A/N: I haven't forgotten about you all! Bet you were worried there for a
moment, right? Of course you were! *smirk* Not as many reviews this time
around as I had hoped... I'm a bit disappointed *wink* Not really, but
that's okay. This weekend was great. I got to spend all kinds of time with
my boyfriend (who I only see once every twoish months), and even though I
didn't update I have this whole chapter pretty much handwritten, as well as
part of the next chapter. Actually, the only reason that it took so long to
get this posted is that yesterday and today a friend of mine was very
kindly spending some time with me so I didn't miss the boy too much =) So,
without further ado, here goes the chapter. I may have changed the series
timeline a little bit when it comes to the time it takes to travel to
Tazuna's village, but I don't really think that it was defined very well
here in the manga or the anime. Either way, replies are at the bottom of
the story. I hope you all like.
Warnings: A little bit (or maybe a lot?) of fluff in this chapter.
Disclaimer: As I'm sure you could have all guessed, Naruto's not mine, nor are any of the characters found therein.
............
The next morning dawned bright and sunny. A few minutes before seven, the group had assembled at their appointed meeting site, the main gate in the towering wall that protected their village. Much to the chagrin of the three children, Kakashi-sensei arrived on time for the first time since the formation of the team. After a cursory check to make sure that the trio had packed properly, Kakashi-sensei smiled and gestured towards the path. Only a few minutes after seven, they were off.
The journey was a tremendous excitement for Naruto, and in the beginning he made no effort to mask his enthusiasm, bouncing and babbling even more than normal. Although he had been sent outside the walls of the village once or twice to help maintain cleanliness, he had never been farther than a few hundred meters away from the place he called home. Just like any twelve year old, he was energetically looking forward to the challenges that would surely await him during this mission.
The blonde purposely overreacted every time Tazuna took a verbal jab at him, but even this did nothing to diminish his good humor. He walked several steps ahead of his group, eager to be the first to see each new sight. Every one of his senses was exercised to its fullest as the boy tried to take everything in. Eventually, he quieted down and composed himself for a long journey, but he continued to drink everything in.
As they walked, the terrain began to slowly change. The dense forest which embraced and surrounded Naruto's village gradually began to thin, giving way to a sunny scattering of clearings in the trees. Every few miles a small stream or river was visible from the path. Everything seemed fresh, new, untouched. Naruto was itching to go exploring.
By mid-afternoon, however, Naruto had purposely hidden his enthusiasm entirely. Cheerfulness was expected of him, but so were complaints when he experienced even the slightest physical discomfort. In this case, they had been walking for ages without stopping for more than a few moments to replenish their supplies of water. The boy's stomach was beginning to growl audibly, so Naruto chose to complain about that. "We've been walking forever. Let's stop and eat some dinner. I'm starving!" he whined, raising his voice and turning around with a scowl to face his companions.
To the blonde's surprise, Kakashi-sensei agreed with only token resistance. "Let's find a good place to stop for the night and set up camp. We have a two week journey in front of us, so an extra mile or two and an inferior camping spot will hurt us more than it will help..." the silver-haired jounin trailed off as he noticed the aghast looks on two of his pupils' faces. "What?"
"Two weeks?" Sakura squeaked, stopping dead in her tracks.
"Just for the trip?" Naruto added in a whisper. It was all he could do to keep his eyes from darting over to meet Sasuke's. Two weeks without knowing the next time they could even smile at one another, let alone speak openly? He had anticipated their journey taking two or three days at the most! "What are we supposed to eat? You never told us this would take so long. How were we supposed to know what to pack?" was what he demanded out loud, his voice growing higher pitched with every word.
Tazuna simply took a swig of his liquor as he watched the scene before him impassively. Sasuke, of course, said nothing, his face betraying none of the inner turmoil that he, too was feeling. Sakura opened her mouth to voice agreement with Naruto, but closed it again when she saw the look on her sensei's face. He was wearing what the group had long ago identified as his 'flaky smile.' He smiled that way whenever he told them something he knew they weren't going to like. Even Naruto fell silent when he saw that look.
"Well," Kakashi began, "two weeks is probably a low estimate. It may be closer to three if we don't run the entire way." If anything, that smile seemed to grow even broader; the mask made it difficult to tell for sure. "We didn't pack food. We're ninjas. We can't expect what we need to always be available or handed to us. We will hunt and make use of the edible plants we find. Consider it a training exercise. I assume that you three learned about snares and about living off the land in the academy." When all three nodded mutely, the man continued, ignoring the identical scowls that graced the faces of his three charges. "Out here, we either work together as a team or we go hungry as a team. This is a C-rank mission. As I hope you will learn, even a lower ranked mission can be uncomfortable and potentially dangerous. Being a ninja embraces all of these things. There is no time or room for complaints."
