Hey, everyone! Here's chapter three for ya!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto… never will.

Chapter 3: Always a First for Everything…

"I was just wondering if," Sasuke paused and thought about what he was going to say, "never mind, I'll just ask later." He finished.

Naruto cocked an eyebrow and then turned back around to face his sensei. He was reading his book, not paying attention to either of the boys. Naruto stood up and walked outside. Sasuke's eyes followed him and he wanted to go to him and ask him what was wrong. Kakashi though, still hadn't noticed.

"Sensei, we'll be right back." Sasuke said to Kakashi who only nodded. "Naruto…" he began when he approached Naruto's side. Naruto looked up. Sasuke looked into his deep sky blue orbs and noticed something he had never noticed before. It was the faintest hint of sadness that corrupted his eyes. The sparkle in them was gone, yet Naruto was still smiling. Sasuke continued, "W- what's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong…" Naruto replied "I just… needed fresh air." Sasuke looked at Naruto with such intensity. He didn't smile. He only stared, knowing that Naruto was hiding something.

"That's really believable" Sasuke said sarcastically. "Now will you tell me what's really wrong?" Naruto looked confused and happy all at the same time, but the sparkle was still absent from his eyes.

"I mean it… nothing is wrong." Naruto couldn't tell Sasuke how he was really feeling at that time. It would totally ruin everything and Sasuke would only laugh at him more. It would be just another reason to be made fun of.

Sasuke looked him in the eyes and assured him, "I'm not going to tell anyone, if you do tell me. I have no one to tell." Naruto almost had second thoughts about telling Sasuke, but then remembered that if he told him then he would laugh. One person was just as bad as one hundred people laughing at him. So he kept his mouth shut.

"It's nothing, Uchiha!" he shouted at Sasuke. Sasuke's eyes widened at what he had called him, but then changed back to normal and looked him in the eyes once again.

"Then why is the sparkle in your eye gone?" he questioned him. Naruto looked away.

That doesn't sound like the voice of someone who is laughing inside. He almost sounds… concerned. He couldn't be concerned… not for me, anyway. No one ever cares. He thought. Then he decided that he would try to tell him. Sasuke was persistent in these matters.

"It's just that…" Naruto didn't look at Sasuke. "That… ah, never mind." He changed his mind and took a couple steps away.

Sasuke put his hand on Naruto's shoulder. "It's alright, Naruto. You can trust me." Naruto's eyes widened at these words. Did he mean that he trusted him? Suddenly Naruto felt tired. He sat down on a rock just a couple feet away and decided he wanted to go home. Suddenly, Kakashi walked out from Ichiraku and looked at the two boys.

"You two look tired. You should go home and rest." He told them. "I'm going back to my place, so you know where I am if you need me." He winked at them with his visible eye and walked away.

"Thanks for lunch…" Naruto shouted back to his teacher. Kakashi only waved as a "you're welcome" while he walked away. Naruto didn't look at Sasuke, but he spoke to him. "Hey, Sasuke?" he asked.

"Yeah?" he replied.

"What were you trying to ask me earlier?" Naruto asked, curiously.

"Oh…" he began. "Well, I was just wondering if you want me to…" he paused, not positive he wanted to ask what he was going to. Naruto looked at him when he paused. He couldn't say it. It was too weird. "Never mind," Naruto looked disappointed. Then he finally came up with a solution. He would wait until Naruto decided to leave.

Not too long after, there had been nothing but silence, so Naruto stood up. "I'm going to go now. See you later, Uchiha." He said, sounding sad again. Uchiha… he had never called Sasuke by his last name before. Now was finally his time, though.

Sasuke ran up to his teammate and started to walk beside him.

"What are you doing?" Naruto asked him.

"Well, I'm walking." Sasuke said sarcastically.

Naruto glared at Sasuke and stopped walking. Sasuke took a few steps forward and then finally stopped. He turned to the side.

Naruto looked as though he was expecting Sasuke to say something. Sasuke caught on to Naruto's gestures, but he didn't say anything and made sure he didn't seem different than his normal self. He smirked.

"Why are you walking with me?" Naruto finally asked.

Sasuke smirked again. "Two reasons," he began. "One is because I'm overwhelmingly bored," he paused and thought. "And then the other is because I want to ask you something."

