CHAPTER EIGHT -

Your scared space is where you can find yourself again and again.

Naruto sat on his bed looking at his new schedule. He had science today again.
'What am I going to do? I can't skip it, because it's my only class with all my friends, and I can't go because HE is there... What do I do? Why is he back? How did he find me? What does he want? Will he do the same thing he did back then, now? Has he been looking for me for this long? Does… he miss me?'

Naruto was brought out of his thoughts by the sound of his new phone. Rolling over his bed, he grabbed the phone off the bedside table and answered it.
"H-Hello?"
"Damn it! I tried to get you before you looked at the bloody thing." He heard Sasuke sigh on the end of the line. "What are we going to do?"
"We?" Naruto was confused.
"Yer we! I'm not leaving you alone, especailly now that I know what he looks like, and that he is teaching at our school. And like hell am I going to let him get any near you!"
"Th-Thank you...Raven." Silence followed quickly and Naruto gripped his phone tighter, scared of what Sasuke would say hearing his old nick name.

"Men, I haven't heard you use that name in years..." Naruto was about to apologise, but Sasuke continued talking. "Are we going to class or skip it?"
"I have to...it's the only class I get with everyone...and I don't want to let my Brother down. He went out of the way to move me in to it."

"Yer, I understand. I'll get Kiba to sit on the other side of you, and if he moves you away from us, I'll follow."
"And if he kicks you out of class?"
"You follow."
"That's sounds easier said than done."
"It's the only thing we can do for now."
Naruto didn't really want to talk about it, or anything to do with Him, but he knew it had to.

"I-I'm scared..." Naruto felt his body begin to shake.
"I know..." Sasuke's reply was soft, it was easy to tell that he cared dearly about what happened to his friend. And it made the Blonde's heart melt hearing how much he cared. "Pick me up when you head to school, that way I can be with you all morning. I'm not going to leave your side, I promise."
"O-Okay. I'll leave after I've calmed down... I'm glad you live in the other direction to school, I don't think I would be able to head that way alone." Naruto closed his eyes, and sat his forehead in his hand.

"Well, I can stay on the phone until you calm down, if you want me to?"
"No, I'll be fine. I have to have a shower anyway, beside wouldn't you rack up your phone bill that way? Itachi would kick your ass again."
"Don't remind me, I couldn't sit for a week."
"Haha."
"I'm glad to hear you laughing. I'll be waiting out front, so don't take long." Naruto found himself smiling softly. Sasuke wasn't one to ever talk about or show his emotions to anyone, so it made him happy that he was so open to him about it.
"Okay, see you soon."

After ending the call with Sasuke can putting his phone back on charge so it remind full till he left. He hoped into the bathroom for his morning shower, but once he closed the shower door, Naruto just stood there staring that the tiles while the water ran over him body. Closing his eyes, he lent against the cold tile and slowly slid down, until he was able to pull his knees to his chest. Hot water fell from over his head and back, as he tried to clear his mind and focus only on the water running down his body.

'Why? Why does he have to be here? Why at this school? Did he follow me like he said he would? Is he going to tear me to piece inside and out? No. No. No. Stop it! Clear your head.
-I'm scared-
Why? If I knew something like this would have happened, I would have stayed away from everyone, I would have not made any bonds...then I could just disappear, like last time. But I have people who care out me now, truly care, and I care about them. I just can't give up and run away.
-Never go back on your word...and never give up-
I can't give up, can I? ...I promised Gaara I would always be there for him. I can't let anyone down. I can't let him control me again. I have to show him, that I'm not the same scared little boy any more. I have to fight back.'

Naruto placed the skin between his thumb and index finger in his mouth, and bit down as hard as he could. It wasn't long before blood filled his mouth and tears ran down his face.

'One the pain and blood of this wound, I make a blood oath to myself. From now on I will be stronger, wiser and I won't act like a kid anymore. Today is a new day, I'm keeping this life, and getting rid of the past... Once and for all. No matter how rough the path is till then, I won't give up.'