Silence. Even though he couldn't show it, Naruto was very, very intrigued. This almost sounded FUN! But he was supposed to be a little surprised and more than a little angry at this development. His comfort was, after all, at stake here. Immediately, he narrowed his eyes in order to hide the enthusiasm that he could not suppress. "When were you going to tell us?" he finally managed to demand, frowning and pointing an accusing finger at his sensei.
"Probably when we found a good place to camp for the night," Kakashi-sensei admitted, giving them that smile again. All three students groaned.
"When are we going to stop?" Naruto asked, absently rubbing his hand over his stomach. "I'm hungry." That last part was not a lie, although he could have easily kept going in silence.
"When we find a good place to camp for the night, dobe," Sasuke snapped. He returned Naruto's surprised glance with a cold smirk. Shrugging it off, the blonde chose to make a show of overenthusiastically searching for the perfect campsite in lieu of offering an angry retort to Sasuke's remark. He didn't want to start a real fight, and he couldn't tell if Sasuke was actually annoyed with him or just playing his part in their dual charade. They hadn't fought much yet on this trip, after all.
Despite Naruto's overt enthusiasm, it was a very subdued group that continued the journey. Each of them was lost in their own thoughts; even Naruto could not muster the energy to be as noisy as usual.
Ultimately, it was Sakura who picked out the spot that Kakashi-sensei agreed upon. As Naruto loudly protested that most of his ideas would have worked better, Kakashi-sensei sighed and dropped his pack. "Naruto."
"Eh?"
"Shut up. We're right next to a river here. There will be fish to eat, and we will be able to set our snares to catch some meat for the morning. This is an ideal place."
"Oh." The blonde clamped his mouth shut, dropping his pack and slumping down beside it.
"All right," Kakashi-sensei continued, "let's get settled in. I'm not going to coddle you three. You'll all be doing most of the work keeping yourselves and Tazuna and I fed. Got it?" When the trio nodded, resigned, the jounin smiled. "You can help each other out, of course. Now, we have..." Squinting up at the sun, he gauged the time, "about two hours til sunset. We'd best get moving if we're going to have this place livable and a fire going before dark."
With that, he issued to each a short series of tasks to accomplish which would help make their campsite more livable. Through the combined efforts of the four ninjas, the work was all but finished in under an hour. A number of snares had been set to provide fresh meat for the morrow, a respectable pile of edible greens had been gathered, a meal of fish had been caught and a cheery fire had been laid. Thanks to Sakura, the ground had been swept clean of rocks and other debris that would be uncomfortable in the night. There was very little left for the industrious ninjas to do.
"Sakura, you stay here and help me cook the fish and finish tidying up," Kakashi-sensei intoned, giving what the group hoped would be his final set of instructions for the day. "Naruto, Sasuke, I want you to go collect some firewood from a bit further away. We'll use up everything around here before morning. I want you two to stick together, okay? And be back before dark. We haven't been threatened yet, but that doesn't mean I want you two running around in unfamiliar terrain in the dark." This last part was said with a meaningful look in Naruto's direction. The boy felt himself freeze. It was all he could do to keep himself from starting to shake.
Sasuke smacked him on the shoulder, muttering "Come on, dobe," and effectively breaking the blonde out of his trance. Mechanically, he turned and followed Sasuke towards the nearest patch of forest. Vaguely, he was aware of catching up to the dark-haired boy and walking by his side, but all he could do was think about the sour feeling that was bubbling in the pit of his stomach.
The moment they were safely out of sight and earshot of the others, they turned to face one another. Naruto was slightly mollified to see his suspicions and fear confirmed in Sasuke's dark eyes, although the taller boy was doing a much better job of hiding his emotions.
"He knows," the blonde said flatly. It was not a question.
"We already assumed he knew. He just confirmed it. We should be glad he's being honest with us." Sasuke's voice was calm. His eyes still betrayed his inner turmoil, but he was quickly regaining control of himself.
"Who do you think he has told?" Naruto asked as he followed the example his friend was setting and bent to pick up a pair of sticks at his feet.
"No one." The answer was firm, confident.
"How can you be so sure?" the smaller boy demanded, narrowing his eyes at his friend.
