Author's note: We're almost done with this story. I know, tear. T.T But life goes on. With just a few more chapters we'll be finished. I'm not exactly sure how we should end it, but it'll come to us eventually, right? ^_^

Well, I hope you enjoy, sit back, relax, and enjoy the most important chapter…and I'm still lookin' for that beta. Any offers??...Please…^_^

Aside from that, onward with the ficy…

Beyond Closed Doors

Sasuke slowly padded up the walkway to his front door. He had taken one of his nightly walks, discussing a few circumstances with himself. There was too much contemplation flooding his mind at once. It had his mind spinning.

He sighed before looking up at the sky. The sun peeking over the horizon, which meant it had to be around six, maybe seven o'clock. He didn't intend on staying out that long.

He shuffled in his pocket for the keys. Then he shoved the key in the hole and opened the door. He kicked off his sandals, and slipped out of his navy blue jacket that was slung over his shoulders and hung it on the coat rack beside the door.

Sasuke padded over to the couch, his bare feet softly screeching against the floor board. He plopped down onto the couch, snatched up the remote and, routinely, surfaced through the channels.

Sasuke's night strolls usually cleared a few things from his mind. Mostly he thought about the blonde, and mostly he gave himself excuses for these "feelings". But he knew undeniably, that he practically loved him, no matter how many excuses he gave himself, it didn't change that fact.

Sasuke sighed, leaning his head against the back of the couch. He had to clear his head. He needed mental space, but in actuality, he didn't want space, he needed to be close to the boy…

Close enough to feel his breath against his skin. Close enough to hear him whisper shudders in his ear. Close enough so that their lips graced the others with a kiss. Close enough - 'What the hell is wrong with me'!

Sasuke took a deep breath before closing his eyes. He could no longer deny himself of his feelings for him. How he wish he could claim Naruto's lips again. He wanted to touch him, and envelop himself with his scent.

'What good is hoping'? He thought. 'Hoping only leads to suffering'. Hoping was a form of redundancy in his mind, and redundancy was pointless.

He didn't want to go through this suffering anymore. He didn't want to wear his mask any longer. It was too much. Too overbearing. Too heart wrenching, to where just the thought felt like a day without air.

He stared up at the ceiling unseeingly. How was he supposed to deal with this? How do you cope a broken heart, that hasn't truly been broken? He didn't know.

He looked over at the winding-staircase. 'Naruto is only a few steps away…so why does he seem, further. Miles further, years even'. He rose from his spot on the couch, and dialed a button on the remote, causing the television to die like it has many times before.

He laggardly stalked over to the staircase. He looked up at the turning steps, and took another deep breath before ascending with cautious footings. He reached the top step and stopped.

The hallway seemed endless - like the depths of an abyss - and was taken into complete darkness. He looked over his shoulder, and through the transparent window that loomed over the front door. It was a big circle shape, which reminded him of the growing void in his heart - that was like the typical black hole without remorse.

He turned back to the infinite hall, taking his first step into the darkness - actually his first step into the darkness was a few years ago - his heart began to run rapidly. He didn't understand why his heart was racing when he was only walking down the hallway - well, he knew why, he just…he didn't get it.

He took another deep breath. He passed his brothers room and an uneasy aura slammed into his chest. Every step beyond that closed door, another wave slammed into him, each stronger than the last.

It was as if something wanted him to go back, and his mind agreed without a doubt, but his body thought otherwise. He kept walking, his knees wobbling meagerly.

He leaned against the wall for support. Now, this was something he really didn't understand. He all of a sudden became drained. He looked over his shoulder, and he could've sworn he seen a purple aura swirling around Itachi's room.

He turned his attention back ahead; as he pushed off the wall onto his feet. He commenced walking again, his legs feeling like lead with another step, there was another, ping! - if you will. But it was more than just a ping, it felt as though it was taking everything from him; energy; senses; he was gradually growing paler; and breathing was now a compatible challenge.

He staggered further down the hall, determined to reach his destination; Naruto's room. Every step was an entourage of stringing pain. He wasn't going to give in, because like his brother - and every thing that he owned - that damned room of his didn't want him to have anything. As ridiculous as it may sound, it was a logical explanation - hell, the only explanation!

He groaned, clenching his chest. Damn it hurt. It hurt like a bitch, but his body refused to quit - he wasn't weak, he could handle this. But, he had to admit it was not a pleasant experience. No not at all, but quite the opposite.

His eyes were blurring, his sight fading like the graying of the nighttime sky. Clenching his chest and somberly stammering onward, he almost tripped over his own feet - which he could barely see were directly in front of him.

Damn that ostentatious door! Damned Itachi! This was his fault; everything that's happened to him in the last four days has totally been his entire fault. Then he had the pretentious audacity to leave and not come back for an entire week. This was something Sasuke wished for, but when circumstances hailed this difficult when he was gone he'd - as hard as it is for him to admit - rather the asshole is here with him.

"I-I'm gonna - kick your ass". He breathed out solemnly. "When you get back…you fucking asshole". He couldn't take this anymore; even his mind, along with his body was beginning to protest in agony.

He was close to Naruto's room - he cursed himself for putting him halfway down the hall. 'If I knew this was going to happen I would've put him on the couch'.

He was only a couple of steps away from the door when a brutal stinging pain zealously attacked his chest and, unceremoniously three other waves of concentrated evil fell against him like a ton of bricks.

