A/N: Hey everyone! Not as quick of an update but I think I'm doing good. Started going back to school again so updates might slow down a little, but I will finish the story at all cost. This chapter is actually one of the longest I think, and still it isn't even that long haha. On to the story!

Disclaimer: Don't own.

Chapter 6

Not Again

…

"Ahhh! It feels so good to be out of that creepy forest," Naruto exclaimed, stretching his arms wide into the open air. The morning breeze softly graced his sun kissed skin, making him hum in pleasure at the feeling.

"Yeah feels good because you don't have to drag all this shit around." Sasuke complained from behind the blonde Adonis. True they had used up most of their resources while spending the past three days in the forest but, it was still a hassle to lung the rest. He watched the blonde carefully grab at a random fruit from a nearby bush and examine it thoroughly before chomping down on it.

"Stop complaining, it's not that bad" the prince replied back happily with a mouth full. He grabbed at another green fruit and threw it at the raven. "Eat it; it's good for your health."

Sasuke caught it effortlessly, even with two sacks hanging off his shoulder. He inspected it for the longest time before sending the blonde a curious look.

"Are you sure dobe? I wouldn't just be randomly eating fruits off the bushes," the lord questioned to the cheerful idiot.

"Yeah, I used to pick these fruits all the time in Lavonia. They're only native to this land." Naruto reassured as he took another bite out of the round object. Sasuke contemplated the thought of eating it but seeing as the other knew more about Lavonia's nature, he hesitantly took a small bite. The succulent juice quickly numbed his taste buds and begged for another nibble. For once, Naruto was actually right. It was absolutely delicious!

"See, good right?" the prince jaded before hastily treading over to the raven. He grabbed the lesser bag whilst dazzling a beautiful smile and ran ahead. Sasuke didn't bother to waste his energy and slugged after the hyper blonde. For the past three day he'd barely gotten any sleep at all. Both travelers were supposed to switch watch shifts so the other could sleep but by day two when Sasuke awoke to change shifts, the blonde was fast asleep. After a good beating and scolding, the raven decided to just keep watch at all times seeing there was no point in having Naruto guard.

"Come on Sasuke, I can almost see the bridge from here!" Naruto yelled back at the lagging man. He ignored the death glare in which was sent his way and ran closer towards the bridge. He didn't quite remember crossing it as a child but definitely knew it was beautifully built. Set more on a steeper hill, the bridge was named after Rein Decorous, an admired architecture of their time. He remembered his parents arranging a meeting with Decorous to build a smaller country side castle but regrettably, he caught a deadly virus and died.

Naruto frowned at the thought. He would have loved to meet the man who built such a magnificent bridge but that idea didn't seem possible anymore.

"Hey blondie?" a voice pierced through his lingering thoughts. Naruto turned quickly and spotted a strange looking man staring back at him. He was leaned against one of the tall poles that supported the bridge and definitely had a look of mischief. The prince gulped a bit before turning around to see if Sasuke was behind him but unfortunately, the nobleman was nowhere in sight.

"Are you crossing over the bridge?" the uncanny man asked, propelling himself off the pole and slandering towards the blonde.

"Well actually I was just about to-"

Not even being able to finish his sentence, Naruto felt a weird sensation wrack through his whole body. It was like a light switch was flipped and instantly his whole body completely shut down.

…

Dobe, wake up

Naruto could barely comprehend anything yet a lone think. His mind was muddled and the last thing he remembered was blacking out.

Naruto please…wake up…

That voice was calling out to him again, and this time it was getting louder. Much to the blonde's displeasure, he willed himself to open his eyes. Hesitantly, a bright light blurred his vision as his lids fluttered opened. Adjusting slowly to the lighting, Naruto studied his surroundings and saw warm colored walls. It wasn't too extravagant, simply decorated with good taste. He tried to get up and noticed that he was lying in a wooden tub.

"Naruto!"

The prince turned to his side after groggily scooting up into a sitting position. The water was way too hot and did nothing but make him sweat. Shaking his head a few times to clear up his vision, the man finally connected eyes with a hypnotizing gaze.

"Sasuke?" Naruto muffled out, feeling so drained. He kept his eye trained on the raven's face as it slowly inched closer and closer to his. The raven's hot breath fanned his face gently and did nothing to help lower the hot temperature.

"Naruto," that sinful voice slowly drawled out. Just when the blonde was about to delve into the deep richness, a powerful fist promptly brought him back to reality.

