Well here's a new chapter for you rabid readers out there who have been clogging my email with messages asking to update. Sorry it took so long, but, as always, stuff came up and...well I'm lazy. Your just gonna have to deal with it. Anyway hope you enjoy it and please review

Foxed!

Summary: Due to a freakish accident while spying on Sasuke, Naruto is now sporting a fluffy orange tail with matching ears!

Warnings: OOC syndrome…although we were going for that so…yeah… This story should be tame compared to our other ones…but we're not making any promises!

Also, it is Yaoi! You have been warned!

Pairings: SasuNaru! So there!

Rating: PG13…for now…if we don't lose our minds in the process of writing…again…

Chapter 6- Pandora's box

Kakashi? What was he... Naruto blinked. 'He must have left the diary here!' He thought. 'Then- then he probably wants me to read it… so it's ok if I read it, right? Right?' For once, his mind agreed with him and he pulled the book open to a random page to see what was written in Sasuke's secret diary. Somehow, deep down inside, he wanted to know what Sasuke really felt about him...

Flipping to a random page, Naruto was kind of surprised to see that the date read 'October 10'. What had Sasuke written on his birthday? Curiosity killed the cat, but Naruto was a fox if anything, so he began to read. 'Blah blah, blah, weather…sunny, Blah blah blah Sakura being a pain...couldn't even remember Naruto's birthday...bla-' Naruto stopped and re-read the stuff he had just skimmed.

'Today is Naruto's birthday, wish Sakura had stopped clinging to me so I could give the blonde his gift…as it was I didn't get the chance to even wish him a happy birthday. Damn Sakura... At least Iruka took him out for ramen, so its not like he's all alone. Wish I could be there...'

Naruto sat there and blinked... Sasuke had wanted to spend time with him on his birthday?

He blinked again. 'Wait...Sasuke got me a gift!' He thought frantically. He'd never received anything from Sasuke in his life! Maybe he was lying...but why would he lie in his own diary?

He flipped to the next page, October 11th...

After the weather was written down and some random stuff that had no point, he got to the part he wanted to know.

'I put Naruto's present away with the others in my closet. His Christmas present is in there, as well as the Valentine's chocolate I never gave him. It's probably stale by now, but I can't bring myself to throw it away...'

Naruto stared at the book, then looked at the closet, then back at the book, 'What the hell?' he asked mentally 'Sasuke got me...Valentine's chocolate?' he wondered, confused. 'And a Christmas present?' He was not entirely convinced though... Although from what he'd seen of Sasuke's display of emotions while he was a fox, well nothing should have surprised him.

Curiosity got the better of him and he climbed off the bed and pulled the closet door open and looked around. Nothing but clothes and training equipment. Sighing, he looked up at the ceiling in frustration, and something caught his eye on the top shelf. Grabbing hold of the edge he pulled himself up and his eyes widened. Sure enough there were three small packages lying there, collecting dust.

It was just as Sasuke had written. Why had he kept them after all these...okay, so it wasn't years, maybe only one, but it was still a long time to keep something that was not going to be given to the person it was intended for. Naruto debated whether he should open the presents or not. They were his after all…but Sasuke had not given them to him yet so maybe he shouldn't...

He reached out a hand and touched the package nearest to him...but he couldn't do it. It would probably hurt Sasuke to know that he'd been reading his diary and that he'd taken the presents he'd never had a chance to give him...He lowered himself down and plunked cross legged on the floor, picking up the diary again. The page he was on had been lost and it had flipped backwards quite a ways.

Naruto looked at the date...boy that was going back a ways. Must have been written just after they got back from the country of the Waves. Right after... When Sasuke had shielded him with his own body form Haku's flying needles.

'Blah blah, blah, back from my first away mission...have decided never to take up crafts... too many needles not good. More blah, blah, blah...Think I've fallen for the dobe...I don't know what else these emotions are that burn in me when ever I see that blonde...'

