Sorry for the delay, but here's the next chapter! I got such a wonderful response for the first chapter, and I actually really like this story. So if you have anything that you want me to add, or if you have any comments or queries, you know how to contact me. Here goes….

Thanks to:

Sparrow9, Momochi Zabuza, quaeba 24, DarkvsLight, cheerful Pinkstar, and the anonymous reviewer for reviewing the last chapter! It's much appreciated. So thank you!

Disclaimer: Naruto doesn't belong to me. I also forgot to acknowledge the song from the last chapter. It was Train wreck by Sarah McLaughlin, and this chapter uses the same song. Sorry!

Warnings: Nothing for this chapter…

Part Two: Belonging

Would your eyes like midnight fireflies

Light up the trenches where my heart lies

Until I can see again

To find my way back again?

Naruto was up before dawn the next day. He needed no alarm to wake him. After years of rising with the sun, it was ingrained within his system. Besides, he had never been much of a big sleeper. Because sleep brought with it dreams, dreams of what had been and of what could have been today.

Naruto was always the first up here. The others hated getting up in the morning and were notoriously lazy when it came to getting up for work. Naruto was perhaps the only one who didn't seem to mind.

Fumbling around in the dark, he managed to find a clean pair of baggy green cargo pants and an old black sweater to pull on over his long sleeved top. It was always cold this early in the morning, and he loathed the cold with a passion. After pulling his work boots on, he left the building, being careful not to make any noise. He didn't like to wake anyone up. In this line of work, you needed to be rested in order to keep up with the active pace.

He made his way through the feed shed and into the stable blocks. His breath formed a white cloud in the cold air. It was still dark this time of the morning, but dawn would soon arrive. The horses would be awake and impatient for their morning feed.

Sure enough, the horses heard him coming and began a chorus of knickers and whinnies which echoed through the pre-dawn stillness.

He pat impatient noses as he headed for light switches. It was time to get their breakfasts ready.

Once he made sure that all the horses were healthy and lively, he headed back towards the feed shed to start mixing the feeds.

Ten minutes later he was joined by a yawning Kakashi, who mumbled a sleepy good morning as he began to scoop dippers of grain into the various buckets set out.

As stable manager, it was his job to divide the work up between the employees, and make sure that everything was done properly. He had devised a system where he didn't need to always be present for things to run as they should. So if he was called away unexpectedly, then things would continue as normal without him. Genma was an unofficial second-in-command, and he knew how everything worked, so there was never any problems. Kakashi, being who he was, was usually always late. The man was very laid back and easy going, but despite this, he made sure that the stables functioned well. He was a huge fan of the word "teamwork" and was constantly stressing its importance to anyone who bothered to listen. Normally, he would sleep in and let the others go about their work. If anyone protested this habit, he would merely grin and say that it was a privilege of being the manager. But no one bothered to contradict him now a days, because everyone knew it was a lost cause and a waste of time and energy.

But today was an exception it seemed. Being inspection day, he needed to be around and ensure that everything was ready.

Naruto greeted him with a shy smile.

As the sun began to rise, and the horses were fed, the others began to emerge and begin to take the horses rugs off and give them their daily grooming.

Naruto listened with half an ear to the morning conversations as he groomed a petite chestnut mare. It was a pleasant ritual that occurred every morning.

"Kiba, I think you should switch your duties with Shika today." He heard Kakashi tell a protesting Kiba. "You should take it easy fro awhile, while those bruises heal up."

"But I'm fine…"

"You're having trouble walking," Kakashi pointed out. "Don't think I didn't see you limp in here a few minutes ago."

"Kakas.."

"Besides, " Kakashi continued, drowning out Kiba's protests, "it means you don't have to deal with that "psycho-bitch" of a mare."

Kiba had given up trying to protest by now, and there was a silence. Naruto knew that Kiba was thinking over this last bit, and that Kakashi would be standing there grinning and waiting for Kiba to realise that he had just lost the argument.

"Fine, fine." Kiba grumbled eventually. "But just for today."

"Of course." Kakashi's triumph was clear in his voice. "Shika, you heard that didn't you?"

"Tch…." Was the only reply.

