Chapter Two

The Rift


Sasuke's dark orbs jumped open as he abruptly sat up, he felt the cold sweat roll off of his back. He looked beside him to see the the ticking of his clock on the bedside table. 3:08AM. His onyx globes narrowed as his breathing slowed back to normal. "Another dream…" he recalled the nightmare that he saw just moments ago. Again, it was about Itachi and his last moments with his older brother until Naruto comes running to him while darkness falls around him, holding out his outstretched hand only for Sasuke to bat it away. It's always at this point he wakes up with a start.

He wiped at the sweat on his brow as he dangled his legs over the edge of his double bed, after his first week in hospital with daily check ups from Sakura, he was cleared to move into a room in the Hokage's headquarters where he could be easily secured incase he breached his contract. Sasuke's brows furrowed as he recalled his time with Tsunade just over a week ago.


(Flashback)

Sasuke entered the Hokages office with a piece of paper in his hand.

Tsunade briskly looked up from mission reports dating back from months ago, frantically trying to catch up on some work. "Sasuke, would it kill you to knock!? Show some respect!" she glanced down at the piece of paper in his hand, forgetting her growing irritation. She set her pen down on her desk as she stood up and folded her arms across her chest. "Have you come here to give me your contract?"

"Hn" the raven haired boy narrowed his eyes at the older blonde as he approached her and set the piece of paper down on her tabletop. "Here" he said simply.

Tsunade eyed the raven haired boy before averting her gaze to the contract on the other side of her desk. She picked it up and skimmed through it before seeing his name signed at the bottom of the page. Her hazel orbs widened a fraction "he actually signed it at every single point" she thought incredulously. She was sure he would challenge her on this. "So this is your final decision?" she asked, looking back up to the young Uchiha.

Sasuke didn't understand why this was so shocking to her, after all, the alternative was death and he wasn't exactly ready to die just yet. The older woman took his silence as a yes before she tucked away the piece of paper in one of the many folders scattered over her desk. "Shizune!" She called as the black haired woman came rushing to her side "give this to the village Elders. Tell them that Sasuke Uchiha has made his decision. He will be under my and the ANBU's care for the next twelve months, beginning today."

"Yes milady!" Shizune frantically rushed to the door.

"And Shizune!" the darker haired woman looked back to see the blonde looking stern "make sure you bring back a copy of the contract. I don't want any tampering with it. In fact, give them a copy and bring the original back to me" Her hazel orbs narrowed as she spoke, there was a certain dark haired man with a cross marked across his chin that Tsunade didn't trust within the Konoha council.

Shizune's voice was stern as she replied "Of course Lady Tsunade." With that, she allowed the door to creak shut behind her as she left.

Sasuke narrowed his dark orbs. "Tampering?" he repeated to himself "why would anyone tamper with it…?"

"Tsunade" voiced the young Uchiha.

"That's Lady Hokage to you, brat. What did I just tell you about respect?" She barked back before sighing while she sat back into her chair "well what is it?"

"What do you mean 'tamper'?" He decided now was the time to ask.

Tsunade narrowed her hazel orbs at the young Uchiha. "It's better to be cautious with these things, it's nothing to be concerned about" she said simply, allowing her chin to rest on her interlocked fingers, recalling her suspicions of Danzo. She never trusted him and if she wasn't mistaken, he always had a sour taste in his mouth when the Uchiha name came up for reasons she was unsure of.

"Hn" Sasuke decided not to press the issue although he was suspicious. Anyway, it was only natural that someone probably wouldn't want a missing nin of his caliber to be let loose into the village again.

"There is a room set up for you a few doors down from my office, this is only temporary until your probation period is over. I'm going to schedule an interrogation for you tomorrow morning at 9AM. I've already spoken to Ibiki about this and he agreed to lead it with Inoichi. It's just a standard procedure to abide by in missing nin cases. Will you consent to this?"

"Do I have a choice?" Sasuke stated more than asked. His voice was nonchalant but Tsunade knew better. Her brows furrowed as her hazel orbs narrowed into slits and she gritted her teeth. Losing her temper, she rose up and smacked her palm on her desk, glaring at the young Uchiha who didn't even flinch.

"You Brat!" she seethed "asking for your consent was just civility, we could easily interrogate you without it! Be grateful that you haven't suffered beyond this contract, a missing nin like you would beg for an opportunity like this!" She shut her eyes tightly before pinching the bridge of her nose, calming herself down. "I don't want to have you executed Sasuke" she began, earning the raven haired boys interest.

"You are the last of the Uchiha clan" she began, her voice calming "you're young and you are a formidable shinobi but you act like a juvenile." This earned a slight glare from Sasuke but it unfazed her, "I want you to have a future here. I want the Uchiha clan to have a future here again."

His onyx orbs widened considerably, Tsunade noticed this as she locked eye contact with the raven haired boy. "The Sharingan is an invaluable asset to this village, it always has been. It'd be a shame to waste the last of your bloodline and the potential you carry."

"Restore my clan…?" Sasukes usual calm facade fell for an instant to reveal the interest he was taking in Tsunade's words. This was the first time in a long time that he felt there was any hope of a future here in Konoha.

