This chapter is dedicated to bloodyroses7 because you offered me my first bowl of ramen over the internet ;P It was delicious! Thankyou!

Chapter 19! What will happen next.. O_O

Enjoy!

Six seconds. Six long seconds is how long they had stood in silence. Sasuke counted them as he stared at the ground trying to hold back an expression of guilt that was creeping around his jaw line after the cold shock had drained away. Naruto stood with his arms braced against a wall of air, fingers splayed and face turned from impact. Nothing had happened for seven seconds. Eight. Nine. Naruto moved to rub his face but the awkward silence continued. Sasuke waited for the other boy to hit him back but still nothing happened and the quiet grew pregnant with mouthy responses that should have flown from the blonde boy's surprise-parted lips.

"Bastard!"

"Baka!"

"Teme!"

"Idiot!"

All those and all the variations. But instead after eleven seconds:

"I want to go to my house now."

Sasuke nodded, the movement made his head spin after standing so still. He nodded again, slower this time and lifted a heavy arm to point up at the building. Naruto drew a loud breath through his nose but made no other comments, then started for the stairs. When the smaller boy came close as he passed he didn't knock his shoulder with Sasuke's like he did when he was angry and wanted Sasuke to know it. He didn't mutter under his breath or lift his chin to show his fierce eyes. Sandals clacked dully on the first step.

"Naruto."

"What."

"You can hit me."

"What?"
"Hit me."

They both moved to face each other. Naruto's face was conflicted; his mouth twisted down at the corners in hurt anger, his eyes soft with confusion and the uncertainty towards Sasuke's request. Slowly, he back tracked and came to stand in front of Sasuke, their feet becoming mirror images in their blue ninja sandals. Sasuke closed his eyes and waited for contact. How hard could Naruto punch? He couldn't remember. He wanted Naruto to hit him like he always did. But even underneath that there was still the niggling part of him that picked up on everything. Naruto was doing as he was told. Sasuke tried to concentrate on their breathing. It was completely out of sync. Sasuke's was quiet and shallow, Naruto's louder and shakier.

When it came it didn't hurt but Naruto's skin on his was the same as a punch in the face and it took the dark haired boy a good few moments to realize that Naruto hadn't actually hit him. Opening his eyes he found the blonde boy with his head bowed, his eyes hidden in the shadow of his sunny fringe. His arm was stretched out and rather than a fist at Sasuke's cheek, it was merely his fingers, hot and pressing through his cheek to the teeth on the inside. Sasuke's jaw was slack. He ran his tongue lightly across the other boy's fingertips through his flesh. Naruto didn't react and didn't speak again until moved his wrist and took hold of Sasuke's cheek and tugged.

He'd done it in the past; grabbed Sasuke's face and stretched his cheeks until they hurt just to annoy him but it wasn't like that now. Naruto's head was still down.

"I don't get you Sasuke san..." he mumbled, and then more clearly, "Aren't we supposed to be friends? Best friends?" Sasuke kept his face carefully expressionless even though Naruto wasn't looking. His eyes were on the ground, averted slightly to his left. No reply. The fingers at Sasuke's cheek tightened. Pressing for an answer? Or just because? Naruto squeezed harder again.

"That hurts Dobe." As Sasuke was batting Naruto's hand away he heard what he had just said. Naruto bristled.

"What...?"

"Nothing."

"What did call me just now Sasuke san?" Deep blue was flooding into the lighter shades of the other boy's eyes, swallowing the little blue-white flecks close to the pupil.

"Nothing."

"Dobe? like... dead last?" His blonde eyebrows were pulling together; tiny little bumps flanked the bridge of his nose as he scowled angrily.

"Naruto..." Sasuke tried to give a gentler edge to his voice but Naruto didn't appreciate the soothing attempt. This time Naruto really did hit him; his fist coming in fast from the right and catching Sasuke quick and strong in the side of his chin. Unprepared, he stumbled back a little and Naruto turned on his heel and stomped up the stairs. He didn't even know which room. Naruto didn't look back. Sasuke left.

…

Konoha buzzed even in the early evening. It hurt Sasuke's head and the subtle ache in his jaw kept rhythm with his feet as he walked. He waited until it was too late to turn around before he began to replay the last half and hour or so. Kiba and Hinata... And then out at Naruto's.

He'd punched him.