"Ow! What the fuck was that for?" the prince yelled, hands rapidly coming to nurse the spot where Sasuke just hit him. If he wasn't awake before he definitely was now.

"You fucking moron! You almost killed us!" Sasuke shouted angrily at the other male. Oh how badly the lord wanted to choke the idiot.

"What in the world are you talking about?" Naruto blabbered back, ready to get out of the tub. He attempted to escape but strong pale hands pushed him back down into the hot water.

"I would advise that it's best you stay in the tub," a voiced echoed from behind the raven. Both heads easily snapped to the entrance to see a tall mysterious man with arms crossed over his chest.

"Gyah Sasuke, it's another hidden monster!" Naruto yelled, immediately going back down in the water to hide his nudity. The blonde watched nervously as the man chuckled disturbingly and walked away.

"Was it just me or was there a pervert standing by the door?" the prince asked, clearly so confused as to why he was in a hot tub and naked in front of a child molester. Instead of an answer the blonde got another big thwack on the head with the raven's fist. Apparently it was abuse Naruto day because that was the only logical reason as to why he kept getting hit.

"You complete and utter- Jesus Christ Naruto! I just don't understand how you can be so dense sometimes. How are you going to become King in a couple of days if you can't even stop making reckless mistakes? Besides that, you should be old enough to comprehend- gyah!" Sasuke exploded. He was out of breath and literally running off of an adrenaline frenzy. His fists were clenched tight and jaws locked up firmly.

Naruto could only stare back in confusion. For some unknown reason the words that Sasuke were throwing out this time…hurt. All the name calling and verbal abuse brought a huge frown to his face. His fingers twisted awkwardly under the water and he felt…pathetic in front of the raven.

"I…I don't even know what I-"

"Those stupid fruit weren't edible, they were poisonous." Sasuke all but sighed out to the air-headed prince. "They're called Green Temptress because they look like a lot of other regular fruits. But their nectar infects the body and the blood flow, causing black outs then complete shut down."

Naruto's eyes widen dramatically as Sasuke finished explaining the cause. He truly felt senseless at that moment, for not seeing the difference in texture. Not only did he almost kill himself but he almost took the raven's life as well.

"Listen Sasuke I-"

"Save it," Was all that was muttered. "Until you learn to take responsibility for your own actions, your apologies, your words…they all mean nothing."

As if in slow motion, Sasuke's body rose tiredly off the floor, like he hadn't rested in weeks. Naruto watched solemnly, eyes trailing after the other as he exited without a word. Cerulean orbs lingered a bit at the doorway but he knew that Sasuke wasn't returning any time soon. The raven might as well have slapped him across the face. Then again, a slap in the face would have been better than the treatment that he was receiving. Sinking into the hot water, the blonde wanted to drown. The other's strong words resonated through his mind, repeating over and over again.

"Until you learn to take responsibility for your own actions, your apologies, your words…they all mean nothing…"

"Nothing…"Naruto mumbled just an inch above the water.

"There are far worst things out there Naruto," a voice whispered closely to his ears.

The blonde nodded in agreement before realizing that there was another presence in the room. Being so lost in thought, Naruto didn't even hear another person enter. Nervously, he turned to see a smiling brunette, much more approachable than the other silver haired male.

"Hi!" the older man happily stated, waving a hand for extra effect. "My name is Iruka, and we were the ones who took you guys in."

Naruto quickly assessed the other male, noting a weird scar that was etched across his nose and the brown hair that was tightly pulled back. Unlike the other creeper, Iruka radiated friendliness and had a gentle smile to match the warmth.

"I'm Naruto, thank you so much for helping us out." Naruto replied back gratefully. "If there is anything I can do to return the favor, please just let me know."

"Oh it's nothing at all. Besides, Konohamaru was the one that found you so please think him." The brunette voiced back, completely flattered by the gratitude.

The prince figured that Konohamaru was probably the shady character from the bridge. Who would have guessed?

"I'll be sure to thank him if I see him again." Naruto said more to himself than Iruka. More importantly though, he wanted to find Sasuke and apologize for his carelessness. Bringing a hand to latch onto the side of the tub, he observed how pruny all his fingers were.

"Oh, Naruto, please just stay in the tub for a bit longer," Iruka rushed out when he saw the blonde getting ready to stand. "The only way to get the poison out is through heat. You have to sweat it out, that's why you're in hot water."

"Ohhh," the prince muttered out. "No wonder that pervert told me to stay seated."

