A/N: 'ey there =] Finally got an hour or so to write a chapter! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OVER 200 REVIEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! –HAS A HEART ATTACK- ARE YOU SERIOUS!??!?!?!? I FAINTED WHEN I CHECKED MY REVIEWS! THANK YOU SO BLOODY MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto...BUT, I do own Aoi from Gazette! HE'S MINE! MINE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BACK EVIL FANGIRLS, BACK!!!!!!! –brings out shotgun- HANDS OFF GIRLS, HE'S MINE ALL MINE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! –evil, maniacal cackle-

Warning: Yaoi and extra swearing! Yaoi r teh boyxboy relationships and swearing r teh fcuk, siht, etc., etc., etc...

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"..." normal speech

'...' thoughts

Dobe = dead last

Baka = idiot

Sabaku no = desert of...

Bolded text – setting

Italics – emphasized thoughts or words; can also be flashbacks

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Chapter 13 – Through Hell or High Water

Konoha – Sasuke's apartment, bedroom

Sheets were flying and entangled, and pillows flew across the room. The steady and blissful calm that usually filled the room during these early waking hours of the morning was brought to a screeching halt as Naruto sat bolt upright from his nightmare.

His blankets were entangled with his tired form, and his face had a light sheen of sweat. Naruto shook his tousled blond hair and mentally slapped himself for getting worked up over such a trivial thing.

It had been a stupid nightmare. Not to his surprise, Gaara had been in it. Had not his lost thoughts been of the sand-nin? All that had happened was that Naruto had walked into Sasuke's kitchen to find Gaara butchering the Uchiha's body to small, bite-size pieces. Then, when Naruto had croaked Gaara's name thickly through his horror, the homicidal maniac had turned on him. Fortunately, Naruto hadn't met his end before he was jolted rudely from his would-be dreamless sleep.

Along with the unpleasant feeling of fear that he had woken up with, all memory of the village's hate for him returned back full force. With a slight slump, Naruto remembered that he had once again woken up to face the reality he could only escape through sleep.

Naruto brushed off the unpleasant memory and swung his legs over the mangled bed and made his way to the bathroom, unaware of the misfortune waiting impatiently for him in the kitchen.

Konoha – Sasuke's apartment, kitchen

The knife struck down fatally and hard. As Sasuke raised it again, the sharp edge left a distinct scratch mark on the wooden cutting board. It was a wonder that Sasuke hadn't managed to cut himself yet. But it couldn't be helped. He had tried regaining the calm composure he was famous for, but to no avail.

Thoughts of Naruto in Gaara's hold had plagued his mind all night. All the cries for justice in his mind, overlapping each other one by one until all was just annoying, meaningless noise. And along with it, a fledgling seed of jealousy in the dark soils of his heart. It had been given more than enough time to be nourished by his anger, so that it came into full-bloom by morning. Sasuke had so many ideas, so many options, he could hardly decide which method was best to maim Naruto the best.

Mental images of Naruto smiling up at Gaara's cursed face flashed consecutively like a film without sound. Now, he felt the animosity bottled up inside well up, making it harder to repress. 'That...' Sasuke ground out in his mind as he made another angry slice, 'fucking bitch...'

The knife struck down so hard this time it became stuck in the cutting board. That incompetent idiot of Konoha had dared disrespect him in such a way. To betray the prodigy survivor of Konoha like this was practically unheard of.

So, that was all their relationship was: one long, dirty trick that existed only for Naruto's recreation and amusement. Everything Sasuke had done for Naruto meant nothing in the end. It was true he wasn't the most amorous partner, but for Sasuke to even show a tolerance of someone for such an extended period of time was enough to call it a relationship for Konoha. And here Naruto, the ungrateful bitch, lay: in Sasuke's bed in Sasuke's apartment he had so graciously provided. What had the blonde showed for it? A world full of lies. Oh, he's going to make sure he built a world of pain on Naruto's ass by the time he was through.

The shame and disgrace was tearing up his reputation. No one knew about it yet, but the fact that the almighty Uchiha had been deceived was enough to revert his judgement into blind jealousy.

Come to think of it, misfortune had done nothing but dog their every step ever since Naruto had come back to him.