"Because it wouldn't do him any good to tell anyone." Sasuke turned his head to look at Naruto impassively before he continued. "Who else would really see what it meant that we don't really hate each other? They would assume that I've either cracked or taken pity on you. Most people wouldn't realize the truth about either of us."
"We believed it about each other," Naruto countered immediately.
Rolling his eyes, Sasuke stooped to add a wrist-thick branch to the pile he was already balancing. "We both knew and believed part of the truth before we ever told each other. And we were completely open with each other. Think about it, dobe."
"Don't call me that," the blonde snapped automatically. After a moment's pause, he gave a rueful laugh. "At least I'm well trained. But... You don't really mean it when you call me that, do you?"
"Nah..." Sasuke smiled. "Don't take back as much wood as I do, though. To them, you're still dead last."
Naruto snorted. For a few minutes, they wandered the forest in silence. By an unspoken agreement, they started to walk back to camp in the lengthening shadows when Naruto came to a sudden stop. Surprised, Sasuke turned to face the smaller boy. "What's wrong?"
"We're friends, right?"
"I thought so." The question seemed oddly... Heart wrenching... Coming from Naruto.
"I've just never had a friend before. I don't... I don't really know how to act. Or how to tell when there's a problem. Sometimes, I wonder if the me that I show you, the one that no one else really sees, is the real charade. If it's what I wish I really was so I could be more like everyone else seems to be. Maybe the loud idiot that I show everyone else is the real me. The real thing."
"That's not true," Sasuke broke in crisply, wondering where this was going. He had seen Naruto without his masks before, but nothing could prepare him for this. He had never imagined that the cheerful, confident, hyperactive boy could be so unsure... So sad.
Sighing softly, Naruto walked slowly to where his friend stood. "When I look at you, Sasuke... I see drive. Desire. Purpose. You have a goal in life. A reason for being. But what happens when you accomplish that goal? What then? You come home and you still have people who care enough to be sad that you were gone and happy you are back. At the end of everything, you have the ability to live a normal life. I have a dream, too, but somewhere, deep down, I know how impossible it is. I can defend myself and my dream as loudly as I want, but... It's still a dream. I can try and try, but I can't make the adults in our village acknowledge me."
"Your dreams will come true. You have more going for you than I think you realize."
The blonde looked up at his teammate uncertainly. "What do you see when you look at me?" He was caught off-guard by the warmth in the smile that Sasuke directed at him.
"I see strength and optimism. Intelligence, even if you do hide it well. I see a spirit that has never given up, that is stronger than anyone realizes. And... I see loneliness. A scared boy who has never known a family or friends. But I've been just as scared and alone as you have. But you're not alone any more, and neither am I." He gently nudged the other boy to get him walking again. "If Kakashi-sensei knows about us, he's giving us some time alone on purpose. I think we should trust that he doesn't object to our friendship and be grateful that he is on our side," he concluded, setting his face into its typical aloof expression.
"That makes sense," Naruto mumbled, lagging a few steps behind his teammate and plastering his characteristic grin on his face as they exited the forest and caught sight of their companions. He had a lot to think about after this encounter with Sasuke, and somehow, he found it hard to be upset that Kakashi-sensei knew about them. Perhaps the trip wouldn't be so long after all.
............
A/N: Phew. That took me a bit longer than I thought to get typed up, but it's only a day late. I have a good part of the next chapter done too, so you may even get another update tonight if you're nice! I suppose that I have a little bit of explaining to do when it comes to the timeline I intend to follow. After going through the manga and the anime again, it occurred to me that the amount of time team seven spends in Wave Country is never defined very well. We know that the location is a pretty fair distance away from hidden leaf village which is where I got my two week journey from. Since they are walking, I feel that this is entirely reasonable. In my opinion, the whole Tazuna arc probably took at least two months, probably closer to three, from beginning to end. Although there was only a week between the major fights, there was obviously a recovery period for Sasuke, and the bridge must have taken a while to build, not to mention the travel time involved. As long as Tazuna was out of the village, Gatau should not have cared what he was doing; for that reason, the initial attack against team seven will not come until next chapter, the day before they get to the village. Again, I think that the vagueness in the anime and manga can be cited to support my timeline. The growth of the team during this time also suggests that they were doing a fair amount of training while the bridge was being constructed. Of course, this is all just my speculation. You guys are free to disagree with me =) I hope to have the next chapter up by tomorrow, so stay tuned and, as always, read and review! Now, on to the replies...
Anime Freak/Kichigai Ojousan: I was actually really unsure about whether this would be a good fic to start out with writing, but I love how it's turning out. I'm glad you're enjoying it!
