"What's his problem?" Naruto huffed, and leaned back in his chair. The others just look at him incredulously, all wondering if he really was that dense.
"What do you mean, 'What's his problem'?!" As she stood, Sakura's chair squeaked out behind her. She had had enough of Naruto's nonsense, "Naruto, you've been lying to us for years! He has every right to be pissed at you! We all do! You need to get your priorities straight! What's more important?! Us, or your stupid habits?!"
Wasting no time at all, Sakura whipped around and exited through the same door as Sasuke, presumably back to her own room.
"Normally... I stay out of these things... But Naruto..." Naruto's eyes met Sai's, a mixture of shock and confusion, "Their right... Both of them..."
"I... I know..." Naruto sighed and slid his hands over his face, the picture of defeat, "I'm sorry, Sai... I'm sorry, Kakashi and Iruka..."
"I forgive you," Sai smiled softly from across the table.
"As do I, Naruto," Kakashi's one visible eye upturned into a crescent.
"I will, too... But first... You have to promise me something. You have to promise all of us something," Iruka frowned and sat back, arms crossing again.
"What is it...?" Naruto peaked warily out from between his fingers, analyzing the older man.
"Stop this... and start talking to us. Ask for help, Naruto," Iruka's voice became softer, "We want to help you. We want to be there for you."
Silence hit for a moment as Naruto mulled it over in his mind. On one hand, this would be the hardest thing he'd ever done. He didn't know how to really truly talk to other people, especially people who actually wanted to help him. But, on the other... It would mean that he would become closer to these people. He might actually feel wanted if he could just break down his own walls.
"Alright... I'll do it, Iruka-san..." a tiny smile hinting at the corners of his mouth, Naruto stood, "I'll try, okay?"
"That's all we ever wanted from you, Naruto."
Damn that stupid idiot. Damn him... What the hell is wrong with him? Why does he have to act like this?
Sasuke's inner voice continued to question Naruto long after he had shut him self in his bedroom. He didn't know how to deal with any of this. Naruto had been lying to him... all of them, for years. The one person he had allowed himself to think of as a friend was no where near who he had let them think that he was.
His heart ached, and it was beginning to piss him off. Sasuke rolled over on to his stomach, and buried his face in the white satin pillow his mother had made him years and years ago.
This is why I don't have friends... People are liars... All of them...
His throat started to tighten as Sasuke clenched the pillow in both his arms, pulling it closer to his face. His eyes stung a little, and his breath started to become ragged.
"Don't cry, stupid," Sasuke chided himself through his teeth, "Don't cry... Don't cry."
As much as he tried to keep them in, the stupid things rolled from his eyes and into his pillow anyway. He really felt stupid now.
Sorry this took so long... I got a bit busy. I'll have more up tonight!