So, the next chapter will be the 30th! I hope you enjoy this one, I did rush a bit but I hope it's alright.

*note: If your annoyed by the "these…this…" part its because he was going to say feelings, then feeling but then switched it last minute thought I would let you guys know!

Chapter Eleven: The Real Story

To say that life is a rollercoaster is not so far off the mark, up and down and up again is life. But on a roller coaster, you have the ability to come to a stop and ride again, in life there are no extra tickets.

But on the other hand, life is a series of moments connected by a common purpose, to have value in ourselves, and without these moments we do not know who we are or where we are going. We know nothing without these moments life gives us and it doesn't matter if in the moment you are smiling or you are frowning, all that matters is that it will make up your character won't it?

Call it food for thought or crap in a garbage can, but one cannot deny that our lives are made up of more than a single strand.

On the way back I got to sit with Naruto. Sakura and Ino fought quietly, if that is even possible, in the back. I don't know what it was about, but I really don't care to be honest, as long as they don't hang all over me. Everyone else in the car was nothing but a blur, their words are nothing I will come to remember, just the feel of looking into the haunting blue eyes that just moments ago were so keen on hating me and smirking into them. The drive back to Shikamaru's house was extraordinarily fast compared to the way to Juogo's and before I knew it we were sitting around Shikamaru's living room again, most munching on cake while Shikamaru chose the gift he was going to open first.

"Come on Shikamaru, I want to go home already this party has been to lame for my tastes." Kiba groaned as he sat on the floor next to me.

"Well then go home." Shikamaru replied, shrugging, "This party thing wasn't my idea to begin with, it was yours. I don't care."

"Whatever, I should have never let you plan it." Kiba said, chuckling slightly, "Just open the gifts."

Shikamaru picked up the smallest present, one from Ino and opened it to reveal…..a scarf? "Uh….Thanks Ino."

I noticed him slip it on Choji lap while Ino smiled away across the room not noticing a thing and smirked, I wouldn't keep it either. Next he opened the gift from me and Naruto. Next to me, Naruto beamed with happiness, excited to see Shikamaru's reaction which I'm sure will be nothing like his reactions to Ino's.

"Why is it so heavy?" Shikamaru complained, dragging it in from of him, tearing away at the paper that it took me an hour and a half to cover it with, his eyes grew wide and his moth gaped slightly, "Is this? Who got me this?"

"I did!" exclaimed Naruto, throwing his arms up and nearly smacking me in the head. He's lucky I can dodge. "Oh, well, and Sasuke to."

"Of course the happy couple", Temari, Shikamaru's girlfriend, teased and everyone laughed. Even if it was all just a joke, it still made me self-conscious, what kind of thing was that to say? We are friends, and nothing more. Right? Something unfamiliar crept within me and squeezed me tightly at that single questioning thought.

I will come to always remember that moment, because that was the moment I really started to question who I really was.

My thoughts haunted me long into the night, while Naruto mumbled loudly on my living room couch about ramen. We somehow silently came to the agreement that he would be spending another night at my house when we got back from the party, I have a feeling he will stay most of Sunday with me to. I was bothered, not by the fact that Naruto was staying with me, but because I didn't mind the idea of him being around me all the time.

I feel weaker, having these….this…closeness with him.

You want to know what's even more pathetic, not only did I want him here with me for the moment; I wanted him to stay with me. It's unrealistic, two people aren't meant to be around each other forever, bonded together through fate or whatever twist of words you want to use, it just doesn't happen.

So why am I counting on this bond?

It smells. Not a bad smell, it's a good smell, like eggs and toast and bacon maybe. I could feel my eyes shooting back, all sleepiness gone as I threw back the comforters and ran towards the kitchen. Naruto is going to burn down my house…apartment! There is no way…..what?

Naruto smiled at me from the stove, nothing was burning, and everything is good. "What are you doing?"

"I got up first this time! So I'm cooking you breakfast like you always do for me!" Naruto said, sliding the eggs effortlessly off the pan and onto a plate that already had bacon and toast on it….I have trouble with eggs even though I cook them almost every day but he seems to be better at it, "There is orange juice in the fridge, can you get it."

