A/N: So thank you so much for your patience. This took me such a long time to write this. My laptop is more than 10 years old, its slow and sometimes it doesn't connect to the internet. Most(all, if I'm being honest) was written in my phone in my Docs app. There is most definitely misspellings that I probably overlooked by mistake and I feel like because the chapter was so long, I had to cut it in an awkward spot. I am still writing chapter 7. But like 3 months to write this chapter was way more than I wanted to. there is other stories I want to write as well but I just get anxious of postponing this story again. Again, thank you for all your patience.

The following two days after Naruto started going out with Haku, Sasuke and the guys began to keep their distance. It had been two full days since they were given the task to look for more information about Miss Haku Yuki. In those two days, Sasuke seemed to have calmed his anxiety from first finding out that Naruto and Haku were together. They had not questioned the young Uchiha but they would notice that Sasuke's stare would linger on Naruto for more than intended. Naruto and Haku would be seen together as she clung to his arm any chance she got.

They had scouted the club that she frequented to get more information. For Neji it was more of merely observing Kiba flirting his way with all the women that flung herself to him. Neji did not mind. It gave them the opportunity to blend in more when they finally did see Haku at the club. She had come in by herself, adorning a tight red dress that cut to her slender thighs. She had hung out by the bar the whole night. She mainly spoke to the bartender. He was a tall pale skinned man with long silvery hair. Neji danced closer, his back to them as he tried to hear the conversation.

"You really didn't need to play with his emotions like that to complete your petty revenge." Neji heard Haku scoff.

"And I didn't really ask you for your opinion, did I Kimimaru? Now hurry up and give me another!" Neji departed and headed towards Kiba.

The tattooed brunette had been sitting next to a long haired woman. She was letting him whisper sweet nothings to her ear, almost making it look like he was kissing her neck. He sat back down on the table where both were. The woman looked at him and smiled as she patted on Kiba's arm. Kiba pulled away, the woman got up, kissed Kiba's cheek and walked away.

"Are you going to meet with her afterwards?" Kiba's line of sight followed the direction that the woman had gone. He grabbed his drink and shrugged dismissively.

"Not til we get this done with. You found her?" Neji gave a small nod. "So what next?"

"We wait til she leaves. We have to talk to the bartender." Kiba nodded. They could wait, it wasn't like they had anything else to do.

Neji and Kiba had waited less than 2 hours for Haku to leave. They had kept an eye on her from a distance and observed her drink glass after glass. Kiba had whistled with how impressed he was by the girl's tolerance.

Neji had rolled his eyes as they both watched Haku leave. Neji got up and made his way to the bar, Kiba in tow. The bartender was a tall man with red glitter around his eyebrows. He had silver shoulder length hair that had one braid. He had a deep purple button up shirt, making his vivid green eyes more intense.

Once they had reached the bartender, the pale skinned guy looked up and gave a warm smile. The closer they got, the clearer Neji could see how attractive those green eyes were. The color of the bartender's eyes reminded Neji of Gaara's own eyes, it dampered his mood at the thought.

"Good afternoon." the bartender spoke gently. The manner in which the man presented himself reminded Neji of those hostesses in the red light district. He certainly had the face for it.

"Hey, you gotta minute to talk?" It had been Kiba who spoke while Neji continued to observe the man.

The man stared between him and Kiba as he tilted his head slightly. His eyes scanned the rest of the bar, seeing if there were other patrons waiting on him. There was no one and so he looked back at them. "Of course, let me just get someone to cover, is that alright?" Both brunettes nodded.

They waited less than 5 minutes before someone else had taken over for the silver haired man. The man stood beside them, signaling for them to lead the way. They both led to a private room that they had paid for. The room was private enough that the music from the dance could not be heard as loudly and where they could hear one another. There was a couch with a small table. Both brunettes had ordered drinks for themselves and their new friend. It seemed that the silvered haired man took notice as he sat down quietly and stared at them intently as they too made their way to the table.

"Might as well ask upfront." Kiba was the first to speak. Neji watched silently, observing any indication the other man made. Kiba took out a picture that he had in his chest pocket. The picture was that of both Haku and Naruto together in a side hug. The man raised his brow slightly as his hand reached to touch the photo. "You seen the blond in that picture recently?"

Kimimaru stared at the picture for a moment before sighing and putting the photo down.

"Saw him here a couple of days ago. He was pretty hammered, had to call a cab for him and his girlfriend."

Kiba and Neji stared at each other for a moment and went back to the man. Kimimaru stayed stoic as he continued to silently sit.

"Do you know Haku Yuki?" The man shrugged and gave a sort of vague nod. Neji narrowed his eyes. "Is she a regular here?"

"Pretty much. See her here at least 4 times a week." He gave a small smirk. "Is one of you Sasuke Uchiha?" Both teens froze at the mention of Sasuke but remained quiet. Kimimaru's smile widened. "Maybe his friends?" He said more to himself than to the other two. He hummed as his eyes shifted between Neji and Kiba and then back to the photo. "She really hates him. It's a shame she had to drag him-" he pointed at Naruto's picture. "-along. He seemed like a nice enough guy."

Kiba's jaw was clenched as he stared angrily. Neji only placed a hand on Kiba's shoulder, it seemed to have calmed the tattooed teen slightly but he still glared at the tall man.

"Do you have any other information about her?"

Kimimaru raised a fine brow, his green eyes staring at Neji inquisitively. After a moment of staring at the long haired brunette, Kimimaru smiled once more. "You don't remember Haku." It was a statement that made both of them curious. Had they met her before? There really wasn't much information that they could gather about her. "How interesting." Kimimaru's smile was wide and wicked, leaving both guys even more confused. "Alright, I'll tell you everything." There was a glint in those green eyes.

Naruto stared at the phone in front of him. Since his meeting with Sasuke, the Uchiha had not contacted him at all. Was it because Haku was still clinging to him? Naruto felt his stomach flip in itself. The people at school also did nothing, not even the fake friendliness they had done days prior. Haku, on the other hand, had been by his side as much as possible. She would not leave his side from the moment he would step into the school to the moment he left for basketball practice.

Haku seemed so happy to have Naruto by her side that he never really made much comment about her attachment towards him. She would bring him food when it was time for lunch and would even wait for him outside class if they didn't have one together.

Even if Sasuke didn't talk to him, he would still feel Sasuke's stare on him. Kiba and Neji also seemed to have kept their distance. He kind of missed them.

He sighed as he placed the phone back into his pocket. He swung himself lazily in the swing. He was at the same park he had been with Sasuke that night. Maybe he was hoping to see Sasuke here again?

"Nii-chan, here you are." He was startled by the voice as his blue eyes raised to look at the source.

Konohamaru was walking towards him. He was wearing an oversized light green sweater with a red scarf. The boy came closer and immediately sat on the swing next to him. Naruto smiled at seeing his younger cousin. The small boy had been consumed in his video playing but still managed to find time for him. Naruto did not mind since the time he did spend with the brunette was always really nice.

"Kono, how'd you know I was here?" The small boy started to twist himself around and around until he couldn't anymore and would spin. It made Naruto smile.

"Obaa-chan saw you leaving and I figured you wouldn't be too far." Konohamaru shrugged. He stared at Naruto and tilted his head. "Why are you here?"

Somehow, with that one question, Naruto could feel his cheeks warm up quickly. His first thought was Sasuke. He coughed to think of something else. "Ahm, I just needed to clear my head, I guess."

"Is it about the Koden Prince?" Naruto hesitated as he turned to look at his cousin. His eyes were very innocent looking as he asked but Naruto knew better. He narrowed his eyes on his younger cousin.

"How'd you know?" The younger one shrugged and lifted his arms as he shook his head.

"Lucky guess. Though it doesn't take much to see that the Prince kind of likes you." A blush started to creep on Naruto's cheeks, something his cousin did not leave unnoticed. "You like him too, yeah?" Naruto's eyesight shifted as he looked at anything other than his cousin. Konohamaru sighed. "Why don't you tell him? I'm sure he'll be okay with it. And Baa-chan won't admit it, but I think she's okay with him too." Naruto remained quiet. Konohamaru made it sound so easy. Tell him. Yeah. Right.

"It's a little more complicated Kono. Besides, I don't like him like that." Konohamaru stared at his cousin with doubt. Naruto felt uneasy at the stare. His gaze shifted.

"Don't you?" Naruto's eyes did not meet his cousin. He could feel his stomach churn as the thought of Sasuke came to his mind. He was also immediately reminded of red hair and soft green eyes. He frowned.

No.

He shouldn't be thinking of him. He's out there with Ino. He's happy with her. And him… he… he needs to move forward.

"Nii-chan?" He was brought back by Konohamaru's voice. His cousin was staring at him, waiting for an answer.

"I…what I mean by that is…" he stopped his sentence midway as he felt a vibration and heard a small ping sound. He gave a small apologetic look to his cousin as he took out the phone and stared at the notification. He read the screen name and could not help the small smile that appeared on his lips. He felt giddy at seeing Konoyaro.

"Nee, nii-chan" Naruto looked away from the phone and stared at his cousin. The small brunette was giving a knowing smile as he raised a fine brow. His blush deepened. "Is that the Prince?" Naruto's eyes narrowed as he tried hard to control the blush spreading from his cheeks to the tips of his ears.

"Maa! Go back home!" Konohamaru gave one last knowing smile as he hopped off the swing and stuck his tongue out. Naruto did the same before looking back at the phone. The elated feeling he felt before was back again as he read Sasuke's message.

Hey, come over to my house tomorrow after school. Have to show you something….

Naruto received another message immediately after.

Dumbass

Naruto scoffed as he started to type on the keyboard.

Konoyaro!

He couldn't help the smile on his face.

She was at a loss for words. She was fuming as her auburn eyes watched clasped hands. She felt insulted. How dare he. Her scowl deepened as they both stared at each other and laughed joyously. She felt as if they were mocking her. Mocking her prince. She felt a hot fiery rage inside of her. She wanted him to pay, to suffer and feel what she felt.

"You trying to disintegrate him with your stare or are you constipated?"

She frowned at the question directed at her. Her gaze shifted to her side and saw bleach colored hair. She rolled her eyes and sighed inwardly.

"Suigetsu." That was her only greeting to the teen. It always seemed that Suigetsu would make his presence known at the most inconvenient time. Suigetsu's gaze aligned with hers. He snorted and gave a smirk.

"Thought you'd be happy having him away from your precious love" if Suigetsu's eyes could roll further back, Karin was sure they would. She ignored him as she continued to glare holes at the back of the blonde's head. He couldn't get away from this. How was it possible that trash like him could be doing this and not have consequences?

"He's just mocking Sasuke's kindness." She said through gritted teeth as her hands balled into fists. Suigetsu raised a brow as his smile slowly formed. He found it amusing and it was bothering her even more.

"So, let me get this straight. You're mad if he's with Sasuke and you're mad when he's not." Karin's glare was directed at him next. He could feel a chill run down his spine.

"I hate his mere presence in our school. He doesn't belong here, and yet Sasuke seems to favor him" she continued to grit out. She was starting to look frantic. "I don't want him here, he needs to be taken out." Suigetsu backed away slightly, starting to feel uncomfortable under her fiery gaze. "Take him out. Do you understand? You do what you can to take him out." The anger was still there but Suigetsu could also see the deadly seriousness in her eyes. They had stopped walking a while ago. Her hands were now holding on to the lapels of his jacket. She had a strong grip. He sighed as he carefully pulled Karin's hands away from him.

"What do you want me to do then?" Her gaze went back to Naruto and Haku. They had a great distance between them but still close enough to view them as they laughed together.