"Yes. I wish that for you and this village in the future." Tsunade sat down as her voice turned stern "but that doesn't change the fact that you left this village to go to Orochimaru! If you want a future in this village and a chance at restoring the Uchiha clan, you're going to have to cooperate with us like I'm cooperating with you. So don't be such a disrespectful brat about it and just do what you're told!"

Sasuke's gaze fell to the ground as he mulled over Tsunade's words. "Restore the Uchiha clan… here in Konoha?" He thought of seeing his home only a few days ago. His onyx orbs narrowed as he locked contact with the older woman "is that why the Uchiha district is still standing?"

"That's correct. I was adamant that we don't dismantle it until we capture you."

"But why?" Sasuke asked, his voice was stern as his orbs skeptically narrowed at the older woman.

Tsunade broke the eye contact as she had a distant look in her hazel orbs. "Because Naruto insisted he was definitely going to bring you back."

Sasuke's orbs narrowed slightly "and you believed him?"

"Of course I believed him" she barked "look around you! Where do you think you are? It's all because Naruto pushed me to not give up on you, he pushed everybody to keep believing you can be saved!"

"Naruto… that idiot" Sasuke thought as his eyes softened for just a moment.

"Speaking of which, did you talk to him like I asked?" she questioned.

Sasuke thought back to the last time he saw the young blonde, sitting on a bench. The raven haired boy envisioned his face so clearly in his mind as tears streamed down his cheeks. "Yes" he replied simply, not elaborating and Tsunade didn't ask.

"Good. If it weren't for him, none of this would be happening. You need to understand that."

"The interrogation is at 9AM. Is that correct?"

"Yes, that is correct. Will you consent to this, Sasuke?" She asked once more.

Sasuke narrowed his orbs as he nodded once.

"Good. Then don't be late. Now if that's all, then leave. I have all this work to do and your ANBU guard is outside to escort you."

(End flashback)


Sasuke rested his forehead into his palm as he sat on the edge of his new bed. Tsunade's words refused to leave his mind ever since she said them. He didn't want to believe this, it was too kind, too perfect. Nothing came this easy. A vision of Naruto pushed itself into his minds eye as he recalled Tsunade's words.

"It's all because Naruto pushed me to not give up on you, he pushed everybody to keep believing you can be saved!"

Was this all really Naruto's doing? Did that one incredulous idea of their 'bond' really create all of this? This second chance? His chest tightened as his brows furrowed thinking about it. The question he asked the young blonde four years ago still constantly bothered him, he needed to know why. "Naruto, why would you go so far for me?" He couldn't deny the feeling that swelled up in his chest. It was four long years since he felt it but it was almost as if he was happy. He never regretted leaving the village or avenging his clan. But never did he expect this type of forgiveness from anybody.

He glanced up at his clock. 3:43AM. This was never a good time to be awake. Thoughts ran rampant and feelings were stronger than they would be at 3:43PM. He lied back into his bed comfortably and slipped into a deeper sleep than ever before. Only this time, his dreams weren't haunted by his brother but instead it was Naruto, once again holding out his outstretched hand to Sasuke who lost himself in this vast darkness. This time he didn't want to bat away the hand held out to him, he simply reached out and grabbed it as hard as he could. Just this once, he resigned himself over to something more than just a mere whim.


Naruto allowed a cup of ramen to cool while he put on his orange and black jacket, remembering how it has been Jiraya that urged him to but it. "The clothes make the man!" He'd say with a certain grin that could let him get away with murder. It had only been over a week but the ache of losing his master was as strong as it had been when he heard the bad news. He recalled his talk with the raven haired boy that night and they hadn't seen each other since.

"Sasuke…" he thought "I wonder what he's doing."

The young blonde glanced back at his clock on the bedside table. 10:11AM. There was nothing in particular he had to do today but it was time he left his small apartment. The atmosphere became sultry the longer he moped around in his room. He woofed down his ramen and hurried out the door as he ran through Konoha on the rooftops for no reason in particular. It felt good to get some fresh air and feel it brush against his skin, it felt cleansing. A small smile graced his lips "I think I'll see how Sasuke's going." As if on que, he looked down to see Sasuke walking the streets of Konoha underneath the roof top he was running on.

Sensing the familiar chakra signature, Sasuke looked up and onyx immediately met blue. Naruto came to a sudden halt on the rooftop as they locked eye contact. The immediate stop was harsh and Naruto lost his footing on a loose tile, stumbling around before plummeting to the earth, he quickly gained his composure, skilfully landing feet first when he reached the ground right in front of Sasuke.

He looked up as he wiped a nervous sweat off of his brow "that was close" he said to no one in particular before noticing the raven haired boy staring at him through hooded eyes. "Huh? What's that look for!?" Naruto exclaimed.

"You haven't changed much at all" Sasuke said nonchalantly.

Naruto's blue orbs widened a fraction, his irritation faded as his lips curled into a smile. "You're wrong! It's been a long time since you've been gone Sasuke and I'm telling you now, I could probably beat you without breaking a sweat!" he teased.

"Hn, whatever" Sasuke scoffed "you're still a loser."

The young blonde pouted as he folded his arms across his chest. "Why're you out here anyway? What happened Sasuke?" Naruto asked, remembering he needed to know why he was all of a sudden wandering around the village.

