Hi! Chapter 9 is here ^_^ Kudos to everyone who is reading and reviewing. Reviews are the best part of doing all of this so feel free to tell me what you think. Love to hear from you guys! Wowee! This chapter is quite possibly my longest ever. I'm so easily amazed, its probably only like 50 words longer or something lol. Anyways,

Enjoy!

Sasuke woke slowly. The morning light was dull and washed out, trickling feebly through the crack in his curtains. He rubbed his eyes and sat up, looking around his room. His room that had been unchanged for years. Well, almost unchanged. Lifting his dark eyes to the window sill he gazed at the picture from a distance, smiling a little. Everyone looked like such idiots. Kakashi and Sakura, all smiles and he and Naruto with sour expressions. Lingering on the blonde, Sasuke traced the glare across the frame to himself. Maybe we should have smiled for the picture, he thought. He kind of wished that he and Naruto were smiling. It was the only picture the Uchiha boy had since the day of his clan's massacre, the only proof that he hadn't been slaughtered alongside them. He glanced at the clock on his wall and got up, reaching for a shirt. Training today. Sasuke pulled back the curtains and was met by water streaming down the glass. In the rain. Great.

The air was thick outside. It was muggy and uncomfortable. Hot and wet. An unpleasant mix. Team 7 stood in the middle of the training ground in front of Kakashi who was crouched atop one of the three posts. Every young face looked thoroughly unimpressed as they stood in the rain.

"Kakashi sensei! Can't we do this tomorrow?" moaned Naruto, shaking water from his blonde hair. Sakura frowned as she touched the front of her hair where her dainty arches had fallen flat and stuck to the sides of her face.

"No. Rain isn't going to hurt you," replied the jounin, raising his voice slightly over the rain. Sasuke folded his arms, pressing his warm, wet shirt against his chest. He grimaced.

"Today," said Kakashi, grinning under his mask. "We are going to see just how much you've grown." Each young ninja's eyes widened as he pulled two bells from behind his back. They jingled and all three leant in, drawn by the sound. The man laughed and leapt lightly from his perch. The bells clinked together as he landed close to the three. They all stepped back. Sasuke pushed his hair of his face and dropped down a little into fighting stance. The others did the same, watching their mentor. They all knew the rules, they just needed his word.

"Go."

The clearing was empty.

…

Sakura crept along the line of bushes, checking constantly. Left, right, above, below. Where were Sasuke and Naruto, they only way they could get the bells was as a team. But more importantly, where was Kakashi sensei? She cast a glance over her shoulder. He had got her last time from behind. Not this time. Hopefully. She wasn't entirely confident in her ability. She hoped Naruto and Sasuke were looking for her too.

The line of bushes ended and flowed into a clearing. Sakura crouched where she was for a while; sufficiently hidden, staying completely still, watching for a long time in the rain before deciding it was safe. She walked soundlessly to the edge of the clearing and made a second check.

Suddenly, the bushes rustled to her left. Naruto and Sasuke came through, the blonde supporting the raven, one arm slung across his shoulders, hazy figures in the heavy rain. Sakura relaxed and turned to them as Naruto noticed her.

"Sakura chan! Thank goodness! Come over here and give me a hand with this stupid guy!" he called. Sakura started to walk forwards, but gasped and picked up her feet into a run as she spotted six kunai in Sasuke's side; he was drenched in blood.

"Kakashi sensei is being really rough this time," said Naruto quietly, laying the Uchiha on the grass. "He even got Sasuke..." He looked concerned as he carefully placed the other boys head on the grass. The girl's heart clenched a bit but now was not the time. She reached to touch Sasuke but stopped when he opened his eyes and looked straight at Naruto.

"N.. Naruto.. Sorry.. I'm.. Sorry..." he mumbled squeezing his eyes into a blink as he tried to clear the rain away. Sakura's green eyes flicked to the blonde's face.

"He must have lost too much blood, ne, Sakura chan," said Naruto nervously, avoiding Sasuke's eyes. Sakura looked back to Sasuke and realized her hand was still frozen in mid air.