"Get the rest of the group"

"But Sasuke-" her glare intensified.

"I know what he said. And I'm saying get the rest of the group. We jump him after school." Suigetsu swallowed and nodded as he scurried away from the fiery redhead. She was a force not to be messed with right now.

Karin looked back at the couple and felt her anger rise once more. She could see the smile he had and it made her want to smack him. Sasuke deserved better. Sasuke deserved to be with her. "You're gonna get it, Uzumaki." With that last statement to herself, she walked away to class.

He continued to stare at his phone. He kept reading his last messages again and again. He was equal parts restless and giddy. He knew that Kiba and Neji would get the information he would need to get Haku away from Naruto. He knew Naruto was too kind to reject Haku, even if she wasn't being honest.

Sasuke would still see them in the halls as they held hands. He would get this feeling of jealousy and think about it all the time and it bothered him so much. He knew, though, that Naruto would know the truth about Haku soon enough. He texted him the night before to meet with him after school. He just had to wait. He had a couple more classes left but it felt far too long for him.

"Sasuke-sama!" It was like hearing nails on a chalkboard as Karin called out his name. She was running closer and closer to him, her red hair flowing behind her. She held a stack of books close to her chest. Sasuke said nothing but waited for the redhead to stop in front of him. He could see the blush on her cheeks as clear as day. It annoyed him having to see her in front of him. He was reminded of the last time he had interacted with her and Kin. He sighed inwardly as he gave an intense glare to the young woman. He said nothing to give her the opportunity to speak.

Once she was in front of him, her blush darkened. She swallowed, her grip on the books tightening. After her hesitation, he simply scowled. "What is it?" He felt like she was wasting his time. He finally saw that Karin's expression changed to one of more seriousness as she straightened up and pushed her glasses up.

"Right, we need you to attend our student council meeting today after school." Sasuke made a face of slight disgust.

"I'm not a member of the student council." He had been nominated president for basically all his school years. His father had told him no since the beginning, thinking that it would be a distraction for him when he had other matters to attend. Karin opened her mouth and closed it back up.

"Yes, however, there are matters that will be changed and we need your input as Prince of the school." Sasuke rolled his eyes to the side before sighing and rubbing the side of his temple.

"Can't this be done without my attendance? I have other things to take care of." Karin looked at the paper that she held on top of her books and then back at Sasuke with a shake of her head.

"Unfortunately, no. Your presence is mandatory." Sasuke rolled his eyes once more. He wanted to say no. he didn't have time for a stupid student council meeting. He wanted to see Naruto. He also knew that if he didn't say no, he would be pestered all day long.

"Fine! Fine. Make it quick." he glared at Karin one last time before she bowed and walked away from Sasuke. He did not see the wicked smile that formed as she had walked away.

He felt anxious all day. Having to pretend he didn't hear the whispers or the stares, made him feel self conscious and exposed. Haku still clung to him like glue but he didn't mind that as much as before. It was the small whispers of him cheating on Sasuke that gave him a sour feeling in his mouth. It's not like he was going out with the guy for heaven's sake! So…

So why did he feel so guilty when he heard these whispers? Was it because he was lying to Haku?

He sighed as grabbed his skateboard and planted it on the ground. He needed to clear his mind. He hoped that if he skateboarded to Sasuke's residence, he'd feel better.

He felt a sudden weight on his shoulder. It was a hand holding him in place. He felt his stomach flip. He turned and was met with dark purple colored eyes. The feeling in his stomach only worsened. "How's it hanging, Kitsune." Naruto frowned as he shrugged the hand away. He didn't need this. Not now.

"What do you need this time?" It was a curt response. Suigetsu gave a wide smile. He shrugged and tried to step closer to Naruto's space.

"What's wrong? You don't wanna hang out with me? Should feel honored that we're making time for you." The feeling of his stomach worsened.

"We?" He could feel his blood rising with the sudden anxiety that hit him fast. He could feel the utter malice in the widened smile that the teen gave. By we- he didn't mean?

"Ohayo, Uzumaki-chan" he felt his body freeze at the quiet yet threatening voice in his ear. He slowly turned and was met with malicious eyes.

"H-Hey Juugo."

Yup. He wasn't going to make it on time. Great.

He was getting bored as he tried to zone out the monotone voice giving his small speech about volunteering events and school trips. He kept looking at his watch every 5 minutes. He still had another half hour left. He was not a student council member considering he had other matters to attend to with the family company but he would still be invited to look over any spending done by the school. Most of the school also deemed it respectful to at least have one F4 member present to oversee any changes.

He directed his stare at Karin and glared. He really needed to get home and he couldn't because of her. He hoped that Naruto wouldn't be waiting too long. He had contacted Iruka to keep the blond idiot entertained once he got there.

"Uchiha-sama?" He looked up and saw Sakura looking at him in a worried manner. He narrowed his eyes. Sakura was treasurer of the student council so her presence wasn't the problem. It was the manner in which Karin was glaring at her.

Strange.

They used to be pretty close.

He stared at green eyes that belonged to Sakura and gave her the opportunity to speak once more. She jumped at the acknowledgement but passed him a packet that she was distributing to everyone.

"You may want to flip through it, Uchiha-sama, it's important." Sasuke sighed and grabbed the packet. Sakura watched as he flipped through the pages. She bowed and moved back to her seat. Sasuke was about to toss the packet to the side as he finally saw the small message on the last page.

Naruto in trouble.

His stare went to look at Sakura's. She gave a small nod and then moved her gaze to Karin who was looking down at the packet. Sasuke clenched his jaw as anger began to form inside him. Of course she would try and do something.

He tried to calm his rage and took deep breaths. He needed to go find Naruto. He stood once he was more calm. Once he stood, everyone's stare was on him. "Something has come up. I have to go." Karin shot up from her seat as panic settled in her eyes. Sasuke glared at her. "What is it Karin?" He saw the young woman blush furiously as she looked around the room. Everyone stared at her, quiet to hear her response.

"We just- the meeting hasn't adjourned yet, Sasuke-sama. Are you sure you can't stay any longer?" She sounded desperate, sweat was forming around her forehead.

"Oh? Is there a reason for me to stay longer? The only topics discussed so far are events in which I have already placed my input. If there is nothing more, I see no reason to stay any longer." Karin frowned. Sasuke began to walk towards the door and out the hall. Karin looked back and forth from Sasuke's departing back and the student council. She ran to catch up to the raven haired teen.

"Sasuke-sama, please wait!" She ran to catch up with Sasuke. The halls were empty. Sasuke did not wait. He continued to walk. Karin's panic increased as she took note of the direction Sasuke was heading. He was heading to the sports building, where Naruto was.

"What's the matter, Uzumaki? Aren't you having fun with us?" He felt a punch to the stomach. The punch forced his breath out of his body. He could taste metal in his mouth. He was sure he was bleeding, his eye feeling swollen as well.

"Why…" it was the only word he could get out as he grunted and winced. His body felt heavy, it was getting harder for him to stay up. He could feel Kabuto and Suigetsu's grip tightening just to keep him up. His eyesight was turning blurry but he could still see Kin standing by the door, keeping an eye out for anyone that may come close.

He felt a kick to his left thigh. The pain was immense. He wanted to scream at the pain but all that came out was a breathy groan. He wanted to call out for help, however, a small voice reminded him that no one would help him.

Gaara…

Gaara had helped him once. But now- Gaara was no longer there. He was with Ino. He was far away from Koden. There was no help.

The thought made him sad enough for water to form in his eyes. He started to hyperventilate as his mind ran various thoughts of Gaara. He had been the one that was there. He had been the one that helped him stand up to these guys. But now…

"Sasuke-sama, please!" That had sounded like Karin. Did he hear right? Sasuke? He would have cried if he wasn't in so much pain. He never thought he'd be immensely overjoyed to hear Sasuke's name being called out. Everyone except Naruto froze upon hearing Sasuke's name. Kin was the first to move as she quietly and slowly closed the closet door they were in. The blond felt a hand covering his mouth so as not to make noise.

The noise of doors opening and slamming shut could be heard. Slow footsteps were closing in on them. They all held their breaths as they saw the doorknob rattle.

"It's locked. We should head back." Karin was pleading.. She got no response as the doorknob continued to rattle. It was silent for a moment. After that, there were the sounds of a squeal and wood breaking. Naruto mustered as much strength to raise his head. He was met with dark eyes. His heart felt light as he stared at the teen in front of him.

Infuriated was an understatement. The young Uchiha was glaring darkly at the group that was in front of him. He could see them cower slightly as their gaze turned downward. He saw blond tousled hair in the periphery of his eyesight. It was Naruto, his Naruto, beaten and bloody. He was breathing heavily but had his mouth covered by Suigetsu's hand. He clenched his hands as anger overtook him once more.

"Get your hands off him." His voice sounded not like him. He could see the 3 teens jump at the tone of his voice. Juugo, however, only watched with admiration in his eyes. Kabuto and Suigetsu let go of the blond and quickly backed away. They bowed as Sasuke got closer, not wanting to meet his wrath. He bent down near Naruto, his hand caressing Naruto's cheek slowly. Naruto winced but felt relieved.

"Sasuke…"

"We have to go, wrap your arms around me." Naruto could barely pick his head up, let alone his arms. Sasuke had taken his arms, limp and heavy, and wrapped them around his neck. He picked the blonde up effortlessly. He heard Naruto let out a low groan. Sasuke held Naruto tightly and carried him bridal style. He got out the closet they were in and stared at the group once more. The group was still huddled together, cowering. Juugo was the only one unaffected. "Don't you ever touch him again." He turned to a scared wide-eyed Karin. She was shaking. "Understand?" It looked like Karin wanted to say something, anger still there. Sasuke walked away without another word.

Naruto could feel himself relax as he felt Sasuke's chest pressing against his cheek. He came to help. "I…I'm late." Sasuke stopped. He could feel Sasuke's head tilt downward. Blue eyes focused on the rosy lips that moved as Sasuke's hot breath hit him. With his ear pressed against Sasuke's chest, he could hear the beating coming from him. It was loud and fast. He felt Sasuke's hold on him tighten slightly. Naruto hissed lowly.

"Sorry." Sasuke's voice was gentle. Naruto continued to stare at Sasuke's rosy lips. They were so close to him. "Let's go." Naruto wanted to nod in agreement. Instead, he closed his eyes as he felt his eyelids heavy and sleep overtake him. He was exhausted.

"Ita! Konoyarou!" He could feel Naruto back away from the cotton. He felt his heart sink at hearing Naruto's pain as he tried to treat the blonde's wounds.

"Don't be a scared-cat, it's just alcohol."

"Yeah! Of course you'd say that! You're not the one with the cuts here." Sasuke hesitated as he stared at Naruto. He felt his stomach drop. Naruto's eye was no longer swollen but there was still a blue/purple color. He had cuts around his forehead and cheeks. It was his fault that Naruto was like this. "Maa, I can do this myself! I don't need you to do this for me."

"Tch, just take the help, idiot." Sasuke looked down, a frown in place. "It's the least I can do."

Naruto could hear the sadness in Sasuke's voice. Naruto looked away, his eyes settling on a dresser for no particular reason. Sasuke was able to bring them back to his residence. He had woken up on Sasuke's bed. The tall teen himself had been watching over him. He had been reading a book by the time Naruto awoke. Naruto had noticed the relief that Sasuke demonstrated when he did wake up. It had made him feel elated.

"Take off your clothes." He had been taken aback at Sasuke's request. His eyes widened and his arm shot up to make a barrier between him and the dark haired teen. He could feel heat rush to his cheeks and ears. His mind began to reel as his eyes searched Sasuke's own face, a pinkish hue dusting his cheeks.