"It's just part of my contract. I can leave the Hokages headquarters whenever needed."

"Really!?" Naruto exclaimed grinning "that's great! So Granny Tsunade came through after all."

"Hn."

"What're you doing now?" Naruto asked.

"I've been given an D rank mission to complete" he replied nonchalantly.

Naruto stared at the raven haired boy before bursting out into a sudden fit of laughter, leaving Sasuke slightly confused. The young blonde wiped a tear forming at the corner of his blue globes before resting his hand on Sasuke's shoulder. "Thats right, you're still a genin!"

"You're a Chuunin?" Sasuke questioned, glancing at the hand that rested on him.

Naruto's laughter ceased immediately and he stole his hand back as he scratched his temple "uhh" he began coyly "not yet but I will be! Even if I'm a Genin for the rest of my life, I'll still be Hokage and I will beat you Sasuke."

Naruto's voice was stern and serious, earning Sasuke's full attention. He contemplated his friends words before smirking. "Hn whatever. I have a mission to complete." He began to walk past the young blonde.

Naruto watched Sasuke disappear around a corner before a grin settled on his lips. Things finally felt right in Konoha again, even if they did argue about nothing at times. For them, it was just like having a conversation and the young blonde would be lying if he said he didn't miss it.


"It appears that Sasuke Uchiha's interrogation results were deemed honest." Danzo began "it is indeed true that he did kill both Orochimaru and Itachi. Ibiki and Inoichi are the best in the interrogation unit, but I want you to keep a close watch on the Uchiha boy. Although there was nothing found that could incriminate Sasuke that we didn't already know, he is still not to be trusted. Can I trust you will this mission?"

Sai looked up to stare at Danzo. "Yes, you can entrust this mission to me."

"Good" the older man said "I expect you to inform me of any suspicious activity you speculate from Sasuke Uchiha."


Naruto had lost track of time. Since his run in with Sasuke, something in him changed. His whole day had turned upside down from what he expected it to be and he couldn't stop smiling if he wanted to.

"Naruto!" He heard someone call his name.

Looking up from the ground, he found a head of pink hair running toward him. "Oh hey Sakura. How are you?"

She came to a halt in front of him "I'm good… how are you?" she asked hesitantly. The last time she had seen him had been in the Hokages office when they received news of Jiraya's sudden passing. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't worried about the blonde.

He gave her a weak smile "I'm good."

She could tell he wasn't as good as he made himself out to be. Her green globes softened, if she wasn't mistaken, there was something else different about him too. "Say, Naruto" she began "have you seen Sasuke recently?" She noticed she caught his attention so she continued "it'll be nice to have him on our team again."

"What?!" Naruto exclaimed "on our team!? Sasuke's coming back?!"

Sakura's eyes widened slightly at her friends reaction "he didn't tell you?" she wondered.

"No? But that's great news!" He exclaimed as his blue orbs brightened. She couldn't help but smile at the sight, Naruto's feelings were contagious after all.

"Yep, that's right! Only six months after his probation period too" she said with a smile "Lady Tsunade worked out a really good deal for him considering his circumstance."

Naruto smiled as his gaze fell to the ground. "Yeah, she did" he said. "Thank you Granny" he thought to himself.

"Oh, by the way, a few of us are going to meet up for dinner tonight. You know the one Choji likes with the barbecue?"

"Oh, right I know that place" Naruto said evenly.

"Well I was wondering if you'd like to come? And maybe, um," she continued shyly before locking eye contact with the young blonde "and maybe you can bring Sasuke too. He just seems so gloomy when I go in there for his check ups" she ended as her cheeks coloured themselves pink.

"Oh!" Naruto exclaimed "yeah sure I'll come" he said grinning "I don't know about Sasuke but I'll ask him."

"Great! I've gotta go hand these patient reports into Lady Tsunade now but I'll see you tonight!" She said as she already started pacing to the Hokages building.

He watched her leave before deciding to turn and walk back home. "That's right, I almost forgot… Sakura really loves Sasuke." The corner of Naruto's lip twitched upward as he made his way through the village. "I wonder how Sasuke feels about Sakura now?" He shook his head slightly.

He recalled memories of when the three of them were in team seven. Naruto hated when Sakura would focus her attention on Sasuke. Why is it that he hates the idea of Sasuke having feelings for her now? Frustration bit at him as he shook off any thoughts of the raven haired boy as he neared his apartment.


"Pain" Madara began "when you go to Konoha to retrieve the Jinchuuriki, try to make sure Itachi's younger brother Sasuke comes back with you of his own free will."

"Sasuke Uchiha?" Pain interrogated "why is it so important that boy joins us?" Konan carefully listened to the exchange of words.

"He should know the truth about Itachi. And because he is one of the few Uchiha's left. He could serve us well in the battle against Konoha."

"Itachi was a spy. He betrayed us, how can we expect any better of his younger brother?" Konan interjected. Pain simply looked to Madara, silently agreeing with the older woman.

It was only a few days ago that the masked man exposed the truth about Itachi to the two Akatsuki members. If Pain was in any way surprised, then he definitely didn't show it. After all, if anybody was capable of pulling off a scheme that brilliantly it was Itachi.