He ungracefully fell to his knees, hissing in the process. Aversively he closed his eyes, his blurred vision becoming overwhelming. He fluttered those onyx, blurred eyes open, noting the door knob was mere inches from his grasp. He couldn't, and wouldn't give in. Not to Itachi and sure as hell not to a damn door - or whatever the hell it was that didn't want him near Naruto.

He gnashed his teeth, raggedly tottering over as he forced himself up. He reached out for the knob with shaky hands, and - of course - another agonizing sensation rushed through him. He winced lividly, snarling under his breath.

"Fuckin' - bitch"! He snapped gravely, closing his eyes and forcing all his potent willpower to reach out and clutch the god forsaken knob.

Sasuke instantly fluttered his eyes open, the pain cutting through his chest no longer perceivable. His wobbling knees empowered with a valiant vigor and his senses as sharp and keen as ever. He was breathing normally, flowing smoothly.

'What the hell just happened'? He looked down the hall but, everything seemed to be in order - by which means dry and dull, and dark as usual - and there was no purple like aura seeping from under Itachi's vanity of a fucking room.

'I don't understand this? What just happened'?After a few moments of unhelpful consideration on the subject, Sasuke shrugged the thought to the back of his mind for another day and time. He now concentrated on the task before him, and he twisted the knob; opening the door slowly.

The raven poked his head into the room, confirming his suspicions of the sleeping blonde. Then he opened the door wider so he could step in. He padded towards the naturally ruffled haired boy; his soft snores a light and euphonious lullaby to the Uchiha's ears.

Naruto was sprawled out over the bed, the sheets twisted, skewed and contorted in ways that a human body could never perform. His chest heaving a melodramatic rhythm, making him seem like one of those CPR dummies.

Sasuke gracefully placed himself on the open edge where Naruto's four limbs and body weren't claiming territorially, close to the boy's chest. His eyes softly grazing over his perfect caramel skin and features. Hesitant fingers… …

Hesitant fingers twitched at his side, daring to touch that angelic face. Sasuke lifted his hand and cautiously reached out towards the blonde's face, his fingers quivering like a frightened child to feel the warmth of his skin. Stopping his fingers over the surface, he took a silent deep breath and closed the rest of the way.

'Oh my god! It feels…better…' It felt better than he thought it would. He slowly began to cup his cheek. 'Jesus'! It felt so good. Naruto's warm cheek cradling in his palm, the feeling of his smooth skin and his soft, ear pleasing snores; it was all so good, and perfect.

The raven flinched against the blonde's touch when Naruto cuddled closer to his touch, perhaps, somehow enjoying the feeling of his cold hands against his skin. Sasuke's breath hitched instinctively, but he relaxed once Naruto stopped moving.

Sasuke rested his other hand on his thigh, but removed it quickly when he felt it was freezing. It must've been colder outside than he thought, and he hadn't noticed because his mind was too involved in something more. Plus, his jacket was only slung over his shoulders so he should've known better --

"Sasuke", Naruto drawled softly. Sasuke relinquished his thoughts, turning his attention to the now smiling blonde. Naruto's lips were slightly upturned. Sasuke allowed a small tug at his own lips, revealing a small smile of his own.

Sasuke slowly caressed the skin in his palm, gingerly and with delicacy as if he would crumble under the slightest pressure. He gingerly traced the shape of his face with his index finger and thumb. The smoothness, the warmth, the perfection of it all was so alluring.

Subconsciously, he lightly brushed his thumb over the full pink lips, which were kind of dry at the moment, but nonetheless full and beautiful. Reluctance beaded into Sasuke's stomach, as he gracefully and silently moved closer to such full and beautiful lips.

Leaning in closer, he stopped, much like he did with his fingers, but not out fear, but to take another moment to ravish in his unbelievable beauty before his eyes closed in unimaginable bliss. Then, he sealed the gape shut. First, lightly brushing their lips together, but then he pressed down mending himself with the sleeping blonde. And he began to melt at the feeling.

God! how he's awaited for another moment like this. He could feel the heat from Naruto's lips flooding into his mouth, warming his chilled cheeks. This moment was so renowned. He couldn't believe he deprived himself of this for so many years, just to dream of the day to claim it again. It felt so new, so different, so much better than before.

The heart grows fond when you and the one you love have been separated for so long, and through the years, his fond heart grew a little bit fuller as each day went by and Naruto uttered words of happiness. As each day went by and he was dazzled in Naruto's presence, and he would feel a bit more complete with each smile Naruto shone his way.

His heart grew. It grew until it felt like it was going to burst out his chest. It grew so much, that he needs another just breath because one just wont do anymore. He needs Naruto's heart to live, to breath, to feel wanted, and to be an individual. Sasuke wouldn't be Sasuke, without him.

The Uchiha slowly opened his eyes, his lips still connected with the blonde's. He noted the strained look on the blonde's face, and he reluctantly departed their lips, staring down at the boy.

Naruto made muffled noises, and he shut his eyes tight. Slowly…very slowly, those thin, yet long lashes began to flutter open. Naruto hesitantly strained himself to open his eyes, "Sasuke"? He murmured to the blur in front of him, as his crystal blue eyes adjusted to the dark.

