A/N: … My only defense is that I was lazy… And that I just could not write it. I hated it, anywho, even after this third re-write. And terribly out of character... Bah, no fun...

"Hey Sasuke!"

To his credit, Sasuke visibly didn't react… much. He did, however, whirl around; a firm glare set on previously serene features and not a trace of its former peace.

The only thing that truly betrayed the innermost thoughts behind those fiery coal eyes was the momentary terrified panic. That and his heart beating wildly out of control, not that anyone cold tell with just a glance.

The glare didn't diminish in the slightest as Naruto gave a sheepish smile, as his glee was still prominent in his eyes. He didn't say anything, just continued glaring, but he was almost impressed with the audacity of the blonde. Audacity, he mused, or idiocy.

He stiffly turned around, not saying a word, and looked back out into nature. Naruto seemed to take the obvious dismissal as an invitation, for he sidled up beside Sasuke, their elbows only inches apart.

The tense silence continued until Naruto could bare it no longer and broke it awkwardly. "Sorry for, you know, scaring you like that."

Sasuke stiffened imperceptibly, bristling in the outrageous anger that he felt at the assumption. "You didn't scare me."

Naruto could have sworn he heard indignation in the quiet words, and stifled a smile that wanted to spring forth at the interestingly normal reaction. "Of course not," he mocked playfully, and almost laughed when he looked over and noticed that Sasuke seemed torn between repulsion and amusement, barely able to restrain a smile.

Sasuke wanted to cringe in disgust. Here he was having a perfectly pleasant time alone, and this… annoyance… comes up, not scaring him, then mocks him! And he wasn't even pissed! He was actually amused by the gall of Naruto, something of which has never happened before.

And if Sasuke didn't know any better, he'd say he was acting nearly friendly. "Damn straight," he finally grunted, his tone nearing awkwardness.

"You weren't in class today," Naruto playfully chided, bumping into Sasuke's elbow to further lighten the still slightly depressed air hanging around the Uchiha. "You had said you would be."

"Yeah," Sasuke replied, racking his brain for a feasible excuse. "Something unavoidable came up."

Sasuke, astonishingly, felt the undeniable urge to tell the truth for once in his life about where he really was. Of what really happens when he disappears on this day, consistently, every year. And though he was sure some people already knew, like Kakashi (who seemed to always know everything, anyways) and his foster family, he'd never told anyone.

But doing so, fessing up to such a truth would be totally against his nature and personality. So he kept his mouth shut and left it at that.

He honestly didn't know why he felt that way, to talk about himself, and couldn't figure any sane reasons. The only thing he could figure was thee basic nature of the person beside him. He gave off such a sunny and trusting aura that Sasuke, who barely trusted himself, felt himself reaching out and willing to try such a friendship.

Such unfathomable thoughts like these, however, were tightly locked behind emotionless eyes, with none of his doubts or fears showing through in the slightest. And such looks, he knew from experience, were unnerving, to say the least, to the receiver. But Naruto seemed either impervious to the helpless blankness, or oblivious to the entire situation altogether.

Sasuke was first inclined to choose the latter, but the former was what finally won out, as the quick look he was given betrayed a level of intelligence, or maybe just intuitional wisdom, that left him wondering.

"Oh, okay," Naruto said, only slightly dejectedly. For a brief flash, he thought Sasuke was actually going to tell him what was on his mind. Though it may have just been a self-imposed thought, he frankly thought that Sasuke almost would tell him what was truly on his mind. "You can… trust me, yah know? If you ever want to talk about what's on your mind."

For the bastard he seemed to be, Naruto didn't understand as to why he was trying so hard. True, it wasn't in his genes to just give up when the going got tough, but he was going above and beyond his normal effort for gaining a friendship.

Maybe, he thought objectively, it was because at first, it had seemed like friendship was impossible, which was something he strongly didn't believe in. Then there was also this indescribable pull towards his friendless peer, a feeling he just couldn't put words to. And finally, there was just something about Sasuke that was particularly alluring, the mysterious air about him he wanted to solve.

He quickly shook such uncharacteristically serious thoughts from his head and offered a simple, unassuming smile, virtually radiating sunshine and happiness.

A smile that seemed to throw Sasuke off balance enough to offer up a half smile in response before he regained his composure and it melted off of his face. But it was caught by Naruto, whose smile, if possible, turned even brighter.

"Anyway," Naruto said, effectively breaking the heavy silence and serious moment in a flash. "You didn't miss anything fun in class today. We were just given time to work on our papers for a while. Then he gave the same lecture he did last week, but I dunno if he knew that." Naruto gave a laugh and a halfhearted shrug; he didn't know why they had such a smart professor.

