Naruto luckily got back to the shack before any of his housemates woke up and made it to his bed without a problem. He didn't really feel like dealing with Shino's motherly scolding – he was still pissed at him - and he could do without Kiba's brass demining behavior. He curled up in his covers, pretending to be asleep until Shino came and 'woke' him. Shino, by his quieter than usual behavior, obviously expected the blonde to rip his glasses off and claw out his eyes and, honestly, Naruto had expected himself to feel like doing that. However, Sasuke's presence still had its calming effect on him; he couldn't decide if he liked that or not.

Shino, for obvious reasons, gestured for Naruto to wake Kiba. Crouching beside his friend on the floor, Naruto gently shook his shoulder. After his normal grumbling waking noises, Kiba rubbed his eyes opened with a yawn. "Is it morning already?"

The Uzamaki nearly crumbled at the pitiful sound of his voice. Softly, he said, "Yeah."

Sitting up, Kiba stretched out his cramped muscles; the floor was anything but merciful. He rose and rushed over to his bed where Akamaru was just waking judging by his yawn. "How ya doin', buddy?" The Inuzaka asked the dog. His tail flapped once, joyful at the sight of his best friend even when he was in pain. Kiba stroked his face, murmuring sweet nothings.

The sight of those two softened Naruto to a whole new level of soft. The scene was so beautiful and serene; they were the ultimate picture of friendship. He knew he and Kokoroiki were close but they weren't this close yet. He hoped they would be one day. Leaving the two alone, he fetched the food left at the door and split it between the four of them. He indiscreetly gave Kiba some of his portion so that he and his dog had more to eat. Akamaru gulped down the food graciously.

The TB's came by to collect the plate and Kiba said goodbye to Akamaru. "Isn't he coming with us?" Naruto asked when he shut the door behind them.

"There's no way he's going anywhere in that condition," Kiba said, voice hard with certainty.

"But . . . what will you tell the instructor guy?" the blonde asked, concerned for his friend's safety.

"There's two parts to the training: training the dog to work the ground and search for dangers and training the human to work with their partner and how to respond to the situations. I'll just go to the human one today. If that guy has a problem, he can take it up with me!"

Naruto sighed, waving goodbye as he went down a different path. "Don't do anything stupid."

Greeting Kokoroiki with an affectionate rub in between her eyes, Naruto began to put the halter on her when Sasuke's voice stopped him. "Don't bother."

He turned to him, eyebrows furrowed. "How come?" He no longer felt the need to be formal with his master.

"I'm giving you the day off," the raven replied, taking the halter from his hands and hanging it back up. "You're tired; you've been up a whole twenty-four hours."

"I'm not ti-" he was interrupted when a yawn betrayingly overtook his features. Sasuke rose an "oh really?" eyebrow and Naruto scowled. "Oh, shut up."

Sasuke smirked, going up behind him and pushing him out of the stall. "Get out of here."

Sticking his tongue out over his shoulder, the blonde gave up his fight and, with a farewell wave, trudged his body back to the shack. He'd been fine when he'd left but exhaustion hit him out of nowhere, as was normal when pulling an all-nighter. Akamaru thumped his tail against the bed, lifting his head slightly off the pillow when he entered. Naruto gave him a gentle scrub between the ears. "Hey, Akamaru." He cleaned and rewrapped his wounds before curling up in his bed with a contented sigh. He was asleep a moment after he closed his eyes.

Naruto was lying on his back with his hands behind his head, staring at the sky. It was a bright baby blue sea tinted with tiny puffs of white clouds. A bird passed over, adding its own sweet melody to the ones already being sung around him. He propped himself up on his elbows, gazing around him. He was in a meadow, surrounded by luscious green grass beautifully splattered with combinations of yellow, white, blue that matched the sky, and purple flowers. Large forest green trees encircled the meadow. Tiny birds could be seen, the source of the music ringing in his ears.

Looking down, he realized he was not in his regular slave clothing. A bright orange and black jumpsuit similar to what the emperor's ninja force wore was clothed upon him. He gazed curiously at it before he felt a shifting movement beside him, telling him he wasn't alone in this paradise. Before he could turn to see who it was, Sasuke's voice sang in his ear, breathy and heated.

"Fuck, you look hot in that uniform."

Naruto turned his head towards Sasuke, their noses brushing. A smile was placed delicately on his face as he purred, "So do you."

Sasuke's eyes heated up, lust filling them. His hand slithered onto the back of his neck and up into his hair, tangling itself there, causing goose bumps to arise on the blonde's skin. The hand added pressure and Naruto leaned forward without complaint.

Naruto shot up in his bed, chest heaving as he panted. "What the fuck?"

Though he had sent Naruto off to sleep, Sasuke could survive longer without sleep and was perfectly fine with staying up for the rest of the day. Having the whole day to himself, he decided he would take Kage and go for a much needed calming trip through the woods. Time provided, he might even go visit Shikamaru. He hadn't seen his best friend since he'd come over three weeks ago.

Decision made, Sasuke reentered the stables and made his way down the rows, stopping to visit Kokoroiki. He got shocked glances from the slaves taking care of the horses there, but he ignored them. Coming to his horse's stall, he stopped. Kage nickered delightedly at the sight of his owner. His deep black coat shone healthily at the bath he'd just received by the slave assigned to him today. The slave was now trying to clean out his hooves, but the stallion took his foot back and walked to the door to be petted by Sasuke. He graciously complied. The slave bowed respectively to him. "Can I help you, sir Sasuke?"

"Yes, saddle him up. I wish to go for a ride."

"But I have not finished his hooves, master."

Entering the stall, Sasuke did a quick inspection of each of Kage's hooves. "They should be fine until I get back." With a nod, the slave scurried off to retrieve a saddle and reins. Turning back to the horse, he patted his neck. "How's it going, Kage? I haven't seen you in a while." A soft whinny was his response. "I've been busy with Kokoroiki. You know, if she finally cooperates and she lives up to her father's legacy, she might even get paired with you. You're a legend of your own." The slave returned and he watched with a critic eye as Kage was saddled and prepared. This man wouldn't see another day if he prepared his horse wrong. Luckily, he did everything with a professional hand and Sasuke was off before long.

