Happy Halloween everyone! I can't believe it. I can't bloody believe that I pushed through the deadline! The third chapter is finally here! And it's, what, just a few days before the month deadline is up. Worship me! Or maybe not. My love for the SasuNaru pairing is just too great!

You know, while I was typing this up, I was listening to "Runaway" by The Corrs. It's a great song! It really made me think about the pairing that might as well be canon. It served as my inspiration, and my sister finally yelled at me because I was playing the song again and again. Hey guys, why don't you try to listen to the song while reading? Yep, I'm shipping my favorite songs here. I'm shameless xD.

Thanks for all those people who took the time to read and review my stories. You don't know how much that makes me happy! Nag me, and I'll update sooner!

Disclaimers and Warnings: NO, EVEN IF YOU ASK ME A MILLION TIMES, I DON'T OWN ANYTHING. THIS IS YAOI, SO GO AWAY IF YOU DON'T WANT THESE KINDS OF PAIRINGS. There's going to be some fluff, angst, GaaNaru moments (yeah, I love this pair too, but SasuNaru is close to obsession), some KibaNaru, the much awaited SAKURA BASHING (hell yeah!) and OOCness. Typos are my fault, and ENJOY THIS CHAPTER!

The God of Sleep must've hated him today.

He tossed, he turned and finally chucked his pillows against the wall in his bedroom, but sweet sleep never haunted him in the slightest. Giving up at the thought of it, he let himself fall back on his disheveled bed, staring at the ceiling as the shadows of the night outside passed through its white wall.

It's that bastard's fault! He growled and threw his blanket to join its already fallen comrades. If he hadn't saved me I would've-

Been dead already. A snide little voice answered in his head.

I know dammit! But-

But nothing. You owe him your life, Naruto.

I KNOW!!!

He stifled the scream of frustration that threatened to rise up in his throat and turned to the side, facing his bedside table. He reached out and fumbled for something at the top. Finally he felt for the something he had been looking for and gently held it. He faced the ceiling again, with his hand in front of him, holding the object that caused everything that day.

(Flashback)

He found the strength to open his eyes, and the first thing that greeted him was the dying rays of the sun. He slowly propped himself on his elbows, wincing in pain, his whole body sore and his throat very parched. His heart has calmed down, leaving him to wonder what really happened. His head wasn't hurting that much anymore, but it was still pounding.

Slowly he touched his cheek, fingering the spot where his savior touched him and he felt his heart jump again. His body warmed up and a faint hue appeared in his cheeks.

'Why am I acting such a girl?! It's not like I haven't been touched here before! But…'

He found himself looking at liquid crimson eyes.

"I've found you."

'Why did he say that? Did we meet somewhere already? Why can't I remember?! I would definitely remember him! Those eyes… I know I've seen them before! But when?!'

His head stirring up again, he tried not to think about it anymore, but the image of those wine-like eyes keep popping up in his head. He closed his eyes and tried to will it away, but he couldn't get it out of his mind.

'Stop it… stop thinking about him!!'

He stood up abruptly, only to stagger as the world turned upside down. Waves of nausea washed over him, and he sat down on the sand to recover from the shock.

'Ow…'

He stared at the ground, noticing a glimmer underneath the sand. He sifted the sand with his hand, and a silver ring appeared in his hand.

'This is…'

(end Flashback)

He studied the ring, the blue stone glimmering in the darkness of his room, as if it had a light on his own. He twirled the ring in his hand, finding it surprisingly warm, considering that it's a metal. Playing with the jewelry, he threw it into the air and caught it. Enjoying himself, he tossed it a few more times, catching it every single time. The last time he threw it however, the ring didn't land on his palm; instead, it inserted itself in his ring finger, fitting perfectly.

The blond blinked in surprise and stared at his hand, where the ring was nestled in his finger. "Hey, it fits!" he said happily, studying the effect.

The silver band clashed perfectly with his tan skin, and he was sure that the blue color of the gem would bring out the color of his own sapphire eyes. The only thing that he was curious about is how the ring managed to fit on his ring finger. It was pretty obvious to him that this belonged to a girl (the size is too small for a man), and he would not admit that he has girly hands (which he does). So how did it fit?

Magic?

He snorted at that childish thought. No way. He wasn't a kid anymore.