After he made the oath he quickly got back up and finished washing himself before getting out of the shower. Once dressed, he wrapped a banged around his wound, and got ready to pick Sasuke up.

The drive to Sasuke's house didn't take as long as he thought, and it didn't help that he got all the green lights. Naruto wished he lived further away because it meant he would be heading to school once Sasuke was in the car..

"About time you got here, Dobe. Remind me to never wait for you again." Sasuke said as soon as he opened the door and sat down.
"Blame where you live Teme, not me." They looked at each other and Naruto smiled at him.
"What's with your hand?"
"Huh? Oh that nothing much, just hurt myself that's all." Naruto indicated and looked over his shoulder before he pulled out on to the road, and heading the long way to school.
"Hn."

The car was silent as Naruto drove them to school, and it was starting to get to him. First it was a slight tape of the wheel of a finger, then a hand, then both hands. Naruto heard Sasuke snicker at him, before watching him lean over and turn the radio on.
"Ha that obvious?"
"Either that or you don't like the steering wheel that much." Naruto looked at his hands when the stopped at a red light. He managed to make his wound bleed again and as there was now a little red patch coming through his bandage. Naruto run his other hand over the wound and sighed.

Once they pulled up at the school, Naruto smiled when he saw both Sakura and Kiba waiting for them at the gate.
"Naru! Sas!" Sakura ran up to them as Naruto pushed a button and locked the door. She jumped into his arms again, he only wrapped one around her waist as the other put the keys in his pocket.
"Why do you have to jump on him like that, all the time?" Sasuke asked as she put her feet back on the floor and clung to his chest.
"Because I don't want him to feel like he isn't loved. Besides, jealousy doesn't suit you." She pocked her tongue at him and Naruto laughed. Letting go of Sakura, he high fived Kiba and they began to walk into the school grounds.
"Oi Kiba, would you be able to sit next to Naruto during science?"
"Sure...but I'm not promising to behave!" Kiba through his arm around Naruto's neck and pulled him in towards him. Naruto heard Sasuke make a growl noise and he couldn't help but laugh as he looked over his shoulder at him.

"I see you have made friends, aren't you lucky?" Naruto froze at the sound of the deep voice in front of them. Kiba looked at Naruto.
"Dude you okay? Your shak-" Naruto's hand flew up to Kiba's mouth, and he his eyes landed on the bandage.
"Y-Yer, I have made friends." Naruto's hated how his voice betrayed him, and felt his eyes slowly turn cold, filling with hate and anger. He turned towards Kurama, dropping his hand from Kiba's mouth. "And I'm happy for once in my miserable life. Truly happy and truly loved. Got a problem with that?" Kurama's smile just went bigger as he looked at the blonde.

"I like how you have grown up; you will be much more fun now." Those words crumbled Naruto's walls that he just put up, aand he slipped out Kiba's hold. Noticing the action and colour draining from Naruto's face, Sasuke put his arm around his waist to support him.
"Come on let's go, we don't want to be late for homeroom." At Sasuke's worlds made everyone walk off, but still confused at what just happened, mostly Kiba with how Naruto reacted around the new teacher.

As Sasuke walked past Kurama with Naruto under his shoulder, he looked straight at the smiling adult, with eyes that could kill.
"Touch him again, and I'll kill you with my own hands, that's a promise." Sasuke grabbed Naruto tighter and continued to walk off.

"Looks like I have competition. This will be fun." Kurama looked over his shoulder at the four walking away from him, and his smile grew bigger.

Naruto could feel his eyes still on him and it made his body violently shudder and he lent into Sasuke more.
"You okay?" Naruto looked up at Sasuke, and saw worry in his eyes, but also hatred towards that man. He knew that Sasuke would kill for him, without hesitation.
"Yer I should be fine... I can feel him looking at me... don't you look. Just stay with me okay?"
"We won't leave you Naruto." Sakura put her arm around his waist, and moved in close to his ear. "I'm sorry, but I got Sasuke to tell me about...your past... Kiba doesn't know though. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."
"It's fine...I trust you, really." Naruto lifted his arm and put it around her shoulders and kissed her head. He couldn't help smile again when he felt Sasuke's arm twitch on his waist. Lifting his other arm up, he placed it around Sasuke and grabbed his shirt and pulled him a bit closer.

Homeroom came and passed and so did first lesson. Before he realized just how fast it had gone by, Naruto stood in front of the tables under the tree that his group of friends sits at. He was waiting for Sasuke to show up. He was still feeling uneasy, but that's not what was on his mind right now, it was what Sasuke said yesterday. When Naruto saw the raven haired boy walking over to them with his hands in his pockets, Naruto new that his fan girls had cornered him, and would let him leave until he answered their questions. Naruto was always jealous of Sasuke's fan girls, but he would never say that out loud. Walking out towards him, he met him half way.

"Can we talk?" Sasuke just nodded and they walked away from their group, towards the bottom oval. They walked to the stadium where no one was around, Naruto sat down with his hand between his legs and looking down at the floor, while Sasuke stood up leaning against the fence in front of him.

"This is about what I said yesterday, isn't it?" Naruto couldn't look at the raven, so he just he just continued looking down, and heard Sasuke sigh and kicked a rock. "I shouldn't have said it, so don't fret over it."
"I can't get it out of my head. And I can't ignore the way my heart melted when I heard you say those words." Slowly he got up and walked where Sasuke was standing, and stood in front of him. Ebony eyes finally looked at him and he saw emotions that no one ever got a chance to see from him."It may not matter much at the moment, but I feel the same. I have loved you for a longest of time... it's just..."

"He needs you. I understand." Sasuke lent against the fence behind him, with his hands still in his pockets. "But it was idiotic of me to think that you'd drop him for me, But I couldn't help but try with going all out and putting my feelings into yesterday, to prove I was serious. Sorry." Naruto hugged Sasuke and quickly kissed his cheek before taking a step back, and smiling at him softly. Naruto new all this was hurting him, but he didn't know what to say. How can you tell someone that you have a deep bond with, you love them but you choose someone else over them because the feelings are stronger...?

It was only 5 minutes until the warning bell went off to their next class, which was science.
"You ready?" Naruto looked at Sasuke, as they stood out front of their next class room door. Nodding his head, he reached up to the door handle and pulled it out. A sigh of relief left his body and he walked into an empty room. They decide to sit in the middle row with Sakura sitting in front of Naruto at the desk bellow. He was truly grateful he had friends that would do anything for him.

Every time the door would open, Naruto would jump and look at the people who walked in. Sasuke took his hand from out of his lap and held it under the table. At that, Naruto looked at him and smiled weakly. The door opened again, and as he turned he squeezed Sasuke's hand hard. When he heard Sasuke let out a little wince he let go and stood up, getting everyone's attention in the class.

"Can I help you kit?"
"Don't call me that, and no. But I do need to speak to Gaara, before we start quickly… Would we be able to be excused for a bit?" Kurama turned to look at Gaara who had a confused look on his face.
"That's fine with me since the second bell hasn't rung yet, but it's up to him." Naruto's eyes pleaded with Gaara, who with a quick nod, turned around and walked back outside the class.
"Naruto?"
"Don't worry, I'll be back." Naruto stood on his chair and jumped over Sakura, who swore, and landed on the floor in front of the teacher's desk.
"Stop showing off, Ass Licker!" Naruto looked at Kiba and stuck his finger up.
"Jealous much?" He turned and nearly ran into Kurama's chest.

'He had grown taller, and has a lot more muscles about him.' Naruto looked up at the man in front of him. 'And his looks...NO! Don't think like that about him!'