Ripping out of the stables at a piercing gallop, Sasuke steered Kage with an expert hand to the front of the estate, around the fountain, down the gravel driveway, and into the woods that surrounded the estate. He slowed to a light trot when entering the trees, picking his way around the large trunks and undergrowth. Along the way, he slowed even more into a nice walk, strolling through the forest. He closed his eye as the sun, peeking through the leaves, trickled his face with strange patterns. A bird called overhead and he opened his eyes to watch as it hopped in the trees alongside them before flying off completely.

Kage stopped every so often to nibble on an interesting plant. During one of these stops, Sasuke heard a soft rustle in a bush nearby. Sliding off the stallion, he approached the bush to investigate. When he was a foot away, a rabbit shot out from under. Instantly, Sasuke gave chase and Kage loyally followed behind. He chased it as it bobbed and weaved between trees and undergrowth, trying to lose him. Eventually it did, its fluffy white tail taunting him as it slipped into a hole. Panting, Sasuke collapsed to the ground. Kage came up beside him and nudged him with his nose. Finally, the raven couldn't help it and he burst into laughter. The image of him chasing that rabbit was so ridiculous, so childish that he found it absolutely hilarious. It felt good to laugh and let out some stress. Before Naruto arrived, he hadn't laughed in eight years. He still remembered it.

He'd been ten years old. That had been a time before his father found him completely useless. Figaku was showing him the fields and explaining the importance of the Uchiha's empire when two of the house dog's puppies came racing by. Figaku paid them no mind, but the young Sasuke watched as they played with each other, rolling and tumbling. His tiny giggles rose into a loud, childish laughter. His father had yelled at him, screaming the importance of all he had been teaching him. He explained how laughter was a meaningless distraction against the things that mattered. The next day, the dogs were mysteriously missing and Sasuke hadn't laughed since.

The memory sobered him up a bit and he stopped his drunken laughter. He stood, brushing himself off. Something caught Kage's attention, and he headed off through a line of bushes. Curious, Sasuke pushed through them behind his horse and found him drinking from a swift stream that ran through the woods. Kneeling beside the stallion, he drank, the cold water piercing his throat. When he was done, he looked around. "I know this place," he said to the stillness around them. "This is the stream that cuts through Shikamaru's woods." He scratched his head in wonder. "I didn't realize we'd come out so far." Shrugging, he remounted Kage and steered him through the well-known trees. Before long, the edge of the forest came into view and the Nara estate was beheld before them. The Nara's were a wealthy family, their game company surpassing all others. Shōgi was their highest selling product. Their house was large but moderate due to the fact that they preferred a simpler life rather than the high royalty life the Uchiha's lived. Their slaves were few and loyal.

Shikamaru was on the porch, playing a game of shōgi with himself. He glanced up when Sasuke rode up and gave Kage to a slave to be given water, a corn mash, and a wash down. The raven sat opposite his best friend who asked, "Care to join me?" His eyes never left the board.

"No. I'd never make it three seconds against you; never could." The problem with the Nara's owning a gaming company was that they were the masters at them and could never be beaten.

Shikamaru shrugged. "I will not deny that fact." Sasuke huffed good naturedly. The Nara made a move before asking, "How are you coming along with that filly?"

"It's going pretty good. She actually approached me yesterday. Ate right out of my hand."

Shikamaru nodded, eyes never leaving the board. "Good."

"Has your mother finally shrugged off that flu yet?" Sasuke asked, settling back into his chair.

"More or less. Doctor says she just needs a few days rest to be well." Another move was made, one that looked completely senseless to Sasuke.

"You know that that was a stupid move, right?"

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow to his friend. "Is your faith in me that low? I'm hurt." He didn't sound that hurt. The raven watched as a few quick strides and the Nara had completely trumped his non-existent opponent.

"See?" Sasuke asked. "This is why I don't play against you."

Shikamaru chuckled. "I do see." Leaning back in his chair, he said, "Now that my game is done, let's talk."

"Weren't we just talking?"

"We were talking?" The genius asked. "I didn't notice."

The Uchiha rolled his eyes. "You think too highly of yourself, Shikamaru."

He raised a glass of iced water that sat on the table beside the board to his lips. "With good reason."

"With good reason," Sasuke agreed, nodding. The two shared a quiet laugh and Shikamaru sent his best friend a suspicious glare. "What?" the raven asked.

"You're not Sasuke. What have you done with my friend?"

"What the hell are you talking about, Shikamaru?"

"My best friend does not simply laugh at ease like that."

"Well he does, it seems, as he's been doing it for a while now."

Shikamaru leaned onto the table, fingers clasped together and his chin resting on them. "Explain."

"Well," Sasuke settled down for the story. "You know a month ago when we bought those slaves? Well the blonde one, Naruto, is the one who's helping me tame Kokoroiki. And as the process goes on, we talk and whatnot. He's actually not that bad to talk to. He's even gotten me to laugh a few times, as it turns out." Though he'd felt the need to keep Naruto a secret from Itachi, he felt free to talk to his best friend about it.

"I'm surprised that you, son of the most slave-hating man in Japan, would befriend a slave. Quite a rebellious one, you are."

"I haven't befriended him!" Sasuke exclaimed. "We've simply talked, that's all."

"Uh-huh," Shikamaru said, unconvinced.

"It's true!"

"I'm sure it is."

"It is!"

Shikamaru took another sip of water. "Sasuke, I've known you since we were ten and we've been best friends just as long. I can read you better than you can read yourself. Do not question the facts, my friend."

"Whatever."

The Nara rolled his eyes. "How long do you have to stay; I know your father keeps you on a tight schedule."

Sasuke looked at the sky. His mother had tried to get him to wear pocket watches, but he found the sun far more trustworthy. "I should probably be going. He's going to start seething soon."