All the vengeance he felt now waited restlessly for the blonde to walk in. And once he did, Sasuke would make sure that Naruto knew that an Uchiha would not be dethroned so easily. In short, Naruto was going to regret that he had deceived him for so long. Oh, he was going to give Naruto the beating of his lifetime. No one disgraces Uchiha Sasuke and lives to tell of it.

The Uchiha watched in satisfaction as blood poured out in a light trickle that inched its way across the cutting board. But the thirst for revenge that every particle of his body cried for was left unquenched. Sasuke swept the uneven pieces of meat into a pan, making it sizzle. Just as the pan started sizzling, the scraping of a chair could be heard behind him. With a strange glint in his eyes, Sasuke slowly turned around and gazed upon the object of his affection and malcontent.

Naruto was about to take a seat before Sasuke had grabbed Naruto's collar in a vice like grip and pinned him painfully against the wall. The impact seemingly made the whole room rattle. Naruto had unfortunately also hit his head, and was knocked breathless for a second. When he regained his senses, beryl orbs met hematite. Barely an inch away from his face, was an unhappy Uchiha, to say the least.

Sasuke reeked of vengeance. Naruto wouldn't have been surprised to see him breathe fire. A maniacal gleam in Sasuke's eyes contrasted greatly with the cobalt colour. The normally pale face was flushed with the bright tint of vexation. Naruto slowly felt himself being pushed harder and harder into the wall as Sasuke struggled to slip words through his grinding teeth.

"What the hell do you think you're doing!?" Naruto spat as he began struggling for all he was worth. Sasuke better have one hell of an excuse to talk himself out of getting his ass kicked by Naruto when he escaped.

Naruto's words fed Sasuke's conniption like fuel to a holocaust. Unable to sort all his cries of vengeance out in coherent sentences, Sasuke had settled for drawing his fist back for a good punch. But all of a sudden, as he was about to draw it forward again, he stopped.

It didn't have to end like this. No, Sasuke could use this to his advantage. It was true that he desired nothing but to see Naruto broken and bloody at his feet, but why have that when you could have something more...in a sense. It was that accursed Gaara who had intervened again. He had decidedly lost in their match in the woods during the Chuunin exams, and now, Gaara had manipulated Naruto. His Naruto...his property.

Sasuke would not admit defeat again. The second he punched Naruto was the moment Naruto would consider their relationship no more. After all, wasn't that exactly what Gaara wanted? To have Naruto all to himself and bear a common hate for Sasuke?

Instead, Sasuke will bend Naruto to his will, and no one else's. If Naruto was the only thing Gaara cared about, then he would Naruto away from that damned sand freak. Once he was sure Naruto was bound to him, he would be Sasuke's to mold. Then, he would have a slave of his will and that would indirectly break the headstrong idiot in front of him. It would hurt Naruto more than any punch or cut can do. Oh, he would hurt him, all right. But he would do it from the inside, starting with his heart.

No love was spared for the incompetent blonde. It drained away last night, ending in a hollow sound that echoed repeatedly in his mind, mocking him for his defeat.

'I'll make him love me,' a tiny, menacing voice growled in the back of Sasuke's mind. Yes, on second thought, he wouldn't pummel the blonde. As tempting as the thought was, he had found a better more cruel way to satisfy his lust for revenge. The Uchiha revelled in the dark thought, and could almost taste the satisfaction of revenge.

During all this time Sasuke stood frozen in the same position, pondering about the consequences ahead should he choose to attack Naruto, the Uchiha's ebony eyes were fixed on the struggling kitsune. His never-blinking eyes drank in the image of Naruto. Naruto was still vibrant and he was still beautiful with all the promise he held, but Naruto had crossed a line and now the vulpine visage was green with chicanery and corruption.

Now Sasuke knew that his ruin was inches away, as his fist was not too far away from connecting with Naruto's face. The punch that he yearned to land on Naruto would only be the inciting event of a chain reaction. With that, Sasuke's veil of insane pique was cast aside, leaving a clear view of the ever-struggling blonde. At the moment, Naruto was letting a string of colourful vocabulary loose in the world, all the while promising great pain to Sasuke.