Naruto stared at the words for a moment before swallowing and moving on. 'I guess I didn't want to understand what they were before, but the dobe went and got himself into a situation and...I just couldn't let him die, I jumped in front of it, took the needles and fell into some stupid fake death. I didn't know I could do that for another person before. I don't think I would for anyone else, all I could think of was him... I think the world would be empty without him...'

Naruto sighed and closed the book, he never knew Sasuke thought so much of him... Who would have thought that Sasuke would mourn his death, that the world would be empty without him there? No one had ever said those words to him... Well, Iruka had jumped in front of him just before he graduated, blocking a lethal attack from a huge throwing shuriken.

Naruto put the book down by his feet, staring at it.

The book lay there, unaware that it had just leaked confidential secrets to the only person whose opinion Sasuke cared about. Naruto could hardly breath. His chest hurt and it overshadowed the pain in his head. All he'd ever wanted was for someone to acknowledge him...someone to care whether he existed or not. Iruka had provided that to some degree, but it wasn't the same. What if...what if he had someone who actually...loved him? What if he could love that person back?

What if he could love Sasuke?

His heart quickened at the thought of himself in Sasuke's arms...the other boy's lips on his...but was he only thinking about it because he didn't want to be alone anymore?

Naruto sighed and drew his knees up to his chest and rested his head on them, he was so confused. What did he feel for the other boy? Was it actually love or just a desperate need to latch onto someone who cared about him? Sasuke's own diary and secret thoughts told him the boy loved him, but why couldn't he treat Naruto better than he had?

Sasuke's personality, of course...he was about as emotional and cool as a cucumber most of the time, and the only emotion he'd ever really shown before this whole thing started was anger. He didn't know how to express himself any other way. He'd said it himself, he didn't know why he was rude to Naruto and made him angry...

'Damn it, how am I going to figure this out?' Naruto thought miserably and hung his head, staring at the little diary at his feet. He hardly heard the light knock on the door.

The knock came again, accompanied by Sasuke's voice this time "Naruto? A-are you hungry? I made some soup if you want it..." The door knob slowly began to turn, Sasuke was coming in! Naruto looked frantically around for an escape. He couldn't face Sasuke right now! Not after just reading the guy's diary! Panicking, Naruto looked over to the open window that Kakashi had used to drop off Sasuke's diary.

Sasuke opened the door and stepped in to find the room empty. The window was open and a cold breeze was coming through it. He hastily put the tray down and ran to the window, just in time to see Naruto dash around a corner and out of sight...he couldn't tell from this distance, but it almost looked like he was...crying? No...that couldn't be possible, he must have imagined it. He sighed and pulled the window closed and turned around. His closet was open...and a very familiar book was lying open on the floor beside it.

Fear gripped Sasuke heart. Had Naruto read his diary? From the way things looked, yeah Sasuke was pretty positive that Naruto had read it... Sasuke cursed himself for even keeping the stupid thing. Didn't Kakashi say that ninjas shouldn't keep a diary or journal? Sinking to the floor, Sasuke buried his head in his hands, Naruto knew! He had to, why else would he run away like that?

He glanced at the open page and his fears were realized. It was the entry from right after he'd gotten back from the Wave country...and it was written there plain as the nose on his face 'I think I've fallen for the dobe...' There was no doubt that Naruto knew...it was all over. There was no way he could even hope to warm Naruto up to him now, he probably thought he was some kind of sicko or something and would never want to talk to him again...

Sasuke sighed and hung his head, it was over before it had even began.

Naruto heart raced as he ran to the only person he could think of for help, the only person he could really rely on, who would not have laugh at him or play match maker... Naruto nearly tripped as he ran up the flight of stares and knocked, more like pounded on Iruka's door.

For one frantic moment, he feared that his teacher wouldn't be home. That he would be left alone with these jumbled thoughts in his mind. He didn't want to think about what he would do, he was scared to death. To his immense relief, however, the door opened and Iruka blinked down at him, then his eyes went wide.