Maybe it's custom made.

Maybe, he agreed. The ring looks expensive after all. Maybe a rejected guy out there threw it away after his girl refused his marriage proposal.

The twinkle of the ring caught his attention again. It was really pretty, he thought grudgingly. It looked as if, well, it already belonged to him. I'm keeping it. He thought.

The moment the words passed through his brain, his muscles tired out, his eyelids became heavy, and soon, he was lulled into a deep sleep.

Hey, it's not everyday you get free jewelry.

-/-

He was almost one hundred percent sure that he was dreaming.

He was staring at a girl who could've been his twin sister, and since he knew that he doesn't have any sibling of the sort reinforces his dream theory. They were both looking at each other, her blue eyes reflecting curiosity and slight suspicion. She was wearing a very simple sun dress. Naruto thought it suited her well. At that thought, she smiled at him, as if she heard what he was thinking about.

The sound of footsteps alerted both of them of another presence in the room, with each measured step bringing it close to them. He looked at the girl again, only to see her eyes are as alarmed and as panicked as his. He stood in front of the girl, ready to defend her if necessary. Slowly, a figure of a young man materialized into the mist, and as soon as Naruto could see, he was pale, and he had dark raven hair. When he fully arrived outside of the mist, Naruto and the girl behind him saw the man's face. Naruto's heart gave a sudden jolt. He bit his lip and clenched his hand to his chest, feeling his heart beat louder than anything else.

Dok-un. Dok-un.

He was extremely handsome, even Naruto had to admit. He was built, but slender. The raven was wearing a long-sleeved white polo and black slacks, which emphasizes his pale skin. His top was unbuttoned save for two at the bottom, which gave both blondes a look at a sculpted chest that made Naruto think about the perfect gods that they discussed about in mythology. But it wasn't the raven's physical characteristics that made his heart squeeze.

Dok-un. Dok-un.

The raven has those liquid, wine-like eyes that shifted every time he moved his head.

Dok-un. Dok-un.

He glanced at the girl again, only to gasp in surprise.

Dok-un. Dok-un.

The blond girl was grasping her chest, with her mouth widened in surprise and eyes filled with slight embarrassment.

He glanced at the raven, who was already in front of him. Slowly, an arm gently curved around his waist, and Naruto, too stunned and confused to move, both of them turned to the girl.

He was staring at their reflection.

-/-

A strangled yell woke up Naruto's perpetually empty household.

His eyes popped open and saw his white ceiling, his room already lit by sunlight. He was breathing heavily, with the cold sweat drenching his body. He saw that his hand was tightly grabbing his chest, where his heart was beating loudly and quickly. Slowly he loosened his grip and looked at his slightly trembling hand. The hand that held his chest was the one where he wore the ring last night. He told himself that he was keeping it, but after a few hours had passed, he was starting to feel apprehensive.

Just what is this ring?! He thought fearfully. The stone twinkled at him, as if answering his question.

Our bond could never be broken, Sasuke.

Where the hell did that thought come from?! And who… and who is Sasu–

A sharp, stinging pain stopped his thoughts. He sucked in a deep breath and rolled to the side, willing the pain to go away. Once the pain disappeared, he could no longer remember what he thought about moments ago.

What am I thinking about?! I better hurry!

He immediately jumped out of bed and went into the bathroom, looking at himself in the mirror.

He looked absolutely hideous. His hair was stuck out in odd places, his face pale and gaunt and his eyes looked haunted, as if he never slept at all.

Maybe that's what arguments, nightmares and near-death experiences do to your face, he thought, splashing his face with cloud water. He looked into the mirror again. His face stared back at him, as he remembered his dream last night. He shuddered. He could almost imagine it… His face getting less angled, his eyes looking bigger… his blond hair flowing behind him…

He was staring at the girl again.

He dunked his head into the water, stifling the scream that threatened to tear through his throat.

The ring shone mysteriously.

-/-

"No! Ruka-sensei, don't leave me!" A six-year-old Naru clutched her former tutor's cloak beseechingly. A good-looking, albeit rather effeminate, young man of sixteen with spiked brown hair sighed. "Sorry, Naru-chan. I'm not your tutor anymore. You're going to have a new tutor, someone better than me."

