I'm REALLY sry that I couldnt update sooner > When I FINALLY finished the chapter and I was happy with it, Fanfiction was being bitchy and it wouldn't let me upload my document TT I should have had this up early last evening, but alas, it's late > ;; I hope u enjoy it!

SASUKES POV

Naruto left faster than usual. He usually says goodbye to me, but walks me home anyway. Then I get to my house and go inside, and of course, Naruto being Naruto, he shouts as loud as he can "SEE YOU TOMORROW!" And then skips off on his merry little way. But not today. I guessed that it had something to do with the note, but I really didn't care.

…did I?

As I finished packing up my stuff, I thought about where he could have head off to. The idiot, he probably got lured into some trap. I bet Zaku and Dosu did something to him. Well, serves him right for being such a dumbass.

The walk to home seemed longer.

When I got home, I kicked off my shoes, threw my backpack on the ground, and opened the fridge. A healthy young boy needs his food. I searched the meat cupboard to make myself a quick sandwich, but there was no meat. I checked the fridge for fruits, but all that lay there was an 5 year old plum that Kakashi and I are too afraid to touch. I checked for vegetables, but all we had was carrots. I hate carrots. I took an overview of the entire fridge. It was empty except for a carton of milk, some sodas, mayonnaise, ketchup, and some cheese. Wow, this was pathetic. Who keeps their fridge empty when a teenage boy is living in the house?

I checked the bread cupboard, the pantry, the second pantry, the everything. I couldn't find a bite to eat except canned foods like tomatoes and coconut gel. The freezer was stuffed with nothing but ice and some coffee ice cream, which I don't like. There wasn't even any mochi I could heat up! I screamed in rage and ran up to my room. Before I could open the door, I noticed a small note on the ground in front of me. It read:

Dear Sasuke,

I'm afraid that we're a little short on food, in case you didn't already notice. I'm guessing you checked all the cupboards already and screamed in rage and now you were jumping up to your room to look at porn.

'I DO NOT LOOK AT PORN!' yelled Sasuke in his head. Nonetheless, he continued reading the note.

I left some money in the pots and pans cupboard inside of the teapot. Go buy yourself some food. I gotta stay out all night. I'll be back tomorrow afternoon. Sorry!

-Kakashi

PS If you want to read my Icha Icha Paradise, feel free.

Sasuke read the note once more. Kakashi really does know me well. Well, except for the pervert part. I am NOT a pervert (A/N: not yet, anyway… D).

Of course I checked the cupboard with all the pots and pans. I found our little teapot, and sure enough, I found about two-hundred dollars inside of it. I don't think I'll ever understand Kakashi's odd ways.

I decided to take the grocery bicycle into town. I didn't know how much I would be buying. I might spend a little extra on sweets and stuff since he gave me so much for just one night. I was just turning onto Hokage lane when I stopped at the supermarket. I wasn't very fond of this street. There were too many people in too many places. In case you haven't already noticed, I'm not much of a people-person.

I parked my bike and began walking to the supermarket, which was about five buildings ahead. I walked down the road slowly, taking in everything around me.

The streets were paved, the air was fresh, and everything about hokage street was royal. They intentionally named this street after the fourth hokage, yondaime. It was meant to be a memorial to his services to the country. All of the nice, expsensive stores were on this lane. They sold better things for slightly higher prices, but it was all in honor of the great fourth hokage. Everybody who works here has a picture of him in their shop. He never ordered for them to post a picture, the people just do it because they respect him. The streets were littered with dango shops, pastry shops, bars, shopping areas, ramen stands, expensive restaurants, anything you want, hokage street has it. It was like it's own mini-utopia of some sort. It would have been better without all these people, though. They dirtied up the street.

But of course, there being a lot of money meant that pick-pocketers went around this area, searching for easy prey. They usually got young girls with those designer purses. I've seen a pick pocketer work before. I've been the pick-pocket before. I remember when I was little and at the orphanage, they wouldn't give us enough food to survive, so we had to steal money from people to buy real food. A treat in the orphanage was a bowl of miso soup.

My mind wandered for a while. About my past, about Kakashi, about my parents. Maybe… no…stop thinking like this! It's not my fault that they're dead! Ugh! I hate it when I think too much! I just start thinking all these crazy thoughts and then I start to cry. And I REFUSE to cry in the middle of a street.