Naruto turned his head and stepped aside to let him past, he would not think or look at the man who stole his life.
"Sorry Sir." His voice was full of anger, but it wasn't aimed towards Kurama, it was aimed as himself for thinking like that.
"Next time, just get up like every normal person."
"Naruto normal! Please don't make me laugh!" Naruto turned and looked over his shoulder at Kiba.
"Shut up dude, or I'll make you do laps next practise and make you sit on the bench for the next 3 games. I'm not in the mood to do the routine. Sorry." Naruto turned back to face Kurama. "If you will excuse me, I have a impatient red-head, waiting for me patently outside the class room." With a fake smile Naruto walked pasted him nudging Kurama's shoulder, and quickly closing the door behind him.

Naruto walked across the hall and punched the concrete wall serval times, before letting out a shaking breath and resting his head on against the coldness.
"Fuck!" Pain shot up his arm and through his body. He turned around and lent against the wall he hit holding his fits.
"Here." Naruto opened his eye to see the red-head holding out a sheet of tablets.
"Thanks...but I deserve this pain...it's better than crying."
"It's too late for that. As soon as you closed the door you started crying." Naruto lifted his hand up to his cheek.
"Fuck..." His voice was soft and he dropped down to the ground, hitting his hand on the ground when he did. "Fuck."

The pills where shoved in his face again and without heisting, Naruto took them and popped one out, dry popping it straight away. He lent his head against the wall behind him and handed the sheet back.
"One works fine on me. That some strong shit, if it works on me. What do you need it for anyway?" Naruto watched as the red-head put it back in his bag and handed Naruto his bottle of green tea.
"If you're not used to dry popping them, they leave a nasty taste in your mouth." Naruto was about to refuse, before he was met with a taste that made him gage.

"Oh god!" Naruto took the bottle that was handed to him and took a sip. "Next time warn me faster. That was gross!" Naruto handed the bottle back to Gaara, but stopped.
"What?" Naruto watched as confusion feel on Gaara's face, when he stopped mid way with handing the bottle back.
"That was the second time I saw you smile... But you probably still don't remember...about me..." Gaara put his bag and the floor and slid down the wall next to him. "I'm wondering if I'm hurting everyone around me by trying to hold on to you. I'm probably hurting you the most. Maybe I should give up?" Naruto looked up at the roof and back at his bloody knuckles.

"What where the words again? 'Never give up'?" Naruto pushed himself off the wall and looked at Gaara completely, with wide eyes. Gaara took of the bottle out of Naruto's hand and took a sip himself. After putting the cap on, he played with it between his knees. "I remember bit and pieces. I still don't know who you are to me or what went on between us..." Gaara just kept looking at the bottle, until he closed his eyes and lent his head on the wall behind him.

"I still don't understand the feeling, that goes through me every time I see you. It's mainly confusion...but there is also a pull...and jealousy I think, when you smile to your friends. I want you looking at me and only me... I'm over feeling like there is something missing in my life. If you are meant to be in my life, then why can't I remember?" Gaara faced Naruto. "I remember you kissing my scar..." Gaara's hand went up to his head and his fingers ran over the mark. Naruto lift his hand up and placed his hand over Gaara's.

"You always had my attention...ever since we first met. I always found you...but I couldn't remember."
"What?" Gaara let Naruto pull his hand away and hold it.
"That try outs... after I got the part, after I noticed that you had left. We went through one of the plays, and I ended up hitting my head, hard. And I thought I was fine because I could recall everything except 4 hours before hand... it wasn't until I woke up in hospital the first time, that I remembered who you where, and how I felt that day. I felt like such an idiot. Forgetting the first friend I had made here."
"On the roof top? I had a dream about that, when you were still in hospital the day after I visited you."
"You... came to see me?" Gaara nodded. Naruto held Gaara's hand tighter in his and watched as Gaara enclosed his own fingers together with his and squeezed slightly. "This might be a weird thing to ask all of a sudden...but...can I kiss you?"
"It only seems fair since I kissed you."
"You... When?"
"When I saw you laying in the hospital bed. I don't know what came over me, but I still did it."

