Whootness!! ninth chapter down!! In all honestly, with as much effort as I was planning on putting into this, I thought I'd only make it to the fifth chapter. But reviews keep me going, so keep on sending them!! Yeah, this chapter's idea started out with me wanting to describe scenery, which is my only talent in the writing world. But once i got that out of my system, it was full speed ahead!! I like this chapter cause it's more of my style, so it was easier to write. I dunno why, but when i started the idea, i kept getting the idea of Sasuke holding a cigarette, which ended up playing in pretty well.

The Uchiha house was larger than any other house in town. It wasn't that the family was the most important or anything, the reasoning was behind the family itself. They used to use the house as a meeting place back when the family was a group of assassins. But when the Uchiha's became the town's police force, it was used not only to house the main line, but also as a hotel to important guests from other towns. But mostly all of the Uchiha's were gone now. They died while on duty or by killing each other in power struggles. It was often said that Itachi was responsible for killing his aunt and uncle, though nothing was ever proven. All that was left of the family was Sasuke and Itachi, though there was no way to prove that Itachi was even still alive.

The house was a staggering, announcing it's twenty bedrooms, fifteen bathrooms, two full-size kitchens, fifty-by fifty foot living room, music room, indoor swimming pool, library, and backyard garden to everyone who passed it. The entrance had marble stairs that was traced with black railings that led up with the entrance way that was made of cherry-wood. In the past, the door would show it's amazement to all who entered there. But now, only Sasuke had reason to go past the wooden slabs of greatness. The craftsmanship filled with intricate designs was wasted on a boy who barely looked up as he entered the house. Even Naruto had never gone up the steps, though he had been to the house various times. But in most cases, he would just meet Sasuke outside on the street, never giving him reason to venture onto the property further. But now, standing outside the massive behemoth of a homestead, Naruto was at a loss for words. He could only think of Sasuke, roaming the halls by himself, trying to pass the time.

The blond took a few steps up the stairs before noticing that smoke was coming from the side of the house. It didn't look like fire, but it was worth checking out. He jumped off of the steps and walked towards the corner of the house where the gray puffs were coming from. And though he didn't find a fire, Naruto found something just as interesting; Sasuke holding a cigarette. He jumped back behind the corner at the sight, but something was bothering Naruto. The white stick sort of suited him, but it just didn't seem right to the boy. Sasuke wouldn't even eat unhealthy foods, let alone inhale something that could do way more damage than any Twinkie. And in that moment when Naruto was trying to figure out what Sasuke was thinking, he couldn't help but realize that he had no idea what he was going to say to the other boy. Naruto ran out the door so suddenly, that he didn't really think of what it was he wanted to ask. How do you approach a person you turned down, just to say that you thought it over and you really do like them? Would he take it as a joke? And what about that thing with Sakura? Was it really his place to ask what happened?

"Naruto, I know you're there, just come out already," Sasuke turned his head to the side, looking the blonde dead on.

His eyes shot open, how did Sasuke spot him? "Oh, uh... sorry," he took a step out from behind the corner, letting himself be seen. There was a awkward silence drifting through the air that neither of them were too eager to break. Instead, they stood there, not daring to look in the other's eyes. But after some time, Sasuke decided that the quiet atmosphere was too uncomfortable.

"Did you want something?" He took another drag, blowing out the smoke slowly.

"When'd you start smoking?"

"Shikamaru got me started this morning. He said it'd calm me down."

"Oh... is it working?"

Sasuke pulled the cigarette away from his face and stared at it for a long while, "I don't really know."

Naruto sighed, taking a few steps forward, "You know, those things will kill you."

"There's a lot worse things in the world then what's in this."

"They that every pack of cigarettes takes five hours off your life or something."

"Hmm," he smiled, taking in another breath of smoke and blowing it out, "We can only hope."

The blond glared a little bit, taking the rest of the steps needed to get to Sasuke and ripping the tobacco from him hand.

