Disclaimer: I have the same disclaimer as everyone else does. And I really don't like repeating myself.

Warnings: There are slight malexmale activities going on in this chapter. Nothing too graphic, but I just thought I should let everyone know beforehand. I'm thinking that for the later chapters I shall change the rating. Depending how this story turns out I may add a lemon. We shall see. Bwahaha.

Also, thanks to all who reviewed. I love you all. You make continuing this story so much more worth it. Thanks for being so patient with me.

Okay! Let's get started with the story. Enjoy.

Chapter Two: Meeting Again and a New Rival

"Welcome back, dobe."

Naruto just stared in shock as the person known as Uchiha Sasuke also the man who was his first love stand before him. He was the least likely person that he had expected to see. Especially when it came to picking him up today. As far as the blonde knew, he had only told few that he would be returning today. How Sasuke had managed to find out was beyond him.

"Sasuke? What are you doing here?" Naruto finally asked regaining his composure from his shocked state.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm here to pick you up." The raven haired man said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Well, yes…but how did you know I was returning today." Naruto hesitated with that question. He didn't want to make it seem that he was hiding his return from Sasuke, even though in truth he was.

"Sakura had let it slip." Was all Sasuke said looking at the blonde with his dark eyes.

It seemed that time had done Naruto good. He was no longer short, but reached over six feet tall. The Uchiha could tell that underneath Naruto's plain t-shirt and loose jeans, there was a well toned body rippling with muscles. His face was now more defined with no remaining baby fat that had shed away over the years. His gorgeous blue eyes were the same, but they held a certain depth that hadn't been there before. The same whisker-like marks adorned his tan cheeks. In short, Naruto looked good and Sasuke noticed it.

Naruto held back a sigh. He should have known that one of them would slip and tell Sasuke.

"Oh, I see." Naruto looked down slightly uncomfortable in Sasuke's presence.

"Did you not want me to pick you up?" Came the cool voice of the Uchiha.

"Oh, no! It's not that." Naruto said in a hurry. It really wasn't that at all. It was just that he was feeling odd being with Sasuke after he had just left him without a proper goodbye all those years ago.

"Well then?" Sasuke said staring at the blonde photographer.

Naruto was hesitant to answer the question. He didn't even know how he would answer it. What was he supposed to say?

'Oh, I didn't know that you would still talk to me after what happened five years ago. I mean I did leave you without telling you a word of where I was going. And to add to that, I didn't even contact you during these five years, even though I still kept in touch with everyone else.'

Yeah, right. Naruto could not say that. He'd probably end up making the Uchiha angry which was never a good thing.

Seeing that Naruto was reluctant to answer his question, Sasuke decided to let him off the hook.

"Let's get going. I doubt you want to stay in the airport any longer." The dark haired man turned and walked away knowing that the blonde was sure to follow.

After the two had gotten in Sasuke's sleek black car, Naruto was right away uncomfortable in his presence once again. After not seeing each other for several years, it was odd for Naruto to be together with him especially since it was the two of them alone. Sasuke seemed to notice this, so he was the first to speak.

"I know you probably don't want to tell me, but this question has been haunting me ever since you left..." Sasuke started off.

Naruto knew exactly where this was going. In fact, ever since he knew he was going to return to Japan, he had been planning just how he would answer this question. The blonde bit his lower lip waiting for Sasuke to continue even though he knew what was about to be asked.

"I want to know why you left. Even more, why did you leave without saying anything to me?" Though Sasuke's face seemed expressionless, his voice was full of emotion.

Naruto still tensed at the question. He wondered if he was ready to answer it. Taking a deep breath, the blonde prepared his answer.

"Since you want to know why I left, I think it's about time I told you." Naruto tried his best to keep his voice strong and not waver like he felt himself wavering on the inside.

"The morning before I left, I received a letter in the mail saying that I had been accepted into a prestigious art university in the United States. It seemed that my art teacher had sent a picture of one of my paintings to a friend he had there at the university.

