Chapter Nine: Everyone's a Holmes

I just want to say, I'm glad I finally got the chapter in. I got a new laptop because my computer broke, and when it arrived on Wednesday, I put up a security system called Win 7 Security 2012 which was a total scam I found out a few hours later. I tried my best to get rid of all the bugs and viruses, but even now I think that my computer is still infected. So always check online and other sources to see if the thing you're about to download is safe because I'm pretty sure whoever hacked into my computer got my phone #. (I've been getting random calls from California and Atlanta) Stay safe and my rant is done…

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Kishimoto does… But if I did own it, that would be really cool. I own all OC mentioned the story though! Enjoy ^_^

A month after Naruto's kidnapping, Sasuke was still tired, frustrated and confused. Jiraiya of the Sannin had arrived back in the village two weeks ago and had not left in hopes of finding something that would lead them to Naruto. There were so many holes and possibilities that surrounded Naruto's disappearance, and connecting all the dots on his own wasn't easy. He was sure that any of the other genin would have loved to help, but he doubted that they would actually be able to get anything done. Wanting to help and actually being able to help were two very different things. Between the case, normal training, his traitorous brother roaming around somewhere and dodging the councilmen and women about his estate affairs, life wasn't going to give him a break anytime soon.

It definitely wasn't easy, but Sasuke had got his hands on the video tape of Naruto and the foreign Nin. (Compliments of the daughter of a kunoichi that worked in the security system office) He'd probably watched the video a good thirty times, and from his point of view, it was quite obvious that Naruto knew the other man. Whenever Naruto didn't know someone, and that certain someone looked suspicious, Naruto had a bad habit of pointing and yelling at them (sometimes attacking); one of his rasher characteristics. He had also convinced Kakashi to give him a copy of Naruto's gate record. All of the scrolls were strewn across the floor for him to see. He even had memorized the times with his Sharingan. Looking at the scrolls and scrolls of parchment, he couldn't help but feel a pang of disappointment in the fact that Naruto never said anything to him about this. It wasn't like they were best friends or anything, (self denial) but Naruto told him a lot, whether it was boasting or because there was no one else to talk to. He could very well tell when Naruto was upset and didn't show it. He could tell on what days he didn't have enough money for Ramen and he would volunteer to pay for the day. He could tell a lot of things, but that didn't mean he had to say anything. The question was, why couldn't he tell the difference in Naruto the past few months? Sure he had looked a little less cheerful and had gone through a major appearance do over. But Naruto hadn't changed that much.

Sasuke sighed while running his long fingers through his hair. Placing down the scroll he had in his hand, he strolled out of the house, and towards the mission office. He might as well do something productive. If there was one thing Sasuke hated more than his brother, it would be staying in the Uchiha district for too long. Entering the busy room, he grabbed a C- Rank mission from a shinobi he'd never met before; avoiding Iruka who was on the other side of the room. Sasuke really didn't feel like talking to anyone, least of all Iruka. The man always had a soft spot for Naruto and Sasuke really didn't need or have the time to go through another awkward situation where neither really had anything to say. Jogging out of the room, Sasuke checked the mission requirements, and quickly headed back to his house. Packing a whole bunch of stuff in his backpack, (always be prepared for everything) he rolled up and put away all the scrolls on Naruto's case before leaving again. Passing through the Uchiha Compound, Sasuke wondered what it would look like once he killed his brother and revived his clan. It had been so quiet and empty for so long, Sasuke really couldn't imagine it in any other way. Shrugging off those thoughts, Sasuke walked through the busy streets of his village.

The C- Rank mission was a simple escort assignment for a young lady who didn't want to travel alone in fear of someone attacking her and stealing all her possessions. She wasn't particularly pretty, or interesting Sasuke thought as she saw her waiting at the front of the Konoha entrance. Approaching the young lady, Sasuke considered turning back and giving the mission to someone else when he saw that gleam in her eye. Sasuke glared at the sky for a moment, wishing for once there would be one young female who didn't look at him like a diamond ring or a piece of meat. The day that happens is the day I wear orange.

"So you're the one to escort me, huh."

The woman obviously was blind because Sasuke was in no way happy to spend time in his day to be around her. The whole time she talked and talked to the point Sasuke wondered if she had five lungs crammed into her chest. As the thought strayed across his mind, Sasuke's eyes wondered in that direction. Almost stopping mid step, Sasuke gazed at the large collection of necklaces that adorned her thin neck. Under the pile of gaudy pearls and fake crystals, Sasuke caught a glimpse of a metal chain that look awfully familiar.

"Excuse me, um… Miss Etsuko. I couldn't help but notice your necklaces."

The woman, who looked extremely pleased with the fact that she got the handsome ninja to talk to her, lifted all the necklaces from under her yukata and continued to talk.

"Oh yes! Like I said before, I love going to festivals. I made it a tradition for myself to find a stand at each festival and buy or win a necklace from it."

She went on and named a bunch of the villages she had travelled to, and the festivals she had attended. Sasuke listened eagerly, waiting for her to mention the silver one dangling from the very bottom of the pile. It took close to an hour for her to even get to the necklace, and by then, Sasuke's brow was twitching in irritation.

"This one… well it wasn't anything that exciting. There was a festival in a little town called Gantona. It's a few miles from Konoha actually."

Sasuke could not believe his luck. Uchiha didn't believe that much in destiny since that was more of a Hyuuga fetish, but fate sounded like just the right word at that moment. After dropping the annoying female off at her destination, Sasuke realized that even if he ran, he would never make it back to Konoha before the sun set, so he decided that with the very limited sunlight he had left, it wouldn't hurt to go to the little town. After getting directions from a nearby merchant, Sasuke practically flew through the trees in a rush of blue and white. The trip to Gantona was rather smooth and easy, and Sasuke was able to arrive there a little bit before sunset. Walking past an outside café, Sasuke bought a room for one night in a hotel right next door. He mentally praised himself for memorizing the time tables of Naruto's gate record, which(if everything went as planned/suspected) would be very helpful. Yes, if everything went as planned tomorrow, finding Naruto wouldn't feel like such a far away objective.

"Duck butt."

"Huh?"

"Your hair."

Naruto and 'Atsushi' sat together on the tatami floor having tea after a short training session. Being told that he fighting style was ineffective and improper left Naruto in a generally foul mood, so instead of taking it out on an inanimate object, Naruto targeted the only other moving figure in the tower. Not that it did anything to help with it considering 'Atsushi' never really reacted. At least Sasuke would have reacted sometimes…

"So remind me again why I can't just go home."

'Atsushi' stayed silent, just silently wiping down some shuriken that he had used during the earlier training session. The silence was strangely comforting, Naruto noted. Even with his frustration in being locked away, Naruto couldn't help but feel that familiar 'at ease' sensation he got around the older boy. It was both irritating and mind boggling for someone like Naruto.

Staying in a large building with only one other occupant gave Naruto a chance to just sit and think for once. Where was the pervy sage and what was he doing? How long would he be here? And who exactly was 'Atsushi'? Wiping some sweat off his face, Naruto placed his head on the matted floor and relaxed his muscles. The heat circulating in the room started to lull him into a soft slumber like when you fall asleep in the middle of the day and wake up right before the sun started to set. Keeping himself half awake, Naruto rubbed one of his hands in a circular motion on the tatami mat floor in a constant rhythm.

'Atsushi' looked over at Naruto with a mix of concern and frustration. Naruto had never been this quiet before. Placing all of the shined weapons down and out of the way, 'Atsushi' moved closer to Naruto before speaking.

"What do you like about Sasuke?"

Naruto tiredly rolled onto his stomach and glanced up at the masked figure. I faint blush appeared on his cheeks and his ears as the thought about it. Fiddling with a loose string in the tatami mat, Naruto quietly spoke; as if what he was about to say wouldn't be true if he said it too loud.

"It has to do with bonds I guess. Back when we were still in the academy, I really wanted to be his friend… you know, cause we were similar. But I was kinda jealous with the fact that he was so much better than me at everything. Up until a few months ago, I thought that we were just rivals who would one day become great friends, but…"

Naruto paused, laying his arm over his eyes and half his face. He didn't know exactly why he felt the need to explain himself to someone he had known for less than a year. He couldn't even confide in Iruka who was like an older brother to him, or Granny Tsunade who felt like family sometimes.

"But then I met you, and you reminded me so much of him. And speaking to you made me start to realize things that I hadn't noticed before."

'Atsushi' shifted uncomfortably, almost nervous to hear what Naruto was going to say next.

"And then I realized that the thing between Sasuke and I wasn't a crush or even love. No, I doubt that what I feel can be described as one word."

'Atsushi' froze at the last comment. When had Naruto gotten so much insight? Was this how he was able to convince so many people to choose the right choice? Up until that moment, he had never truly and completely understood Naruto Uzumaki. At that moment, he never wanted his eyesight more. Just to see a reaction; to figure out what was going on. He wanted it so bad, so he could see Naruto's face. His hands practically shook as they reached up to grasp the mask that covered his pale, smooth face.

"Naruto."

Hearing a clatter of something hit the ground, Naruto lifted his arm off his face to look over at the raven haired boy across from him. His eyes automatically landed on the white porcelain mask that was discarded on the ground. He barely had any time to think before a pair of glazed over black eyes (making them look practically grey) searched in his direction. And for the first time, Naruto saw his face and who he really was.

Sasuke sat at a side table outside. He carefully watched the crowd, almost hoping to find a blonde head peaking through the masses. Sighing tiredly, he quickly ordered something before drawing his attention back to the market and the people swarming around the numerous stalls. The town was relatively small, and everyone seemed close. Vendors gave an extra apple for free, random women gossiped in the streets, and men stopped to help another with lifting boxes full of vegetables. Sasuke even had his suspicions that a large majority of the town was somehow related to one another. Getting his tomato soup, he slowly stirred as his mind wandered to the issue at hand.

"Can I sit here. Everywhere else is full."

Sasuke glanced up to see a middle aged man wearing an apron. Nodding his head silently, Sasuke watched as the other man pulled up a chair and gave a heavy sigh.

"I'm Daisuke Suou. I'm actually the owner of this café."

He extended a hand towards Sasuke who firmly grasped and shook it.

"Sasuke Uchiha."

"So Sasuke. I see that you're a ninja of the leaf. You here for a mission or something, or just to get away from life in the village."

Sasuke was speculative about sharing his business, but after feeling the other man's chakra levels, which was just like any normal civilian, Sasuke decided he needed some information anyway and it wouldn't do any harm to have 'small talk'.

"Neither actually. I'm looking for a friend of mine."

"Oh really? He a ninja, too?"

"Yeah. He's short with blonde hair. He has tan skin and has three whisker like marks on each cheek."

Sasuke almost jumped when he heard a girl squeal behind him.

"Oh that sounds like the cute boy I saw at the last festival! Who's your friend Daisuke?"

Sasuke was not expecting that. The girl reminded Sasuke of Ino. In fact, if they switched bodies, Sasuke wasn't sure that he would be able to tell the difference. He guessed it was true what they said about someone in the world who was just like you. They both liked to poke their noses in somebody else's business.

"Ah Ruri! Long time no see! This is Sasuke Uchiha! He's looking for a friend!"

"Oh well if it's any consolation, like I said, I saw someone like that at the festival."

Sasuke pushed his bowl away as he offered a seat to the young girl.

"Was he with anybody?"

The girl sat there in silence thinking about it and chewing her lip. After a while her eye brightened as he turned in her seat, and searched the crowd for someone. Standing up she cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled over the crowd at an open window across the street.

"Hey Sana, are you awake!"

Sasuke winced, and was surprised to see that the crowd paid no attention to the yelling girl. Sasuke presumed that this was a regular occurrence in this town. After a bit, a girl with two long brown pig tails poked her head out the window and yelled out a 'yes'.

"Do you remember back at the last festival that boy with the funny looking scars on his face that looked really adorable? He's the one that Chichi tried to hug, but we stopped her!"

"Of course I do! I never forget a pretty face!"

"Was he with anyone that night?"

Sasuke was tempted to just let this go when the girl held up a hand and disappeared from sight. Sasuke saw her exit a door that was under her window and run across the street to join them.

"Yeah, it was a man in a mask. He was hovering over the little guy all night. At first I thought he was a stalker, but the blondie obviously loved the company because he was smiling most the night."

Sasuke leaned back in his chair, only half listening to the girls chat about that night and the sights with Daisuke. So it definitely proved that Naruto had not only gotten the necklace from the mystery masked man, but he had known him prior to that day a little closer than just an acquaintance. That did all click with the time schedule, too.

"One more question for you ladies, if I may."

Sana and Ruri both blushed at Sasuke, obviously easily charmed by his looks and mannerism. They glared at Daisuke who was laughing at their behavior before they both nodded eagerly at the young Uchiha.

"Did you happen to catch the name of the man the blonde boy was with?"

"Um… no. We never got close enough to really hear what they were talking about, but you might want to ask Chichi. She was around them for a good thirty minutes before we pulled her away." Sana explained to Sasuke.

Paying for the food, Sasuke left with Sana and Ruri to go find their friend. He was surprised about how fast it took to find the information, which led him to believe that the masked man either didn't care about people seeing him with Naruto or he wasn't aware that anyone in Gantona would even care to remember.

"Kami, he must have been blind to not see that this town is a gossip hub." Sasuke thought to himself. (Oh the irony) When they finally did find the other girl, she sadly couldn't remember the name at all. After bidding all three girls a quick goodbye and a thank you, Sasuke practically bolted out of Gantona. For one, he really didn't want to be around the girls anymore, who know doubt would have attracted quite a few females to join them. And getting sidetracked by a horde of gossiping and giggling girls was something that Sasuke couldn't afford, especially since he had a hard enough time dodging the annoying fan club he had in Konoha. And the second reason was because he needed to get back to Konoha as soon as possible. There was finally a lead on Naruto and it was evident that if he hadn't done anything about it, than the investigating shinobi still would have no clues. It was completely clear to Sasuke that he could handle this on his own.

As Sasuke was running through the trees, a thought crossed his mind about what Ino had said when she had first addressed the necklace.

"Don't be stupid, billboard brow! That necklace was given to Naruto by Sasuke!" She clamped her hand over her mouth as everyone wore shocked expressions. "I'm so sorry Sasuke! I didn't mean to tell…"

She had almost said it as if… Oh hell no.

"Yeah, it was a man in a mask. He was hovering over the little guy all night. At first I thought he was a stalker, but the blondie obviously loved the company because he was smiling most the night."

Sasuke started to run even faster as he thought about it even more. About to reassure himself that it wasn't what it sounded like, Sasuke heard loved the company cross his mind one more time before he threw pride and false reassurances out the window. Yes, there was going to be hell to pay once Sasuke found this guy.

"No one touches or messes with my Naruto."

And the little green Uchiha finally reared his head to the surface.

Awesome! So I already wrote the next chapter, and it will probably be in by Monday since I want to see how people react, and then make some changes from there. Thank you for sticking with my story! Remember watch out for viral computer crap! Review!

Chapter Ten: Cut From The Same Fan