Naruto laughed quietly to himself as he finished grooming the mare, and put away him brushes. Now it was time to begin cleaning stalls.

There was a buzz of anticipation in the air as the morning wore on. The horses had obviously picked up on it and were more unsettled than usual.

Genma jumped out at him as he was closing door of his last stable, and he let out a rather undignified squeak. Genma laughed and ruffled his hair.

"Sorry. Couldn't resist."

Naruto smiled as he regained his breath again. "No harm done, Genma-san."

Genma frowned now. "You've known me for going on four years now, and you're still calling me that?"

Naruto blushed and looked down, embarrassed. "I'm sorry, Genma-san…its just.."

Genma lifted his chin with a smile. "Hey, if I promise to forgive you, will you call me Genma from now on?"

Naruto nodded, and knew that his cheeks were still aflame. Genma obviously decided to put him out of his misery because, for once, he refrained from teasing him. Honestly, he didn't mind Genma teasing him, because he knew it was only friendly, and no matter how embarrassing, it was always kind and funny. But he was glad this once.

"Kakshi wants you to take Naota out to the arena. He needs to be exercised" Genma told him.

"He's acting up again?" Naruto wiped his sweaty brow on his sleeve.

"Uh-huh. I've got to treat that mare who somehow managed to cut her leg last night, so I don't have time right now, and Kakashi doesn't think he would settle down with anyone else. Think you can handle it?"

"I can. Genma."

Genma grinned at him, and winked as he walked away. "That's my little kitten!"

Naruto's cheeks were set aflame. That was an old nickname he'd received back when he'd first started here, and it had stuck ever since. Genma used it the most though, because he knew it made him blush.

Naruto sighed as he walked into the tack room. Naota was a lovely horse, but when he acted up, he could be a real demon. Fortunately, they usually managed to exercise him before he got to be a problem, which was why Kakashi wanted him ridden now.

He collected the tack, and made his way over to Naotas' stall and set it down outside the bay's stall. The large horse pricked his ears towards him, before lashing out with his rear leg and kicking the wall behind him with a bang. Naota was the biggest horse in the stables, and although he could be a handful, he really was a gentle creature.

"Hey there. Settle down," Naruto told the horse, as he began to saddle the restless gelding.

It was no easy task, as he wouldn't stand still for more than a few seconds at a time, and when he did, he tried to nip Naruto, or would play with the saddle cloths hanging over his door. Naruto endured all this patiently. After all, Naota was a big horse, and he hated being locked up in the stable over night, but the weather was getting colder and wetter, the horses were always stabled during the cold months.

Soon it would be snowing, as winter enveloped them in its cold arms and Christmas approached. Naruto had always been oddly fascinated with rain. Even though he hated the cold, snow had entranced him. He'd always found that there was something melancholy about the winter months. Maybe it was the way the trees were stripped bare. Maybe they felt the same numbness as he did. Yes, he was fascinated with winter, and it was a fascination that had never left him.

He was bandaging Naota's lower legs when Raidou lent over the door and watched him curiously.

"Itachi-san will be here soon." The scarred man said with a roll of his eyes. "Won't we all have a jolly good time?"

Naota laid his ears back at the man and would have bitten him, had he been within reach. Raidou raised an eyebrow.

"Feisty today, isn't he?"

"Hopefully he'll settle down soon." Naruto murmured as he straightened.

"We couldn't have him biting one of the Uchiha's now, could we?" Raidou muttered.

Naruto knew that Raidou was rather cynical when it came to people of the upper classes, and although he hid it well in the presence of the Uchiha's, he had no such pretenses when in the company of Naruto and the other stable hands.

"Well anyway, good luck with him." Raidou grinned. "You'll need it."

"Thanks," Naruto muttered beneath his breath.

Naota stamped impatiently, wanting to stretch his legs. Bracing himself for trouble, Naruto picked up his helmet and led Naota out of his stable. The gelding stepped out smartly as he looked around. Naruto could feel the energy radiating from the gelding; he really needed to be ridden regularly or kept out in the field, or else he was unbearable.