Naruto smiled at Gaara and placed his bandage hand on his check. Running his thumb over Gaara's light skin, He moved in and found Gaara closing his eyes and leaning in towards him to meet the kiss.

When their lips lightly touched, Gaara's free hand flew around Naruto's neck, and he made the same purring noise as he did when they first kissed. Naruto pulled Gaara into his chest and they deepened the kiss. Naruto broke the kiss, to look Gaara in the eyes.
"I love you." Naruto kissed his lips again. "Just thought I should tell you again."
"Say it again." Naruto smiled and moved Gaara's fridge out from his eyes and lightly out lined Gaara's scar before pressing a butterfly kiss to it.

"I love you." He rested their foreheads together and ran his thumb over the red head's cheek.
"I like the sound of that." Gaara moved and kissed Naruto's lips before moving away and getting up. Picking up his bottle, he dropped to get closer to Naruto and looked over his shoulder, as the classroom door opened. "I still don't remember you though."

Gaara turned and looked up at Kurama. Naruto felt his anger resurface when as he watched Kurama put his hand on Gaara's shoulder and smiled. Naruto jumped off the floor and pulled Gaara away from the elder and into his chest, while looking into his eyes and whispered.
"I need you to remember me, please. For your own safety."

"It's time to come back inside now. It's 15 minutes into class time." Naruto stared at Kurama and lightly tightened his grip on Gaara's arms. "Come on kit."
"Don't call me that."
"Are you the one he calls kit?" Naruto noticed Gaara looking at him, but his eyes didn't leave Kurama. "So is he the one you have been talking about? The one you have been looking for all this time?"
"What have you told him?" Naruto was pissed, scared, but mostly pissed.
"Only the truth. Now in." Kurama turned and walked back in side.

"Gaara...please...I'm not going to telling you to stay away from him, as much as I want to, because I don't want you to hate me. But please, please, be careful around him. And if he ever touches you or hurt you, let me know. He can't be trust. Where ever he goes, whoever he gets near...it only brings pain." Naruto finally looked at Gaara and put all the emption he could into his eyes.
"He's a good guy. You just have to stop living in the past." At that Gaara pulled out of his grip, and walked away from him, like nothing happened between them a couple of minutes ago.

Naruto soon followed him back into the room and closed the door behind him.
'Am I am idiot? Kurama knows! I know he knows...Why did I have to act like that and pulled Gaara away from him?'

"Are you going to come in, or just stand at the door?"

'Why? Why did that suddenly happen? Why couldn't I control myself? Why did I have to show him my weakness? How stupid am I?'
Feeling a presence come close to him, Naruto pulled his mind back to the real world. Naruto saw that Kurama was standing really close to him and had a hand on his shoulder. Noticing everyone else in the room was looking at him, he pulled himself out of the elder's grip and made his way over to his spot between Sasuke and Kiba.
"Dude, are you all right?" Naruto looked down at his desk. "Dude?"

**Flashback**

"Kurama...what are you doing here? Where's Naruto?" An elder blonde asked looking for his 3-year-old son. "Naruto!?"
"Sshhhh you'll wake him up." Kurama got off the bottom step and walk towards the couple standing at the front door. "Hurry and close the front door, before the winter air gets inside."
"Kurama...you said Naruto's asleep... Can I see him?" The female with long red hair moved further in to the house.

"He's in his bed. He was scared because he was left alone."
"But we didn't leave him alone...we left him with...Toby. Toby?!"
"He can't here you." Kurama laughed
"Where is he?" The elder blonde was getting angry and scared. They never liked their next door neighbour's kid.

