"See, here? This boy?" the silver hair man asked as he pointed to the boy in the picture. "This is my nephew,my little sister's son. He's about your age." He added, smiling at him as his blue eyes widened, and he reached for the picture.

The adult let him take it in his chubby, clumsy hands, and he ran a plump finger over the little boy who stared moodily out at Naruto. The man chuckled, and Naruto turned his orbs back to him, his mouth still forming the O of wonder. Warm black eyes stared down at him even though one of his knees was on the ground.

"His name is Sasuke. I hope if you meet him, you're nice to him. He doesn't make friends easily." The silver haired young adult watched as an innocent smile bloomed across his face, making his chest warm, and the room seemed brighter.

Of courwse 'kashi." The little blonde boy said, smiling a toothy grin, perfect tan chubby cheeks spreading.

And I'll bring him next time so you too can play together." Kakashi said, and the blonde though up his hands, and cheered. Kakashi put on a serous face as he pulled the blonde to a stop before him, but his eyes still twinkled with amusement. "But you have to be good for uncle Fuguka. You have to help him, and do everything he says."

"Yesh! Yesh!" the blonde said, nodding his head in a serous manner.

"Good boy Naruto, good boy."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Beast Master

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

He wasn't following him. He wasn't ducking behind every light pole (though it really didn't hide him and there came a time, he wondered why all the people in moves did it), and he certainly wasn't going out of his way to the park. No, -his eyebrow twitched at the hours that had been spent- no, he just happened to be going this way. It just happens that Naruto was going this way too. In front of him.

Sasuke settled into the bushes a few feet from where the older boy sat, and sighed, running a hand through his hair. His back was to him, but by now, he was too annoyed to even care. He had been following the other since school had ended, and it had gotten him no where. The boy just seemed to be wondering around aimlessly. By now, it was late afternoon, the sky getting a faint orange shade to itself.

He stood up, not caring if Naruto saw him or not, already a failure as a stalker, when the bushes in front of him rustled. He froze, wondering what was there, his mind running through all the wild animals it could be in a dreamy sort of way, when a large black cat popped out. They both locked gazes, blinking in confusion and wonder, when Sasuke smiled wildly.

"Itachi!" he said, pouncing on the poor cat that was too slow to even try to escape from the arms that surrounded it. Itachi meowed loudly in surprise, before hissing, and scratching any piece of his owner that he could reach. Sasuke, of course, ignored it, petting any piece of the cat in his arms he could reach. He completely forgot about Naruto, relishing in his good luck for having come across itachi who, he had forgotten, had gotten out that morning again.

"Sasuke?" said a husky voice behind him, and Sasuke jumped in surprise, his hold slipping on itachi, the only thing he needed to jump to the other males shoulders, purring and rubbing against his unbelievably blonde hair. Sasuke turned, almost in tears because of the cats escape, but froze almost instantly, blanking his face.

"Ah, um. . . Naruto. Good to, um, see you." He said, his tongue stumbling in his mouth. He hoped the other boy wouldn't think anything else out of this, besides the fact that he had been searching for his cat. Silently. In bushes. A light pink dusted his cheeks.

Naruto's usually threatening features lightened up at the sight of his only friend, and he smiled, his own blush, in happiness, coming to his face making Sasuke blush even more.

He turned his head slightly, and lightly petted the cat on his shoulders, recognizing it for the cat from the night before.

"Is this your cat?" he asked, looking back at Sasuke, who quickly looked away from him, and towards itachi. He nodded, slowly raising a finger, and running it along the silky fur, but itachi caught him, and hissed, scratching him. Sasuke's eyes teared up as he sent a betrayed look at itachi, before turning away in defeat.

Naruto looked between the two, before chuckling softly. "Here, Sasuke." He said, taking Sasuke's hand, intertwining their fingers and then petting the cat, which grumbled, but allowed it. Sasuke's face heated up instantly, becoming a dark red, thanking god that Naruto wasn't looking at him. His tan skin was just really warm, he told himself, and looked away from the other teen and the cat.

"Sasuke?" said a voice close to him, and he turned quickly, finding himself wanting to please, but his face got redder, if it was possible, and his eyes widened at the sudden closeness of his and Naruto's face. He couldn't blink away from those blue eyes, finding himself memorized by them. He never really noticed when their faces started getting closer, when he could feel the breath of the beast boy on him.

"Sasuke?"

blue eyes blinked, and whatever spell had been woven was broken, making him almost growl as he backed away quickly, and turned, glaring at whoever had called out to him. His glare strengthened when he saw that his guardian, the one eyed pervert, had been the one to call out to him.

"Kakashi." he ground out between his teeth as the man moved closer to their place in the bushes. His one good eye took in the situation between the teens, inspecting every inch of the blonde who was glaring death at him -rather well might he add- finding him familiar. He was sure he had seen him before, but long, long ago. It made him pause for a moment, but his eye turned to Sasuke, the flush of pink tainting his skin, and it turned u-shape as he leered over him.

"Who's your friend?" he asked, the accusations basically having form. Sasuke blushed slightly deep, and his glare strengthened, but Kakashi was use to it, and had over the time built up a resistance. Or, that was the story.

"Naruto. He just transferred in." he said, raising his hand only to realize that it was still attached to Naruto's. The warmth seeped in at the same time as the realization, and even though he hated losing that warmth, that connection to the other boy, he disentangled their fingers quickly, and let his hand fall back to his side. He looked back at Kakashi that was once again staring at Naruto with an unreadable expression. An unreadable emotion in his eye.

He was about to voice his thought when that warmth attacked him again, and he looked down to see the tan hand gripping his own. In shock he looked up at the blonde and almost backed down completely from the look etched into his face.

His blue eyes were darkened with hate, freckled with bites of red, and they stared at the man before him like he was lower than shit, with an ice cold passion that froze whoever saw it. His face was darker than normal, hard. The soft lines he had seen before weren't there, but the animistic nature was enhanced. The three lines on each cheek seemed darker, his lips drawn back in a silent snarl, exposing sharper than normal teeth.

As he watched, his lips dropped back into a hard line, before he turned on his heel, and left, dragging Sasuke along with him. Sasuke stared at the tense broad shoulders in front of him in confusion, before looking back at Kakashi.

Kakashi stared after them with a serous eye, burrows noticeably furrowed as he watched them leave. Sasuke turned back as he stumbled slightly and concentrated on keeping up without having to be dragged, his head spinning in confusion.

They obviously knew each other, but how? Why, when?

How?

But all Sasuke could think about was that first time, that night where he first laid his eyes on him. And the red that freckled his figure, the confusion if his hair was red, or blonde. The blue that shimmered in lightening as he ran away. . .

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX