I still do not own Naruto or the song used in this fanfic. Please read, review, and enjoy anyways. It'll make me very happy!

CHAPTER FOUR: To Be or Not To Be Friends

Letting his fingers glide across the surface, Sasuke felt he was losing his connection with reality. All that mattered at the moment was his fingers and which piano keys they touched.

It was his second day with the Uzumakis and already Sasuke felt as if he was one of them. Minato and Kushina were very nice people and took the time out to make sure the raven was 100 percent comfortable around them at all times. To say the least, Sasuke was falling in love with the Uzumakis...

...except for Naruto. He had to go, then Sasuke would truly be happy with his new home.

Until the day came when Naruto would have to leave for college or something else like that, Sasuke found peace in the sound proof music room he had discovered yesterday. That reminds him.

Parting with the beloved piano, he stood up, making his way to the open door to close it before returning to the musical instrument. He sat back down, letting his fingers move along the top of the pearly white and black keys; just barely touching them. He looked over the first few lines in the music book, committing them to memory before closing his eyes and starting to play.

As he played, eyes still closed, his lips, subconsciously, started to move as he mouthed the words he'd read over.

"I'll never walk alone again; the winds of time are to strong.

Ah, it's that what you hurt, which you'll have to live with...

Ah, this tight embrace, and this burning, unchanged heart.

In this ever changing time, love will never change."

You couldn't begin to understand how good it felt for Sasuke to play the piano and just let go of all his problems. Not once in the orphanage could he be at peace; there were always kids running around, screaming and yelling, and Tsunade complaining about their fundings. That's why he loved this room with its sound proof walls. In this room, the outside world doesn't matter.

Sasuke knew he would be spending a lot of his free time in this room.

Peeking open one eye, he quickly read over the next verse before beginning to silently mouth it.

"Will you hold my heart? Stop flowing tears.

Again, all of my heart is broken....

Forever love, forever dream

Only flowing emotions, bury this intense,

Trying, meaningless times.

Oh tell me why ... all I see is blue in my heart."

Tears began to fall as Sasuke went into the third verse. He wishes he could use his voice, to sing this beautiful song out loud and not just in his mind's voice. When he could still use his voice freely, singing had been one of the only things— besides playing the piano— that made Sasuke happy. It was the only way he know how to express himself, to feel free and alive.

So caught up in the music, Sasuke did not hear the door open behind him.

Suddenly there was a loud BANG! that caused Sasuke to jump, making him mess up the song he was playing so outstandingly good.

Turning to investigate where the noise came from, Sasuke spotted the one person he did not want to see at the moment. Uzumaki Naruto.

Sasuke glared at him.

Naruto stood, shocked out of his mind. Sasuke could play the piano at a level that Naruto could only dream of. Is that even possible? Shouldn't it be against the law that this bastard be able to do anything better than Naruto?

No. Even Naruto knows that everyone has something they're good at. Sasuke just so happens to be good at playing the piano. BUT Naruto knew for a fact that he could beat the Uchiha into the ground at basketball without a problem!

The two teens stared each other down before then, to Sasuke's amazement, Naruto smiled at him. The older boy never smiled at people he didn't like; he would just mark this as one of those rare moments where Naruto wasn't actually Naruto.

The blonde had been listening to the other play for quiet some time and had had no problem identifying the song the raven had been playing. It was the same song that Naruto had been trying to teach himself the other day.

Taking a deep breath, the older teen stepped towards the younger, stopping when he was standing right behind the still glaring Uchiha. Staring down at the boy a smile, this one cockier than the last one, took control of Naruto's lips. "So this is where you've been hiding," he said, looking around the room with little interest. "Mom and Dad where worried when you didn't show up to dinner nor breakfast and the maid said you never went in your room last night. Have you been in here all night?" When no answer came, Naruto finally turned his attention back onto the raven that was staring at him in awe. Admittedly, it made Naruto a little uncomfortable and when Naruto's uncomfortable he tends to become defensive and rude. "Aren't you gonna say anything? What are you— mute or something?"

Sasuke turned his head ever so slightly to the side, a frown on his face and his eyes downcast so Uzumaki couldn't see the sadness in his eyes.

Naruto gasped as realization hit him. Sasuke really WAS mute! Boy, did he feel like a jerk...

Clearing his throat unnecessarily, Naruto took a seat next to him on the bench: there was more than enough room for the two of them.