Stunned I silently walked toward the cabinet, pulling out two glasses then filling them halfway with orange juice by the time I was finished I could speak again," You can cook?"

"Yeah." Naruto said, "Duh?"

"But…" What how did this all make any sense?

"I never said that I couldn't cut, you just assumed that!" Now that I think about it, when I was spending the night at Naruto's while I was "sick" Naruto could handle cutting the vegetables with ease. "I cook all the time! Well…at least breakfast."

"Then why did you make fun of me when I told you I could cook?" I said, remembering him taunting me a while back in his kitchen.

"Because your Sasuke and you cook. That's funny." I don't see how it would be funny, but oh well. Naruto is Naruto and Naruto is crazy. "Shikamaru called me earlier, he's in trouble with his mom and Kiba has been banned from the house temporarily. I think Shikamaru said that Kiba broke something."

It wasn't surprising, considering all the wonderful moments Kiba had yesterday with Shikamaru's mother. "What are we going to do today then?"

"Hey! I was going to ask you that question!" Naruto said, as we seated ourselves at my small dining table and began eating. "I don't think you want to go to Juogo's again. So how about we go to the mall!"

"The mall?" I replied thinking of all the female hordes, "With the female people swarming around looking to catch a date?"

"Actually most of the girls who look for you hang out at the grocery store nearby for some reason on weekends." Naruto said, cocking his head to one side with a bit of wonder. Sakura popped into my head, but I wouldn't know if all the girls are there or not, Itachi seems to be doing most of my shopping for me these days.

"Fine. But we are buying you some clothes." I replied, Naruto pouted as I thought out loud, "You can get something blue maybe, or black."

All of a sudden Naruto's face brightened, "Wow! Those colors look awesome with orange, LETS GO!"

I wanted to mentally slap myself, but I settled with slapping Naruto lightly on the head.

We finished our meal with Naruto talking enthusiastically and barely making any sense and me pretending to listen or understand. Driving to the mall was alright, no one was really in the way today, but the parking lot was packed forcing me to park at the furthest end of the parking lot.

"I haven't been to the mall in forever!" Naruto said expanding his hands and exclaiming in the middle of the parking lot, "Uhh…hey Sasuke, do you mind if I stop to buy a game?"

"No?" why would I even care?

"What about….some ramen….?" Naruto half mumbled, scratching behind his head. I sighed; I was wondering why he wanted to go to the mall so badly. He must think that this is the only place Kakashi can't withhold his ramen, because he can't drive.

"Fine." I grumbled feeling like his mother, "But after we buy a few things first."

"Alright!" Naruto said, leaping ahead of me, "Come on Sasuke! We don't have all day!"

I flipped him off in response but picked up the pace anyway, once inside Naruto was bouncing excitedly in one spot while we were searching the map for a food court because we are never here. It seems that I really didn't mean it when I said we were going to buy some things first. Naruto was just too excited over eating to put up with shopping.

"Sasuke I think it's that way!" Naruto said, shaking me forward so that my face made contact with the map stand I was looking at.

Rubbing my head and sending a glare in Naruto's direction I looked to where he was pointing. "Dobe, that's the other way out!"

"Nuh-uh." Naruto said, his face falling slightly, "It can't be."

"It is." I said, returning to the map while keeping a close eye on Naruto, he had stopped jumping around with excitement and his face was clearly focused on a threat of some kind.

"Naruto what is it?" I said, all of my attention no longer on the map. He seemingly ignored me for a second before pointing across the way to some weird phone case stand.

"Sai." Naruto said, I could feel my fists clutching tightly, "I'm going to say hi."

Huh? Before I could say anything Naruto took off, I followed yelling as I grabbed Naruto's wrist, "Are you crazy! That guy is a pervert!"

"You must me talking about me." Said a familiar voice, I looked up to glare at a calm Sai.

"Don't worry; I won't touch your woman anymore." Sai said with a fake smile clearly plastered on his face, I glared but remained silent as Naruto interjected.

"I am not a woman Sai!" Naruto said, his fist clutching similar to mine, "Stop calling me that!"