I passed a dark alley that didn't have much light in it, but I heard some odd noises. It sounded like someone was hitting something, like a punching bag. I saw two shadows hovering over one smaller shadow. I went in the alley to see what it was. And then I almost screamed.

Naruto was on the ground, bleeding nearly to death. Several of his teeth were missing. There was fresh blood, dried blood, any kind of blood was on Naruto. His hair wasn't his normal blonde, it was orange. His clothes were ripped. I saw cuts and bruises everywhere. His eyes were sealed shut. I couldn't tell if he was crying or not. There was too much sweat on his face. His ankle was broken and so was his arm. I stared for a second, and then looked at the culprits. Of course. Zaku and Dosu.

"Why you…" I started. I was boiling with anger. Naruto was almost dead and those two bastards were laughing. Dammit… Dammit…Naruto you idiot!

"I'm gonna fucking kill you both…" I said under my breath. My blood was boiling. I had never been this mad in my entire life. My skin seemed to be burning off of my bones, my eyes seemed to be completely blurry, but I could still see my targets. My fists were clenched so hard that I started to peirce my skin with my nails. My teeth were grinding, my muscles were aching to kill, my heart was pounding faster and faster, my ears could hear nothing but a dull ringing sound. I thought about how Naruto was so cut up. That was it. I attacked.

Most of it was a blur to me. I was so angry and so mad that I couldn't think of what the hell I was doing. All I knew is that I was screaming something loudly and throwing my fists whenever I saw Dosu or Zaku's miserable faces. I jabbed, uppercutted, hooked, sidefist, double-punch, half-fist, anything I could do with my hands to hurt these guys, I did it. I scraped their eyes, I grabbed Dosu's dick and ripped at it hard, I choked Zaku with his shirt. When I realized that the targets stopped moving, I stopped moving too. I was still screaming and screaming until the dull ringing went away. I could finally hear what I was saying. "HOW DARE YOU HURT NARUTO!" I screamed it so loud so that I could hear. I screamed so that Dosu and Zaku could hear, even when they were out cold. I screamed so that Naruto would wake up, but he didn't wake up.

My eyes went back into focus, my heart slowed down, and everything went back into place. I let my fists slowly become relaxed. I stopped grinding my teeth. When I was relaxed, I began to pant. Oh god, I was tired. I was exhausted. I can't catch my breath! God…gasp…no! This isn't about me! This is about Naruto!

My head started spinning. I didn't know whether it was from the exhaustion or the pain I felt inside of me. I had seen terrible things. I started thinking of the night my parents were killed and how I couldn't stop Itachi. About how I was helpless and I couldn't do anything. About how I lost someone important to me. I finally realized at this time that Naruto was a friend, and he was important. And if he died, I wouldn't be able to stand it. He might be annoying and an idiot, but this guy…

He's stood by me and hung with me, even though I was a jerk to him.

My mind flashed back to his broken body, then to my parents, and then to Naruto once again. How…why…

Why do I want to trust this brat after only knowing him for a month?

My mind began to clear and my eyes focused once more. I saw the cuts and bruises on him. They needed to be bandaged soon or else he would bleed to death. There was no time to go to the market and grab some paper towels. I looked at Zaku and Dosu's clothes, but they were bloodstained. I took of my own shirt and began to rip it up to shreds. I tied little bandages around each of Naruto's wounds. Without thinking, I put my head to his to check his temperature. Crap, he had a crazy fever. I checked his heartbeat to make sure that he was still alive. It wasn't beating steadily. He needed the hospital, and fast.

I grabbed him and put him on the back seat of my bicycle. I put his arms over my shoulders and his legs around my waist so he wouldn't fall down. I started pedaling as fast as I could toward the hospital. It was only a few blocks down. Just a few blocks. Come on, Naruto. Hang on just a few blocks… you're going to be okay…

NARUTOS POV

Oh god, I feel like crap right now… what the hell happened? My body feels like it weighs a ton…moan… man… what the fuck happened last night, again? I totally forgot…

Oh wait… wasn't I at school with Sasuke? And then I got some note from some kids…Za…Zazu? Zamu? Zori? No…Zaku! That's it! Zaku and Dosu! And then… HOLY CRAP AM I DEAD?

My eyes bolted open and I raised my head suddenly. I looked around the room. I was in a white room with blue curtains to my right. I had a table of food next to me which consisted of jello and a glass of water. There were medical tools and beeping things all around me. I think I'm in a hospital.

