Is this as horrific as I think it is? *sighs* I'll apologize in advance dear readers... Sorry that nothing much is happening ^_^; Gomen ne?

Thanks to everyone who will make it through this and actually keep waiting and reading. Sorry if i take longer to update too from here on out because I just started the new school year (ew) Homework etc is trying to eat me. I WILL make time for this because it is so much more important that homework lol ;P

Arigatou,

Douzo ^_^

The man breathed out loudly into the quietness of the night time, his red and white robes swishing silently as he walked slowly.

The day had been interesting to say the least. After the two boys had left, Kakashi had approached the village leader and told him about what Sasuke intended to do. They had discussed it in length inside the Hokage's office. Sasuke wanted to try and get Naruto to find his memories. He wanted to break Kakashi's jutsu.

At first the village leader's answer had been absolutely no straight away, out of the question, there was no way that he could approve such a thing. But Kakashi had pressed for Sasuke saying that jutsu was more or less unbreakable, that when he had coaxed Naruto into leaving his memories locked up in some deeper part of himself the boy had walked away with next to no convincing needed after Kakashi had been able to reach him through the power of the sharingan, and the Hokage believed him.

The Hokage believed that the jutsu was unbreakable because if there had been any room for it to come undone with only the right amount of push, Kakashi wouldn't have knelt in the caged dungeon under the hospital staring blankly as Naruto was lifted and taken upstairs like he did, there wouldn't have been that kind of expression on his well trained ninja face, he wouldn't have ripped his mask away a moment later and thrown up after he had helped lock the boy away. Kakashi wouldn't have cried like he had. He wouldn't have broken like that.

The jutsu was more or less unbreakable, Kakashi had said, with the exception of either himself or another master of the Sharingan forcing their way into Naruto's mind and taking him back to them. The exception didn't include Sasuke according to Kakashi. Sasuke had not mastered the sharingan, he couldn't break it.

The jutsu was more or less unbreakable; there was no doubt in Kakashi's mind that Sasuke wouldn't be able to break it. But, but he had said. But Sasuke can't accept that until he has tried and realized that he needs to move on; because Sasuke's tendency to have strong ties with the past made him like this and it was harder for him than anyone else.

"Its unbreakable but he has to figure that out himself. Please Hokage sama. He can't break it. I know Sasuke. He thinks he can, he doesn't even care if he has the whole collection of memories; he just wants a part. He thinks he can get them back but really he needs to accept he can't have what is already lost. He needs to find that out himself. Let him try, let him believe, let him fail; give him the chance to move on. It's a cruel thing to just let happen but it's best for him. Please."

When the Hokage went to Sasuke's house the boy was silent as ever. "Surly" was the word for it. Not hurt or as fragile as the old man had expected him to be. Stubborn and hard again, his walls built back up with the idea he had fixated in his head. At first Sasuke was uncooperative and refused to talk, the tiniest trace of a feeling of betrayal towards Kakashi flicking into the Uchiha boy's eyes.

"You understand how dangerous this is? You know don't you Sasuke? You see why I hesitate?"

And then Sasuke spoke. Just two words while wearing his carefully constructed strong face.

"He's mine."

The boy looked like his mother in that moment, so much so that the man had forgotten about wondering how much he should read into the dark haired boy's words. He looked so much like Uchiha Mikoto in that moment; so much like her on that one day when Sasuke's father had come back from a mission and as always Mikoto had been at the gates waiting. Young lovers. When Fugaku had collapsed she was racing to his side and gathering his exhausted body in her arms, refusing help.

"He's mine" she had said, soft and concerned. Her face was completely different to her son's in another time, her son who stood before the Hokage saying the same thing but his eyes also held that protective black glint. It was the same, the same sharp, subtly possessive shade of black. He had her eyes. The village leader had never really noticed before.

Kakashi's voice had resounded in the Hokage's ears as Sasuke stood his ground in front of him, like a stubborn black cat, his eyes alight.

"Alright Sasuke. Alright."