At that comment, he heard Iruka chuckle lightly before pouring a bucket of hot water into the tub. "Sorry, I had to leave to get more hot water so I told Kakashi to keep an eye on you. He does come across as a strange guy but he has good intentions."

"I find that a bit hard to believe," Naruto murmured under his breath, slinking back into the water. It felt more like he was getting cooked than anything else. "Did Sasuke already get his bath?"

"Yeah, but he only just got out a while ago. Kakashi said he kept squirming because you weren't conscious yet, I guess he was concerned." Iruka responded while grabbing at the empty bucket. "I think you should be almost good. Just let me go grab a towel and I'll help you out."

The blonde nodded absently, not really focused at the moment. All he could still think about was Sasuke, and how it had seemed like the nobleman was so angry. He'd seen the raven agitated before but not like he had just witnessed. It was probably from all the built up frustration over the past week.

He shifted uncomfortable in the wooden tub, sloshing the water back and forth. This was exactly why he hated the silence. It was always so lonely and made thinking twice as perplexing.

"I'll try harder…to be your prince, Sasuke." Naruto released into the open space. He closed his eyes in satisfaction, bent on keeping that promise. Unknowingly though, dark eyes shifted guiltily near the doorway and the figure retreated back towards the opposite direction.

…

"Here Naru-chan you must be hungry…please eat up." Kakashi offered, sliding over a pleasant bowl of green vegetables to the blonde.

"Please don't call me that," Naruto politely declined and grabbed at the handed bowl. After finally getting out of the cooking pot, Iruka led him to a guest room where he found his clothes. The brunette was kind enough to have had washed them and folded them neatly in a pile. The prince thanked him repeatedly but it seemed that Iruka was just naturally kind.

Naruto smiled to himself at the thought while biting into the home cooked meal that the caretaker also prepared. It was such a refreshment to find people who were just kind-hearted in nature.

"What are you smiling about Naru-chan?" Kakashi inquired once more, with a weird glint in his eyes. The blonde's smile instantly thinned out into confusion. How Iruka ended up with the silver-haired pervert would be a question to ponder for quite some time.

"Kakashi would you stop making Naruto feel so awkward," Iruka glared from his side of the table. The prince watched in fascination as the conversation continued back and forth between the two. Oddly though, he noted that Kakashi continuously wore a dark cloth covering at least three fourths of his face. That was yet another mystery to be discovered.

"Hey Kakashi," Naruto cut off hesitantly. "Why do you wear a mask on your face?"

Just before he finished the question he saw Iruka flash him a wide eyed look as if he'd just opened Pandora's Box.

"Why Naru-chan, I'm so glad you asked that question. You see, I wear it because I'm so handsome that Iruka gets jealous of others seeing my beauty. I don't want to upset my poor house wife so I try to adjust to his rules."

"That is not true Kakashi! You tell everyone a different story each time. The last time a little boy asked, you said it was because you were a fugitive trying to hide from the imperial soldiers." Iruka reprimanded the older man.

"Maa maa Iruka, don't get so upset. You just don't like the fact that I tell people you get jealous." Kakashi answered back in a sing-song like voice.

Naruto couldn't help but chuckle at their bizarre behavior. He remembered when his mom and dad used to get all riled up at each other like that too. It was mostly always about some small topic but boy did Kushina have a temper. Just seeing how the other two interacted brought a stab of pain to his heart. There were things Naruto regretted, and that was probably the biggest one of them. He tried forgetting about it however. Dwelling in the past wouldn't benefit anyone and would just hurt more in the end. It might be foolish but for the prince, maybe repressing was the best option at the moment.

The blonde shook himself out of thought but looked away from the couple across him. Kakashi was beginning to make physical advances on Iruka and that was something he did not want to see. Turning to the right, Naruto noticed Sasuke hadn't said a word throughout the whole dinner. He watched the raven eat efficiently and silently not partaking in the motions going on around the table.

Naruto frowned at this and opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out. What could he say? Sasuke wouldn't bother to listen anyway. And so…the blonde just watched. He watched the raven finish his food with the grace of a King. Watched pale hands push against the table in order to slide out. Watched thin lips move to form the words thank you and then watched him disappear into the dim lit hallway.

"Naruto…" Iruka's concerned voice broke through his somber trance. Cloudy blue eyes turned to the warm-hearted man and saw that they were the only ones left. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Naruto faked with a small laugh. "Where'd Kakashi go?"

