Title: Disadvantaged Children
Rating: M
Quick AN: I just wanted to thank everyone who's been reading this story in all its unedited and beastly glory. Because of you guys, I've found something that I really enjoy doing... And there aren't any words to express my gratitude.

I know I've been much too slow with updates, but just know that I'll get to the end. :)

Chapter Nineteen

Wait

He ran.

Because when he ran, he forgot the tragedies behind his back. With his sweaty grin and flopping blond hair, he could pretend he was a hero, destroying bad guys and capturing the hearts of fair ladies. He didn't have to remember the fallen bodies on the ground, the orphans screaming his name, the word 'runaway.'

But then he saw them.

"Where are you running off to? We just want to talk to you."

Hooded figures in black, the tall imposing shadows obscuring the sun, and that sinking feeling of desperation in Naruto's heart. The boy backed up slowly until he hit the wall with clenched fists and trembling legs.

"You remember us, don't you? Look at him! He's about to piss his pants."

But Naruto knew better, if only because he had been avoiding these men for all his life. He charged at them, knowing full well the futility in these odds. He fought, scratched, punched, but without the help of the demon inside of him, he fell. Fell with the loneliness tearing him apart.

And he was only seven years old.

Naruto awoke to the sterile room blinking back at him and the terrible smell of unnatural chemicals. Bound and chained to the cold, metal gurney, he trembled and shuddered and wondered.

"Sir, permission to exterminate him?"

"It."

"...I'm sorry?"

"Experiments are not human beings. You'd do well to remember that."

Blinding fear and panic seized Naruto by the throat and he choked on air, almost blacking out from the lack of oxygen through his body. The cold cruelty inherent in these shapeless figures scared him, almost as much as the darkness that threatened to engulf his entire being.

Then Naruto understood. All those years in the foster homes, years that he spent craving love, any love at all.. The beastly urges he felt whenever he was lonely, the anger that guided him through the streets, the bloody riots, the cacophony... What was he?

He was nothing.

Breathing heavily and shaking, forever shaking. Then, then, he looked up.

Eyes red.

Hours later, he stumbled out of the dilapidated building with blood on his clothes, shoes, nails.. Every inch in his body ached in protest, but he kept walking, never looking back. He tried to forget the screams, bodies, pleas for help. Because this was it, wasn't it? He was the villain. Not the hero. Not here, not now, not ever.

Foot in front of the other, blood streaking his blond hair, the assaulting memories. Blood on the walls, an arch of pain, death and the bruises on his own body, a reminder of the few scientists who had dared to fight and not run.

Kyuubi laughed, laughed as Naruto felt himself breaking.

Rain collided with his body as he continued running, running until he got to a bridge, river running wildly below, the sound of silence always in his presence. Naruto stood there, shaking, knowing he had somewhere to belong – not this world, not in the scientist's lab, but somewhere else, somewhere so far away..

One foot forward, Naruto dully looked outwards, but only found the sneers, the pain, the cold. The railing shook under his weight but he didn't care. All he cared about was breaking away from these false hopes, broken promises, faded future.

"Tell me, how does it feel?"

Surprised, Naruto slowly looked up to see the slightly obscure figure leaning against the bridge with hair the same color as Naruto's bloody mess.

Blue eyes met the darkness as Naruto stared, stared until he finally responded. "I.. I don't know."

Gaara leaned forward, just enough so that the sunlight played with the tattoo on his forehead. "Liar."

"And you do?" Naruto mumbled, clawing at his arms, trying to scrub the blood off himself.

The smaller boy smiled. "It feels like you're losing yourself."

Silence. Stretching forever, it played with the two boys with its clever hands, skillfully weaving their fates together into one, long thread. Naruto looked around them and found the darkness greeting them, the shadows lurking, the feelings ripped out into the open. But the water still beckoned to Naruto, the waves promising a perfect retreat before him.

"I-I don't like to kill." Naruto mumbled, not knowing why he was talking to someone he had never met, only heard of. "Kyuubi normally does all the work for me."

"It's easy." Gaara slowly walked forward, eyes intent on the blond's face. The gap between them closed until Gaara could feel every tremble in Naruto's hands and uneasy words.

"Maybe for you." Naruto pasted a smile on his face, not knowing if conversations like these were normal.

This was all meaningless.

"Don't."