:D: I haven't really addressed Sakura's place in all of this because while I like her as a character, she just hasn't played that much of a role in the story this far. I think I'll be getting more into her character in the next few chapters though. While I think it would be funny to send her out after Naruto, I think that he won't have to find excuses to disappear anymore. Kakashi will do it for him!
Escuro de la Lus: Hehe, they'll kiss when I'm good and ready to have them kiss! I'm doing my best to drag out the timeline and give them a few months together before I get into the whole mushiness part. I think that it will help support some of what I have planned for later in the story. But your kisses are coming, I swear it!!!
Ayako: Yeah, I wish I could see Sasuke smile for real. He doesn't do it enough and he's sooooo cute! Their interaction is so fun to write, so you'll be seeing tons more of it =)
Riyue: You're right, this part of the storyline has so many possibilities... It's incredibly fun planning out what I'm going to write here, and I haven't even gotten to the death scene yet. There's more good stuff to come!
Evafreak: I'm glad you think that I rock =). I think that in a way they've already started liking each other. They are realizing things about one another that will eventually lead to something more - like how they understand each other in a way that no one else really understands them, things like that. I don't plan on involving them in anything too hard core at twelve, but I think that a kiss or two might be in order. If I can get the timing down on this, I'll have it justified that they've been teamed up for at least four or five months before the Chuunin exam ever starts, so I think that will help make everything a little more palatable. There will prolly be many more chapters just because I'm having a good time writing this. And you read right, French, Spanish and Japanese. I am a junior in college right now, and I've already studied abroad in France over the summer. I don't mind your babbling, so never fear =) Kakashi will have his big moments in this fanfic, but not yet, I'm afraid =(
Ghost of Jounochi: I'm glad you likey, and I hope that you continue to enjoy the later chapters! =D
Landlady of the Universe: I'm glad you like the friendship. I was hoping I wouldn't be drug out into the street and shot by people who wanted my promised SasuNaru NOW *grin* I don't know about the intelligence thing... I know he comes off as an idiot in the series, but I do think there's some truth behind what I'm saying in this fic. Maybe not as much as I'm giving him credit for here, but I do think he's smarter than we're seeing in the series too. They're gonna snog when they're good and ready (in other words, when I get to the point where I think it's appropriate). Not telling when that is though! You have to read! Bwahahah!
Ishida Kat: I do support the KakaIru pairing, but I'm not going to work it into this unless it seems to fit. I haven't quite decided yet. I'm glad that you're enjoying the story. Gives me more reason to write it, right? They'll kiss, I promise, and it's coming up fairly soon (but don't tell anyone!) but not quite yet... And there will be some arguments coming up too, but again, not in this chapter. Maybe the next one. I haven't quite decided yet.
Beta 4 Hire: Here's your update! There's another one on the way as soon as I put some food into my stomach! Be happy!
Minna-sama no megami: Hehe. I have friends who have ramen. Maybe I'll bum some off of them. And yes, you MUST watch past episode 14! You have no idea of the coolness that awaits you!
Bishiehuggler: I'm glad you agree with me on the sex thing. Honestly, I haven't got as much of a problem with a few innocent kisses at twelve as I do with the rest, but even that shouldn't be rushed. Bleh. I hope that the way I write this will be okay. I'm following a timeline that should hopefully make anything that happens between them a little bit more acceptable.
Japime gurl: The updates will go back to being rapid now that I am all alone again. And I'm really having a blast going through the Haku arc and figuring out how I want to do this. I hope you will like reading what I come up with as much as I like writing it =)
T.K. Kaiba: There is more now!
Keitorin: The other three people are Kakashi, Iruka and the Hokage. I might have been a little vague there. And mellowness is always good =)
Luna Aelf Writer: I'm glad you like. It's always nice to know people are enjoying it.
Sara: I'm very glad that you read mine and liked it! The updates will be coming faster now, so never fear. Isn't Naruto an awesome series? I've watched all kinds of anime, but never gotten so into it. Damn lovable characters hehe. I'll prolly be starting a few other fanfics from Naruto as well when I get more into this one, so I hope they're all as enjoyable for you as this one!
Lily day: Mmm... Wayne and Garth... That's kind of funny, my boyfriend is originally from Aurora (where Wayne's World took place) and he's the reason I haven't been updating as recently. This fanfic was originally started so that I could get more into writing my own stuff, so hopefully my playing with the character and plot development will be helpful as well as interesting =)
Silver Dragonfly: I actually got your review as I was getting ready to post this, so you're lucky I'm getting to it in this chapter =) I actually know what I think is going to happen with Sasuke later in the series when he runs off to Orochimaru, but for now I'll keep those suspicions to myself... Until I can write them into this story, that is! And Sakura will join them, but it will prolly be after the Haku arc. I've noticed a point in the series where the interaction between Naruto and Sakura seems to change subtlety, so I've decided that that's when it'll happen. And no, I'm not telling when! But now I'm going to post this so you can read it.