"I see." Both men rose as Shikamaru waved for a servant to fetch Kage. Within a few moments, his glistening black coat was rounding the corner. As Sasuke was mounting, Shikamaru called, "Why don't you take the road this time instead of traipsing through the trees?" Sasuke sent him a scowl. The Nara shook his head, smirking. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Sasuke broke into a gallop down the driveway. Then a thought hit him. Shikamaru said he'd see him tomorrow, but he had no reason to. They hadn't arranged any time to hang out and they didn't plan any trips to town. Still confused, he shoved it aside; it wasn't that huge of a deal. If he came over, he came over. Simple as that. Still, it nagged at his brain. There was something he was supposed to know but couldn't remember.

Naruto was still curled up on his bed, freaking out, when his housemates got home. Though his dream had been short, it took up half the day. He'd spent the other half where he was now, trying to figure out what the hell had just happened. It couldn't have been . . . real. Of course it wasn't real; it was a dream, you dummy! Therefore it means absolutely nothing. I'm just going to forget it ever happened and move on with my life. Yeah, that's it.

It took half the day for him to come to that conclusion.

Kiba looked at him strangely when he entered the shack behind Shino and Konohamaru. "Why are you here so early? Normally you get here after us because you have to take care of that horse after normal departure time."

"I – uh – got the day off," Naruto scratched his head, embarrassed to have not worked when they had.

Kiba gawked. "You g-wha?"

"Hehe, yeah."

"That duck-ass-haired-dick actually let you off?" Kiba scoffed as he went to check on Akamaru. "He's taking a liking to you, blondie. Don't really know if that's a good thing. For all we know, he's some queer rapist and he's planning on giving it to you up the ass."

Naruto gagged on the water he'd been drinking to try and calm his nerves. He spewed water across the room, narrowly missing Konohamaru. "Hey, watch it! That's gross!" The kid made a twisted face.

The Uzamaki ignored him as he stared, wide-eyed, at Kiba. "Wh-what are you talking about?"

Kiba shrugged. "I just get a weird vibe about him. I wouldn't trust prick ass if my life depended on it. I could take 'em though; that guy doesn't scare me."

Naruto paid no mind to the large-ego comment at the end as he collapsed on his bed. Konohamaru rushed over, hurriedly waving air in his face. Shino strode calmly into the room. "I think you just gave him a panic attack."

"Is he gonna be okay, Shino?" the kid looked up at his fatherly figure.

The tall man checked Naruto's pupil dilation. "Yeah, he should be fine as long as Inuzaka over there doesn't give him another rape lecture."

Konohamaru sighed with relief before turning a questioning look at Shino. "Hey, Shino, what's rape?"

The Aburame froze, his face flushing of all color. Kiba, on the other side of the room, burst into uncontrollable laughter. The kid sent him a curious look before returning his gaze to Shino. The man stuttered. "Well – uh . . .You see, umm . . . Why don't we talk about this when you're older, huh, Konohamaru?"

"Oh, is it an adult thing?"

"Yes. It's a very adult thing." Konohamaru nodded in understanding as he padded off towards the door, leaving Shino to catch his breath again. The kid returned with food as Naruto regained his right of mind. "What the hell is wrong with you, Kiba?" the blonde exclaimed as soon as he snapped 'awake'.

The Inuzaka shrugged innocently. "Hey, it's a thought."

"Yeah," Naruto grumbled. "One that's gonna give me nightmares."

Despite all that and despite the fact that he slept earlier, Naruto fell asleep shockingly quickly and with surprising comfort.

The four males exited the house the next morning with renewed strength. The extra sleep had given Naruto a burst of energy. Akamaru had shown some major improvement from the night before so Kiba walked with a bounce in his step. Shino and Konohamaru seemed to be eating off the two friend's high spirits for they had high ones of their own. The tension between Shino and Kiba had perished and ease again found its way into their group again.

A young slave girl hidden behind a heavy load of boxes and bags began to cross their path when her foot caught a root that jutted out of the ground. Time seemed to slow as she fell, the boxes beginning to fly. With animal-like reflexes, Kiba reached out to steady her with one arm while catching the crashing load with the other. "Careful with those," he warned.

A bright blush erupted on her pale face. "Thank you, Kiba."

Recognition sprung on his face. "Hey, aren't you Hinata? Sasuke's personal slave and maid?" She nodded, something like pleasure on her face. "Damn, these are heavy. What's in 'em?"

"Choza requested specific ingredients for the special birthday dinner tonight."

Naruto perked up curiously. "Who's birthday is it?"

"Master Sasuke's." She turned back to Kiba. "Thank you for saving me. I must be going now."

She reached for the boxes, but the Inuzaka promptly held them out of reach. "These are too heavy for a lady to be carrying. I'll escort you there."

Another blush crept onto her face, fiercer than the previous one. "Thank you, Kiba." With a farewell to his friends, Kiba and Hinata headed off in the direction of the house.

"Man, I hope he isn't late for training," Naruto mumbled as he and the others continued on their way.

The day proved to be a beautiful one, the most beautiful Naruto had seen since he'd arrived here. It was a moderate temperature; neither too hot nor too cold. The sky was a bright blue dotted with puffy white clouds and a cooling breeze gently wafted across the landscape. Birds from the surrounding trees sang their joy of the day and everyone seemed to be in a brighter mood than normal; it was as if a drug hid in the breeze, bringing them all to a marvelous high. This day was so much like the meadow in his dream that Naruto found it double as hard to look Sasuke in the eye.

"Naruto," Sasuke said roughly. The Uzamaki shook out of his mind-stilled state to find Sasuke leaning in, looking into his eyes with his own onyx narrowed. Embarrassed by the dream that popped into his head, Naruto instantly averted his eyes to the ground. "What kind of day dream world are you living in?"

"Sorry," the blonde mumbled, digging his toe in the dirt. "I was just dazed."

Sasuke snorted, straightening. "I'll say." Sasuke had been in the pasture already when Naruto had brought Kokoroiki in. He'd risen from the ground when the blonde had entered and let her loose. As he watched her run around, his thoughts had drifted but he hadn't realized he'd dazed out. He felt his face heat up when Sasuke sent him another suspicious glance, as if he might go out of it again.