At the same moment that she pulled her hand away; Sasuke's pale one came up and bypassed Sakura's to grab the collar of Naruto's jacket. Both green and blue eyes widened as Naruto was pulled down, his lips parted in surprise. Sasuke lifted his head and they met for a second time. Sakura felt hot tears prick in her eyes as she recoiled.

It couldn't be...

She was paralyzed, watching everything at an unnaturally slow pace. Sasuke's eyes were squeezed shut as he pressed his lips to Naruto's. The blonde's cobalt blue eyes closed slowly too, overcoming his initial surprise. His hand came behind Sasuke's head to support him. She couldn't move. A choked sob rose in her chest as Naruto responded, tilting his chin and kissing the other boy back.

No... No... No... It can't be real, get a grip. Sakura willed herself to move.

"How cruel..." she murmured, her eyes wide. She reached for a shuriken, a kunai, anything. It had to stop, she couldn't take it. The hot tears of panic and unbearable heartbreak refused to spill, pooling at her eyes, blurring the scene. Her fingers touched the cold metal. Naruto and Sasuke parted and then came together again.

"No.. No..." she gripped the kunai knife, her hand trembling. It's too much. How could you? She dropped the kunai. Naruto ran his fingers through Sasuke's dark hair. Suddenly Sakura was angry, a burning prickling at her skin. Adrenalin pumped through her as she became properly aware of the man's presence. She could move again. Lifting her whole body onto one hand she twisted, pivoting on her palm and swung her legs out, putting all the weight of her body into the kick. There was a rush of air around her as she passed right through the spot where he had been behind her. The genjutsu was released, leaving her alone in the clearing, now on her feet, panting, now feeling the rain beat on her shoulders again.

"How cruel... Kakashi sensei..."

…

Maybe... he had been a little too harsh. Attacking a woman's heart wasn't something he found particularly honorable, but Kakashi didn't know that she would react so strongly. The situation hadn't been very convincing at all. Sasuke's injuries were too extensive for a training exercise even if they played by the rule "train like you mean to kill", and then Naruto and Sasuke kissing like that; there was absolutely no way something like that would happen right in front of her.

As expected, Sakura had realized it was genjutsu fairly early; exactly how Kakashi had planned it because it was more of a test. Last time he had got her with genjutsu she had screamed and fainted. She had faired better this time, picking up on it quickly and possibly playing along until she knew he was close. But her reaction made Kakashi wonder. Sakura knew it was an illusion and he thought that she was probably playing along with it for the most part but the way she had backed away like it was hurting her seemed real. The silver haired man wished he could have seen her expression. Her shoulders and back had given little away about how she really feeling as he snuck up on her. Perhaps Sakura had a theory similar to his own regarding the other two members of the team. 'Cruel' she has said. Kakashi smiled as he leapt from tree to tree, wondering if she would ever forgive him for being so mean.

Kakashi stopped on a wide tree branch and lifted his forehead protector. The main thing he had to look out for was Sasuke's sharingan. If the Uchiha caught sight of him with it activated he'd be able to track the jounin's movements and lead the others to him. He scanned the surrounding area with his sharp eye, breathing in the thick, warm air.

From what he could gather, Sasuke and Naruto were together and heading for Sakura who was still in the clearing where he had left her. Good, trying to work as a team; much better than last time, smiled Kakashi. He sighed and rolled his shoulders. The rain had soaked all the way through his jounin vest making it heavy. He reached down and felt for the bells, they were smooth and cold against his fingertips. Leaping to a new branch he covered his eye back up and changed direction.

"There's no way they can ever catch me if I keep running from them. Maybe I'll give them an opportunity," he said to himself as he started to head back to the starting point.

The bells at his hip jingled happily beneath the drum of the rain as Kakashi walked out into the open. He smiled under his damp mask and looked around casually. They were here already, he could feel them. Impressive. What will you do now, Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura, Uchiha Sasuke? Let's see how much you've grown.

