Sasuke woke up the next morning to find that Naruto was asleep still. He pulled his clothes on and walked out of the tent casting another last look at Naruto. He walked into the forest and sat down roughly on a log.

"I…I don't love you."

Sasuke gritted his teeth in anger and slammed his fist into a nearby tree. "Hello Sasuke." Sasuke turned around to see Kakashi staring at him. "I presume things didn't go well with Naruto." Kakashi dodged the punch Sasuke had thrown at him.

"Shut up about that!" he snarled.

"Did you tell Naruto about the kind of feelings you have for him?" Sasuke glared at him. "How the hell do you know?" he snapped.

"Its obvious, Sasuke. Occasionally when you thought you were alone with Naruto, I saw they way you were with him and the way you looked at him. I've also noticed you only truly smile when you're with him." Kakashi said. Sasuke punched what was left of the tree behind him and ignored the pain in his hand. Tears of frustration sprung up in his eyes as he sat back on the log. "He doesn't love me Kakashi. He told me so himself." Sasuke looked up at Kakashi hoping he had some kind of answer.

"I'm sorry Sasuke but you can't force him to like you back. Don't worry, you'll find someone else." Kakashi said, trying to console him.

"You don't get it do you? There is no one else! I only love Naruto and without him… imagine Iruka saying he didn't love you. What would you do then?" Sasuke asked. Kakashi thought for a moment; what would he do if Iruka didn't love him? Kakashi decided 'I would probably kill myself because Iruka is the last person I have to live for' wouldn't be the best thing to say in this situation. "I better go back; Naruto will be wondering where we are." He disappeared in smoke leaving Sasuke on his own. The raven wiped his eyes furiously, ashamed of his tears.

"Please Sasuke, promise you'll stop. Promise me."

"I can't be selfish. I have to give up on Naruto…he doesn't want me. He practically begged me to promise I wouldn't kiss or touch him in that way again…" Sasuke began the walk back to the camp with his mind made up. For once he would do what the blonde wanted.

When he got back everything was already packed and Kakashi and Naruto were ready to go back to Kohona. They walked back in almost complete silence and even Kakashi didn't make a stab at starting a conversation between the two. Naruto kept glancing at Sasuke nervously, wondering if he should say something. "H-hey teme, want to get some ramen when we get back?" Naruto forced a smile. 'At least he still wants me as a friend…' Sasuke thought. He wondered what his usual reply would be. "I busy dobe." He replied, hoping to sound like he usually would. Naruto pouted.

"Teme. Next time your buying me some ramen!"

"Whatever." Sasuke muttered. He glanced at Naruto; he seemed to be acting normally now. Like nothing had happened. This is exactly what he thought would happen; everything would go back to normal or at least Naruto would slip his fake mask on again.

Three months went by and Sasuke stayed to his promise to Naruto. He acted like he had never admitted his feelings for the other boy, and Naruto seemed to be happy about this arrangement. They were having another trip to Ichiraku where Naruto had been dragging Sasuke recently. Sasuke watched Naruto devour yet another bowl of ramen and sighed. "I suppose I'm paying?" he grumbled. Naruto smiled brightly.

"Yep!" he replied happily as he ordered another bowl. Naruto chanced a glance at the brooding raven. 'P-perhaps if I told him…he wouldn't react too badly…then again, if Sasuke ended up hating me I don't know what I'd do…'

'Its not the end of the world if he finds out, kit. Just make sure he knows your you and I'm me.'

'What if he does hate me? Just like the rest of the village…I can't possibly tell him how I feel…'

'You can't not tell him! He loves you and you love him. He obviously likes you enough not to care that you're the vessel for me.' Kyuubi replied. Naruto poked his noodles roughly. 'I can't risk it...'

'But you love him! Just admit your feelings and tell him later about me.'

'I…I think I might…what if he's mad that I rejected him the first time? He might think I'm playing with his feelings…'

'He loves you a lot and I know that for sure. He's going to be over the moon when you tell him you love him back!'

'I will tell him.'

Was his final thought before he finished his bowl of ramen. Sasuke stared at his watch and quickly grabbed his wallet, throwing a fistful of notes on the table. Naruto's eyes widened as he saw how much money Sasuke had put on the counter. "I have somewhere to be dobe, you carry on…eating yourself to death." Sasuke walked away before Naruto could stop him. The blonde quickly finished his ramen, paid the shop owner and scooped up the remainder of Sasuke's money. As he walked down the street he wondered where Sasuke had to go in such a hurry. "I'm going to find out where he was going…I better give him the money back too after I tell him…I love him."

The Uchiha folded his arms and stared at the person in front of him. "I'm glad you came." Sasuke's eyes narrowed.

"What is so important? What did you mean 'this is about Naruto'?" Sasuke asked. The figure moved closer to him. "Its not exactly about Naruto. I just knew you'd come here if I said that. You see, I know how you feel about Naruto and judging by your mood recently, I would say he knows and doesn't like it."

"What exactly are you getting at, Neji?" Sasuke hissed. The hyuuga smirked.

"I was right then." He ran his finger over Sasuke's face and moved yet closer to the raven. "I like you Sasuke. I don't mind if you pretend I'm Naruto…" he whispered, before kissing Sasuke.

Naruto walked to Sasuke's house, becoming more and more confident about telling Sasuke his feelings as he went. He was heading for Sasuke's house, hoping he would be there. On the way there he thought he caught a glimpse of Sasuke. Naruto opened his mouth to call him over, but then noticed that he was talking to Neji. 'This is what he was off to in such a hurry? He was meeting Neji?' Naruto quickly hid himself behind a tree and watched Sasuke and Neji from a distance. It was then Naruto saw it; they were kissing. He ran off in the opposite direction, unable to watch them any longer. Tears spilled from his eyes as Naruto ran in the opposite direction of Sasuke and Neji. When he finally stopped running, he realised he was in the old training ground. He sat on the floor with his back resting on one of the training posts he remembered Kakashi had tied him to. 'How long had that been going on? I'm such a fucking idiot…'

'Naruto! I'd watch your back, I can sense o-'

'Shut up stupid fox. I'm not in the mood for you right now.' Kyuubi growled indignantly. 'Don't take it out on me, I was just trying to warn you one of the most dangerous killers you've ever met was close by, but don't mind me!' even this didn't spark Naruto's attention. 'Whoever it is…I want them kill me. It would save me doing it myself.' The kyuubi's mouth dropped open as he hard the seriousness in Naruto's voice. 'Don't be ridiculous! I know you love Sasuke, but killing yourself? That's a little dramatic don't you think?' Kyuubi said quickly.

Naruto knew Kyuubi was trying to save its own skin now; they both knew if one of them died, the both would. 'You're a demon. What could you understand about love? Just piss off and leave me alone.' Kyuubi growled angrily at this insult. "What I wouldn't give to be Neji right now…" Naruto murmured as he pulled a kunai from his weapon pouch. 'Look Kyuubi, I'm sorry you ended up sharing a body with an idiot like me. I know you don't want to die, but without Sasuke…I can't take the pain.'

'I still think your being hasty! Just sleep on it for a week at least!' Naruto shook his head as he gripped the kunai tighter. 'Sasuke was the only one I could ever see loving me knowing that I'm a monster. No-one in the village wants to know me and they have always said I was better off dead.'

"I can help you, Naruto-kun." Naruto turned around to see who had spoken and dropped his kunai in shock. Orochimaru was standing behind him.