Damn it.

But even worse was calling him "Dobe"; a dead last for reasons he didn't understand.

Damn it. Sasuke sighed. Damn it. Damn it. Damn it.

Already he had screwed up. But it was hard. Things Sasuke couldn't see he didn't trust. Love, bonds... They could all be ruined in a matter of seconds, in the blink of an eye. They were invisible to him and hard to find the pieces again if they broke. He didn't trust such things at all and found it hard to accept them. Even with Naruto...

"I love you..."

Just words.

What Sasuke did trust was Naruto's smile, his warm hands, the complete blue of his eyes when he was happy, and at the time, he had trusted Naruto's mouth moving with his. He trusted those things to tell him what he couldn't see; to make them solid; more real. But now he couldn't even trust what he could see and it made the young Uchiha feel like he wasn't in control. Inside he was barely breathing, trying to be quiet with his eyes wide open, searching and listening for something true. Naruto was now a closed book most of the time. His reactions were different, unpredictable, and unreadable; first time reactions.

No control.

Sasuke stopped and leant against a wall, falling into the dusky shadows. Nobody noticed him. He shut his eyes.

No control. It threw him off and made his own responses unstable. He was unstable. He was scared and unsettled. Everything was very, very wrong.

"... but it was ok because Sasuke kun caught Naruto by the foot." The soft sound of laughter faded in, rising above the buzz because he knew they voice and she was talking loudly to be heard. Sasuke opened his eyes, scanning the crowds until he pinned the laughter he had heard accompany Sakura's voice to a tall male a while away in a ridiculous green outfit walking beside her, smiling at her.

The guy from the kimono shop with the weird haircut.

Sasuke made them out as they moved in his direction. It was a bit like watching through a camera lens while you were taking pictures. He only saw them for a short time before someone walked in front of them.

Sakura smiling. The boy smiling.

Sakura shaking her head exasperatedly. The boy laughing softly.

Sasuke studied them, staying near the wall because he wasn't sure whether he wanted to be seen or not. Sakura was talking happily and her green eyes stood out brightly against her creamy complexion. They were much brighter than when he had last seen her. Sasuke could hear better snatches of their conversation now. She seemed to be recounting when Team 7 had learnt how to walk up trees to the boy. He remembered that. She'd been very good at it but Naruto and himself had taken longer to get the hang of it and even once they got it Naruto had still managed to fall from the tree. Stupid. Sasuke shifted his attention to the person at her side.

The bad haircut boy was listening and watching her with what Sasuke could only call a look of 'adoration' in his eyes. But Sasuke didn't linger long because in that moment his eyes jumped back to Sakura in a double take.

Her hair! Where was it? That hair she had always had!

Stepping off the wall Sasuke watched somewhat amazed as the ends of Sakura's milky pink hair, stretched out on their tip toes reached down and danced across her shoulders. Suddenly he felt very far from the Team 7's female member. She was with a boy who wasn't himself and wasn't Naruto and now she had short hair. She looked so different. Everything was changing around him. The whole world was moving and Sasuke was standing still. Alone.

"Sasuke kun!" He'd been spotted and he was still undecided about wanting to start something with the two. It kind of looked like a date, but didn't Sakura like him? Hadn't Uchiha Sasuke always been 'the one' for Haruno Sakura? It wasn't that he was concerned, it wasn't that he wanted her for himself, in fact he was pretty happy to see she was looking for someone more suitable to give all that love she had to, especially after he had discovered that he and Naruto had feelings for each other, but it still looked a little strange. Pink and green together instead of pink and blue or pink and orange or a combination of pink, blue and orange. Green was very new. New... Is that why she cut her hair? A fresh start? Or for the loss of something. The image of Sakura on her hands and knees in the hospital hallway pushed its way in front of his eyes. Sasuke hoped it was the former. He smiled the tiniest bit, deciding that talking a little with them would be ok and Sakura being Sakura saw it and smiled back, taking it as permission to come over and pointed him out to the boy next to her who made a little 'oh' with his mouth. Sasuke began to walk forward to meet them. It wasn't like he actually had to say anything much. Sakura knew his silence better than anyone.

While they were walking the green boy walked half a pace in front of Sakura and gently shouldered oncoming traffic aside for her without her even noticing. He was good to her. Sasuke was glad.

"Sasuke kun, this is Rock Lee. Lee san, this is Sasuke kun," said Sakura once they were within earshot and out of the flow of people.

"Nice to meet you, I've heard a lot," greeted Lee as he ducked his head into a bow and bent slightly at the waist. He then lifted himself to full height and smiled warmly for good measure. Sasuke nodded.

"I met Lee san on my way home from getting my hair cut." The girl bounced and beamed. Sasuke nodded again.

"I cut my hair," she said like it wasn't as plain as day. There was a pause and Sasuke realized that she was waiting for a proper response. Lee was quiet too, merely watching the team mate's limited exchange. The Uchiha sighed. His jaw hurt and he'd already said so much today, said too much today. Sakura was still waiting.

"It's good short."

Sakura smiled. Lee smiled.

"Yeah, I need to show Naruto too, even though it won't be very shocking to him." Sakura's lips lifted into a sad smile and Sasuke turned his face away guiltily at the mention of the blonde. It was then that the pale starts of a bruise on his chin were spotted by Lee who alerted Sakura with a carefully executed nudge that Sasuke saw out of the corner of his eye.

"Sasuke kun! What's that? What happened?"

"Nothing."

"Sasuke kun!" Her tone was stern and Sasuke was so surprised that the voice usually reserved for Naruto's stupidity or Kakashi's tardiness was being used directly towards him that he dropped his guard and Sakura didn't need to ask what happened again because the expression he had been trying to keep off his features, the pout that naturally came to his face after fighting with Naruto; seriously or not, surfaced before he could stop it. Sakura's shoulders slumped. Lee looked politely puzzled.

There it was again. Silence. After all that talking before everything had gone wrong and also just now, there was nothing left for Sasuke but silence. Not comfortable silence. Just tension and guilt.

"Did you hit him too?"

"..."

"Well?"

"Sakura."

"Sasuke kun."

"Hn."

"Oh, Sasuke kun." She was disappointed that he had caused trouble. Sasuke didn't like it. He didn't like the tone of her voice. Sakura had always been proud to be close to him and never blamed him; never saw his actions as bad. It was always Naruto's fault but now, with that spark in her eye, with that boy by her side, she wasn't "in love" with him anymore and it was indisputably Sasuke's fault. Naruto didn't remember and didn't know. He was innocent and Sasuke was guilty, and Sakura was disappointed in him.

"You need to apologize to him tomorrow Sasuke kun," she said evenly. Sasuke automatically raised his eyes and fixed her with a glare and she faltered, backing half a step into Lee but not for long. Sasuke watched her steel herself; prepare herself to scold the boy she had never scolded.

"When normal people fight they avoid each other afterward. He's not going to keep coming back for more like before." Her voice was quiet. There was another long pause. It wasn't even a proper telling off.

"Where is he now?"

"At home."

"Did you take him and show him everything before you decked him?"

"I didn't deck him and no."

"So you just left him." It wasn't a question.

"He didn't want to talk to me."

The girl sighed while both boys were silent.

"Sorry Lee san, I have to go," Sakura said blowing out a long breath and twisting the tip of one of her new bangs in her fingers. "See you Sasuke kun..."

"Where are you going to Sakura san?" Lee called after her as she started off in the direction that Sasuke had come from.

Maybe Sakura can fix it, thought Sasuke. Even though I screwed up. Even though Naruto probably doesn't want to see me anymore... But it's Sakura. Naruto always listened to her. Maybe he'd still listen, especially since she is more her old self at the moment, demanding and forceful. Sasuke attempted to reassure himself, trying to selfishly push away some of the responsibility.

Although towards a Naruto with no recollection of being used to Sakura's talking to's… How much could the girl fix on her own?

Sasuke's thoughts stopped short when Sakura replied.

"To Naruto," she called back. When Sasuke turned to watch her go he saw her shake her head. He shoulders were drooped. Guilt seeped through him. He had always done things by himself and looked after himself. He never troubled others or troubled with others. But somewhere along the way he'd come to depend on his team, his broken team. And now he was relying on Sakura to fix his mistake. It was a bad feeling.

"Team 7 really is something," mused Lee after a long moment. Sasuke didn't know what he meant. He stayed silent.

