Disclaimer: Kishimoto-sama's property

Pairing: SasuNaru

Warning: OOC-ness (and yes, I intend to make Sakura mean, for that is how Sasuke sees her. Nothing more to it.)

And thank you to all out there who reviewed. I realized quickly that those lovely words make this so much more fun! Thank you! Here you have the second part of Go with the flow - please enjoy

The play

Everyone had slept in. Even Kakashi had taken the opportunity to get some well deserved sleep, since the day before had ended up rather bad. Being underwater as long as he had been had drained him completely. So, turning over he ignored the bright daylight coming from the opening and sighed happily. He loved to sleep in, but between his lashes he suddenly could see something he would never bet money on seeing. He chuckled quietly and forced himself to sit up. If Sakura was to se them it would lead to something nasty.

Sasuke was sleeping safe and sound, somewhat enjoying the warmth that surrounded him. A small irritating hum reached his ear and the drowsiness was working continuously to figure out what it was. He really wanted to continue sleeping. Whatever was disturbing him would pay… but later. He felt how the warmth wavered slightly and he clutched onto it desperately, not wanting it to go away. Sasuke snuggled into, he wouldn't choose that word himself (rather something like 'manly-held'), the soft cushion and heaved a blissful sigh. He felt so good, warm and safe… he just wished that the stupid humming and pinching would stop. He frowned. He refused to wake up! But the pinching kept coming, harder and rawer.

Eventually he realized that the humming wasn't humming at all, it was rather something like low and irritated cursing. His idyll was ruined. So, forcing his eyes open they were met by a beautiful brightness. It's morning, he thought. When his eyes readjusted, the same cave he had been in his previous waking moment came into view. He frowned again. But what was the strange warmth coming from? He looked up through drowsy black eyes and gaped. Above him sat Naruto, apparently pissed off.

He quickly scanned his whereabouts. Yes, he was indeed lying in Naruto's lap, arms encircling the blonde's waist possessively and legs entangled with his. And of course, he was pressing him up against the wall, hindering him from any possible escape. He met Naruto's eyes again, panic evidently within his own. Sasuke dashed away from the warmth, falling on his back quite clumsily and shot up. He flailed his arms manically. Naruto sat still, glaring as if his life depended on it. Sasuke looked to his right and saw Kakashi laughing.

He blushed for the first time, in a long time.

"You're lucky, Sasuke, that Sakura wasn't awake to see it. Although, I have quite enough material to get her all frenzied." He laughed and winked his hand at him. "As they say, a picture says more than a thousand words."

Sasuke paled visibly, going from tired to fully awake in seconds. Fright turned into anger and before he had the chance to vent it out it suddenly turned into confusion.

"You actually have a camera with you? Why the hell did you save it and not our food?" He felt like fainting at the moment. His teacher's stupidity was too much to handle so early in the morning. Kakashi didn't have time to respond before the blonde took over.

"Why were you holding onto me?" he shrieked and pushed Sasuke hard in the chest.

Sasuke returned to his old self in a matter of seconds and retaliated gracefully with a whack to Naruto's head. "I don't know! I was sleeping, stupid."

Naruto regained his composure and growled. "I don't remember you hugging me when I fell asleep."

"Neither do I."

Then there was a childish staring contest. If Kakashi hadn't stopped them it could have continued forever. "Now now, boys, take it easy. You were being so close yesterday, don't let this destroy it." Both boys were about to protest but Kakashi silenced them with a clap of his hands, which woke Sakura up. "Fantastic, you decided to join us Sakura!"

"Good morning", she mumbled and sat up with a yawn. The boys quickly remember the day before and why they had turned their backs to Sakura and for once established some sort of sympathy between each other. Sasuke sighed defeated and gave Naruto an apologetic look, which he happily found was replied with a smile. Luckily, everyone else was oblivious to it.

Sasuke was so embarrassed of the position he had been found in. That Kakashi taken pictures of it made his stomach flip and nervousness he never felt before filled his senses. He would gladly have forgotten the whole episode, as did Naruto, but their teacher wiggled his traitorous tail and threatened to show his fangs if he decided it would be appropriate. The photos were still of course not on paper yet, and his mission became to recover them. But that had to come second, since now their task was to get home. How on earth they were going to manage that was a mystery to him. Given that they had been terrible lost, even before they phenomenally tumbled down the cliff and said goodbye to it and its companion edge, the chances of finding their way back seemed hardly any.

