Chapter 7

The music class was an enjoyable one – each group had to perform one of their songs to the class before the concert and when Naruto and Sasuke arrived, Ino's group were just setting themselves up. They were nervous enough just performing to the class – there was a lot of people in the year, if they couldn't handle the pressure; she wasn't going to get a good grade.

"Hey, can I have a go today as well?" Naruto asked Kurenai after Ino had sat down, beating herself up about her performance.

"Well, okay then Naruto. You and Sasuke, I have the drumming on this CD so if you just want to tell me the song name then you can do it", she smiled at the two.

Naruto looked at Sasuke. "Which one?"

"Any, I know them all", Sasuke replied, unzipping his guitar case.

"How about 'Let It Die'?"

"Alright".

Naruto stepped up and picked up the pretend microphone they had to use. He felt a bit stupid and he knew everyone was muttering about them but he didn't care – he was performing a song by his favourite band and playing with Sasuke, his crush – no, his boyfriend. Naruto smiled.

There wasn't much of an introduction to the song so as soon as Sasuke started playing, Naruto knew it was it. Sasuke started playing his guitar. Naruto could hear the drumming in the background and summoned up the essence of Adam Gontier.

"We had fire in our eyes…

In the beginning.

I… never felt so alive… in the beginning.

You… you blame me… but...

It's not fair when you say that I didn't try.

I just don't want to hear it anymore.

I swear I never meant to let it die,

I just don't care about you anymore,

It's not fair when you say that I didn't try,

I just don't care about you anymore".

Naruto sung, nervously at first but as the song continued, he put more and more effort in to it. He couldn't hear a single whisper about them anymore. They were all listening intently. It was nice to feel that they cared enough to listen to the song without interrupting. It was good for him that they didn't whisper as it would have put him off. He liked the feeling of everyone listening to him sing – no one ever paid attention to him and if they did it was in a negative way. He felt really good about it.

"I swear I never meant to let it die,

I just don't care about you anymore,

It's not fair when you say that I didn't try,

I just don't care about you anymore. I just don't care about anymore…

I just don't care about you anymore…

I just don't care about anymore…

I just don't care about anymore…"

Naruto finished the song to a stunned silence. Then they all burst in to applause.

"Wow, Naruto-kun I never knew you could sing like that", one girl said.

Another girl came up and congratulated him.

"Class, can I get your attention please?" Kurenai said. "Remember you are not to speak of this outside of this classroom. None of you can talk about the presentations today or future ones. I also forgot to mention last lesson that you need some songs to play if you win. A maximum of three different songs to play if you win. If you perform these, people will actually be able to see you".

"Aww, now you tell us!" Most of the people complained but for Naruto and Sasuke it gave them a chance to perform more of their favourite songs. Narrowing them down to five had already been a struggle – adding an extra three made things a lot easier. Sasuke could tell that Naruto was excited at being able to sing more songs and he was happy how people were complimenting him.

They left the class not long later and they were to set off. Naruto only wanted to come in for music, which was the most important lesson for him. He still had yet to have an art lesson. Naruto's first two weeks he was put in to one class a day and the rest of the time he was to spend doing special tests. He had still yet to see what his art class was doing.

They left the school and went back to the hospital. Naruto explained that some people had grabbed his wrists who didn't know what happened. He also explained to the doctors that he went to the school nurse who said to come and explain.

"Well, it was good that you came. Some of your stitches have come a bit loose so we will have to tie them up a bit", the doctor said.

"Okay. It's not going to hurt is it?"

"Shouldn't hurt too much".

"Hey I need to ask something. When am I going home?"

"Don't worry, we are sending you home tomorrow".

"Are you?" Naruto looked slightly worried and slightly shook up. He would have to face Shizune – she was going to be a nightmare. Days on end he wasn't there for her to take out her anger and clean up and to look after her. Naruto wouldn't be surprised if she were dead.

"Yes, you seem fine and Sasuke asked us not to trouble you with a psychological briefing beforehand. We are just going to let you leave and hopefully you won't be here again so soon".

"Okay then thanks".

Naruto was very unhappy at the thought of being sent home. He didn't want to go back to live with Shizune.