"Sasuke," Naruto tried to find the words to say but nothing came. He knew that Sasuke was upset the moment he accused the boy of being mute. He looked away guiltily. "...I'm sorry."

The Uchiha's head snapped up so fast he thought he might faint. Did Naruto just apologize?

Anger began to boil inside the young raven. He did not want nor need Naruto's pity! Just because he was mute didn't mean that he was helpless. However, before he could tell Naruto this in some violent manner, the boy continued with his apology, not noticing the deadly aura coming from the Uchiha. Naruto can be pretty dense at times.

"About the other day... it was rude of me to slap your hand away like I did. Mom and Dad taught me better than that, believe it or not. I don't know what came over me. I guess I was a little mad. I just got rid of my big brother and I was kinda lookin' forward to being the only child around here for a little while," he chuckled, somewhat bitterly. "And then... they show up with you. I know they've been looking for me a new friend that they can trust, but it's kinda embarrassing, ya'know? I'm popular enough just for being an Uzumaki and now my parents are picking my friends. What kid wants that?"

At this, Sasuke shrugged. Having his parents pick his friends didn't sound so bad to him. To be honest, over half of the friends he'd made in first grade had been thanks to his family forcing him to interact with them: playing with them during recess, going to birthday parties, going to sleepover, hanging out with them after school, and other things like that. So, in Sasuke's case, his family had been doing him a favor by picking the people he hung out with. That could be why he was having a hard time understanding Naruto's view of the situation.

"Still," continued Naruto, "I would like it if we started over. Since we'll be living together for now on, it'll be a waste of energy to go on hating each other your entire time here. We don't have to be BFF— that's just too girly for me. But, if it's okay with you, we can be hang-out buddies or something like that. So... we cool?" Okay, so it wasn't the best apology in world history, but it wasn't too bad and Sasuke actually found himself agreeing to Naruto's proposal to start over. Like the blonde said, hating each other would really be a pain on both their parts.

The older teen's face broke into a large grin as Sasuke nodded. However, it did not stay for long as a question appeared in his mind that made him frown. "Uhm... Sasuke? This might be too soon to ask but... why are you mute? What caused it? Did you get in some sort of accident or had to go into surgery?" Naruto asked, very curious about his new friend's lack of voice.

The Uchia looked around the room, nervously. He didn't have any paper to write on or a pen and he seriously doubted that the dope knew sign language. His eyes traveled over all of the posters on the wall, an idea instantly coming to him.

He bounced up from his seat, rushing over to a poster, and pointed to a word on it.

Naruto blinked, reading over the word being pointed at. "Something?"

Sasuke grinned, mentally clapping to himself as he moved over to another poster.

"Happen?"

"Past?"

Sasuke raised his hand with a 'go on' gesture and one of his trademark grins.

"Something happened in the past?"

Sasuke nodded, his smile widening ever so slightly. He was proud of himself for being able to communicate with the blonde without making things harder on himself. Plus running around the room like he was proved to be great exercise!

Naruto tilted his head to the side, frowning, "So... what happen?"

Sasuke grimaced. He so should have been expecting that. Should he tell Naruto? Did he trust the boy enough to revile such a thing?

"No?" Naruto questioned as Sasuke shook his head. "Why not?" Sasuke turned his back to the Uzumaki. "Not gonna tell me, huh. Fine, be a stubborn bastard if you like, but fair warning, I can be one too. Like it or not I will find out why you're mute."

And with that said, Naruto made his exit. The Uchiha, left alone once more, couldn't help but smile.

He went back over to the piano, taking a seat on the bench. He did not start to play immediately; instead he sat and started thinking about what had just happened. There was a chance— a very small chance— that he and Naruto would get along—

"Oi, bastard! Dinner's at eight. I suggest you get your emo ass ready or else you're not eating tonight either. And I don't think you wanna do that unless you're like anoretix too. God, I hope not— I already have one friend whose anoretix, I don't need another! That's it! You're getting two servings of everything. Ya hear that? EVERYTHING!"

Scratch that last thought, Naruto was going to give him hell. And Sasuke is all but too happy to give it back to him twice as hard.

Yay so that's the end of chapter 4! Sorry for the long wait. Hopefully the next chapter will be out sooner. Why don't everyone try leaving a review and we'll find out. :)