Chapter 7

Extra:

I do get that there are some spelling mistakes that I missed seeing when doing a proof reading and honestly, I have a tendency to re-read my work and only manage to find a few errors out of the amount that's actually there. My brain likes to do that. It also likes to read time backward for some unknown reason. So I don't mind it whenever others point out that I have made some errors here and there within the story, helps me find where I missed them afterall. As for the Yuhiko vs Yahiko spelling, I didn't realize I saved the wrong spelling of the name to my google-doc dictionary; would explain why it was spelled wrong but known correct when I typed it out otherwise. MY BAD!

I'll double-proof read (this chapter along with the others tomorrow since it's 2:37am) but if I still manage to miss anything let me know. Just don't be rude about, although no one really has been thus far, at least in my opinion.

& again, THANKS for the reviews guys : )

ANYWAYS ENJOY THE EDITED CHAPTER 7!

A digital clock flicked to 4:13 am.

Sai woke up to a sudden weight landing on top of him with a pained grunt. Jerking awkwardly from the limitation of his body, he peered blearily at the dark form shifting to lean off of him after making impact. Barely visible blue eyes stared down at him with the most confused expression Sai had ever seen. He was able to sit up fully when the body moved off of him in the following seconds to flop onto the unused space of the unkept mattress beside him.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" rasped Naruto.

The smell of alcohol was more than lingering on the blonde's tongue and Sai had to fight the urge to cover his nose with the sheet. "You left your mom's car with Yahiko and he drove it here to drop me and the vehicle off. And just how much did you drink tonight?"

"Still not enough." came the muttered response as the blonde sat up with both knees bent loosely and a tanned hand brushing back damp bangs, courtesy of the early morning rain. "How'd you get in?

"Luck. You just getting home?"

"Yeah. Kiba got a six pack from some sketchy dude." The blonde replied while prodding at the black eye that was half way down thanks to bags of ice getting pressed to it by Kiba's annoying instances just almost two hours ago.

"Is that why you're not attempting to mull me as you did the Uchiha?"

"Uchiha?"

"Sasuke?"

Naruto just looked like his brain was still not connecting it.

"The guy you had a fight with is Sasuke Uchiha." Sai paused a moment as he took in the slowly understanding expression molding upon the blonde's face from the side angle he was able to view it. Honestly if it wasn't for those books and meeting such a group of rather expressive people, Sai wouldn't of been able to grasp on so quickly to the different shows of emotions and their correct placement on when to project them himself. "Have you cleaned yourself up yet?"

"Didn't I just tell you that I just got home?"

"Don't be a dick, Naruto."

The blonde tossed a reflex grin. His blue eyes re-locking onto Sai's darken hues currently tinted with a navy hue thanks to the blue screen coming from the still turned on t.v "Well it wouldn't be because I'm lacking one."

"I don't care, now where's your bathroom?"

Naruto rolled his eyes but pointed lazily to the closed door a few feet to the left of the door to the basement entrance. Sai got up and went into the room and came back with a paper towel sheet, an aid kit and some alcohol rub in a clear plastic mini bottle. He set the items onto the bed between himself and the faced-away blonde without much care. "Come here."

Naruto lifted a brow as he turned his head to side to look at the other. "No, now why don't you go away?"

"Naruto."

The blonde grumbled but let up, mentally concurring somewhat to the earlier's statement about him being a dick. Not that it'd mean he would be saying so out loud as well though. Honestly, he felt if he hadn't had good manners or what not drilled into his brain thanks to his mother this wouldn't even be an issue. "Why do I even need to?"

"Cause you're still covered in blood and supporting an abused face." came the simply stated answer as the dark haired teen popped open the lid to the first aid kit to take out one of the cottons balls packed into a little section of the red and white box.

A moment of silence followed that answer.

Naruto finally faced the other boy fully while brushing a hand through his steadily drying hair again and tossed his gaze about the bedroom with disinterest. His head throbbed at the sight of his t.v's rather bold royal blue blank screen. "This is all your fault…" He dropped his hand, turning to look back at Sai. "You just had to be a fag."

Sai's slender brows furrowed. "Naruto." He send the blonde what he hoped was an affronted look. Or something along those lines. "That fight was all done by you and Sasuke. I didn't make you do anything. The ki-"

A sudden hand covered Sai's mouth and the paler teen's face was pushed back some. Blue hazy eyes oddly sharp despite their current state bore into open dark ones. The two stared at each other, Naruto with a swerving focus and Sai with a churning hurt he was still having trouble dubbing.

