Title: Magic 8 Ball
By chibi-ruroun
Warning: shonen-ai (boy love) don't like it, don't read it.
Pairing: sasunaru
Disclaimer: Naruto is owned by Kishimoto-san
The next day, Team Seven waited quietly at the bridge. Sakura noticed that Sasuke and Naruto had avoided looking at each other and could feel a strange tension between her two male teammates but decided not to pry (a/n: for once!) into their business.Sasuke looked more irritated than usual and Naruto seemed like a puppy that was kicked aside and neglected.
'I wonder what happened yesterday…did something happened between them?' Sakura was pondering about this when she spotted Kakashi next to her.
"YOU'RE LATE!" She was surprised to only hear her voice. She frowned at Naruto a bit. 'Gee…he's so weird today…'
"Well…Mr. Ukki was feeling down so I decided to read Icha Icha Paradise to him…"
"PERVERT!" Sakura screeched, her lone voice echoed across the bridge.
Kakashi noticed the silence between the two boys and decided some more team work needed to be done. Something must have happened yesterday between those two and that problem needed to be resolved or else Team Seven's teamwork may deteriorate even further and he can't have that happening! Obito and Rin and Arashi-sensei are all counting on him!
"Well…since there's no mission today, Naruto and Sasuke will fight taijutsu with each other while I upgrade Sakura's stamina training."
Two boys ignored each other's presence but grudgingly got into their battle stance and started fighting. Their spar was quiet and furious, one hit after another. The feeling of rivalry and the numerous taunting comments and the comebacks were absent today. All in all, their training felt wrong, and Kakashi was determined to find out the problem why and end that silence. When he was done with Sakura, he sent her home. Then, he stopped the boys.
"Ok, that's enough for today. Sasuke, who said you can leave? Naruto, you too. Both of you, come over here." Kakashi gave them both a hard look.
"I don't know what's wrong with you guys, and I don't think that you will answer me if I'd asked you anyways, but I will sit over there…" he pointed to the other side of Team Seven's training ground. "…and wait until you guys figure out the answer to your problems." He turned to walk away while commenting, "And glaring at me wouldn't work…I'll be waiting." Kakashi did just that. He sat there and took out his book and began reading, though it was clear that he was making sure they were not running away.
Sasuke glared to the side and Naruto starred at the ground, both of them refused to speak for a long time. Then, Naruto whispered.
"…sorry…" And maybe it was because of the tone that Naruto had used when he said that word, or maybe it was the way his voice seemed so small and forlorn that Sasuke finally turned to look at the blonde teammate. He saw that Naruto had his fists clenched tightly to his side, his shoulders shaking, and his head bent forward so that his bangs covered his amazing cerulean eyes.
"Sorry…I'm sorry…sorry…" Naruto repeated those words again and again, his voice wavering. Sasuke frowned. 'Is he crying?' His question was confirmed when something fell from behind the blond locks. Sasuke could be angry and mad and hurt and pissed off at an equally angry and mad and hurt and pissed off Naruto, but he couldn't when Naruto seemed so heartbreakingly teary. He just couldn't. He wanted to stop Naruto from crying and being sad. So he did something that he'd never done before. He took Naruto into his arms and hugged him tightly, with one arm around his waist and the other buried into his wild, blond strands.
"Sa…(hiccup)suke?" Naruto's muffled voice from Sasuke's blue shirt sounded bemused and tentative. 'Why is he hugging me? Wasn't he mad at me?'
"It's ok, Naruto. I'm…sorry, too…" For calling you names and making fun of you all the time, Sasuke finished in his mind.
Sasuke was surprised when Naruto disentangled himself from within Sasuke's embrace and hugged him back, pulling Sasuke closer to him.
"I didn't (hiccup) mean it…all those (hiccup) things…but I was sad and…and (hiccup)…" Sasuke shushed him.