Sasuke let Naruto fall. In all his sumptuous fury, he had lifted Naruto high off the ground without meaning to. The moment Naruto's feet gained ground again, the kitsune made an angry swipe at Sasuke's face, but was easily dodged. With a growl of frustration, Naruto swung his other free hand, which was caught easily by Sasuke again.

"You..." Naruto began as he prepared to kick, "asshole!"

The onyx-eyed boy didn't flinch, but simply replied, "Thought you were someone else." Leaving his poor excuse hanging in the air, he turned around and began cooking again.

Naruto, on the other hand, had brought his movements to a screeching halt. Sasuke's excuse was hardly enough to satisfy the anger that had taken over moments ago. With his foot still poised in the air for a kick, Naruto was about to question the Uchiha before he was cut off.

"What-"

"Forget it," Sasuke interrupted before Naruto could finish his sentence. By the loud taps of the knife striking the cutting board and the Uchiha's rigid movements, it didn't seem the best time to question Sasuke.

Naruto decided to take a seat and leave the whole matter alone...for now. Keeping a wary eye on Sasuke's back, Naruto began to ponder Sasuke's strange reaction. What did the Uchiha have to be so paranoid about that he had slammed Naruto into the wall so hard that it left thin cracks?

"Baka," Naruto grumbled fiercely as he began fitfully waiting for breakfast to be made. Staring at random things around the room, Naruto kept an angry scowl on his face. But Sasuke wasn't going to get away with this. He wasn't off the hook by a long shot.

Sasuke was thinking something along the same lines. This was only the beginning of his revenge against Naruto and Gaara. When this was done with, Naruto would be nothing more than a ghost in a shell.

He felt something twinge in his heart. The voice of reason tugged weakly at his judgement, or whatever was left of it. But its words weren't heeded. But Sasuke had turned his face away from it.

'Just wait, dobe,' Sasuke thought as he stirred. 'I'll make sure you regret this.'

Wind Country – Wilderness

Temari stared moodily ahead. They were in the desert now, and the sand had seeped into her sandals. But that was the least of her problems. They hadn't passed a river to bathe in since the downpour yesterday evening. Now, all the blood that had covered her had dried and turned from bright claret to black. Her whole form was sticky from it; and her hair was grimy from the gore. But the worst thing was the smell. Acrid and choking, it made Temari's head spin.

But Kankuro was definitely more unfortunate. It seemed that not one inch of his body had been dyed red. The puppet-master had tried several times to wipe off as much as he could, but a bright red dye always remained at the scrubbed spot. Dizziness and nausea washed over him dully.

When they had set up camp last night, Temari had asked fitfully whether they could use any water-based jutsus to wash it off. But Baki had answered with a sharp "No!", leaving the sand-team all in a pent-up rage under the scorching sun. It didn't take much to make one of them snap and be sent into instant death.

The only one that was indifferent to the wretched smell was Gaara. Aside from Kankuro, Gaara had also been showered with blood. It looked as if he had been dipped in a pool of it, and then had gotten out. But for the whole journey, unlike his siblings, he had the faintest shadows of a demented smile upon his lips. His mother was quite moody these past few days...he had not satisfied the thirst for blood well enough.

'Tonight...' Gaara repeated monotonously in his mind. 'It will be tonight.'

But for now, the blood that branded his form would be the only thing to settle his restless spirit aching for bloodshed.

Konoha – Forest, Training area 17

"You're not using enough chakra," Sasuke explained simply as he watched Naruto scream the jutsu name over and over again.

The kitsune didn't seem to hear him. "Bunshin..." Naruto said through clenched teeth. "Bunshin...no..." With a cry of frustration, Naruto kicked a nearby tree. With an exasperated sigh, Sasuke called out even louder, "Use more chakra."

This wasn't going anywhere. Sasuke had invited Naruto to train with him today. Tsunade had given Kakashi orders to let Naruto have a short break from training, but deep inside, they both knew the kitsune wouldn't be kept still for long. They would have to start training as a team again very soon; Naruto couldn't hide his unfortunate predicament forever.

