Everyday since then Naruto, Shikamaru, and Chouji would hear someone calling Naruto's name after school right after Gaara and his siblings left. The second day they heard it Shikamaru and Chouji finally convinced Naruto it wasn't a good idea to go looking for the person calling him anymore since every time they got close to the yelling it stopped and no one was around. Naruto still hadn't told Iruka or Minato about the person yelling his name every day after school, and his excuse was that he didn't want to worry them. But Shikamaru and Chouji soon stopped bugging him to tell his dad and uncle because once the person realized Naruto wasn't going to go looking for who it was anymore they stopped. The three boys decided that it was probably just some prank someone in a different class was pulling on them. But even though they said that they were now being extra cautious just in case.

It was Friday now and the second day the person had not called Naruto's name. Gaara and his siblings had just left with their uncle and Naruto, Shikamaru, and Chouji were heading up the road to the candy store like every Friday. When they got there they were greeted with Kiba, Shino, and Hinata who were just coming out of the story. Naruto was about to open the door to go in when Kiba suddenly stopped him. "I wasn't supposed to tell you this, but Sasuke's brother and his friends are in there and they were asking us about you," Kiba whispered to him as Naruto pulled the door open.

"What did they ask?" Naruto whispered back. But Kiba just shook his head and ran off down the road with Shino and Hinata.

Naruto was now standing in the doorway frozen. He didn't know if he wanted to go in anymore or not. "What are you waiting for, go in," Chouji said impatiently. He and Shikamaru hadn't heard what Kiba had told him. Naruto guessed it was ok to go in since there was an adult in there working, and with a sigh went through the door.

It was true what Kiba had said. Itachi and his friends were walking around the store looking at everything, but mainly just waiting for Naruto to show. Naruto, Shikamaru, and Chouji had to duck behind things whenever they thought they were about to be seen. They knew it wouldn't last for long and they'd be spotted as soon as they went to pay at the counter, so they got what they wanted and waited for the lady to total it up. While they were paying Kisame was the first to spot them and called the others over loudly. Even thought it was obvious that the three other boys had heard Kisame yelling, he, Itachi, Sasori, and Deidara hid behind one of the shelves and waited for them to pay. Once Naruto, Shikamaru, and Chouji were done and heading to the door, the other four boys followed.

As soon and Naruto, Shikamaru, and Chouji had gotten on the other side of the door they broke into a run towards the school. Itachi, Kisame, Sasori, and Deidara didn't notice it at first, but once they did they were running too and right behind the boys. Naruto, Shikamaru, and Chouji knew they'd never be able to outrun Itachi and his friends. They were bigger than them so they had longer legs and could run farther faster. But even knowing this the three boys didn't stop until they had gotten to the school park where they couldn't run anymore and hid under the playground equipment. They were using Itachi and his friend's size to their advantage, the other boys wouldn't be able to fit under there like Naruto, Shikamaru, and Chouji could unless they dug the sand out. And even then the space was so small and cramped that they wouldn't be able to do anything.

Itachi and his friends got to where Naruto and his friends were hiding only a few second after them. They got down onto their stomachs in the sand and looked under what turned out to be a very low bridge. "What are you doing under there?" Itachi asked. The boys didn't say anything. "You know, you should really come out. You'll get all sandy down there and your parents probably won't like that," he told them.

"We're not coming out with you here!" Naruto yelled at him.

"And whys that?" Deidara asked. He was sitting on top the bridge looking through the cracks at them. He didn't want to get his long hair full of sand, or his clothing.

"Deidara, get down here like the rest of us!" Sasori yelled at him. Deidara looked at him and raised an eyebrow.

"Why? I'll just get sand all over myself like you guys. I'd prefer to stay clean, thank you," he told him. Sasori just sighed angrily rolling his eyes.

"You're going to do something to us if we try to come out," Shikamaru said answering Deidara's question and watching the other boys carefully.

"And why would we want to do something to you?" Itachi asked.

"Because, you're bullies and that's what bullies do!" Naruto yelled.

"I don't think yelling at the people who have the advantage right now is a good thing," Kisame told him smirking.

"How do you have the advantage?" Shikamaru asked.