Startled, Naruto gripped the railing and glared at Gaara who was right there in front of him, arms crossed, tattoos adorning lithe arms, bigger than life. "W-what do you mean?"

"Don't jump."

Naruto pretended that he wasn't affected by Gaara's soft words. But the more he stood there in his blood-drenched clothes, stinking of sweat and death, the more he realized that he was missing something.

Shrugging, the blond shook his head. "Why?"

"Once you live, once you feel… Then I'll let you."

"And?"

Gaara stepped over the railing so he was side by side with Naruto, staring at the same river, the same death, the same fate. They were both so young and miserable, but when they were together, Naruto covered in blood and Gaara impassioned and sick with boredom, there was something else that couldn't be so neatly classified.

"I'll jump with you."

"I take it back!" I gleefully exclaim as Kakashi leans back in his chair to glare at me. "You and Iruka should get married!"

"Ten points for wasting my time with ridiculous notions."

Grinning, I swipe my nose with my thumb. "But, pervert-sensei, you liiiike him! Admit it, admit it."

Kakashi sighs and shakes his head. "The therapist in me is wondering if I should be a little worried about your obsession with my relationship." He leans on his elbows and stares at me intently. "But yes. I won't deny that your juvenile thoughts are correct."

"Ha!" I jiggle in my seat while tapping on Kakashi's desk. "When's the wedding, ne? Will there be cake? How about Orochimaru? Are you going to force him into a clown suit again?"

"There will be no wedding."

I frown. "But then I'll never get out of this Mansion! Don't get me wrong! I like it here and stuff, but a guy needs his fresh air, you know." I make a big show out of stretching my arms and crinkling my eyes so that the whiskers appear on my face.

Kakashi smiles slightly. "I was under the impression that your community service offered plenty of opportunities to escape the Mansion."

My good mood immediately deflates and I look away at the clock, making a note to remind Sai about the Third Event. "Sasuke-teme hasn't talked to me in a while." I immediately focus back on Kakashi with a huge smile. "Not that I care! I'm glad that I'm not cleaning up his shit anymore. Or taking random trips to old buildings!"

Kakashi's gaze pierces through my cheerful pretense and I gulp when his dangerously soft voice crowds the room. "Are you saying that Sasuke-sama hasn't contacted you about your punishment?"

"Well.." I thoughtfully add. "When you say it like that, I'm kind of glad that-"

"Naruto!" Kakashi splays his hands on his desk and leans forward, mask tilting on his face, every words punctuated by staccatos. "If what you're saying is true, then Sasuke-sama has not only been shirking his duties but also failing to comply with Mansion policies."

I shake my head. "Mansion policies? Isn't he the owner of the Mansion? Doesn't that give him privileges?"

Kakashi sighs and leans back in his chair again, window streaming in sunlight behind him. "You don't understand..."

I scowl, slightly annoyed, and sarcasm drips out of my voice. "Right. That seems to be a problem nowadays."

Surprised at the sudden change in my attitude, Kakashi glances my way then sighs when he sees my arms crossed and head bowed. "Look, Naruto.. I know that I haven't done my job very well and-"

"Actually, you're a great counselor," I interrupt and I make sure to keep my voice passive and neutral. "You rarely judge me, criticize me, or ask me how I'm feeling all the time. But.."

"But..?"

I look down, voice softer. "But I'm not stupid, you know. The secrets, the plots, the Akatsuki.."

"Jiriaya talked to you." Kakashi's voice is flat and more of a statement, not a question. When I nod, he fixes the mask on his face then goes on. "Then what he said about you was true..."

I feel myself disappearing so I focus on the sunlight streaming out of the window, the bright colors of the world filling me in all the places that I'm missing. I don't remember much about the few hours after Jiriaya's conversation with me. The pieces had finally aligned with my memories, but it still didn't matter. I was, after all, still a nobody. Still nothing.

"Naruto?"

I look up and smile weakly at Kakashi, whose gaze is fixated on my every move. "Sorry. I'm not used to being sane after things like this happen to me."

"It's quite all right," Kakashi politely concedes and I like him a little bit more for his tact.

"I guess I've always known that I was an experiment." Running a hand through my hair, I shrug then wince. "I just never knew the specifics."

"And? Do you want..."

"Revenge?"

He nods and I smile, even though my voice betrays me.

"I don't know."

Kakashi sighs in relief and his silver hair sways in the air. "Then what Jiraiya said was right." He lowers his voice and looks off to the side, lost in his thoughts. "Hard to believe that the man is starting to make more sense these days.."

"I'm guessing that this is another thing that I'm not supposed to know about." I say without the energy to be unnerved or angry or frustrated. My emotions have drained from my body in this short burst of time, so all that I can do is lazily smile and hide everything that I can.

Kakashi clears his throat in embarrassment. "I know how frustrating this may be for you, Naruto, but Sasuke has his reasons for keeping secrets from not only you but from the rest of us."

"Sasuke?" As hard I try, I can't keep the frustration, the disbelief from bruising my words. "I don't give a fuck about him. I care more about you, the Mansion, these plots, the weather, anything but Sasuke."

He pauses before making a steeple with his hands. "Well, see, that's another thing that Jiraiya mentioned which puzzled me at the time he said it."

"What?"

"He said you are the only person who can save Sasuke."

I immediately choke on the spit in my mouth then try and save face by glaring at Kakashi. "Is that a joke?"

Kakashi opts for casually fiddling with his pencil and ignoring my flabbergasted face. "Well, you never know with Jiraiya." He stops then puts down his pencil to look at me. "But this time, I think I might have to agree with him."

"What?!"

"From my understanding, Sasuk-"

I can't stand it. Can't stand sitting in this little chair, in this little room, listening to these little theories that have been made behind my back. I immediately push back my chair and point fingers, erase emotions, "I can't save Sasuke. I can barely save myself. Who are you to decide that I'm even mentally stable?"

"But you are mentally sta-"

"How do you know?" I bitterly laugh, feeling the same old familiar hostility welling in my throat, almost choking my breath. "You've read my file. I hurt everyone around me! And you heard the old man. I'm not even natural, just a freak of nature." I pause before barreling through the words, cutting myself into strips of flesh. "..I can't even maintain a functional relationship with Sasuke."

"Sit down, Naruto," Kakashi says and his voice is old, tired, fatigued.

I reluctantly sit back in my seat and feel a little childish about my outburst. Why was I so afraid to admit that I could be healed? Better? Was I trying to make Kakashi think the worst of me?

"What, exactly, do you know about Sasuke?"

Surprised by the question, I raise my head to look at Kakashi, the answer immediately coming to my mind. "I've learned that he's rude to those who are close to him and that he can be a downright bastard when he's around me. I've learned that he hates being dominated and that he's so used to control that he won't listen to people who are intruding in his own great plan. But above all that, I've learned that he's like me. He believes in belief."

Even Kakashi seems surprised by the words that trickled out of my mouth with ease. "You don't say..."

I manage a grin then tilt my head. "What about you, pervert-sensei? Care to dispense with some oh-so-great wisdom of yours?" Leaning back in my chair, I let my hands trail to the arms of the chair and my feet tapping anxiously. "What do you know about Sasuke?"

I'm not expecting Kakashi to answer, but he does. His voice becomes quieter but never loses an intensity that rivals my own answer.

"I find it strange that, even from the very beginning, you looked past Sasuke's perfect exterior and found his mistakes, his flaws, little thing that no one has ever bothered to find." He links his long fingers together and leans forward, gaze never wavering. "You're right. I've known Sasuke for a long, long time and he has never changed. Although I'm not at liberty to discuss his reasons, he won't let anyone get in the way of his goals. You may scoff at his ruthlessness, but this same determination has made Sasuke into the tycoon that he is with the Mansion that he owns."

Rolling my eyes, I slouch in my seat, drawling my speech. "How impressive. Too bad he has a stick shoved so far up his ass that-"

"Language."

"-he wouldn't know the difference between happiness and misery." I cheekily grin when Kakashi glares at me. "But what would I know? I'm just the schizophrenic, crazy, mental patient."

"Don't fool yourself. Sasuke has been following your every move since the moment he met you. Are you even aware of the effect you have on others?"

I squint.

Kakashi sighs. "Think what you may, but your relationships with others have shed much insight into your true qualities, the ones that have saved you countless times."

