Even though the sun was in his eyes, he could've sworn the man who stood before him was Naruto. It had to have been Naruto. No kage bunshin could have been that good. But Sasuke's greatest mistake, just as it had always been, was allowing Naruto to get close.

Close enough to hurt.

Sasuke cringed as pain shot through his arm now twisted behind his back. "Did you really think I wouldn't take you," a serpent tongue flicked sickeningly against his earlobe. "Before I take you?" The chuckle that reverberated from his throat was creepy and downright sinister. "You let your guard down. That is unacceptable."

Sasuke felt nauseous and tried not to throw up. He shut his eyes tightly and struggled once more to free himself from the death grip. He screamed in frustration. A face brushed against his own, cheek against cheek, as he tried in vain to pull away. "What have you done?" his brother's voice breathed accusingly in his ear.

What have you done?

Sasuke's eyes shot open. His heart rammed hard against his chest, threatening to break it. Sweat covered his entire body and soaked the bedsheets. And there was blood. He could smell it.

Trembling, he pushed himself into a sitting position and looked beneath his shirt at the wound that refused to heal on his chest. He yanked at the clothing, wincing as it brushed along his chest, pulling it over his head and off in one quick motion of his arm. He used the somewhat drier portion of the sleeves to wipe at his face and neck. The cool night air on his damp skin gave him goosebumps. He untangled his legs from the clingy and sweat-soaked sheets. Eyes scanned the darkness as he rose slowly to his feet. Where was the gauze? He could've sworn he saw it near the door earlier.

Sasuke's chest began to throb with another pain besides that of his beating heart trying to break free. He grunted in frustration and, clutching his bandaged and bleeding chest, made his way out into the hallway. Hobbling towards the sitting room, his eyes narrowed on the familiar white head - silver in the moonlight - sticking out from the end of the couch. On the coffee table was the much needed gauze. He stumbled towards it.

"I'll do it."

Sasuke looked back at Kakashi, who lay still on the sofa staring up at the ceiling. He collapsed to a kneeling position and watched as the older man pulled himself up to his feet in one fluid, effortless motion. Kakashi came over and hooked both hands under Sasuke's arms, pulling him up gently and maneuvering him onto the sofa he'd occupied just moments before. Heat from his body still radiated from the cushions. Kakashi pushed the boy gently on his shoulders to a lying position. Sasuke closed his eyes as a large, cool hand brushed damp bangs from his face. "You need a haircut," he heard Kakashi sigh. "Try to relax."

It was a new and comforting sensation, this feeling of being enveloped in the older man's warmth. He turned his head towards the cushion and the faint scent of his former teacher there. Clean, soothing and simple. Like a light rain. With the warmth still radiating from the sofa, it made him think of autumn. He wondered then what Kakashi's favorite season was. A hiss escaped his lips as cool fingers pressed lightly on his lower ribs where the bandaging ended and the rest of his abdomen began. "It's almost soaked through," Kakashi observed as he traced the edge of the thin cloth across the boy's chest. "What were you dreaming about?"

Sasuke gritted his teeth. So he heard. "Nightmares."

Kakashi nodded and proceeded to remove the ruined bandaging. He did not pursue the topic, and for that Sasuke was grateful. Within minutes, he lay exposed from the waist up to his former teacher. "This is going to sting," Kakashi warned as he dabbed a cloth with alcohol and began to clean the ugly, stubborn gash that refused to stay closed. Sasuke dug his fingers into the cushion as his exposed skin reacted to the chemical. To make a sound would have been a sign of weakness. A hand eventually slipped under the arch of his neck while the other pressed against his abdomen, moving him once more into a sitting position. Kakashi kneeled before him, eyes level and fresh gauze in hand. They stared at each other for a moment in the darkness. Wordlessly, Kakashi reached under Sasuke's arms and began to rewrap the wound. He saw Sasuke's increasing discomfort in having to hold up his arms awkwardly as the gauze and his hands worked around him. "Put your hands on my shoulder," Kakashi suggested without pausing in his work. The young Uchiha hesitated for a moment before complying. With every other circle he made around Sasuke's chest, Kakashi pressed one palm firmly against the dressing to ensure a tight fit. "Can you breathe okay?"

