Ah, finally back. Bet you all are kinda mad that I take so long, hn?

~sSs~

Sasuke blinked at the sight. If he had thought the place was messy before, that was nothing. Someone, or several people, had completely ransacked the place. But, Naruto didn't react quite as he expected. In fact, not at all. All he said was, "I don't blame you." Sasuke watched the blonde walk among the wreckage and start to replace fallen items, scattered scrolls. Between the two of them, it wasn't quite so large a job, but it still troubled Sasuke that Naruto wasn't affected by this.

"Why?" he suddenly asked, while collecting torn blankets.

"Hmm?"

"Why aren't you angry? Why don't you act?" Sasuke snapped. Naruto just… let it happen. He didn't care at all!

Naruto shrugged. "They all have their own feelings, the villagers. When you're me, you begin to understand and learn to accept that you can't change all of their thoughts. Some don't hate me any longer for Him, but I'm still a village nuisance."

Kami, that was one thing that really bothered Sasuke. There were plenty of 'nuisances' in Konoha, but Naruto thought himself to be low enough to deserve this! He was no more trouble than any non-ninja child who played little tricks. Naruto didn't deserve this anymore than one of those other 'nuisances.' "You're above them. Don't put yourself at that level."

Naruto turned around to face the Uchiha. He was slightly stunned to hear those words from anyone, let alone Sasuke. Sasuke had said… "Sasuke, you— "

"Sasuke-kun!" Whoa, holy ramen! What the heck was that? "Sasuke-kun, Sasuke-kun!" The two boys simultaneously reached for their kunai pouch when they heard the door being slammed open. "Sasuke-kun! What did you do to Ino?" Oh, shoot. Sakura. Well, that would explain some things. "Sasuke-kun, I— " But she stopped and changed her words. "What are you doing in Naruto's apartment? Why didn't you come see me when you got back?"

Naruto butt in, "He and I went and trained, Sakura-chan, and Ino happened to walk in on us, was all. We just went and got some ramen before coming here. You shouldn't come in here without my permission, though… Wait, how did you know where I lived?"

Sakura straightened. "Hmph, I didn't need to know where you lived, only where Sasuke-kun was. Still, I can't believe you even can live here. Look, it's a total mess!" Naruto frowned. What did she know? He was not the cause for its present state. Jeez, Sasuke and he had just spent the last half hour on it, and it looked fairly put together, considering what it was like before they started. "Hanging out with Sasuke-kun won't— "

"Oi!" Naruto snapped, "what's with you and Sasuke? Sasuke-kun this, Sasuke-kun that! Really! You're no different than Ino, or any other fangirl, are you? I thought you'd come to your senses! He's not Kami!" Sasuke just watched the banter continue with crossed arms and a bored frown. He never liked any of the female species, especially ones with pink hair. They were all annoying, just pains. "What is it you like so much about teme, anyway?"

Sasuke smirked. Sure, he was used to being called bastard by now; it was kind of like his 'pet name' from Naruto, as he always called the dobe a deadlast. It didn't mean much to either, anymore. However, Sakura was not used to the title. "N-nani? You dare call Sasuke-kun that? He's nowhere near your level, Naruto-baka! I should know!"

"He's exactly the same!" At this point in time, they really were. Well, sometimes. "And I bet you don't know a thing about him!"

Sasuke sighed. This argument was getting loud. And it was about him. Neither Naruto nor Sakura seemed to notice him standing behind the blonde, tapping his fingers in irritation on the counter. "More than you could!"

"Try me!"

Sasuke lifted an eyebrow. Seriously? Oh, how far was this challenge going to go… "You don't even know his favorite color!"

Naruto rolled his eyes, as he muttered, "Oh, how difficult. Red."

"Blue!"

"No, it's red. Just ask him." Naruto waved a hand behind him, and Sasuke nodded. Red reminded him of the Uchiha crest, the Sharingan, the day of the massacre, and… Itachi. Red made him strong.

"W-well… What's his height to the inch?"

Naruto blinked. "… Why or how would you know that? Oi, Sasuke, did you ever tell her?" Sasuke shook his head. Why the heck would he do that? "Scary stalker…"

"One wrong! Next! Tell me who he despises more than anyone."

Sasuke paused, waiting to see what he would tell Sakura. "I— I can't— " Naruto wouldn't reveal what he found out through Sasuke's nightmares. Not only had Sasuke never personally told him, but it wasn't his right to tell Sakura, even if Sasuke had openly explained the man.

"Another unanswered. Two wrong, only one right." She added 'one right' with a grudge. How could she be wrong? Perhaps he had just recently changed his favorite color. Yes, that was why. "What's his favorite food?"