"Apparently, he was impressed with my work and so he offered me a fully paid scholarship to attend the university. You don't know how excited I was to have been invited to such a well known art institute. It was almost unbelievable.

"I was so excited and wanted to share my good news with someone, so I headed off to tell Iruka. Although he was ecstatic for me, I could tell that something was bothering him. "I soon realized that it was the fact that I would be moving overseas. Away from him. Away from everyone in Konoha. The realization of that hit me rather hard. Was I ready to leave everyone and go by myself to an unknown country? I didn't even know the answer myself." Naruto looked out the window his eyes becoming dark as he recalled the memories.

"But then I realized that this was my chance to start anew. Ever since I could remember I was shunned by everyone in the town. I was known as the child who shouldn't have been born. I was known as the unlucky child who killed his parents. I killed my mother when I was born, and I killed my father when he tried to save me from our burning house. Everyone loved my parents and because of me they died…" The blonde closed his eyes and settled back on the seat. Sasuke said nothing waiting for his long time friend to continue.

"So getting this letter to move to another place where no one knew me was like a breath of fresh air. It was like I was given another chance to live my life the right way without having the past that I had. It would be a chance to go somewhere where they didn't know Uzumaki Naruto the boy who killed his parents. I would be able to start over in a place where no one knew of that person.

"That thought alone was enough to make my decision. But I started thinking of everyone that I would leave behind. I would be leaving you, Iruka, and all my other friends that I had made over the years. I knew that I couldn't leave you all. And for the first time, I was scared about how it would be to live in a place where I knew no one.

"However, something started to pull at my heart. All my life I had bend over to other people's will in order just to make them feel more comfortable. I had always followed what ever I was told not once thinking about myself. And I was tired of that. For once, I wanted to be selfish and do what I wanted to do. Forget about everyone else and how they would feel, but only about how I would feel.

"With that in mind, I had finally come to my decision. Of course I wanted to tell you and everyone else, but I was sure that if I did, then I would lose the heart to leave. And so, as soon as I got home, I packed all my belongings with my mind set only on leaving." Naruto finished letting out a sigh. He felt better letting that all out. It had been eating away at him all this time since he left.

Though he was sure that Sasuke would accept that reason, he would dare not to tell him the other part of the reason why he left.

"He means nothing to me. Nothing."

The blonde could still remember how coldly Sasuke had spoken at that time even if it had been five years since then. He frowned at the fact that he still hadn't gotten over his feelings for his best friend. Even after all this time, he still yearned for the love of the man sitting next to him.

"I see…" Sasuke said after a long while still absorbing what was just said.

"I hope you can forgive me, Sasuke. I never meant to hurt you or anyone else by my sudden departure." Blue eyes looked nervously out the window. He really wanted to be forgiven by Sasuke. Who cared about anyone else? The only person who really mattered to him was the person that he could never forget mo matter how far away he was.

"For a long time, I was very angry at you. You had just left without even telling me a thing. I remember how troubled you looked that night. I wanted you to tell me what was on your mind, but I just blew it off thinking that you would tell me later. However, that later never came." Sasuke's eyes narrowed with unidentifiable emotion.

"The morning I found out you had gone without a word, it had felt like a punch straight to my stomach. I couldn't breathe or think. I thought that it must have been a joke that you were playing, but as soon as I entered your empty room, it all became so real.

"I'll be honest, since you have been with me; your leaving had affected me a lot more than I was willing admit. For a long time, you were the closest person to me. Even Itachi, who is my flesh and blood, wasn't as close to me as you were. And to have you leave without even telling me was a big blow." Sasuke sounded angry as he said this and Naruto feared for the worse.

"But..." Naruto turned to Sasuke as he sensed the change in his voice.

"I didn't even think about how you felt. I was just so angry at you that I forgot to even think about how this might have affected you. When I finally realized that, my anger disappeared. Of course I am still pissed that you didn't tell me, but I forgive you for leaving." The blonde let out a breath that he didn't know he was holding as he heard the last words leave Sasuke's mouth.

"A lot has changed Naruto." Sasuke's voice suddenly turned cold which caused shivers to travel down Naruto's back.