Iruka had no doubt been the hardest of the three people he had had conversations over this one matter with. He hadn't discussed it much, basically just told Iruka what would be happening and relied on his position and Iruka's trust in him to make the man comply. Iruka had the best grip on the situation in the positive way, Sasuke in the negative way. Iruka connected best with Naruto and had a natural way with children. He was gentle and comfortable with comforting and didn't panic at tears the way another man might. He loved Naruto. He'd looked after him, parented him, yelled at him, treated him, been with him before anyone else had become close with him. It was his duty to be the one who understood the boy the best, who knew what was best for him, which was just to leave it. But for the Hokage it was different. Iruka was limiting himself to Naruto and looking out for only him. But for the Hokage, he had to open his eyes to everyone, including Sasuke. It was his job to listen to the voices of the villages. That was why he couldn't let Iruka convince him out of it. Everything was going to be fine and Kakashi had assured him that he would keep an eye on Sasuke's mission in between his own solo missions.

Now that Team 7 was off missions Kakashi would probably be back on high priority missions for a while with some of the other jounin. Any other ninja and the Hokage may have hesitated. But this was Kakashi so he'd be fine. High priority missions are probably the best option for him, thought the Hokage as he approached his tower. There aren't many of that kind of mission so that allows him time to be in the village with the boys but they are fast paced and long. It'll keep his mind off things. Kakashi has said he'd rather not be idle too.

The old man stood in front of wooden door, his hand reaching in a smooth movement for the handle. He paused for just a moment to listen to the silence of the darkness.

As Hokage he had to open his eyes to everyone and hear all the voices of the village. Kakashi's, Sasuke's, Iruka's. That was the duty of the Hokage. The door opened without a noise. The night was silent.

…

When Naruto awoke the room was dim and something was cooking in the next room. Breakfast?

It was. A delicious traditional breakfast made by Iruka who after watching Naruto wolf down his breakfast, smiled and sent him off with lunch for the day.

"You should find Sasuke and try again," he said and pointed Naruto in the direction of the training ground that Team 7 usually used. Sasuke may be there. And if he wasn't Naruto should come back. Those were Iruka's instructions.

Out in the sun Naruto walked slowly, trying to keep on track with the way that he'd been pointed toward. There were people everywhere and he was all alone. It was very overwhelming, like there wasn't enough room for everyone to breathe but no one else seemed to notice. Naruto tried to keep the dull fear in his stomach off his face.

"...suke"

The blonde's attention was drawn to a side street as a snippet of a conversation reached him.

"...me on Sa..." Just snippets but that was Kakashi san's voice right? Naruto shouldered his way out of the middle of the road and peeked around the corner.

Kakashi and Sasuke were standing in the deserted street. The jounin was standing with his hands on his hips; Sasuke was looking stubborn, his hands gripping the bottom of his strange high collared blue shirt. Naruto noticed he was wearing his forehead protector. He hadn't seen it on him before.

"Come on Sasuke, just take it off and show me. It's just me."

The scowling youth glared up at the man darkly and turned his body away but said nothing. Kakashi grabbed his wrists and yanked his fingers away from the hem of the material. Naruto suddenly felt like he shouldn't be spying on this kind of scene.

"Just take it off Sasuke. I only want a quick look," complained Kakashi.

"You can't make me like this, you have no more hands. This position is useless Kakashi," pointed out Sasuke smirking.

"Sasuke..." Kakashi sounded tired.

"What."

"Come on. I'll leave you alone if you do. I just need to check you're really fine like you say you are."

Sasuke squirmed for a few moments and then nodded angrily. Kakashi let him go and Sasuke began to pull his shirt over his head. Naruto felt a sudden shudder and his blood ran cold.

I shouldn't be watching this. I shouldn't be spying!

His heart skipped a beat.

Scars.

Huge, terrible scars.

All over Sasuke's perfectly white back.

They were red-purple and two of them looked particularly bad, deeper in colour and stretching from just higher than his kidneys and ended at his shoulder blades, widening from top to bottom to form a slightly uneven upside down V, like maybe at one point Sasuke might have had wings but they'd been ruthlessly ripped out. Maybe once he'd been angel... Naruto drew his breaths quick and shallow, his eyes roaming Sasuke's marred white skin, sliding over the V and flicking over the lighter scars on his shoulders and around his middle, tracing the healed cuts that flanked the worst of the scars. When Naruto looked harder they looked more like claw marks from some kind of animal...