But to Naruto's confusion, that blur was not the young Uchiha. It was only the moonlight streaking through the blinds and into the room, creating a reflection of the raven's hair, as moonlight passed through the many leaves sprouting from the tree branch outside his window. (1)

Naruto looked around the room; noticing no sign of the Uchiha, only that the room was consumed in darkness, save for the moonlight shining through the blinds. Naruto just shrugged it off, and went back to lying down; trying to ignore the sinking feel in his stomach that perhaps Sai was nearby. But little by little his mind began to drift into drowsiness and soon he was back into a soundless sleep; lying on his side.

Sasuke approached him from the depths of one of the shadowed corners in the room. He repositioned himself on the bedside, tenderly caressing his face. He sighed whilst moving golden locks from his eye.

'If only I could have you, but that could never happen while…Sakura is in the picture'. He didn't have a grudge against Sakura, he just hated that the blonde said he loved her; no matter how well he took it then it still hurt.

"I love you Naruto", he whispered. "I just wish you could understand that". He softly placed a kiss on the blonde's temple before standing and leaving the room.

The next morning, Naruto had awakened to the clamorous sound of the t.v, the volume on full blast and the roar of a vacuum. He slowly pried his eyelids open, blonde lashes fluttering strenuously to the boldness of sunlight that enveloped the room.

He yawned cumbersome, his jaw popping almost inaudibly. Performing his daily routine, he threw the sheets aside and stepped out of bed. The floor was cold against the sole of his feet; he wanted to escape back into bed but opted to press forward towards the door.

As before, he used the walls as his support, guiding himself wherever he needed to go. It really was tedious to not be able to move faster than two mph, but he had to face the realization: if he moved any faster it would hurt like hell!

Naruto sighed. Tedious things were so…tedious. He has forced to suffer with of the results of Sai's actions. It wasn't fair, but neither is life.

"Naruto"! Sasuke shouted, for no reason at all. Naruto had just stridden by his room, and he turned around. Sasuke wasn't there. He stared further down the hall, but no sign of the raven was down there either. Then he fixed his eyes ahead, Sasuke was nowhere to be found.

To hell with him, Naruto thought and proceeded to descend the spiral staircase; there the raven was on the couch, in what seemed like a comfortable position.

"Did you call me"? Naruto inquired. Sasuke turned in the direction of the blonde's voice, an awkward stare in the raven's eyes. It wasn't as if he was mad or upset with the blonde, but it was just an expressionless staring; an even more expressionless stares than usual.

"You climbed down the stairs on your own"? Sasuke interjected. Naruto pulled off a small smile before saying:

"Well yeah, I'm not that hopeless…", and as the words left his lips that small smile formed into a frown upon his face. He dreaded the word "hopeless"; it was exactly how he felt when Sasuke needed him most. That word was like Lucifer's poison to him; like toxic.

Sasuke complied with his statement with a remark of his own. "I suppose not", he said, unaware of the sorrow formed on Naruto's face. "But I was trying to tell you to stay up there when I heard you coming down the hall. I figured now would be a good a time as any to wash and clothe you".

Naruto groaned passed his grief for the moment. "So you're telling me I walked down these stairs for no reason"? Sasuke just gave him a curt nod. Naruto growled to himself.

"Don't worry. I'll help you back up the steps". Sasuke said before switching off the television he was watching and going to Naruto's side to aid him up the steps.

Thirty minutes later, Naruto and Sasuke emerged from Sasuke's personal bathroom, a towel around the blonde's waist and Sasuke's shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows.

The raven guided Naruto over to his bed, delicately placing him down and allowing him to adjust himself to a comfortable position. He then stalked over to his dresser and rummaged through his clothes, searching for a pair of pants and a shirt he could no longer fit.

"Sasuke"? Naruto called quizzically. Sasuke answered him with a soft "hn", and continued his toil for the clothes. "Can I wear some of my own clothes"? The inquiry stopped the Uchiha's physical ranting with the dresser, and he turned to the blonde.

"Well that's going to be a problem". Sasuke informed.

"Why"?

"…Your clothes aren't here". The raven bluntly stated, and he focused back on the job at hand.

"Well could you go to my apartment and get me some"? It was a simple question, and a simple "no" would have sufficed rather nicely, but no, Sasuke had to blow it up into something further.

"You expect me to go all the way, on the other side of the village, just to get you some pants and a shirt? You really want me to go that far for something so trivial"? He asked, somewhat growling. "Hell, in that case you might as well just walk around in that towel because that's not going to happen".

Naruto sort of wanted to blush at the thought of him walking around Sasuke's house in nothing but a towel all day. But he really just wanted to wear his own clothes. "Sasuke please", Naruto pleaded. "I just wanna wear my own clothes --"

"Is there something wrong with mine"? Sasuke inquired skeptically.

"No", Naruto replied quickly. "Your clothes are just too big for me and mine are just right. So can you pretty, pretty please, go and get me some of my own clothes"?

"No". Sasuke stated; point blank and dry.

"But you promised to take care of me". Naruto growled, narrowing his eyes slightly. He had to bring that into the situation, he just had to.

Damned blonde idiot, Sasuke snarled. "Fine". He stated with finality, defeat also traveled behind the statement. "Just stay here and don't move".

"But what if I get hungry"? Naruto asked.

"Too bad", Sasuke growled. He stormed out the door, grumbling to himself as he slammed the door shut. Naruto wanted to laugh, why? He didn't really know. But there was a reason he really, really wanted to laugh.