"Alright, alright." Started the blonde slowly with a faint seething to his voice. "Kiba brought up that point earlier just... just don't repeat it." Naruto's voice was rough and lower than normal and lacking in that easy vibe it would normally give off whenever the blonde spoke. "I don't ever want that shit brought up again and you better tell Sakura that too. She wouldn't answer my calls so I'm just gonna say fuck her till whenever."

Sai moved the hand off his face. "That's rather crude and rude of you."

A glare was the directed response.

"I know you're not happy about what happened tonight it wasn't expected- by either of us. However, you need to calm down and stop thinking about it. We had an understanding of sorts before the party, remember?"

A head nod.

"I even told you I liked you on a personality sense. As a friend. Only." Naruto's eye cleared up faintly in their stare making Sai unknowingly relax not having noticed the tension build up in his own form. He hadn't realized just how much that kiss had bothered the blonde. And as much as he wanted to knock some sense into Naruto he wasn't an idiot to do so when the other was not just taller than him but also physically stronger than him. And riling Naruto up after what took place tonight would just spell out trouble. So the darked haired boy waited.

Finally, Naruto's eyelids closed over his eyes and he breathed out; form untensing.

"Calmed down now?"

"Yeah..." the blonde muttered with eyes still closed off.

Quickly, Sai unscrewed the cap of the disinfectant alcohol rub, pressed a puff ball to the opening and tipped it over swiftly for a few seconds before setting the bottle on the floor and dabbing at the wounds on Naruto's face before the blonde could protest or take his movements as a sign to fight in the same manner he had the Uchiha.

Naruto released a pained hiss, lips pulling back at the left corner to reveal pearly whites that were only visible thanks to the glow from the t.v which basked the room in a surreal lighting. Blue eyes settled back onto Sai's face, glancing to the patting cotton ball before it pressed down upon the tender areas of his face. "You're healing me?"

"I am not entirely sure on how to handle this, Naruto. So I am simply doing what I had planned to do before." replied Sai as he moved to lower his hands to the blonde's bruised knuckles to help in the healing factor there as well.

Only Naruto didn't let him. The blonde's grip wasn't all that painful even if did cause the the paler boy's wrist to throb. "You don't have to heal me."

"Alright." Sai didn't move though despite his agreement.

"Look, thanks I guess and whatever, but I really don't want to see your face anymore." He released a deep sigh before getting up. "My mom would kick my ass if she saw you on the couch so you can stay down here and get some sleep. I'll uh..." there was an awkward pause as Naruto tried to figure out what to say but his current mindset wasn't all that clear. He coughed and headed to the door. "...be on the couch."

Without waiting for a reply he left the room.

The next time Sai woke up it was to the sound of a phone going off.

His body tensed up somewhat when he couldn't recall where he was for a moment but as he breathed in deep through his nose a familiar scent filled him. The smell was of an odd comfort right now after the events of earlier rushed through the dark haired teen's head. Sitting up, Sai brought his wrist up to be level with his face. It was faintly red and there was tenderness to the area but Sai knew it'd be gone in a few more hours. Naruto really had no idea how strong he was it seemed; more so when intoxicated. Hearing the phone go off again Sai debated on getting up or pretending to still sleep but finally just moved to answer the mobile device due to its persistence.

"Hello?"

"Naruto? You sound strange man, you ok?" came the concerned voice of Kiba Inuzuka.

"It's Sai. Naruto is sleeping on the couch, I believe."

"Oh." there was pause and some shuffles from the other line. "Um...dude, you okay to be there? When I left Naruto wasn't too ticked at all three of you anymore but I can't say seeing you would've kept the mood chill for long. Didn't expect you to be at his place actually or I would of told him to crash at mine; crazy mother of mine or not." There was an attempt at a laugh there.

"Thank you. Everything is alright, however I think a day of absence wouldn't be wrong, yes?"

"I'll drop off whatever assignments to you guys after school. I have to get dressed for the torture place now anyways, so see you later, man. And good luck."

