
Hardy-har-har. His inner Sasuke snorted. You're a pathetic, stupid, loser that can't even get your even stupider friend to like you.
What did you say?
You heard me.
Anyways, what are you doing in my mind? Go bug Shikamaru or something.
Sasuke-kun, have you gotten so stupid that you can't even realize this is your voice inside your head? It's been here forever, and you always knew it was your voice.
It's not my voice. It's the voice of what Itachi would say to me.
Exactly! And you've always taken me seriously, haven't you?
Sasuke grunted. What do you mean?
I'm the one who's telling you to be strong, to hate, and that you need to kill your best friend. But nooo, you just have to be weak enough to fall for an idiot. A guy, too.
Sasuke tried in vain to push the voice out of his head. Kami, it was like having a demon inside his head. And yet he knew it was just his own negative thoughts about himself gathering themselves up and attacking him.
Sasuke repressed the urge to shriek. "I'm slowly going insane…" he muttered.
"Is that so?"
"What the—" Sasuke leapt up, automatically gripping a kunai. Then he saw it was only Naruto.
Only Naruto. Yeah right. Only Naruto was the boy of his dreams hanging upside down on the tree that he, Uchiha Sasuke, had been occupying.
"What the hell are you doing?" Sasuke abruptly said, stowing his kunai away.
"Weelll, I'm bored!" Naruto said, practically bouncing with energy. "So I thought to visit you, Sasuke!"
"I see…" Sasuke drawled, though he was secretly pleased. Naruto had sought him out? But more importantly, he needed to know how Naruto had found him. He was nowhere close to the Uchiha Compound after all. He was just sitting on top of a random tree in a random park. "How did you find me?"
"Oh, that was easy! I just used Gamakichi to track you down. He's actually pretty good at tracking."
"…" A frog had tracked him, Uchiha Sasuke, down? I must be losing my touch. He thought sullenly.
Well, at least, he doesn't have the ability to pop up right next to me whenever he wants. Sasuke thought privately. It'd get rather nasty if he saw me in the shower moaning his name.
Sasuke jerked himself out of the rather steamy thoughts he was having, to see Naruto waving his hand in front of his face, looking impatient.
"Hey, what's up with you?" Naruto asked, looking slightly concerned. "You've just been zoning out."
"I haven't." Sasuke managed to say those words without betraying emotion. "I was just trying to think, but you keep interrupting, dobe." As soon as he said those words, though, Sasuke wanted to take them back.
Naruto started snarling. "What the hell? I'm trying to be friendly, but you just have to push your best friend away! Fine, you don't want to talk? Then I'll just go home and prepare for my date with Sakura-chan!"
Crap! Sasuke hastily rearranged his features in what he hoped was a smile. "Sorry, Naruto…" he said, biting those words out. Kami, how he hated apologizing. "Look, I'll treat you to Ichiraku's, alright?"
At those words, Naruto's face showed surprise. "Really? That's great!" And he pulled Sasuke to his feet. "Let's get going, then!"
And as Sasuke followed, he couldn't help feeling rather gloomy, though he should've been happy. First, he was supposedly just a best friend to Naruto, nothing more. Naruto hadn't hinted at anything else, and he knew if Naruto had romantic feelings, Naruto would show it. Also, this would be the third date with Sakura in two weeks. Why did Naruto have to like her so much?
They arrived at the ramen stand a couple of minutes later, and ordered their respective meals. It was approaching evening by now.
Naruto smiled happily as he wolfed down his ramen. "This is my snack before dinner with Sakura-chan!"
Snack…? It was a huge bowl of ramen, even bigger than Sasuke's dinner.
"A bit early for dinner, don't you think?" Sasuke asked casually as he ate his noodles in a refined way.
"Yeah…" Naruto said. "But Sakura-chan has something to do tonight, so we'll just have to eat earlier."
Ah! Sasuke suddenly remembered. The ball's tonight, and Sakura's going! Crap, crap. I have to hurry.
Both of them finished their food fast. "I got to go." They said in synchronization.
They blinked. "JINX!" Naruto suddenly shouted. "Knock on wood!" And he rapped his knuckles on the wooden surface on the counter.
Sasuke smirked. "What kind of foolish joke is that?"
Naruto smirked even harder. "Now, Sasuke…you now owe me a free meal."
"WHAT?" At this rate, Sasuke's wallet would be depleted.
"Since I said "jinx, knock on wood" first, you have to do something I ask."
"How idiotic." Sasuke grumbled. But he knew Naruto would whine and wheedle at him if he didn't agree, and he didn't want to waste any more time. "Whatever. Let's just go."
"Yatta!" Naruto cheered, as he sped off toward his apartment.
Now, why did I fall in love with him? Sasuke mused as he raced toward Uchiha Compound.
A few minutes later, he arrived. "Phone, phone." He said impatiently as he raced around. Kami, this had better work.
Finally, he managed to dial the correct numbers into the phone and listened to it ring.
"Moshi-moshi?" It was a woman's voice speaking.
"This is Uchiha Sasuke speaking. May I speak with Kiba?"
"Yeah, sure…" Sasuke heard the woman shout "KIBA!" as she dropped the phone.
He breathed a sigh of relief. This was good.
"Yeah?" Kiba was on the phone.
"Hey Kiba, it's Sasuke."
"Sasuke?" There was a tone of surprise in his voice. "Is there something you want?"
Sasuke pretended to cough dramatically, and make his breathing harsh and ragged.
"Sasuke?" Kiba sounded alarmed. "Are you okay?"
"Y-yeah…I'm fine." Sasuke pretended to have just recovered from a coughing fit. "Listen, Kiba…I think I picked up the flu."
"That sucks. Is there something you need?"
"Yeah…I was supposed to go to a ball tonight."
"Ouch. With who?"
"Sakura."
"So….?"
"Can you go in my place? Please?" Sasuke pretended to cough violently again.
"Dude…I'm sure that's not right. I mean, Sakura would want to go with you."
Sasuke gritted his teeth. He had heard that Kiba was in desperate need for a girlfriend, but Kiba sounded adamant in not going.
"Kiba, I apologize for the inconvenience, but I can't go in my state."
"But seriously, Sasuke, why don't you just tell Sakura?"
"She's on a date with Naruto right now."
There was a silence. "Alright, I'll go. I need some fun, anyways. Right, Akamaru?"
"Arf arf!"
Thank Kami. "Okay, it's in Tsunade's ballroom."
"Okay, I guess I'll go. What time is it?"
"7:00."
"Good. Maybe there'll be a couple of hot chicks there, huh, Akamaru? They all love you. I need a social life after spending so much time gathering bugs with Shino."
Sasuke decided to cut into Kiba's conversation with Akamaru. "Oh, be sure to dress nice, okay?"
Kiba didn't seem to listen. "Nice idea, Akamaru!"
Sasuke sighed, and dropped the phone. Kami, he hoped this would work out.
That Sasuke…setting up Sakura with Kiba. Hmm, can you guess why Kiba was converted so easily? Leave a review!
Ja ne!