They settled in their usual spot on the grassy ground. They sat in a comfortable silence for a while as their eyes watched the chestnut as she had a stare-off with a curious squirrel. Naruto wandered his sapphire orbs to the ground where he'd been absentmindedly playing with a flower. To his dismay, it was a bright blue exactly like the one's from his dream. Another blush erupted on his face - seriously, how many times can a person blush in a single day? - and he thanked any higher being that Sasuke wasn't looking at him right now. After some contemplating, he delicately plucked it from the ground, extending it to him. "I know it isn't much, but here; Happy birthday, Sasuke." With some trouble, he lifted his eyes to the onyx, but the dream was still fresh in his mind and he couldn't hold it for very long.

The raven stared, shocked, at the flower for a few silent moments before hesitantly taking it. "Happy . . . birthday?"

"Yeah," he paused. "It is your birthday, isn't it?"

"Yeah, yeah. It's just . . . I forgot."

Naruto's eyes whipped up to his, the dream no longer his first thoughts. "You forgot your own birthday?"

Sasuke slowly nodded. "I don't have very good memories with them so I tend to block them out." Naruto cocked his head curiously, prompting him to continue. "My father tends to make things unpleasant, at best."

"I'm quite fond of my birthday memories," Naruto said. Sasuke's eyes burned into his own; that was the Uchiha's way of prompting. He obliged. "My parents thought that birthdays were the most important day of the year - even more important than Christmas or New Year's or something. They made a fuss about it. Everything had to be perfect but it was all done in a fun perfect way, not a strict perfect way. Decorating was always my favorite part because we'd always get into a huge fight with the streamers. Me and Mother would always team up and wrap my dad in it. As a prize for winning, we got first pick of the cake. And with that prize piece, we'd shove it in his face. It was tradition and it never ceased to bring smiles to our faces and laughter to our throats.

"My mother was a party fanatic. She'd invite everyone she ran into and she was so loved, so charismatic, everyone came. Even people we didn't know, but by the end of the night, we did. She'd make all the food herself - she was a great cook - and she would always make a huge bowl of ramen just for me because she knew how much I loved it.

"My father was more of the entertainer of the parties. Though he was normally a calm and collected person, he'd go crazy at parties, showing a side of himself that people never saw. He'd mingle and chat and let out his inner goof. He always made a point to find me during the party and wish me happy birthday as many times as I was old." Naruto stopped, chuckling softly. Sasuke looked curiously at him and he explained, "I was just thinking of this one time when Kyuubi, my pet fox that I rescued from starvation as a cub, he was frazzled by all the people - it was his first birthday party with us - that he was trying to find a place to hide. So, he jumped into my cake. All that earned him were more laughs that scared him even more. He eventually got used to all the people and joined my dad in the entertainment of everybody with a few tricks that I was able to teach him." Naruto chuckled again. "He was a crazy, little guy . . ."

Sasuke's eyes never left Naruto who's face had turned to gaze absentmindedly into the clouds as he spoke. As the blonde trailed off, they lapsed into another comfortable silence before Sasuke asked quietly, "Do you miss them?"

Naruto nodded slowly, finally turning to face him. "It's hard sometimes, when you think about the memories, and you want nothing more then to just live through them one more time because you never appreciated any of them while they were happening. You just lived through them because they were happening. It's not until their gone and you can never get them back that you realize how precious they are to you. How much you love them."

Sasuke was silent for a few heartbeats before softly saying, "It is better to have memories of good times than to have your memories ridden with bad."

Before Naruto could respond, Kokoroiki, sensing the distress coming in waves from the pair, came trotting over to investigate. She lowered her head and switched her gaze between the two. As if an act of reassurance, the filly rubbed her nose against Naruto's face comfortingly. He gave her a pat of thanks. Her work with one done, she turned to Sasuke, wrapping her lips around his nose in a playful manner. Even in his somber mood, he couldn't help but let out a huff of laughter, giving her a circular rub in between her eyes. Her good deed done, Kokoroiki let out a whinny as she grabbed an apple from the basket and raced to the other side of the enclosure, a mischevious look in her eyes.

"I was supposed to feed you those!" Sasuke stuck out his tongue at the horse. Seeing the flick of the pink muscle in such a childish manner from such a serious person was enough for Naruto's deep-in-memories attitude to flip and transform into laughter. It felt like he was in one of the parties he spoke of and his father was enteracting entertainingly with Kyuubi. He felt a similar warmth to his chest as Sasuke sent him a small smirk, his face lit and eyes bright.

"Master Sasuke," a soft, respectful voice spoke behind them. Just like that, the smirk was gone, face deflated, and eyes dimmed. His usual scowl fell naturally onto his face. It was like he was a whole other person and one that Naruto liked far less.

Sasuke stood and turned to face the slave and Naruto scrambled up beside him. "What is it?"

He bowed. "Sir, Shikamaru Nara has arrived and has requested your presence."

"I see." The raven dismissed the slave. As he turned to him, Naruto could see a little of the old light return. "We're finishing early today. Take care of Kokoroiki." He spun on his heel and headed out of the pasture and to his house.

Shikamaru was sitting in one of the porch chairs but he stood when Sasuke approached. "I trust Sekkachi is being well taken care of in our stables?"

"Actually," Shikamaru said. "I came by carriage."

Sasuke's eyebrows raised slightly. "Carriage? You only take those on certain occasions."

"Today is a special occasion," the Nara proclaimed as he held out a box. "Happy birthday." The raven took the box and traced his finger along the beautiful carvings and decorations before opening it. Inside was a shōgi game. "Practice; maybe you'll become actual competition someday."

A small smile fell on Sasuke's face as he took out a game piece and held it up. The silver sparkled in the sun. "It is true, then." Shikamaru's voice caused him to set the piece down and send his friend a curious glance. "What?"

"You really do smile more freely."

Sasuke shrugged. "I guess."

