Hey guys! It's been a while. Sorry, I hate that I put things off. Anyway, Happy New Year! I hope y'all enjoy this chapter! Lemme know what you think :D

Naruto and Sasuke look towards the ground and slowly drag their feet towards their families, scared to look them in the face, scared to see the disappointment and anger in their eyes, scared because that anger and disappointment is directed at them.

"What do you think you guys are doing?!" Kushina yells loudly, causing the boys to wince.

"Kushina. It's better if we handle this at home." Minato says, even though you can clearly see the anger in his face by his narrow eyes and tight jaw, his whole body screams with tension but he puts a hand on his wife's shoulder as a small way to comfort her.

The officers in the building cock their eyes over to the family, taking pity on the boys but finding is funny too since the boys had it coming. This will teach them to play dumb pranks.

Kushina looks at him, still obviously angry and grumbles an okay, she turns to walk out the door but stops, her hand tightly gripping the door handle, "We will definitely talk about this at home." Kushina looks towards her son a glare graces her soft features, but in her glare Naruto can see not only anger but fear and worry, causing Naruto to feel so much more guilty, she turns after looking at her son and then heads towards the car.

Minato looks at Naruto and firmly tells him to come along, he then turns to walk out the door and sees Kirie also fuming, "I'll be in the car with your mother. Don't be too long." He leaves.

"Naruto..." Kirie says through gritted teeth.

Naruto looks up, and sees fury and disappointment in her eyes, he also sees something else. Sadness? Maybe it's also worry?

Kirie walks over to Naruto, tears now running down her face, the anger still there but mostly replaced with betrayal and sadness, "Why'd you lie to me?" Kirie looks down.

Naruto gulps, he don't know what to say. He just wanted to spend some time with Sasuke doing something stupid. Naruto opens his mouth to speak, only to close it again, afraid to say the wrong thing.

Kirie doesn't hear anything come from Naruto which causes her to become red hot again, "Don't you have anything to say?! You're suppose to be my boyfriend! Why are you lying to me!? I can't understand why you promised me you wouldn't do that and then go do it! I didn't want you to do it, not to ruin your fun, but to keep this from happening! Cause I care about you!..." Kirie's tears increase and her voice breaks, "Don't you care for me at all?" She looks up at Naruto, pleading for his words with her eyes. Her voice is desperate, her face is contorted with worry, hurt, but there is hope, hope that Naruto will say the right words so she can just forgive him and stop this stupid fight, hope that Naruto loves her like she loves him, hope that they can move forward after their first fight. Hope that this won't happen again.

Naruto's chest feels like it's going to burst with regret, he looks towards Sasuke to see Itachi talking to him, Sasuke just stands there. His jaw and eyes tense yet still unreadable. Naruto looks back towards Kirie, her teary eyes staring at him hard but he then quickly looks down, he can't stand seeing her hurt like that, he can't stand that she is hurt like this because of him but still, he can't speak.

Kirie balls up her first, fresh tears roll down her already tear stained cheeks, she looks at Naruto and chokes up, she closes her eyes hard as tears continue to roll down, "Idiot!" Kirie turns and runs out the door.

Naruto looks up and reaches for her, telling her to wait but she has already gone. So Naruto stands there, unable to even think about anything so he stands there waiting for Sasuke and Itachi's conversation too finish.

"We'll finish this conversation at home." Itachi mutters, "And if hanging out with Naruto is being a bad influence then I won't allow it anymore." Itachi says loud enough so Naruto can hear.

Naruto looks up, worry all over his face.

Itachi looks hard at Naruto, and then he turns on his heels and walks out the door.

Naruto lightly jogs over to Sasuke, "Are you okay? Is he really gonna stop you from seeing me?"

Sasuke tenses up even more, he feels a knot coming up from his throat, choking him.

"Sasuke?" Naruto tries to get closer.

Sasuke keeps his eyes down, "I gotta go."

And without so much as a goodbye, Sasuke walks out the door, leaving Naruto to himself.

Naruto watches the door close and after a couple minutes to himself he too walks out and gets into his parents car so they can go home and he can be murdered by his parents. Oh! How wonderful!