Naruto led Naota out into the bright sunlit stable yard. The stable yard had a fairly simple layout. Two large stable blocks faced each other. They each houses about sixteen horses comfortably, with room to spare. Each had double doors leading to the stable yard, which were usually open, allowing fresh air in. The stables themselves were well lit and ventilated, which was vital to the horses well-being. The third building, was located at one end of each stable block, creating a horse shoe shaped complex. This building was where all the feed and tack was kept, and a door at the back led into the workers dorms, allowing easy access to the stable complex.

Behind the first stable block was a small farrier's workshop and the manure dump. Behind the other (the left one when facing into the complex) was the wash bays.

There were three arenas, and they were situated on either side of the road that led into the stable yard. (You drove past them before entering the yard.) On the left was the outdoor arena. Beyond this arena was a jumping paddock, with a course of jumps set up. On the right were the two indoor arenas, side by side. One was larger than the other, kind of like a small stadium, with seats along the sides. You had to go up a staircase to get to them. The advantage to the bigger stadium was that many horses could be worked in there at the same time, because it was so big. The smaller one had no seating, and could only be used by a few people at the same time. Each was well lit, and protected from the elements.

The outdoor arena was sand, whilst the indoor ones were sawdust.

This whole complex was surrounded by rolling green paddocks, separated by wooden fences.

All together, the whole establishment looked very sophisticated and professional. The horses were sleek and shiny, happy and healthy, and they were well looked after.

Today, he led Naota into the outdoor arena. Genma and Sakura were currently grading (1) the first indoor arena, and Tenten was working a horse in the second.

Leading the fidgety gelding into the centre of the arena, he swiftly prepared himself and swung up onto the tall chestnuts back. Naota nodded his head impatiently as Naruto gathered up the reins.

He nudged Naota with his heels and he surged forward at an energetic walk. Naruto guided him onto the outer track of the arena, and held him in firmly, as he strained to go faster.

For a moment, he reveled in the feel of the moving horse beneath him, and the warm morning sun shining down on them. He could feel Naota's untapped energy as the horse moved, he could hear him breathing and could smell the sweet scent of horse. This was where he truly belonged. He loved horses, and everything that came with them. Their natural beauty, their intelligence and kind natures, the way they moved and their unique scent. This was the place where he felt relatively at peace with himself. He could let go of everything, forget the things that had happened, and concentrate on what the horse was telling him.

He relaxed in the saddle and released a breath, all the tension and anxiety from last night fading away and then disappearing completely. Smiling, he straightened and prepared to trot.

An hour later, Naruto slowed Naota back to a trot, then a walk. Although he was a very pleasant horse to ride, Naota lacked training in dressage. He was, essentially, a show jumper, and therefore he found some of the dressage maneuvers rather hard. He often had difficulty balancing himself, especially when working in circles, so Naruto had spent the last hour putting him through some exercises to improve this, and to build up his confidence in this area. This had taken the edge off his energy, but Naota was beginning to get frustrated, so Naruto decided it was time to do something different.

Slightly breathless, he patted Naota's hot neck.

"That was good, Naruto. He's getting better isn't he?"

Naruto looked up to see Kakashi leaning against the fence and watching.

"He is. He still needs some work, though. Perhaps Tenten or Kiba should do some work with him. They're better at this than I am."

"Mmm. Maybe I'll get Tenten to do some lunge work with him tomorrow." Kakashi said thoughtfully. "Take him out for a gallop, and let him stretch his legs out."

Naruto nodded.

"When you're done, give him a hose down, then turn him out into the paddock."

Kakashi opened the gate to the arena and Naruto walked Naota out, heading for one of the roads that led out towards the forested area of the property.

"I'll expect you back in an hour and a half. If you're not back by then, I'm sending someone out to look for you." Kakashi warned him.

Because it was such a large property, it was easy to get lost and hard to locate people. All the stable staff were required to carry a mobile in order to keep in contact with each other.

Naruto left the stable complex via a large dirt road. It meandered around the fields and into the forest. It was usually deserted and was therefore used as an exercise track. It really was a lovely trail, shaded by trees and sunlight filtering through the leaves.

He let Naota moved into a trot for a bit. When they reached the tree line, Naota moved into an easy canter of his own accord and would have gone faster if Naruto had let him. He held him in check for a few minutes, until they reached a large field. It was perfect for galloping, as it was large enough to fit in a good gallop, but it didn't seem endless either. On the far side, Naruto could make out the trees, and he knew that there was a river a short way in.