"NO! Ruka-sensei is the best! No one is better!"

He crouched down to the little girl's level, whose face was streaming with tears. "Now, what did I say about crying?" The former teacher wiped the tears. "C-crying d-does not makes N-Naru pretty." The blond girl said through tears. The brunette smiled. "That's my girl."

A knock was heard on the door and another handsome teen about the same age as Ruka with flowing silver hair popped his head in. "Ruka, Tachi-kun is here."

"Thanks, Kashi. Can you bring him here?" the brunette smiled warmly at the teen. The other winked. "Your wish, my command." And then he was gone.

"Hey, Ruka-sensei…" Naru asked in a small voice. The teen looked at his former student. "Yes?"

"Why do you look at Kashi-san like that?"

The brunette suddenly looked flustered. "What do you mean, Naru-chan?"

"Every time Kashi-san would accompany you to our house, you always do something you don't do."

"L-like what?"

"Ruka-sensei would always trip, let things fall, and every time Kashi-san would ask you something, you turn very red." The blond answered innocently.

The spiked brunette was saved from answering the question when there was another knock on the door and the door opened. Kashi was there, accompanying a raven-haired youth.

"Long time no see, Tachi-kun." Ruka greeted the boy cheerfully.

The raven haired young boy looked about thirteen, with long hair, pale skin and black obsidian eyes which were full of warmth. He has two lines on his face, starting from his nose to the bottom of his eyes, which made him look older than he really is.

"Ruka-san! Long time no see!" The boy waved. The boy made to move forward but was suddenly stopped. Naru looked curiously at the older boy. It was like something was holding him back. The raven sighed.

"Sasuke, I told you, right? You can come, but you shouldn't grab on to me like that. Aniki has work to do." Tachi bended down and pried away the little fingers that clutched his shirt.

"But Tachi-nii…" a small voice whined silently.

A squeak was heard behind him and the persons in the room watched, Naru and Ruka with curiosity and Kashi with amusement. Tachi was growing more exasperated, as his younger brother stuck to his clothes like glue. Thankfully, the silver-haired teen decided to intervene.

"Maa, maa Sasuke-chan, you shouldn't embarrass your Nii-san in front of his student." The teen helped the raven in prying those sticky fingers away.

"Little brother?" Ruka asked curiously. Tachi looked sheepish.

"Sorry. I forgot to tell you. This is Sasuke, my little brother."

Shyly, a miniature version of Tachi emerged behind him, with the silver-haired teen managing to release Sasuke's fingers and guiding him to the middle of the room. The young boy was biting his lip, looking thoroughly embarrassed.

"He…Hello." He greeted in a soft voice. The brunette fought the impulse of cuddling him right on the spot.

"Ah, your brother is so cute!" Ruka squealed. The raven teen sighed.

"That's what everyone says." Kashi chuckled.

"I should be jealous. Ruka thinks that Sasuke-chan's cuter than me." He teased lightly. A crimson blush spread on the brunette's cheeks.

"That's not it!"

"Hey…Ruka-sensei…" there was a timid tug. The looked around and saw his ex-student hiding behind him. "What is it, Naru-chan?" He asked kindly.

"Who… is that?" She pointed at the shy boy in front of him.

"Ah, sorry, for not introducing you." Tachi apologized. He walked to Naru and stretched out his hand. "Let's go, Princess." The blond giggled and accepted the raven's invitation. Tachi tugged Naru out of her hiding place and gently guided her, so that she was in front of his brother.

Sasuke was decidedly not looking at them, and gave a sound of surprise as his brother's warm hand held his own. His hand was slowly being pulled forward and he looked up, making contact with deep sapphire eyes. The boy smiled tentatively, making Naru's eyes widen in surprise. She smiled at him.

Their palms linked, and both of them stared in wonder as Tachi held their pressed hands together.

"Naru-chan, this is Sasuke. Sasuke, this is Naru-chan."

"Both of you are going to study together with me as your tutor. I hope that both of you would get along."

It was the start of everything.

-/-

"GAARA!!!" A blond ball of energy slammed into a redhead the instant the latter stepped a foot into the school.

"Naruto," he acknowledged the blond curtly.

"Waaaa! Gaara, you're so cold!! Is that the way you treat a close friend?!" The blond wailed melodramatically while clutching the redhead's back. He mustn't notice… Oh God, please don't let him notice!