The view outside tempts me and with a dramatic sigh, I grab my things and slowly stand up to leave. "Look, this was fun and all, but I can tell when you're playing the counselor act." I stretch and ignore Kakashi's gaping. "All in all, I get what you're saying, pervert-sensei. Sasuke's an asshole who's severed all ties with me. I'm the insane guy who got stuck with all the conspiracy plots. And you're just trying t-"

For the second time in our session, Kakashi grits his teeth and tell me to sit down. I sit down.

"You really don't get it, do you?" Kakashi says as he sighs in exasperation.

I smirk. "Enlighten me."

"I'm going to try again, Naruto, and I want you to listen this time. You don't understand Sasuke. You are convinced that the blame for your failed friendship with Sasuke-sama lies with you. However, this is not the case." His voice has become that eerie soft voice again, the one that seems to make things ten times more intense. "Sasuke is selfish and does anything necessary to get whatever he wants. He has never shown interest in anyone who can't help him. Everything he does is done to get ahead, to achieve his own goals, to live his own life..."

He pauses then looks away at the flowers on his desk, the clutter in his room. "Which begs the question – does Sasuke need you? And if so, why?"

Frowning, I try to shove away the doubts lurking in my head. "Of course the teme doesn't need me. Why would he?"

He toys with something on his desk, voice getting softer. "You might be surprised to hear this, Naruto, but I already knew the answer the moment I met you." He looks straight at me, tinging my view. "People need you, Naruto. That's why Kiba willingly came to the Mansion. That's why Gaara was able to survive on the streets with you. That's why Sai and Sakura have become better people."

"But Sasuke's not-"

He stops me by raising his hand. "Sasuke also needs you. Ever since he's met you, his normal behavior has... changed. What once began as a necessity has become something else - a fascination he is trying desperately to stop."

As much as I hate to admit it, things are connecting and falling, leaving and arriving. Thoughts swirling in my head, keeping my heart beating and my blood faltering. I don't have the luxury of not understanding anymore, because Kakashi is handing me these clues that hint towards a bigger picture of Uchiha Sasuke.

I was just Naruto, an orphan who didn't deserve happiness. An orphan who didn't deserve a second chance. Another life. Sasuke.

But to be the one to save him? When I needed saving myself?

The bell rings, startling both me and Kakashi. Stifling a sigh, I smirk and gesture to the door. "I can leave now, right? Or am I too special to walk out the door like normal people?"

My counselor makes a face. "By all means, get out of here, you little brat."

I grab my things while Kakashi walks to the door. The chatter of the people outside the door trickles into the room when Kakashi opens the door for me.

The tension is gone and my anger at Sasuke, the world, my counselor has disappeared. Kakashi and I are a duo, one that plays around each other and leans for support. So maybe my masked counselor's words did have some merit. I needed him just as much as he needed me. Strange how that worked.

But the one question persists, nagging and scouring its way until I stop next to Kakashi and ask.

"But why me? Why pick a complete nobody?"

Kakashi's face flickers into one of surprise, amusement, and a tinge of sorrow. For a second, I think I see myself in that face so unused to emotions.

But then he ruffles my hair and all warm feelings are replaced by that twinge of annoyance as Kakashi says thoughtfully. "If you're a nobody, then you're the biggest nobody I've ever met."

"Don't be such a fucking cliché, pervert-sensei," I scoff, but I have to hide the blush staining my cheeks and the heart bursting from gross feelings.

"Get out of here, you miscreant," Kakashi says as he gently pushes me out of the room.

He walks away and I turn to close the door. But a glint inside the room stops me and I take one last look at Kakashi, who's leaning by the window. His lean figure casts shadows over his desk, while his silver hair plays a tantalizing game with the waning sunlight. Even though I can tell he's exhausted from the way his face fades into the shadows and pulls into a frown, I can also sense his tranquility and see the small smile underneath the mask. In that room, by the window with the fountain and the long tilt of the grass, Kakashi becomes a part of the Mansion, another thread in the tapestry of hope.

"Hey, pervert sensei?"

Kakashi turns towards me, hands in his pockets. My voice stays strong and my smile never wavers.

"Despite.. Despite everything.. This is my home and I'm glad I'm here."

For a second, Kakashi's face flickers into one of complete surprise. But then he smiles.

"I know."

"Ahhhh!" I stretch then turn to look at Sai. "This is what I'm talking about! A little fresh air! The wind blowing in our hair!"

"I hate it."

I take a big sniff and grin. "Smell that, Sai?"

"No."

"That's the smell of freedom!"

"I hate that too."

"But you have to admit-"

"I won't."

"-that the view is spectacular!"

"It's not."

Frowning, I turn to glare at Sai and his surly attittude. "Why the hell did you agree to walk me over here if you're just going to sulk about it?"

Sai doesn't say anything but instead looks up at the night sky and shrinks more into himself.

We sit together like this, facing the flickering lights and the tiny huts in the distance. It almost hurts to see so much space in one area – the sky is immense with no signs of stopping while the horizon promises the same endless journey. Slowly, my eyes close so that I'm viewing the world through a blur of black and green, sky and grass. The silence of the night is perfect under moonlight, but the colors remind me that everything isn't black and white, not perfect and imperfect.

This what what I treasured, this peace, the hope that maybe I could heal all the wounds in these seconds.

And then, like that, I remember of another time that I was in this hill with another treasured person. Shivering, I nudge Sai and say what has been said before.

"Makes you think that there could be someone out there, some higher power. Don't it?"

When Sai looks my way with a curious expression on his normally stoic face, I make a big show of ducking my head and grinning at the ground. "Don't look at me like that, t~eme!" I flick a piece of grass at him, laughing when he makes a face and leans away. "It's called conversation. Learn it!"

"How is God doing these days, Naruto?" Sai asks in his humorless voice.

I turn wide eyes towards Sai then shrug. "I can't find him here anymore. I thought I had belief, just like Sakura-chan and all the other religious people in the Mansion, but I've lost it."

"So you threw it away?"

Pouting, I trace circles and squares on the green below my feet. "What's it matter to you, anyway?" I pause then thoughtfully continue. "Besides, it's not like I threw it away. Whenever I kept bringing up the subject, it made people uncomfortable. They'd ask me why I even knew what God was. And then Sasuke warned me about mentioning it in public, so I stopped."

"But you've stopped believing?"

I grin broadly even though I feel like I'm betraying Kiba, forsaking hope. "Yerp! I've even stopped wearing the cross on my neck."

Sai looks away and his whisper is carried away by the wind. "Idiot."

Frowning, I wave my arms around and being yelling. "I'm not an idi-"

Suddenly, Sai presses his fingers to my lips and looks around the clearing. "Did you hear that?"

"Mmfno I didn't."

His eyes narrow and he leans in closer to me, so that I can feel the cool wind brushing against the both of us. Sai smells clean, just like the grass underneath my fingers and I can feel his muscles shifting against my body.

Scowling, I push him away. "There's nothing here, Sai!" I bite my lip, trying to erase the prickling feeling down my spine. "Stop being such an anal, paranoid-"

"EERRYYAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

My vision is obscured by Sai's hair, so I crane my neck to see Sakura and Ino with their mouths gaping open and their eyes huge circles. Sai shifts again and this time, I notice our tangled legs, the nonexistent gap between us, his fingers on my lips.

Oops.

"I KNEW IT NARUTO YOU AND SAI TOTALLY HAVE A THING GOING ON AND ERMYGOSH I'M SOOOOOOO SORRY FOR DISTURBING YOUR ROMANTIC OUTING!"

I wait for Sai to push himself off me but when it never happens, I turn my head and squint at him. "Get off me before Sakura has an aneurysm."

For a second, Sai's eyes narrow and his hands tickle down my sides before lightly squeezing my hips. Breath catching, I stiffen then push Sai off me, mumbling to hide my red face.

"Aww Naruto, why didn't you just say so?" Ino hooks arms with Sakura. "And here I thought Sakura was making excuses for shoddy teamwork!"

Sakura growls before unhooking her arms and facing Ino with a frown. "I never said that!"

"Whatever you say.." Ino sings while dragging Sakura to leave. "Now let's just leave these two lovebi-"

"No!"

Sakura and Ino turn to look at me and I bite my lip.

"I mean.. Stay! The view is great and stuff..."

My words trail into a lame silence but Sakura and Ino shrug then sit down nest to us. They're part of my sanctuary now and it's with relief that I realize Sai's eyes have turned back to their normal impassive charcoal. I sigh then lie down on the grass again, arms outstretched and eyes toward the stars. There's something I'm forgetting, something weird...

Sai.

I slowly turn my head to look at the boy next to me, the same boy who had touched me like.. Like.. Making a face, I furiously shake my head. It was just Sai being Sai again – too touchy feely and weird. Nothing to worry about. Hopefully.

Sakura and Ino are behind me and for once, they're silent. Sakura is staring at the village in front of us and every muscle in her face is relaxed. Ino is picking at the grass and occasionally throwing them at the wind, so that green specks of dust are flying everywhere.

"You think we'll ever get better?" Sakura's voice makes a trail in the sky, streaking and diving through the night.

"What are you talking about, Sakura-chan?" I laugh. "We're on a hill, looking at the stars. If that's not normal, then I don't know what is."

"Well.. You know. Sometimes, it's really difficult to know what normal is." Sakura stretches then lies down on the grass, ankles crossing and hands nervously tapping on the ground. "And the fact that one team is getting kicked out in the end.. It's like they want us to fight with each other so none of us have to go to... Go to..."

Ino frowns when Sakura trails off. "You can say it, you know. It's not like we've never thought about it before."

"I don't like saying it."

"Baby." Ino teases.

"I hate you, Ino-pig."

"Don't start, forehead, or I'll-"

Sai interrupts. "Kyuubi Island."

Ino and Sakura immediately shut up and they seem to inch closer towards each other, as if just hearing the word is intimidating.

"Where did the name come from?" Sakura, ever the thinker, scratches her head. "I've heard of Kyuubi before but I've always thought it was just a myth. Something that the grown ups said to keep us young ones in line."

"It's real."

The voice comes from nowhere and we all turn to find Shikamaru walking near us with Chouji by his side. I gulp nervously as I recognize the gleam in Shikamaru's eyes which meant that he knew something we all didn't.

Sakura sits up and cocks her head. "What did you say, Shikamaru?"

"I'll repeat myself. Kyuubi is real." Shikamaru walks closer to us and we automatically make room for him and Chouji. He puts his hands in his pockets and looks out at the sky. "Twenty years ago, there was an attack on Konoha, the same village that we're staring at right now. No one knew what to do. The attacks were inhumane – swift, ferocious, and brutal."

Chouji wipes his greasy hands on his pants and shudders. "My parents still talk about the fires that Kyuubi started. Thing was, there were no matches or nothing at the site. It was like Kyuubi wasn't human."

"That's my guess, Chouji." Shikamaru sits down next to me and links his fingers together, eyes never departing from the small huts in front of us. "For two years, the attacks continued. Some villagers swore that Kyuubi was actually group of criminals, determined to destroy the village, piece by piece. Others were more fanatical, claiming that Kyuubi was a one man deal, someone hired by a rival country's government."

Silence until I speak, voice shaking slightly. "But you don't think that, do you, Shikamaru?"

He looks straight at me and he doesn't miss a beat. "I wasn't kidding when I said Kyuubi wasn't human. But all the eyewitnesses testified that the break ins, the fires, the murders were all done by a human figure. So my guess is.."

Shikamaru pauses and for a second, I think that he's glancing at me from the corner of his eyes. Like he's asking for.. permission. But I can't meet his gaze so I instead look up at the moon, finding my reflection in the cloudless sky.

Ino crosses her arms. "What's your guess, Shikamaru?"

"It's not important." Shikamaru suddenly lies on the ground, with me and Ino by his side, and snorts. "Why indulge in theories when Kyuubi hasn't attacked in years? Believe me, Ino." He turns his head to stare calmly at Ino, who has a pout on her face. "Kyuubi is gone."

"Yeah, but the Island isn't." Sakura adds in.

Suddenly, an idea crosses my head and I sit up with a grin. "Who cares about the Island?"

Sakura glares at me. "I care about the Island. And since you're in my Team, Naruto, I think the least you could do is make sure that we don't get kicked off to rot.."

"But that's the thing!" I can't contain myself and I grab Shikamaru's wrist. "From now on, I'm going to do everything in my power to let everyone stay in the Mansion!"

A look of doubt crosses Sakura's face. "No way, Naruto. Kakashi said that every year, at least one team gets-"

I wave a hand, dismissively. "Screw what the pervert thinks! I'm going to find a way to make every Team win!" I squint and ideas flash like flickers. "Maybe we could get each Team to have the same number of points in the end! Or if that doesn't work, we could storm Sasuke-teme's office and make him keep everyone. Something has to work!"

I grin at everyone in front of me and apprehensive silence fills the air.

Until Sai looks my way. "Okay."

Gaping, I say, "O-Okay? Really, Sai? You mean, you actually care-"

"I never said that, idiot."

Snickers. My face falls until I shrug and grab Sai's wrist to clasp his hands with Shikamaru's hand. "So! No more Team rivalry between my team and yours, right, Shikamaru?"

Ino shakes her head. "Don't be stupid, Naruto. We're still going to fight over those points because there's no guarantee that you'll find a way to keep everyone in the Mansion." She flips her hair and continues, haughtily. "Besides, it's not like I actually care about the losing team. As long as it's not my group."

Shikamaru raises an eyebrow and tuts. "What a troublesome attitude, Ino. There are people here who would sacrifice for the current losing team."

Shrugging, Ino says, "What are you talking about? There's no one special in Team 8. It's only that shy girl and the creepy bug guy. Ever since Kiba got expelled-"

A hush immediately follows Ino's words as she grapples with what she's just said. Her mouth opens and shuts while my world tilts a little so that the village lights are slicing through the grass and everything is turning to brittle.

Shit, I missed him.

My voice is quiet when I speak and my eyes burn when they meet Ino's purple guilt. "Have you ever lost a precious person, Ino?"

Shikamaru turns to me and warns, "Naruto.."

But Ino stops him and faces me, defiantly. "Yes, I have, Naruto. You're not the only one who's suffered losses."

"Then you're like me." I keep staring at Ino, hands grasping grass. "Don't ever talk about Kiba's team like that. Like they're.. They're worthless."

Ino opens her mouth but she closes it and seems to wilt. "Okay." She looks down. "Whatever."

Suddenly, a clapping sound echoes through the clearing and we all turn our heads to see a strange figure clad in white, glossy hair reflecting in the moonlight, and smirk on ivory skin. Ignoring the curious whispers, I stand up and squint at the shadows until a name starts to sink in.

My breath comes in puffs in the cold air. "Hey, you're that guy in the medic ward." I take a step forward and the guy immediately steps closer to me. "Neji."

"So I am." Neji runs a hand through his hair and he doesn't even bother glancing at the people behind me. Crossing his arms, he leans closer to me and says, "But I pale in comparison to you, the ever so famous Uzumaki Naruto."

The way he says my name makes me shudder. Why did I always face hostility wherever I went? This Neji guy... The last time we had met, he had done something to me, made me speak the truth. But how?

"What are you doing here?" I ask.

"I was looking for you." Neji answers calmly. "It's been a while since we've met."

I frown and shake my head. "Don't think I've forgotten the way you treated me, teme! I expect an apology before I get anywhere near you!"

"My apologies?" Neji asks sarcastically, giving a mock bow. "I didn't know that.. humans like you needed sympathy. Although I dare say, the word 'human' is cutting it quite close, isn't it.. Naruto-kun?"

I hear a ruffle besides me and it's Shikamaru and Sai standing up to defend me. But I stop them and face Neji confidently.

"I'll ask you again, asshole. What do you want?"

Neji laughs slowly. "When will you learn, Naruto, that it's never a matter of what I want?" He looks down casually at Sakura and Ino who are staring at him intently and at Chouji who has a hostile gleam in his eyes. "There's only one person who matters in this entire Mansion and it's not me."

I growl then walk forward. "Look, Neji. I am sick of listening to riddles and shit, so tell me what the hell you want or leave."

"He wants you."

The falter in my steps makes Neji smirk. I clench my fists and ask even though I already know. "Who?"

Neji looks up at the sky and he looks like just another lonely kid, staring at what everyone else is staring at. It's the vulnerability that makes me believe that Neji has another story, one that triumphs everything else in the Mansion.

But I can't take the time to care, because he's back to the ground, back to looking at me and saying what I've needed to hear.

"Sasuke."

AN: Thanks to my bff for editing. :] She is the greatest grammar nazi in the world.

Geez, I suck. I apologize for the extremely slow and lame update. :( But now that I'm done with the dreaded college applications, I'll be able to work on the next chapter! But I still suck. I know.

A big thank you to those of you who are still reading this story. I wasn't kidding when I said that I'll finish this so don't lose hope in me!

Happy 2009! Happy reading! Feel free to pelt me in the reviews. :D