This story is separate from the Naruto timeline. Team seven is still going on missions, and Sasuke and Naruto aren't mortal enemies.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. If I did, Gaara would be the star.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Team seven was once again on a mission.
They were to take an important scroll containing valuable information to the leader of mist country. Kakashi had stopped for the night, having found a suitable campsite. He started a fire while the rest of the team were busying themselves with rolling out their sleeping bags.
"Hey Sakura, don't you want to sleep next to me?" A bright and cheery Naruto asked. Sakura, in reply, gave him a blank look and scooted over to the other side of the fire.
Sakura's cold attitude didn't faze Naruto a bit. He just shrugged and placed his bedding close to the fire, where it was warmer.
Sasuke remained silent and put his sleeping bag by the fire also, his head next to Naruto's. He was willing to sleep next to the dobe in order to stay warm during the night.
Kakashi surveyed the campsite, and noticed the seemingly casual placement of the sleeping bags. Sasuke and Naruto placed their bags head-to-head, and it would be easy for them to spring up back-to-back if they were attacked. Sakura, being on the other side of the fire, could cover the others while they fought. It was a simple thing that could save the lives of the genins, and they knew that.
Kakashi jumped into a tree and made himself comfortable. He had a good vantage point from the branch he was on, and he could see if anyone unwanted made their way into the campsite. He soon heard the even breathing of his three charges, asleep by the fire.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
The sun peeked over the treetops and illuminated the campsite. Sasuke blinked his eyes open and was greeted by Naruto whistling cheerfully, albeit off-tune. Sasuke sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes.
Kakashi was sitting against a tree a small distance away, once again reading his book. Sasuke scowled at him, but the man didn't seem to notice. Sasuke grunted and turned to face Naruto.
The yellow-haired boy was holding a cup of instant ramen over the fire with two sticks. He had a look of intense concentration on his face, his eyes trained on the precariously balanced ramen. Sasuke smirked.
"Dobe." Naruto yelped and the ramen slipped. It landed in the fire with a soft hiss. Naruto turned to Sasuke, a scowl on his face.
"What was that for!"
"I only said 'Dobe'. It was you who dropped your precious ramen." Sasuke replied.
Naruto continued scowling for a minute, but he was soon back to his smiling self, complete with another container of ramen. Sasuke rolled his eyes and sat down, preparing to meditate.
Kakashi closed his book and stood up, making his way to where Sasuke and Naruto were.
"I need you boys to refill the canteens while I wake up Sakura. There's a stream about half a mile from here." He said once he reached his destination. Naruto started complaining at once, but Kakashi silenced him with a wave of his hand. Naruto, grumbling under his breath, walked over to their packs and rooted around for the canteens. Sasuke followed him, going right away to where the canteens lay. He picked up three for himself and handed Naruto three also. Naruto took them grudgingly.
The boys started walking to where the stream lay, Sasuke in front and Naruto slightly behind.
About seven minutes later they reached the bubbling stream. It was small, but it would do for filling the canteens. Naruto and Sasuke bent down and submerged theirs in the water. Naruto started humming a song whose tune Sasuke didn't know.
"Why are you so happy all time?" Sasuke asked suddenly. Naruto looked up at him oddly before replying,
"What do you mean?"
Sasuke sighed. "How can you be so happy, even though you've lost so much?"
Naruto smiled somewhat sadly. "It's my way of dealing with it. My automatic response to being hurt is to laugh it off, and I guess I just adapted that to my life."
Sasuke blinked. He had never thought about the possibility of Naruto's grin being a mask. He had just figured that Naruto was a dunce and couldn't see what was going on around him.
"So your laughter is basically the same thing as my distant approach to everything."
"Basically." Naruto agreed.
The two were silent for a moment while they finished filling the canteens, and they soon started making their way back to camp.
"And besides," Naruto grinned, "I have to be the cheerful one, seeing as you'll never be."
Sasuke promptly hit him over the head.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
You like? I got the idea for this while I was trying to sleep, and it wouldn't go away until I wrote it down. A look into why Naruto's always so happy! Plz tell me what you think!