I would like to point out that this is a SasuNaru fic! Just in case you didn't know XD. Sasuke is not a crazy person, he's just a normal traumatized person? Also another update will be done, February 10, Im trying to get a little ahead and make chapters a little lengthy.

Chapter Seven: The voices

When there are a thousand screaming voices in a room, is the silent voice heard amongst the crowd? A question only answered by the strength of the voice.

I woke up to the smell of more soup and groaned. Let's hope that Naruto can follow the damn recipe, I only showed him that once. Last night I took Naruto's bed while Naruto slept on the couch, I really have no idea how he could possibly sleep on that thing when it was covered with his laundry.

Stretching, I rolled on my side and checked my cell. Messages and missed calls from Itachi swarmed the screen as soon as I turned it on.

Where are you? 6:00 pm

Are you coming back? 6:30pm

You left your homework here. Don't want to fail your classes do you? 8:00pm

I'm burning your homework. 8:15pm

I guess you're staying with your friend. Don't forget to go to school little bother. 9:00pm

Reading the texts irritated me and I slowly wondered what his number was doing in my phone anyway. It was the hundredth time I said I was going to delete it, and for the hundredth time I only hovered on the thought. I yawned getting off the bed and walking over to Naruto's dresser where there were clothes set out for me to use, I cringed at the sight of bright orange. There was no way I was going to wear that.

Opening the first drawer of Naruto's dresser I resolved myself to one day go shopping with Naruto and make sure he had other kinds of clothing for once. There was on white shirt in the mass of orange, I reached for it when my hand touched something cool and smooth through the cloth.

Carefully I pulled the object up along with the shirt, un-wrapping it to reveal a knife. I froze what could he possibly be doing with this? I didn't have time to think about it before I could hear footsteps coming down the hall; I shoved the knife and shirt back in the drawer, slowly closing it before the door gently opened revealing a haired blue eyed stranger.

Well not really a stranger, but it seems so at this moment.

"I'm changing Dobe, get out for now." I said, grabbing the orange shirt off the dresser while stepping past Naruto who had his tongue stuck out at me as I passed, over my shoulder I said. "Go get some cleaning supplies ready."

I watched his face fall, smirking a little in amusement before stepping into the bathroom to change.

"SCRUB HARDER!" I barked at Naruto as he scrubbed his kitchen floor on hands and knees. He glared at me, defiantly slowing his pace before realizing that it would only take longer that way. So far, the living room was clean and so was his room and half of the kitchen.

My current task was scrubbing the bathroom down, so naturally I prepared by suiting up with gloves that went up to my elbow, a mask, eye goggles and a bandana to keep my hair back. Naruto took a picture with his phone, snickering, but I ignored him.

There was no telling what was in there.

It was one of the grossest experiences I will ever remember. I didn't even know his toilets true color, tinged yellow or white? Socks were everywhere on the floor without any explanation as to why, his trash had never been taken out once in that bathroom, his sink had toothpaste all over it. It was disgusting and overall horrifying.

The only thing that made me feel better was beating Naruto with the toilet brush after he teased me from the bathroom door. It almost made drawing the short stick worth it.

After the bathroom incident I decided it was time to do the laundry and soon discovered that not only did most of his wardrobe consist of orange, he hardly had any space for anything. This resulted in me throwing away a lot of clothes that clearly didn't fit him anymore or ones he just never wore. It made me feel almost like I was his mother or something.

We finished at 6:30, both of us stood in Naruto's now clean house hungry and tired. "Where do you want to eat dinner?" I asked, stretching as Naruto laid sprawled out on the floor.

Naruto smiled up at me, "Juogo's!"

"Really?" I said crossing my arms, "You want to go eat at the one place our teacher owns in town on a day when we skipped school? How stupid is that?"

"He's never there on weekdays, at least not in the front he lives in the very back." Naruto explained, "I never see him on a weekday when I go, which is every day."