"He's a bit tied up right now." Kurama flicked on the light to the lounge room. "Kit and I had some FUN." The female made a noise and the Blonde swore. Blood was dripping down and staining the carpet. The room was trashed, photo's broken, Lamps broken, chairs unturned and blood one the walls. "Though he didn't deliver the final blow, he did stab him a few times. I saw he enjoyed it."
"You're sick you know that! Why would you make a 3-year-old do that?"
"I didn't make him do anything, love. He saw me doing it and he wanted to give it ago. Monkey see, Monkey do."

"I told you to stay away from our son!"
"And I told you that I would kill you one day!" A twisted smile filled Kurama's face. "Please be some fun for me?" He lunged at the couple with a knife.
"Why? Why would you do this?" Said a panting blonde holding his wife behind him as he pulled the knife out of his gut.
"Minato!"
"Do worry about me...go find our son...save him..." The female disappeared into the dark house, while the blonde haired man fell to his knees.

"I'm doing this, because No one else is allowed to love him but me, and he isn't allowed to love anyone but me! And you're in the way of my happiness!" Kurama ran at the blonde and tried to stab him from the front but the blonde grabbed his arm and pulled the teen towards him.
"I'm not letting you have him!"
"Hahaha. you think that's the only hand that has a knife?"
"Urgh!" Blood dripped out of the blonde's mouth. Once the teen moved away and stood up, the male fell to the floor. His eye's landed on a small blonde boy staring at him from the basement door.
"...N-Naru...to...R-Run..."

"This is a fun game; don't you think Kit?" The teen turned around and smiled at the young boy.
"Naruto!? Naruto!?"
"Mama?" A red-head ran towards the front door and stopped when she saw the love of her life, lying motionless on the floor in a pool of blood.
"M-Minato?" She bent down and touched the only one she ever loved besides her son. " You bastard!" She run toward the teen, with the knife she pulled out of his back. By the time she saw her son, there was already a knife in her chest.
"Mama?"
"...I-I'm sorry...Minato... " She fell to her knees. "I-I couldn't save our son... N-Naruto... run... far... away... from... h-him..." She fell face first onto the floor, in front of the two young boys.

"Mama? Papa? Karu, they're going to wake up right? You said this was a game...so they will wake up right?" The blonde boy looked between his parents and back at the teen.
"Of course they will, Kit. You'll be living with me until they do. Are you okay with that?"
"As long as they wake up, sure!" Naruto smiled at the strawberry blonde haired teen and grabbed his hand. "Let's go home and have a bath together again! Having a bath with you is fun!"
"Sure let's go. Goodbye Naruto's parents, it was fun playing with you. You too Toby, I had a blast!"
"Bye Mama, Bye Papa, Bye Toby."

**End Flashback**

"Naruto, you're going white." Sakura said as she turned to look at him.
"H-He knows."
"What?" Kiba looked at Naruto.
"He knows about Gaara... What am I going to do?" Naruto dropped his head on the desk. "What am I going to do?" Naruto found himself tearing up.

"Naru..." Sakura touched his arm and he filched away from her. Tears streaming down his face.
"Eyes front, pinkie." Naruto looked up and noticed the smile that filled Kurama's lips. Naruto felt all the colour drain out of this face and he felt sick to his stomach. He put a hand to his mouth and dry heaved. Opening his eyes Kurama was still looking at him, but now with concern on his face. Kurama dry heaved again and stood up, hand staying on his mouth. Picking up his bag he headed to the front of the class, but dropped to the floor.

"Naruto!" He heard people call his name but all he could do was dry heave again. His body started to shake violently and his tears hadn't stop.
Feeling someone touch him, he flipped around and moved away.
"It's only me." Naruto looked at the raven haired boy in front of him and he moved closer, but Naruto just moved away again, before getting up and ran over to the bin to actually throw up. Looking up, he noticed Kurama was still looking at him with eyes full of concern.