Naruto suddenly froze at his words. Sasuke wanted to ask him something. What could Sasuke possibly want to ask the "worthless baka"? Naruto only stood there. His expression changed from an intense glare, to the curious little Kyuubi. He walked up to Sasuke and stood next to him, but he didn't look him in the eyes. He looked straight and asked him, sounding somewhat serious, "What is it? That you wanted to ask me?"

Sasuke's smirk was gone. Instead, he stared into Naruto's eyes, though he did not return his gaze, he asked him, "How is it… that you are always so happy? You never seem upset about anything…" Naruto's eyes widened when he heard this.

"Why do you need to know?" He sounded faintly annoyed.

"I don't need to know. I only want to know how it is possible for someone to always be so happy."

Naruto paused and his expression changed to sadness. He looked down and began to speak, "I'm… I'm not always happy." He wasn't sure whether or not he wanted to continue. Sasuke was one of them who would always make fun of his pain without showing it. Sasuke waited for him to continue but he stayed quiet.

"What do you mean…?" Sasuke asked him.

Naruto somehow thought that Sasuke wouldn't laugh if he told him. He based his idea off of the tone in his voice… once again, he almost sounded… concerned. "I'm not always happy…" he repeated. "In fact… now that I think about it… I'm… never really excited about anything." He turned and walked away from Sasuke to a bench that was only a few feet away from where they were standing. Sasuke walked over and sat down beside Naruto, crossing his arms.

Naruto hesitantly continued. He was about to tell him everything… everything that had to do with why he was always so down. But then he changed his mind. "Sometimes though, because of people like you and Sakura-chan who don't show much excitement either, I have to pretend like there is yet some light to be seen. I have to be the one to smile when no body else will. That's all." Naruto lied about his last two words. He strained to look as far away from Sasuke as possible. He made sure that he couldn't see his face… for if he had, he would instantly know how Naruto felt about his life. About everything, and Naruto could not let that happen.

Naruto couldn't believe that he had just told Sasuke what he did. He never thought he would tell anybody, because he never thought anybody would care. Sasuke probably didn't. But that didn't make much of a difference to Naruto. He was used to it, though it still scarred his mind and he felt an emotional burning sensation every time he thought about everyone who had turned their backs and said something like, "get away from me you beast." He remembered all of the little kids around the village when he was little also. They used to run to him, but just like the obeying children they were, they turned back around when their parents told them it wasn't good to play with "things" like him. He cringed at the thought of people referring to him as an object… as a demon… as a monster.

Sasuke was somewhat surprised when Naruto spoke the words he had. He was never happy? How could that be when every time I look at him, his eyes shine and his smile covers his entire face? What sense does that make? Sasuke looked at Naruto but he couldn't think of anything to say. He could tell that for sure there was more that Naruto wanted to tell him, but he was holding back for some reason. This made Sasuke somewhat sad. He knew there was more, but whatever it was, it couldn't be good because Naruto couldn't seem to say another word. Sasuke closed his eyes and smiled. He didn't know what he could do to make him feel better about whatever was wrong, but he would have to try.

"Naruto…" he began. Naruto attempted to change his expression, and looked up at Sasuke. "Here, let me…" it was almost difficult for him to spit it out. "Let me walk you home. I've got nothing better to do." Sasuke stood up and Naruto grew a confused smile. He was happy… for once that someone offered to do something with him… but he didn't know why he would.

"Yeah…" Naruto said. He hadn't a clue of what else to say. He stood up next to Sasuke and they both began walking.

The entire time, neither of them spoke a single word. Naruto only thought about why he had told Sasuke partly about how he felt in the first place, and Sasuke only thought about how there was more to it than what Naruto had told him. He also couldn't help but question himself about why in the world he was being so nice to Naruto. Also because of the things he kept thinking about him. It was as if, all of a sudden, he had begun to like Naruto… maybe even seemed to love him… but why? What the hell is wrong with me? Why am I all of a sudden feeling such emotion towards Naruto… how does he affect me so? He couldn't believe himself every time thought that he actually cared for the kitsune.

They had been walking for at least ten minutes and still, neither of them spoke. That is… until Naruto turned around and looked at Sasuke as though he wanted to say something but once again he was holding back. Sasuke gazed into his icy blue orbs with such intensity. Naruto forgot to blink… and for a second, he felt his face turn slightly red. What was going on? Was it because Sasuke seemed to care for a moment… it was party that… but it was also something else. Something he had never felt before…

Hehe there's chapter two for you. I really hope you liked it. I sort of left a cliffie at the end just to test the reaction. Please, PLEASE review. It means a lot!