Warning: M/M, Sasu/Naru

Summary: Naruto comes to terms with having feelings for Sasuke but he fears that the Uchiha may not feel the same way. Especially after the weird way he has been acting since returning to the village after running off with Orochimaru. For once the blonde idiot does not know how to go about expressing himself without making their relationship awkward or ruining it entirely. And when Kyuubi suddenly decides that he is sick of laying dormant, Naruto has more problem then just one on his hands. Rating may go up.

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The blonde shinobi starred at the ceiling as the soft silvery moon light filtered through the curtains of his rooms and sent the beams across his floor. His mind had not been at rest since Sasuke's return to Konoha a month ago. They had not spoken yet, and Naruto had so much he wanted to say. But the cold and distant look in the Uchiha's eye intimidated him more then anything. Naruto was terrified that he had nothing left in his best friend. Nothing left since their fight, he remembered that all to painfully. Sasuke had tried to kill him. He had really tried. And Naruto had just wanted him to come home. To forget about Orochimaru and Itachi and power.

He sat up in bed, his fists clenching and teeth grinding at the memories that flooded through him before that damn Sannin had made his mark on Sasuke. They had finally gotten over the rivalry. Though they still fought like idiots that had gotten so close. And now Sasuke was farther away then he ever had been. "I don't want to loose you. I'll be damned if the snake man screws us over," Naruto mumbled. He had come to the conclusion that it was useless for him to try and sleep and pulled the night cap off his mussed hair and tossed it on the sheets. Quietly he walked into the bathroom to stare at his own exhausted reflection in the dark mirror. His hair had gotten longer and a little unruly but he could not be bothered to cut it short again. And the dark circles and shadows about his eyes told the tale of his lack of sleep.

"Stupid Sasuke," Naruto muttered into the mirror. How long had he been in denial that he had loved his best friend and rival? He had not really realized how much Sasuke had meant to him before he had left. And then he had done all in his power to get him back but to no avail. And now that he was back he was to much of a coward to talk to him at all.

'Why the hell couldn't I have told him how much he meant to me before he went and ran off...'

'Stupid Sasuke.'

'Stupid feelings...'

Naruto pulled out his tooth brush and began to scrub fiercely at his teeth his tired blue eyes starring right back at him the whole time as he pondered and pondered about what he could possibly do. Spit, rinse; brush some more. The cycle was repeated until Naruto was satisfied with his job and he tossed the unclean toothbrush into the sink and left it there, walking down stairs to sit at his table with an annoyed snort.

Naruto stared at the wood graining on the table for several minutes before coming to a conclusion. "I have no idea how the hell he can be depressed all the time. It really takes it's toll," He mumbled to the table and rubbed his eyes. Even if it never had anything to say in reply to Naruto, he was content that it just listened back. It helped to talk; inanimate object or not. Inanimate object did not blab ones secrets at least. Eventually Naruto realized that sitting at his table mopping was getting him no where and so he had himself a nice steaming bowl of ramen and then got dressed.

"Since I am up this early I may as well go practise, or something," Naruto mumbled. There really was nothing else to do before the sun rose. He slunk out of his house, carefully locking the door behind him and heading off towards the surrounding forest to which he had discovered made a very good place to train, just inside the outskirts of the village. He took to the roofs, hopping along to the forested area as his mind wandered back to the Uchiha. He wondered what Sasuke was up to.

'Probably sleeping, like any normal pers - '

The thought was incomplete. Naruto hulled to a stop when he caught a glimpse of black hair on a pass by. He crept back, looking suspiciously like an insect creeping over the buildings as he gripped onto the tiles to keep himself from falling. He doubled back to where he had seen the hair and sure enough, there was the Uchiha that he could not get off his mind. Naruto felt his heart jump into his throat. Sasuke was alone. It was just a small grass clearing between houses but the Uchiha seemed to be enjoying a midnight training session by himself. He did not wear his head band as Naruto has yet to return it, he was almost afraid to return it because of the fact that it had the scratch in the middle. A Missing Nins mark. Sasuke looked older without the head band on for some reason. Naruto fished around in his pocket and drew out the cracked head band he had not let go of since Sasuke had left it behind.