"Eh? Wha-Why's that you perv?!" Sasuke gave a look of aggravation as he directed a glare at him.

"Dumbass! I'm trying to put ointment on your wounds, why do you think?!" Sasuke grabbed hold of Naruto's leg, it was the thigh that Juugo had kicked prior. Naruto tried to hold off the groan that wanted to escape. What came out was a small squeak. Sasuke stared with narrowed eyes. "See! What other injuries do you have?" Sasuke raised himself up and stood over the blonde. His hand grabbed at the hem of Naruto's button up and lifted it, his hand resting on hot skin.

Sasuke's touch made him panic and it made him feel embarrassed. He could feel his heart beat faster and faster in his ears. He was finally conscious of how close Sasuke really was. He looked up at Sasuke and immediately looked away, too embarrassed to meet his eye. His arm was still up as a barrier, he used it to push Sasuke away just slightly.

Sasuke could feel his heart beating loudly in his ears. He was sure that Naruto could probably hear it if he focused hard enough. The palm of his hand was hot. Naruto's skin was warm and smooth, it made him giddy. Unintentionally, his hand pressed down and raised the shirt up even more. He heard Naruto's breath hitch at the movement. It gave Sasuke the incentive to be bolder.

Sasuke's knee settled on the bed to support himself, almost mounting the blonde in front of him. His other hand landed on the other side of Naruto's torso, pushing the shirt up as well. He felt Naruto's forearm pushing at his chest slightly. He stopped and stared at the spiky haired teen.

Naruto was trying to calm his breathing. He felt hot and slightly dizzy. His cheeks were burning and his stomach was making weird movements. Sasuke was so close to him. The way in which those black eyes were settled on him made him feel so embarrassed and exposed. He wanted to push the Uchiha away, and yet, he wanted to feel more.

"I need you to take it off." Sasuke's voice was low and breathy. Naruto pushed himself away using his legs as his arm maintained high as a barrier. This was getting intense. He was feeling hot and he didn't know whether he wanted Sasuke to be closer to him or to push him away and run. He could see Sasuke give a small smile as he tried to get closer.

"Ahm, I… I can do it myself! Just… just you stay over there!" Naruto pushed himself back even more, too nervous to say much to his companion as Sasuke continued to stare at him intensely with a smirk. Naruto looked away, he pressed his arm closer to his face to hide his burning cheeks. He pushed himself away little by little.

Naruto landed on the floor after trying to get away from the Uchiha. He heard Sasuke call his name with worry in his tone. Naruto tried to get up, popping his head up above the mattress. He stared at dark coal eyes, a blush appeared immediately. "Idiot! Don't hurt yourself even more!" Naruto got up and gave a goofy smile to mask away the embarrassment. Sasuke rolled his eyes and sighed. He sat back down and grabbed the ointment nearby. "I'm not going to do anything. I just want to help with all your wounds." Naruto gave a small nod as he grabbed the front button of his jeans and undid it. He felt so embarrassed at the action but managed to slip them halfway off. he sat back down and looked away from Sasuke

"Just get on with it." Muttered the blonde teen. Sasuke gave a small frown. The tan skin that Sasuke was looking at was bruised in yellow and blue. His heart sank at the sight. This was his fault. He was responsible for this. Sasuke sighed as he grabbed the ointment nearby and spread some around a small cloth.

He was glad that Naruto was with him. He was glad that Naruto wasn't yelling obscenities at him or angry at him. He was trying. Sweet Kami, was he trying. He wanted Naruto to see the changes he was doing, and wanted those blue eyes on him all the time. He wanted Naruto to be by his side. And yet, as his dark eyes settled in Naruto's cuts and bruised skin, the more his heart tightened and the guilt settled more on his shoulders.

Are you ready to take that responsibility if anything goes sideways? Will you take responsibility if he goes after Uzumaki-san's family

Neji's words echoed in his mind. He hadn't realized the amount of weight that those words held. As he stared at Naruto all he could think of was how much he failed the blond teen. He was supposed to be there by his side, he was supposed to protect him.

"-Suke? Nee, Teme!" Sasuke looked up at cerulean eyes. Naruto looked worried as his head tilted to look at his own dazed stare. The cuts were less visible, a reddish hue still on his tan cheeks as they were puffed out. "Nee! Pay attention, I'm freezing!"

Sasuke only rolled his eyes and tossed the cloth to the teen in front of him. "Hn." He let out a small grunt as he got up and dusted his knees. "All done, Dobe."

"Then… where are you going?" Sasuke gave a small smile. He got a bit closer to Naruto. Instantly, Naruto looked away, indignant. "Not that I care!"

Sasuke wanted to laugh. Naruto looked adorable as red appeared on his cheeks. He wanted to touch him once more, to feel his warmth and feel closer to him. He stared at Naruto for a bit longer before giving a playful smile. "What, you want me to stay here with you?" Naruto's cheeks turned a deeper red as Naruto stared with wide eyes.

"You wish!"

"Yes, I do." Sasuke's response surprised Naruto even more. He was taken aback but said nothing as he looked away. Sasuke chuckled briefly before heading towards the door. "I'll be back soon, get some rest, you must be exhausted." Naruto heard the door close. He was left alone but the loudest thing to him was the rapid beating of his heart. He plopped himself on the bed and pushed the covers over his head. His cheeks were hot and he felt very much elated.

She never thought she would be inside these walls. She could see the many pictures and portraits that were kept in the household. There was history in this residence and everything in this home proved it. She was both overjoyed and aggravated to be walking side by side with Kiba and Neji. She knew she was being taken to him, to see Sasuke Uchiha. She had been anticipating seeing him sooner with the way she was flaunting her new beau around him but it seemed he had more patience than she thought.

"Miss Yuki, you were a hard one to find." Neji was the first to speak. She looked to her right and saw Kiba wink at her. She rolled her eyes and stared ahead once more.

"I disagree, it's merely that you three didn't know where to look. We were all classmates back in the day after all." She replied to the long haired brunette. Haku gave a smug smile as she flattened her skirt down and flipped her hair away from her face. "I must say, though, it did take you guys long enough to figure it out." Neji pressed his lips together into a thin line.

"Yes, well, Sasuke normally doesn't make it a habit to look for old classmates." Haku gave a laugh.

"So I've noticed. I'm sure I'm nothing more than an insignificant bug to him. Naruto must be very important to him, nee?" Her smile was sweet looking but her eyes told another story. Both brunettes said nothing as they continued to walk to their destination. She gave a smirk of satisfaction. They didn't express much from her instigating, however, she knew better. She knew that they were all riled up with her actions, why else would they go out of their way to meet with her?

They continued to walk a bit longer before she was faced with a huge wooden door. She raised her thin brow and turned to look at Kiba and Neji. Kiba reached for the door and opened it. Haku peered inside and was able to make out Sasuke sitting on a desk. He was looking at papers, a pair of reading glasses set on his face. She walked inside slowly, her face expressionless. She reached the desk but Sasuke still did not look up. She did not care whether Kiba or Neji entered behind, all she focused on was Sasuke.

"I see you're just as rude as ever." She spoke coolly, her eyes narrowing. She held strong, however, she could feel anger start to bubble inside her. How could he want to meet her and yet not acknowledge her? Jerk. After a pause, the raven haired teen dropped the papers and looked up at her. He was glaring at her, she felt satisfied to get this emotion out of him.

"Don't talk to me as if you know me." Haku laughed flippantly.

"Oh but I do know you. I'm sure your friends told you all about me." She got closer, her hand settling on the desk. She lowered herself to speak to him. "I know how much Naruto Uzumaki means to you." She said in a low, threatening voice. Sasuke shot up from his chair, his hands slamming on to the desk. His stare was intimidating yet Haku remained poised. Her smile widened in satisfaction as Sasuke spoke in a shaky breath.

"How dare you utter his name out of that filthy mouth."

"Oh, I've done more than just say his name." She gave a suggestive look at the Uchiha, it angered him even more. Without thinking, he grabbed hold of Haku's arm and pulled her close. Haku scoffed at Sasuke's reaction. "You going to hurt me? You're just a bully who ruins everything in his path. You don't deserve Naruto"

Sasuke felt a pang in his chest upon hearing Haku's words. He let go of the long haired teen. He heard her laugh as she fixed her clothing. Haku was being cocky and he couldn't do anything about it. Haku was Naruto's friend. He knew if he hurt Haku, Naruto would be mad and never forgive him. He also felt like Haku was somewhat truthful with her words.

"Is this why you brought me here? To threaten me? I know you can't do anything else." Her smile was wide and smug. "Naruto would be pretty upset if something happened to me." Sasuke clenched his hand into a tight fist. He knew Haku was right. She stared at Sasuke with delight. "You know," Haku began to walk around Sasuke, eyeing him from top to bottom. "at first I thought I wasn't on your radar. And it was true for the most part. It was such a long time ago since I last saw you, I thought it would be hard to start my revenge against you because of that." Haku stopped in front of Sasuke, her eyes narrowing as her smile widened. "But Naruto" Sasuke held his breath at the mention of the blond. "Naruto was the one who helped me put everything into place."

"You used him." He was angry. He didn't care whether Haku was just getting some petty revenge or whatever, but to use Naruto. To play with Naruto's feelings? It made his blood boil.

"Use him?" She sounded insulted as she glared intensely at the tall teen. "You're no better. You think everything you've done in the past, you think that has no consequences? You actually think Naruto will overlook all of it? All the mocking, the targeting. You think just because you stopped doing it to him, that he'd ever forgive you?" Sasuke gave a small smirk.

"Have you told him who you truly are? You don't think he'll be upset that you lied to him?" Haku frowned, her jaw clenching. "You went out of your way to play with Naruto's feelings just for this petty revenge. You knew he'd be too nice to say no to you, knowing that he didn't even want to go out with you. Do you think he's happy with just you by his side?" He gave a small smile, his heart racing as his monologue continued. "How sure are you that he won't be looking for me?"

He felt a hard impact against his face in a matter of seconds. The sound was deafening between the two. Sasuke was surprised at the action. He blinked for a moment before turning back to stare at an angry Haku. He glared at the long haired teen as he rubbed his cheek with his knuckles. Haku was breathing hard, her eyes looked watery. Sasuke sighed.

"I must have really pissed you off if you're using someone like Naruto against me." Haku growled in exasperation. Her face was turning red with fury.

"and that's what's most aggravating most of all! All this that I planned out and you can't even remember who I am! You don't even remember how much you've put me through! The pain and the psychological torture that I had to go through because of what you did to me!" Sasuke stared at Haku. The anger that was evident on her face. Her eyes looked watery from the corner of her eyes. He could see anger and hurt and it made him feel guilty. He remembered vividly who she was and what he did. It had been a long time ago when he was still under the influence of his father.

The school yard was filled with many children. There were a total of 3 aides that overlooked all the children in his class. It had been requested by his father to have as many eyes as possible on him. He could understand why his father wanted all eyes on him, however, he also saw the downside of not being able to do what he actually wanted to do with his friends because of it.

There was an aide helping Kiba with a small scrape on his knee. The small brunette was wiping his tears away after bawling his eyes out and screaming bloody murder that he was going to die due to running and falling hard on concrete floor... Neji was consoling Kiba, patting his back in a reassuring manner and whispering to him that it was all right and to not be an idiot. Gaara was observing from the side as he held the ointment and the bandages. Sasuke was on the side, reading the French textbook in front of him. His father had been adamant of him needing to learn other languages other than Japanese and English. He had been vocal about Itachi being a linguistic prodigy along with everything he got his hands on. His brother already knew 7 languages including signing. His father seemed disappointed that he was still learning the basics of French.