Naruto had obviously agreed immediately at Sasuke's uncharacteristic proposal, even though he was hesitant about being seen in public again. As Sasuke expected, Naruto was too excited to suspect anything. Sasuke would keep humouring Naruto until he had him wrapped around his finger. It was all just an act – like the act Naruto had led him with before – to get revenge.

Naruto let out a breath of air and cleared his mind. When he was sure he was ready, he searched for the source of energy he felt in his chest and began to call forth chakra. He felt the liquid fire pulse through, and then he began to draw more and more. When his head began to feel dizzy, Naruto called out "Bunshin no jutsu!"

The result was, to say the least, pitiful. At their feet lay two mutilated versions of Naruto, both incapable of even standing or breathing. "Hey! I did it!" Naruto exclaimed as both he and Sasuke looked down at the corpses.

'Baka...' Sasuke thought as both clones disappeared in a puff of smoke. He looked up at the sky. This was going to be harder than expected.

Konoha – Ramen Stand

"Naruto-kun! Sasuke-kun!" Iruka called out as he waved jovially from his seat. Naruto looked up and gave a brief smile before hiding his face again. He didn't want to come. It wasn't that he disliked his former sensei, but the demon that he will always be could never change the village's impression of him. They stared. Those eyes, never going away, and they always talked. It wouldn't stop. As much as he willed it away, the word 'demon' seemed to be everywhere, despite the bustling noise during the daytime in Konoha. The closest thing to kindness he got from the civilians was looks of bemused and bitter pity...or was it disgust?

Naruto made timid steps, and kept his face down. He looked like wanted nothing more than to crawl inside a whole and disappear forever. Maybe he could at least die alone as a demon one day, without any hatred intruding during his last breaths. Without knowing, Naruto put a hand on his stomach, as if that would make the monster inside go away. He felt gazes practically burning holes into him as he made his way as quickly as he could to Iruka's side.

"How are you feeling, Naruto-kun?" Iruka asked when Naruto and Sasuke had sat down beside him. Naruto hesitantly looked up and answered, "I'm fine. I had training today! Sasuke helped me and I could do Bunshin no Jutsu now! Well, kind of..."

The warm atmosphere of the small ramen stand was alluring to Naruto. It was far from sheltered from the cold shoulder the citizens of Konoha give him, but the bright lights and the warm temperature in the small area gave him a sense of welcome.

"Naruto! What'll it be today? The usual Miso Ramen?" a gruff, tenor voice sounded in front of Naruto. He looked up in faint surprise. Had a citizen just talked to him in a friendly manner? The man was currently drying a bowl with a towel. Naruto gazed at the aged face, and the small smile the stranger was giving him.

'Did I know him before?' Naruto thought as he continued to stare at the wrinkled features of the man. It was the cook of the ramen stand, no doubt. From the way he was speaking to him, Naruto had probably known him well from his past life.

As Naruto continued to study the cook, the man's smile slowly faded into a quizzical look. "Naruto-kun?" the cook repeated, lowering to get a better look of Naruto's stunned expression. All thoughts of cleaning the dishes were gone now. The pretty waitress by the cook's side had stopped to look at Naruto as well. Iruka, sensing the suspicion of the ramen cook, hastily lied, "Er...Naruto hasn't been feeling well lately. I think he'd like some Miso ramen for today."

The ramen cook nodded, but still gave Naruto worried looks. He was aware of the Kyuubi inside the boy, as was all the elderly in Konoha. Countless times he had been told and scolded by villagers not to get close to the Genin. They said he was nothing but trouble. He had done what they said at first, and remained distant from the boy purposely. But his frequent visits and his smiling, optimistic demeanour was, to say the least, addictive. Eventually, he decided to all thoughts of society aside and get to know the kitsune better. The old ramen cook couldn't say he regretted doing so either.

'And they called this boy a demon,' he had thought when he began having a real conversation with Naruto for the first time.

"Alright then," the cook answered as he began cooking. Iruka let out a sigh of relief. Tsunade had told him to keep knowledge Naruto's memory loss away from the public. She would have Iruka's head on a silver platter if word got out that Naruto had amnesia.

Naruto, seeing the cook's friendly attitude towards him, was overwhelmed with joy. 'At least someone doesn't hate me!' Naruto thought excitedly as he began a conversation with the cook and Iruka.