"Naruto!" He cried. "Where have you..." He stopped when the blonde boy suddenly threw himself onto him, shivering.

Staring down at the boy in shock, Iruka blinked, confused, "N-Naruto? What happened? What's wrong?" His teacher managed to ask, but all Naruto could do was shake his head and cling tighter. Sighing, Iruka wrapped his arms around the boy's shoulders and lifted him up a little so that Iruka wouldn't be dragging the poor boy into his home.

He put Naruto on his couch and ran into the kitchen to get him something to wipe his eyes with, he looked like he'd been crying. Handing him the napkin, Naruto took it but didn't say anything.

"Naruto...what happened? You know you can tell me." Iruka prodded. He knew that it would probably help if the boy got it out and maybe he could do something to help him.

Naruto sniffled and looked up. "Iruka-sensei, I..." He began, then choked. "I'm so confused..." He finished and hung his head.

Iruka sighed and smiled a little, "It's all right to be confused Naruto." he said, laying a hand on the boy's head, "Sometimes it helps to talk it out though." Under his hand Iruka felt Naruto nod his head ever so slightly before looking up at his mentor. "I-Iruka sensei... I-I think Sa.. someone likes me... but I don't know if I like them back...or..." Naruto hiccupped and blushed as he stared up at Iruka with confusion written in his bright eyes.

Iruka looked down at him for a minute, then smiled. Naruto was coming to him for advice on love? It kind of made him feel good that the boy put so much faith in him, so he thought about it... He had to give Naruto the best advice that he could, even though he was no expert on the subject.

"Well...how do you feel when this person is around?" He asked after a moment.

Naruto shrugged and wiped at his eyes, "I-I don't know... I guess I-I feel that I can depend on h...them..." Naruto said after some time, trying not to mention that it was another guy that liked him... what would Iruka-sensei think it he found out? "B-But he... They're a bit of an ass..." Naruto bit his lip...was that describing Sasuke a little too closely?

"So they treat you badly?" Iruka asked, politely ignoring the near slips of the tongue and not voicing any ideas he had about who it was Naruto was talking about.

"Well h-they...call me names and stuff all the time..." Naruto explained.

Iruka smiled. "Well you know sometimes people do that to the person they like to hide the fact that they like them..." He told Naruto.

Naruto blinked "They do?" he asked completely dumbfounded. Iruka sighed and nodded his head, "Yes, Naruto, sometimes people are afraid of what they are feeling and what other might think if they knew, so they hide it. It might seem kind of mean, but sometimes, the only way a person can be with a person without letting anyone know that they like them is to fight with them."

Naruto fell silent. Sasuke fought with him all the time...more so than usual lately. Was he only doing that so he could spend more time with him? All those times he thought he'd picked fights with him because he hated him, he was really doing it for the opposite reason...

He looked up at Iruka, and realized that he already knew how Sasuke felt, he'd heard and read as much within the past couple of days. His problem was that he didn't know how he was supposed to respond.

Naruto shock his head and sighed, "I-I think I know that sensei... " he muttered and didn't need to look up to know that Iruka had sat down on his coffee table so he was eye level with Naruto, "I-it... I don't know how I'm supposed to ...respond... He- They haven't ...exactly told me yet... and I'm really confused. I don't know how I feel about Sa...them..."

Iruka sighed. This was a little tougher than the first question... "What part of your feelings don't you understand?" He asked patiently.

Naruto looked up, then looked back down again and sighed. "I...I think I have feelings for him..." This time he never even caught the slip of the tongue, he was so absorbed in his conflicting emotions and thoughts. "B-but I don't know if it's just because... I don't want to be lonely anymore and I'm latching onto the first person who cares for me..."

Iruka sighed, "Well, what did you think of... them before you knew they liked you?" he asked and watched as Naruto's brow knitted together as he tried to think. Biting his lip Naruto tried to sort out his feelings, what had Sasuke meant to him before? A rival, sure, but also a teammate and a friend in some bizarre fashion. He knew Sasuke would be there when he needed him...

TBC…