"Yes."

Satisfied with his work, Kakashi cut the gauze and tucked the rest of it into place. His hands fell to either side of his patient. "Done."

Their eyes met once more in the darkness. Another moment passed. Sasuke's hands lingered on his shoulders. Kakashi stared at him curiously, trying to read the strange expression on his face. "Thank you," Sasuke said at last, releasing Kakashi's left shoulder to examine his newly dressed chest wound.

"You should try to rest," the jounin reminded him softly. "You can stay here if you want."

The boy nodded sheepishly. "Will you... stay?" There was a sense of strength and stability in the jounin's presence, and he did not want to be alone right now.

Sasuke's hand slipped from Kakashi's right shoulder as the latter rose to his feet. "Until you fall asleep," he promised.

He retrieved a nearby throw and threw it over the boy as he lay back down on the sofa. Curled up against the cushions, Sasuke looked much smaller and more fragile then Kakashi had ever seen before. He sat on the edge of the coffee table facing the sofa and watched as his young ward drifted into another restless sleep. A frown soon marred his delicate features. He began to whisper incoherent words under his breath. "Not... suffer was... enough." Kakashi willed himself not to interfere again. The cut on his neck from earlier still stung against his skin. No, Itachi had spoken the truth: Sasuke wasn't ready yet. The wounds were still too fresh and refused to heal. For now, all Kakashi could do was close his eyes and try to block out as best he could the tortured confessions of the last Uchiha son.

Early the next morning, Sasuke had wandered off to the lake to be alone with his thoughts. Kakashi had remembered countless times before, while he was still ANBU, seeing the child sitting alone by the water. The reasons why he never approached the boy then was the same as his reasons for not pursuing the boy now: everyone needed their place of solace. So he busied himself with preparing lunch instead.

Later, he would be informed by masked ANBU that Sasuke had been involved in an incident. Naruto had somehow found out about their return to the village and found the Uchiha sitting alone on the water's edge. He confronted him. Words were exchanged. According to the ANBU's report, it was when Naruto grabbed Sasuke's wrist angrily that the latter snapped. Now, the lake was half the size it used to be. Naruto, thanks to his kyuubi power, survived the -- energy burst was the unofficial term. Several ANBU were injured from the explosion, but Sasuke was nowhere to be seen.

Kakashi pressed a hand to his forehead and sighed. "I'll deal with him."

The one who was obviously the ANBU captain stepped forward. "From what we have seen, you cannot control him. No one can."

"Oh?" Kakashi raised his brow curiously. "So you've been watching?"

"Since he returned several months ago."

The Hokage believes him to be a threat. And perhaps myself as well. "It is not my goal to control him."

The ANBU bowed formally, long dark hair falling loosely around the mask. "Forgive me, Kakashi-san. I did not mean it that way." He nodded towards the three other ANBU standing not too far away and they scattered instantly. "We follow our orders," reminded the ANBU.

"And I follow mine," Kakashi replied. They saluted farewell and in a second, Kakashi was alone in the kitchen. Several moments passed before he allowed himself to turn his head partially towards the back door. "I apologize, but lunch will be a little cold today."

Sasuke's shadowy figure appeared in the doorframe. "That's fine."

Silently, the two took their seats across from each other at the table.

Naruto was rather embarrassed to be walking on the path escorted by two ANBU. A few passing villagers stared. They stopped beneath the shade of a large tree as a third ANBU appeared in front of him. This newcomer, who was only just a little taller than Naruto, dismissed the other two with a small hand gesture. A soft breeze allowed the long, dark hair to dance freely around the ANBU captain. Both hands reached for his face and removed the mask.

"Neji!" Naruto exclaimed. He knew the genius, only a year older than himself, had been made jounin. But ANBU captain? His awe and respect for the Hyuuga deepened instantly. "Hey, are you allowed to take off your mask?"

A kind smile graced Neji's face. "Naruto-kun, what were you doing out there?"