…

When Sakura arrived outside the shabby apartment block she spotted Naruto instantly even in the gloom. He was vivid with his orange pants and sunshine hair against the grey backdrop of the walls that spread in both directions to either side of him, an orange-yellow glow standing out against the dark of the open door in front of him. No lights were on in his house and he was standing outside of it.

Baka Sasuke kun... Look at him just standing there. Of course he doesn't know what to do. Who would? Baka...

"Naruto?" Sakura yelled from the bottom of the staircase, one foot on the first step. Naruto didn't seem to have heard her so she came up and hurried along towards where he was outside the wide open entry with a scrawly name card on the door.

Uzumaki Naruto.

"I'm really the only one who lives here aren't I? There's even only my name on the door. Not the family name all together. Just me..." he murmured to himself.

"Naruto? Are you ok? I saw Sasuke kun and..." Naruto started at Sasuke's name, a weak look of annoyance smeared over his face. His eyes looked like water, all shiny in the last threads of light. The girl got the feeling now was the time to drop it.

"Shall we go in?" Sakura lifted her hand and reached around Naruto to flick on the light. They both squinted and then blinked at each other.

"Haruno san?" As if he only just registered who she really was.

"Naruto." She said as easily as she could, trying not to wince.

He smiled a little.

Sakura smiled back.

Naruto coughed.

"Should I say "tadaima"?" he asked.

"Go for it," she replied without missing a beat. It was important for Naruto feel like this place was home.

"Tadaima," he said awkwardly and Sakura excused herself for intruding, just like you did when you went inside someone else's house. It was important for him to feel like this was his home, even if there was no one there.

"It smells like nothing in here." They stood in the middle of the main room. Naruto's bed was on the far side of the room. A small, kitchenette was off to the left. A cupboard and what Sakura guessed was the bathroom dominated the right side of the room; doors shut.

"Really? I think it smells like ramen. It just smells like you." She sniffed again to make sure.

"It smells like nothing to me."

"It's because you're so accustomed to your own smell." Sakura moved into the kitchen that was unexpectedly clean. Looking around, she guessed someone had cleaned the house up a bit after what happened...

"Have you eaten or anything Naruto?" she called to him as he stood before the made bed.

"It smells like the hospital here," Naruto muttered just loudly enough for her to catch it. The way he had responded to her question; by just going on without answering made her nervous. She fingered her now short bangs and laughed nervously.

"I bet it's a clean smell. I think someone has tidied up in here."

"Why would they do that?"

"Er..." Sakura busied herself with a cup ramen for Naruto and didn't reply.

"Ne, Haruno san... Do you know what happened with Sasuke san?" Sakura stopped. The kettle whistled.

"He didn't really tell me but he hit you right?"

"Yeah... But it doesn't hurt. He called me 'Dobe' too." The pink haired girl couldn't help but smile. Leaning onto the counter she looked at Naruto's back, still stood at the bed side.

I bet that was strange for you... I bet it was so very strange when it's so natural for him.

"He always calls you that you know," she said softly. The boy turned and he was Naruto on the festival night. Impossible wide eyes and young, curious. Only for a second though before he was pouting.

"I thought we were friends..."

"You are."

"Then why..."
"Dobe, Baka, Usuratonkachi; he calls you all of those. It's kind of his thing so I wouldn't get too serious about it. His tongue probably slipped." Sakura came and stood next to Naruto and they both looked at his bed. Naruto's pajamas and that goofy night cap that he sometimes wore to breakfast on missions when they had a roof over their heads were folded neatly and set atop the pillow.

"Do I like that? Do I like him calling me that?" Naruto asked. His voice jumped up nervously. Sakura was nervous too. It was weird to be telling him these things when she had never truly understood the meaning behind the habitual exchange of bad names between the boys.

"I don't think so."

Really, she wasn't thinking that at all. Naruto probably, somewhere deep down, actually did like Sasuke's 'pet names'. It was kind of like Sasuke's claim on him. But Sakura kept that to herself.

"Ne, Naruto. Do you want to sleep some place else? It's weird here right?"

"Yeah. It smells like nothing." Naruto wrinkled his nose.
"I'll take you to Iruka sensei's then?" The girl gathered his pajamas in her hands and passed them to him. He smiled at her, his eyes steady and Sakura nearly saw him, her eyes widening as he locked eyes with her and then quickly moved towards the exit. She nearly saw him, their baby.

"Let go now Haruno san!"

"Y-yeah."