The Nara's eyes darted behind him and he could hear the faint but familiar sound of feet on gravel. "And here is the reason why."

Sasuke turned to see Naruto approaching. His eyes were downcast, seemingly embarrassed. "You didn't tell me what to do after I took care of Kokoroiki, Master."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at his formality; they hadn't talked to each other as slave and master in weeks. He must feel the need to do so in front of others. He glanced over at his best friend and found him looking at Naruto with curious eyes. Finally, he stuck out a hand. "I am Shikamaru Nara. You must be Naruto Uzamaki; I've heard a lot about you."

The Uzamaki's eyes widened with surprise. He'd never been greeted by a higher class such as this before. They normally wanted him graveling at their feet. Hesitantly, he took the offered hand. "You . . . you were there when they bought me, weren't you?" Shikamaru nodded. "I remember you." Naruto smiled, proud of his own memory. With a glance between the two friends, he said, "I guess I shall return to the stable for horse duty, then."

"No," Sasuke stopped him as he turned away. "Take the day off; you work hard enough."

"I feel useless when I don't work," was Naruto's excuse. He just didn't want to go back to rest in fear of another dream. He'd rather work than risk that. "Maybe I could help Hinata?"

Sasuke furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "I . . . guess. She should be in the maid's quarters in the house." With a nod, Naruto turned toward the front door. "Go in the back," Sasuke stopped him. "My father doesn't take kindly to slaves entering where only high class should." Nodding again, the blonde dismissed himself around the corner.

The two young men watched him until his disappeared around the edge. Shikamaru said, "I can see why you like him; he's got a dazzling smile." Sasuke didn't say anything and the Nara took that as an agreement. "You know, you should just make him your personal slave."

The Uchiha turned his eyes to his friend. "Hinata already is."

"Yes, but all she does is maids' work anyway. You hardly have any use for her, but him . . . well, I think you could use him far more than you use her and you're around him more than her already anyway."

"What do you mean I could use him?"

"He makes you smile," Shikamaru explained. "Personally, I think you need to start the day smiling; it'll do wonders for your scowl lines."

Sasuke 'humph'd good-naturedly, sending his friend a furrowed-eyed look before saying, "I'll consider it. Now, are you staying for dinner? I hear Choza's making a surprise meal, but it's hinted to be quite exquiste."

"I wish but I cannot," Shikamaru said. "I have some family matters that need taken care of."

"Does it have to do with your mother?"

"Yes. She seemed to get worse instead of better; damn doctor."

Sasuke nodded in understanding. "Send her my regards."

"I will." He gestured to a nearby slave and within moments, his carriage was brought back around. WIth a farewell wave out the window as he drove off, Shikamaru left the Uchiha estate. Sasuke waved him off before turning to enter the house. He reached for the doorknob, gripping it tightly with his hand, and froze. At this time of day, he father would be seated in the parlar room, smoking cigars and pondering anything that came to his head which was usually his disappointment of a younger son. The parlor room was right off to the side of the entrance hall; he would no doubt hear and see him enter. Sasuke didn't feel like dealing with his father today of all days, but then again, when did he ever? Nonetheless, he started around the house on the opposite side than he normally did. The sound of gently sloshing water met his ears as he walked between his house and the river that separated the rice fields from the rest of the estate. Something in the water caught his eye and when he turned, it was a sight like no other.

Caramel bronze skin shown in the dimming afternoon light. Arms reached toward the sky as a stretch rippled through the body. Poor nutrition proved for a thin layer of fat but it provided better view of the muscles that lay just underneath the skin, developed from the long work hours. A toned chest sat atop portruding ribs. Six abs were clearly defined against the rest of his skinny stomach. Water droplets cascaded down his body, outlining every muscle as they slithered down. Blonde hair was turned a dark gold that flew as he flipped his head, causing more droplets to fly. Sapphire eyes that had been closed before now opened, blessing the world with their beauty. They locked with onyx and widened in surprise.

That simple action snapped Sasuke out of his shock of seeing such a sight and he instantly noticed his own staring. He averted his eyes to the ground and kept walking, hoping to escape before anything unwanted happened - he was beginning to feel very heated but it was embarrassed heat, or so he told himself. However, Naruto ran up to him, leaving a wet trail in the grass behind him. His mouth was open, no doubt about to ask the question he came over for, but Sasuke spoke first. "What are you doing in the river?" His eyes raked down his dripping body as if in a critique manner and instantly regretted that choice as something coursed its way through his body once more.

"Hinata was helping Choza with dinner so she asked me to help with the laundry," Naruto panted, running a hand through his wet locks, exposing his toned side.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, trying to keep his eyes on his face and his appearance calm when really his heart was pounding like a drum for reasons unbeknownst to him. "Last time I checked, you don't go underwater or remove your shirt to wash clothes."

Naruto scratched the back of his head, casting his eyes elsewhere. "I, uh, kinda had some trouble at the beginning. Washing is a lot harder than it looks!" He added when Sasuke sent him an incredulous look.

The youngest Uchiha was quickly losing control of his bodily functions. His heart was beating at an unhealthy rate, his lower region refused to move, and his eyes kept wanting to wander down to the dripping, tanned toned chest displayed for all to see - for him to see. He had to get out of there before he did something drastic. Like touch that caramel skin. "Well, I got, uh, birthday stuff to take care of," Sasuke ridiculously excused himself and forced his legs to carry him to the back of the house. His disbehaving eyes yearned to look back once more, but he forced them forward, directly ahead. He could almost feel the burning of Naruto's confused eyes on his back.

Sasuke burst through the kitchen door, panting as he leaned against it. What the hell was wrong with him? He shouldn't be reacting to another guy - Naruto, of all people - without a shirt on in such a way. He should at least be able to look him in the eye! Choza's bouncing laughter reached his ears. Looking up at him, he saw he was mid-stir of a large boiling pot. Hinata was staring curiously at him from the cutting board scattered with bits of carrots. "Just saw your lady friend again for a birthday special, eh? I looked just like that when-"

"Oh, shut up, Choza," Sasuke growled as he stormed out of the kitchen and up to his room. He liked the chef but he didn't feel like listening about how he looked like a lovesick young man because that was one thing he was not. Though, even with all he'd been telling his brain these last couple weeks, he couldn't think of an explanation to what had just happened. Crazed birthday stress was a stretch especially while explaining why it had decided to happen right then and there.