I sighed, ignoring the feeling in my gut as I replied, "Fine. Let's go."

The walk there was oddly uneventful, but then again it was a Thursday. Nothing ever happens to me on Thursdays, at least nothing weird. Then I remembered the knife I found earlier, something in my gut twisted with unease.

I peered over at the innocent blonde to my left as he smiled away in the streets; he's always been different inside of his apartment with looks of hate, unease, and sadness. Did the knife have a connection to that? What about Sai?

I felt myself becoming overwhelmed and pushed the thoughts down in my subconscious, though some sort of displeasure must have showed on my face because in the next second Naruto was zoning in on my face making a concerned look.

"Do you still feel bad? I heal quickly so I don't get sick for very long, sometimes I forget others are different." He said, reaching for my forehead. My stomach flipped and I dodged the hand, grabbing his wrist firmly but gently. There was no reason to be violent if he was just concerned.

"I'm okay." I replied, noticing his cheeks flush making me realize just how close he was to me. His eyes shone with my reflection. My breath slowed slightly as I felt myself leaning in, our noses from making contact, I could feel something with in me shaking with anticipation. I pulled away, releasing his arm. "Let's go Dobe."

"O-Okay!" Naruto said, his cheeks still a light shade of pink as he followed behind me. What the hell is going on, I had completely forgotten about the dream I had till just now but now that I have I can feel myself slipping in demeanor. The whole point of this was to get the Naruto I know back, not have weird feelings for him and crap.

I took a deep breath; there are too many thoughts right now, calm down Sasuke you can figure this out.

Once in Juogo's, a sinking feeling stuck itself in the pit of my stomach while Naruto happily dragged me to a table. I knew we shouldn't have come, I just didn't know why yet.

We managed to make it halfway through the meal before the moment I was hoping wouldn't happen, did. "Hello little brother."

I groaned, damn Itachi. "Go away."

"Why did you skip school? You never skip school." He pressed, suddenly my lazy ass white haired teacher stepped by Itachi's side. I looked over at Naruto who was laughing nervously.

"Iruka was dying with worry, hitting me repeatedly with a spoon until I went out to find you Naruto. Then I happen to run into Itachi on the street, we went to college together and were discussing our lives when I mentioned being Sasuke's teacher and asked why he was late." Kakashi crossed his arms, glaring at us, "How interesting was it to find out that both of our "children" were missing, and friends at that."

"Please Kakashi!" Naruto wined, "Sasuke wasn't feeling well! And I didn't want to leave him alone! Tell Iruka so he won't be that mad!"

Itachi raised an eyebrow, inspecting me while I glared back. I prayed to god a blush didn't crawl on my face against my will, because my mind was still on the…NO…no I won't think about it. Kakashi sighed, uncrossing his arms "Fine, but you can't have any cup ramen for a month and you have to work here every Sunday."

"WHAT!" Naruto exclaimed, pouting to himself. It was kind of cute, no! No! NO! I could feel a blush starting to crawl on my face, and paused eyes wide trying to stop it with my will. But It was too late, Itachi was already giving me a look that told me he had caught on to something.

Oh great.

That was just what I needed.

"What?" I said, glaring once again at Itachi. "It's true, I would rather be with Naruto than stuck in an apartment with you."

Something in his face changed slightly, but like Naruto this change only lasted a second before it was replaced with a smirk. "Let's go." Itachi said, dragging me away as I struggled with him.

It was more than embarrassing.

Voices echoed throughout my head.

Why are you here?

What do you want?

You can never go back.

Fire combs through my lungs and I feel a choke rising in my throat, I was being shaken, the voices intensified.

Screaming and screaming.

Squeezing and squeezing.

"Sasuke." Said a voice I recognized, I opened my eyes slowly to view a concerned Itachi in my wake, swat covered my forehead, everything was a haze.

"Itachi." I choked grasping his arm tightly, in the morning I knew If remembered I would be furious. But in that moment it didn't matter.

Itachi was still my brother.