Since Sakura's dress was torn in the front, mostly, the odds of getting the jacket back were none. So Naruto had to do with his black t-shirt. Sasuke knew that, even though Naruto didn't feel he had to waiter Sakura as much anymore, he would never claim his jacket. Sasuke would have, but that's him… Naruto was polite to a certain amount. That made Sasuke jealous in some ways, even though he would never say it. He could feel from time to time that he didn't have the slightest idea how to make anyone happy or feel efficient by some other way than the shinobi way.

Yet, Naruto knew and did it without even a thought to it. Was it something you had to be born with? Was sympathy lethal? That question haunted his mind too often, and had done ever since his parents died. Getting emotional could be in the way of surviving. Ones mind would confuse ones perceptive if it was burdened with affection over others and their welfare. Sure, a shinobi should protect others as well as oneself. But, on a different level. With affection, he meant friends and lovers… mostly. Starting to worry over what might happen to them could definitively ruin ones perspective during life threatening moments. Therefore, all ties were broken… he told himself anyway.

He tried to ignore that he had friends. He tried to disregard that if something were to happen, with his certain individuals, his mind would probably cloud up and all rational actions would be flown out of the window. He really tried to not see it, he didn't want to feel dependent and he didn't want to be crushed when someone was hurt. Therefore, all ties were fixed… but hidden.

They headed out as soon as everyone came round. Leaving the cave, with the direction towards the beach, Kakashi took the lead. No one protested but Sakura fell in line behind him with a nauseous whine about how cold she was. Why that was, was odd… because it had by now turned sweltering hot. Sasuke almost felt like removing his shirt, but thought otherwise when none of the other did it. He wouldn't call it 'to follow the crowd', he just didn't want to exploit himself in front of everyone if he was going to be the only one. He sighed. If he did, however, they would never reach the beach; because Sakura would keep on turning around for a glimpse too often.

It wasn't long before they reached the white beach with scorching sand. They were all glad that they had shoes on. Suddenly, after a long while of comfortable quietness, Naruto spoke.

"Which way is home?" He looked frantically back and forth, Sakura ignored him completely though, obviously still a bit aggravated after he had told her, during the night, that Sasuke were to sleep with him. Naruto didn't care though, instead he looked over at Kakashi.

"Hmm", Kakashi mumbled and scratched his cloth clad chin. "I would guess some other way than the one we went."

"How would we know which way to go if we were lost in the first place, dimwit?" Sasuke smirked towards Naruto and swatted away some flies from his face.

"Yeah, exactly Sasuke. Naruto, don't be stupid", she said and rolled her eyes when Naruto pouted visibly at her.

Sasuke knew though, that the faked hurt look on his face resembled the one he had on the inside. Sasuke also knew that neither Kakashi nor Sakura knew about Naruto's feelings. He was starting to feel aggravated. Never before, not until that misplaced step took them down and into a river, had Sasuke ever felt he had to defend Naruto as much as he did now. He had always, in some way, defended him in his mind but not spoken a word. Ever since they'd fell, something inside of him tumbled down as well. That, of course, made him confused. He had to stick up for him. If it was because of Sakura's escalating irritation intensity or that he, himself, had grown was hard to comprehend. He really felt like smashing something… at least that made sense.

He knew about puberty, he knew about the changes that could happen to boys of his age but he didn't know that with it, it came… how should he put it… friendship? Did friendship come with puberty? Did turning one person down and accepting another have anything to do with growing up? Damn, he felt kind of clueless as he stood there, with a blank expression on his face and mouth slightly agape, as if welcoming the flies to build their quarters in his moist cavern. He didn't feel like the gracious boy who had, with hands thrust in his pocket and mind set on not panicking, fallen downwards the day before. He cursed himself. He hated changes. Therefore he hated puberty and growing up.

And he hated whining. For that reason alone, it came naturally for him to defend Naruto, since the only time he complained it regarded food or boredom. He could live with that, seeing as it humoured him from time to time. It kept him awake and ready. Sakura though…

"He's not stupid", Sasuke found himself muttering under his breath. "He's just as disorientated as the rest of us."