"If Sasuke still decides to stay in that village then that's just too bad, he will be eradicated along with the rest of Konoha. But how would you feel if you were in his position?" Madara questioned, knowing full well about the two Akatsuki members old friend, Yahiko. "Maybe you could relate."

After a moments silence, Konan glanced at the orange haired form beside her before looking to the ground. She was leaving the decision up to Pain entirely.

"And besides" Madara continued "the Jinchuuriki and Sasuke are close friends from what I've seen. No matter how hard he tries to repudiate that bond, it'll still be there. Perhaps this can assist you in capturing the Jinchuuriki."

"Very well" Pain proclaimed after a moments contemplation "I will be setting out for Konoha as soon as possible."


Sasuke glanced at his white shirt. He patted it down, trying to brush away the stray bits of fur. His mission was to find a stray cat that was said to be undomesticated and a public nuisance as it bulldozed its way through the villagers garbage, leaving waste everywhere and would become aggressive every time a human came into contact with it. The mission report proved to be accurate, even Sasuke had trouble subjugating the feline without earning a few scratches here and there.

He looked down at the hissing cat, in the cage the raven haired boy trapped him in. As much as he would deny this if the topic arose, he liked cats. He preferred them over dogs. They were clean, sophisticated, independent and for the most part, quiet. He held the cat at eye level as he made his way back to the Hokages office. He peered inside of the cage, looking for the cat that seemed to have recoiled into the back of its prison until a paw swiped at the young Uchiha's face but he narrowly dodged its claws.

It pawed it's way up to the front of the bars and sat, staring at Sasuke. He admired the white and orange stripes that coloured its fur and the way it's bright green slitted orbs scouted the area around them. His thoughts drifted to another time as he allowed the cage to rest at his side while he walked back to the Hokages headquarters.

Before he knew it, he was standing outside of the Hokages office. He forcibly shook off any thoughts of a certain blonde and his hand hovered over the door handle. He paused for a moment before deciding to knock on her door first.

"Come in" he heard Tsunade's muffled voice on the other side. With that, he pushed the door open and strode in.

"I see your mission was a success" she mused as she eyed the cage.

"What do you want me to do with it?" Sasuke asked nonchalantly.

Tsunade glanced at the cat inside of the cage "well, the only logical solution would be to give it to the pound to put down. It's a very old cat, they've had all sorts of troubles with it for awhile now" She watched as the young boy simply stared at her but judging by his silence, she assumed he disagreed. "Do you have a better idea?" she asked, folding her arms across her chest.

"I know someone" he began "her name is Nekobaa. She runs a supply shop the Uchiha clan used to often trade with. I've never known her to say no to another cat."

"You know someone?" Tsunade mused "well for beginners, that's a surprise in itself, you're not exactly social" her scrutiny earned her a subtly glare from the Uchiha, she simply disregarded it. "Does she live in Konoha?"

"She lives in Sora-Ku, the abandoned city."

"You know damn well you're not allowed to leave the village! That is out of the question." Tsunade barked. "Why don't you just keep the cat if you don't want to put it down so badly!"

Sasuke glanced at the cat before hearing Tsunade's door creak open to reveal a silver haired man.

"Doesn't anybody knock around here!? Kakashi, what is it?" the older woman asked.

"Sorry Lady Tsunade" the silver haired man said in a polite tone as he tucked away the last edition of Icha Icha into his pocket. "Forgive me for intruding but I was walking past and couldn't help but hear that the cat had to be put down. If Sasuke has an alternative, I'd be happy to bring it myself. I vaguely heard something about the abandoned city?"

"That's right. But in a time of turmoil with the Akatsuki, we need all the able bodied shinobi we can get right now" Tsunade ended sternly.

"If you'd reconsider, I know the way and would be able to make fast travelling time."

Tsunade sighed "why does this cat mean so much to you people!?" She stared daggers at the cat before it's green orbs stared back at her. A high pitched meow escaped it's jaws and her hazel orbs softened. "Fine!" She spat "but be back before today is over or I will not be happy!"

"Yes, of course Lady Tsunade" Kakashi respectfully bowed as he headed for the exit.

"You're dismissed Sasuke." Tsunade voiced as he followed his former teacher out of her office. "So he likes cats, huh? He is full of surprises" the older woman thought to herself as she chuckled slightly, before getting back to work on mission reports.


"Why'd you do that Kakashi?" Sasuke asked nonchalantly as they walked down the hall. "I don't remember you even remotely liking animals."

"Well, I saw you staring at that cat on the way over here and I think the only other person I've seen you look at like that is Naruto. So, I figured that cat must be pretty important to you" Kakashi teased but his smile quickly faded once he saw his former students expression drop.

"Naruto" Sasuke thought in frustration. He had recently come to terms that he didn't hate the young blonde. If anything he did like him and he had to admit they do have an unusually persistent bond… But is it that noticeable? Is there really a certain look he gives Naruto?

"It looks like that cat has really taken a liking to you" Kakashi changed the topic as Sasuke peered into the cage to hear the feline purring comfortably.

"Hn" Sasuke handed the cage to Kakashi as they reached the exit of the building.