It was later on and he was sat in his room, drawing random sketches. Sasuke had to go home for the night, meaning Naruto had to entertain himself. He lay on the bed, sketching for what seemed like ages. He started sketching out panels of his own life. He thought he could probably make his own manga comic using his life as inspiration – maybe one day he would.

He drew himself when he was growing up, hand in hand with his parents – he drew him crying over his parents' bodies, he drew himself scared, facing Neji and Shino – he drew himself in class staring over at Sasuke – he drew himself at Shizune's ducking whilst she threw a vase at him – he drew him out in town with Sakura – he drew him sat at the shop with Deidara – he drew himself singing – he drew himself sat down with Tsunade at the park, the last place he went out with her when he was younger – he drew himself talking to Jiraiya – he drew himself performing – he drew himself drawing.

Naruto lay on his back on the bed, his hand cramping after drawing so much and just stared up at the ceiling. What to do? What to do? There really wasn't much to do in hospital. It was no wonder people were always trying to escape – that was including himself.

Maybe I should just sneak out for the night. I mean, it's not like I have to receive anymore blood or anything. Sneaking out of the window will be easy, getting back up will be harder but I'll think about that when I get back.

It was when he was getting ready he heard someone shout outside his window for him. He looked out and saw Sasuke. Naruto grinned widely and hastened to get ready faster. He wanted to leave more than ever now that Sasuke was out. Naruto climbed out of the window on to the balcony. He then jumped on to the tree outside and made his way down, like a monkey jumping from branch to branch. He jumped down straight next to Sasuke so quick it was several seconds before he had noticed Naruto was down on the ground.

"Woah, that was quick!"

"What are you doing here? I thought you had to stay home".

"Well my parents have gone out for the night and I wanted to invite you to my house for a few hours".

"Wow. Sounds fun. Better than what I was originally going to sneak out and do".

"You were planning on sneaking out?"

"Of course! It's boring in that room if you hadn't noticed. Well unless I have company", Naruto winked at him and he started to run around the side of the building out on to the main street. Sasuke smirked at his comment and started to run after him.

Sasuke had walked to the hospital as he had sneaked out without letting any of the employees in his house know. So the two had a fun journey sneaking around through bushes and round the back of fences and everything – it was like they were breaking in to Sasuke's house rather than sneaking in.

There was a very long drive, guarded by a very tall black steely gate, up to the house. Naruto couldn't see anything really descriptive about the house, all he knew was that it was a very large mansion. Naruto seemed to look a bit downhearted at the sight of it but Sasuke grabbed his hand and started to run around the side of the wall.

"Come on, there's a blind spot and I want you to come inside".

"Well, Sasuke, not sure how to put this but I'm kind of scared of large houses".

"Well, that's not weird", Sasuke answered sarcastically, "What scares you about them?"

"Well, does someone really need all those rooms? It's just a waste and plus it has that too empty feeling then – makes you feel more alone".

"Well, that's my problem. That's why I want you here", Sasuke smiled, "Come on".

Naruto seemed to soften and followed Sasuke. They snuck through a hole in the wall that was behind a bush. "I created that hole years ago. I've been sneaking out almost every night just to get away from my family – I mean my older brother annoys me so much with just trying to prove he's better than me and he's so far succeeded in being the son that takes over the family business – thankfully. I want to live my dream of being in a band though that's something that my father doesn't approve of and he's always trying to get me more involved in the business affairs that's he working in and trying to set me up with a wife – yuck. My mother can never disagree with my dad so I can never run to her. My whole family is annoying. The only person I've confided anything with – about my sexuality and my guitar and stuff is my Grandmother. If I introduce any of my family to you it will definitely be her".

"Wow. I don't have family so I won't know what that feels like but seems like you should get away. Maybe you should go live on your own or something. May give your dad that wake-up call he needs that you really aren't interested".

"Maybe. I'll think it over. Anyway, we're almost here. We need to climb up in to that open window. I'll go first".

Sasuke grabbed the trellis and started climbing up. He rolled through the window and then almost as soon as he had disappeared from sight, he popped out again, sticking out his hand to help Naruto up – Naruto was fragile in the wrist department.

Naruto's wrists were sore after climbing up the trellis so Sasuke got some ice and apologised.