But he subdued with slight snickering, and he covered his mouth.

Sasuke continued on with his grumbling, as he stomped down the steps and towards the door. He snatched up his navy blue jacket from before, checked the pockets for his keys, locked and slammed the door after storming out; all the while grumbling obscenities.

Naruto looked around Sasuke's room for anything interesting to do until Sasuke's return. Sadly, there was nothing. The raven's room was like a desert; plain, dry and unwelcoming. Naruto sighed, only because it was the funniest thing to do at the moment.

It really is a shame when breathing is the funniest thing to do when you're in a house that has God knows how many bedrooms. Where was the game room at? Where was the movies room? 'What about Itachi's room'? Naruto absently thought.

That absent thought actually began to formulate in his mind until a sudden grin spread across his face. "I shouldn't", he backed out. "Sasuke told me not to".

'But when will you get another opportunity to go into Itachi's room? I repeat Itachi's room'?! His inner voice screamed.

"I might never get another opportunity…", he seemed to contemplate the idea. "But Sasuke said no, so I shouldn't".

'Awe come on, don't be a wuss. This is a golden opportunity; I assure you that you'll never get it get again. Come on, even Sasuke's only been in there twice. He's so damned anti-social, aren't you curious about what he might be hiding in there'?

A million and one thoughts flashed through his head at the thought of Itachi harboring secrets in his room. He could have lewd magazines, complementary sex toys, some dead bodies, probably a thong and some makeup, some transsexual clothes that he goes out in at night when he suspects Sasuke's asleep, some dead bodies. There could be anything in there.

"But Sasuke--"

'Alright, now you look here you crippled son-of-a-bitch! I really want to see what's in that room, so don't you screw this up for me. Just go in and check it out, you don't even have to touch anything…just look around'.

Naruto really looked like he was weighting both arguments, and determining the better decision.

………

"Alright, I'll go check it out, but I won't touch anything". He told himself. Painfully he pressed off the bed with his palms as hard as he could; positioning himself on his feet. He used the bed for support until he came to the end of the bed and he wobbled on weak -- but healing -- knees until he was at the door and he opened it.

He held on to the door frame, his grasp firm as he pushed himself to the opposite wall of Sasuke's room. Then he limped to Itachi's bedroom door. Like in his dream, the door looked so huge in comparison to him, although it really wasn't.

He grabbed the knob and twisted it, opening the door. Instantly, a purple aura -- that looked like a ghost -- flew through his body, its mouth open wide as if about to eat him when it charged.

Naruto's grip on the knob weakened, and he was thrown into the picture on the opposite end of the door. Naruto's back broke the glass of the cherry blossom tree photograph, and he hollered abruptly when he fell on his bottom.

He hissed, and gnashed his teeth to reconcile with the pain in his rear. "Goddamnit", he hissed through clenched teeth. "What the hell was that"? He inquired to no one. His back, which was bare and sort of still dripping with water droplets, was not bleeding from the broken glass amazingly.

The broken and pendulously hanging picture frame fell, coming down hard onto the blonde's shoulders. Shards of glass from the picture dug into his shoulders. Naruto hollered a second time from the sudden weight of the frame and the impromptu penetration of glass digging through his flesh.

With tightly shut eyes and clenched teeth, Naruto again pressed himself up with the palm of his hands. His hands fingering the little and big pieces of glass haphazardly scattered amongst the floor. Naruto used the wall for support and pushed himself towards Itachi room, reconnecting his grip on the doorknob.

'I don't know what the hell that was, but it was scary', he grimaced at the pain in his rear, and shoulders. 'It was scary and painful'. Naruto reached over his shoulders, and pulled the subtle pieces of glass from his back.

He had two thin, but deep cuts on his right shoulder and three on his left. He was still perplexed on what it was that hit him, and refused to let it go, so he just set to the back of his mind for the moment.

Naruto breathed deeply to calm himself. He stepped through the doorway and into the room.

His eyes first gazed over his bed; not as big as Sasuke's but still pretty damn big. As a matter a fact, Itachi's room seemed to be the smallest room Naruto's come across yet. The floor was hard wood; a reddish-brown color.

There was a lectern next to the doorway, and a book atop it, apparently open to a certain page. Itachi had a collection of books conventionally aligned on the bookcase next to his bed, and the window that illuminated light into the room - which was on the other side of his bed was ajar.

Naruto looked around, and seen a desk with a lot of papers scattered amongst it and a closet in the corner of the room; along side the desk complied with papers, or his workstation.

"What's so interesting about this room that Itachi only let Sasuke in here twice"? He questioned to no one, aloud.

'How about we go investigate that then,' his inner-self suggested.

"No, I said I would only come and check it out, and I wouldn't touch anything and I did just that". He told himself. He turned around, but stopped.

'You came this far, you might as well just go ahead and get the deluxe package and find something worth while. Seeing that you came this far, sucking up the excruciating pain in your ass with every step you take, you might as well get what its worth'. His inner-self sure was a good advocate.

"Yeah, I guess your right". Naruto opted. He turned back around and shut the door behind him after he managed to balance himself without it.

Stumbling over towards the lectern, he flipped the book atop it over and read the cover. It said: Controlling Your Voodoo. That's odd. Naruto turned the book back to its rightful page and scanned over some of the words, trying to make sense of it. But all he seemed to get out of it was broken fragments of sentences like; voodoo is, and under their control, and new master.