"I am not the same person I was before." The dark haired man turned to look at Naruto with emotionless eyes.

Naruto stared back with empty blue eyes of his own.

"Neither am I…"

The blonde sighed as he reached his apartment and walked in with a tired face. After Sasuke had forgiven him, they ceased talking. He vaguely wondered how he didn't notice the change in Sasuke. When he had first seen him at the airport, he had seemed so much like his former self. Though aloof, he was still playful with that ever present arrogant smirk in place.

Even in the car, he had seemed to be unchanged. However, when their conversation had ended, Naruto noticed the slight change in the atmosphere. It seemed that after they had finished speaking, Sasuke had built a wall around himself blocking out Naruto.

Though he could not blame him, Naruto was slightly disappointed and hurt by the sudden change. He supposed that he still hoped that the two could go back to the way they were before. But deep down, Naruto knew that wasn't going to happen. After all, it was him who decided to break their friendship.

The blonde looked around his new apartment. The one he had before had been already rented out, so he opted for another room. This one was slightly larger than the one he had before. It had two bedrooms, one full bathroom, one half-bathroom, a kitchen, a dining room, and finally a living room.

Naruto sighed for the umpteenth time as he began to unpack his things. It was going to be a long day trying to get settled into his new apartment. He supposed it would have been better to ask someone to help him, but everyone had been working and plus he didn't really want to bother anyone. After all, it had been several years since he had seen most of them so it would have been awkward to ask them.

Of course, there was also Iruka, but he had already troubled the man so much before. Besides, he had wanted to be independent. His time in America had caused him to become independent. He didn't have anyone he could depend on because his aunt and uncle lived in a town two hours away from the city he was living in.

"Though it would be nice if someone could help me…" Naruto muttered to himself as he plopped down on his leather couch.

"But I don't want to bother anyone." The blonde continued to talk to himself as he sunk into the soft cushions of his couch.

As he sat there, Naruto began to drift off. The trip had definitely taken its toll on him. He supposed that the jet lag was catching up to him. That was probably the only reason for him suddenly becoming so sleepy and tired.

As he was about to fall into dream land, the door bell started to ring.

Groaning, the lazy blonde got up walking sluggishly over to the door still feeling drowsy. Naruto felt like beating down whoever dared to bother him. He was tired and stressed out from coming all the way back to the place he left and never return to.

Opening the door, Naruto glared at the person standing there.

"What do you want?" He answered annoyed and angry at the person who dared to interrupt his resting time.

"Why, Naruto-kun, how could you be so rude to me?" The male voice said sounding hurt.

There before the blonde stood a dark haired man. He looked no older than Naruto himself. His short unruly hair fell over his smooth forehead. He had light colored skin with dark gray eyes that appeared almost black. The handsome man in front of Naruto had a slim, lean body that was molded to perfection with muscles in all the right places. However, one thing was undeniable about the way this man had looked. He had a strong resemblance to someone. That someone was none other than Uchiha Sasuke.

"Sai…what a pleasant surprise…" The blonde said sarcastically not really wanted to see the person in front of him.

"Isn't it? Since we have our photo shoot tomorrow, I wanted to come by and see you." The young man now known as Sai said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"You know that I barely moved in today, Sai…Do you think that I would have time to spend with you?" Naruto said still grumpy from being bothered by the Sasuke look-alike.

"Of course you do. You always make time for me, right?" Sai pushed Naruto aside inviting himself in.

The blonde gave a growl and followed the model before falling on his couch intending on ignoring the raven haired intruder. He didn't even dare to answer the previous statement seeing that he wouldn't be able to win against the stubborn dark haired man anyway. Naruto sighed once more and closed his eyes hoping that Sai would just disappear.

"Naruto…"

The blonde man on the couch didn't move a muscle. He just stayed still on the couch with his eyes closed.

Suddenly, he felt a weight upon him. Hands began to roam over his chest and Naruto had to hold back a moan from escaping his traitorous lips.