He ran a hand through his already tasseled hair and blew out a breath as he removed his cloak and draped it across one of the chairs by his fireplace. The fire that was constantly kept there was burning gently, softly caressing his cheek with its heat as he got closer. Standing in front of it, he gazed into the mesmerizing flames, hands absentmindedly going into his pockets. He jolted with surprise, however, when something brushed his finger. Pulling it out, he gazed at the bright blue flower that Naruto had given him earlier. His smooth, warm voice drifted through his head. 'Happy birthday, Sasuke.' Three simple words seemed to hold so much: their sprung friendship, their trust, their mutual appreciation of the other's company. But friends didn't react to each other half naked like that. That was . . . that was . . .

Absolutely nothing. He thought to himself as he tossed the flower onto his nearby desk. I'm just stressed and my body's reacting accordingly. With a sigh, he sank into one of his chairs by the fireplace. Naruto had brought nothing but confusion and trouble to the young Uchiha. But he'd also brought smiles, laughter, and a confident. "Damn it, Naruto . . ." He rubbed his face tiredly. He was exhausted already, but he still had to deal with his birthday dinner with his family, or rather, with his father. "I hate birthdays . . ."

"Master Sasuke." Sasuke blinked blearily around him. He'd apparently fallen asleep as he watched the flames dance. He looked up toward the voice that had woken him and found Hinata's wide, pearl eyes peering down at him. "Sir, dinner is being served."

The raven groaned, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. "Alright, I'll be down soon."

She hesitated. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"No," he grunted, still trying to fully wake up.

Still, she hesitated. "Are you sure there is nothing you'd like to talk about?"

He sent her an exasperated look. "There is nothing to discuss," he said tightly.

With a nod, she finally departed. He looked after her, eyes furrowed. Was he really so obvious with his distressed behavior? He knew the kitchen scene was a bit drastic, but other than that? Shikamaru had picked it up by a mere smile. Maybe his Uchiha scowl wasn't as perfected as he thought.

Quickly changing into appropriate dinner attire, Sasuke gracefully descended the stairs and through the large wooden doors leading to the dining hall. He was, of course, the last to arrive. "Late as usual, even on his birthday," Figaku commented. Sasuke grit his teeth as he sat down.

"Happy birthday, sweetheart," Mikoto patted his hand and the raven nodded his thanks to her. His eyes locked across the table with Itachi's, but his older brother said nothing. There was a slight something in his eyes that Sasuke couldn't make out or maybe it was just the lighting.

Choza, perfect timing as always, burst through the door, announcing the dishes as they were placed and revealed on the table. "Today, being the special day that it is, I've made an assortment of the young Master Sasuke's favorite dishes. First is the Alpine salad which is an assortment of foreign fruits mixed with the normal lettuce and tomatoes of any other salad. It is topped with Ji-ho cream dressing. The soup for today is a special Akimichi recipe, the Akimichi Spice Soup. It is a mixture of broth and various spices and herbs that work well together, making a grand soup indeed. The main dish for the day is Onigiri with okaka and tomatoes settled in a ramen based brewing. Dessert is, of course, a birthday cake. This cake, however, is drizzled in ice cream, chocolate, caramel, squeezed strawberries, and a secret sauce of mine. Please, enjoy your birthday meal." He led the other workers back into the kitchen.

Sasuke began with the spice soup, desiring its taste as he thought back to his last cooking lesson. When he'd scraped the last of it from his bowl, he scarfed down the salad before turning toward the Onigiri. As he bit into it, the ramen based juice seeped into his mouth and Naruto popped into his head. He was leaned back on his hands, eyes gazing wondrously and dreamily at the clouds as he was downed in his memories. 'She would always make a huge bowl of ramen just for me because she knew how much I loved it,' he was saying. Sasuke stopped moving, just gazed onto his plate at the ramen broth below. Naruto, Naruto, Naruto. He popped up anywhere he went, even when eating a meal. Why couldn't he get him out of his head?

"Are you alright, dear?" his mother asked, gazing curiously at him.

"Huh? Oh, yeah." He returned to eating but every time a new squirt of ramen would trickle down his throat, a new picture, a new scene of Naruto would appear in his head. Damn that stupid slave.

When the meal had been devoured, for it was a good meal indeed, the family leaned back in their chairs to let it settle before continuing to bed or some other activity. They were silent for a while before Mikoto turned to him. "So, Sasuke, how does it feel to be nineteen? Oh, you're so old. It seems like only yesterday when you were a tiny little baby in a diaper, wailing in the night for mommy or daddy. Don't you think so, Figaku?"

"I think that he was a lot more useful when he was a baby," his father said. "Possible business partners and clients saw a baby and were softened to a gooey pulp that I could sculpt into the thing I needed. Now all he is is an eater of my food and a user of my facilities."

That was the last straw. He'd dealt with the degrading and verbal abuse for the better portion of his life and he'd bottled it inside himself as he tried again and again to please his father. But today, when his mind was in a tangle and his emotions in a twist when all he wanted to do was enjoy his birthday for the first time in his life, it was too much. He was tired of it, of everything. And he was done. Before he could do something drastic that might cause his arrest or execution - his father had that power - he stood from the table.

"Figaku!" His mother exclaimed as Sasuke silently shut the door behind him, an eerily calm look upon his features. "Figaku, how could you say such a thing? I told you to stop this nonsense! Now go after him!"

The eldest Uchiha ignored his wife as he stared, narrowed eyed, at the door in which his youngest son had just exited. His vision moved to the left as Itachi stood from the table. "You simple-minded idiot," the monotonous phrase drifted to his ears with a crash as he stared, surprised, at his favorite son. Itachi paid him no more mind, however, as he exited after his younger brother.