Sasuke turned to show Kakashi his back. Naruto shrunk further into the wall to avoid being seen and watched the other boy's uncomfortable expression.

"Hmmm? They seem pretty good Sasuke. Were you planning on doing some training today?"

"Hn." Sasuke stood awkwardly in the middle of the side street. No one bothered to look off to the right and see the two males. No one saw Naruto watching them either.

"Take it easy ok Sasuke. I mean, training is good even if we are off missions but these are still pretty new. Don't go all out."

"Whatever." Kakashi examined Sasuke a while longer, running the tips of his fingers that poked out of his gloves over the boy's skin. Sasuke visible shivered when he brushed over the inverted V.

"Naruto." Kakashi called him and Naruto blinked three times quick. By that time Sasuke had his shirt back on and Kakashi was gone. He blinked again. The other boy was watching him silently. Damn it. He'd got caught spying red handed.

"Ah... Sasuke san... Sorry, I didn't mean to, I just... I heard you guys and I was actually looking for you..." Naruto tripped over his words and his feet, nearly tumbling to his knees as he stepped away from the wall, launching into his words like he was talking in the middle of a conversation but there was no start before then. He was nervous and embarrassed. Sasuke was quiet, his face spookily calm. Was he like this all the time? Such a change from the Sasuke san from yesterday who talked and ran and hit. He was the Sasuke san from the hospital. Quiet with a hollow look of beauty. Naruto shuffled his feet. His fingers fumbled around the knot on the lunch Iruka had prepared for him. There was a moment silence while Naruto recomposed himself and tried again.

"Look, Sasuke san... About yesterday. I'm sorry about all that..."

Sasuke said nothing.

"And I wanted to make sure that you.. that we are still..." Something flickered in the silent male's face.

"I'm training today." Blunt. Polite. Final.

"Ah... I see." Naruto rubbed the back of his head and smiled tightly. "Ok then. See you later Sasuke san..." Turning, the blonde bit his lip.

Sasuke san hates me...

"Ne. Naruto."

"Yes," Naruto turned eagerly. Sasuke's voice was different this time. He didn't sound angry or happy. Naruto couldn't decipher the emotion behind it but it was different he was sure.

"You can come."

"Huh?"

"Come."

A smile pushed its way onto Naruto's face. He didn't want to show he was so happy that Sasuke wasn't mad since he wasn't even sure he had forgiven the other boy yet, but he couldn't help it. Naruto wasn't even sure why he was so glad but he nearly skipped to Sasuke's side and beamed up at him, chuckling a little at how Sasuke scowled in the reply to his friendly smile. Weren't smiles supposed to be contagious or something? Was Sasuke just immune to that kind of thing? Well, it didn't matter to Naruto much right now anyway. He just smiled and Sasuke scowled. Things felt alright.

At the mouth of the side street Sasuke stopped just short of moving into the flow of people.

"I won't spoil you," he said.

"Wa?"

"I won't spoil you so don't expect me to look after you or do... anything."

"Anything?" Naruto cocked his head and Sasuke began walking. He followed. Raising his voice the young ninja continued.

"I'll tell you how it is Dobe since you don't remember."

"Don't call me that!" exclaimed Naruto. Sasuke kept on talking.

"We are weird and not like usual friends. I don't spoil you. In fact I'm not even very nice to you and you're probably worse to me." The smaller boy watched the other as he spoke, deadly serious and tense. This was important so Naruto didn't interrupt even though he knew that already; that they were weird. That Sasuke wasn't gentle. That they fought a lot. He'd been told. But it seemed important for Sasuke to get this out so the blonde was quiet.

"You can come along because we are "friends"," Sasuke spat the word bitterly but somehow Naruto wasn't unsettled or put off by the tone.

"Do whatever you want but don't get in my way. I'm not going to look after you." Sasuke's gaze never moved from in front of him. It was hard for Naruto to try and figure out how he was feeling from the side.