Sakura didn't answer, Kakashi pretended he didn't hear it (butting in on his student's love life was interesting indeed, but equally as dangerous) and Naruto gawked. It wasn't a glamorous compliment but it felt like one. Sasuke saw how Naruto hid a smile, which was 'thank you' enough. Luckily though, Kakashi took over from there on and kept Sasuke from brainstorming.

Their mission had been a simple one really. It was a great misfortune that on the way home they got lost. Who were to be blamed for that changed from person to person, as their opinions changed likewise. It came from one upset source that one individual had kept their nose in its book and not paid attention to were they were going, and since they trusted this 'individual' no one dared saying otherwise and refusing orders, when those clearly said 'move ahead'. From a different source came the information that one insignificant loudmouthed person had misguided them willingly, in the hopes of separating them and later kill and eat them… one by one, until one was left… being tortured. That reason was shot down quickly by the remaining partners. As expected, reasons and accusations was thrown back and forth.

It was a topic not forgotten when Kakashi ordered them to start walking. They had left the beach again, went up a large hill at the brim of the forest and regrouped at the top. They were flabbergasted when they found themselves in a vacant area. In the distant a small village could be seen and that's where Kakashi pointed.

"That's our way, Naruto. We're heading that way", he said with an overly joyful voice.

"Why am I not surprised?" said Sasuke where he stood next to the tall man, looking far out in the distant.

"What do you mean? Am I sensing irony in your voice?"

"Oh, no my lord. I would never think of it", Sasuke said and rolled his eyes. He had no idea why he said it; he knew Kakashi would continue with the stupid dialogue… and he had played right into it. Sasuke growled.

"Art thou not in high spirits, Sasuke? We might be spending night in beds, or perhaps bed", he said and winked at him. Once again, Sasuke fell for the brainstorming's powers. He had no idea what he was doing! And he didn't like it. The fact that Kakashi was hinting at something, and he didn't understand what it was, irritated him even further. "Let's make haste, young boys and girl. We have a village to attend!" He said loudly and paraded. Sakura quickly fell in line after him and giggled. Naruto came up to a shocked still Sasuke, tapped him on the shoulder and shook him out of his stupor.

"That was odd, please don't do it again", Naruto said with a small glint in his eyes.

Sasuke sighed and the two started walking. After some time he turned his head towards the blonde next to him. "I won't."

Nothing more were said for a long time as they walked. They were all, some of them hid it of course, anxious to reach the village. So, they walked fast. Sasuke kept a distance between himself and Kakashi, Sakura who followed the white haired seemed to avoid Sasuke and Naruto gave the impression that he didn't care at all if he walked beside Sasuke or a stinking animal. He trotted beside the dark haired and, as Sasuke viewed it, limped.

"Still hurt in your leg?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto turned towards him swiftly. "No, why'd you ask?"

Sasuke grunted. "You're limping, and last night you massaged your leg."

"Well, it's nothing important", Naruto mumbled and looked ahead again. "Just bumped into the stone-wall."

"That's nothing? You idiot, you could be seriously hurt."

"Look who's talking", Naruto yelled. "You refused to tell me where you were hurt, you remember? At the beach. I saw it, I'm not that blind."

Sasuke looked ahead too, and sighed. "Just bumped into the mountain as well."

"If you're not talking, then neither am I", he huffed and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Whatever…", Sasuke growled and sped up.

The village was becoming bigger and less daunting. Before he had realized it, they were standing outside the gate. Well, it wasn't really a gate, rather a big entrance with a beautifully decorated dome. Inside a wide road meandered, passing small houses and yards. What surprised them all was that everything was intact and flourishing. Sasuke had at least suspected an abandoned village with old houses and tarnished yards. But here, well… it was green, it was beautiful and it was inhabited. Kakashi smiled hugely and looked down to his students.

"I think we ought to introduce ourselves. This seems to be a great village, right Naruto… probably lots of food."