Naruto lays his head against the window.

"If I don't see Sasuke tomorrow I'll call the police. Wait! I might be dead by the mornin too!"

Naruto tries to open the backdoor of the car, only to fail. He realizes his parents put the child lock on, he tries the other door.

Fail.

Naruto looks at the back of his parents heads, fear flooding his eyes.

"Escape is impossible, Naruto." Kushina says without looking back towards Naruto.

"They're really gonna kill me, ain't they?"

Naruto gulps.

Sasuke and Itachi finally arrive home. Sasuke looks over at Itachi as he gets out and slams the car door, Sasuke winces. Sasuke watches Itachi take out his keys, unlock the door and go inside without even looking back.

A single tear escapes from Sasuke's eye before he wipes it away roughly.

"Why is he THAT mad...?" Sasuke mumbles to himself before getting out of the car to face his doom.

Sasuke walks up to the door and grabs the handle but pauses, he is nervous. Itachi has never been this mad before.

Itachi sits in the kitchen, waiting.

Sasuke opens the door and walks in, and quietly shuts the door. Sasuke looks around, Itachi is no where in sight so he tries to sneak to his room at the end of the hall before Itachi can stop him.

As Sasuke starts a fast pace to his room, his passes by the kitchen.

"Sasuke."

Sasuke pauses in mid-step.

"Get in here."

Sasuke droops and walks into the kitchen, his eyes cast down to the floor, his hands gripping his jeans so hard they ride up his ankles, he doesn't want to look at the disappointment in his brothers eyes. He doesn't think he could hold back his emotions if he looks.

"Help me understand why I'm getting a call in the middle of the night by the police to come get you for pulling some stupid prank."

Itachi sounds calm.

Sasuke doesn't answer, just keeps his eyes down, trying hard to not let his feelings get outta control.

"You ain't got nothing to say to me?" Itachi narrows his eyes, "Can't you look at me when I'm speaking to you?!"

Sasuke jumps, "I'm sorry.."

Itachi gives a mock laugh, "Sorry? That don't help when the police are involved. You think sorry is gonna fix it cause you wanted to go be stupid with your friend?" Itachi turns his head as his wipes his irritated face, "Maybe you shouldn't be hanging out with him." Itachi says turning his head to face Sasuke again.

Sasuke jerks his head up, "No! You can't do that!"

Itachi furrows his brows, "No? Ain't I your guardian because our parents are dead?"

Sasuke breaks, tears slip down his face.

"What is crying gonna do?! Don't you know how hard I work to support the both of us! Do you know the responsibilities I've had to take on because our parents died!? And now you are getting in trouble with the police!? Why are you being such a burden!? I'm trying my hardest Sasuke." Itachi looks at Sasuke with a tired look, pleading for peace, pleading for rest.

Sasuke casts his eyes down again, he feels dead inside, the one thing Itachi could say to break his heart, he said. The pain is so unbearable that it almost doesn't feel like pain. His tears gradually come to a stop, his heartbeat slows, almost like it's stopped. He is a burden to the one person who took care of him when their parents died, to the one person who he loves the most, his big brother. Sasuke eyes are blank, he feels empty, complete and utter emptiness. First the love of his life chooses someone else over him and he has to pretend and play the best friend and now he finds out that his worst fears, his worse nightmares about him and his brother are true but Sasuke can't feel right now.

Itachi sighs, "I'm going to bed. You're grounded so go to bed too." Itachi gets to the kitchen door and stops, "Give me your phone."

Sasuke reaches into his pocket and casually pulls out his phone and hands it to Itachi and then Sasuke is left alone. After what feels like hours of standing in the kitchen he turns and drags his feet to his room. Sasuke opens the door but doesn't turn on the light, the moon shines in from the window, giving him enough light to see. Sasuke feels cold, he feels dead but he's still alive. He puts on his pajamas and lays down, he pulls the blanket to his chest and lays his arms over top of the blanket, he wants to cry but no tears escape, so Sasuke stares at the glow-in-the-dark stars all over his ceiling, trying to find at least a small amount of peace.