Sai hit the end button upon Naruto's phone, the orange casing a dead giveaway he somehow missed and duly noticed the lockscreen already coming up. Glancing around, he slowly stood upon the mattress and made his way to the couch, reaching over he picked up the t.v remote and shut off the t.v before making his way upstairs. He spotted Naruto still asleep upon the couch in the living room. The blonde looked rather peaceful compared to the expression that was on the other boy's face for most of the night after their- Sai shook his head and passed the room into the kitchen. The clock above the picture and post-it note decorated fridge showed school would be starting in an hour and forty minutes.

Looking around the kitchen, the dark haired teen spotted the phone upon the kitchen island near a bowl of fruit and Naruto's mother's name written upon one of the sticky paper posts on the fridge. Sai took the note off and moved to stand by the phone, plucking up the wireless receiver and dialing the woman's number.

"Hello, Kushina speaking."

Sai swallowed before speaking. "Naruto's mom?"

"Yes, and who is this?"

"Sai. You're son and I were jumped last night and Naruto has a few brus-"

"I WILL BE RIGHT THERE, DON'T YOU DARE MOVE! IF YOU HAVE TO MOVE, GET YOURSELF AND MY SON AN ICE PACK!"

The teen brought the phone far away from his ear; staring at the device as the woman's voice was still easily heard despite being held at arm's length. Once she seemed to have calmed down, Sai gave an approved sound to her words and hung up after waiting a pause to see if she said anything else. He nearly jumped at the sudden raspy voice from behind him.

"Was that my mom?"

Naruto frowned at the fact the other had been talking to the woman. He had been hoping Sai would've left before he got up but since his bladder felt the need to wizz he was forced up earlier than expected and he knew the chances of the other still being around were still high. Moving more into the room, he stepped up beside Sai, making sure not to bump them, and opened the fridge, checking it.

"Kushina said she will be here soon and for us to not move."

Naruto jerked his head out of the fridge, bumping it on an upper shelf, to stare at Sai. "What the hell did you tell her?" The blonde snapped with a faint hiss from the bump which he rubbed gingerly.

Sai moved to take up a seat at the island, Naruto's seat much to the blonde's glance of sleep coated dislike. "I told her we were attacked."

"And how are you going to explain all this," The blonde motioned to his face with a circular motion of his index finger then pointed at Sai's own face that was clear of busing. "and that flawless victory?"

"Flawless victory?"

"I mean you're unbeaten face, man." Naruto stated as he took out the carton of eggs and set them onto the empty space of the counter beside the stove top along with the butter. "Unless you plan on letting me ruin it a bit so it's believable?" He tossed a look over his shoulder to Sai who didn't look impressed from that glanced viewing. "When is she gonna get here?"

"Soon she said." replied Sai with disinterest.

Naruto breathed out upward causing his bangs to flutter upward while buttering up the pan after letting it heat up a bit. "Look dude, you can go and I'll tell my mom what you told her and blah bla-"

The sound of a car tires grinding over grovel cut the blonde off; catching both teens' attention. It was followed by a muffled conversation before the tires upon gravel sounded again before the front door was opened. Shoes beat down upon the floorboards of the clean house; gaining volume as the newcomer shouted; "NARUTO!"

Both boys winced at the shout as Kushina's long red hair zoomed passed the opening of the kitchen before backing tracking. She took up a solider stance almost with both hands gripping the sides of the archway frame as her dark blue eyes stared at two boys in her kitchen. The air was almost stifling under that hawkeye like stare. The two held their breath when her mouth finally opened after what seemed like hours but was only seconds of scrutinizing them.

"I don't see any ice packs on either of you."

Naruto turned around so he was facing the full of the kitchen. He flicked his gaze to Sai then back to his mother swallowed. She was almost impossible to deal with like this. "Um…"

"They weren't cold enough, ma'am." Sai entered in verbally. "Having used them earlier in the night we forgot to place them back sooner so-"

"Ah I see. Good to know one of you boys isn't useless in the morning."

"Hey! I'm making breakfast here!" Naruto exclaimed, motioning to the burned butter within the pan.

"Didn't get far, did you son?" Kushina smiled at her son when he glared at her. She moved over to the stove and took over; adding in some more butter and using the spatula she plucked from the nearby drawer she scraped off the fried butter. "Eggs and toast good for you both?"

Sai nodded while Naruto just grumbled and took up a seat across from the other boy.

"So, care to explain to me why you look like something one of my foxes from work brought in and Sai here looks just as I lost saw him."

Not seeing much point in denying it or even nudging away the fact; Naruto opened his mouth to respond only to have Sai interrupt him before he could. And for once he was going to tell the truth too about one of his fights, given the last one he had was with Kiba and it wasn't that bad compared to this.