As the three began talking, Sasuke noticed how Naruto grew more confident with every word he said. The kitsune slowly became oblivious to the glares passing villagers shot at him. But once there was a silent gap in a conversation, the blonde would crawl back into his shell of shame and embarrassment. The Kyuubi's presence could never be forgotten now that Naruto knew the truth.

Lunch with Iruka had gone very smoothly, except for the fact that villagers never gave Naruto a break from reality. The blonde never seemed to be able to escape from the murmurs and venomous glares in public, no matter how hard he tried. Iruka was reluctant to leave Naruto in public, alone with the citizens with only a silent Sasuke to keep him company.

"I'll see you soon, Naruto-kun, Sasuke-kun," Iruka said as he began walking away. "Be careful when you're training."

With that, he left. Naruto looked downward again, and seemed to slump over his ramen bowl as he continued eating. Now that Iruka's friendly aura was gone, there was nothing to keep him from the distinct air of dislike that surrounded Naruto in public. All of a sudden, the ramen's delectable salty flavour seemed to turn dull and tasteless.

He had gotten better with chopsticks, Sasuke noted as he waited for the idiot to finish his lunch. His hands itched to wring Naruto's neck, to cause as much pain to the blonde next to him. But hurting him physically wouldn't satisfy Sasuke. No, he needed something more cruel and discreet.

When Naruto was full he set his bowl aside and began to reach for his wallet. Seeing this as the perfect chance, Sasuke put a hand on Naruto's arm to stop him from bringing money out.

"I'll pay," Sasuke said as he pulled out some coins. "It's all about you today."

Naruto gave Sasuke a sceptical look, surprised at the cold Uchiha's uncharacteristic generosity. But with a bright smile, Naruto pushed back his wallet inside his pockets and answered light-heartedly, "If you say so."

'I guess I could let Sasuke off for trying to hit me in the morning...' Naruto thought idly. But he thought 'Nah...the bastard has it coming,' as he thought about it some more, with a cheeky smirk on his face.

They both stood up and began walking down the busy streets of Konoha, leaving many glaring villagers in their footsteps. Taking a quick, glum look at their surroundings, Naruto wondered what life would be like without having a look of disgust shot at you every second.

'But you could've had that life...' a traitorous voice chimed in his head. 'With Gaara...it would've been different.'

Naruto shook his head and cleared his mind into a blessed, cool darkness that thought nothing. He should stop delving deeper into the soft black velvet of his subconscious, lest he find a shining jewel of desire for Gaara there. Even if Sasuke was the uptight, ice king, he couldn't bring himself to betray the bastard like that. Besides...he was starting to like all the nice things he's been doing for him.

But...what Sasuke didn't know won't hurt him, right? Quickly reminding himself of Sasuke's many recent acts of kindness, Naruto assured himself that he belonged with the Uchiha.

But no matter what he thought, the glowering and whispers couldn't be ignored.

The kitsune had delved too deep in his thoughts to catch the suspicious look Sasuke was giving at the corner of his ebony eyes. 'Thinking about that damned Gaara again,' he seethed in his mind. Every particle of his being wanted to see that sand freak dead, burned, and bloody at his feet.

Sasuke didn't like this new Naruto that emerged from the remains of his previous personality. No, the Naruto he knew was more straightforward and headstrong. The Naruto he knew wasn't so irritatingly dependant. The old Naruto had something new to show him every second of every day, particularly when it came to emotion. Motivation, dedication...it had all been thanks to the old blonde that had been forgotten. But most of all, the old Naruto was loyal. The one he knew now was nothing but a weakling with no backbone, just like the rest of the Genins in this goddamn village. This...fraud, weak imitation of the one he used to know, wasn't worthy of him. That was fine with him then. All the more reason to fracture the impertinent Genin walking beside him.

When they were at the edge of the forest, Naruto gave Sasuke a nervous glimpse before saying timidly, "Hey, Sasuke?"

The Uchiha gave Naruto a side-glance. "What?"

With his head still down but a smile playing about his lips, Naruto answered, "Thanks for helping me today."