Naruto put it together and added a few words of his own in an attempt to better understand. "The voodoo is under their control and…you're a new master"? He drawled skeptically. "Become a new master"? He didn't understand that part. 'What the hell does a master have to do with this? Just forget it'.

He left the book on its page in prior and slowly stalked over to Itachi's workstation that was elusive under all the papers. Naruto stationed his bottom in the rolling chair, speculatively analyzing the papers in front of him. He read the names written on them…

Fugaku Uchiha… Mikoto Uchiha…Madara Uchiha…Obito Uchiha… Shisui Uchiha...Tekka Uchiha…Inabi Uchiha…Uruchi Uchiha…Yashiro Uchiha…Teyaki Uchiha…Izuna Uchiha…Itachi Uchiha and...Sasuke Uchiha

"What is all this"? Naruto scanned over it, but again none of it made any sense to him. It repeatedly said: "Freed by Death". None of this was comprehensible, but further more what's the point of Itachi studying all of this, and why is his families history involved?

Naruto sighed in confusion. He rose from the chair, and staggered over to the bookcase, grappling the edge to keep his poise. Starring at the spines of the books protruding from the bookcase, he easily read the sideways words.

Pulling a few books from the shelf and searching through them after putting them back, he came across a rather rough looking book. It was odd, considering all the other books looked brand new, although while searching through a few of them, the publishing dates contradicted that statement. But the one before his very eyes was clearly a statement of age. It was bending meagerly and the spine of it was withering away. It looked dangerous, as if he'd catch some sort of a virus if he touched it, and that's why all the instincts in his body told him not to touch it.

Naruto grabbed the book from the shelf, and opened it to the book marked page. Reading what he could he came across those unnatural words, and once again tried to read it out loud.

"Mens…Sa-Sana, in Cor-pore…Sano". He said in his broken speech. "Mens Sana in Corpore Sano". He repeated more confidently.

……………………………

He still didn't get it. He sighed and placed the book back. There was a light vibration under his feet, and he looked down, and then back up. The bookcase was moving slowly and silently. Naruto stepped back keeping himself poised, witnessing in awe as another walkway was presented to him.

Once the bookcase stopped moving, he cautiously stepped forward. It looked like one of those caves that you'd see people go into for hidden treasure, like that movie, "National Treasure". It was a stone pathway, with a lit torch hanging from a holster. There were actually plenty of torches that led down the damp and cold corridor.

Naruto took a step in and retreated his foot. The stone ground felt like subzero against his bare foot. He glared at the ground for being so cold. He tightened the towel around his waist and walked in again, absorbing the below zero temperature that made his naked flesh feel like dry ice.

He grabbed one of the torches with his left hand and supported himself with his right, pressing off against the wall as he walked.

Sasuke walked up the steps to Naruto's apartment, breathing heavily. Either he's out of shape or he ran most of the way to Naruto's apartment. Either way, he was tired and surprised to see that Naruto's door was still not fixed.

He stepped into the doorway and sighed. 'I can not believe I actually came all this way for him'. He shook his head in disbelief, but commenced to collect Naruto's clothes - that is if someone hasn't already come in through the busted door and steal them.

He started in Naruto's room, the most evident place to begin. He walked in and frighteningly jumped back when he felt and heard crackling under his feet. Looking down he seen the picture of him and Naruto. He'd shattered on a mistake - or so he thinks.

He listlessly thought why the photo was on the floor. It wasn't there when he had spent the night, unless someone came into Naruto's apartment and --

"Oh my". Sasuke turned, catching Sai in front doorway. Someone really should fix that door. "What happened here"? He'd asked to no one, aware of the Uchiha's presence. Sasuke left and went to Naruto's closet, grabbing a duffle bag and stuffed the clothes inside of it.

Sasuke walked from Naruto's room, noting Sai still standing at the door.

"Oh, Uchiha? What are you doing here"? Sai inquired. Sasuke answered him with a glare. He hated him, but at this moment he couldn't help but feel his hatred for him grow even stronger. He didn't know why, but he wasn't complaining about it either.

Sai traced the raven's arm down to the duffle bag. "Are you stealing"? Again Sasuke refused to give him verbal satisfaction. Sai's tone was light and perky. "What's in the bag"? He asked almost demented. His voice had dropped its cheerful charade and voice what he was actually feeling at this moment; hate.

"Why are you here"? Sasuke growled back. His glare narrowed in on the raven.

"I believe I asked you first". Sai said. He put his hand into his pocket and felt around inside for something.

"That's none of your business". Sasuke replied. Sai began to return his glare, as he felt the warm handle of the switchblade in his pocket.

"Same goes for you". Sai slowly began to pull it out his pocket. He moved carefully so as to not startle the Uchiha…yet. 'I'm gonna kill him now, and watch him bleed out and gasp for air like a sick little puppy'. Sai smirked inside.

Sasuke retaliated with an indignant, "hn", and stalked closer towards the doorway the opposing raven was preoccupying, readying himself to leave. "Move", he demanded. Sai's eyes narrowed in on him.

Sai slowly stepped to the side, clenching the blade against his palm, waiting for him to leisurely stroll by, unknowing of Death's scythe that would soon conclude his embodied soul.