Sasuke feels heavy, his whole body feels numb, he feels like dying, nobody would miss him anyway. Itachi would finally be free and Naruto would get to spend even more time with Kirie, all his friends would be fine anyway. All those people will finally be free of him. So it doesn't matter, maybe he should kill himself. Wouldn't it be so easy to die? To just lay here and die?

No, these thoughts are just a desperate way to achieve peace quickly, maybe he'll just move out and go far away, so he can live his own life. That seems best, Sasuke will put up with pain a little while longer until he can be free. Until he can finally be free of everyone else, so he can continue his life. Death won't solve nothing. Death isn't the freedom he wants.

Sasuke then closes his tired and swollen eyes, he falls into a gentle sleep after have founding a little bit peace.

Naruto opens his still tired eyes, his parents really gave it to him last night and he barely got any sleep but he yawns and sits up as the alarm on his phone goes off. He reaches for his phone and turns off the alarm, "Time for school." Naruto yawns again, he thinks of Sasuke and how he might be doing after last night, so he decides to text Sasuke, hoping he isn't dead.

"Yo Sasu, everything good?"

Naruto presses send and decides to eat breakfast while waiting for Sasuke's response so he leaves his room and heads to the kitchen. As he walks into the kitchen he sees his mum. His dad works in an office and has to go in the early morning, so Naruto sits down and Kushina puts a plate of eggs, bacon and pancakes in front of him.

"Thanks."

Kushina nods and then sits down herself to eat breakfast, "You are to come home right after school."

Naruto looks at his mum and can tell she is still upset about last night, well, technically this morning. Naruto looks at his phone to see if Sasuke has replied, and nothing.

Naruto sighs.

"Do you understand?" Kushina is looking at him now, waiting for his reply.

Naruto looks up, he forgot that she was even talking to him, "Y-yeah. Okay."

Kushina looks at him suspiciously but continues to eat.

Naruto finishes and heads off to school.

Sasuke wakes up, the sun beating into his eyelids. Sasuke pulls his forearm over his eyes, as he sighs from annoyance. He lays there for a few minutes, willing himself to fully awake.

Sasuke sits up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He rubs his face, yawning and then he looks at his clock and he groans, he doesn't feel like going to school but he doesn't wanna spend time here either. Being grounded means he has to come straight home after school but why? It's not like Itachi cares anyway.

Sasuke smirks, he has a plan and he is gonna ask Naruto if he wants to go along with it.

"I bet the dobe will love to skip school with me." Sasuke then proceeds to get up and get ready, he ain't got his phone so he'll have to go to school to meet Naruto.

"Since Naruto has a car it will be easier getting to where I wanna go."

Sasuke arrives at school and there waiting for him at the front door, freezing his butt off, is none other than Naruto. Sasuke stops and stares, he watches Naruto shiver, holding his arms with both hands, trying to desperately stay warm even though it isn't working. Sasuke actually smiles at this, trying not to bust out laughing.

"Ahh! It's sooooo cold! When is Sasuke gonna get here?!" Naruto shivers, his teeth chattering and then Naruto turns his head and sees Sasuke standing there, watching him and smirking,"Is he frigging laughin at me?! That teme!" Naruto runs over towards him and punches him in the arm, "Are ya laughin at me, teme?!"

Sasuke chuckles, "How can I not, dobe? You look funny freezing your butt off."

Naruto's furrows his brows, "I was waitin for you, idiot! I was gonna see if you were okay, but ya know what? Nevermind." Naruto pretends to not care as he turns to head into the school.

Sasuke laughs out allowed.

Naruto turns around and smiles, "Come on, teme!" Naruto waves at Sasuke to come, "The bell will ring soon!"

"Wait! Naruto! C'mere!" Sasuke walks to Naruto's car that's parked near the school entrance.

Naruto gives Sasuke a curious look but trails after him anyway.

"What is it, Sasuke?"

"I'm skipping school today and I want you to come with me. Plus, we have your car so it will make things easier."

"Skipping school? But Sasuke, you haven't ever done that."

"So? I am now. Let's go." Sasuke nods his head towards the car.