Warnings: A little bit (or maybe a lot?) of fluff in this chapter.
Disclaimer: As I'm sure you could have all guessed, Naruto's not mine, nor are any of the characters found therein.
............
The next morning dawned bright and sunny. A few minutes before seven, the group had assembled at their appointed meeting site, the main gate in the towering wall that protected their village. Much to the chagrin of the three children, Kakashi-sensei arrived on time for the first time since the formation of the team. After a cursory check to make sure that the trio had packed properly, Kakashi-sensei smiled and gestured towards the path. Only a few minutes after seven, they were off.
The journey was a tremendous excitement for Naruto, and in the beginning he made no effort to mask his enthusiasm, bouncing and babbling even more than normal. Although he had been sent outside the walls of the village once or twice to help maintain cleanliness, he had never been farther than a few hundred meters away from the place he called home. Just like any twelve year old, he was energetically looking forward to the challenges that would surely await him during this mission.
The blonde purposely overreacted every time Tazuna took a verbal jab at him, but even this did nothing to diminish his good humor. He walked several steps ahead of his group, eager to be the first to see each new sight. Every one of his senses was exercised to its fullest as the boy tried to take everything in. Eventually, he quieted down and composed himself for a long journey, but he continued to drink everything in.
As they walked, the terrain began to slowly change. The dense forest which embraced and surrounded Naruto's village gradually began to thin, giving way to a sunny scattering of clearings in the trees. Every few miles a small stream or river was visible from the path. Everything seemed fresh, new, untouched. Naruto was itching to go exploring.
By mid-afternoon, however, Naruto had purposely hidden his enthusiasm entirely. Cheerfulness was expected of him, but so were complaints when he experienced even the slightest physical discomfort. In this case, they had been walking for ages without stopping for more than a few moments to replenish their supplies of water. The boy's stomach was beginning to growl audibly, so Naruto chose to complain about that. "We've been walking forever. Let's stop and eat some dinner. I'm starving!" he whined, raising his voice and turning around with a scowl to face his companions.
To the blonde's surprise, Kakashi-sensei agreed with only token resistance. "Let's find a good place to stop for the night and set up camp. We have a two week journey in front of us, so an extra mile or two and an inferior camping spot will hurt us more than it will help..." the silver-haired jounin trailed off as he noticed the aghast looks on two of his pupils' faces. "What?"
"Two weeks?" Sakura squeaked, stopping dead in her tracks.
"Just for the trip?" Naruto added in a whisper. It was all he could do to keep his eyes from darting over to meet Sasuke's. Two weeks without knowing the next time they could even smile at one another, let alone speak openly? He had anticipated their journey taking two or three days at the most! "What are we supposed to eat? You never told us this would take so long. How were we supposed to know what to pack?" was what he demanded out loud, his voice growing higher pitched with every word.
Tazuna simply took a swig of his liquor as he watched the scene before him impassively. Sasuke, of course, said nothing, his face betraying none of the inner turmoil that he, too was feeling. Sakura opened her mouth to voice agreement with Naruto, but closed it again when she saw the look on her sensei's face. He was wearing what the group had long ago identified as his 'flaky smile.' He smiled that way whenever he told them something he knew they weren't going to like. Even Naruto fell silent when he saw that look.
"Well," Kakashi began, "two weeks is probably a low estimate. It may be closer to three if we don't run the entire way." If anything, that smile seemed to grow even broader; the mask made it difficult to tell for sure. "We didn't pack food. We're ninjas. We can't expect what we need to always be available or handed to us. We will hunt and make use of the edible plants we find. Consider it a training exercise. I assume that you three learned about snares and about living off the land in the academy." When all three nodded mutely, the man continued, ignoring the identical scowls that graced the faces of his three charges. "Out here, we either work together as a team or we go hungry as a team. This is a C-rank mission. As I hope you will learn, even a lower ranked mission can be uncomfortable and potentially dangerous. Being a ninja embraces all of these things. There is no time or room for complaints."