He frowned at it, it was still dirty. Perhaps he really should return it. Sliding down the side of the building he watching Sasuke as he continued to go through a Taijutsu routine he must have learned while out of the village. It was complex and intricate, beautiful almost. Naruto drank in the sight of the Uchiha, but those cold eyes brought him back out of his admiration of Sasuke. They had been doing that since he had returned. Slowly the blonde haired genin stepped out of the shadows, and walked closer. Sasuke seemed not to notice. Naruto paused when he was just in site. Again watching the Uchiha go through his intricate motions. Something glimmering in the grass caught his eye. The moon glinting off polished steel. A wakizashi, another thing that Sasuke had taken up in his absence.

"Sasuke... " Naruto called gingerly. It was the first time he had spoken his name since the Uchiha had returned and started ignoring him. The Uchiha did not acknowledge the sound. So Naruto swallowed and decided to continue on. "I thought you might want this back," his voice was a whisper in the night but it seemed to ring out painfully loud.

Naruto held out the Hitai-ai. Sasuke stopped his Taijutsu dance and looked over to Naruto's general direction and the dirty head band, for a moment curiosity flashed across his cold eyes. The blonde was happy to see this, for it meant that his rivals soul was not completely gone as he had began to suspect. Slowly, Sasuke approached Naruto and touched the cold steel tentatively. "What ever makes you think I would want that back?" Sasuke said softly, his lip curling in a sneer as his fingers passed over the crack and he pulled back from it like it has burned his pale skin.

'Bet he's still mad from when I kicked his ass when he got back... But the bastard deserved it damn it! How could he leave me here alone like that and tell me all the time we'd spent together meant nothing to him!'

Naruto tried to calm his inner feelings as they spiralled almost instantly to negativity at Sasuke's reaction. But had he really expected anything better. The blonde scowled and shoved it into Sasuke's hands. "Well it's yours so it makes sense if you keep it."

Sasuke ran his fingers over the dirty cloth, but never looked down.

'Since when has he been so damn touchy...'

Silence reigned over the two of them. At length, Sasuke nodded and tucked it in his pocket, his eyes wandering about him. But Sasuke never seemed to actually be looking at something. They passed over Naruto, or gazed right through him like he was not even there. It made him shiver uneasily. "Sasuke... Want to train?" Naruto asked.

'Please say yes, I want it to be like it was before...'

A smirk folded across the Uchiha's soft features, a challenge. "Sure. But this time you won't be me Naruto," he said softly. Naruto smirked challengingly at the Uchiha.

"Yeah right, I handed your ass to you on a silver - no! Golden platter last time we fought," Naruto replied. It was true, he had. But even the blonde knew that Sasuke had taken the beating Naruto had dished out like a man. He had let it come. Perhaps even Sasuke himself had thought he deserved it, Naruto wondered to himself vaguely. Though it was not like the Uchiha to tuck his tail between his legs and take something. Naruto was not so sure he really knew what his raven haired friend was like anymore. Or if he could even really call him a friend at this point. Sasuke was still touch and go with him.

"We'll see," Sasuke replied shortly. His dark eyes closed and when they opened again they were blood red. The three points that settled in his eyes showing his mastery. Sasuke had finally done it. In fighting Naruto, in running away. He had mastered his precious sharingan. Slowly the Uchiha retrieved his wakizashi and sheathed it before taking a fighting stance. Naruto did the same, grinning ferally.

"Hey Sasuke!"

"What do you want, dobe?"

"To make a deal with you baka!"

"...?" Sasuke did not reply, simply quirked a curious eyebrow.