"Shhhh…I understand…" Sasuke ran his finger absent-mindedly through Naruto's hair, making Naruto feel droopy and weary.
The two boys stood there for a while before Sasuke felt Naruto's weight shifted and became a little heavier. He called out quietly.
"Naruto?" No replies. Sasuke glanced down and his face almost melted into a smile. Naruto had fallen asleep in his arms, his tear-stained face was burrowed into Sasuke's chest due to Naruto's short height. The moment would've been so perfect had someone not interrupted.
"Now that's not so hard to solve, is it? You better take Naruto home, or you can just bring him with you to your house…how's that sound? Hey! Don't glare at your teacher! It's rude! And you should thank me…without me pushing you guys, your argument or whatever it was wouldn't be solve until next month or something…Anyways, I've got to get home to feed my dolphin. He'll be waiting. Oh! Almost forgot! Tomorrow is October 10th and I want you guys to be dressed up for it! Ja!" With a 'poof!', Kakashi vanished.
"Hn." Sasuke said softly before balancing himself and reaching into his pouch for the black ball. He asked if he should bring Naruto to his house.
IT IS DECIDEDLY SO
Sasuke smiled at the reply and pocketed the ball again. Then, he gently carried Naruto to the Uchiha compound (piggy-back style) by going through a short-cut route so no one will see them.
Two hours later…
Naruto opened his eyes and rubbed them as he glanced about blearily. 'Where am I?' he thought, sleepily. 'didn't look like my house…wait!'
Naruto bolted upright. Then, he smiled at the sight before him. Sasuke had his head laid down on his arms on the table and was sleeping soundly. Naruto noticed that Sasuke had placed a blanket around him on the couch. 'Maybe he really does care…maybe I just didn't know…' Naruto's stomach grumbled. 'I'm hungry…'
Suddenly he heard a soft mewl on the side. Naruto turned and almost squealed! It's so adorable! On the side of the couch sat a black kitten with a white ear and white tail. It meowed once more before padding softly next to Sasuke's legs and nudged his toes with the tip of its pink nose. Naruto couldn't help but snickered softly at the sight. Apparently, Naruto's 'softly' wasn't too soft, since Sasuke, the light sleeper, woke up immediately. His bewildered expression almost brought Naruto to another fit of snickering. Sasuke didn't notice Naruto yet, but he did look down and see his cat and, to Naruto's shock and fascination, smiled gently before cooing softly at his pet, caressing its fur gently.
"Are you hungry, Shinji-chan?" Sasuke asked softly before scooping up the kitten and into his arms, cuddling it softly to himself. "Sorry I didn't feed you yet but I was tired when I carried Naruto…" all of a sudden, Sasuke's brain began working again. "Naruto!" Sasuke glanced around and found Naruto looking at him with a face that was barely containing his laughter. Finally, Naruto couldn't hold it in anymore.
"You should've seen your face…gosh it was hilarious!" Naruto laughed. Sasuke thought how nice it was that Naruto was finally laughing again until he realized that Naruto was laughing at him!
"Oh, Sasuke," Naruto teased, "You're so cute!"
'Oh my god, he saw me with Shinji!' Sasuke blushed at his caring display for his cat.
Sasuke stubborn turned his face to the other side and chose to ignore Naruto's noisy banter. He waited until the pinkness vanished from his cheeks.
"Hn." He scratched Shinji behind his ears and Shinji purred contently against Sasuke. Naruto was awed. He'd never seen this side of Sasuke. 'I guess I was wrong about him…'
Naruto's stomach grumbled again. Sasuke smirked at him and Naruto blushed, scratching the back of his head, embarrassed.
"Um…do you have any food? That is…uh…if you don't mind letting me eat…I mean…" Sasuke rolled his eyes. He stood up and walked out the living room.
"Naruto, shut up. Go take a shower first; you can borrow my clothes if you like, and then come to the kitchen and I'll have something ready for you."