Kakashi took the handle before averting his gaze to Sasuke. "How're you settling in? Must be a little strange for you being back here, huh? You probably thought you wouldn't ever be in Konoha again."

Sasuke mulled over his words before responding "It's fine."

"You're the last of the Uchiha clan Sasuke, it's only fitting you're back here after all" Kakashi said with a smile.

"I'm not the last" bit out the raven haired boy before earning a curious glance from Kakashi. He thought of one of the last few words he exchanged with Itachi about Madara Uchiha but until he could find out that he was even still alive, it wasn't worth mentioning. "You also posses the Sharingan, Kakashi" he ended, diverting the conversation.

"Oh" spoke the silver haired man, his one eye curving upward from his smile. "I wouldn't call myself an Uchiha though. But thanks anyway, I'd take that as a compliment."

"Hn."

The two forms fell into silence as the sun began to set "well" Kakashi began "I better get this cat to Nekobaa before sun goes down."

"Wait, how do you know Nekobaa?" Sasuke interrogated.

"Well, if you don't remember, I'm pretty sure team seven was assigned a mission to retrieve a cats paw print for her encyclopaedia." Kakashi said matter of factly.

"Hn" Sasuke watched as the silver haired man walked away before disappearing with the cat. He did remember that mission but it happened so long ago. And if he wasn't mistaken, he remembered Nekobaa saying it was a task set by Itachi for Sasuke specifically. He recalled memories of when Itachi would go to the older woman to run errands for their clan, Sasuke often insisted on coming with him yet every time he couldn't help but get bored. So Itachi would make the raven haired boy collect paw prints which began the paw encyclopaedia. He furrowed his brows. It was memories like those that sometimes made it hard for him to believe his brother was the monster he believes him to be.

"Sasuke?"

The raven haired boy snapped out of his thoughts and looked up from the ground to see Naruto staring directly at him. Their proximity flustered the young Uchiha as he took a step back "what is it Naruto?" he asked dryly.

Naruto blinked "is something wrong? Why're you covered in fur?" he scrutinised.

"Hn, what do you want?" Sasuke didn't want his questions.

Naruto folded his arms across his chest "well I came here because Sakura wanted me to bring you to this dinner thing tonight" his voice was uncharacteristically soft, Sasuke noticed, raising one slim brow he let the blonde continue.

"So? What do you say? Wanna come?" Naruto grinned at the raven haired boy but there was something different about him. If Sasuke didn't know better he'd say it was like he was almost nervous.

"No" he answered after a moments contemplation, although his answer was the same since the question arose. He turned to head back to his room before he felt slender fingers tightly clasp his wrist. He stopped to glance down at Naruto clutching him. "Let me go, Naruto."

Naruto defiantly peered at the raven haired boy before breaking eye contact. He turned on his heel to walk to the restaurant, intending to drag the raven haired boy with him if he had to "come on Sasuke, everyone will wanna see you. Sakura is really excited to spend some time with you as well…" he trailed off and Sasuke noticed his grip loosening around his wrist.

This wasn't like Naruto. Why was he acting so withdrawn? Sasuke turned back to him, only to see his blue orbs fall to the ground and his brows furrow. "What's wrong with you?" He asked.

"What do you mean 'what's wrong with you'?!" Naruto growled as his head snapped back to Sasuke, feeling the blondes grip tighten over his wrist. "You've been here for over two weeks now and you haven't spoken to anyone and we all want to see you! When Sakura comes in for your medical checks you act like you don't even acknowledge her!" His voice lowered and his gaze fell to the hand that gripped Sasuke.

The raven haired boys brows furrowed and he ripped his wrist from Naruto's grip. "I'm not obligated to see anyone" he hissed.

Naruto gritted his teeth "why you…" he spat. The young blonde didn't understand why he felt so dejected all of a sudden, he blurted out his next words without thinking "I brought you back to the village because…" his voice lowered to nothing but a whisper "everyone wanted you back. And since you came back, I've never been happier Sasuke. I don't know why it's with you out of all people but I know that our bond means more to me than I can say. So why don't you just come to see me and Sakura at least, you know?"

Sasuke's onyx orbs widened a fraction and Naruto's words resonated in his mind. He impulsively took a step toward the young blonde before he himself knew what he was doing. He closed the distance so they were only a foot apart "Naruto" he spoke softly.

Naruto felt the whole world still and everything fell silent except for his name lingering in the air between them. His confusion grew and grew until he heard Itachi's words echo in his mind. "What does my brother mean to you?" At this exact moment, he wasn't sure anymore but whatever it was, was something that could change everything and he wasn't sure if he was ready to know.

Sasuke watched as Naruto tensed and it only encouraged him further. Taking one last step closer, the raven haired boy leaned in slightly, loosely snaking his arm over Naruto's shoulder; allowing only a few inches distance between them "I wouldn't go for Sakura."

Naruto sucked in a sharp breath of air as he felt Sasuke's words brush against his cheek. He recalled the first time Sasuke moved in this exact stance at Orochimaru's hideout. The raven haired boy swiftly draped his arm over Naruto's shoulder before drawing his blade, even then he felt himself tense underneath Sasuke's weight. Only this time, there was no blade to his back. This time, he liked their close proximity yet somehow it was still threatening.