"You like what you did to me?" Just saying that made him remember and he threw up again.
"You! You're his friend right? Take him to the sick bay."
"I wouldn't have to if he wasn't this way because of you." Sasuke bent down next to Naruto and gently touched his back lightly in small circles. "Naruto, can you look at me?" Slowly, Naruto looked at him but dry reached again, from the bile in his throat and filled the bin once more.
"R-Raven?" Naruto went to touch him, but retracted his hand. "J-Just leave me alone... please... it's best not to be around me." Naruto looked back at Kurama, before closing his eyes and dropping his head.

"Like fucking hell I am!" Sasuke picked Naruto up and carried him out of the room.

Naruto laid on the bed in the sick bay, with his back to Sasuke. He had only just stopped shaking, but he was still trying not to throw up. He wasn't sure what came over him but he sure as hell didn't want it to happen again.
"...I-I'm...S-Sorry..." Naruto hugged himself, rubbing his now bandage knuckles with his thumb.
"What happened between you and Gaara outside the classroom?" Naruto closed his eyes and tried not to cry.
"Y-You don't want to know..." He felt the bed dip down behind him and felt something warm on his back. Naruto moved and looked over his shoulder, to see Sasuke had laid down behind him.

"Even if I don't want to know, I have to. That way I can stop it from happening again." Naruto rolled over and laid on his back next to him. Without warning Sasuke held his hand and Naruto flinched again, but didn't pull away.
"Thank you...for not leaving me."
"I never wanted to leave you, even as kids. There was something about you, that made me want to be around more. I felt normal." Sasuke squeeze his hand. "So you telling me to go away, won't make me."

"Do you really want to know?"
"Hn."
"First I punched a wall and he gave me his tablet again. He smiled and then I said that it was the second time that he had smiled at me, but he probably still didn't remember. But he told me, he had started remembering, but he couldn't understand any of it. He said 'If you're meant to be in my life, then why can't I remember you?' And that hurt, a lot... But he said words that I told him when he was still unconscious... And that he was starting to remember me... even the first day we met, four years ago."

"But didn't you only just met him?"
"That's what I thought too. You remember when I hit my head first time coach got us to play as a team 4 years ago when we only just made the team, and I only lost four hours of my memory... well I met him before the bell went off for last period before tryouts. And I had forgotten him since. But I would always look at him, whenever he walked in the room. All that time I thought it was just because of his hair, but I never really paid attention to him, until now."

Naruto put his spare arm over his face.
"He came to visit me in hospital and said that he kissed me, so I kissed him, and he wrapped his arms around my neck straight away. Like as soon as our lips touched, and pulled himself into me. I told him that I loved him again and he made me repeat myself and then he kissed me. He then got up to head inside and said 'I still don't remember you though'...and then Kurama was standing there with a knowing smile on his face." Naruto Squeezed Sasuke's hand, as he got angry at the thought of Kurama touching his Red-head.

"He touched Gaara's shoulder and I pulled him back... I shouldn't have done that... I shouldn't have acted the way I did. He's told Gaara about me...about our past...but I don't know how much. I'm scared. I'm scared Gaara will go to him. I know how easy it is to be lead on by him…"
"Then why didn't you tell him to stay away from him?"
"I did...in my own way. I told him that he'll only bring pain to him and everyone around him." Tears rolled down his face. "He told me, that he was a good guy and that I should stop living in the past." Naruto rolled over and buried his face into Sasuke's chest. He hated being this weak, but when it came to Kurama and their past, theres wasn't anything else he could do.

"That's when it started happening... the flash backs. And know he knows about Gaara... and how I feel about him..."
"How do you know that he knows?"
"It's written all over his face. Ever since I've known, he has been able to read me like no one else could. He could see how I felt before I even felt it."
"But that whole time you were together... didn't he know you were lying?" Naruto shook his head.