Gaara resisted rolling his eyes, but he was starting to feel worried. Naruto was acting like his idiot goofy self, as usual, but there's something… off about it. Like the way his smile never reached his eyes, and the fact that he wasn't with Kiba today… Something's up, if Naruto's acting like this. He may be overreacting at times, but…

"What did you do now, fox?" the raccoon asked dryly, walking toward his first class with the blond hanging on to his back like a giant koala.

Oh crap, he noticed, Naruto groaned inwardly. The gods really hated him that day. Gaara would know instantly if he was lying; the redhead read him like an open book. And he was a terrible liar, he couldn't even convince himself. He really didn't want Gaara to worry about him. But his dream last night unnerved him, he recently had a near-death experience, Kiba was still angry with him, and his emotional levels were going haywire. If he didn't tell anyone about this, he's going to breakdown soon enough.

He buried his head in Gaara's neck, resigning to defeat. There was no way he could get out of this. "I'll tell you later. Lunchtime." He muttered. He heard the redhead sigh and shift his position so he was carrying Naruto instead of Naruto hanging on to him.

"Idiot. Come on, I'll take you to your first class."

"Thanks, Gaara." Naruto laid his head on Gaara's shoulder and closed his eyes. He felt himself being lulled into sleep. The cacophony of talking students were nothing, it was just a mixture of sounds, nothing of significance to him. All that matters to him is that Gaara was carrying him, making him feel safe, secure. Sure, Kiba could also do this, but with Gaara, it was always different. Kiba could never make him this… comfortable, as if carrying a boy on your back was a perfectly normal thing to do everyday. The thought put a smile to his lips. His hold tightened.

Thanks for everything, Raccoon.

-/-

5 minutes. 5 freaking minutes left. And he really couldn't take it anymore.

Whoever invented History must be a sadist, because all of them endured two stupor-inducing hours in class, occasionally snapping out if it to write a note or lecture, and return to looking out at the window again. Cloud watching was a favorite thing to do in this class, and he could already see why Shikamaru loved it so bloody much.

"And so, at the 1940's…"

He tuned out the rest of the words. He was sure that Shikamaru would tell him the answers. Pineapple head had the priceless gift of daydreaming and studying at the same time, which he found extremely convenient, especially during exams.

A sharp rap on the door awoke him, and he actually slipped off his chair in surprise. He wasn't the only one. There were some who are also standing up to sit again, muttering darkly under their breaths. Some slept through the whole thing.

Their teacher excused himself form class, and soon the talk started.

"What's going on?" Sakura asked loudly. Nobody answered her. She gritted her teeth; she wasn't used to being ignored. "What the bloody hell is going on??!!" She yelled.

"If we Knew, Sakura, we would have told you, Your Whoreness." Kiba answered sarcastically. Sakura stood up, furious. "How dare you talk to me like that, you mongrel?!" She screeched.

"Better be a dog than be a slut." He answered her nastily. She strode up to him and grabbed his collar. "Do you think that's funny, dog?" She asked, sneering.

"Oh, look who it is! Not only is she a slut, but she's also a dyke!!"

The class roared with laughter. Sakura turned red. She raised a hand to strike him. The class waited with anticipated breath.

"You fucking bastard!!"

He quickly moved. Sakura may be his long-time crush, but Kiba was his brother. Hell be damned, but he's not just going to watch his best friend be hurt.

"Stop it, you two!!!" He quickly grasped the girl's hand.

"What the… Naruto, let go of me!" He tugged at the hand, but the blond, physically stronger, held it still. "Let go of Kiba, Sakura." The brunette was watching him with wide eyes. "Like hell I will! He called me a slut and a whore!!"

"If it wasn't true, why did you react so violently?" Naruto retorted coolly. The pink-haired girl was at a loss for words. "But… he…you…" She sputtered.

"Let go, Sakura. It's your fault for taking his bait in the first place."

"Let go or I'll never go out with you for a million years," She managed to threaten him. "No sane man who go out with a girl like you. Kiba's right, you really are a man and attention whore." He said, disgusted. He grabbed the hand that she held Kiba in and forcefully yanked it away.