With a deep sigh Sasuke Uchiha closed his book and got off the bench that he was sitting on. He removed himself from the outdoor table that they were all in and made his way to the water fountain that was nearby. The fountain was big enough for him to sit by and watch the small koi that swam to and fro. His dark colored eyes were set on a small golden colored koi that swam slowly.

"Eto, S-Sasuke-kun?" How he loathed hearing his name like that. He never felt comfortable enough to have people call him as if they knew him so personally. With a frown already on his face, he looked up and was met with chocolate brown eyes. Sasuke stared at his classmate in front of him, taking note of the small blush and the timid stance. His classmate had the standard girls' school uniform, he held a stuffed toy against his chest as he started to shake. He had shoulder length hair, his bangs resting over his eyes. Sasuke continued to stare with silent judgement. He knew from much experience when someone was about to confess to him. "Ahm, I…" the dark haired boy bowed lowly. "Sasuke-sama, please accept my feelings!"

Sasuke felt a strong pulse throughout his body at the sudden confession. This was different from when girls would confess to him. Maybe it was because this was a boy? Sasuke stared with wide eyes, speechless. The boy in front of him looked up with bright flushed cheeks. He was holding on to the stuffed rabbit tighter than before. He bowed one last time before running away.

His father had witnessed the small boy dressed in a girl's school uniform waving at him with a blush. Sasuke felt awkward at the action but climbed up in the car where his father and brother waited for him. It was one of those special days when their father had time from work and would try to make time for him and Itachi. An hour at most was what their father would make time for.

"Sasuke, who was that boy?" His father's stern look made him feel smaller and afraid. Black orbs searched for his brother. The older boy was looking away from them as he stared out the window. "Sasuke, I asked you a question." He took too long to answer, making his father impatient. Sasuke bit the inside of his lip.

"I… I don't know, Chichiue. He-he's a boy that confessed to me."

"That boy is dressed like that and confessed to you?" Sasuke gave a hesitant nod. Fugaku narrowed his eyes. The silent fury that his father demonstrated was enough to make him regret his actions. He probably shouldn't have said anything. "You… Chichiue, you won't do anything to him, right?" The silent response did not settle well in his stomach. He turned to his brother for an indication that his father wouldn't do anything, yet the frown that his brother had didn't calm him much.

"What… What did my father do?" Sasuke had forgotten all about the small boy that had confessed to him after that day. He never really asked anyone about it and never talked to his friends about it either. It wasn't until later on in his childhood that he figured out how truly awful and toxic his father was. He had kept the secret of a boy confessing to him. Of how it made him feel to be confessed by someone other than a girl.

"My family was blacklisted. Everywhere we went in Japan, your father's influence overshadowed any chance my mother had in getting a job. No one in Japan wanted any association with someone like me, my own mother left me so she could succeed. She didn't want a cross dresser. She would call me a disappointment, how I tainted her family name with my queer life. I moved to Italy to start anew. And then coming back and seeing you. Seeing how much influence you held over everyone, like your father." He felt a tightening in his chest at the last sentence. Like his father, that was the last thing he wanted to be.

"And Naruto?"

"At first, yeah I was going to use Naruto for my revenge. I thought he'd be on board considering how foul you've been to him since he transferred here. But then, I saw…" Haku looked annoyed. "I saw him starting to warm up to you and I saw how sweet he was after all the shit you gave him. He's too good for you. You don't deserve to have someone like Naruto."

Sasuke was silent as he stared at Haku's angry face. He knew there was truth to Haku's words. Maybe Naruto did deserve someone better than him. "Maybe so." He whispered "but I won't leave his side." He was reminded of how Naruto looked when he found him in the broom closet with Juugo and the gang. "I won't let him get hurt like you did. I'll be protecting him from now on. No matter what."

Although he had said that with great confidence, he felt guilty as he stared at Naruto's sleeping face. The scars were no longer fresh looking but still visible. The same could be said about the bruises. He sighed quietly as his eyes studied Naruto's face. He examined Naruto's eyelashes. His blond lashes fluttered lightly as he breathed. The bandages that covered his cheek and his forehead. Sasuke stared down at the blonde, his heart racing as he lowered himself to lightly touch Naruto's plump cheek. He was close to kissing the blond, he settled on his forehead barely touching Naruto's as he closed his eyes and breathed in deeply.

The door opened slowly. He jumped slightly and turned only to see silver colored hair. Sasuke glared at the intruder but said nothing as the man silently bowed and then made a gesture with his head. Sasuke rolled his eyes and sighed but nodded and begrudgingly got up. He looked at Naruto one last time before smiling lightly. He felt a lot better knowing that Naruto was under his care.

"My, my, Sasuke-sama, I never thought you'd be such a caring nurse." Sasuke grunted at hearing the man's mocking tone in his voice. The man smiled gleefully, it irritated Sasuke.

"You say this to no one." Sasuke stated threateningly. The man held both arms up in a surrendering gesture.

"Hai, hai, not a peep from me, young Master." A hand went up to scratch at the back of silver colored hair. "I was going to inform you that the car is ready. Are you still set on going to his house to meet his guardians?" Sasuke nodded with a small smile. Kakashi followed close behind.

He was in front of Naruto's household in mere minutes. The lights were on and he could hear muffled voices. He heard the loud laugh of a female followed by the television. The club next to the house was closed yet there were still stragglers around the area, eyeing him. He turned back to look at Kakashi, the man was unloading the items that were in the trunk and placing them neatly on the ground. He felt slightly anxious as his hand reached to knock on the door. The laughter had stopped, there were rustling noises before he saw the door open.

He was met with large brown eyes. It was a tall woman with fair skin, blond hair and glare directed at him. He could feel a chill run down his spine as the woman's stare continued.

"Ah, Miss Uzumaki." Kakashi was the one to speak as he walked closer next to him. The woman's intense stare seemed to have softened at the familiar presence. She stared back at him, he gave a curt bow.

"Good evening, I apologize for the late appearance. My name is Sasuke Uchiha, I wanted to formally introduce myself to you and your family. May we come in? We have gifts to distribute to all of you." The woman narrowed her eyes as she processed Sasuke's words. After a pause, she gave a small grimace but stepped aside from the door and made a gesture with her head.

"You've got my twerp with you?" The woman craned her neck slightly to look for a mop of blond hair. When she saw no one else, she sighed and closed the door behind her. "He's in your care?" Sasuke nodded as he looked around the small space. The blond woman led the way to another small part of the house.

"Yes, we have him in our care. He seemed to have bumped into some trouble and he's recovering at Sasuke-sama's residence." The woman eyed both Kakashi and Sasuke as she crossed her arms together, leaning against a counter top. She gave a small scoff.

"Bumped into trouble?" Her eyes settled on the young Uchiha. "You sure it's not because of you, Uchiha-sama?" She gave a mocking tone at the honorific. Sasuke felt like he was being lectured, it was a different feeling from when he was lectured from Iruka or Kakashi. It felt as if his own mother was lecturing him. He felt ashamed as the woman stared at him, he looked down for a moment before bowing.

"I…I'm sorry." He looked up and saw two surprised expressions. The one from Kakashi he was not expecting, the blond woman blinked thrice before looking away with a frown. He swallowed hard as he tried to get his words out. "I understand I made his school life hard."

"Stop." The woman interrupted him before he continued. She looked upset as she clenched her jaw. She breathed in hard as she stared at him with a frown. "My boy has suffered all throughout his life. I lost my son earlier than any mother should lose her son. I promised them that I would take care of Naruto. By sending him to Koden, I thought it was best." She gave a bitter laugh "but you. You somehow made it worse for him." The woman was no longer leaning against the table top as she made her way closer to the young Uchiha. Sasuke was looking up at the woman, their height difference was drastic. "He never disclosed to us what it was he was going through at school, but that dummy isn't so slick at hiding it. My husband and I could put the pieces together, and I swear, if it wasn't for the fact that your family owns everything, I would have done everything in my power to keep him away from you."

Sasuke felt as if someone punched him in the gut. The woman's words were clear, her gaze gave absolute resolution. He thought for a minute how his school life would be without the loud blond. Would he be the same as he was before? Would he turn into his father just as Haku had mentioned?

"Tsunade-san, you're scaring the child." Sasuke was surprised at the new voice that came from nowhere. Dark colored eyes searched for the source of the voice. By the small hall that, he assumed, led to the bedrooms, he saw a bouldering man with long white hair. Sasuke raised a fine brow at the man. The man gave a wide smile, it reminded Sasuke of Naruto. "You must be the Uchiha boy. Name's Jaraiya, and this is my wife Tsunade." He gave a curt nod at the man Tsunade stayed quiet but glared at him. It was awkward and silent for a moment before Kakashi cleared his throat. Sasuke jumped slightly and focused his attention on the silver haired man.

"Ah, yes, my mistake." He walked towards Kakashi as the man lifted his arms to give Sasuke access to the gifts he had been holding this whole exchange. Jaraiya's face lit up at the presents that Sasuke was grabbing. Tsunade lifted her pointer finger with a lecturing face. Jaraiya made a pleading face as his eyes shifted from Tsunade to the young Uchiha holding gifts up to them. "I have junmai sake and even brought some toro to pair it with, I understand it doesn't compare to what I've made Naruto go through, but I hope you understand that I will do everything in my power to keep him by my side." He felt embarrassed as he declared this to all 3 adults in the room. The silence was deafening to him as he waited for someone to respond.

Tsunade was the first to make any type of movement as she unwrapped her arms and sighed deeply. She walked closer to Sasuke as she snatched the bag that held the sake. "Sit, we'll all talk about this. Consider this payment for our time." She held the bottle up high. Sasuke nodded slightly as he made his way to the small table on the floor and sat down. Jairaya had made his way across the room to get 3 sake glasses and a glass of water for Sasuke. They all sat around the table, Tsunade poured the sake and made a motion with her glass toward the young Uchiha. "So, tell me, why are you after our boy?"

Sasuke had turned to look at Kakashi who was silently observing next to him. He seemed to smile at him and then downed his sake. After his drink, the man placed his elbows on the table and stared at Sasuke with a smile, waiting for Sasuke to start. Sasuke could feel his eye twitching at seeing Kakashi stare at him. He was absolutely no help. Sasuke breathed out hard and bit the inside of his lip. "I understand this is going to sound unkind- at first, I thought Naruto was an idiot, but" Sasuke grabbed at his chest as he looked down at the table with a sincere smile on his face. "He makes me want to be a better person."

Tsunade stared at the young boy in front of her with shock. She had paused from lifting her cup as Sasuke's dumb face reminded her of her son some time ago.

"Ma, I'm telling you, she's such an amazing woman. She…." blue eyes stared at an empty space as a goofy smile slowly formed on her son's face. She stared at her son with shock, clearly seeing the genuine love he was forming for Kushina . "She makes me want to be a better person." She smiled as she stared at her son. She always thought Minato was always going to be a clown, but the way her son looked as he talked about his classmate, she had the sudden realization that her son really is growing up.

She was spooked once she felt a warm hand on her thigh. She jumped slightly and turned only to see her husband stare at her with an unspoken conversation of- remind you of someone?

Tsunade chugged her cup in one swallow before banging the cup back onto the table and making a grunting sound from her throat. She stared at Sasuke once more only to feel her chest ache. He had the same expression Minato had at the age of 23, dear kami-sama, Naruto was getting into one hell of a roller coaster. Her brown eyes darted to her husband, the man raised his brows and gave a gleeful smile.