"If I win you answer any and all questions I have. I've been meaning to ask them to you. But you keep ignoring me."

Silence.

"What's in it for me?" Sasuke replied softly. Seemed like a one way bet.

"If you win I won't ever ask you again about what happened when you ran off..."

"Fine. But when I win you better shut up about it." Sasuke couldn't say no to that. Especially when he was fairly confident he would win. And declining the deal would have put Naruto's ego at a point of no return knowing Sasuke was unconfident in this battle.

"Just like old times," Naruto murmured to himself. Sasuke cocked his head, like he had heard the low murmur that even Naruto himself had not really heard for the low tone he had used. "Ready when you are."

Sasuke's stance widened and Naruto was about to start them off when a hot wave of agony flashed across his mind and he grabbed at his head and yelped out. Sasuke frowned. "Naruto?"

The blonde haired boy sunk to his knees as the echoing laugh of the Kyuubi resounding throughout his mind. Loud and clear. It was like the Kyuubi was trying to pick the lock of the already partially broken seal that had been fixed several times already. "No, not now. What the hell do you want...?" Naruto chocked out.

Pitiful genin. You've let yourself become weak. I will not tolerate this cage you have kept me in. Give me your body, boy.

"Naruto, what the hell are you doing?" Sasuke called. His voice sounded disturbed as Naruto tugged violently at his own hair. "Are you fine?"

The concern that was trying to be suppressed in the corners of the Uchiha's voice was touching but Naruto did not have time to consider it now.

'He actually cares about me...? Then why has he ignored me all this time? ... Or was I ignoring him...?'

Naruto felt more pain. Sasuke could be heard walking towards him across the grass and the Kyuubi struggled harder against the gated. Naruto fell back into his own mind in a mental battle verses the red chakara that was attempting to engulf and take over his own.

'Get the hell back where you belong you baka Kitsune!'

And what are you going to do if I don't?

Oh, you will. I won't let you out. Not bloody now!'

A soft hand touched his shoulder and Naruto lashed out at the gentle touch, jumping foreword and slamming his head into the perpetuators stomach. Sending the Uchiha reeling backwards into the grass with a surprised gasp of pain. Sasuke let out a low growl. "I was only trying to help, dobe," He snapped angrily at the blonde. Apparently not understanding the struggle. Naruto looked up helplessly. What was wrong with him. Since when could the nine tailed fox take his body at will? Naruto clutched at the pounding head ache he had received from the struggle and stumbled backwards from Sasuke. He had wanted so bad to spar the Uchiha. It would have been so much like old times. Maybe he could have asked Sasuke what had happened. Why he was ignoring him. But with the Kyuubi so close to the surface and clawing dangerously higher Naruto backed away.

"I didn't... It's just..."

'What would he think of me? If he found out that it was the stupid fox...?'

"Nothing... Just not... feeling well," Naruto chocked out. And rose to his feet. Sasuke seemed to sense something wrong by the look he was giving Naruto's direction. The blonde did not like this at all. He had just been starting to feel a bit better about talking to him. And about how easily he had gotten Sasuke to respond and react in a manner that was as positive as he could when this had happened.

"Naruto," Sasuke said his name firmly, a suspicious tone in his voice.

"Sasuke I - I'm going home... or something," Naruto skittered off before the Uchiha could protest.

'Damn it... So much for my answers...'

And Sasuke was left in the clearing looking bewildered and confused. If something had pained Naruto enough for him to leave before the battle started and not try with all his stubborn determination to win this fight. Especially with the stakes they had put up, something must have been seriously wrong.

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There is chapter one. Characters are not mine, though I wish they were. I hope you enjoy. This is the first fan fiction I have written in a very long time. So we shall see how it turns out.

Reviews are very much loved.

Just to clear things up. Anything like this 'Text' is though.

Anything like this Text Is the Kyuubi Talking to Naruto.

This "Test" is said out loud diaglogue. Sorry if I confused anyone there...