"You have no pride as a woman, Sakura. I pity you." He dragged Kiba away. He cocked his head and looked at her, who was standing with her jaw opened in shock. "And Sakura…"

"Even if you ask, I refuse to go out with you."

The class cheered. They were laughing at the flamingo-haired girl, who was very angry and embarrassed to the core. Tears filled the emerald eyes, and she ran out of the class, crying. Some of the boys were thumping the blond on the back, laughing and congratulating. The girls were surrounding him, hugging and kissing his cheek. It seems that Kiba wasn't the only one who had a deep grudge on Sakura.

"That was brilliant, Naruto!"

"What a manslut! Dude, you're my idol!"

"So you finally saw the light, eh? Told you that girl was good for nothing!"

"Ew! Naruto, you actually had a crush on that flat-chested girl?! You have weird taste!"

"Naruto-kun, you're so cool! Go out with me!"

"Here's my number! Call me!"

Naruto ignored them. He waited until the crowd dispersed to talk to Kiba. The dog-lover was still staring at him, mouth agape.

"What? Did I already grow horns?" Naruto asked him teasingly. Kiba was jolted out from his shock.

"Who are you and what have you done to my best friend?!" He asked accusingly. The blond laughed.

"Dude, you seriously haven't forgotten me have you?! Kiba, you hurt me!" The blond started to wail. The brunette clamped his hands over his ears.

Yep, this is Naruto, all right.

"Hey Kiba…" Naruto was looking at him.

"Forgive me?" He held his hand out. Kiba stared at the hand to the blond's face. He grinned manically.

"What the hell are you talking about, fox?" He grasped the hand firmly, brotherhood style.

"Nothing to forgive about."

Naruto mirrored his smile.

"Naruto, look out!"

"Eh…?" Naruto turned around again and got hit in the face with a book. He clutched his nose, blue eyes streaming in pain.

"WHAT THE FUCK?!" He yelled.

"Naruto! Dude, you alive?" Kiba was laughing hard.

"I'll live… eh? Kiba? You're not mad at me anymore?"

Kiba looked at Naruto strangely. "What are you talking about? We just made up a couple of moments ago. Dude, you're turning into an old man!" Kiba had Naruto in a headlock and was giving him a noogie.

"Kiba! Stop, goddammit!" Naruto was glad that Kiba had forgiven him, but why? How? All he remembered was he had fallen asleep while Gaara was carrying him and a sharp pain in his nose woke him up. Then he found that Kiba was actually talking to him.

"That was priceless man! The look on that whore's face was gold!" Kiba was saying.

"Whore? Sakura?" Every time they would talk about the pink-haired girl, Kiba would never say her name.

"Man, don't you remember? You gave her a solid punch! Never thought that you would grow out of your obsession with her! Bloody brilliant!"

"Wh… what did I do?!"

"That was the best speech I ever heard in my life! You told her off, blondie! Hell yeah! Now she won't look at you again like that! Who's the fucking loser now?!" Kiba was too happy to notice the panicked tone of the blond's voice.

Naruto became visibly limp in Kiba's arms.

"Hey, Naruto! You okay?!"

"Sakura…hates me…"

"Oi Naruto! Get a hold of yourself!"

-/-

"He's fine," Shizune, the school nurse, told them. "He was just exhausted. He just needs rest."

"Thanks, Shizune-san." Kiba smiled in relief.

After the, um, rather intense scene in the classroom, Naruto had fainted in Kiba's arms, which caused an outright panic in the class. Shizune wasn't at all surprised to see Naruto being carried by Kiba, bridal style. The young nurse had enough experience with Naruto popping in the school clinic now and then, the boy was unusually accident-prone.

"What did he do this time?" She sighed. Kiba shrugged. "Nothing, actually."

"Oh!? Why did he pass out then?"

"Naruto told Haruno off in the classroom. Guess it was emotionally draining."

"Really?" Shizune never really approved of the girl; it was partly because of her that Naruto was always in the clinic.

"That's good. Naruto has grown up."

"I hope he didn't grow up too much, though." A scowl was present in Kiba's face.

"Urgh…" a groan was heard from the bed. "Where am I?"

"Back to work, then." A smile was on the nurse's face.