Sasuke had made it to the porch when Itachi strode out behind him. The raven stared back at the looming figure in surprise. "What do you want, Itachi?" he growled, calm demeanor gone.

"What are you doing?"

"I just need to get some fresh air and blow off some steam."

"Where do you plan on going?"

Sasuke sighed, staring into the darkening sky. "I just need to go for a walk."

Itachi turned back for the house. "Walk away then."

Sasuke stared after him for a few moments, having cooled down some, when his father's face appeared. Having heard his mother's exclamations, he figured she'd finally gotten him to do as she asked. He didn't give him the time, however, as his earlier rage coursed through his veins again. He was off the porch and down the drive-way in a heartbeat.

Naruto had just finished hanging up his final load of laundry when the sun had begun to sink and darken the sky. It had taken awhile, but a few tries after Sasuke's appearance, he'd finally gotten the hang of scrubbing clothes. He'd been instructed to hang the finished loads on a tremendously long clothes line that stretched along the driveway that led to the house. Why they couldn't have a line closer to the house, he didn't know. Nonetheless, he was done and could enjoy dinner with his housemates and finally go to sleep.

As he made his way toward the Complex, his thoughts drifted to the strange occurance earlier by the river. Sasuke had looked so . . . stunned. As if he hadn't seen a shirtless guy before. The way he jittered and twitched, it was like he was uncomfortable. Did he have a problem with bare chests? But the way his eyes would travel, it was almost like he was checking him out. But that wasn't it, right? Sasuke was definitely not checking him out. He couldn't have been . . . right? It wasn't as if Naruto hadn't been checked out before. There were a few slave girls that he would catch staring at him from afar when on duty and then there were few who weren't so subtle and didn't try to hide their appreciation for his body. But the thought that Sasuke Uchiha might have been checking him out sent a weird feeling to his body. Almost like . . . appreciation and excitement? No, that couldn't be it . . .

An object was coming at him full speed and it snapped him out of his thoughts. None other than Sasuke Uchiha was racing down the driveway with incredible speed, gravel flying behind him in a cloud. He slowed slightly when he saw Naruto and stopped completely when he stepped in his path. The look of pure twisted rage on his face sent a shock of fear through the blonde. "What is it? What's wrong?"

Sasuke tried to move around him, but Naruto sidestepped to block him again. "Move out of the way!"

"Not until you tell me what's wrong."

"What the hell do you think is wrong?" The raven exclaimed. "I've been telling you all about my problems, for whatever reason. Aren't you supposed to know these things?"

"Was it your father again?" Naruto pleaded. He didn't want him to think that all their time together had been for nothing. "Is that what's bothering you?"

"Well good job," Sasuke growled. "You actually learned something."

The blonde sighed. "What did he do?"

"What do you think he did, Naruto? Please, inform me all of what you have retained," Sasuke snapped sarcastically.

"Was he just a ginormous ass as usual?"

"Well, good for you. You've got a portion of it," the raven tried to move around him again, but Naruto stopped him by placing his hands firmly on his chest. The feel of the hard, toned muscles dazed him for a moment, but he snapped out of it when Sasuke tried to move again. "Get off of me, Naruto."

"Where are you going? You've got to stop acting out randomly and think about your actions. Talk to me. Tell me what happened and I can help you through it. We can work it out."

In response, Sasuke grabbed hold of Naruto's wrists and tossed him to the side. He tumbled to the ground from the force of the blow. "Leave me alone, you stupid slave." With that, he took off down the driveway again.

Naruto lay there, stunned. The ice cold fierceness in his voice chilled him to the bone, but worry built inside of him. Worry that it had all gone too far this time and Sasuke might do something stupid, something he'd regret when he had calmed down. With that in mind, he scrambled up and took off after him.

When he'd finally caught up with him, they were right outside of town. Seeing how the Uchiha estate was hidden away from civilization, it was now far into the night and he wouldn't have been able to see if it wasn't for the lamp posts that lined the street. Naruto was panting and had it not been for the adrenaline and pure will power coursing through him, he probably would have collapsed right there. Sasuke sent him a glance over his shoulder but did not speak nor did he send him away. Seeing how his earlier approach hadn't turned out so well, the Uzamaki decided it was best to just follow him and make sure he stayed safe. So as they traipsed down the streets, Naruto trailed obediently behind his master, like a faithful dog. The town was silent - it was night after all - save for the occasional singing of a drunken man as he stumbled his way home. Naruto glanced nervously around. This was just like that night, those couple months ago . . .

"What, are you scared of the dark, dobe?" The voice shook him out of his memory to see Sasuke staring back at him from a few steps ahead. "You look like you just watched your precious Kyuubi get run over by a carriage."

"No!" Naruto exclaimed, pushing the horrid image out of his mind. "I am perfectly fine in the dark, stupid . . . stupid teme!" He rushed to catch up.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Such disrespect." He grabbed Naruto's chin roughly, turning his face up towards his own. "I should beat it out of you." Dark onyx burned into sapphire fire and the blonde saw something flash in his eyes. They stood in silence for a few heartbeats, frozen in that position. Time seemed to stop as their eyes never left the other's gaze. They were ripped out of their own little world when strong arms wrapped around Sasuke, pulling him backward. Happy to have finally find a way to channel his rage, he directed all his force into ripping those arms apart and flipping the man to the ground. Before he could try and figure out who he was, two more men appeared. The first one swung a fist, but the raven ducked and swiped a foot under him, knocking his feet out from under him and causing him to tumble to the ground. The second's fist connected with his gut and he doubled over. Jerking his head back up, he rammed his skull into his attacker's chin. While he groaned, Sasuke punched him across the jaw and sent him flying with a powerful kick to the stomach.