"Yeah, you can't get at us," Chouji pointed out. Itachi laughed.

"We might not be able to get at you now. But you guys will have to come out sometime, and sooner than we'll have to leave," he told them. Naruto, Shikamaru, and Chouji looked at each other. It was true. They had a time they needed to be home at or else they'd get in trouble. And Naruto didn't want his dad, or Iruka to come looking for him. If they found him like he was now they'd worry about him and not let him do anything alone anymore. That was the main reason he hadn't told them about the person calling his name, or about being bullied at school for the past few years.

As the three boys sat there trying to figure out a way to escape, they heard someone yelling for Itachi. Itachi stood up and wiped the sand off his clothes. "What do you want now Sasuke?" he asked angrily.

"Mom says she wants you home," Sasuke said as he got closer. "She told me to come find you."

"I'll be home in a few minutes," Itachi told him. "Tell mom you couldn't find me." Sasuke shook his head.

"How about I tell mom that you wouldn't listen to me and told me to leave you alone?" he asked. Itachi didn't say anything for a few seconds, he just glared at Sasuke.

"You wouldn't do that, because if you did you know what would happen to you. Besides, mom will believe me over you," he told him smirking. Sasuke shook his head again.

"Not after what happened last time she won't. She doesn't trust you anymore," he told him.

"So you've been telling on me?" he asked. Sasuke nodded. "Fine, I'll go," Itachi said angrily and stormed off.

Deidara watched Itachi walk away, and then looked down at Sasori and Kisame. "Want to go find something else to do that doesn't involve getting dirty?" he asked. Sasori and Kisame stood up nodding.

"What about us?" Naruto asked being curious again, although it probably wasn't a good idea.

"Who cares about you guys?" Kisame asked. Naruto didn't say anything. "Well we sure don't," Kisame told him. Sasori and Deidara nodded.

"All this was Itachi's idea. Now that he's not here we don't have to go along with it anymore," Deidara said shrugging. "I don't know what's gotten into him. But he told us if we didn't help bully you guys he'd find some other people and get them to bully you guys and us." Sasori and Kisame nodded.

"Picking on kids half your size isn't even fun," Sasori said as they started walking away.

"Oh, be on the lookout for us, Itachi still has a bunch of plans! And they aren't stupid ones like calling your name!" Deidara yelled back at them.

"Hey, that was my idea!" Kisame yelled.

"Well it wasn't a very good one," Sasori told him, and then they ran off.

Sasuke sighed and sat down on the bridge as Naruto, Shikamaru, and Chouji climbed out from under it still confused about everything that had just happened. Naruto sat down beside Sasuke while the other two boys brushed themselves off. "What's wrong?" Naruto asked. Sasuke looked over at him.

"I lied about my mom wanting to talk to Itachi, and telling on him. Once he finds out he'll be so mad at me he'll probably start picking on me more than of you guys," he told him.

"So you risked yourself to help us?" Shikamaru asked in shock. Sasuke nodded.

"I probably shouldn't go home now, but I have to," he told him. The four boys sat there quietly for a moment before a huge grin went across Naruto's face.

"Why don't you sleepover at my house?" he asked knowing that Iruka and his dad wouldn't mind if he had a friend over. After all it wasn't often that he wanted one there. Sasuke went wide-eyed.

"Why would you let me do that? I've bullied, and sometimes ignored you, since kindergarten. I don't have a right to sleepover at your house," Sasuke told him. Naruto laughed a little.

"But you even said that you didn't really mean it all, and you said sorry, and you just saved us from your own older brother. So we forgive you and you can sleep over now," Naruto told him matter-of-factly.

"Are you really sure about this?" he asked. Naruto nodded, and Sasuke sighed. "Thanks, but I don't have any clothes to wear tomorrow," he said sadly.

"You can borrow some of my clothes," Naruto told him. Sasuke's mood went from sad to happy in an instant, and he agreed to sleepover. And with that the four boys headed up the street towards their homes.


Ok everyone, just a heads up. The next chapter is either going to be pretty long and going to be the last one, or I'll be making two normalish length chapters. I've had a great time writing this story, and I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did. Have fun reading the last 1-2 chapters :)