"It's okay; I mean I wouldn't have done it if I didn't want to", Naruto smiled. "So what are we going to do then? You giving me a tour of this place or just showing me the one place you want me?" Naruto smirked at what he said, slightly shaking his head at his own disbelief of what had escaped from his mouth.

"Come on, I'll show you my den as I call it. No one actually knows where it is".

"Huh?"

Sasuke led Naruto by the hand up several flights of stairs and in to a really long hallway – all the light were off everywhere so Naruto couldn't make out anything – until Sasuke stopped in the middle of the hallway.

"We're here!"

"We're in the middle of the hallway". Naruto looked at Sasuke as if he were questioning his sanity.

"Yeah, we're going up. See I found a secret route to the loft that nobody knows that we have when I was exploring the house when I was little. I started converting it in to my own hideaway. It's where I hide all my music stuff so my dad can't destroy it".

"So you practise up there as well?"

"Yep. I'll show you how to get in, there is a light switch just next to you that lights up only the part of the corridor we are standing in – can you press it so I can find the crease in the ceiling?"

"Sure".

Naruto turned on the light and watched as Sasuke started to scan the ceiling. He found the crease and then banged the wall three times and the ceiling flapped down and a ladder came shooting down with it. Naruto had to jump to the side to avoid being killed by it.

"Ahh! Clever Sasuke... no one can hear you practise up here!" Naruto said, turning to Sasuke who was smiling.

"Come on, after you", Sasuke said.

Naruto climbed up the ladder and turned on the light that was hanging in front of him. It was a dimly lit up comfy attic space that had no windows and a few other lamps. There were lots of squishy multicoloured bean bags placed around, a lot of electrical equipment in the furthest corner. There were many sheets of paper spread out over an old coffee table – everywhere was relatively clean for an attic space. There were the odd cobwebs but they were in the parts of the room that were too small to get in to. Sasuke used the rope attached to the ladder to pull it up and placed it back on its holder.

"Wow, nice and comfy. Have a toilet up here by any chance?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah I do, there's a secret exit in to one of the bathrooms that I found. I just use that", Sasuke said as he started tidying up all his notes on the table. Some of them were music related and others looked like drawings that Sasuke had drawn – one took Naruto's interest as it was of him.

"Well, what are we going to do here then?"

"Well, I thought we could just sit and chat together. I have all my games stuff up here as well so you can play me at something if you want".

"I don't know how to play anything – I don't have anything back at Shizune's".

"Well, I'll teach you. There is a game called Timesplitters 2 that I desperately need some help with – I tried doing the story mode by myself and it just did not work".

"Sure, teach me".

They sat and played on the console for a while, Naruto picking the game up quickly and helping Sasuke as best as he could – strategising. After a while, each got bored playing the game and they sat and started talking, Sasuke picking up his guitar and showing Naruto how to play it, strumming the strings with his pick.

"I always had a dream of people watching me on stage and then I'd suddenly pick up a guitar and start playing along with the song just for the hell of it!"

"Sounds quite realistic if I help you to play".

Sasuke started teaching Naruto the basics. Naruto picked up one of the old guitars and dropped it almost instantly on to the bean bag – he had been flexing his wrist too much that night, climbing the trellis, climbing out of the hospital window, everything was taking its toll on his wrists and they looked like they were reaching their limit. Naruto looked at the bandages and sighed.

"Well, maybe I should take you back now; it's – oh crap it's like eleven o'clock! I think they might know that your missing now", Sasuke said. "Come on, I'll take you out".

Naruto followed Sasuke out of the hatch and in to the bathroom. They snuck out and made their way back the way they came. Sasuke's family were all still out and they didn't spot any of the house workers. They quietly made their way out through the back hole in the bush and Sasuke walked down the street with Naruto, each started talking again about things in general. They weren't going to chance going through the main entrance in case some of Naruto's doctors spotted them and started asking them questions about why they were out so they decided to sneak around the back. It was not long before they reached the tree in which Naruto had to climb to get to his room. Sasuke gave Naruto a kiss on the lips, which made Naruto blush madly. Naruto had just enough strength left to climb up the tree and make it safely through the window. He waved down to Sasuke who had waited for him and shut the window, watching as Sasuke dragged himself away and walked off around the corner and out of sight.

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