"You know…" The model said with a deep, seductive voice. "I've missed you…Ever since you left, I've wanted to touch you like this." He moved his lips up to Naruto's ear. His tongue flicked out and he ran it along the side of the blonde's ear.

Naruto shuddered at this. Though he was somewhat reluctant to admit it, the blonde had been in a relationship with the man that was currently feeling him up.

It had all started when he was asked to come to take pictures for a company's ad. Apparently, they had seen one of Naruto's photos and were impressed by them. Because he needed the money, the blonde agreed without hesitation. What he didn't know was that he was going to take a picture for a cologne ad.

So when Naruto walked into the studio, his eyes locked on to who he believed was Sasuke at first. Thinking it was the person he left behind, he panicked. He wondered why Sasuke would be there in the first place. However, at a second glance, the man that stood in front of him was not Sasuke, but someone who looked very similar. They were both devilishly handsome with dark hair and equally dark eyes. They both had the same creamy pale skin that looked soft to the touch. Even their body shape was alike. The only difference Naruto could see was the different hairstyles and the fake smile that adorned the model's lips.

Naruto was shocked to find someone who looked so much like his first love. What shocked the blonde even more was that after the photo shoot, he was approached by Sasuke's would-be twin to go out for a drink.

He then found out about how Sai had taken an interest in him and wanted to start something with the blonde. At first, Naruto was uncertain thinking that it would be weird and uncomfortable to be with someone that looked so much like his first love. However as time passed, Naruto got to know the model and was pulled in by Sai's charm. He was so much like the way Naruto had wanted Sasuke to be. And what's more was that he looked almost exactly like the Uchiha heir.

But it all came crashing down when he found Sai cheating on him with another model. After that, Naruto had realized that he didn't really like Sai as much as he thought he did. It turned out that the only reason that he liked Sai was because he looked so much like his beloved Sasuke.

After that, Naruto refused to see Sai saying that he needed time to get over what had happened. Of course this was not the whole reason. It was just that Naruto wanted to snap himself out of it and remind himself that no matter how similar they looked, Sai was not Sasuke nor could he ever replace him.

The model, however, would not accept breaking up with the blonde saying that it was a mistake and that he couldn't live without him. Naruto knew that this was a lie and so to get away from the model, he made it so his schedule was very busy and did not allow much time for Sai.

Finally after a while, the blonde received an offer to go and take pictures for another ad. Apparently, the company was famous and well-known since his assistant begged him to do it. And so, he accepted. However, the blonde wasn't prepared for what was about to happen next. Not only was the photo shoot in Japan, the place he wanted to never return to, but it would also be featuring the very popular model, Sai.

Not wanting to back out on his word, Naruto agreed to move to Japan since it was to be a two year contract. He would be dealing with all the visuals of the ads that the company had. Plus, he figured that he could just ignore Sai for most of the time.

Well, he supposed he was wrong about that one considering the situation that he was currently in.

"Sai, get off of me." Naruto said pushing the other man away.

"But why? You know you like it when I do this to you." The model pouted while landing kisses on the blonde's tan neck.

"I don't anymore. Not since we broke up, remember?" Naruto argued trying to sit up while moving away from Sai.

"I never wanted to break up with you." He heard Sai grumble as he latched on to Naruto's mid-section.

"Yes, well, you should have decided that before you cheated on me, right?" Now more annoyed, the blonde forcefully yanked off the clingy model and stood from his place on the couch.

"It was an accident though! He meant nothing to me. It was a mistake, Naruto love." Sai got up following the blonde and embraced him from behind.

"I still want to be with you. You don't love me anymore?" Naruto inwardly groaned at this. If anything, he could never win against Sai and his ultimate technique which was when he started to use his whiny voice. He would say it with so much emotion that it would pierce through his conscience and finally make him give in.

"…you know that's not the case. It's just that I can't forgive you for what you did. It really hurt me." The blonde said hoping to be freed from the model.

"I'm sorry." Sai turned the blonde around in his arms.

The model cupped Naruto's tan scarred cheeks and brought their faces together. For once, Naruto didn't resist. He was too tired to do anything.

Sai rested his forehead against Naruto's.