Sasuke nodded, not especially impressed with Kakashi for that. He was grateful that he didn't miss anything immensely important, but he'd already doubted that the man would've done anything so underhanded as have an important lecture when he knew Sasuke wouldn't have been there.

It didn't even cross his mind that maybe the man re-taught something when he wasn't there, just for his own benefit.

"Soooo…" Naruto dragged out, after they had lapsed into silence for nearly five minutes. "Why were you just staring out into space earlier? I mean, you were totally out of it."

Sasuke shrugged, unconcerned. It wasn't like one could give reason to a busy mind, could they? Well, they could, but that was an entirely different subject. Almost against his will, his mouth opened, and he spoke in his normal, quiet voice. "I was just thinking. Of nothing with any real significance," he added before Naruto had the chance to voice that dreaded question of why.

"Oh," he breathed disbelief prominent in his thoughts. If it wasn't anything important, than why was it so absorbing? Why was he unable to notice Naruto standing right behind him? What could possibly be able to command all his attention like that? Naruto knew, for sure, that no matter how much he wanted to know what was going on in Sasuke's mind, he'd never find out. Sasuke was just that private of a person.

So instead of insisting that it must have been a pretty significant thought, Naruto just let it go with a sigh, knowing that prying too much would do the opposite of what he wanted. Sasuke would shut off and all the progress he'd made would've been for naught.

Searching for a different topic seemed harder than Naruto would have liked. Since he really didn't know anything personal about Sasuke, he didn't know what kind of topics would gain his interest. He raked his brain for something, anything, that they might be able to have an actual conversation about. And then it hit him – what did Sasuke have a bunch of? Granted, the only reason he knew about it was because of that time he followed Sasuke home, but it was still something!

"Do you like to read?" Naruto, to Sasuke, randomly blurted out. Sasuke looked over confusedly and warily nodded his head. Naruto took the confirmation as a good sign, that this could turn out to be more than a one-sided conversation. "What kind of books do you read?"

Again Sasuke shrugged, but elaborated this time. "Anything that catches my interest, I suppose. Mystery, action/adventure, thriller, historical fiction, just to name a few." Sasuke still wasn't sure where Naruto was going with all this, and it didn't hit him that there wasn't a purpose behind it. Other than just friendly chitchat, anyway.

Naruto was borderline ecstatic – he was actually having a conversation with the emotionally depraved Uchiha! And even though he didn't ask, Naruto supplied his type as well. "I like thrillers and adventure mostly," he said, leaving out the "work" Jiraiya makes him read when he's finished writing them. "Read anything good lately?"

As surprising as it was to hear that Naruto actually read, despite the constant clueless expression, Sasuke just couldn't find enough malice in him to make a comment that on any other day would have already been said. Instead, as if being controlled by someone else, he answered seriously, "Not particularly, I've been too busy to lately. But I did get almost halfway through a novel by Christopher Dickey, and it was okay. Probably not one I'd read a second time, but I'd recommend it if they liked that type of book." Sasuke stopped for a moment before continuing, "What about you?"

Naruto could have given a victory whoop; he could have, but didn't. "I finished a Stephen King book a couple of days ago, and it was defiantly one of his better works. Pet Semetary?"

Sasuke nodded in agreement. "I read that a few years ago." He could have laughed from the irony of the situation. Here he was, having a perfectly normal conversation about books, with Naruto. Really, that blonde was full of surprises.

The conversation picked up from there, with Naruto mostly filling the silence and Sasuke supplying answers with as little talking on his part as possible. He wasn't sure why he was even bothering with it, why he was being so friendly when he never acted like this. It was almost like he just couldn't help himself. He decided to blame it on his emotions being out of place due to the day.

Sasuke took the short lull in the conversation that followed as an opportunity to observe his surroundings. He was shocked to find the sun almost completely set; the two of them in the halo of light under one of the only street lamps on the path.

At Sasuke's only slightly furrowed brow, Naruto looked around and was equally amazed at how late it had gotten. He laughed and responded happily, "Time flies when you're having fun!"

Sasuke turned an amused look towards Naruto and raised an eyebrow. "… That was lame…"

Naruto feigned a hurt expression, but finally conceded. "Yeah, it was pretty lame. But you're amused, don't deny it!"

Sasuke's lips twitched before the smallest of genuine smiles shone through. "Yeah, I was amused." His eyes then turned skyward and he sighed, almost wistfully. "I got to go; I have somewhere I need to be…"

"Oh… Okay," Naruto said, slightly put out. "But hey, I'll see you in class, right?" He tried to sound menacing, but it just came out as a tad chiding.