"Sasuke, I can't. I have to go straight home after school. If my parents found out about this then I would die for sure and if Itachi finds out then he might keep you away from me. Come on, let's just go to school."

"No! I don't wanna go to school, I don't wanna go home! I just...I just..." Sasuke takes off in the other direction, away from the school.

Naruto chases him but Sasuke is too fast, so Naruto loses him.

Naruto stops to breathe, wondering why Sasuke freaked out. Maybe Sasuke is just gonna go home. Naruto tries not to worry but he goes back to school. He'll text Sasuke later to make sure he is okay.

After finally losing Naruto, Sasuke was able to slow his pace and walk. Sasuke has been walking for 40 minutes down the road, trying to get out of the town. But at this rate it will take him forever to get where he wants to go. So Sasuke sticks out his thumb, he is gonna hitchhike.

After 15 minutes of the combination of walking and waiting for someone to pick him up, someone finally pulls over and rolls down the window.

Sasuke jogs up to the window, there is a young guy driving, he looks around 25 but he looks like a normal dude.

"Where ya headed?"

"I'm just heading a few miles north."

The stranger seems to contemplate but nods his head for Sasuke to get in.

Sasuke smiles, he is excited. Thrilled since this is his first time hitchhiking, "Thanks man. I really appreciate this."

The stranger gives a small smile, "No problem. I've done right much hitchhiking myself. I know it can be difficult so for the people who took me in, I wanna do that for someone too."

Sasuke smiles and thanks the man again.

"Just give me directions to where you're goin'"

Sasuke nods.

Itachi had to work overtime so he is getting home late now, around 9:00 pm. He walks through the front door figuring Sasuke is locked up in his room. Itachi just wants to get into bed, he has to get up earlier than usual tomorrow.

Itachi drags his feet to his room and changes into his pajamas, he then goes to the kitchen to eat something quick so he can get to bed, so he makes himself some cereal.

As Itachi eats he thinks about last night, guilt crept up on him this morning and so all day he has been feeling like crap. Itachi couldn't wait to get home so he could clear some things up with his little brother. He doesn't think Sasuke is a burden but he was so stressed, so mad, so worried and it was all jumbled together and he ended up saying things he shouldn't have so he wants to apologize and talk to Sasuke more calmly and explain some things to him.

Itachi washes out his bowl and heads to Sasuke's room. He stops at the door and knocks, "Sasuke, can I come in?"

Nothing.

Itachi knocks again.

Nothing.

"Sasuke?" Itachi opens the door, revealing a dark and empty room.

"Sasuke?!" Itachi turns on Sasuke's light, he then searches the rest of the house.

Nothing.

He thinks about calling but remembers that he has Sasuke's phone.

"What do I do?" Itachi is panicking, still searching the whole house.

Then he thinks of Naruto and calls.

"Hello?" Naruto answers with a mouth full of food.

"This is Itachi."

Naruto swallowed his food, "Something wrong?"

Itachi grips his phone tighter, trying to remain calm, "Is Sasuke there with you?"

He hears Naruto's chair hit the ground as Naruto stands up too quickly, "No. Is he not home?"

Panic.

"No. Do you know something?"

Naruto's face twists into worry, his parents, who were sitting around the table with Naruto are now fully at attention, worry easily seen on their faces, "Well, we met at school earlier and he wanted me to go with him somewhere and skip school."

Panic.

"Where was he wanting to go?" Itachi feels tears stinging his eyes.

"I don't know. I told him I couldn't go and then he just ran off, I ran after him but I thought he would just go home since he needed my car to get there. Are you sure he's not there?"

Itachi can hear the panic, the worry and the tears from Naruto over the phone.

"Naruto."

"Yes?" Naruto says, now sobbing.

"Will you come over here and help me find him?" Tears are freely streaming from Itachi's face now, "Please. I need to find him."

Naruto nods, wiping his tears on his sleeve even though tears continue to fall and then he remembers he is on the phone, "Yeah, I'll be right over."

Intense? I hope. :) I hope y'all liked it. I hope to write the next chapter soon. But I hope y'all have a great new year and I hope y'all enjoy my stories. I plan on writing a whole lot this year! Please look for me! xD