At that the blonde's ears perked up. He was about to name his favourite dish when Sasuke grabbed hold of his jacket's sleeve and pulled him with him. A laughing Kakashi and a sulking Sakura followed them closely. Sasuke was hungry and had been since Naruto had stolen his food. He surely didn't need anyone reminding him about food, even if it was 'just' ramen. He didn't like the stuff, but in his condition everything was edible. Of course Naruto took this opportunity to tease him along the way, even though Sasuke threw him angry looks each time.

They walked for some time, passing small and inviting houses in which some people looked at them from their windows. The road divided into three later on and they chose one of them quite random. It lead them further down the street where small shops eventually put in an appearance with their decorated signs and streaming customers. Neither seemed to take notice of them, which lead them to the conclusion that these people were used to visitors. Eventually they stopped outside small coffeehouse.

"Kaka-sensei…", Sakura whined and pulled at his vest. "Where are we going? Can't we take a break?"

And that was what they did. Except, Kakashi strolled away telling them that he was going to find somewhere to stay for the night. It seemed that they had walked for some time. The sun was about to set soon. Sakura found a deserted bench right beside the street and all three of them sat down. Usually, Sakura would have seated herself in the middle but since she still was angry at Naruto she kept herself to Sasuke. That infuriated him.

"Would you mind not clinging onto me?" he said harshly and pulled away when he felt her hands sneak up and around his arms. He sensed Sakura flinch and rolled his eyes, inching closer to Naruto automatically. Of course the blonde tensed.

Such an uptight atmosphere, Sasuke thought when his elbow nudged Naruto's side. He didn't want to sit close to Sakura, he was sick of her. She was allowed to be his team-mate, but he would rather jump down the cliff again than to have her as anything else. He couldn't understand why Naruto liked her the way he did, not after her rude actions. He looked down to Naruto and tried to see through his golden hair, which shielded those bright blue eyes of his. He had no idea why he gazed so intently and why Naruto hid more and more the longer he looked. He knew Sakura observed him and his unusual actions, but why would he care for that when he didn't care about anything else?

"Sasuke… why are you looking at me", Naruto said timidly after clearing his throat. Sasuke flinched back and resumed watching the darkening sky.

"Am not", he muttered.

"I saw you, you bastard!" Naruto screamed and flashed him his angry blue eyes, which seemed so strong and determined.

"You saw wrong, dobe." He grinned internally and crossed his arms over his chest, indicating that the subject was dropped.

Naruto snorted loudly. "I didn't imagine it! You were staring at me!"

"If I was, that means that you looked at me as well. Couldn't that mean that I thought you were staring at me and I merely looked back?" Sasuke said matter-of-factly.

"Gargh! You uptight ass! Stop lying!" Naruto screamed. Sasuke almost laughed.

"Neither was staring and neither is hurt… right?" Sasuke said and smirked. "That's how you want it. Just drop it then."

Naruto was fuming beside him, Sasuke knew that that was his queue to change the topic, even though he was humoured, but he was stopped somewhat uncomfortably. He was thrown rather harshly to the ground, an elbow was thrust into his ribs and he hissed from the pain. Naruto was pinning him down with his bodyweight and before Sasuke had the time to react, a hard and clenched fist connected with his jaw rather painfully. His head flew to one side and it was spinning terribly when he spit out some blood.

"What the-"

"I'm sick of this! You're hurt, I'm hurt and we both know it. You were staring and that's the truth! I hope I'm sitting on wherever you are hurt, I really hope!" the blonde screamed and punched him on his shoulder, but as Sasuke realized, quite weakly (even though it felt). He hissed at his captivator.

"Does it matter?"

"Of course! You are acting all weird on me and it's getting on my nerves. Why can't you tell me where you're hurt?" Naruto gritted his teeth and stared down at Sasuke who had his arms flailed to the sides and his hair in a mess. Sasuke was squinting, and that itself was an unusual sight.

"You have nothing to do with it, that's why."

"I do too! You're my team-mate, and if you're acting this weird when we are attacked or something worse then I'm personally going to kill you!"

"Why are you using my words?" Sasuke grunted and remembered what he'd said to Naruto earlier.

"Because they were, for once, very good. I gave you the permission to kill me if I spaced out during danger, and now I ask the same… Just tell me!"