"Ok, Sasuke san," he replied. It felt weird to comply so easily. Why was that?

"Good," muttered Sasuke.

…

At the training ground at the river Sasuke and Naruto stood at the water's edge. Sasuke wanted to go to the other side. There was a big area full of targets and Sasuke hadn't practiced with kunai in a while. But there was a problem. Sasuke could walk across all the way with ease over the deep parts. Naruto couldn't.

"You just go home then," muttered Sasuke taking a couple of steps atop the water. Naruto pouted and crouched down, poking the water like he was trying to work out why it wouldn't solidify for him. He stood up.

"I can make it." He splashed into the shallows. "I'll swim." Sasuke frowned. What an idiot. The river was way over his head and much too swift in the middle.

"No way."

"What!"

"No way!"

Glare.

Pout.

A stab of familiarity.

Sasuke tried to ignore it.

"Carry me then." Dark, thin eyebrows shot up beneath his forehead protector and Sasuke barked out a laugh.

"No... Way." Naruto's lips stretched into a grin and he splashed closer, soaking his shoes as the water level rose to his ankles.

"I should just do whatever I want is what you said ne?" purred the smaller boy as he took a few steps.

"I also said I wasn't going to look after you," counter Sasuke moving back atop the glassy surface of water as Naruto moved forward again.

"You don't have to. I'll just hold on," reasoned Naruto darkly, his cobalt blues bright and mischievous.

"How very forward of you, yesterday you were much more careful with that stupid mouth of yours," teased Sasuke, buying himself time to move back and back again, but Naruto still followed, now knee deep and bending his knees.

"Usuratonkachi... Don't you dare..."

"What was that name? Now I'm definitely going to do it! Don't move Sasuke san!"

Splash!

…

Wet and angry on the other side of the river, Sasuke stood over Naruto who was nursing his cheek, prodding it gently with his fingers. Another wave of frustration tingled dangerously in the young Uchiha's palm. Naruto looked up at him and frowned.

"You didn't have to hit me."

"Yeah I did."

"And now lunch is ruined because you moved and we splashed it. Iruka san went to all the trouble to make it... I was going to share it too..." Sasuke continued to scowl, attempting to pull himself back from the edge of anger or something else.

I said I wouldn't spoil you, that I wasn't going to look after you and yet there I was carrying you over the water on my back because you are so helpless. Even after you jumped on me and pushed us both over. I don't know how to act around you anymore...

Idiot.

"I won't even say thanks for carrying me over here now," muttered Naruto under his breath as he wrung out the material that Iruka had wrapped the lunch in. Sasuke drew a breath so long that it made him dizzy.

Remembering the feeling of Naruto's wet body against his, his arms around his neck, his wet smell mingling with the young Uchiha's own sent a rush of red streaking over Sasuke's nose. Even now something like that made him embarrassed and his heart race. It was so strange to have those kinds of thoughts when Naruto knew absolutely nothing. He couldn't remember that he confessed first. That it was he who had kissed Sasuke first. Naruto had been the leader and now Sasuke was a lost follower. He needed him back. He needed his Naruto.

The claim sent another rush through Sasuke's body when he realized that he had just thought something like that again so easily and Naruto's eyes sparked with fear, obviously interpreting the way Sasuke's ivory skin had changed to a flushed red, as anger.

"I'm training now," said Sasuke quietly. "You stay here and watch."

"Ok." Naruto relaxed and Sasuke walked into the centre of the targeted clearing and pulled a handful of kunai from his holster, fanning them between his long fingers. He paused and glanced back at Naruto.

"You should actually take cover. I'm good, but just in case."

"I'll be fine since I can easily dodge all the ones you'll miss Sasuke teme!"

Were the words that should have reached the Uchiha's ears. Instead another obedient answer.

"Ok." Calm.

Kunai in hand and carefully expressionless mask in place Sasuke moved forward. Even so, his hands shook with reminiscences.

It'll be ok. I only need this training and that'll be fine for a while. Then I can focus on getting back his memories, Sasuke reassured himself uneasily. The loops on the kunai, all bunched together in his palm became slick with the sweat on his hands.

I'll do it. It'll all be alright.