Sasuke only smiled in return. But it wasn't a smile of happiness, as one would expect. Naruto didn't seem to notice the Uchiha's expression, since he kept his face hidden and avoided eye contact at all times. 'Let the pathetic weakling wallow in self-pity,' Sasuke thought as his grin grew wider.

But if Naruto had looked at Sasuke's smile that graced his face, he wouldn't have missed the true meaning of it. The only reason Sasuke had smiled was because he knew everything was according to plan. The grim satisfaction that had manifested itself in Sasuke's heart reflected in that triumphant grin. But most importantly, Naruto had missed the crazed, awful compassion that was forever fixed in Sasuke's eyes.

He could feel, actually feel, the blonde's amusement as he thought that his deceit was working on the Uchiha. The dobe thought he could keep his favour for Gaara secret from Sasuke. What a great laugh Naruto must be having from being able to swindle Sasuke like a puppet. But he would stop Naruto's laughter. He would choke it; wring it out of the blonde's small, pitiful being until nothing was left to squeeze out.

Nevertheless, Naruto's image kept throbbing dully in his mind's eye. Naruto's smiling, mocking face mirrored in his own mind: ugly, burlesqued, all laughter, yet still cruelly beautiful with his locks of liquid sunshine and his whisker marks. But that fox-like grin was just a diversion from the demonic intentions inside. Sasuke knew better now. He would mutilate that face until it was scarred with shame. Rip it apart, and pluck out the evil lies inside, until it was hollow...as hollow as his own mangled and scabrous heart. He'll make sure Naruto gets what's coming to him, and deprive Gaara of his precious kitsune. In the end, it will be once again Uchiha Sasuke who would get the final laugh.

The Uchiha continued on with his fairly well hidden sinister intent as they walked down the busy market beside each other...and one could've mistaken them for a happy, loving couple. But then they would be horribly wrong of course, because the descent to ruin had already begun.

Uzumaki Naruto bore the indicia of sacrifice.

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A/N: Gahhh, it took me a trillion years to come up with Sasuke's reaction so that it would be in character, yet still direct the story the way I want it to go. But it didn't work very well ;/ To be honest, I hate this chapter with a passion. This is officially my most hated chapter so far. It was HORRIBLE! –weeps at its horribleness- But right now, I'm very tired and there's not much time to edit things properly :P But hopefully this half-assed chapter was enough to get by even after over 200 cardiac-arrest-inducing reviews! HOLY CRAP!!!!! –bounces off the walls and then goes into cardiac arrest from happiness- I LOVE YOU GUYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! –people inch away from me- HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE!? THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR STICKING WITH THIS STORY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sorry if this disappointed anyone!!!!! I know it's horrible!!!! –proceeds to burn self for writing something so bad- :P

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Review Responses:

Kamikakushi: -eats pocky as they fall- Aww, don't worry Kamikakashi-san! When life hands you lemons, make lemonade! Another horrible, useless quote from yours truly ;) I really should think about starting my own Hallmark-like company =] I'm glad this story makes you feel better! Sorry there hasn't been an update for so long, but maybe you're feeling oodles better by now! And if yer not, then maybe this chapter helped a little bit, ne? Harr, I tried to do something a little different when portraying Naruto's thoughts =] Nice to see that it worked for someone :D Not too much Sasuke-angst in here as much as I would like there to be, but I'll be sure to try and stuff some more in later chapters o.O Hopefully this chapter isn't too, too bad :S I'd love to see that poem! Maybe make a special chapter with that in, ne? Of course, I must give credit to the genius! –hails Kamikakushi- I am not worthy =)

tracy-kin: WHAAT!? You didn't get my review!? –fumes and grumbles- it was a nice long one too! Bah. Sorry I couldn't make it up to you sooner! Been so busy and I've hardly been able to go on the computer long enough to write an e-mail! Yes, and is getting kinda weird :/ I noticed that too, but I'm way too lazy to do anything about it :p Aww, but there's nothing better than seeing a bloodthirsty Gaara in a dream! Go give him a huuug =] At least it's better than clowns...-looks around nervously for clowns and shudders- Bah, don't worry, you can write this story WAY better than I could! Your own ficcy proves that quite well –feels n00bish- I just gotta make Sasuke jealous of adorable Naruto! More torture that way :D But if there was going to be a duel to the death, Sasuke wouldn't stand a chance against the almighty Gaara! :D –snarks at Sasuke being called Sassy-cakes-