"Very well Dick-Less." Sai replied, the smile never fading away. "I didn't mean to interrupt your date."

"Stop calling me Dick-Less and this isn't a date!" Naruto huffed; I hoped that no heat rose to my cheeks in that moment to betray me.

"But it's your nickname." Sai said, "Friends give each other nicknames."

"Those aren't nicknames!" I replied, "Those are insults!"

"Hmmm….friends give each other advice right? Well then Sasuke your nickname will be Duck-Ass." I froze to the spot as Sai waved at us, "I have to go now."

I called after him, "Why ?"

Sai turned, walking backwards as he walked away, "Because your hair looks like one."

Naruto held me back as I lunged, even though he was laughing like crazy. "Don't laugh, it's not funny my hair is nothing like a ducks ass."

"It kind of is Sasuke." Naruto said, clutching his stomach to laugh harder as I checked my hair in a nearby store window. I will never admit that he was sort of right.

"Well I like my hair so leave me alone." I replied sticking my hands in my pockets and turning in the direction of the food court. Naruto followed behind, his laughter dying down in the excitement of getting to eat ramen.

We arrived to the food court and Naruto pounded ahead to the ramen stand, I hung back listening in as Naruto ordered.

"Wait." I heard the cook say, "I'm sorry but I can't serve you, Kakashi paid me a visit."

"What!" Naruto said, "That stupid old! Ahhh!"

I watched Naruto's lifeless from emerge from the stand and rooting down next to me, I sighed "Do you want me to get it?"

Naruto brightened, bouncing on the balls of his feet, "YEAH!"

The old man might figure it out but…..I walked in the stand, sending a smirk at the young lady working with the old man, she blushed and addressed me. "Yes?"

"I would like a miso order please." I said, being sure to make full eye contact with her, "I would love it if you got it for me."

She blushed another shade of red entirely, hurrying off to get the ramen. Moments later I returned to Naruto who was sitting at a table nearby, the container of on the house ramen in my hands. Naruto bounced excitedly in his seat, not even hesitating to snatch the food from my hands and dig in. And in seconds, an even shorter time then it took for me to get the ramen, he had finished. "Thank you Sasuke."

"You better be thankful, you have no idea what I did to get that." Naruto sent me a questioning look, but I waved it away. Apparently my duck ass hair is attractive.

We didn't really run into anyone we recognized while shopping, and guess what? I got Naruto to buy something without any orange involved, something….yellow.

He's in love with hideous colors.

It's a good thing that I was dropping him off at his home after this, otherwise I would have to beat myself with a hard object to make up for my failure in trying to get Naruto to actually buy something good looking.

That night, alone without Naruto around or Itachi popping in on me, was unlike any other night, but I did not know that there was more to come.

I woke up the next day sweating, a foreboding entity clinging to my back and squeezing every inch of my unconscious mind. I recognized this feeling and froze with dismay, this feeling, this feeling was….it was….the same.

The same one, from the day my parents died.

Yeah I know so typical right? A guy who has gut feelings when horrid things are going to occur, how like a common action movie of my personal character. I sat up and sighed into the bed; there is no way that anything worse could ever happen then the death of my parents.

However not matter how hard I shook the foreboding entity refused to become unhinged. I knew, there was no question that I knew, just how bad my day was going to be. The rain pouring outside didn't seem to help the matter either. Today was route #11 which gave me some extra time for breakfast, something that might settle this silent battle with my feelings. But no sooner than I had opened the fridge there was a panicked banging on my door.

Who could it be?

Kakashi?

Iruka?

Naruto?

I unfroze myself from thinking and jumped into action, rushing toward the door, my hand grasping the cool metal and twisting to reveal a breathless person who I did not recognize. "He's in the hospital down the street the one with the red symbol."

"Who?" I asked, and then next would come how, but as the man provided an answer I could not speak. My feet jumped into action, rain pounded on my head, feet slid on the wet pavement through the murky waters of newly formed puddles. But I wasn't thinking about any of that, there was only one single thought coursing through my mind.

I can't lose him.

So who do you guys think him is? Just for fun take a guess.