Silence. Even though he couldn't show it, Naruto was very, very intrigued. This almost sounded FUN! But he was supposed to be a little surprised and more than a little angry at this development. His comfort was, after all, at stake here. Immediately, he narrowed his eyes in order to hide the enthusiasm that he could not suppress. "When were you going to tell us?" he finally managed to demand, frowning and pointing an accusing finger at his sensei.
"Probably when we found a good place to camp for the night," Kakashi-sensei admitted, giving them that smile again. All three students groaned.
"When are we going to stop?" Naruto asked, absently rubbing his hand over his stomach. "I'm hungry." That last part was not a lie, although he could have easily kept going in silence.
"When we find a good place to camp for the night, dobe," Sasuke snapped. He returned Naruto's surprised glance with a cold smirk. Shrugging it off, the blonde chose to make a show of overenthusiastically searching for the perfect campsite in lieu of offering an angry retort to Sasuke's remark. He didn't want to start a real fight, and he couldn't tell if Sasuke was actually annoyed with him or just playing his part in their dual charade. They hadn't fought much yet on this trip, after all.
Despite Naruto's overt enthusiasm, it was a very subdued group that continued the journey. Each of them was lost in their own thoughts; even Naruto could not muster the energy to be as noisy as usual.
Ultimately, it was Sakura who picked out the spot that Kakashi-sensei agreed upon. As Naruto loudly protested that most of his ideas would have worked better, Kakashi-sensei sighed and dropped his pack. "Naruto."
"Eh?"
"Shut up. We're right next to a river here. There will be fish to eat, and we will be able to set our snares to catch some meat for the morning. This is an ideal place."
"Oh." The blonde clamped his mouth shut, dropping his pack and slumping down beside it.
"All right," Kakashi-sensei continued, "let's get settled in. I'm not going to coddle you three. You'll all be doing most of the work keeping yourselves and Tazuna and I fed. Got it?" When the trio nodded, resigned, the jounin smiled. "You can help each other out, of course. Now, we have..." Squinting up at the sun, he gauged the time, "about two hours til sunset. We'd best get moving if we're going to have this place livable and a fire going before dark."
With that, he issued to each a short series of tasks to accomplish which would help make their campsite more livable. Through the combined efforts of the four ninjas, the work was all but finished in under an hour. A number of snares had been set to provide fresh meat for the morrow, a respectable pile of edible greens had been gathered, a meal of fish had been caught and a cheery fire had been laid. Thanks to Sakura, the ground had been swept clean of rocks and other debris that would be uncomfortable in the night. There was very little left for the industrious ninjas to do.
"Sakura, you stay here and help me cook the fish and finish tidying up," Kakashi-sensei intoned, giving what the group hoped would be his final set of instructions for the day. "Naruto, Sasuke, I want you to go collect some firewood from a bit further away. We'll use up everything around here before morning. I want you two to stick together, okay? And be back before dark. We haven't been threatened yet, but that doesn't mean I want you two running around in unfamiliar terrain in the dark." This last part was said with a meaningful look in Naruto's direction. The boy felt himself freeze. It was all he could do to keep himself from starting to shake.
Sasuke smacked him on the shoulder, muttering "Come on, dobe," and effectively breaking the blonde out of his trance. Mechanically, he turned and followed Sasuke towards the nearest patch of forest. Vaguely, he was aware of catching up to the dark-haired boy and walking by his side, but all he could do was think about the sour feeling that was bubbling in the pit of his stomach.
The moment they were safely out of sight and earshot of the others, they turned to face one another. Naruto was slightly mollified to see his suspicions and fear confirmed in Sasuke's dark eyes, although the taller boy was doing a much better job of hiding his emotions.
"He knows," the blonde said flatly. It was not a question.
"We already assumed he knew. He just confirmed it. We should be glad he's being honest with us." Sasuke's voice was calm. His eyes still betrayed his inner turmoil, but he was quickly regaining control of himself.
"Who do you think he has told?" Naruto asked as he followed the example his friend was setting and bent to pick up a pair of sticks at his feet.
"No one." The answer was firm, confident.
"How can you be so sure?" the smaller boy demanded, narrowing his eyes at his friend.
"Because it wouldn't do him any good to tell anyone." Sasuke turned his head to look at Naruto impassively before he continued. "Who else would really see what it meant that we don't really hate each other? They would assume that I've either cracked or taken pity on you. Most people wouldn't realize the truth about either of us."
"We believed it about each other," Naruto countered immediately.
Rolling his eyes, Sasuke stooped to add a wrist-thick branch to the pile he was already balancing. "We both knew and believed part of the truth before we ever told each other. And we were completely open with each other. Think about it, dobe."