Three Narutos burst from the tree behind him. One coming in from the left, one looping round to come in from the right, one on the ground running. Each was charging in, yelling loudly, arms outstretched, all of them coming for the bells. The man sighed. Reckless as usual. He stepped back and all three smacked into each other. Three shadow clones dissipated. Not so reckless? As Kakashi's foot lifted and came back a wire tripped and six paper bombs attached to small logs came flying at him from every direction. Sakura's work. He leapt up but as soon as he did he realized his mistake. Suddenly a dark shadow was behind him, red eyes blazing. Damn it! Naruto and Sakura leapt in from neighboring trees. Three pairs of arms wound around their sensei's body and stuck their hands together with chakra. Unbreakable, sealed together just as he had taught them to do with their feet and trees. It was too late; Kakashi was trapped, covered in three small, wet bodies. They fell and hit the soft ground skidding in one big heap, sinking into the mud. Kakashi opened his eyes and met Naruto's big blue ones looking up at him from where he was tangled in the man's legs, two shiny bells on a string dangling from between his teeth.

"Got you," muttered Sasuke from his left.

…

Covered in mud, hot and sore from impact Sasuke walked between Naruto and Sakura. To his left, Naruto was unusually quiet. Tired? To his right Sakura was humming and combing her fingers through her long pink hair. The rain had let up a bit and her voice weaved amongst the raindrops to his ears.

"Ne, Sasuke kun, Naruto, are you guys going to the festival? It's tomorrow you know," said Sakura suddenly, turning her dirty face to them. Sasuke blinked the rain out of his eyes. "Let's all go together ok?" She said, closing her eyes into a smile. The raven began to shake his head but Kakashi put his hand on his shoulder.

"They'd love to come," he answered for the two. Sasuke glared but Kakashi's expression was strange, the smile etched into the mask was nervous. Turning, his eyes back to his pink haired team mate he saw why. Her smile was gone. Why was she making such a sour face at Kakashi? Nothing had seemed weird between them until now...

"Don't think your help has made me forgive you Sensei," she said bitterly. Naruto was standing to the side, still quiet. Sasuke stood still. The girl and the man locked eyes for a minute. Kakashi laughed nervously.

"Sakura, I really didn't mean that like th-"

"See you tomorrow night then!" Sakura said cutting him off, her voice bright and her face completely transforming as she turned on her heel and departed.

"What was that about?" asked Naruto softly.

"Nothing," replied Kakashi. "Nothing at all..."

…

One of the things Uchiha Sasuke was very thankful for was the bath and shower in the Uchiha house. Sometimes soaking just didn't do it for him. In all honesty, the boy was a little picky, with his food, his clothes, his friends... But one of the things that he liked the most was standing under the shower, letting the water run over his slender pale body, his arms hanging lifelessly at his sides.

Sasuke closed his eyes against the soft water droplets. It was quiet through out the house; the only sounds were the two running waters, the shower and the rain outside. The water at his feet had dirtied with the mud from his body and then cleared a long time ago but he continued to stand. For some reason, the dark haired boy felt most peaceful in the shower. Normally he was tightly wound and quick to hit and snarl; always appearing indifferent and easily irritated. But here, the heat thickened the air he breathed, filling him with warmth and a strange sense of safety. Safety he rarely found anywhere else.

"Teme! Where are you!" The silence was shattered. Sasuke jumped and screwed up his face in anger. Loud footsteps echoed down the hallway. The water seized as he pulled the lever down. Baka...

He felt his shoulders rise in frustration.

"Sasuke?" The voice was right outside the bathroom door. The door handle rattled as the person outside tried to open it. It was locked. Sasuke sighed and stepped out, breathing in.

"I'll wait in your room ok?" Naruto's voice was surprisingly gentle on the other side. The footsteps faded away. Sasuke stood with one hand on the door. What was with this feeling? It was weird. Anxiousness?

Apparently Naruto had found Sasuke's room. When the Uchiha walked into the room the other boy was flopped on his bed, one arm over his eyes. Silently, he approached the bed and climbed onto the end, sitting in front of Naruto's feet.

"What do you want? Get out of my house," he said bluntly, frowning. The blonde sat up slowly.