Naruto blinked. Then he called after Sasuke, his voice held a tinge of hopefulness.
"Ramen?" Sasuke couldn't help but smirk arrogantly, even though he knew Naruto couldn't see him.
"In your dreams, dobe."
Naruto bristled and was about to retort, when he paused at the nickname that Sasuke had uttered. 'If I'm hearing right…does the way he'd called me dobe sounded almost…endearing?' Naruto shook his head disbelievingly.
'Whatever. I'm going to take a shower.'
After drying himself with one of Sasuke's towel ('I can't believe even his towels have the Uchiha symbols on them…' thought Naruto incredulously), Naruto dug through Sasuke's closets to find a blue shirt that didn't bear the Uchiha emblem on it.
"I wonder why he only wore blue and black and white colors…Orange is so much better…" Naruto frowned a bit, nodding as if agreeing with himself. Speaking of orange, Naruto decided to wear his own orange pants (he had placed his pants into the dryer before heading for shower), instead of wearing those weird white shorts that Sasuke always wore.
Finished dressing, Naruto dashed quickly to the kitchen, and saw Sasuke finished baking bacons and eggs. Sasuke didn't notice Naruto yet, as his back was facing the kitchen's doorway. He took two pieces of bacons and laid them down in Shinji's plate and watched his cat eat contentedly. Naruto smiled softly to himself.
It was a peaceful moment before Naruto's stomach decided to disrupt it. Sasuke smirked as he turned towards Naruto and began setting up the table. Naruto pouted.
"Mou, I wanted ramen…" Sasuke rolled his eyes.
"Normally one shouldn't even be thinking about ramen when it's…" Sasuke glanced at the clock by the stove. "…five o'clock in the morning." Naruto stuck out his tongue in defiance.
"Well, I'm not just anybody…I'm Uzumaki Naruto, the soon-to-be 5th Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato! And…" Naruto rambled on between each bite of his early breakfast and failed to notice the small, amused smile and warm gaze from Sasuke.
"Naruto," Sasuke interrupted Naruto's monologue and ignored Naruto's annoyed glance.
"Kakashi-sensei said that he wanted all of us to dress up for today for the October festival" Sasuke frowned worriedly. Naruto's liveliness seemed to dim to a tiny speck. His cerulean eyes were cast downward and his smile was gone. 'What's wrong with him?'
"Naruto?" Sasuke questioned tentatively. Naruto pushed the chair back and stood up, breakfast forgotten. He faked a smile that was too wide and too happy and too wrong in every way. 'Why's he pretending to be smiling now?' Sasuke felt a tiny bit of sadness and a tint of irritation and anger. 'What'd I do?'
"Well, I guess I have to go buy a yukata now before Kakashi-sensei yell at me, heh heh…Ja!" Naruto turned to go.
"Wait!" Sasuke called out, his voice held a slight desperate edge to it. Naruto turned slowly. He looked confused.
"What?" Sasuke pushed down the urge to blurt out what's wrong. Last time he did that they'd began an all-out verbal fight that had hurt both of them.
"It's still early, so the stores won't be opened…" Naruto appeared even more puzzled.
"So?" Sasuke shuffled a bit, nervous.
"You can borrow one of mine…" Naruto shook his head.
"I don't need your pity, Sasuke." Sasuke felt the irritation came back, but this time it was stronger.
"Damn it, Naruto! You know I'm the last person in Konoha that would ever pity you…" Pausing a second, Sasuke whispered the last part, hoping that Naruto would not catch it.
"…b-but I do care about you…" Sadly, luck wasn't on his side and Naruto heard him. After a moment of silence, Naruto turned his face away from Sasuke so that Sasuke won't see the flustered expression on his face.
"Fine, bastard. I'll borrow one of your yukata, then."
a/n: SAT IIs are coming up soon. So I'll update when I can! R&R please! And thanx to the reviewers for reviewing. You guys are the best!