He nodded. "I'll be in class."

"Promise?" was asked hopefully.

A raised eyebrow. "Promise."


Naruto wasn't sure where the brilliant idea to stalk Sasuke – again – came from, but all he knew was that once the idea came, he just had to do it, or he'd never get a moment's peace from the little voice in his head he was denying. A voice that sounded suspiciously akin to Jiraiya's.

Once Sasuke was out of sight and out of hearing range, Naruto had this brainstorm that he smartly decided to follow. So he ran after the other as quietly as he could and, being sure to stay out of the light of the random streetlights, he followed from a distance.

Sasuke, on the other hand, was walking leisurely, hands in his pockets, and at no set pace, surprisingly ignorant about being followed. For the first time in ages, he was able to just not worry about all the things piling up. He wasn't worrying over his future, over his money (or lackthereof), or over all the work he needed to do.

The only thing on his mind was this budding… something… between himself and Naruto. It was farther than acquaintances, but this was such unfamiliar territory to him that he honestly didn't know what was going on. And, if he were to be painfully honest, the thought almost scared him. He was such an anti-social and introverted person that the concept of friends was all but lost on him.

What confused him, however, was why the blonde was even bothering trying to get to know him. His standoffish attitude normally kept people at bay, and when that didn't work, his obvious disinterest would chase away the stragglers. So why was Naruto trying so hard?

Sasuke didn't know that that was the same question Naruto had been asking himself earlier, and that he didn't have an answer to that either.

And what neither of them even thought was that maybe there was a "greater force" at work, pushing them together. A "greater force" with gray hair and was working on a bet, that is.


After following Sasuke for nearly twenty minutes, Naruto was on the verge of giving up and going home, as Sasuke himself didn't seem to know where he was going.

But just as he was about to turn around and go home, he realized where they were, or heading to for that matter. It looked like they were making their way to the hospital. Naruto frowned, thoroughly confused as to why Sasuke was going to the hospital.

He stayed in the shadows, rooted to the spot, as he watched Sasuke ascend the front steps of the hospital. He felt much too rude to actually follow him into the building, so he stayed outside for a few minutes longer, until the shock wore off. He slowly made his way for home in the dark, questions bouncing around inside his head.


Sasuke cursed his timing – he had meant to come earlier. But, as he looked at his watch, it still wasn't that late, so some kids should still be awake.

It was somewhat of a ritual for him. After he visited Itachi's grave, he'd come to the hospital. He supposed it was a form of survivor's guilt, or something similar, that compelled him to visit, not work, on this day. Guilty that he was alive and his brother was not, guilty that he was healthy and these kids were not, he assumed.

No matter what it was, he still came, and it actually made him happy to see how happy the kids got when he came in.

He made his rounds, saying hi to all the awake kids that he knew, asking them how they were and if they were feeling any better. Some, he could obviously tell, were lying through their teeth about feeling good, but he chose not to comment on it, instead humouring them into thinking that he believed them. And then there were the others that made him truly happy because they looked better – colour to their cheeks and energy, to name a few.

Though Sasuke's presence was more overlooked than other visitors were, he still wasn't technically supposed to be there. So a few hours after visiting hours ended, a new nurse came in, freaked, and kicked him out.

He said quick good-byes to those who were still awake and left, only to wander aimlessly around town. He wasn't quite in the mood to sulk home alone, so he just walked around, at one time stopping in to Java Sounds to splurge on a coffee he figured he deserved.

When he dragged his feet into his humble abode around three in the morning, he practically collapsed on his bed, fully clothed, falling asleep before his head even hit the pillow, drained both physically and emotionally.


A/N: … No comment. I just couldn't get into the mood to write, just couldn't seem to care. That and I am quite depressed because my sister is leaving soon for college, and it's the first time I'll be so far away from her. But I am really sorry for leaving you all hanging for so long. On the bright side, only two more chapters left, and an epilogue, and I am trying so hard to get this done before I have to go back to school on the second. Which means I probably won't have much sleep between now and then!

ANYway, I have a question for anyone who will answer: Do I have an interesting writing style? I mean, is it good, bad, or what, and why do you feel that way? The reason I'm asking is because I've been working on my original story (my third, by the way) and I'm still not sure if I like my style. I wasn't able to finish my last two because I decided I didn't like it…

Thanks for those who reviewed the last chapter (so long ago…!), and I hope you don't all totally hate this chapter as much as I do!