"Again with the favorites? He likes all sorts of healthy stuff, but I bet you couldn't answer any single question if I quizzed you." Sakura glared at the blonde. Had he just suggested that he knows more than her about Sasuke-kun? "For instance, since you asked who he despises, I bet you don't know who he likes."

"Me!"

Naruto decided not to counter that. He's probably get punched if he pointed out that Sasuke thought nothing of her, least of all like her. "Whatever. Since that's wrong, what's he fear?"

At this question, Sasuke stopped his tapping. Did… Naruto know that? Or was he only trying to probe that Sakura girl? "He, Sasuke doesn't fear anything! He's way stronger than you!"

"Interesting." Naruto was almost having fun, hearing her impossible answers. He was starting to have trouble trying to remember why he ever wanted to date her. "So, for the next. Just wondering this, who was it that you thought he hated, now? I must assume…"

"You, of course! All you ever do is get in his way. You're only a nuisance to him."

"He is not!" Sasuke wanted to hear nothing of that stupid word. Naruto thought he was a nuisance. Sakura just said so, again. If he wracked his mind, he remembered his father even saying the fox boy was nothing but a village pest, a nuisance. Why? For what? Sure, Naruto played pranks now and again. Yes, twelve years ago, the Kyuubi was sealed inside of him by the Fourth, but he wasn't that different! "You're the one that annoys me. Leave him alone. You know nothing about me, and if you still want to think you're an expert, put this in your file: Naruto is a better friend than any of you."

"Sasuke…" Naruto whispered.

"But, Sasuke-kun…"

"Just leave. We'll regrettably see you tomorrow with Kakashi." Sasuke became silent, and Sakura eventually left.

Naruto tilted his head, pouting. "Hey, hey, that's two girls that've cried because of you, now, today. Man, everything is coming in twos. Two switching souls. Two crying girls. My only meal that I had only two bowls of ramen. And both of us two got our names screamed by Sakura and Ino, and we, or me, anyway, became deaf from it for a couple seconds. Two is cursed!"

Sasuke shook his head. "Nah, it's not cursed. If it was, we wouldn't have escaped well during the second day. Remember? Two's just coincidental."

"Meh, whatever you say. Still, we better be careful around them… Sakura's gonna try an' kill me, and you said you didn't want me to die." Sasuke nodded. Naruto peered at him. "Eh? Something up?" Naruto wondered, I didn't do anything wrong, right? Something's bothering him, I can tell. "Something I said?"

"No, I'm fine."

"You can't very well lie to a person that has your thoughts and feelings half of the time."

"I'm fine."

"No, you aren't."

"Fine."

"Sad?"

"Fine."

"Angry?"

"Getting there, if you keep up this childish quarrel."

"At me? How come?"

"Naruto…" Sasuke partly whined. Oh Kami, he sounded like Naruto, when he used to whine to Sakura.

Naruto mocked, "Sasuke…"

"Leave it alone."

Naruto sighed and shuffled over to his half completed bed, with Sasuke following. Naruto flung himself onto the mattress, and muttered, "You're a really depressing person to be around, you know."

"So you've told me."

Still, Naruto had to admit, he was much less depressing than he used to be. He didn't rely on single worded responses, and he talked fairly lightly, not as dark and heavy as before. "You won't tell me. Will I have to guess?"

"Perhaps," he said, and sat next to the orange clad ninja.

"All right. I'll just start over. Was it something I did?" Sasuke didn't respond. "Okay then. Nice description. Angry at Sakura?" Again, but a silent answer. "You're very good with talking, aren't you?" And the evening continued, with Sasuke occasionally shifting to watch Naruto think, or Naruto repositioning himself on the holey sheets. Naruto kept listing off emotions, and Sasuke continued not to reply. "You're worried, aren't you?" Though a silence was kept by the Uchiha, he tensed, showing truth. "What about?"

"Nothing, dobe."

"Hey, hey, a dobe couldn't have guessed for this long and get an answer from you."

"And what was that answer?" queried Sasuke. "What have you learned, then?"

Naruto shrugged. "I at least know that you aren't angry at me. And it's worry… therefore fear."

Sasuke paused. "…Fear. Why do you think that? What am I afraid of?"

And it clicked. Naruto said, "Ah, so that's it." Sasuke waited for an explanation. "You thought I was going to tell Sakura what you're afraid of, didn't you? Hey, I'm not that mean to you," he said with a grin.

No, thought Sasuke, that's not it. That isn't what I mean. "Yeah. I doubt you'd live if that happened."

"Hey!"

Sasuke smirked. "Nanchatte, dobe."

"Teme…"

"What is it?"

Naruto sighed contently. "Ah, nothing." Naruto didn't need to tell Sasuke just yet. Besides, he might already have known.

~sSs~

A/N: Nanchatte: just kidding/ I'm joking