"Well, I for one will let Naruto follow whatever path he wants, Uchiha-sama." The man's smile disappeared as his expression changed to one of seriousness, the aura around the man turning threatening. "But know this, Uchiha-sama, one misstep, you do anything to our boy and hurt him, you will have to deal with the both of us." his voice lowered as the aura around the man darkened. "We have our ways, we have nothing to lose." Sasuke could feel a chill run down his spine as he stared at the empty smiles that both Jaraiya and Tsunade gave. He nodded hesitantly. After a moment, the man's expression softened once more. "Perfect! Welcome to the family, Uchiha-sama, good luck with your journey." Sasuke was surprised at the acceptance from both adults. He somehow felt weightless as a smile slowly spread across his face.

He had woken up abruptly. When he opened his eyes he stared into darkness. He was disoriented and slightly anxious as his eyes wandered around the room. It took him a couple of seconds before remembering where he was. Blue eyes looked around to see if he was alone in the room or if he had company near him. He saw no one as he got up and walked towards the window. He peeked outside and saw that it was still slightly dark, the sun barely rising. He quickly made way back to the bed to look for his possessions and found the phone Sasuke got him, it was charging by the table side. Naruto turned it on and looked at the time, 5:43am.

A deep dread overcame him. His Baa-chan was going to kill him. He hurriedly got dressed and grabbed his belongings. He bolted out the door as quickly and quietly as he could, only to jump in terror as he was met by a dark presence in front of him. He wanted to scream but held it in, only opening his mouth as a stifled sound came out. The shadow held his hands up and made small shushing sounds.

"Sorry! Sorry! Uzumaki-kun, it's me, Kakashi." The response was a hoarse whisper. Naruto narrowed his eyes to make out the shadow. He could faintly see the silver hair and the mask that covered the man's face. Naruto looked around to see if Sauske was close by. How did Sasuke know he'd be up at this time?! Kakashi placed a warm hand on his shoulder as his hand made a waving motion. "Everyone is asleep, I was just making sure you were checked up on, you can get back to bed." Naruto shook his head and whispered back.

"I… I actually have to go. I never really informed my grandparents that I'd be out this long, they're probably worried or something. Besides, school starts in a couple of hours." The man was silent for a couple of minutes before giving Naruto a couple of taps on the shoulder.

"Alright, I'll take you back home, do you have your belongings?" Naruto was shocked at the offer.

"Wait, really?" Kakashi made a motion to lower his voice. Naruto could feel heat in his cheeks as he tried to be less loud. "You're not going to make me stay or something?"

"I'll inform Sasuke of your whereabouts once he's up." Naruto's cheeks were burning.

"I… I wasn't worried about that." He sensed Kakashi was enjoying his fumbling words. He wanted to bury himself in a hole. "Thanks." He mumbled as he felt the older man tap him once more and depart in front of him. Naruto gripped his belongings tighter and followed close behind.

They had reached the car that awaited both. Naruto placed his belongings in the back seat and made his way to the passenger side. Kakashi stared at him bewildered as Naruto settled in the seat.

"What? What is it?" The man seemed to smile, his eyes giving a softness to them.

"I understand why Sasuke is enamored by you." Naruto could feel heat build all round his face at the sudden comment. He felt embarrassed, making him look away from the man's eyes. He said nothing as Kakashi started the car and pulled away from the household.

Enamored… was that a word he would use to describe Sasuke towards him? It made him feel awkward and embarrassed at hearing that word. The I like you that resonated in his mind once in a while is what made him that much more uncomfortable about the word.

He rubbed the back of his neck as he walked through the halls of his school. He had yet to see Haku, but knew that she liked to wait for him by his locker to greet him first thing. He was a little wary of seeing her since he spent the night with Sasuke. Would she get mad? Would she think he betrayed her trust?

"Naruto-kun!" He heard his name being called by a whispering voice. Naruto stopped dead in his tracks as his cerulean eyes looked back and forth to find the source of the voice. After a few seconds, he felt a hand in his sleeve and a hard pull.

He was then met with darkness, the window of the janitorial closet giving off a small spec of light. He could faintly see the outline of someone. He sighed. Why was he being pulled by shadows recently? Whatever happened to talking one on one with lights?!

"Naruto-kun." He could distinguish the voice belonging to Haku. He smiled as he grabbed her arm and pulled her close to him. He felt fabric brush his cheeks as he embraced Haku. She let out a small gasp at the sudden jerk, eventually, her arms lifted to embrace him as well.

"Hey, is everything alright? Why are we in the closet?" Naruto's voice was gentle as his hand gingerly touched Haiku's cheek. She leaned in to the touch, feeling the warmth that radiated from the blond. Her heart sank as she was reminded of the conversation she had with Sasuke the day prior. The more she thought about it, the more guilt started to build up in her. Sasuke had been right, as much as she hated to admit it. She did use Naruto. She had intended to use him until she didn't need him anymore, and yet, the more she got to know the blond…

The more she saw how he accepted her, the kindness that no one in her life had shown her, the more she wanted him to herself, to get him away from that pompous jerk. She placed her hand in her chest, trying to calm the small pang of pain that her heart released. She should tell him, it was only a matter of time before Sasuke would say anything to the blond. With a deep breath Haku grabbed large tan hands and smiled. "Naruto, you mean so much to me." The air between them changed. She started to feel suffocated, as if the space around them was closing in. She held onto Naruto's hands tighter. "I… Naruto -kun, I haven't been honest with you."

Blond brows furrowed as he stared at cinnamon colored eyes. He tilted his head as he tried to understand what she wanted to say to him. She was looking down as she tried to calm her breaths. She breathed deeply before continuing.

"I'm… I'm going back to Italy." The silence made Haku anxious. She had felt Naruto's hands go limp.

"No… Haku-chan, you can't!" Haku felt a pain in her chest when hearing Naruto's sad tone in his voice, she frowned.

"Naruto-kun, there's more." She breathed out hard as her hand reached for the wall, feeling for the flicker to turn the light on. Once there was lighting in the room, she was met with worried ocean blue eyes. Her heart sank as Naruto searched her face with a deep frown. He had let go of her hand and slowly lifted to touch her cheek.

"Whatever it is, Haku-chan, you can tell me." His voice was gentle enough to make Haku smile slightly. He really was kind. She sighed as she raised her hands and grabbed the hood on top of her head. She took off the hood sharply, closing her eyes, waiting for Naruto's response.

Naruto's eyes widened even more are he stared at the girl in front of him. He was at a loss for words as he saw the once long hair that she used to have, cut short. It was shorter than his own hair, a pixie cut with the front spiking up slightly. The more Naruto examined her, he noticed the slacks that she wore substituted by the formal girl's uniform. He narrowed his eyes as his head tilted.

"Why'd you cut your hair? Haku-chan, is everything alright?" He felt worry overtake him slowly. It was until he saw small tears form at the ends of her eyes when he started to reach out to her. He tried to wipe away the tears as his hands cupped her face. At the touch, she started to sob quietly. "Haku-chan, please, tell me what's wrong?"

"Naruto, I-I'm so sorry." She whimpered as she held his hands into her once more. Her eyes stared directly into his, searching them. "I…I-I was using you to get back at Sasuke. I am not who you think I am." Haku grabbed Naruto's hands and guided them towards her chest. She saw the panic in his eyes as she guided his hands lower. It wasn't until his hands landed on her chest when she saw the deep rouge color on his tan cheeks, his eyes widened in shock.

"M-maa! Ha-Haku-chan, what are you doing?!" His hands were flatly touching both sides of her chest, she swallowed as she tried hard to calm her breathing.

"Haven't you found it strange that I don't have cleavage?" Naruto blushed, looking away in an embarrassed manner. He had let go of Haku only to scratch his cheek out of nervousness. He didn't meet her eye, the sensation of having his hands on Haku's chest made his heart pound hard.

"Uhm, Jiji always says, small breasts or big breasts, no matter the size, it'll make any man stupid." Haku was silent as she stared at Naruto with furrowed brows. Eventually, she began to giggle, her worry washing away with every little laugh that escaped. Naruto stared at Haku as he took hold of her shoulders and met her eye. "Listen, you're my friend. I will help you out with what I can. If Sasuke did anything to you, I'll set him straight. And if there's something you want to tell me but can't, then tell me when you're ready, yeah?"

Haku gave a small smile and a nod, Naruto returned the smile. After a second, Haku breathed out. "Naruto, I'm gay."

"Eh?" It came out above a whisper. The blond teen was confused as he narrowed his eyes, examining the person in front of him. It took the tall blond a couple of silent pauses before it all clicked. "But you're so pretty." Haku only smiled as he reached for his long locks, only to frown once he felt air.

"I always liked wearing dresses and pretty clothing. At first, Hahaoya let me wear anything I wanted. She thought it harmless, just a small child playing dress up." Haku frowned as he thought back to his mother blaming him for her misfortune after encountering Fugaku Uchiha. "That was until my lifestyle affected her social status." He sighed as he took the sweater he was wearing off. "Hahaoya basically told me to fuck off when I was 14. My uncle took me in and I had to move to Italy to start a new life, this time under the guise of being a woman. Uncle thought it would make things easier for me if I just said I was." Haku began to unbutton his school shirt as he continued to speak to Naruto. He did not see the reddish color that was starting to form on the blonde's cheeks. "All those years, I blamed myself, thinking it was my fault, that I was some freak." Bright earthy eyes stared at ocean blue. "And then I came back after so long and I saw Sasuke. I was smitten again like I was when I was younger but then-" Haku made a face of repulsion. "the way he strutted around and just treated everyone like dirt. It made me realize that everything I went through, it was all his fault." Naruto gave a sympathetic stare. He tried hard to look anywhere else but at Haku's slim fingers as he unbuttoned the last of his shirt. He could see the flat chest that he had felt minutes ago, his pale skin almost mesmerizing. "And then I met you. You were my first friend, you made me feel like I was wanted but I also saw the way he looked at you, saw how you looked at him."

Naruto was silent. The way he looked at Sasuke? Did he really look at the Uchiha any differently? He wanted to open his mouth to protest but he couldn't think of anything. He saw Haku's hand grab at his own and place it on his torso. Naruto felt Haku's warmth against his hand once more. He was confused and skittish. He felt warm all around him but also felt like running away to hide. Haku guided Naruto's hand, gently moving it to touch his chest and lowering it to his stomach. Haku gave a small smile seeing Naruto's embarrassed expression. "I manipulated your kindness and for that I'm sorry, I just couldn't bear to see you with him." Haku stepped closer, the air around them becoming suffocating to the tall blond. Something was happening, something that was making his mind yell unintelligible words. "Naruto…" the blond could feel the other's warm breath so close to his lips. He was sure Haku would kiss him with the way he was slowly moving towards him. His heartbeat increased as the seconds went by.

He heard the creaking first before he heard the low angry grumble that came from the doorway. "Get. Away. From. Him."

He was startled by the voice, yet he already knew who it was even if he was put under a blindfold.

"Are you really leaving? You can't stay?" Haku gave a small smile as he stepped closer into Naruto's personal space and embraced the blond. Naruto was taken by surprise yet reciprocated the gesture.

"I'm afraid not. I wanted to tell you sooner but I guess I just wanted to hold on to you for a little longer." Sasuke watched in silent fury as Haku pressed himself against Naruto. He was reminded of how he had found them in the broom closet. He had wanted to rip Haku's arms out once he had seen him half naked and with Naruto's hand on him.

Naruto had been there to calm him down. The blonde teen had quickly taken his hand away when their eyes locked. He had tried to explain in a panicked voice and all Sasuke could think of was how cute he looked when he was flushed and nervous.