-/-

"I told you Kiba, I'm fine!" Naruto warded off the question for the nth time. "Fine." Kiba shrugged in defeat. "Tell that to Gaara when we meet for lunch later."

Oh, damn it. The blond scowled. "Drop it, Kiba. You know that Gaara would flip if he knew I was in the clinic again."

Gaara would flip because he didn't kill the bitch when he had the chance; Kiba thought but shook it away. "Nah. He wouldn't flip that badly. You weren't fighting again, so there's no reason for him to be mad at you. Besides, if he knew the reason why you were in the clinic, I think he'd save the lecture for later."

"Don't remind me." Naruto groaned. "What the hell is happening to me?!"

Dok-un.

"Naruto?" Kiba stared at his friend in worry. Naruto was frozen, his eyes wide and mouth agape.

Dok-un.

"He's here." The blond whispered. He clutched his chest tightly as his heart gave another throb.

Dok-un.

"Who's here?!" Kiba demanded. "Naruto, what's happening to you?!"

Dok-un.

"Naruto?! Naruto, talk to me, dammit!"

Dok-un.

"Class, I'll be introducing a new classmate." The teacher said up front. The class was abuzz with thought.

"Who could it be?"

"Who the hell is transferring in the school in this time of year?"

Dok-un.

The door opened. The class watched as the teacher greeted the person outside.

"Ah, you've arrived. Come in."

A step was heard.

Dok-un.

The blond glanced at the door, feeling his heart beat faster than ever before. His chest ached, and he ignored Kiba's hushed whispers as a person slowly stepped into the classroom.

Dok-un.

Naruto's eyes widened.

Dok-un.

The person was extremely pale, with dark raven hair swinging from his face.

Dok-un.

Every step the raven made was echoing in his ears.

Dok-un.

That's…that's him!

Dok-un.

The teacher was writing his name on the board.

Dok-un.

Uchiha…

Dok-un.

Sa…

Dok-un.

Su…

Dok-un.

Ke.

Dok-un.

Uchiha Sasuke.

Dok-un.

The pale boy was facing the class. "Everyone, this is Uchiha Sasuke. I hope that he will get along with everyone here." The teacher said.

"Yes!" The class said in response.

Dok-un.

Naruto couldn't move. He stood, transfixed at the boy who made his heart ache with every second passing.

Dok-un.

The raven slowly opened his eyes.

Dok-un.

Black, bottomless pools stared back at them.

Dok-un.

Those obsidian eyes carefully searched the room, and finally rested on a person sitting at the back of the class.

Dok-un.

Blue sapphire eyes stared at dark onyx.

Dok-un.

The air was suddenly charged with electricity. Naruto couldn't look away. He bit his lip, trying to get his erratic heart back in control, as names, thoughts, and memories he never remembered before flash quickly through his brain.

Dok-un.

He didn't realize the he was standing up, his whole body trembling. The sea of emotions threatened to drown him into the dark oblivion.

Dok-un.

Why? You're not the person who saved me…

Dok-un.

"Naruto?!?! Naruto, answer me! Naruto?! NARUTO!!!"

I must be a sadist. I enjoy causing Naruto pain. Eh, what the hell, I'm a masochist too. So, did you like the chapter? Hell, I finished at 5 in the morning so it isn't very polished.

In the memory flashback, I've changed some of the character's names, but they're still the same persons you know. I think the only person I didn't change the name was Sasuke's. I'm not at that point where a Chidori blasting through by stomach is a good thing (shudders).

So, I beg you again, read and review! I absolutely worship those people who took the time to just say something about my work! It really doesn't matter if you say "This chapter is crap." Hey, at least you told me what you really think about it. Criticisms I admire, but flames, well…

Ice-chan: Itachi-san? Could you please do your famous Katon jutsu? (Innocent face)

Itachi: Why should I?

Ice-chan: Because, Itachi-san, you are not going to appear in this story again if you don't. (Smiles sweetly) Or if you want, I'll ask Sasuke…

Itachi: (quickly performs seals) Katon! Gougakyuu No Jutsu! (Fire Element, Great Fireball Technique)

Ice-chan: Thank you, Tachi-sensei. (Grins evilly)

Itachi: Hmph. (Goes away.)

Your flames are nothing to what Itachi-san and Sasuke can do. (Smiles) So don't even think about it.