""Damn those guys."

"You don't have to get angry, Neji-ne-san. It's quite alright."

"But now everybody's waiting."

"I'm sure they don't mind either."

"Then your wrong, Hinata-dono." Sakura grumbled. It was quite a fancy restraunt, and Sakura had avoided eating for most of the day, save breakfast of corse, because she was looking forward to a large dinner with all her best friends togather. Sasuke and Naruto. Those two were probably hung over or still drinking more in Naruto's apartment. And they would show up scragly and wet

and completely embarrassing.

Sakura fiddled with her tied up hair and straitened the napkin in her lap.

They better get here soon. She looked over. Shikimaru was talked quietly to Ino and Gaara was sitting

between Kanrurro and Temari while watching Chouji struggle to help himself from eating his plate/

"Are you still hungry, Sasuke-kun?" Sasuke smiled and burried his head in Naruto's jaket.

"You wouldn't think so, would you." He mumbled agaist the jaket. Sasuke was about to kiss Naruto again, but Naruto broke his embrase. He eyed the time on his digital watch.

"Damn it! It's 6:45!"
"What?"

"Your heard me! Get in the car!"

"Wha-" Naruto got out and litterally pushed Sasuke through the door.

"Naruto!"

"Neji!"

"Oh right. Okay then." They were already moving. Sasuke's heart was beating out of his chest.

Not only had he just kissed Naruto, but he had been shoved into a car withen the same ten seconds and was on

his way to a party he barely knew about.

After a few minutes of silence, very akward silence, Naruto was the first to speak.

"Why was there chocolate on your lips?" Naruto licked the last traces of chocolate from his lips. "I don't remember you eating chocolate while I was here."

"I...um..." Sasuke debated over weather to tell the truth. "I had...a piece of Chocolate?"

"Liar." How could Naruto tell?

"Fine, you ass. I bought a chocolate cake. I was going to save it, but I ate it on the car-ride home."

"That sounded really stupid. The whole thing?" Sasuke nodded slowly.

"Hey, it's the truth."
"I know." There was a huff from the seat next to him. Naruto reached over to grab his hand, but Sasuke only let his touch last a few seconds before he pulled away.

"I can't believe somone so small and skinny could eat so much."

"Believe it."

More akward silence.

TenTen was sipping absently from a glass of water, watching Chouji drool and Gaara talk quietly with Temari every few minutes. If even Gaara was chatting, how bord could everyone eles possbily be?

She smoothed her red oriental dress and took another sip of water as two men who seemed like totaly idiots

stumbled through the door, as Neji got up and balled his hands into a fist.

Sasuke winced as Neji approched, but the Hyuuga merly shoved them to their seats.

Sakura twitched. Finally!

It was 6:50.

After about an hour, everyone was talking quietly amost themselves, Sasuke everyonce in a while chatting,

Naruto tried to grasp Sasuke's hand once again, and he did, for a while, until Sasuke noticed eyes opon him and he glared at Naruto.

"S-so, Sasuke, Naruto, why were you guys so...late?" Sakura questioned, slightly afraid of the answer.

Naruto instantly started fiddling with his fingers and Sasuke, who was still wearing Naruto's jaket, he relized, quickly rid himself of it and blushed.

"N-nothing! Jeeze you guys."

"Yea. Naruto's right. We couldn't find the keys."

They all nodded, for everyone had been listening on the conversation, deciding it would probably be best not to press the issue further, and instead imagined themselves what they were really doing.

"Hinata-kun, you look fantastic." The Hyuuga flashed a smile twards the blonde Uzmimaki and nodded while blushing.

"You do too, Naruto-kun!" Naruto smiled. "I know." Sasuke rolled his eyes, and nibbled on a buttered roll.

"So how's school?" All he got was a nervous 'great'.

Thankfully, Sasuke's food was ready as soon as Naruto stopped his short conversation with Hinata.

"Sasuke!" Sasuke was shoveling huge amounts of food into his mouth, and it was quite hard to tell if at this point he was even chewing.

"Um..." He wiped his mouth. "Sorry." Rolled his eyes. How boring could this get?

He picked up a roll of bread, ripped off a fluffy peice and tossed it at Shino, and it hit him in the forehead. He resited the urge to throw and intire roll at Kiba.

Sakura looked over at Hinata, who seemed to be enjoyed herself alot. She was being the most social, witch was suprising. She had changed alot.

Sasuke put his elbows on the table cloths and rested his head.

"So Naruto." Naruto looked around and noticed the soft voice bellonged to Gaara.

"I heard somthing happened to your long-time friend, Iruka, was that his name?" Gaara smirked as he saw Naruto tence.
"And what buisness of that would be yours?" Gaara shrugged and took a mouthful of somthing and without even turning to Naruto said even quietly, as if mumbling to himself:

"Because I just thought I knew somthing about it."

"What?" Naruto started to stand up but Sasuke grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him back.

"Don't draw attention to yourself. We don't want Sakura to know about this. Iruka was her friend too."

"You meen Iruka is her friend. And-"

"Shut up Naruto and try to act normal. If thats possible." Naruto threw a couple of looks at Gaara the entire night, witch lasted about an hour more, but at least, Sasuke noted, it was better than him jumping on the table and beating the shit out of Gaara (if he could) until he told him somthing. If he even had somthing to tell.

Temari and Kankurro were laughing as they watched their brother taunt Naruto.

Sasuke finished eating and gave Naruto a sympathetic look.

The rest of the night would prove very...erm...interesting.

It had been another hour and Sasuke and Naruto had said quick 'thank you's' and 'good-byes' to Neji and Hinata. After the party of 9 had left, leaving only three men sitting in the shadows of the restraunts ally.

Sasuke shivered as he saw a twinkle in Gaara's shimmering green eyes.

Naruto looked on at the short figure, instantly grasping his coller and shaking him agaisnt the wall.

"Where is Iruka, you bastard!" Gaara chuckled and kept his cool. He blinked and spoke softly.

"I only know that he's somwhere around the east side of Konoha. The darker side. Was driving around and saw a couple of men with guns talking about Uchiha."

Sasuke grimmanced. Naruto wasn't suppose to know!

"W-what?" Naruto stuttered. "Sasuke? How dose that have to do with Iruka?" Gaara pulled away. Naruto's arms slumped to his side.

"Didn't you know? Of corse it has to do with Sasuke. Your friend's just an innocent man who got hurt."

"What are you talking about..."

"Look. I don't like you. I'm sure you hate me. I'm going out of my way here. Just listen. Thats where Iruka's most likely is. Now leave me alone. There's suppose to be a snow storm. And I prefer sand over snow, personally."
Gaara headed back to where Temari had a car running.
Naruto turned to Sasuke. "Do you know anything about this?" Sasuke shook his head violently.

Naruto shrugged and turned his head to the sky to see a blanket of snow coming down on the two. Naruto, who was just wearing a cotton tee underneath it, draped his jaket over Sasuke.

Naruto pulled Sasuke into a tight hug, and grasped Sasuke's hand in his own.

This time Sasuke didn't pull away.

I like snow. It's alot cleaner than rain.

Snow makes me feel invisible.

It makes me not need to hide.

And somtimes the pain I feel will be numbed.

And I will no longer hurt. And maby you won't hurt either.

It makes me almost happy.

Almost. Only you can truly make me happy.