"You know, I can take you with me if you want." It was low but Sasuke knew he heard it clearly. His body moved on its own as he yanked Naruto's arm and pressed the blond against him, holding the teen tightly. He felt Naruto's warmth against his body, it soothed his jealous emotions. Haku gave a small chuckle and a smug smirk directed towards him. Sasuke clenched his jaw tightly and glared.

"What? You afraid he's gonna leave you for me?" Naruto pulled away from the strong hold only to see that Sasuke's gaze was focused on Haku. He could see the tension between the two as they glared daggers at each other. Naruto closed his eyes in slight dejection as he breathed out deeply. Why was he always in the middle of fights? Haku had explained everything to him after Sasuke had found them in a more relaxed setting. How he was a guy, he liked to cross dress on occasion. How he hated Sasuke and had even used him to get back at him. How he had a change of heart once he saw how genuine both he and Sasuke were. How he felt he had to leave to get clarity about himself and others. It stung Naruto, knowing that his only friend in Koden was leaving him. He did not want to stop Haku's decision if that's how he felt.

He got between the two teens, his eyes locking with Sasuke's. "Hey, I'm saying bye to my friend, yeah? He's just playing around." Naruto didn't see Haku sticking out his tongue at Sasuke in a mocking manner. He stopped making faces once Naruto turned around and sighed. "I'm really going to miss you, come visit me when you can." Haku smiled again as he reached for Naruto's arm. He closed in and pressed his lips against Naruto's. Naruto was shocked at the sudden feel against his lips, he was frozen on the spot as they stayed like that for no more than three seconds, it was quick and innocent. Sasuke's eyes had widened, he had taken a step forward and stopped once he saw Haku pull away just as quickly. "I'll miss you lots." Haku turned and walked towards the car that had been idle nearby. Sasuke walked closer and stood by Naruto's side, his hand quickly trying to find Naruto's own hand, their fingers brushing ever so slightly. Naruto did not pull away, yet Sasuke was too afraid to push his feelings harder. They had watched as Haku made his way towards the car. He waved enthusiastically before going inside and getting in.

They had watched until the car was so far that neither one could see it. Naruto sighed as his hand rubbed at the back of his neck. Sasuke's black eyes observed the blond beside him, he was ecstatic to realize that there was no obstacle now. With Haku revealing who he was and even leaving, this meant he could continue his pursuit of the blond teen, he could start courting him again. He smiled slightly at the thought. He had a chance.

"Let's go, dummy, I gotta show you something." Naruto turned to look at Sasuke. He could feel his stomach stir at the smile that Sasuke demonstrated. Sasuke took hold of Naruto's wrist as he tried to take him away from the school gates. He wondered if he really need to tell his classmates though. No, he needed eyes on the blond at all time, especially with the way Karin was taking it upon herself to make this hard for Naruto.

They had reached the quad, it was filled with packs of students. Some groups immediately became silent once they caught a glimpse of Sasuke and Naruto, their eyes following the pair as Sasuke made his way to the middle of the quad, climbing up a table. He waited until the crowd was silent all throughout. Naruto watched with slight horror at the control that Sasuke had over everyone in the school. He eyes the tall dark haired teen, making it a mental note to watch out for that. Naruto's blue eyes scanned the quad, seeing everyone's eyes on him, his eyes continued to scan until he saw familiar faces, Neji and Kiba. Both older teens stared with wide grins on their face as their eyes settled on Sasuke's tall form on top of the table.

"I want everyone's attention!" Everyone was quiet as they held onto Sasuke's every word. "From this day onward-" he jumped down from the table, landing next to the blond teen. Naruto jumped slightly but remained planted on the spot. Sasuke placed his arm around Naruto's shoulder, Naruto felt warmth spread all through his cheeks and ears. "From this day onward, Naruto Uzumaki is mine and I am his. Anyone to do anything to him, it'll be like defying myself and anyone in the Fugou 4. There will be consequences, is that understood?"

"Hai." They all scattered agreements. He frowned at the unwanted results as he cleared his throat and tried again, this time, his eyes carefully scanning everyone in the quad.

"I said, is that understood!?" Everyone seemed to stand a bit straighter at the command.

"HAI!" Everyone had responded in unison, he gave a small gesture of his hand and everyone scattered, continuing their last conversations. Neji and Kiba had walked closer towards them, Kiba's arm falling over Naruto's shoulder.

"Hey, it's official now! Congrats love birds!" Naruto opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out. He shrugged Kiba's arm off him and stared at all three with crossed arms and a frown.

"Maa! When did I agree to this? We were literally just saying goodbye to Haku! Was this the "surprise" you were talking about? What a shitty gift!" Kiba and Neji looked at each other before bursting out laughing at the blond. Naruto puffed out his cheeks in a childish manner. His stare moved to Sasuke's own bored face. It just made him angry. "Yarou! Say something!" Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"This way, you won't have Karin or anyone else after you." Naruto's anger rose.

"And who's fault is that in the first place?" It was Sasuke's turn to cross his arms as he looked away.

"Bickering as always, nice to see things haven't changed much."

Everyone froze at the familiar voice. Naruto could feel his heart sink as old feelings flooded inside of him. This couldn't be possible, he was supposed to be with her.

Sasuke felt dread as he heard the familiar voice that belonged to his adopted brother. just when he thought he had a chance, how was it that his brother decided to come back? He was supposed to be with Ino, why was he back?

They all turned to the source of the voice. He was heading closer and closer to them, a bag hanging behind his shoulder. He was wearing a red leather jacket zippered up, his black slacks and a thick sandy colored scarf. They all had different expressions. Naruto looked worried, Sasuke seemed annoyed. Kiba was grinning like a madman, Neji stared with fondness in his eyes, a small smile on his lips. "You're back." Neji was the one to speak with a sort of endearment in his voice. He made his way close to the dark redhead and embracing him, beating him in height by 3 inches. It took a couple of seconds until Kiba followed the action. It took Sasuke a bit longer before he too came close to the small redhead and embraced him.

"Welcome back" Sasuke whispered in Gaara's ear as they hugged.

"Nice to be back." After they had let go of each other, light green eyes settled on blue that hid behind Sasuke's tall figure.

Naruto could feel his heart beat loud and fast. As those soft green eyes stared at him, Naruto was sure that he was starting to blush. His mind was screaming, he was trying hard to keep his body in place. This was probably just a small visit. That's it. Gaara was just here cause he missed the guys, that's all. There was also absolutely no reason for him to even act this way. Him and Ino were together and he… blue eyes shifted to Sasuke and quickly widened. Nope, no, no! Blue eyes looked back at green. "S-Subaku-san, welcome back." He vowed, not wanting to get close to the redhead. His heart was starting to ache and feel heavy. This was all just too overwhelming, he needed to leave. Like yesterday. "I…Igottago."

It was astounding that Sasuke was able to decipher what his blond crush had said but seeing him walk away just as quickly, it made him realize why exactly he was running away. He turned slightly to look at his brother and saw Gaara's line of sight also follow the blonde's path. He was starting to feel hurt and jealousy flare inside of him. No. This shouldn't be happening. He was so close. He crossed his arms together as his gaze turned back to a departing blonde. No. Not this time. He was going to make it his mission to win Naruto over.

He had a very bad feeling about all of it. He knew he should feel some type of way knowing fully well that Gaara was back but he wasn't. He had various questions swimming in his head, questions he was afraid to ask, questions he shouldn't be asking since he had no right to. He groaned and dropped his head on the table that he was sitting in. This was not supposed to happen to him. He was a goddamn high school student! He wasn't supposed to be part of this woe-is-me-drama!

"Naruto-kun, why so glum? If what you say is true, we should be celebrating that Subaku-san has returned! Is he not the kind person that invited us to that party long ago? We should go and give him our thanks now that he's back!" He lifted his head up and saw sparkling black orbs that belonged to Lee. He smiled slightly at hearing his friend's chipper voice. The tall teen was sitting right across from him. They were at the ramen shop, it was his break time and all he could manage to do during his break was think of his school drama. Kami-sama, why was he involved in all of this again?

"Uhm, yeah, about that…"

"I wouldn't bother, Green bean." Shikamaru's voice cut through their conversation. Naruto could see a glimpse of black in the corner of his eye, hearing the chair scrape against the floor as Shikamaru sat next to him. "Naruto-kun, here, is having second thoughts with our dear new friend." Naruto raised his head quickly enough for him to see Shikamaru's wide smile that rubbed him the wrong way. Naruto scowled at Shikamaru as he sat straight.

"Hey! You don't know anything, Shika! Sasuke-" Shikamaru rolled his eyes, his smile still in place.

"I didn't say I was talking about Sasuke Uchiha, now did I?" Naruto was taken by surprise at the confident smile directed at him. He blushed and looked away with a frown. Shikamaru sighed. "Come on, that Uchiha and his friends are so invested in you, they paid all of us a visit days ago, right before Haku had asked you out." Naruto furrowed his brows as he stared at both friends with a confused expression. Shikamaru raised his brow in question. "Wait…" he stared at Lee and then back at a confused blond. "You didn't even know?" The teen placed his hand on his forehead, rubbing the side as he gave a small groan. "Kami, give me patience." He muttered to the tabletop. "Uchiha seems to really like you, his friends already came to us a couple of days ago, pretty sure Auntie told my mom he visited her and Uncle yesterday while you were at his house."

Naruto could feel his whole face burning. He had wondered why there was an expensive bottle by the table the minute he came home that morning. He knew Baa-chan liked her liquor, he also knew she was a pocket pincher when it came to her booze. She'd rather gamble it than drink it.

"He's been giving everyone around you lavish gifts since then." Shikamaru planted his head on the palm of his hand, giving off a rather bored expression. "Okaa-san has been gushing over him for the past days, saying since you've snagged a rich man, I should put in the effort of courting a young rich girl" Naruto could feel his cheeks burn. Shikamaru eyed him with a raised brow before shrugging. "It's no big deal, guess it's the only way that Uchiha knows how to express himself."

"He can't just buy his affections! What, am I just supposed to forgive all the troubles he's caused me just cause he-" Naruto stopped. He couldn't get the word 'like' out of his mouth. Saying it out loud would mean it was real, it would mean that he would have to come to terms that Sasuke Uchiha liked… "he can't just do whatever he wants!" He finished talking like a petulant child. Lee watched in sympathy, Shikamaru only sighed.

"He confessed to you, you can't just pretend he didn't." Naruto did not meet Shikamari's line of sight. "Something between the both of you has changed. He's involved in your life now, you have to decide, do you want whatever it is that you have with the Uchiha to continue, or what?" Naruto groaned, he placed his face on the palms of his hands and covered his face from Shikamaru and Lee. He didn't know what to do. All of this, it was all so new to him. Having someone that likes him, having someone he likes…

"I…" he got up abruptly, the scrape of the chair was loud, the sudden movement startled both Shikamaru and Lee. They watched the blond get up and take off with departing words of "I gotta go."

"Naruto-kun!" Lee had stretched his hand out as if reaching for the blond. He gave a worried look before sighing. "He forgot to take off his apron." Shikamaru stared, blinking slowly and shrugged.

"Let him be, he's trying to run from his problems right now, his work apron is the last thing on his mind."

He most certainly was not running from his problems like Shikamaru thought. He was currently running back to school where he knew Sasuke and the rest of the guys were, according to Kiba's text. Having learned that Sasuke was giving his friends and family gifts, it gave him an unpleasant feeling in the pit of his stomach. It made him feel like he was just using Sasuke, he didn't want that, he didn't want to feel like some gold digger.