Sasuke stepped forward, cautiously studying his frame. He finally turned his attention ahead of him upon hearing foot steps. Sai lounged at him. "What's up guys"? Sai grasped a hold onto the doorframe with both hands when hearing the inquiry; and he had immediately performed the action, securely hiding the blade from sight behind the wall. He swung idly on the doorframe, pretense present as he smiled through his irritation.

Sakura, Ino, Kiba and Shino approached the two ravens. "I said what's up". Kiba repeated, almost angered with not given a response the first time.

"Hi". Sai said giddily. His entire structure changed, and Sasuke noted this. He's realized this before, but the sudden change was creepy to say the least.

"What are you two doing here"? Ino inquired.

"I've come to see Naruto", Sai answered. "They informed me he was released. So I figured he'd be here".

"Same with us", Ino said. The new company turned to Sasuke, expecting an explanation. Obviously they weren't given one.

Sakura determined the Uchiha's adamant persona, gazing over him. "What's with the bag Sasuke"? She asked, ad again they were rewarded with no response. The Uchiha strutted passed the newcomers with a disdainful scoff.

"What's wrong with him?" Kiba asked.

"He's an Uchiha". Sai answered cheerily. "What isn't wrong with him"? Sai's underlying hatred for the Uchiha flared cavernously, and so did his hatred for the rest of them because they ruined his opportunity to finally kill off the self-centered, not good enough for Naruto Uchiha.

"That's true." Kiba said, concurring with Sai. Sai chuckled and was battling a war inside himself, so as to not kill the four before him now.

Naruto, consumed with disgust and paranoia, continued to limp through the catacomb infested dwellings. He coughed raggedly, staggering through cobwebs pendulously dangling from the ceiling, and in the corner of the walls.

He coughed more roughly, feeling as though he was suffocating in the compressed setting. He was opting on panicking and racing back the way he came on his limp leg, but as the thought crossed his mind he absently stepped on a panel and a sudden wind blew by. The lit torches blew out and burnt marks lifted a subtle smoke into the air.

Naruto was now extremely tempted to go back, but as sudden as the wind came, a stone slab closed behind him. No turning back. It was dark, cold, and possibly no way to get out. 'Damnit. Why do I listen to myself when I think dumb stuff"?

He proceeded to stalk forward in a blind path. Once he reached about the halfway mark in the pitch-black tavern, he mistakenly leaned against another panel with his hand, he activated another hidden mechanism.

Instantly stone slabs fell from the ceiling and slammed against the ground. Unlike the other stone slab, these were much thicker, and its mission was to smash the unwelcoming company of those lurking around.

Naruto turned and looked behind him, not quite able to discern the slabs falling, but he could hear them slam against the ground. Then he noted them miraculously become ablaze. Unknowing that the slabs were soaked with gasoline years ago, and that there were molted down, and sharp rocks on the ground when the slabs hit the ground. The rocks purpose was to cause a spark when the stone slab abruptly slammed down against the side of it, resulting in the gasoline and spark to correspond and ignite a flame. This would then create a wall of fire.

Naruto's eyes widened, and he hurriedly rushed on his injured leg, breathing unsteadily. He pushed off the wall quickly, and the firewalls kept coming down. They were promptly catching up to him, and soon he would be encased between two walls of blazing fire, cooking alive.

He grabbed a torch that his hand just so happened to have rubbed against. He grabbed it, realizing that this death trap would eventually catch up to him, especially with him being handicap. Now he was using his forearm to push off the wall since both of his hands were holding the burnt out torches.

Naruto had seen a stone slab erupt into a wall of fire behind him, and he dove. He slammed one of the torches onto the sharp rock -- he'd randomly slammed it against the rock, hoping that he hit it -- and he quickly slipped the other torch underneath the one that's been split by the rock. He raced across the floor -- he's lucky that the dusty cavern was damp; otherwise the floor would even be up in a blazing inferno. He raced across the floor, crawling military style with his elbows.

The slab came down instantly. Naruto was almost away from it, all he had to do was get his bum leg from under the stone wall, and -- the torches caught the slab for a split second; for literally only a second -- he pulled his foot from under the slab that was now up in flames. He had his eyes closed tightly, yelling the entire time.

He opened his eyes. The dim light from the fire behind him illuminated his surroundings slightly. Using the light, he found a wall to help lift him up. He looked around, noting he was in a room that was in the form of a circle. Although the light illuminated some of the area, not all of was visible, only the silhouette.

He listlessly stepped forward, stumbling when his foot sunk into the floor, activating another mechanism. Suddenly, the room was lit fluorescently by the torches that rested in their holsters on the wall. Naruto caught himself before he fell, carefully balancing himself without the wall.

Once he was properly on his feet without the guidance of the wall, he stood up straight and studied his surroundings. There was a wall of fire behind him, and the walls were infested with cobwebs. There was a single vent in the shape of a circle, but it was closed shut. The place was cold as ice, he was barefooted, in a fucking towel -- that he was surprised didn't slip his waist when he was rushing for his life away from the prior death trap. He looked up, noting that the top was in the shape of a dome, and he turned to the subject in the center of the room.

Meticulously, he scouted his footing. He was determined not to trigger another death trap to escape from. He slowly moved to the lectern that centered the room, a book cracked open upon it. He was also speculating his steps so he wouldn't fall over without the walls support.

Coming upon his destination, he gripped the sides of the lectern to hold himself up. He released a breath he didn't know he was holding prisoner. Who would've thought that walking with support could be so tiring for someone who'd just been violated less than a week ago? Everyone knew that. But it really was a hassle. He grasped the lectern as he caught his breath.