"I remembered, in my dream," he began, his face so serious Sasuke nearly laughed. "When the seal was hurting me, I had a dream about someone painting me." Naruto's blue eyes burrowed into his. An intense stare. Sasuke stared right back, unblinking, waiting for him to come to his point, gradually becoming impatient with the other boy.

"What's that got to do with me, Usuratonkachi," he said, leaning back and locking his elbows out, his palms sinking into the navy comforter.

"It was you."

Sasuke's eyes widened for a moment, running through the memory of touching Naruto at the inn as he slept. Now that he thought about it, it was a strange kind of action, but it was to make sure the Dobe didn't slow them down, right?

"So what, it was just a dream," Sasuke replied, his eyes drifting to a space of wall past the boy's blonde hair, wet with the light nighttime rain outside.

"I know you did something, Sasuke." Black and blue skimmed each other, one reaching out, trying to catch the other, one slipping past, refusing to be caught. Wasn't that always the way with the two of them...

"Do it again," Naruto said softly, his voice sounded choked, an unfamiliar begging to it.

"No way."

Naruto pulled away, a hand coming to his stomach to grip his shirt.

"Please, it hurts, if it didn't I wouldn't be here. I don't want to ask you of all people, but whatever you did is fine, please just..." he trailed off and doubled over, clearly the waves of pain were becoming stronger. Sasuke's steady eyes lowered to his small pathetic form.

"Come on, even you aren't this cold..." Naruto' voice cracked, and shuddered into a ragged breath. The raven furrowed his eyebrows.

"Are you crying?" He asked. Naruto barely ever shed tears, at least not for himself...

"It's because it hurts Teme!" The other boy cried back.

Suddenly Naruto lifted his head and there it was again, that unusual shade of blue; that emotion Sasuke couldn't identify. The Uchiha inhaled sharply through his nose as the other boy launched himself forward, his arms came forward and around Sasuke's torso, locking around him. Both ninja fell backward onto the soft bed. Naruto's whole body was burning up. It was too hot to stay like this but neither made any move to separate. The blonde's hot breath on Sasuke's neck was short and shallow.

"Naruto..."

…

Sasuke's hair was damp. It smelt like him, not like shampoo or soap, just of him. The unbearable burning that had consumed Naruto's body intensified. He tightened his hold on the Sasuke. He didn't know what had made him do it but being physically close to Sasuke had seemed like the only way to make the stubborn bastard understand. Maybe somehow he would feel just how much pain he was in.

"You know, I couldn't see your face clearly before," murmured Naruto. "There are all these black spots and I'm so hot I can't breathe. It's like I'm on fire." Sasuke tensed against him. It was so hot like this. He wouldn't last much longer. Whatever Sasuke had done, and he knew he had done something; he had to make him do it again. Anything was fine. Just make it stop.

"Sasuke. It really hurts."

"I don't care." Naruto blinked, his eyes nearly closed. All his strength had dropped from his body, through the bed and onto the floor when they fell; the red flame inside was swallowing him. Another excruciatingly hot tear fell into the soft comforter. 'I don't care', he thought, his head cloudy with deep orange smoke, his thoughts being destroyed by the wild flame. It means nothing between us... Sasuke says it all the time...

"Sasuke, I'm hungry."

"I don't care." But somehow, with Sasuke in the lead, they always ended up outside the ramen stand.

"Sasuke, carry me, I'm tired."

"I don't care." But there his arms were, coming under his legs, lifting him.

"Sasuke, I'm cold."

"I don't care." But even so, he rolled over to make room for him on the futon.

"Sasuke, it really hurts."

"I don't care..."

Sasuke's body beneath him lifted both of them; Naruto fell back, flat onto his back. He couldn't move by himself anymore. Sasuke's hands felt cool against his skin, pushing his shirt up and then coming back to rest over the seal.

"Just like before, ne?" The other boy's voice was dull, uncertain. Naruto's blue eyes searched for him. He couldn't see Sasuke's face anymore, it was blocked out by the inky black spots, but his hands on him were enough. They made slow circles, painting the spiral in white nothing with same pale, soothing hands from his dream.