"What do you think you're doing, Naruto!!" He couldn't stop the boy in time, forcing himself to watch as the blond threw the stick on the ground and put it out with his foot.

"I'm saving you! Don't do this to yourself! Look at what you've become! I know you're a smug bastard sometimes, but this is insane!"

"It's none of your business!"

"Well I'm making it my business!" He looked at the older boy, both their eyes on a dead lock with each other's, "Look, I know this is my fault, but..."

"It's not your fault, it's my own."

"Don't act like I'm an idiot, I know what this is about."

"It has nothing to do with you."

"Oh really?" He crossed his arms and added a hint of a glare in his eyes, "So, does it have to do with Sakura then?"

Sasuke's eyes shot open as he stood still, stunned by what he had just heard, "Wha... what do you mean?"

"I saw you two last night, so don't even try to play dumb. You wanna tell me what that was about?"

The older boy looked down, really wishing he had the cigarette still, "It's... it's not what it looked like."

"Really? Cause it sure seemed like she was about to give you a..."

"Ok!" he had to interrupt, he couldn't stand thinking about it himself, "So it was exactly what it looked like."

Naruto cringed a little. He figured that it was true, but having it confirmed was a whole different story. "So, you want to explain?"

"I have nothing to explain to you. I already told you it's none of your business."

"That's not an answer, try again."

"That's the best answer you're going to get."

"Still not an answer, try again."

"Just leave me alone!" He turned to walk away, but a hand held on to his shoulder.

"I want to know why!"

Sasuke didn't want to say anything, he didn't even want to look up at the blond. The idiot was cornering him on purpose, he could tell. Naruto was only this dead-set on an answer if he already knew that there was a decent one to be heard.

"Sasuke, I want you to be honest with me."

In that moment, something inside of the boy cracked. He couldn't control himself as he turned around, and he couldn't stop himself when he started yelling. "Honesty? You honesty from me? Last time I gave that to you, all you did was shove it in my face! So what was I supposed to do? It's not like you want me anyhow, so why not find someone who does?!"

"Because you don't love her back!"

"And you don't love me back, so what's the difference?!"

"Because I do love you!" The blond stopped his yelling for a moment, taken aback by his own confession. He wanted to take it back, but at the same time, Naruto knew that it was too late. He couldn't admit it to himself in private, but something about Sasuke just made it leap right out of him like it was the easiest thing to say.

"What?" The raven-haired boy wasn't sure if he had heard what Naruto said correctly. There was no way, was there?

He gulped a bit, taking a deep breath before repeating what he had just said again, "I said... that I kinda... really like you." His eyes shot down as quickly as they could as his whole face turned bright red, it was harder to say now then it was the first time.

"What... are you talking about?" There was no way this was happening. Absolutely, positively, no way in hell that it could be true. After everything they had just gone through, after all of his constant mind battles with himself, and after finally giving in to a girl he couldn't stand, Naruto was honestly going to try to take it all back with a few words? "You're joking."

"No... I'm not. I didn't really get it until this morning, but..."

"No!" He ripped himself away from the hand that was still on his shoulder, turning towards the other boy quickly. "This is some sort of joke!"

"Sasuke..."

"Stop messing with me like this!" He pushed his way past the blond and over to the entrance of the house, opening the door and slamming it shut as quickly as he could. The older teen made sure to lock the door in case Naruto tried to get in.

After a moment of shock went by, the blond realized what had just happened. He turned on his heel and rushed to the entrance way, pounding on the door. "Sasuke!! Sasuke!! Open up!! Please, we have to talk!!" He slammed his fist against the door, harder and harder, "Come on!! Please!!" He felt a stream of blood going down his arm from his hand, but Naruto couldn't figure out whether it was from the force of him hitting the door, or from his nails ripping into his skin from clenching his fingers too tightly. "Please..." the boy stopped hitting the door, the quality cherry-wood now stained with red marks. Naruto sank down to his knees, not able to find the energy to continue screaming for Sasuke as he began to cry.