"Oh I told him to go set up the guest room for you two," Iruka said offhandedly. "Hey, I can finish up the cleaning…how about you go talk to Sasuke."

At that Naruto cringed internally, knowing well it was easier said than done. "Nah, I'm sure he doesn't want to talk to me right now after what I did."

"Listen; don't beat yourself up about it. It was an honest mistake that many people make, not just you. Why don't you go wait outside? We have a small clearing outback that's a bit more private." Iruka suggested, while grabbing a few plates off the table. "I'll go grab Sasuke."

"But wait, Iru-"

"No buts, you aren't twelve year olds anymore. It's time to handle things like an adult and talk it out." The brunette lectured back. The comment really struck a nerve and now, Naruto couldn't back out. He nodded unwillingly and bowed respectfully for the food before leaving. Listening to what Iruka had said, he found the back door and stepped outside into the night air. It was a bit chilly but refreshing nonetheless. The small three bedroom house that Iruka and Kakashi lived in was quite nice. It was relatively a mile away from the town but, living in such a stunningly secluded area was well worth it.

He felt the wind run through his hair like an invisible hand, and smiled softly because his mother used to do that to him all the time. He mindlessly wandered forward into the night, not exactly blind because the moon was shining so brightly. After about five minute trek, Naruto stumbled upon a small pond with a stone makeshift bench. Both looked to be manmade and figuring that it was probably Iruka's handiwork, not Kakashi's, he sat down on the bench. The blonde pondered many thoughts while seeking comfort from the moon. Most of all, Naruto couldn't help but think that Sasuke wouldn't show up.

…

Sasuke walked quietly back to the guest room that Kakashi had provided for him earlier. Dinner was awkward and even more with Naruto staring at him the whole time. He didn't know what to say. The raven wanted to apologize for being a bit over the top but Naruto was so…Naruto. He knew Naruto wouldn't be ready; there was no way the prince would be prepared to take on his responsibilities. But then, he thought back to those small words that he heard the blonde say.

"I'll try harder…to be your prince, Sasuke."

Those words reverberated through his mind nonstop. He knew Naruto was capable and slowly adjusting but something just made him snapped. Maybe it was the fact that the idiot blonde was acting so carefree after his near death experience. Sasuke disregarded the thought. He wanted to avoid that word as much as possible but it seemed like the reaper was intent to follow him where he went.

Finally making his way to the room, he creaked opened the door and went inside. It was a plain room with just a wardrobe, dresser, and bed. It was simple but yet comfortable at the same time, all thanks to the owners. The raven slouched heavily, feeling the weight of the world on his shoulders. There was still so much to be done when they got to Lavonia…and so much that Naruto didn't know. He strolled towards the bed and sunk his back into the soft mattress. It felt heavenly compared to dirt floor he'd endured the past couple of days. Sasuke raised his pale arms and crossed them over his eyes, trying to shield off the moon's bright light. It didn't help that the bed was anchored right next to the window.

Slowly, Sasuke begin to drift, wanting nothing more than to just sleep his problems away. He would stir awake every now and then but finally, sleep was beginning to take its toll. The lord was one closed eyelid away from floating into deep slumber when the room door was slammed opened.

"Sasuke!"

Instantaneously, the raven jerked awake, wondering what was so urgent that Kakashi would look so tousled. He stood erectly, facing the taller man. "What happened?"

"Naruto. Naruto's going to run away!" the silver haired man stated breathlessly. "He ran out through the back door with a sack, saying something about ungrateful bastards."

Sasuke didn't need to be told twice, all sleep rapidly disappeared and he was out the door in a flash. Kakashi easily maneuvered himself out of the way already, expecting the reaction. As soon as he heard the back door closing shut, the older man effortlessly combed his hair back into place and fixed his loose cotton shirt.

"You know Kakashi, when I told you to get Sasuke to go out back to talk to Naruto, I didn't mean lie to him." Iruka scolded from the door way. The brunette crossed his arms in disappointment as he saw Kakashi's mask crinkle, probably from a smirk.

"Well I got the job done didn't I? Look how fast he ran out there." The sly man responded happily, making his way over to his pouting spouse. "Besides, I think it'd be good for Prince Sasuke and Naruto to finally fulfill the contract made so long ago."

…

A/N: That's it for this chapter! I can't wait to write the next installment and I threw in some hints in here too, to see if anyone can get them. Oh and yes, Sasuke is the other prince but a lot of you already knew that beforehand so no surprise there. Please review and tell me what you think!