Looking down at the book, he scanned the bold, golden kanji letters atop a page in the book that read: "Secrets of the Doll". Naruto read from line to line, unable to grasp sense of any of it, yet again.

It read: "Pinch and pull hair softly, and grab left leg and spread it in a thirty degree angle. This will inevitably make the impersonator of the doll to be sexually aroused". Naruto read the line again, thinking, "What the fuck". He shook his head and turned the page.

The title of the new section he turned to was titled: "Possessor". This section he understood better than anything he's read today, but he hardly understood it though. The portion of the text that caught his attention read:

"Once the new possessor of your voodoo has kept it for a certain period of time, they will have the ability to manipulate every action, thought, and words the doll originally belonged to. The time interval of this manipulation is dependent upon the new possessor's will to have you, although it could still take days or decades, even if their desire to have you his strong. If this tragedy occurs, then you'd really be someone's play doll!"

In all the time Naruto was lost from these books, he'd finally placed all the pieces together. The doll he has isn't some fan girls' creation; it's the doll that these books have been talking about. It's a voodoo doll.

"Oh shit"! Naruto exulted surprised. The reason for Sasuke coming to his house, and taking care of him, and what happened to him in the classroom was all clear. "Sai had it when Sasuke had his episode in the classroom, which means he must have done something to it to make Sasuke go through that". Naruto was upset that Sasuke only came to help him because he wanted something from him, but he couldn't really blame him, especially when what he had was of such great importance.

"Why didn't he just tell me"? He asked himself. He wondered if the doll was still where he left it. Everything seemed to have become clear about Sasuke, all his secrets, his attitude towards life, his hatred for everyone. The only thing that wasn't clear was still that one question, who is Sasuke Uchiha? He surely isn't a normal boy, what is his history, or his ancestor's history?

Naruto looked down at the book, figuring the answers perhaps lied in the book. He developed a new vigor of determination to figure out just who is Sasuke Uchiha. He closed and picked up the book. The room began to rumble, and the torches began to fall off the wall.

"Ah shit here we go". Naruto put the book back down, expecting that the activation of the newfound death trap would subside, but of course it didn't. Stepping back from the lectern -- it was instantaneously encased within unbreakable glass in the shape of a dome. Naruto looked up noticing a hole in the dome ceiling opening languidly over the lectern. The room was still shaking violently, and he fell over, hissing obscenities.

Water fell from the open hole in the ceiling, slamming against the unbreakable glass that captivated the book and lectern. Naruto stared at the water alarmed, realizing how it would soon fill the room to the brim. He looked around for an exit, but there wasn't one. The water put out the torches that fell on the floor from the previous rumbling. The firewall was steaming from the mixture of water and fire, and would soon be put out. His source of lighting was rapidly depleting.

He gazed around the room, slow staggering to his feet. The room was quickly filling with water. It was already to his knees and he was starting to panic, while he searched for an exit under a corybantic state. He narrowed his eyes to see better, and spotted the vent on the other side of the room. Rigorously he fought against the water to reach the vent.

Standing before the vent, he noted it was shut tightly. He tried to pry it open with his hands, but that didn't work. This thing was ancient, and must have been closed for years so he's going to need a lot more strength to pry it open with his bare hands. His towel was soaked completely as the water clawed up to his waist. He removed the towel feeling that it would only slow him down.

He looked up, idly wondering where the water was coming from and if it ever stopped flowing. The place was like a billion years old, how is water getting into it? He concluded he had no time to think about that. He had to find a way to open this vent. He banged on it, hoping to break through.

The water was flooding the place more rapidly, already filling above his shoulders. He lifted his head up to avoid being completely devoured by the malicious water. Who would've known water was so dangerous? Of course you could drown in it, but this water was literally here to kill someone.

The water ate him. Naruto swam to the top to get air. He was disoriented. How was he to get the vent open? It was too rusty to pry open, and banging on it didn't help. But he couldn't stop trying. He needed something harder to hit it with. He breathed deeply and dove under the water.

Thank God he could open his eyes under water without being bothered. He scouted around, observing everything. He caught sight of his towel afloat at the top of the water, and he thought maybe he could wrap it around his fist a hit it. But figured it wouldn't work; yeah it would enable him to consistently hit the vent without his fist hurting, but he needed power and that would only reduce the amount of impact against it.

He looked around for something else, but before he could find anything his breath was beginning to escape him at a much too fast rate. He swam towards the ceiling. It seemed much further than before, perhaps because the water was near filled to the brim. He only had a few inches of air to breath before the entire room was full with water. So, he concluded that this would be his last dive and he had to think of something quick.

He breathed steadily at first, trying to calm himself a bit to think of an idea that wouldn't result in him being drowned. He closed his eyes, and instantly an idea sprouted to mind. He needed something blunt to hit the vent with, something blunt and sturdy. The only thing he could remember that was blunt and in his inventory was the torches. Once again he took a deep breath and dove down.

He scrutinized for one of the blunt objects. He prayed that it was still sturdy enough and that the water didn't affect it too much. Scanning the sea floor he dove deeper upon discovering one a few feet from where he was. He swam towards it, and grabbed it. Kicking his legs hurt like hell but he had no other choice if he wanted to live.