His blue orbs looked up to see onyx globes already piercing him. Naruto studied every curve of Sasuke's porcelain features. When did Sasuke look so mature? He hadn't ever seen the raven haired boy properly since he left the village and he could see how much he's grown. "I wonder… How does Sasuke see me now?" he caught himself wondering before immediately cutting off his train of thought. This was Sasuke he was thinking about! Who cares what he thought of Naruto. "Definitely not me" the blonde concluded before forcibly shaking off every insecurity he just felt at the one thought. He plucked Sasuke's arm off of his shoulder before folding his own arms across his chest, encouraging the raven haired boy to step back to create distance between them.

Sasuke raised one slim brow before Naruto spoke "fine! If you don't wanna come for Sakura then why don't you just come for me?" The young blonde pouted as he folded his arms across his chest. He couldn't bare to face the young Uchiha right now otherwise he might've seen the flash of pink that crept up to his cheeks.

"Hn" Sasuke responded, sauntering up to Naruto's side. "I don't like barbecues."

Naruto's jaw slackened as he looked at Sasuke "are you serious!? Why didn't you just say that from the start!?" he said exasperated before taking a deep breath. "So you're not coming then?" Naruto asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I didn't say that" Sasuke began "are you just going to stand there?"

Naruto impatiently eyed the raven haired boy before he began making his way to the restaurant. "I knew you'd end up coming" the blonde brazenly proclaimed "it's because you secretly like barbecues isn't it, Sasuke?" he teased but his companion answered with a simple "hn" before they fell into a comfortable silence.

Naruto became lost in his thoughts as he and Sasuke walked through Konoha. "He wouldn't go for Sakura?" he thought as the last few moments replayed in his mind.

The blonde always knew himself to be thick and people have told him numerous times, but a part of him suspected it wasn't just because of the barbecue that Sasuke agreed to come. His melodic voice danced around in his head over and over as if it was stuck on repeat. "I wouldn't go for Sakura." A smile played on the young blondes lips before feeling his shoulder being shaken violently.

"Naruto, you idiot!" Sakura spouted "this is no time to be day dreaming!" The young blonde blinked a few times before recognising the head of pink hair and green orbs before him, shaking his shoulder to grab his attention.

"Oh, Sakura! Hey!" He scratched the back of his head sheepishly "sorry about that I just kinda—"

"Sasuke!" Sakura interrupted, immediately making her way over to the raven haired boy who stood beside Naruto "I'm happy you could make it" she ended with a grin.

"Hn" Sasuke offered no conversation opener before Sakura just grinned and began to walk alongside them.

"I was just on my way there until I spotted you Naruto, I didn't even realise Sasuke was with you at first. It's taken awhile to get used to seeing you around again…" she trailed off as her green orbs softened, she quickly glanced to the young Uchiha. "It's going to be good when the three of us can be on the same team again. Sai will be with us too so you know what they say, the more the merrier."

"All right!" Naruto exclaimed, turning to Sasuke "Sai is kinda weird but he's alright. You guys should get along, you're both pretty anti social anyway" he said grinning.

"Naruto!" Sakura said dismissively as she waved him off "you and Sai have met before" she said addressing Sasuke "that time we met you at Orocihimaru's hide out for the first time."

Sasuke wasn't particularly interested in who this Sai character was but a vision of the pale boy flashed in his minds eye. Since the very first time they met, he never needed his Sharingan to see that smile of his was completely fake and it was irritating. "Naruto took an instant disliking towards me as well," the young Uchiha recalled him saying. Immediately, Sasuke knew he had been replaced on team seven.

It had to happen sooner or later but at the time, Sasuke hated hearing that name. Naruto. It did things to him that completely went against his wishes, that one name almost convinced him stay in Konoha. How was he supposed to defeat Itachi then? Now he was much stronger and capable of anything.

"However, I have a funny feeling that you and I will get along better than I did with him" Sai continued before Sasuke's blood red orbs shot daggers through him and sent the pale boy into a minor genjutsu. The thought of Sai didn't faze him that much although he was still irritated by that one encounter. But that didn't matter anymore. Sasuke had his sights set on something bigger. The restoration of the Uchiha clan. For this future, he could endure anything.

The raven haired brows furrowed as he simply replied with his usual "hn." But it was obvious to both Sakura and Naruto that he wasn't very thrilled by the idea of working with their new team mate, they exchanged a glance before Sakura came to a halt.

"Looks like we're here!" Sakura began as she walked into the restaurant. "And it also looks like everyone else is too."

Ino was waving over the trio "hey over here!" she called. Sakura enthusiastically rushed over to meet them as she scanned over the group. "Team ten, Team Guy, team eight and Sai. They're all here already, it looks like we're the last to arrive" she thought awkwardly before taking a seat next to Ino and Hinata.

"Hey guys!" Naruto called as he rounded the booth to slide in next to Neji who gave him a welcoming look. Sasuke followed closely behind Naruto and immediately the atmosphere changed.

"Sasuke!" Ino exclaimed exciting before earning a glare from Sakura. But she barely noticed, the blonde haired girl was already put into a state of reverie by the young Uchiha.

"So" Shikamaru was the first to speak "Naruto finally brought you back, did he?" he teased lightly.

"Sasuke?" Choji grumbled through a mouth full of food. He looked up from his plate to the raven haired boy slide in next to Naruto. His eyes widened slightly before abruptly swallowing his pork. Kiba shot Choji a confused look wondering if that went down smoothly at all. Nobody but Choji could pull that off.

Lee shot up from his seat, earning a sigh from Tenten. "Sasuke!" He cried "I was certain that you would return." He held his thumb up as he flashed a grin at the young Uchiha who simply stared at the black haired boy.

"Hasn't he grown up? Time has treated his looks well" Ino whispered to Sakura as the others resumed their small talk, mainly welcoming the raven haired boy back to the village.

Sakura's green orbs immediately iced over as they settled their gaze on her old friend. "Nice observation Ino pig" she bit out, her voice dripped with sarcasm.

"Ha!" Ino scoffed "why so angry forehead? You know he's all yours" she ended as her blue orbs fell on the pale boy sitting across from her. Sakura followed her line of vision to Sai.

A smile played on the pink haired girls lips before looking back to her old friend. "I'm really happy for you Ino."

Ino felt the heat rush to her cheeks before poking at her food with chopsticks, "it's not like anything is happening but…" she looked up from her plate to see Sai staring at her. Despite his lack of usual emotion, he tilted his head slightly.

"Are you troubled, gorgeous?" He questioned.

Sakura's eyes narrowed into slits as she shot Sai a sour look. She still hadn't let go that he decided to codename her 'ugly' while Ino was 'gorgeous', it just didn't seem fair to the pink haired girl. Surely she wasn't that bad looking. She couldn't help but feel a familiar sting of jealousy watching Sai and her best friend. She raised her gaze up to where Sasuke sat. He only continued to nod as half the table interrogated the young Uchiha about Orochimaru.

"Well I say, good on you Sasuke. You may have left us for awhile there but at least you did something good when you did" Shikamaru contributed.

"Right!" Lee agreed, earning a few nods from Neji and Hinata.

"Hn" Sasuke wasn't interested in praise or small talk. He barely wanted to be there as it was. The majority of the time he was there, the boys would talk to him about missions and catch up on what he's missed. He effortlessly ignored the stares he kept receiving from Ino and Sakura but something in him always recognised the looks Hinata kept shooting the young blonde. He glanced at Naruto before catching Sai's stare next to his friend.

Sai glanced at the raven haired boy briefly before his lips twitched upwards. "Hello Sasuke" he began "it's been awhile."

The young Uchiha responded with a glare before averting his gaze down to his cup of green tea, there was nothing else remotely eye catching on the menu. Frustration swarmed through his veins, almost more than he could bear. He didn't know why Sai irritated him so much but he just did. His dark orbs narrowed slightly before the sound of Naruto's voice caught his attention.

"Yeah, I mean, I didn't exactly do anything, he was already unconscious when I got to him. You should know this Sai, you were there!" he chuckled as Sai simply nodded, listening intently.

"Heh" Sasuke scoffed, a few heads turned at the edge in his tone, including Naruto.

The young blonde blinked at him and everyone fell silent for a moment. Sasuke turned to his friend and cocked his head forward slightly as the light accented his porcelain features. Naruto's blue orbs widened a fraction as he caught himself admiring the raven haired boy again before pulling the words from his mouth "what was that Sasuke?"

"Do you think the outcome would've been the same if I were conscious?" questioned the raven haired boy, narrowing his dark orbs.

"Wh-what!?" Naruto exasperated, why was he always picking fights with him? His brows furrowed as his voice hardened "I would bring you back no matter what, even if I had to fight you."

Sasuke simply stared at the young blonde, he suddenly felt overwhelmed with something he couldn't place. After hearing him talking to Sai, he wanted to hear that. No matter how many times the young blonde said it, his words weren't what fazed Sasuke, it was the way his voice earnestly shook with sincerity and it made him weak at the core. "Hn" he found himself lost for words at this realisation as he looked back to his empty cup of green tea, deciding it was time to go. "I'm leaving."

He sat up from his seat and began making his way toward the exit, leaving everyone a little confused. Naruto stared after him as Shikamaru shrugged it off. "He's been through a lot" he began "it'd take some time to warm up again" he ended as he balled his fists into his pockets.

"That's right" Lee agreed "I can't imagine how he must have felt after…" The black haired boy trailed off awkwardly before Kiba picked up where he left off.

"Itachi?" This was a topic no one dared to bring up with Sasuke. They spoke about a lot of things and Orochimaru but this was not one of them.

"He's still recovering" Sakura defended in a small voice "he just needs time like Shikamaru said."

"Hm" Neji folded his arms across his chest "you're right. But Naruto" he turned to the blonde haired boy. "You should walk him back to the Hokages headquarters." There was something niggling at the Byakugan users suspicions. He had every faith that the young blonde could pull Sasuke from whatever darkness he was in.

"Yeah, maybe Neji's right" Tenten began "you guys are best friends after all."

"Best friends?" Naruto echoed, looking to the exit where Sasuke had left just minutes ago.

"Just go, Naruto" Ino groaned "you seem to be the only one he'll even remotely talk to anyway."

Naruto glanced at Sakura to see her stirring her straw in circles through her drink mindlessly. His brows furrowed, he never liked seeing her upset over Sasuke.

"Sakura?" He asked as her gaze snapped to up to him. "Maybe you can come too if you want" he grinned briefly before catching the glint of dejection in her green orbs.

"I think I'll stay here. But you really should just walk him back. Even though the ANBU guards are watching him, who knows what he could try to do if he's not feeling the best." She offered the blonde a ghost of a smile. Her stomach tightened as she realised that whatever Naruto and Sasuke shared was a connection she could never have with the young Uchiha but she hoped with everything that they would never lose it again, despite the ache in her chest. It wasn't just Sasuke she cared for.

Naruto gazed at her for awhile, noting the creases in her features. He never wanted Sakura to feel upset because of someone like Sasuke again but at the same time, he knew that she was right. Only he could handle all of the hate and sadness the raven haired boy was feeling.

"Alright!" He exclaimed, rising from his seat "I'll see you guys later then" he announced before abruptly rushing for the door, pushing past other customers in his haste before disappearing out the exit after Sasuke.

"Wait!" Choji called but was too late as the door shut behind the blonde. "He forgot to pay for his part of the bill."

"Don't worry" Sai said as his lips twitched upward, "I'll cover it this time." He curiously thought about the events that just took place, mulling over the bond Naruto said he shared with Sasuke. It wasn't like the one he shared with Shin, his brother. It made the pale boy all the more curious.


Sasuke stormed through the village as he made his way back to his room, thinking over his sudden desire to hear Naruto's resolve. He wasn't just frustrated but he was also very angry. Not with anything in particular but not knowing made him all the more frustrated. His thoughts returned back to just a few hours ago when he and Naruto stood outside the Hokages headquarters. There was no reason to say or do what he did, the only reason as to why he did it was that he simply just wanted to.

Seeing Naruto speak to Sai so enthusiastically was irritating. It was unnatural to him seeing the young blonde mingle so effortlessly with everybody. But it provoked a primal instinct in him, one he's unfamiliar with. There was never any reason to feel like this, in the academy he was always the top of the class, the best of his age group. But jealousy had rooted itself deep within Sasuke for reasons he didn't know and he couldn't shake it.

Since coming back to this village and making peace that there was a future here for him, all he could think about was how he didn't have to constantly go out of his way to distance himself from Naruto anymore and it actually felt nice. But he didn't realise how wrong that idealism was until now. Envy latched onto him like a leech and he despised it. When he wasn't envious, it's because he was Naruto's object of affection. This angered him to no end, to him, it was weak and it needed to stop.

From a distance, he heard heavy footfalls getting louder and louder until he looked over his shoulder to see Naruto run up to his side. "Sasuke!"

Sasuke's dark orbs narrowed at the young blonde. This was the last thing he wanted yet familiar knots loosened in his stomach again. "What do you want Naruto?" He asked.

The young blonde panted for a moment "geez Sasuke, how'd you manage to walk all that way in such a short amount of time?" He straighten his spine after catching his breath "I just thought I'd walk you back" he proclaimed awkwardly.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed into slits, he was glaring daggers at the young blonde "to walk me back? I already have six ANBU stationed to guard me, I don't need you following me around too."

Naruto glanced at the raven haired boy, feeling the anger radiating out of him at all directions. He knew that now was not the time to argue with him. "It's not like that Sasu—"

"Then what is it Naruto?" the raven haired boy seethed "what do you want?"

Naruto's blue orbs widened a fraction as his pace slowed, he was taken aback by his sudden change of tone. It was like the young Uchiha did a complete 180 turn compared to this morning. The blondes brows furrowed, it's like he almost felt cheated. "What's your problem, Sasuke!?" He asked, stepping in front of the raven haired boy to block his path. "Why do you keep—"

Sasuke placed a firm hand on Naruto's chest before forcibly pushing the blonde aside. "Why do you keep chasing me? I'm already back in this village so why?" he hissed. Silence fell over the two before Sasuke continued to his room, he wasn't going to wait for an answer he wasn't sure he wanted.

Naruto stared after the young Uchiha, he took a step forward before his legs couldn't take him any further. The same feeling of dejection had resurfaced and he simply watched as the raven haired boy disappeared. He stood there for a moment before balling his fists into his pockets and turning around to go home.

The young blonde entered his apartment and made a beeline straight for his bed before allowing the blankets to smother his back. "He's here yet somehow, he's still so out of my reach" Naruto sighed, thinking about Sasuke's question. A feeling washed over him that he couldn't place, he wanted so desperately to explain why but it was like Sasuke was pushing him for an answer he didn't have yet. The young blonde slowly drifted into a deep slumber, deciding he had enough of today.


A/N: I hope you liked this chapter! I thought I'd focus it mainly on Naruto and Sasuke before things get more into the story line :) I apologise if there are little bits that don't make much sense, I've edited it but I will edit it again just to make sure it's all edited correctly because I cut quite a lot out of this chapter that I already wrote hahah anyway let me know what you think! Thanks for reading :)