"I want us to start over again Naruto." Sai's stern voice stunned Naruto. Never before had he heard the usually joking model sound so serious before.

"But I…" His words were interrupted by his front door opening.

"Naruto, I forget to tell you something." A familiar deep voice called out.

Sasuke walked in to find Naruto and some other man so close together it appeared that they had been preciously doing something intimate with each other. The blonde turned to face him with wide blue eyes and a flushed face. He didn't know why, but as he saw the two in such a close embrace, feelings of anger started to rush through his body. Just who was this guy and why was he so close to Naruto? Was the question that ran through Sasuke's mind.

"Sa-sasuke!" Naruto said slightly stuttering. He quickly pushed away from the dark haired model as if he was caught doing something bad.

Sai narrowed his eyes at the newcomer. So this was the famous Sasuke that he had heard so much about. During most of the time that he had spent with Naruto, the blonde would sometimes talk about his best friend Sasuke who he had left in Japan. Though he was sure Naruto didn't know, whenever he would speak about the Uchiha, his eyes would soften with an emotion that Sai didn't want to identify. He was slightly afraid to find out what it really was. So whenever this Sasuke was mentioned, the model would burn with hatred since Naruto only had that look when he was talking about the raven haired heir.

The sneaky model saw the flash of anger in the Uchiha's dark eyes and smirked. He wrapped his arms around the blonde and rested his chin on Naruto's shoulder.

"Naruto love, who is this man?" Sai said bringing the blonde closer to him.

Too shocked to do anything, Naruto just gave a weak smile to Sasuke.

"What did you want?" Naruto hoped that his voice didn't sound as nervous as he felt.

Sasuke just frowned and glared at the man that was clinging so closely to the blonde. And what made him angrier was that the idiot wasn't doing anything to get away from that smiling freak. He didn't know why, but at that moment, the Uchiha had an urge to get Naruto away from the model that was attached to his back.

"I need to talk to you…privately." Sasuke stressed the last word hoping that it would get that thing off of Naruto.

For a moment, Naruto hesitated. He wondered what Sasuke had to talk to him about. Grabbing Sai's hands that were around his waist, the blonde turned to face the model and gave him an apologetic look.

"Can you please leave, Sai?"

Sai frowned at the way the blonde's voice had changed. It had become meek and quiet. It almost sounded as if he was pleading with him. However, the model was never one to deny Naruto when he asked in such a manner. He had a weak spot for those glittering, bright blue eyes.

An evil glint came across the dark haired model's eyes. If he was going to leave, he was sure as hell not going to depart without making an impression on that Sasuke person who looked so angrily at him.

"Okay…if you want me to." Sai used his slightly whiny voice as he pouted cutely. He placed his arms around Naruto's neck and brought the blonde closer locking lips with him. Naruto was too stunned to really react to the sudden kiss.

Though he was almost sure he heard it, Sai ears twitched when a noise that sounded so much like a growl come from the direction of the Uchiha heir who was currently standing behind the blonde. After ending his passionate kiss with Naruto, Sai pulled back and gave him a smile.

"I will see you later." With one last wink, the model walked out of Naruto's apartment his smile turning into a smirk.

"Ha, now you know who Naruto belongs to now." Sai said to himself as he made his way out of the building.

Okay guys, how was it? I hope that you all didn't wait so long. With college starting for me, it was hard to find a moment to actually write this thing.

On a side note, I just want to mention that I am being intentional when the characters, especially Naruto, are out of character. Yeah, he's the idiot that we all know and love, but in this story I wanted to portray him as a more serious person. Probably the way he would have been had he not been all cheer and smiles. Sasuke seems kind of out of his usual 'hn's, but fear not, he will be going back to his bastard mode soon enough. Just hang tight.

I would love some feedback on whatever you may think needs improvement. Whether you want some more characters to join in or the plot is kinda dragging, tell me anything. And to do that, you know what you all need to do!! Click that review button. Hehe.

Also, I shall try my best to keep the chapters coming. Please be patient with me. With homework piling up, there's just no time for anything.