"Don't call me that," the blonde snapped automatically. After a moment's pause, he gave a rueful laugh. "At least I'm well trained. But... You don't really mean it when you call me that, do you?"
"Nah..." Sasuke smiled. "Don't take back as much wood as I do, though. To them, you're still dead last."
Naruto snorted. For a few minutes, they wandered the forest in silence. By an unspoken agreement, they started to walk back to camp in the lengthening shadows when Naruto came to a sudden stop. Surprised, Sasuke turned to face the smaller boy. "What's wrong?"
"We're friends, right?"
"I thought so." The question seemed oddly... Heart wrenching... Coming from Naruto.
"I've just never had a friend before. I don't... I don't really know how to act. Or how to tell when there's a problem. Sometimes, I wonder if the me that I show you, the one that no one else really sees, is the real charade. If it's what I wish I really was so I could be more like everyone else seems to be. Maybe the loud idiot that I show everyone else is the real me. The real thing."
"That's not true," Sasuke broke in crisply, wondering where this was going. He had seen Naruto without his masks before, but nothing could prepare him for this. He had never imagined that the cheerful, confident, hyperactive boy could be so unsure... So sad.
Sighing softly, Naruto walked slowly to where his friend stood. "When I look at you, Sasuke... I see drive. Desire. Purpose. You have a goal in life. A reason for being. But what happens when you accomplish that goal? What then? You come home and you still have people who care enough to be sad that you were gone and happy you are back. At the end of everything, you have the ability to live a normal life. I have a dream, too, but somewhere, deep down, I know how impossible it is. I can defend myself and my dream as loudly as I want, but... It's still a dream. I can try and try, but I can't make the adults in our village acknowledge me."
"Your dreams will come true. You have more going for you than I think you realize."
The blonde looked up at his teammate uncertainly. "What do you see when you look at me?" He was caught off-guard by the warmth in the smile that Sasuke directed at him.
"I see strength and optimism. Intelligence, even if you do hide it well. I see a spirit that has never given up, that is stronger than anyone realizes. And... I see loneliness. A scared boy who has never known a family or friends. But I've been just as scared and alone as you have. But you're not alone any more, and neither am I." He gently nudged the other boy to get him walking again. "If Kakashi-sensei knows about us, he's giving us some time alone on purpose. I think we should trust that he doesn't object to our friendship and be grateful that he is on our side," he concluded, setting his face into its typical aloof expression.
"That makes sense," Naruto mumbled, lagging a few steps behind his teammate and plastering his characteristic grin on his face as they exited the forest and caught sight of their companions. He had a lot to think about after this encounter with Sasuke, and somehow, he found it hard to be upset that Kakashi-sensei knew about them. Perhaps the trip wouldn't be so long after all.
............
A/N: Phew. That took me a bit longer than I thought to get typed up, but it's only a day late. I have a good part of the next chapter done too, so you may even get another update tonight if you're nice! I suppose that I have a little bit of explaining to do when it comes to the timeline I intend to follow. After going through the manga and the anime again, it occurred to me that the amount of time team seven spends in Wave Country is never defined very well. We know that the location is a pretty fair distance away from hidden leaf village which is where I got my two week journey from. Since they are walking, I feel that this is entirely reasonable. In my opinion, the whole Tazuna arc probably took at least two months, probably closer to three, from beginning to end. Although there was only a week between the major fights, there was obviously a recovery period for Sasuke, and the bridge must have taken a while to build, not to mention the travel time involved. As long as Tazuna was out of the village, Gatau should not have cared what he was doing; for that reason, the initial attack against team seven will not come until next chapter, the day before they get to the village. Again, I think that the vagueness in the anime and manga can be cited to support my timeline. The growth of the team during this time also suggests that they were doing a fair amount of training while the bridge was being constructed. Of course, this is all just my speculation. You guys are free to disagree with me =) I hope to have the next chapter up by tomorrow, so stay tuned and, as always, read and review! Now, on to the replies...
Anime Freak/Kichigai Ojousan: I was actually really unsure about whether this would be a good fic to start out with writing, but I love how it's turning out. I'm glad you're enjoying it!
:D: I haven't really addressed Sakura's place in all of this because while I like her as a character, she just hasn't played that much of a role in the story this far. I think I'll be getting more into her character in the next few chapters though. While I think it would be funny to send her out after Naruto, I think that he won't have to find excuses to disappear anymore. Kakashi will do it for him!