A quick glance behind him showed that Naruto was going against two of his own opponents. Sasuke was slightly impressed to see that he was holding his own quite well. He couldn't marvel long as this time four men came from the shadows. Fists and feet flew, grunts and groans filled the air. The Uchiha had two of the four on the ground, but he was holding his own injuries and the long run here was catching up to him. He was panting twice as heavily as he should have been. He glanced back at Naruto again, knowing he'd been winded by the run as well. Three men were laying on the ground, but four were standing around the slave. Horror filled him and timed seemed to slow down as he saw Naruto hit the ground, bouncing once from the impact. A sneer laugh rang in his ears as a foot dug into the blonde's side. Though he made no sound, Naruto's facial features showed the pain. Forgetting about the two men left by him, Sasuke gave in to the growing rage again and dove into the circle. Standing protectively over the fallen body, he downed two of them within a matter of moments before the two he'd been fighting before came and joined the remaining two. He swung and kicked, but they eventually overpowered him, bringing him to the ground. He wriggled and thrashed about, but they didn't loosen their hold. His eyes, however, never left Naruto. He was still crumbled on the ground when he started to come to. His eyes blinked open and he looked around, confused, at the many men standing about. Recognition flashed in his eyes and he instantly started looking around frantically, finally locking with Sasuke's. He started to sit up and crawl towards him when one of the other men noticed him. The large brute grabbed hold of the blonde's golden spikes and swung him around to look at him. Naruto's eyes squeezed shut and his mouth opened in silent pain as he was held up by his hair.

"Where do you think you're going, blondie?" the man growled. He turned toward one of his other associates who was helping one of the fallen men up. "Where's Kija?"

"I'm here!" a young boy burst around the corner. He couldn't have been more than thirteen years old, and he was dragging a large wooden box behind him.

"Finally," one of them snarled. "You were supposed to be right behind us." He snatched the box from the kid.

"Sorry," Kija murmured, fear clear on his face. None of them paid him anymore mind, however, as the four men holding Sasuke and the man brutally gripping Naruto threw them into the box and shut the lid over top them, locking them in complete darkness.

The wooden prison was large enough for the two young men to sit opposite of each other. Sasuke leaned against the side with his arms resting on his knees, and he could hear Naruto situating himself on the other side. The Uchiha blew air angrily out of his nose as he tried to catch his fleeting breath and calm his racing heart. The slight rocking back and forth told them that they were being carried away.

"These look like able-bodied workers; the boss'll be pleased," the voice of one of the men carrying them was muffled but just audible.

"What the hell is this?" Sasuke exclaimed in frustration.

"Dorei hanro," Naruto responded with an eerily calm voice. "It's an underground slave market. They kidnap kids and people off the streets then sell them as slaves."

The raven glared suspiciously into the darkness in the direction of the voice. "How do you know?"

There was a pause before a sigh was heard and he continued softly, "Because that's what happened to me."

"Oh," Sasuke whispered.

As per usual, Naruto could hear the prompting in just that single word. "It was like any other day; I was just playing outside with Kyuubi when something happened and the barn just went up in flames. The horses were baying inside and one of the farm boys rushed out saying that a lantern had been knocked over. My dad ran straight into the fire without hesitation; those horses were everything to him. They were his source of income, his confidants, his friends in solitary; he loved them. He began to get them out one by one. My mother ran in to help. I tried to go in too, but my dad shoved me out and told me to get some water for the horses. So I did. When I came back, smoke had filled the air and it was a wonder the barn was still standing. I saw my father and mother run in one more time. Two more horses ran out and I waited for my parents to follow. I saw their silhouettes in the smoke and I was running to greet them when the wood finally gave in. It collapsed right on top of them. The fire department finally arrived and put out the flames. People were helping take care of the horses. Every single one had been saved. But they hadn't; I was only twelve.

"The tragedy rippled through town like water and the whole town population showed up for their funerals. Since neither of my parents had family, I was supposed to go live with our closest family friend, Jiraiya. I liked him; we hung out a lot and while he was a pervy old man, he wasn't a bad guy. But it wasn't home and I couldn't stay there. So one night, I packed up my few remaining possessions, wrapped some food in a bag, and left. Since everyone knew me in town, I walked for three days and reached the next town. I lived on the streets, stealing the food I needed and just surviving on my own. I tried to get a job, to try and build a life, but no one wants to hire a scroungy street boy, especially high class stables. I lived on the street for six years until I was ambushed one night. Now living on the street for most of your life teaches you a few things and I took them all out, but then this guy with these weird puffy pants and his face wrapped came out. He wasn't like anyone I'd ever fought before. He eventually took me out and I was dragged into the slave market. We traveled in a boat across a channel and in a cargo carriage to this big warehouse where traders would pick out the one's they'd like to sell. Orochimaru picked me and then you bought me and I've been your slave ever since."

Silence wrapped around them only broken by Sasuke's quiet, "I'm . . . sorry." His early rage had long since vanished as Naruto's life story had been laid before him. Sasuke didn't know how he had handled all that and dealt with it so optimistically. He was forced to work to for a cruel family where he didn't get paid and he could possibly get killed yet he always managed to bring a smile to the raven's face when, compared to Naruto's, he had hardly anything to complain about. His family was still here, he had a roof over his head and food on the table, he'd never had to salvage for food nor had he gone to bed hungry; he'd always been provided for. It all made his earlier rage attack seem childish and useless. "Look, what I said earlier," he said. "I didn't mean-" A sudden jolt roughly rocked them around. Something warm was pressed onto Sasuke's lips. Something warm, wet, and had a slight metallic taste of blood . . .

"G-Get off me, dobe!" Sasuke exclaimed as he shoved Naruto off of him. The blonde flew back to his side of the box, a thud sounded as he hit his head on the side. "What the hell was that?"

"I-I-Nothing! I just fell, I wasn't . . . I didn't . . ." They lapsed back into silence. For the first time, Sasuke was glad that it was dark because he didn't want to explain why his tongue lashed out, licking any traces of his remaining taste and why heat suddenly rushed through his body heading in two directions: his face and to a certain lower region.

As a blush grew bright on his face, Sasuke decided that this was the worst birthday ever.

A/N: So I totally imagined the laundry scene in slow-mo. If you didn't, go back and read it and picture it in slow motion. It's so much more epic XD

Dorei hanro means slave market in Japanese.

Reviews=love(: