A/N: Hey Everyone! I can't believe this chapter turned out longer than I thought it would be. Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed! I loved hearing what your thoughts were and I hope this chapter satisfies. Unfortunately I don't have a beta so I check all errors by myself. Sometimes I don't get them all so please bear with me. On towards the story though!

Disclaimer: Don't own.

Chapter 2

A Truth Revealed

...

The blonde gasped in shock and terror as the man's word's sunk in. He felt his heart constricting painfully and fell brusquely to the floor. It couldn't be true, both his parents…it had to be a lie. Naruto inched back slowly, averting his gaze from the unknown man, ready to puke out his stomach. He couldn't handle it anymore.

"What's the matter? I thought your parents died in a terrible accident right?" the nobleman chided, adding more salt to the wound. He saw the way Naruto cringed at the comment and couldn't help but chuckle at the turn of events. The man wasn't a sadist by any means but something about the blonde made him question that proclamation.

Naruto angrily stared back at the man's poise, mentally cursing himself for letting out such a reaction. He had to stay calm and try to regain the small bit of composure he had left.

"My parents did die in an accident. Ever since then, the thought of killing and murder just makes me sick to my stomach. You've clearly mistaken me for someone else." He easily retorted, hoping the lie would suffice the bastard's curiosity. Truth be told, Naruto wouldn't be able to hold it up any longer. His façade was slowly slipping as his parent's death kept resurfacing in his mind. He should have never bothered with the stranger in the first place. Because of it, his past was reemerging. The life he'd fault so hard to get away from was standing right in front of him, and it wasn't letting go. He could see the look of skepticism in the other man's eyes; it was going to be impossible to convince him.

"Hn, perhaps I am mistaken. The son of King Minato and Queen Kushina was an idol to their Kingdom. The man responded. "People even rumored him to be perfection in every way possible."

Naruto swallowed the lump in his throat, knowing that statement was more of a lie than anything else he'd said that night. The prince wasn't an idol to be admired, he was a coward. "It's a shame then, that I am not the prince. To hear that the King and Queen have been murdered also wreaks havoc upon me. They were nothing but kind and giving to our Kingdom of Lavonia."

"Our kingdom?" the man questioned at Naruto's choice of words. "So you weren't born here then."

"No, Lavonia is my home. My parents and I were traveling back when we were ambushed. I barely escaped alive. To this day, I'm grateful that I only have these scars." The blond explained, with the best forlorn look he could muster. Rubbing his eyes for an extra affect, he knew he would have the Lord believing in the story as well. It was only a matter of time before the man began apologizing for his rude gestures. There was a short silence that lingered for a bit until he heard the man scoff in disbelief.

Stunned by the reaction, Naruto directly gazed up at the stranger. He was still wearing the same smug look from before but there was something different this time as he crouched down to Naruto's level.

"I don't believe you." He stated quite briskly. "You're very unconvincing, but I'll humor you anyway."

With that said, Naruto gently got up, dusting off some dirt from his pants. He saw the nobleman stand to full height as well, still staring intently, but not saying a word. Naruto didn't quite understand what the guy was aiming at but decided to leave it at that. If it meant no more questioning then he wouldn't complain.

"I'll be taking my leave now. As much as I would love to spend the night here, I'm afraid the pink ogre would rape me," the stranger said with an eye roll. The blonde actually chuckled at the man's joke, agreeing whole heartedly with the comment. Maybe the guy wasn't so bad after all, minus the bastardly attitude. "Cancel all your plans for tomorrow because this conversation is far from over."

It was then that Naruto's slight smile fell as he watched the man briskly pass by him. Who did this guy think he was?

"Oi," the blonde began, getting irritated by all the peculiar demands. "You can't just barge into someone's house and begin demanding whatever you want! I'm not obligated to do anything you ask of me."

"Hn. I'm surprised the world obligated is even in your dictionary." The lord replied back nonchalantly, totally ignoring Naruto's accusation. He didn't even bother to face the blonde as he stepped outside into the chilly night air. It was almost that time of year again, where the leaves would turn different shades then fall. Just as he was about to continue back to town, he heard the rustling of the door behind him.

"Bastard!" Naruto yelled out, not knowing that the other had only taken about two steps forward.

"The name's Sasuke, moron" he replied back haughtily, enjoying the others reaction. He didn't need to turn to know that the blonde was huffing in anger by now.

"Well then, Sasuke," Naruto began, as if testing the name on his tongue. "To what do I owe this honor, in having visitation from such an affluent man?" he finished sarcastically. The blonde easily leaned against the door frame, cerulean orbs glaring into the backside of the raven. Naruto thought he was going to shit a brick when he noticed the other man chuckling but it was more out of amusement than at the joke.

"You should know that answer better than anyone else, Prince Naruto." Sasuke answered with a small glance over his shoulder. Both their eyes met for a split second but that was more than enough to send Naruto into a hysterical tremor. He didn't even notice the satisfied look on Sasuke's face as he disappeared into the darkness.

If a person could die from shock and horror, Naruto would be a dead man right about now. It was as if all his worst nightmares were returning and as punishment, they were piling up tenfold. How was it possible? Six years had passed by without a hint of followers anywhere. Naruto always made sure to be aware of his surroundings, contrary to Sasuke's allegations. There had been maybe once or twice that a traveler mistaken him for the prince but that idea was easily disregarded with his scars. The prince's face was unblemished and perfect, they always stated like a fact. He wasn't a girl to be idolized in that way but, to a certain degree, it was comforting to know that his people loved him. Besides that point, how did Sasuke know?

"Let's hope the bastard isn't as smart as he looks," Naruto sighed out wearily, mentally exhausted. He sluggishly closed the door and went to putting the items up before Sakura came back. The sun had only just set and yet it was already pitch black outside. He idly wondered how Sasuke found his way back into town but ignored the thought. If fate was on his side, the man would be robbed and stranded miles away from the orphanage, to never come back. But, the fates were laughing at him and clearly not on his side. He huffed in agitation, stuffing the last of the sweet bread in the cupboard. It was still too early to go to sleep but Sakura could finish the cooking on her own. As of that moment, all Naruto wanted to do was crawl into bed and never get up.

...

The sun began rising the next morning sending rays of brightness into the blonde's bedroom. He groaned childishly at the invading light and tossed to the side to shield himself.

"Naru-chan! Naru-chan!" a voice penetrated through his defense.

The blonde slowly registered a bouncing body on his torso as he opened one eye to see a mop of brown hair. It was probably one of the younger kids, wanting him to play with them. Morning came quicker than he'd imagined as he stretched languidly on the bed, paying no attention to the busy body clinging to his arm.

"Naru-chan, Naru-chan!" the young girl said again, not letting up on her hold. "There's a pretty man waiting to see you! He wants to see you Naru-chan!"

Naruto groaned out in pain at the thought of already seeing that man. "It's too early in the morning to be dealing with that kind of head ache." He placed both hands over his face, trying to shield all sorts of light away.

"I agree completely but it's a necessary evil, Prince Naruto."

Naruto quickly jerked awake only to see the smug bastard leaning against his door. How did the guy get in here without anyone noticing?

"Naru-chan's a prince? Could I be a princess then?" the little girl asked, eyes lighting up with hope as she looked back and forth between the two adults. Sasuke pushed himself off the frame and headed straight towards the blonde's bed nest.

"Naru-chan's not a prince Mika," he snarled out at the smirking raven, gritting his teeth when the man actually sat down on the bed with them.

"So, Mika isn't princess?" she asked, with tears almost in her eyes. Her chubby fingers loosened their hold as she pouted cutely beside the blonde.

"No, Mika is princess, Naru-chan's a knight," he replied back abruptly, not wanting to see her cry. Little girls were always so sensitive about their royal status. It seemed to have worked as she immediately giggled and smiled at Naruto. Mika muttered small plans about how they were going to live in a castle and have tons of horses. The blonde only smiled lovingly at the small child, wishing someone would adopt her into a good home. She was too precious.

"Mika," Naruto cut off before she could continue on with their bizarre story, "I think you should go get a flower for the pretty man. He told me yesterday that he really liked flowers."

Mika stopped in mid hand motion to stare at Sasuke, completely forgetting that he was there. But as her hazel eyes saw his face, she blushed furiously and nodded. Before any of them could register the movements, she was off the bed and out the room. The wooden door shut with a loud thud as Naruto turned to face the other occupant.

"What do you want?" he groaned out to Sasuke. Much to the blonde's displeasure, the man didn't get robbed or stranded far far away.

"You're very good with children," Sasuke responded, as if Naruto didn't even ask a question. "I'm sure your kingdom misses you very much."

"I don't have a kingdom! You're so delusional. I don't even know where you're getting these crazy ideas from." Naruto huffed out in annoyance. He was hoping Sasuke would let go of that subject already but the guy was hell bent on wringing the truth out of him. The raven didn't even answer, just scanned the room quite thoroughly with his eyes. Naruto crossed his arms over his chest, a clear signal to for the man to leave.

"Is this your room?" Sasuke asked, getting up, suddenly interested in the dull décor. Naruto didn't reply. If Sasuke wasn't going to answer his questions then he wouldn't grace the bastard with a response. But the man didn't need to confirm anything; he simply stood up and began searching the room.

"What are you doing?" Naruto asked, confused about the raven's unusual actions.

"Searching," was the man's one word reply. The blonde crinkled his brow, still not comprehending when it clicked in his head. Sasuke was searching for proof.

"Well you won't find anything," he replied back confidently. Luckily, the raven couldn't see that Naruto's fists were clenching the white sheets awfully tight. He prayed silently, willing his heart to not drum so loudly case Sasuke hears. Watching the man gently lift up papers and shirts made Naruto a bit queasy. True, he had nothing to hide, if Sasuke didn't look in the right places. With Naruto's luck though, the raven would probably find something on the first try. And right on que, he saw Sasuke step on the loose floorboard, making a noticeable squeak. The blonde involuntarily flinched, knowing he wasn't going to be able to explain himself this time. He saw the look of curiosity flash across the nobleman's face and instantly shot up.

"Hey I think I hear Sakura calling me," Naruto lied as he reached the dark haired man. "I need to get dressed, get out."

He left no room for replies as he ushered the man out. Grabbing the bronzed doorknob, he pushed the raven though, shutting the door swiftly. He knew Sasuke was probably still on the other side but the problem at hand now was moving the items to a new hiding place.

"Stupid bastard," Naruto cursed lowly, plopping his head against the door.

"I can still hear you moron." The other man muttered back.

The blonde sniggered and propelled forward towards his wardrobe. It was too risky to move it with Sasuke standing outside. The man could walk in at any moment and discover proof that Naruto really was the prince. He easily slipped his night shirt off and put on a cotton tunic, putting on pants hurriedly. Naruto was in mid battle with his boots as he stepped out into the hall and as he expected, Sasuke was still waiting, back against the wall.

"What are you still doing here?" Naruto asked, finally able to slide his foot through the leather boots. "Shouldn't you be…out collecting taxes or something?"

He noticed the scowl Sasuke sent him and smiled at the turn of tables. Take that bastard!

"I don't collect tax you idiot. You wouldn't understand my position of the court even if I explained it ten times over. On second thought, Mika would probably better comprehend it than you." Sasuke retorted back. He rolled his eyes at the blonde's idiocy and hit his head against the wall. Only he would be unlucky enough to get Naruto as the real prince.

"I don't have time for this," Sasuke muffled out tiredly. If he calculated correctly there was only about two weeks left and it took at least one week to travel back to Lavonia. It wasn't helping that the boy was being incredibly stubborn to admit anything. Either that or he had a bad case of amnesia.

"Of course, noble's and their busy schedule…" Naruto commented sardonically. He adjusted his shirt a bit and proceeded to walk by the brooding raven. "If you will excuse me my lord, there's work to be done."

Sasuke didn't retort as Naruto walked off into the distance. Upon hearing the slamming of the door he waited for ten more minutes, standing in complete silence. When he was positive that Naruto wouldn't return, the raven sneakily made his way over to the room. There was something under that floor board that Naruto didn't want him to see and he would find out exactly what it was. Looking around one last time and seeing no one, Sasuke easily turned the knob and pushed it open.

The room was still the same except for a pile of night clothes in the corner. With the amount of time he took to change, it clearly indicated that the blonde didn't move the hiding spot. Cautiously, Sasuke stepped around the room looking for the loose floorboard. As he neared the blonde's bed, the piercing squeak sounded again. The raven man smirked as he bent down onto his knees. He pulled out a small dagger and wedged it between the cracks. Jiggling with the piece of wood, it effortlessly slipped up revealing the items underneath.

Most everything was wrapped neatly in a long dusty cloth as Sasuke pulled away the piece of wood. His heart beat rapidly with anticipation while gradually removing the cloth. It was then, he saw the proof that he needed to confirm everything. After last night, he was certain that Naruto was the runaway prince but there were still doubts in his mind. Not anymore though, now the blonde couldn't deny the statement at all.

...

"Naruto!" he heard Sakura scream for the umpteenth time. He was just lying before about hearing the girl yelling, but the blonde didn't expect it to be true. As soon as he entered the kitchen, she was already shouting orders about having to wash up all the younger kids for breakfast. Naruto nodded absently and begin gathering the younger ones for the morning ritual. He idly wondered back if Hinata ever got tired of dressing him each morning because he sure did hate it sometimes. Unlike him, the kids would be running around, super charged at the crack of dawn.

Naruto did the duties nevertheless, the kids were so adorable at times he couldn't help but fall in love with them all. He yawned out groggily and stepped out to the back to gather some water from the well. Usually the water buckets were well stocked up inside but it just so happened to run out that day. Inconveniently, the well was a good ways back from the kitchen also. Naruto made his way back sluggishly, knowing that Sakura certainly would be asking questions about Sasuke. He wanted to prologue that interrogation as long as possible so he made sure to take his time with gathering water.

Just as he was about to reach the stone well he heard a light rustling behind him. Turning swiftly, he instantly regretted the action seeing as it was none other than Sasuke.

"Hn, I'm surprised you noticed me this time," Sasuke teased.

Naruto rolled his eyes and preceded towards the well, dropping the bucket into the water, he started pulling the rope to propel the bucket up. "What do you want this time?"

"We need to talk Naruto, there's little time left." Sasuke began, stepping closer to the blonde. "Your kingdom is falling apart without a ruler and in two weeks, someone will be appointed to the throne unless you go back."

The blonde bit his lips at the news but grabbed the floating water bucket regardless. He heaved it up and over the well, pouring it into a larger container. "Sasuke, I thought we've already established the fact that I'm not a prince. I'm just an orphan." He explained, repeating the same process again. As much as Naruto hated the fact that Lavonia was deteriorating, there was no way he could accept himself as king. There was already a giant mountain of guilt and getting back on the throne would simply be adding to it. He would step aside and let someone who was worthy have a chance at that life.

"I thought we've already established the fact that I didn't believe you Naruto," Sasuke mocked. "Besides that point, I found something quite interesting in your room."

For the longest time, Naruto stood still and just slowly reeled up the bucket of water. He refused to turn, knowing the only thing Sasuke could have found wouldn't be good. Or then again, the man could just be lying to scare him. Choosing the latter of the options, Naruto finally turned to face the raven, eyes widening in shock. He suddenly let go of the well's rope, sending the bucket of water spiraling back down to the bottom with a splash.

"How did you find it?" Naruto meekly whispered out. The bastard had probably waited on him to leave to go search it out. That conniving asshole! "Give it back you thief!"

"So you're acknowledging that it's yours. Well that's a start, now if I give it back, we talk and you'll listen." Sasuke suggested, swinging the blonde's ruby sword around. It was definitely a weapon made for royalty, seeing that just the jewels themselves could sell for a fortune. He watched the look of contemplation dance across the blonde's face when Naruto finally nodded. Sasuke strolled up to the moron and handed him the weapon, wondering for a second if that was the best thing to do.

As if hearing the thought, Naruto gently unsheathed the sword like he'd done it a million times. It was probably dull from lack of usage but when the light hit it just right; a slight shine could still be seen. He thought the blonde just wanted to admire it but was quickly fooled when the tip was pointed directly at him.

"Draw your sword bastard," Naruto demanded like a king. "We talk, only if you can disarm me."

Sasuke smirked in pleasure, drawing forth his blade as well. "As you command, my prince."

...

A/N: Woot! Finally finished! Gosh I feel as if I've been writing this chapter for days now. Anyways please comment and review!