I checked to see what was wrong with me. I looked for some mirrors, but there were none in sight. I looked at my hands and at my arms. They were covered in bandages. I tried to move, but I had some weird thing stuck in my wrist. What was this… an IV thingy? Holy shit, I got beat up like fucking hell!

I felt my face to see if it was bumpy, and sure enough, it was. There were spots that were swollen, spots that were numb, and some sensitive areas that just stung when I put my finger to it. I felt several stitches on my face. I started to put my hands through my hair to feel my scalp. I felt stitches and staples there, too. I looked underneath my blankets in my bed. My legs were all bandaged, along with my torso. I peeked underneath my pants. Okay, at least THAT was in tact. I looked around for a clock to see what time it was. Lets see… 11:32! Crap! I should be in school right now!

But… I can spare a few days in here.

After about five minutes of fiddling with my fingers, Dad came into the room. Once he saw me, his eyes started watering. He ran toward me to hug me, but flinched at the last second.

"Naruto! I'm so glad that you're okay! I didn't want to hug you just in case your injuries still hurt. Did you know that you've been in the hospital for four days? It's Friday now! You missed an entire week of school!"

"Oh, well…that's too bad! I guess I can stand to chill here a little while longer since I've already got a homework load piled on me… I can just let it grow and I'll do it later." YES! NO SCHOOL! I bet all the teachers are gonna feel bad for me cuz I got my ass kicked, too! HELLS YEAH!

"Actually, Sasuke was nice enough to pick up your homework for you! Here it is!" Dad put a giant pile of books, papers, and pencils in front of me. He smiled at me while I stuck my tongue out at the homework. Sasuke's evil.

"Man… I've been in here for a week?" I asked Dad. He nodded.

"The nurses said that you were lucky to be alive. Sasuke saved you, you know.""…Sasuke what?" I asked in disbelief. Sasuke? Saving me? No… would he?

"Yeah! He came in here with you in his arms and his shirt was ripped up. He ripped it up to make you bandages. He's a good friend, isn't he?"

I was still so surprised that Sasuke saved me. He usually blew me off, but I hung around with him anyway. Did he follow me? Haha, that'd be the day! I smiled and blushed.

"Yeah, he's a pretty good guy…"

Dad left after talking to me for a while. It was about 1 when he left. He said he needed to get back to work. I just nodded and said okay. It was nice talking to him. Whenever I'm not around him, I miss him like heck.

I watched the clock slowly move. Tick, tock, tick, tock. I wanted it to be 3 o'clock already! I want to talk to Sasuke! I want him to tell me the whole story of me being rescued by him!

Hm… I wonder what happened to Dosu and Zaku…?

Aw well, who the hell cares? It's their own fault if they got seriously pwned by Sasuke.

I thought about Sasuke protecting me. He fought Zaku and Dosu, I presume. He bandaged up my injuries and took me all the way to the hospital. I've never had a friend like that before. I found myself blushing again. Haha, Sasuke was a good guy!

But the more I thought about it…the deeper I thought about it.

Now that I think of it, he's the only one who has actually protected me before. Ever since I was little I was looked down upon for some reason. I never understood. Shikamaru was my only friend, but that was because he didn't really have anyone else except for Chouji. Sakura never paid attention to me. Actually, none of the girls did. Dad protects me, but he's my Dad. Sasuke is my friend. It's different.

And then what Zaku and Dosu said. Did…did I really kill my real father? Is that even possible? How could I have?

Is that the reason why people look down on me? Because of what I did when I was two! That's so stupid! Dammit! If everyone is pissed at me for that, then they can go fuck themselves! Dad died protecting me!

And Sasuke risked his life too…

Sasuke…

Before I knew it, my hands were getting wet. Tears were running down my face. For some reason, I just couldn't stop them. They kept coming. I tried wiping them away, but they slipped through my hands and through my heart. They fell all the way down to my legs beneath me. I don't think these are tears of sorrow. I think it's joy.

I have a real friend, finally.

Someone who I can trust unconditionally.

He acted all aloof, but he actually saved me.

He risked his life for mine.

Sasuke…

grocery bicycle- it's a Japanese bicycle usually. It has a basket in the front and a little passenger chair in the back. You're supposed to ride to the grocery store and then buy groceries. :D

HOW EVIL OF ME! I didn't get to put when Sasuke meets up with Naruto in the hospital! I was planning on it, but the way I was telling the story didn't quite let me :P Anyway, thanks for still reading!