Yaoilover S: Seems like Sasuke did, ne? Glad you liked the last chapter! It was especially fun to write for some reason o.O Anywhos, this one definitely not good, but hopefully it's okay :D

Prince Ryu: Poor Sasuke indeedy :] Blah, I try to make this a good story :D Very happy it's actually working o.O Anywhos, hope you like this update too :D

KDK: Yes! Suspense is working! :P And Gaara being reunited with Naruto will be soon...very soon...:P I can't go on for much longer without GaaNaru, so I'll make sure to get Gaara to Naruto in a jiffy, k? :D –waves GaaNaru flag proudly-

Polka Dot: Ah, who can resist the insane charms of Gaara!? –cuddles him until he gets his gourd out- He's so cute when he's crazy XD –gets chased by Gaara fangirls-

Luna: Heh, sorry took me a long time to get off my lazy butt to continue writing chapters o.O That, and I couldn't get a computer long enough to type on sentence -.-"

Kutsu: Aww, stupid Sasuke doesn't need that much pity XP He just needs more torture :D But he just looks so cute together with Naruto! As Gaara does too, but who can say no to SasuNaru!? –goes fangirly- Personally, I like Gaara better, but when it comes to either GaaNaru or SasuNaru, I might as well die trying to decide which is better! o.O

The BirdFox Hybrid Productions: I've killed myself twice trying to think of a way to stick Neji in there, and I succeeded! Even though it's going to be kinda weird, I've got an idea for Neji to make his grand appearance! Very happy to say that your idea helped a lot ;] And you keep updating that fic of yers okay?! Had me on the floor laughing my ass off :P

Koushirou Uchiha: 3 cheers for Sasuke-torture! –cricket sounds- Anywhos, I'm happy that you liked that last chapter! It was fun to write for some odd reason o.O This chapter definitely wasn't as good, but hopefully it was okay :P Had to continue for your sake! o.O –hands you a heart respirator, a puffer, and chains you to a hospital- Just in case :S If you die, don't sue :P I don't even have a dollar ;---; -looks sadly at a gumball machine- Damn things are too expensive these days :[

kashisenshey: Yay! –stomps on villagers- Har, glad you liked the last chapter =] Maybe you'll like this one too, even though it was horrible :P

Anime Ambreen and Poke' Manic: Blah, me and my Sasuke-torturing obsession o.O I like to keep my shotgun handy, just in case...they're EVERYWHERE! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!!!! –shines shotgun possessively-

RuByMoOn17: Heh, sorry to keep you waiting for long XP I'll blame it on the lack of coffee in my house. Anywhos, even though this was a really bad chapter, hope you enjoyed it o.O

Tipsy-Dragon: XD!!!!!! –big grin- Gaara and a can of whoop ass? o.O Ah, that would be his ultimate power!!!!! –buys lots of cans of whoop ass- :P Don't worry, I'll keep trying to update :P Must not make a reviewer sad! :( –throws confetti at Seto and cackles evilly- Don't kill each other! I still have some more confetti to throw around :P –showers Tipsy and Seto with lots of confetti- love and peace forever!!!! –turns into a hippie-

chi: I like SasuNaru too :P But I can't decide between GaaNaru! They both look so kawaiiii with Naruto ;---; Ah, decisions, decisions :P But my brain is broken (blame it on the Fefe Dobson music) so I haven't decided whether it's gonna be SasuNaru or GaaNaru =] But I'll try to stick in some more SasuNaru fluff, even though it'll be kinda hard at the moment o.O –cuddles Gaara doll- All he needs is a huuug :3

Crystal-Chan2: Gah...can't...resist...the...awesome...power...of...puppy-dog...eyes!!!!!! –melts- Still haven't decided the pairing though ;P –backs away from Crystal-Chan2- I'll stay over here o.O I can totally imagine Gaara in a rain of blood! It'll be so cool :P Too bad in the anime Gaara had umbrellas when it started raining blood :( If you ever do get around to drawing it, tell me cuz I would really want to see it! :D Living with kids...little kids remind me of my little cousins –shudders involuntarily- EVIL DEVILS THEY ARE :P You go draw it that picture! It won't scare the kids...much? :P Don't mind me, I'm just anti-kids and kids are anti-me XD