"He didn't know because... because I did love him. Every time I said it, I started to believe it." Naruto started to shake and Sasuke wrapped his arms around him. "Start saying a lie long enough, you start to believe it. I was young and didn't know better."
"But you got out and got free."
"But he's found me. He's going to make my life hell, until I go curling back to him. He is going to take everything I love away from me. I don't want to lose Gaara... anymore then I already have." Sasuke squeeze him and Naruto looked up at him. "I don't want to lose you."
"He won't take me."

"He's not scared to kill those who get in the way... I never told you this... but he is the one who killed my parents." All Sasuke could do was hold him tighter.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because I didn't think I would see him again, or that you would tell him that you would kill him... you just signed your life away by saying that. If you don't kill him, then he will kill you. He has nearly killed me a couple of time..."
"Fuck! I don't care if I go to jail. I'm going to fucken kill him for killing your parents, for raping you and taken away your childhood... For coming here thinking he can just take you away from me!"

Kankuro stood at the door to the sick bay and swallowed the lump that sat in his throat.
'Naruto...'
Hearing the door open he looked up and saw Sasuke.

"H-How...is he?" Kankuro looked down at the floor as he felt the tear fall.
"He cried himself to sleep again. I have to get back to class and keep an eye on Gara, for both yours and Naruto's sake." Sasuke slowly walked through the door way and stopped when he was next to Kankuro. Even though the two of them played on the same team, neither of them really paid attention to the other, now they had something in common.

"He never told me about him being raped...I didn't know..."
"A lot more than just rape went on in that house... in his past… much more than he is letting on." Sasuke looked at the elder. "I'm only telling you this, because you care for him and because you're Gaara's brother. I'm not letting him get hurt, for anyone. That goes for Gaara too. If I see Naruto cry when they are together, because of him, I WILL take Naruto away, within a heartbeat." Kankuro watched as Sasuke looked back down the hall making sure no one is around.
"The one Naruto and I were talking about, the one who did all those things to him... is our Science teacher... and is friendly with your brother." Kankuro didn't say anything and just continued to look at the ground. "Imagine what going on in Naru's head, having his past get close to his present." With that last comment, Sasuke walked down and hall way.

'My brother is friendly with the guy...that did this to Naruto. How did this happen? When did this happen?'

"Kankuro...you still there?" Kankuro tensed at the sound of Naruto's voice through the door. He opened the door wider and walked in and saw the Blonde sitting up and hugging his legs.
"Are you okay?"
"I don't want to be alone. It took my forever to convince him to leave me and go back to class to watch over Gaara... but truth be told I didn't want him to leave me..."
"You love him don't you?"
"I don't know who I love anymore..." Kankuro watched as Naruto pulled himself into a little ball. "Why? Why did he have to come back? I was so happy. All I had to do was to wait for Gaara remember me again. He already told me that he had started to... And Sasuke understood my feelings towards red and stepped down… I just want to be happy. Is that too much to ask?"

Kankuro walked over and hugged Naruto as he cried. Lifting his arm, he started to pat Naruto head like he did after Gara had a big attack. It was the only thing he could do.
"Would it be weird if I asked you to fuck me?" Kankuro looked at the Blonde and pulled him to his chest.
"Very weird, as I think of you as part of the family." Naruto's head sunk lower, and he stayed like that till he passed out.

'I now know why Sasuke said there was a lot more he wasn't telling us. Someone who uses physical actions to take away his surfing... Does that mean when he's hurting, he wants someone to hurt him, to make him feel better? What the hell happened to him? forced to watch his parents died in front of him, raped by the guy who he trusted most and who killed them... but for who long did it last? What else happened? I want to know... but I can't do anything about it. Fuck! How the hell can someone who has been through so much, smile the way he does? I don't understand. Why do you hide everything? Why do you bottle everything up? Is it so you don't hurt the people around you? So it doesn't affect your future? But isn't bottling everything up, make it worse in the future?'