He had made his way inside the school gates and all the way to the main building. The adrenaline inside him made him forget the long distance from the ramen shop to school, feeling the exhaustion now that he had a chance to stop and breathe. He was standing behind the lounge door. He was trying to catch his breath as his hand settled on the knob.

He had expected Sasuke to be surrounded with his friends, having afternoon tea or some bougie event that they would sometimes do. Instead, he found him alone, reading. Naruto stopped, took out his phone and read the message he had sent. He had asked Kiba where Sasuke was, not where they all were.

"You're here. Did you miss me that much?" Sasuke's voice was playful, it made him smile at hearing him. He watched as Sasuke placed his book down and got up. The raven haired teen had thick spectacles around his face, it made him look attractive to the blond, it stirred something inside his stomach. As the silence continued, Sasuke's expression changed to worry. "Naruto?" The blonde's body moved on its own accord as he began to walk quickly toward Sasuke's direction and embraced the tall teen. Sasuke was surprised at the sudden warmth that surrounded him, yet he too raised his arms and held the blond tightly. He smiled. "Hey." It was all that he could think of saying. He could hear Naruto chuckle.

"Hey." Naruto could hear a loud heart beat. Was it his? Maybe Sasuke's? He didn't know. He could feel Sasuke's warmth against his body, he felt delighted. He felt what little shame and anger he still had subside the longer he hugged Sasuke.

Eventually, it was Sasuke that pushed away first. He stared at blue eyes with concern. "What is it?" Naruto furrowed his brows together. There was concern in those eyes, there was safety. He sighed deeply as he looked down at the floor. He noticed the apron that he was still wearing and panicked slightly. He was so focused on setting Sasuke straight, he had just walked out. He hoped he wouldn't get in trouble for doing such a thing. He was reminded of why he came in here in the first place. He narrowed his eyes and tried to make himself intimidating, Sasuke's half smile did not help him achieve it.

"Why are you giving everyone I know gifts! You can't just buy your way in life!" Sasuke rolled his eyes and scoffed.

"Well, I knew you weren't going to take the gifts, so I had to think of something else. They're not complaining, what's the big deal?" Naruto was flabbergasted. The sheer boldness of this guy!

"The big deal?" Sasuke shrugged, not understanding Naruto's frustration. The off-handed attitude that Sasuke was giving off made Naruto more angry. "Is this what you do with all your girlfriends? Do you just buy things without a second thought? Do you really think of me as that shallow?" Sasuke could see the slight hurt in Naruto's eyes as he asked Sasuke his various questions. Sasuke could feel a lump in his throat as he saw Naruto stare at him with slight hurt. He thought two things- Naruto looked cute when he stared at him like that.

With a deep sigh, the other thought came. "You're the first." Naruto blinked slowly, he furrowed his brows and stared quizzically.

"Excuse me?"

Through gritted teeth and a low voice, Sasuke spoke. "It was hard to say the first time." Naruto glared.

"Yeah? And it was hard to understand you. So be clearer!" Sasuke looked away in an embarrassed manner, Naruto could see the red that peeked in those pale cheeks. It made the blond smile slightly.

"You're the first, alright!" He half yelled. He was embarrassed and it was the last thing he wanted Naruto to hear. "I…I've never liked anyone, okay? Let alone to date them or whatever." Sasuke had crossed his arms, as if shielding himself away from judgment. Naruto stared, speechless. He felt his cheeks turn red as Sauske's words processed in his mind. He was Sasuke's first…

He didn't dare finish that thought. He could feel himself feel equally embarrassed as he stared at Sasuke's shy demeanor. It was cute to the blond, it was the reason he felt his own cheeks turn red. Oh kami, he needed to stop with these thoughts. He shook his head to clear his thoughts and tried to look angry once more. "Well, stop sending them presents! What do you take me for?"

Sasuke was still looking away, he sighed and ruffled his hair away from his face. "How… how am I supposed to keep you interested in me?" Sasuke's voice was soft, just above a whisper. Naruto was still able to hear Sasuke's response. Naruto looked away shyly.

"That! I don't need all that, okay?" Sasuke stared at Naruto, his heart beating quickly. He saw the red around Naruto's cheeks and felt a small smile form.

"Fine, but before all that, let's go." Naruto was confused as Sasuke took hold of his wrist and pulled him close to the door. Naruto halted in place, stopping Sasuke from going any further.

"Go? And where are we going exactly?" Sasuke sighed. He let go of the blonde and turned to look at Naruto. At the loss of Sasuke's warmth, Naruto felt disappointed.

"Out. Wait for me outside, I need to make a couple of calls." Naruto grumbled but made his way out the door. As he headed to the door, he could hear Sasuke chuckle.

He leaned against the wall as he waited for Sasuke. Not once did he think of just leaving the raven haired teen and heading back home.

"Ah, Naruto." He jumped at the sudden voice that called out his name. He was familiar with the soft voice, it made him slightly uneasy. His blue eyes lifted and started at light seafoam green eyes. His heart began to beat quickly.

"Senpai" anxiety shot through his body as he watched Gaara walk closer towards him. He was the last person he wanted to see at the moment. "What brings you here?" Gaara had stopped in front of the blond, his head tilting slightly as he studied him. Naruto swallowed hard and gave an awkward smile. "How's it feel being back?"

Gaara gave a small smile, his eyes were soft, almost endearing. "It's nice. It's given me a sense of appreciation." Naruto gave a wide smile, his eyes bright.

"You missed the guys, right?"

"Hm. You as well, Naruto-san." Naruto was taken aback at Gaara's blunt words. He was quiet for a moment as he stared at Gaara, the redhead was unfazed.

"E-eh? Me?" He saw Gaara walk closer, closing up the space between them. The sensation of Gaara's almost touch on him, it made him feel sensitive.

"Is it true? Are you and Sasuke together?"

That was the hardest question for Naruto to answer at the moment. He honestly didn't know how to answer it. "Ahm, I…you know…" Gaara blinked as he stepped slightly closer, his hand going up to touch Naruto's cheek. Naruto was stunned at the sudden contact. He felt the warmth that radiated from Gaara's hand, it was comforting. He wanted to lean into the touch yet refrained.

"Should we run away together then?" Naruto blinked, mouth opened at the sudden comment. Gaara chuckled as he hid his smile behind the hand that had touched Naruto seconds ago. "Uso nannte ne*" Naruto gave an awkward smile and tried to laugh at the comment. There was a moment of silence afterwards as Naruto tried to calm his anxiety. "So, how about it, let's go out, Naruto-san." The anxiety came back tenfold as Gaara stared at him with such seriousness in his eyes. Naruto opened his mouth.

"Eh?" He didn't know what to say as Gaara leaned in even closer to him. He could smell the faint smell of cinnamon on Gaara. He could hear his heart beat in his ears. It was loud and overwhelming. He wondered why Gaara was acting this way. Had something happened in Greece? He closed his eyes, too afraid to do anything.

"Dobe, you better be waiting for me-"

Sasuke's voice had made him jump. He was reminded of Sasuke's presence as he opened his eyes wide and tried to back away. Gaara had stepped back from the blond, staring coolly at Sasuke's direction. Sasuke had been expecting to find Naruto waiting for him, seeing his redheaded brother was a nice jab to the stomach that he was not expecting. He glared at his brother as he made his way in front of the blond, trying to make space between them.

"What are you doing here?" He tried to sound as calm as possible as he stared his brother down. Gaara was unfazed by Sasuke's glare, already used to that stare for years. Gaara stared at the raven haired teen exquisitely, slightly amazed at his brother's calm demeanor.

"I wanted to catch up with Kiba and Neji, I thought they would be here, Naruto-san was just informing me where they were." Sasuke raised a brow at the redhead, he turned to look at Naruto who looked down.

"They're not here. If there's nothing else," he took hold of Naruto's wrist as he stared at Gaara with menacing eyes. "We have somewhere to be, meet up with us later." He didn't look at Gaara's direction as he pulled Naruto away. He didn't let Naruto get a word in, knowing fully well that Gaara was focused on the blond teen. He needed to keep a closer eye on him.

He was dragged along Koden streets. He was unfamiliar with the territory yet let Sasuke lead the way. He was slightly relieved that Sasuke had taken him away from Gaara. He didn't know why, it just seemed that there was something off about the redhead. He felt slight discomfort as Gaara's words echoed in his mind.

"Should we run away together then?"

The way Gaara had looked at him was different from how he used to look at him, it was almost the same way he used to look at Ino…

"Ah, Naruto-san, so nice to see you again." Naruto focused back to his current situation, he stared at dark eyes that belonged to Kakashi and gave a wide smile.

"Kakashi-san!" The man seemed to give a wide smile, Naruto wasn't sure since the man had a cloth mask on his face. He saw Kakashi bow his head slightly as his attention went to Sasuke.

"Sasuke-sama, unfortunately your request cannot be fulfilled." Sasuke glared at the silver haired man. Kakashi's smile seemed to remain as he raised his hand to move it up and down in a dismissive manner. "Now, now, those persuasive eyes will not help. If you'd like to talk to the manager, I'd be more happy to lead you to her." Sasuke said nothing, Kashi took it as an indication to lead the way for the young Uchiha.

He was left alone to his own devices as he watched Sasuke and Kakashi walk away from him. Sasuke had let go of him, it left him feeling out of place as his eyes wandered around the store they were in. The department store was huge. There was men's clothing all around him, it all looked so high end to the blond, he was scared to touch any of it. He stood in the middle of the department store as he watched a couple of the customers eye him with slight disgust on their face. He could feel slight shame creep within him as he tried hard to ignore the stares. After a moment's pause, Naruto heard the chime of the PA system of the store.

"Attention shoppers, at this time we advise you to please exit the store. We thank you for your time, our store will be open again tomorrow at 8am. Thank you."

Naruto watched as employees, most wearing matching sky blue buttoned shirts and navy colored ties, were guiding people out the doors. The store was completely vacant in a matter of minutes after the announcement. He heard the sound of someone clearing their throat from behind him. He turned around and was met with a tall thin woman. She was wearing a white button up shirt, a navy colored bow and a navy colored skirt. Her eyes were cold and harsh, it made him feel small as that same look of slight disgust was shown on her face.

"Sir, we need you out of the store immediately. Please leave before we call security." Naruto furrowed his brow in confusion. She spoke to him with so much distain in her voice as she pushed her thin oval glasses up. Before Naruto could say anything, cerulean colored eyes watched as the woman scoffed and grabbed the walkie that was attached to her hip. "Yeah, I'm gonna need security to take someone out of the store."

"I-I'm just waiting for Sasuke Uchiha." The woman stared at him with a scowl as she crossed her arms and held her head high in a haughty manner.

"Hm, well we still need you out the store. We don't cater to your kind in this store." Naruto frowned at the woman's comment. He narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms as well in a defiant manner.

"Oh? My kind? And, please tell me, what exactly is my kind?" The woman sneered. Somehow, it reminded Naruto of the way Karin would look at him.

The woman narrowed her eyes "I'm sure you can shop in other places. You wouldn't be able to afford what we sell here, please leave, we're trying to maintain a certain image here." Her eyes went past Naruto and she gave an expression of relief. "Ah, yes, please," she gestures for the two security guards that had appeared behind Naruto. Naruto eyed both, before feeling both huge men grab hold of his arms, he was lifted from the floor just slightly.

"Hey! Wait!" He could feel panic rise as he felt his feet lift from the floor. He saw the tall woman smile wickedly as she looked at her nails as if it were the most interesting thing in the world.