Momochi Zabuza: I like SasuNaru too! But GaaNaru is so cute too! I can't decide!! Gah!!! –brain implodes from the effort of trying to decide- Heh, as you can see, I'm having trouble deciding :P Sucks to be amnesiac Naruto ;/ and are you serious!? Favs AND author alert!? THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!! –has another heart attack- SERIOUS!? Wah, my story ain't that good! (especially after this chapter XP) I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! –does the Macarena- :P I'm weirded. Sorry about this extremely late update, but hopefully there wasn't much suspense in this chapter :P If my parents ever found out I killed someone...well, lets just say I'd rather take my chances in jail :S

Ria Sakazaki: Heh, glad you liked :D I'm trying to continue! Busy days I got :p (Not to mention lazy ass) o.O

Panchan14: -evil cackle- Heh, sorry, just had to add in a proper cliffhanger in there! –feels powerful- Not the fastest update, but here it is!! :P The most atrocious chapter so far! –people throw tomatoes at me- Oh well ;/ Hope you liked anyway :D

Watermelon Gal: Hah, I try to catch all of the errors in my story, but my poor, slow mind just can't catch them all! So many errors, but I have very little attention span, so I write a lot of weird sentences :P Oh well, I try :D Well, I really haven't gotten around to deciding which pairings it's gonna end up as! Mostly it's cuz I'm way too lazy/brain dead to decide :P I love Gaara but despise Sasuke, but they both look equally adorable with Naruto!!!!! –turns into a flaming fangirl- So far, there's been around and equal amount of requests for both pairings so x.x I'm kinda stuck here :P Oh well...I'll worry about it when I absolutely have to decide XP Lazy me =]

Saria19: Yay!!!! It's original!!!!! –does chicken dance- That's exactly what I was going for! :D Anywhos, I'm a GaaNaru fan meself =] GaaNaru fluff is imminent :] Anywhos, hope you liked this update...even though it was awful o.O

Cat: -evil cackle- Evil, demented Sasuke! His reaction was kinda weird...but I couldn't think of anything else, so :P My brain is malfunctioning, so ignore all weirdness of Sasuke's character XP No cliffy this time (or at least I hope not o.O) But I hoped you liked this chappy anyway :D (even though it was very bad ;/)

Broken Reflection: Ooo, pretty name :D Harr, glad you like my story!!!!!!!!!!! Aw shucks, it ain't that great XD And this chapter was...very...bad...-cries for writing this horrible chapter- Sasuke wouldn't stand a chance against Gaara :] But SasuNaru does rule =] So more enthusiasm! More! –hands you some cheerleader pompoms-

Siaera: Hmm..you know, I never thought of it that way! I guess Sasuke does deserve more pity than I thought...nah :P But yes, Naruot and Gaara do need huggles -hugs them and runs away before they start throwing kunais at me- But at least Gaara's got a way to vent all his insane weirdness o.O All work and no Naruto make Gaara go crazy :D

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A/N: ALL OF THEM REVIEWS!!!!!!!! –tears of happiness- I CAN'T BELIEVE IT...OVER...200!?!?!?!?!?! –hyperventilates- PINCH ME...actually, don't ;/ THANK YOU SO BEEEEEEEEEEEEP MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE YOU GUYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! –runs up to every reader and reviewer and gives them hugs- Okay, before you guys kill me for hugging you (hehe XP) I'd just like to thank EVERY.SINGLE.READER.AND.REVIEWER. Every single one!!!!!!! I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!! This fic wouldn't have gone so far without all of your stupendous help! Now go reward yourselves with a pat on the back and a...err...nice piece of chocolate cake =] Mmm...chocolate cake...-drools like homer simpson-

Tsuki (IS HAVING A HAPPY SEIZURE FOR THE 10293812039812 TIME THAT DAY!!! :3)

Oompa, Loompa

Doo ba dee do...

(I hired my own Oompa Loompa marching band just to celebrate :D)