He swam over to the vent, and hit it with the stick. But nothing happened. He hit it again, but it wouldn't open. He hit it a third time and nothing happened. He was getting upset, and losing his breath. He slammed on the vent with the torch, over and over and over again until it finally budged and caved in slightly. But it refused to break.

Naruto dropped the torch in a panic, slowly beginning to suffocate. He opened his mouth, releasing the remnants of the oxygen he held in his lungs, bubbles rushing to out his tavern. His lungs were quickly filling with water. Naruto clawed at his throat, craving air. His eyes were closed and teeth clenched.

Naruto wailed his arms and legs around violently. He felt his mind slipping. He threw his leg out robustly one last time, and the vent caved in completely. Water was sucked into the vent, as well as Naruto himself. He was sucked through the tunnel, going through the ventilation. Not the ventilation of the house, but the ventilation of that dark, torture chamber behind Itachi's bookcase.

The water carried him through the vents system, until finally it spat him through another ancient vent -- and let me be the one to tell, it did indeed hurt -- and onto the dusty, sordid floor of yet another darkened, and chilled hallway. What made it even colder was the fact that he was naked from head to toe and wet.

Naruto hit the ground on his back, which helped him cough up the water in his lungs. He sat up slowly so he wouldn't choke on it. But choking was for certain, because water continued to fall from the vent and onto his face as he coughed up the water. He coughed roughly, and tried to lean against the freezing wall, watching the wall fall from the ventilation system onto the floor. There were some torches posted in their holsters.

He relaxed for awhile, but suggested to himself that he move before this hallway was flooded. There was a lot of water in the other room, and it was all flowing into the hallway.

He felt weak as he stammered to his feet, coughing so hard his chest hurt, and air hardly making it into his lungs created it difficult for him to breathe steadily. He clutched his fist against the wall to level himself out. He prayed no other traps would activate.

The water began to flood the hallway now. Naruto could see a light ahead of him. He staggered to the light as fast as he could. He walked against the wall, unaware of the torches that had been brought through the ventilation system as well, and slipped on the one underneath his foot.

He fell, head first into the water, his shoulder slamming against another switch that was hidden on the ground. There was rumbling, much like there was in the last room. He hoped it wasn't more water, and it wasn't. It was just an incredibly large slab of stone, leisurely falling from the ceiling. It was about ten or twenty feet long, and ten feet wide. Naruto opted to stand and limp away, but he quickly figured that, that would be too time consuming and far too much work to do. So instead, he chose to roll away.

Naruto rolled over as fast as he possibly could manage. Although this was dangerous, because there could've been anotherswitch somewhere on the ground the he didn't know about. He was nearing the light, and a crevice upon the stone falling began to form. Pieces of the stone fell from it, but Naruto refused to halt rolling. He was going to need another shower after all this.

He made it before the stone fell down to the ground and crushed him. The solid twenty foot wall of stone also restricted the water from flowing any further. Naruto climbed on the wall for support once more, and continued on his path towards the light.

He eventually made into the light, and appeared in the storage room of a gigantic library. He was cold, wet, dirty, naked, tired, and scared out of his fucking mind. He was never stepping foot in that room again. He limply sauntered from the storage room and into the library room where he also passed by and out into the hallway on a wooden floor.

He looked left, and then right. Looking right there was a dark hall, but left there was nothing but light shining through the many transparent windows. He went left, and found himself in the living room of the Uchiha compound. He mistakenly stepped onto the white carpet, staining it with his dirty black and wet feet. He turned and seen the kitchen, and then he turned and seen the spiral staircase. He saw the t.v, and couch and the front door.

"Where the hell was I"? He asked himself breathlessly. He turned around, and there was a wall blocking his path. He reached his hand out towards the wall to make sure that it was actually there, and that it was. There was a ten foot, solid wall right where a hallway just was less than sixty seconds ago. "What the hell"? Naruto's eyes broadened. It was surreal. Then he turned towards the front door.

Sasuke sauntered in through the door, a bag in hand. Naruto came up from around the corner, disclosing himself to the Uchiha, who in which dropped everything.

"What the hell happened to you"? Sasuke yelled, witnessing his dirt stained, wet, and naked body. Naruto quickly coped and smiled.

"I need another shower". He said, determining to himself that he wasn't going to tell Sasuke about anything anytime soon. He wasn't even supposed to have been in Itachi's room. Sasuke would be pissed beyond any compare.

"What the hell happened Naruto"? Naruto only laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head. Sasuke sighed. "Dobe" and he faintly smiled himself. Naruto is such a hand full, Sasuke silently wondered how his mother was able to do it all. 'She must have really loved him.' He thought, and looked at the blonde, his eyes closed as he scratched his head and laughed nervously. 'So I should be able to do it to then.'

"Come on". Sasuke said, leading the way up the stairs, grabbing Naruto's bag of clothes. He gave Naruto his shoulder and led them both to his room, and Naruto to the shower…once again.

I've apologized time and time again for my everlasting waits to update these stories. So, I'm not going to apologize anymore, because it would be pointless, you know? But I hoped you all enjoyed it, and I thank those who have stuck by me through the beginning, you now who you are. ^_^ Thanks!

1.) The tree branches formed what looked like Sasuke's hair. So Naruto thought it was sasuke, but figured it was only the tree outside the window.

Great ^_^, Good :D, Bad :(, Horrible T^T?...All criticism welcome, it always is!