I'm really sorry for posting this so late guys. I was so busy with school I just decided to go on hiatus until summer came. But now I have more time to write! So sit back, relax, and enjoy (and review if you get the chance).

Sasuke and Naruto quickly established themselves as some of the strongest players on the team. Their flawless teamwork made them the best offensive duo. Even Choji didn't stand a chance defending the goal against their vicious shots.

The week leading up to the big game against Konohagakure High's arch enemy Amegakure High was one of the best of Sasuke's life. Although it took the new team members some time to get used to Kakashi's creepy demeanor, he was an amazing coach. The team banded together quickly and became a tight-knit group of unstoppable talent. Sasuke was grateful to be apart of it.

He was also grateful to spend everyday after school with Naruto. The only thing that still bothered him was that weird feeling he got whenever he was around him. The lightheadeness, the tug in his midsection, even the occasional loss of focus in the middle of practice. Sasuke came to the conclusion that he must just be sick from the whirlwind of emotion he was feeling after being so lifeless over the summer. But that didn't exactly explain the dreams he had about kissing Naruto...

Sasuke pushed all other thoughts out of his mind and prepared for the game. When he woke up Saturday, he was ready to kick some serious ass. He left for the field early in impatient anticipation.

When he got there, he was met by a sight that saddened him slightly. It was the cluster of "soccer moms" sitting on the side of the field chatting avidly about some sort of gossip. Sasuke could so easily see his mother being one of those women; she would probably show up with a shirt titled "Sasuke's Number One Fan" and be the loudest one cheering. The thought of his mother shouting encouragement until she was blue in the face forced him to smile. He looked up to the beautifully clear sky and prayed that she was watching, and that he would make her proud.

Clenching his fists and wiping a single tear from his eye, Sasuke walked into the locker room. He was greeted by about half of the team. They were in the process of putting on their gear and talking as much as their mothers were outside. Naruto wasn't there yet.

Sasuke focused on pulling on his socks about as slowly as humanly possible. He didn't bother to join the conversation, everyone had accepted the fact that he wasn't much of a talker. More and more boys continued arriving, and everytime the door opened Sasuke yearned to see Naruto come through it. When the blonde boy finally arrived, something was very wrong.

Naruto's usually bright eyes were downcast, and he walked without the usual bounce in his step. When Rock Lee ran up and tackled him in a bear hug, he forced a fake smile on his face and tried to react happily. Sasuke was disturbed seeing his bubbly friend feeling so down. Whatever was wrong, Sasuke felt a desperate need to make Naruto smile again. He couldn't stand to see him in pain.

He wasn't given a chance to ask Naruto what was wrong, because as soon as Kakashi showed up (late as usual), he called the team together to tell them the game plan.

"Alright, we're gonna start out with Shikamaru and Neji on defense, Gaara, Sai, and Kiba on midfield, and Naruto and Sasuke on offense. Everyone else is going in later on. I want you to give it your all today. No matter what happens out there, remember: teamwork is the most important thing. You're not in this for yourself. This is a team and you have to look out for your teammates. Now get out there and fight!"

The boys gave a roaring cheer and ran out the door onto the field. Sasuke wasn't suprised that Kakashi had put him and Naruto on offense. He looked over at the boy, he was running with as much energy as the rest of the team. Maybe some healthy competition would put whatever was worrying him out of his mind, at least Sasuke hoped. They got into position in the middle of the field and stared down the Amegakure boys. They looked pretty cocky; Sasuke couldn't wait to wipe the confident smirks off of their faces.

The whistle blew and bodies scattered all over the field. Sasuke ran straight forward and stood his ground in front of the opposition's goal. Naruto was straight across from him on the right side of the goal. They looked at each other briefly, gave a small nod, and went straight for the ball.

Thirteen sweaty boys sat on the grass chewing on granola bars and sipping juice boxes. They were still basking in the glory of beating the other team 6-0. Sasuke sat in this circle of boys, grinning ear-to-ear. He and Naruto had been unstoppable on the field. And Choji hadn't let a ball come within a yard of the goal. They deserved to celebrate after such a well-played game.

It seemed Sasuke's assumption about his friend was right, Naruto didn't let a little worry get in the way of his game play. He had performed spectacularly, having scored four of the six goals. Sasuke had scored the other two. They were the heroes of the team.

After much satisfied conversation on the grass, the boys started to head home, probably to go take a long nap. Sasuke finally got to speak to Naruto as they walked toward the parking lot together. The blonde boy was looking down again and Sasuke was determined to find out what was wrong. He cautiously looked straight at Naruto's face and spoke:

"Hey, what's wrong with you today? You don't look so great." He realized it sounded a little rude when he said it that way, but he was genuinely concerned.

Naruto flashed another fake smile. "I dunno what you're talking about. I'm totally fine!" Even as he said it, his eyes were so sad and he avoided Sasuke's gaze. Sasuke didn't buy it for one second.

"Are you sure?" he asked, raising his eyebrows suspiciously.

"Yeah, I guess I'm just a little tired. Maybe I'm getting sick." Sasuke couldn't stand to see him try so hard to look happy. Maybe he had been overworking himself. He worked everyday after practice at the ramen shop, and he probably had a ton of homework to do when he got home. Again, Sasuke felt a need to help him in anyway he could, but he didn't know how.