"Naruto and I were going to the corner to pick up some premade meals since I didn't want to eat ramen and we were jumped by these guys for money."

Kushina shook her head with an almost growl like sound as she muttered under breath of stupid hoodlums messing with her boys. If there were deeper and more graphic detailing of the removal of a hoodlum's sternum and intensities, Sai pretended to not hear it.

Naruto glanced over his shoulder to his mother before whispering low so the woman wouldn't hear. "You really just covered for me?" His voice showing just how unbelievable even the thought alone was to him.

"Are we not friends?" Sai replied with a cool expression, meeting those blue eyes as if saying; You're welcome, asshole.

The blonde groaned low as he brought his head down to the titled island counter and flipped the dark haired teen seated across from him. "Fuck you ,man."

And Sai simply smiled as the air seemed a bit less tense now somehow.

Kiba rubbed his shoulder where it was just punched. He scowled at the blonde taking up a side lean beside his locker, their tanned head pressing against the cool metal at an angle to get the full coolness of the smooth texture. "What was that for, man?"

"For bringing over my homework." Naruto replied before muffling a yawn. "How could you?"

"Payback for getting me chewed out by mom for showing up home after my sister did. Somehow that's a rule I didn't know about."

"Weird rule."

"Don't I know it. Ah yo, there's Sai." Kiba shut his locked and motioned with his head in the direction of where the dark haired teen was walking up the hallway while digging around in their black backpack. "You two alright after…?"

"Let's not go there and I won't print out pictures of you tongue kissing your dog." Naruto drawled as he stood up fully for a second before shifting to take up a lean against the lockers with his back pressing against the metal this time. "And yeah, I guess. He covered for my fight with uh, what's his face."

"Sasuke?'

"How do you even know his name?"

Kiba snorted. "Surprised you don't, blondie. Kid's rather popular around here. More so with the ladies if the girls in my homeroom are anything to gauge by."

Naruto blinked. "That's right, you're in the same homeroom as Shikamaru Nara, right?"

"The lazy pinecone head?"

The blonde couldn't help but laugh at that but his sound was lowered down as Sai enclosed the distance between them. Naruto gave a faint head nod only to grunt upon getting an elbow into his rib that was still a bit tender from Sasuke's punch. For a smaller guy he could sure hit. Like Sakura. "Hey Sai, seen Sakura around?"

Sai looked a bit surprised by the verbal greeting but shook his head some. "No, but I can tell you that you seem to be rather infamous."

Naruto felt kinda bad after seeing that face but brushed it off. "What you mean?"

"You're fight with the Uchiha is already circling around. The latest version is about you both having a lover's brawl over the affections of Sakura."

Kiba grinned at that. "Oi oi, what's the most funniest one?"

Sai tilted his head some. "Funniest? I don't believe that is a word but I'd have to say the one about Naruto and Sasuke fighting because their fathers' ordered it. Since it's believed they have a family feud going on that goes back for generations."

"Well, at least that one sounds cooler." Naruto hiked up the strap of his dangling orange checkerboard backpack "And a bit more believable too."

Kiba pocketed his hands into his grey fur-lined hoodie. "Still believing in cooties there, buddy?"

"Nah, I just can't see myself ever wanting to get with Sakura like that, you know? Too much history and shit." The blonde replied while heading down the hall to homeroom with Kiba and Sai keeping a two step pace delay on either side of him.

"Actually I don't know, Naruto." Kiba stated. "She's gotten rather good looking since middle school I think. Not as cute but more um, womanly? Still annoying though."

Naruto just covered his ears. "I don't wanna hear that crap, man. That's like you saying my mom's hot" Seeing his brunette friend open his mouth; Naruto quickly added on a command. "Shut up, Kiba."

Kiba laughed as Sai looked faintly amused even if not by much as the group of bodies standing before his and Naruto's homeroom came into view. It was an odd sight to see. Girls gathered together just looking up and down the hallway as if looking for something. Even a few older girls were there too; adding to the weird sight. It wasn't until the trio drew closer did those sights remain focused in one direction; theirs. However it was quickly deduced by the girls further up the hall that they were currently passing that it was actually Naruto they were glaring at.

"Why are all the girls glaring at me?" Naruto asked as he took in the less than happy gazes sent in his direction. He was also pretty sure most of the conversations going on were about him too if the sudden halts to the flow of words stopped whenever he walked by and magically restarted once he passed.