"Hey! Put him down!" Naruto was relieved to hear Sasuke's voice. He smiled widely as he saw Sasuke walk closer to all of them. Naruto could see that Sasuke was glaring, Kakashi close behind with his hands in his pockets. Once Sasuke had spoken, the woman had straightened up as her demeanor changed to one of hospitality. She gave a smile to Sasuke, she bowed deeply and straightened her skirt down.

"U-Uchiha-sama! We apologize for this" she turned and glared at him. Naruto glared back. "Inconvenience, security will be escorting him out soon enough."

"Kakashi, did I not just say to put him down? Are they deaf or did I not speak?" Sasuke's voice was cold and threatening, his eyes focused on the woman and security guys that were still holding him above the floor.

"Miss, I would advise you to place our dear friend down. Uchiha-sama doesn't like repeating himself." The woman frowned, she began to stutter as Sasuke's silent seething turned stronger.

"Anou, But, master… this-" Kakashi sighed as he stretched his shoulders and walked toward the two burly security guards that still held Naruto up. The men's eyes followed Kakashi until the silver haired man was behind the both of them. Kakashi, still smiling, raised both hands and placed them on the shoulders of both men. Kakashi stared at Sasuke, as if waiting for a command. Naruto watched as Sasuke nodded and immediately felt their weight shift. He was placed down just as quickly as he heard both men groan in pain. Once his feet touched the floor, Sasuke grabbed his hand and pulled him close. His ear landed on Sasuke's chest, hearing the loud beating of Sasuke's heart. He blushed at the intimate contact and tried to straighten himself up.

"You're not hurt?" It was a soft spoken question. Naruto gave a weak laugh, trying to defuse the tense emotion he could clearly see on Sasuke's face. He patted Sasuke's back as he scratched the back of his neck.

"Nee, nee, I'm okay, let's just do what we came here for." He wanted to get away from all this tension. He hoped Sasuke would just agree and they could leave. He could still hear the huge men groan as Kakashi pressed their shoulders hard to the point both men were on the floor. From the side of his eyesight, he could see the woman that had been quiet, trembling as she looked between him and Kakashi. Sasuke smiled slightly, his eyesight then moving to Kakashi.

"Kakashi, Naruto's right, we should get going." Naruto watched as he let go of both men, leaving the guys to lie on the floor, whimpering. Kakashi patted the men before fixing the cuffs of his sleeves. Sasuke gave one last smile at Naruto before pulling him away. "Ah, fire them. Better not see them by the time we leave." It had sounded like such a nonchalant sentence but it still surprised Naruto. Before he could call out anything, he was pulled away. Kakashi gave a small bow to the departing teens and raised a brow at the woman who stared with an open mouth.

"You heard the master, we're just trying to maintain a certain image, unfortunately, you do not fit the criteria." He gave a smile before following the teens.

"Dude, did you read Sasuke's message?" He was smiling wide as he stomped his feet on the floor. His driver looked from the rear view mirror and only smiled when he saw the overly delighted teenager. "He must be in a certain mood for celebration if he's planning all of this." the other on the line said something making the one in the car laugh loudly. There was a moment of silence before Kiba frowned. "No, but seriously," he sighed as he pinched the brim of his nose. "Why aren't you the one picking her up?" There was silence, then another huff from the brunette "Eh? And what if she doesn't wanna come? Am I even have time to look for all the other ones?" Again, silence. Kiba grunted "And what it I wanted to bring someone for me, huh? Yeah, yeah, whatever. Bye." Kiba hung up the phone as he looked out the window. He couldn't believe he was doing this. Of all people, why him? He spotted the place and leaned toward the front side "Stop here, Hideki" the driver nodded and parked right in front of a store. Hideki secretly glanced out from the window and raised a brow in curiosity.

A ramen shop?

Hideki heard Kiba get out of the car.

"I'll be back Hideki, just" he hesitated "just stay here" Hideki smiled discreetly as he caught a glimpse of a very attractive girl with bluish-colored hair surrounded by a group of boys.

Hinata smiled fondly as she watched Chouji eat the entree she placed seconds ago with gusto. Shikamaru had yawned and smiled at her afterwards with the words of "Thanks Hinata-chan" she blushed and nodded shyly. She walked back to the counter where she could see Lee and Gai cooking, cloth headbands around their heads as they talked with enthusiasm.

A moment passed before she heard the ringing of the door bell as someone opened the door. She turned to greet the customer, yet hesitated as she was met with the tall brunette teen with triangular tattoos on his cheeks. She felt her heart beat erratically at seeing that easy going smile. She tried to keep her professionalism as she bowed and gave her most friendliest smile.

"Irasshaimase, Kiba-dono!" She knew her cheeks were as red as a tomato, she lectured herself internally for not being able to contain it. The teen's smile widened, she tightened the grip on the menus she held. She cleared her throat slightly. "I-Is there a preference where you'd like to sit?"

"Oh no, my mistake Harusuji-san, I'm here to invite you and your friends." Her eyes widened slightly in confusion.

"S-sorry?" Shikamaru and Chouji had watched silently at the interaction between the two. Chouji had even slowed his chewing to hear what the tall teen was asking from Hinata.

"Ah, my mistake, let me backtrack." Although Hinata was not Kiba's type of girl he would go after, he would be in deep shit if his mother ever found out that he wasn't acting like a gentleman to a sweet girl such as her. He raised his hands up and shook them dismissively. "It seems Sasuke has a surprise for Naruto, we were all wondering if you and your friends would like to tag along to where we're all going?"

"Going? W-Where are you going?" Hinata's brow was furrowed as her light lavender eyes stared at him. Her stare was soft and her shy smile made her look that much more adorable. Kiba sighed inwardly. He really wished she was his type.

"He's planning for all of us to go to a small island by the Sea of Japan. He wants to spend the weekend there and doesn't want him to feel alone."

There was the sound of chairs scraping against the floor. As chocolate colored eyes stared at the two teens that had been sitting adjacent to the door. Kiba remembered them when both he and Neji visited all of Naruto's friends. He had not taken note of them when he first came in, he had been too distracted by Hinata. His gaze turned to both male teens, his smile still in place.

"You're all welcome to come, it's just a small island Sasuke's brother owns, there's a small village there and their beach is nice." Shikamaru and Chouji stared at one another before looking back at the brunette.

"Hm, I don't have my passport, so I don't think I'd be able to go, Shika, what about you?" Chouji turned to look at his tall friend, Shikamaru seemed to think as he closed his eyes and crossed his arms.

"Hmm, guess I can go. We wouldn't want Hinata-chan to go by herself." Kiba's gaze turned back to the female teen, her eyes lowering slightly. She began to fidget as she started to think of her options.

"Sugee!" Hinata jumped as she heard the loud voice that belonged to Lee. She turned and saw both Lee and Gai huddled by the register window. She gave a small smile directed toward both. "Unfortunately, I cannot go! Otou-san needs help here. But, Hinata-chan, Shikanaru-kun, go have fun for all of us, nee?" Hinata's smile widened as her head tilted slightly. Kiba could feel his body warm at the cute expression she was giving. After a couple of seconds, he felt a presence next to him. He shifted his eyes and saw the tall teen with his hair up, Shikamaru, standing next to him.

"Well, we just need some time to get our things together, we can meet back here asap." Kiva looked at his watch on his wrist. He frowned and then shook his head.

"Fine, but make it quick, we have about an hour before we leave, let's go." He last saw Shikamaru place money into the table and Hinata take off her work apron, revealing the large purple shirt she wore underneath. He sighed inwardly, hoping to Kami that he may at least see some skin on the trip.

Naruto watched as Kakashi placed the bags into the trunk of the car. He frowned as he watched the abundance of bags that they had, he knew most of them were from Sasuke. He wasn't stupid enough to know that some of those bags were also for him. He had the same feeling in the pit of his stomach when he had searched for Sasuke. He didn't like feeling like a user. That was the last thing he wanted from Sasuke.

There was a sigh from the tall man. "Naruto-san," blue eyes lifted to look at Kakashi, the man closed the trunk of the car and leaned against it. "I hope you understand that you're the first person to have made Sasuke feel…" he paused as if trying to find the right words. "A certain fondness for someone other than his three friends." Naruto looked down and frowned.

"I'm not used to this kind of gesture." He whispered it in slight shame. It was the first time in his life that he's truly felt the class difference between his family and everyone else. He normally never took notice or cared as long as his family was healthy and safe. Yet, having Sasuke buying things for him and his family, the way it seemed like it was nothing to the Uchiha. It gave him slight shame.

"It's an understandable feeling, Naruto-san. Sasuke shows his affections differently from how you would but you can show him different ways that wouldn't involve all of this." Kakashi had gestured to the trunk by the end of his sentence. "It won't be something he'll be able to do in one day but over time, if you want this to continue, the both of you could have the best connection, one that he most definitely would cherish for the rest of his life."

Naruto could feel his heart beat erratically at Kakashi's words of wisdom. "I…I've never really had someone like Sasuke in my life. All these extravagant things he does, it's overwhelming, can't you talk to him about it?" Kakashi chuckled. Naruto raised a blond brow in question.

"Apologies, Naruto. Yes, I can talk to him. I was just laughing at something else. Please, just keep an open mind for a little longer." Naruto stared with narrowed eyes, confused at the way Kakashi was acting. He sighed and nodded.

"Hn, that was a hassle." Sasuke was walking closer to the both of them as he rubbed the back of his neck. Dark coal eyes stared at his own, he felt a hard thump at seeing Sasuke. He saw Sasuke give a slight smile, his features turning soft. "One last thing." Naruto watched as Sasuke's hand moved to his back pocket, taking out a black blindfold and showing it to the spiky haired blond. "Put this blindfold on."

Naruto glared. "Absolutely not!" He moved his arms side to side, heavily denying Sasuke's request. "Why do you think a nice surprise is blindfolding me or kidnapping me? That's not romantic!" The word escaped before he thought about it. He stopped and backstracked as his cheeks began to burn. "I…I mean- what I meant was-" Sasuke was smiling at how endearing his crush looked. His cheeks a nice rosy color, his stuttering making him that much more charming. He placed the blindfold back into his pocket and shook his head.

"Alright, alright, we don't have to blind fold you." He sighed and brushed his hair back. "I guess I can just tell you instead of keeping it a surprise." Naruto raised his brow once more as Sasuke began to walk closer to him. Sasuke placed a hand on the side of his arm and gave him a reassuring smile. "We're going to the beach. Kiba already went to get your friends, it seems Shikamaru and Hinata are the only ones that can come. Come, we have to goo soon, they're already waiting for us" Naruto let Sasuke grab hold of his wrist and led his to the car. He opened the door to the car and had a surprised blond go in. Once he closed the door, he was met face to face with Kakashi. He sighed, closing his eyes and then looking at the man with a tired look on his face, knowing what the taller man was going to tell him.

"I know you don't want to hear it-"

"Then don't say anything." Kakashi sighed deeply.

"He'll be asking where you are. I can't just lie to him, he'll find the truth one way or another." Sasuke wanted to stomp his foot to the floor. Had he been another person, he would have done a full on tantrum. All he could really do was growl and cross his arms together. He closed his eyes as he thought about his options.

"Fine, but if he asks with who, you better not mention Naruto."

"Hai, hai." Kakashi led the way to the other side of the car. He opened the door so that Sasuke could get in. Once the boys were settled, Kakashi made his way to the driver's side and headed to their next destination.

Uso nannte ne*- lie, just kidding

So I know there other Japanese words or phrases in here that I didn't translate but I just didn't want to go through this whole story another round. please be patient for the next chapter. let me know how this one was. will see you on to the next one. See ya!