Oh. Naruto scratched the back of his head nervously. "I heard he was back. I just wanted to talk to him."

Neji crossed his arms against his chest and raised a brow. "And what did you say to him... exactly?"

"You look like shit."

"I don't want to play with you today, Naruto."

"Do you know how scared Sakura was when she heard you disappeared again?"

"Do you expect me to feel sorry? I'm not."

Naruto's eyes fell to his feet. "What I said..."

"Bastard! Don't you get it? No matter how much of a dumbass you become, I... you... will always be my friend."

"Hn. I don't want your pity."

"It's not -- ! You're not the same as I remember."

He looked at his hands and curled them into fists. "What made him blow up was..."

"What did they do to you? ... What did you do to yourself?"

A hand fell on his shoulder and squeezed reassuringly. He looked up at the older boy, momentarily lost in his thoughts. "It's okay, Naruto," said Neji as his eyes raised to the sky, following several birds as they flew in the direction of the Uchiha compound. "You were trying to be a good friend."

"Yeah," he said sullenly. Trying being the operative word.

"I never knew Sasuke enough to say much about him. But I believe in Kakashi-sensei," said Neji as he placed the ANBU mask back onto his face. "You should too."

He knew it was rude to stare, especially when one was eating, but Sasuke couldn't help it. This was the first time he'd ever seen Kakashi without his mask on. He wondered if he was the first or the last of Team Seven to finally have seen his face. It was hard to tell with the casual manner in which Kakashi removed it before reaching for the chopsticks. So unlike those first few months when it seemed, at least in their impressionable genin minds, that he guarded the secrets the mask hid jealously.

Kakashi paused, chopsticks halfway towards his lips, and blinked at Sasuke. The boy looked away immediately and felt a rush of blood color his face. After a few seconds, Sasuke picked up his chopsticks and started on his own meal. He wondered idly if he would have been able to go through the Academy without as much attention as he did if he too had picked up the habit of wearing a mask. He spared himself another glance up at the jounin. Kakashi had emptied his bowl and was now returning the favor of watching Sasuke as he ate. The latter felt his ears begin to burn with embarrassment.

"I want you try to answer something for me," said Kakashi. Still maskless, Sasuke was mildly surprised to hear that his voice was pretty much the same deep, husky voice he'd always known and not a result of wearing the mask. Sasuke reached for his tea, took a long sip, and waited. Kakashi rubbed his chin thoughtfully for a moment. "Is 'What are you searching for?' the right question?"

Sasuke was expecting a question about the incident earlier with Naruto. Or maybe about what happened with Itachi. He was even ready to refuse an answer to anything about the past three years. But he should've known better than to expect logical thought from Kakashi. Of course he'd guess at the heart of the matter and almost get it right. Almost. It was close enough, however, to shock Sasuke to his feet. Kakashi merely blinked up at him. Sasuke lips parted, but words would not come to him. His eyes locked with Kakashi's, confused and seeking some help. After a moment, Kakashi broke the silence with a wave of his hand, "No, I guess not." He shrugged and rubbed the back of his neck. Still at a loss of how to react, Sasuke watched as the older man rose to his feet. "It's 'What are you running from?' then."

His heart skipped a beat. "Wha--" Sasuke's eyes widened and he stepped back in surprise, giving all the confirmation Kakashi needed. "That... it's not. What do you want from me?"

Kakashi took an unassuming step towards him. "I don't want anything from you, Sasuke. I don't even need an answer." His voice dropped considerably so that when he spoke again, his voice seemed to resonate within the boy's soul. "You never have to answer what you don't want to." He closed the gap between them and put a firm but gentle hand on the boy's shoulder. Kakashi's eyes squinted up in a smile. "It would just be nice, is all." A shiver coursed involuntarily through Sasuke's body. Kakashi let go and stepped away - two, three, four steps until he was standing at the doorway. He glanced back at Sasuke, who still seemed numbed by his words. He never thought about it that way, Kakashi thought. Neither did I, at the time.

Closing the door between them, he almost doesn't hear the murmured response. "I want to."