"Well, I'll see you on Monday," Naruto said, reaching over to give him a hug. Whenever they parted ways, he would always give Sasuke a hug. Sasuke was sure this was probably normal for friends and it didn't really mean anything, but nevertheless, his heart always thumped at the contact with Naruto's body.

He headed toward his car and watched Naruto walk across the lot. Then, he realized something. Naruto kept walking all the way through the lot and onto the sidewalk on the side of the road. Of course he didn't have a car! Sasuke kicked himself for not seeing it sooner. He always jumped in his car and drove straight home without worrying about his friend. Their school was pretty rich, and he just assumed that everyone with a liscence owned a car. But Naruto could barely afford his appartment, so how could he afford to keep a car?

Sasuke jumped in the driver's seat and raced onto the road. He swerved over to left side and into the bike lane. Naruto stopped and looked at him dumbfoundedly.

Sasuke leaned out the open window. "Get in the car," he said, grinning, "I'm giving you a ride home."

Naruto only stared. Then he crossed his arms. "I don't need your help, thank you very much. I'm perfectly capable of walking." He started walking away. Sasuke inched the car foward, keeping up with him.

"Get in the car."

"No."

"Get in the car."

"No."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. He was taking his friend home no matter what. "Naruto, get in this car or I'll kick your ass until you can't even walk."

Naruto turned and looked a little stunned. Sasuke usually spoke pretty monotonously and the intensity in his voice stopped Naruto in his tracks. He finally gave up the fight and trudged to the passenger seat.

Sasuke smirked triumphantly. "Now, where do you live?"

"On Takumi Boulevard next to that big office building," Naruto mumbled reluctantly. Luckily, Sasuke knew his way around pretty well and could find it without his GPS system. He headed in what he knew was the right direction.

The silence in the vehicle was heavy. Naruto's depressed mood had returned in addition to his irritation at his friend. Sasuke thought he should make conversation, but he had no idea what to say. So the ride was spent quietly.

When they arrived, Naruto looked at Sasuke with a mix of emotions: sadness, annoyance, and a hint of gratitude. He turned away and got out of the car and quickly headed toward the stairwell. Sasuke poked his head out and said very loudly and slightly sarcastically, "Your welcome!" and sped off.

He was a little ruffled about the boy's rudeness, but he was also very worried. He had never, ever seen Naruto look so sad. It definatlely wasn't exhaustion that was making him act this way; Naruto wasn't the type to let a little fatigue ruin his spirits. Something was wrong and Sasuke had no way of figuring out what it was.

When he got home, he threw off his sweaty clothes and fell onto his bed. He stared up at the ceiling fan and worried about his friend. Feeling depressed and confused, he fell into a troubled sleep.

When he woke up, it was already dark out. He looked at the clock and saw 8:15, which meant he had been asleep for about seven hours. He stretched and realized his body was emitting an awful stench. He slipped out of his boxers and took a long shower, making sure to scrub every inch of his body with soap. When he got out, he threw on some sweats and looked for something to eat. He wasn't much of a cook, and without his mother's cooking he was left with microwave dinners or fast food. He grabbed three packs of mac and cheese and poured them into a bowl. While he waited for them to cook, he sat at the couch and flipped through the TV channels.

He realized it was pretty pathetic that this was the way he spent every Saturday night. So many girls had begged him to spend his night with them and yet he turned them down to sit at home and watch TV or read a book. It was better than listening to them blabber about how much they were in love with him.

The buzzer went off and Sasuke brought the bowl back to the couch with him. While he was shoving cheese into his mouth, he thought of Naruto again. He just couldn't get the horribly depressed look on the boy's face out of his mind. He began stabbing the noodles with his fork more forcibly. He could never get the damn guy out of his head. He vaguely wondered if he was going mad.

Suddenly, the phone rang. Sasuke sighed and debated whether or not to answer it. I was probably one of his relatives, calling to "check in on him". He was so bored he decided to pick it up.

"Hello?" he answered coldly.

"Hey. It's Naruto." Sasuke's heart stopped. What the hell was going on?

"How'd you get my number?"

"I looked it up, duh. Look..." Sasuke heard a slow intake of breath in his ear. He waited for Naruto to continue. "I was wondering if you could come over to my place tonight."

Sasuke didn't know what to think. Spending the night with Naruto? It was probably just a friendly invite, but the desperation in his friend's voice made him think differently.

"It's ok if you don't want to come," Naruto said hurredly, "I just thought we could watch a movie or something but if you don't want to-"

"No I'll be there," Sasuke interrupted. "I'll pick up a movie and be over in twenty minutes."

Relief colored Naruto's voice. "Thanks a lot," he said and then hung up.

Sasuke stood there, frozen. He was going to spend the night at Naruto's house. What did that mean? He was nervous and excited at the same time. He snapped out of his trance and raced upstairs. He had no idea what he was supposed to wear. He decided his sweats were fine, and he put on the first shirt he laid eyes on. He threw his mac and cheese in the sink, grabbed his keys, and flew out the door.

Hope you liked it! I've already written most of the next chapter so it'll be up soon. Tata for now!