"You pounded Sasuke Uchiha." Sai answered, his own eyes glancing from the hostile looks sent in the blonde's direction as well. "And not in the fun way.'

"I don't need to hear homo innuendos, thanks." The blonde shot a look at Sai who shrugged off the response with ease. " And an ass-kicking wouldn't make them all wish I was six feet under. I wasn't deaf to the cheers, after all."

"The boys were cheering, not so much the ladies, bro. Anyways, I think it's more that you actually bloodied up the Uchiha." suggested Kiba.

Naruto raised a brow. "What did they expect to see? Rainbow Gusher juice or something?"

Kiba laughed and Sai snorted in amusement at hearing that. The former shrugged though and the boys continued on their way to homeroom which was in no way welcoming by the female crowd posted outside the room. The trio paused a few feet away from the door as the multiple pairs of eyes blazed at them; pointedly at the bruised up blonde standing in between the two other boys.

"This is gonna be really annoying, isn't it?" muttered the blonde lowly.

"Understatement, if there was any." Sai replied as Kiba started to talk to the girls to try and get them to move out of the way without much luck.

A sudden yelp sounded from the blonde as the back of his faded orange t-shirt was yanked then pulled. Sai blinked in surprise as Sakura dragged the blonde down the hall and around the corner without further warning. He winced some when the volume of the girls before his homeroom grew louder.

"I will never understand girls…"

"Geezes, Sakura. Couldn't of just poked me or something, then asked to talk around the bend?"

"I guess. Anyways, why did you walk away from me that night? I was still talking to you, Naruto. That was really rude." Sakura gave Naruto a pointed look not at all swayed by the disbelief filtering into the male's face.

"You took some random dude's side, Sakura." snapped the blonde.

"I did not! Did you you even realize how much damage you could of caused him, Naruto? And then what after, hm?" Sakura crossed her arms, staring up at those glaring blue eyes. She didn't want to fight with with him but he didn't seem to get it. "What if charges were pressed? You could've gone to jail, Naruto!"

The blonde shifted some at that, their glare lessening. "It wouldn't of came to that…"

"But you're not even sure of that yourself, are you?" she pressed while taking a step closer til she was invading the male's personal space. "Naruto, I love you but you are utterly reckless to the point where it's just stupid."

"Are you calling me stupid?"

Sakura rolled her eyes while heaving a breath but she dropped it. "Just say sorry to Sasuke then stay away from him, alright?"

"Say sorry to him? That asshole?" Naruto rebuked with a look that said nothing but; what the fuck?

"You gave the first punch Naruto, just be the bigger man."

"I'm 16. I don't have to play the bigger man til 20."

"Oh my god! Just go apologize, why is it so hard for you?" She tossed up her hands, shaking her head, making her high ponytail swish around her shoulders. "Why do you hate him so much when you barely know him, Naruto?"

"Oh like you know him any better?" Naruto shot back, not liking this conversation at all in general. "Look, I just wanna get on with my life. Forget about the fight, what's his face-

"Sasuke."

"- and focus on homework so I cant get punished by my dad stopping the driver lessons."

A soft sigh."Fine, but can't you at least tell me why you don't like Sasuke?"

"Cause he's an asshole." Naruto stated as he turned around and headed to his homeroom more in the mood to deal with the crowd of girls than Sakura was she was still very much apparently taking Sasuke's side even if she said otherwise. Why else was she making him apologize and not the bastard? It could go both ways as far as the blonde saw it.

A/N: Hope you guys liked this chapter. I did have Chapter 6 going in a different way but ah well so Chapter 7 took a bit to figure out or the endings and few key points that had to be added in could make sense later on in different chapters.

I was going to take out the time between Sai and Naruto but I wasn't sure on how to explain why Kushina's car was pretty much half way across town and honestly this also gave me a great opening to put the rolling ball, so to speak, for another part of the story that comes in later that. Like I said earlier, all the important characters have pretty much been revealed.

READ & REVIEW

Chapter 8 coming up; might be a bit delayed as well since i'm still dealing with a cold but i hope to have it posted up quickly to make up for the day I missed. I think I missed a day...my sense of time is all messed up thanks to being sick. v.v

There goes my 'chapter-a-day' plan : (

EITHER WAY I HOPE YOU LOOK FORWARD TO IT!