Escuro de la Lus: Hehe, they'll kiss when I'm good and ready to have them kiss! I'm doing my best to drag out the timeline and give them a few months together before I get into the whole mushiness part. I think that it will help support some of what I have planned for later in the story. But your kisses are coming, I swear it!!!
Ayako: Yeah, I wish I could see Sasuke smile for real. He doesn't do it enough and he's sooooo cute! Their interaction is so fun to write, so you'll be seeing tons more of it =)
Riyue: You're right, this part of the storyline has so many possibilities... It's incredibly fun planning out what I'm going to write here, and I haven't even gotten to the death scene yet. There's more good stuff to come!
Evafreak: I'm glad you think that I rock =). I think that in a way they've already started liking each other. They are realizing things about one another that will eventually lead to something more - like how they understand each other in a way that no one else really understands them, things like that. I don't plan on involving them in anything too hard core at twelve, but I think that a kiss or two might be in order. If I can get the timing down on this, I'll have it justified that they've been teamed up for at least four or five months before the Chuunin exam ever starts, so I think that will help make everything a little more palatable. There will prolly be many more chapters just because I'm having a good time writing this. And you read right, French, Spanish and Japanese. I am a junior in college right now, and I've already studied abroad in France over the summer. I don't mind your babbling, so never fear =) Kakashi will have his big moments in this fanfic, but not yet, I'm afraid =(
Ghost of Jounochi: I'm glad you likey, and I hope that you continue to enjoy the later chapters! =D
Landlady of the Universe: I'm glad you like the friendship. I was hoping I wouldn't be drug out into the street and shot by people who wanted my promised SasuNaru NOW *grin* I don't know about the intelligence thing... I know he comes off as an idiot in the series, but I do think there's some truth behind what I'm saying in this fic. Maybe not as much as I'm giving him credit for here, but I do think he's smarter than we're seeing in the series too. They're gonna snog when they're good and ready (in other words, when I get to the point where I think it's appropriate). Not telling when that is though! You have to read! Bwahahah!
Ishida Kat: I do support the KakaIru pairing, but I'm not going to work it into this unless it seems to fit. I haven't quite decided yet. I'm glad that you're enjoying the story. Gives me more reason to write it, right? They'll kiss, I promise, and it's coming up fairly soon (but don't tell anyone!) but not quite yet... And there will be some arguments coming up too, but again, not in this chapter. Maybe the next one. I haven't quite decided yet.
Beta 4 Hire: Here's your update! There's another one on the way as soon as I put some food into my stomach! Be happy!
Minna-sama no megami: Hehe. I have friends who have ramen. Maybe I'll bum some off of them. And yes, you MUST watch past episode 14! You have no idea of the coolness that awaits you!
Bishiehuggler: I'm glad you agree with me on the sex thing. Honestly, I haven't got as much of a problem with a few innocent kisses at twelve as I do with the rest, but even that shouldn't be rushed. Bleh. I hope that the way I write this will be okay. I'm following a timeline that should hopefully make anything that happens between them a little bit more acceptable.
Japime gurl: The updates will go back to being rapid now that I am all alone again. And I'm really having a blast going through the Haku arc and figuring out how I want to do this. I hope you will like reading what I come up with as much as I like writing it =)
T.K. Kaiba: There is more now!
Keitorin: The other three people are Kakashi, Iruka and the Hokage. I might have been a little vague there. And mellowness is always good =)
Luna Aelf Writer: I'm glad you like. It's always nice to know people are enjoying it.
Sara: I'm very glad that you read mine and liked it! The updates will be coming faster now, so never fear. Isn't Naruto an awesome series? I've watched all kinds of anime, but never gotten so into it. Damn lovable characters hehe. I'll prolly be starting a few other fanfics from Naruto as well when I get more into this one, so I hope they're all as enjoyable for you as this one!
Lily day: Mmm... Wayne and Garth... That's kind of funny, my boyfriend is originally from Aurora (where Wayne's World took place) and he's the reason I haven't been updating as recently. This fanfic was originally started so that I could get more into writing my own stuff, so hopefully my playing with the character and plot development will be helpful as well as interesting =)
Silver Dragonfly: I actually got your review as I was getting ready to post this, so you're lucky I'm getting to it in this chapter =) I actually know what I think is going to happen with Sasuke later in the series when he runs off to Orochimaru, but for now I'll keep those suspicions to myself... Until I can write them into this story, that is! And Sakura will join them, but it will prolly be after the Haku arc. I've noticed a point in the series where the interaction between Naruto and Sakura seems to change subtlety, so I've decided that that's when it'll happen. And no, I'm not telling when! But now I'm going to post this so you can read it.