Sasuke sighed and looked into those blue eyes. "I don't see the relevancy in you knowing were I'm hurt, you kn-"

"Of course it's relevant. We're a team, right? I'll tell you were I'm hurt, okay? I hit my leg hard; my knee hurts when I walk. But it's getting better, I'm already healing. Why are you being so stubborn?"

Neither of them remembered that Sakura was seated on the bench, watching them closely.

"Are you sure you're healing", Sasuke said with concern written all over his face, even though he tried desperately to hide it. "You usually heal faster than this."

"It was because I was cold, I think. It's getting better. And you, can't you tell me?"

Sasuke looked down to Naruto's chest. "Aren't you cold now? You're usually wearing a jacket and now only a t-shirt."

Naruto laughed at that. "And so are you, bastard."

Sasuke's eyes widened at that and looked down at himself. He'd totally forgotten.

"And by the way, it's warm… not at all cold anymore. But stop stalling. Where are you hurt?"

Those eyes were locked on him, keeping him in place rather than the heaviness of Naruto's body. He watched the outline of the blonde's eyes, how they twitched when he didn't answer and how his brow creased. He'd never watched him this intently before, not this close and he would never had admitted to himself that Naruto was a pretty interesting person, if it had not been for everything that had happened since the fall. He knew he was contemplating too much for his own good, but he blamed it on puberty. Naruto's hands were placed on his chest and his legs were pressing his sides. It felt weird having him on top. Maybe because it ached, but something was telling him differently.

"My chest", he said and saw how those eyes widened. "Mostly." Soon he felt the weight diminish as Naruto slid off him and Sasuke's head turned with Naruto as the blonde sat beside him. Naruto scratched his head apologetically but before he had any chance of making an apology, Sasuke sat up and stretched.

"It's getting better as well…"

"I know what we all need", Sakura's voice could suddenly be heard and both boys turned their faces towards her. The revelation that she had been observing them the whole time embarrassed them. "Some food." She smiled brightly at Sasuke, but seemed to ignore Naruto. Sasuke knew, from experience, that whenever he rejected her… she would try to climb right back up and act as if nothing had happened. Naruto was familiar to the course of events too. Therefore, Sasuke heard a sigh coming from his right and felt how his guts wanted to sigh as well, but he didn't. Naruto was going to act like Sakura, and Sasuke hated it… well he was starting to hate it. He hadn't thought of it too much earlier, but now it felt like a dull pain. He knew Naruto was hurt by Sakuras 'indifference', yet he masked it up and it shocked Sasuke that he hadn't seen it before. He saw it so obviously now, maybe because Naruto was so close or maybe because this was one of his many changes that had occurred since Naruto led them down the edge.

"Yeah, let's eat! I'm starving, what about you Sasuke."

Sasuke didn't know differently than to nod pathetically. With that Naruto had left his side, grinning and jumping up and down beside Sakura. The girl seemed annoyed like always by the blonde's tactics and called him clot from time to time. Sasuke watched them from what seemed to be far, far away. He never thought of it like this before, it was as if things repeated themselves… he'd seen this show so many times that he could fill in their words even before they stated them. Was this a play? Why were they playing it for him, over and over? He grabbed hold of some grass in sheer frustration. Why were they acting? Hadn't they noticed the resemblance to every prior fight they had had? Sasuke growled, but mostly at himself.

Why hadn't he noticed it?

The black eyed teen rose from his seated position and walked over to them. It felt like an eternity before he reached Sakura's side. He saw Sakura beam at him through his hazy eyes and at the corner of them he saw Naruto act like he always did. He was going to call him bastard, he knew.

"You bastard, stop acting cool… I know you're hungry too!"

Sasuke realized that he was about to slip into the play as well, as he always had done… of course unknowingly. So he straightened and nodded his head. "Yeah", he mumbled. "I'm hungry."

Sakura stared at first, but them she beamed. Apparently happy that he had liked her idea, but he didn't think of it as 'her idea', if anything, the other way round. He'd decided he was going to stop the play. He didn't like its contents and he hated how it always ended.

It was time for a new and improved ending.

There is going to be a third part, and I hope to see some reviews. So, 'go with the flow' and bombard me with your lovely words, they make it all worth it!

Yours truly

/Tsuki no Kitsune