Naota needed no encouraging as he leapt forward into a flat out gallop. Naruto crouched low over Naota's neck and let him run. The wind roared past his ears, and tugged at loose strands of hair. Exhilaration and adrenalin flooded his system as they sped over the ground. Nothing matter, except the raw power of Naota and the speed at which they were flying.

When Naruto felt Naota begin to breathe heavily, he slowed him back to a canter. The horse obliged reluctantly, and by the time they had reached the trees, they were walking.

He always felt amazing after galloping. Naota's sides were heaving, and he was lathered with sweat, but he seemed to be alert and content; they were tired, but pleasantly so.

Naruto rubbed the damp neck.

"Good boy."

Naota's neck arched slightly and he shook his head, his bridle jingling. All his excitable spirits had been soothed, and he was once more a pleasant horse.

He dismounted when they reached the river, and he let Naota drink a little. It was a peaceful river, shallow and clean. River rocks were patterned with ripples as the sun hit the water. The river was surrounded by lush greenery. And it was quiet. Birds sang, and frogs called, but it was peaceful here.

He hoped he would always be here.

Naota, having drunk his fill, began to playfully paw at the water, creating huge splashes and wetting everything within range.

"Hey, enough of that," Naruto laughed, pulling him away from the water.

He turned him back the way they had come and remounted. They had barely been gone for an hour, but Naota didn't need any more work today, so he headed back to the stables at a lazy walk, allowing Naota a long rein to stretch his neck down.

It was a pleasant journey back to the stables, and Naruto took the time to appreciate his surroundings. It really was a beautiful day, and perhaps would be one of the last for a while. Winter was coming, and so were the snows effectively putting an end to these glorious autumn days.

Naruto closed his eyes, and let the warm sun fall on his face.

Fluffy white clouds drifted lazily across the blue sky, and Naruto smiled when he looked at them. Shikamaru would be happy. One of the girls would probably find him on his back in the grass somewhere, with his hands folded behind his head as he watched the clouds. He could imagine the scene now; they would be yelling, and Shikamaru would be grumbling about "troublesome women" interrupting his cloud gazing time. Some things never changed, and probably never would.

Naruto let Naota amble into the Stable yard at his own pace, and he noted, as he approached, the unusual amount of activity. Most of the morning work should be done by now.

Kiba joined him as he dismounted, and took his helmet as he pulled it off.

"You'd better hurry and put him away."

"What's going on?"

"Itachi-san just left. Kakashi called a staff meeting." Kiba told him, before hurrying off as his name was called.

Naruto frowned as he undid Naota's girth and slid the saddle off his sweaty back. He led the tired horse into a wash bay.

It was unusual for Kakashi to call meetings. Naruto was curious as to what was the cause for this, but was glad that he hadn't been present when Itachi had come. The man made him nervous. He was so cold and expressionless. Almost like he wasn't human at all, and if he did have emotions, he hid them well. Itachi was notorious for his intelligence, and it was no wonder he had been named the designated heir to the Uchiha's businesses. Naruto didn't have a clue what the Uchiha's made their fortunes in, and it didn't really matter to him anyway, for it didn't affect what he did in the slightest.

Not only was Itachi intelligent, but he had inherited the Uchiha's stunning looks. He'd seen Uchiha Fugaku, and he was a remarkable man by himself, but combine him with Uchiha Mikoto, and the result you got was obviously amazing. Both Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Sasuke were probably the most lusted after faces in the district. He had never met Uchiha Sasuke, and he had only glimpsed Itachi before conveniently finding something else to do, but judging from what others had said, he knew that the Uchiha's were a beautiful looking family.

He turned the hoses off, and gave Naota a quick rub down before throwing his cotton stable rug over him and fastening it in place.

After turning him loose in a paddock, he quickly hurried to the stable block where everyone was waiting for him. Several were sprawled carelessly on the bales of hay. The girls sat on top of the closed feed bins, which held the grain and swung their legs. Naruto seated himself next to Kiba and Shikamaru.

Kakashi strolled in after a minute.

"Sorry I'm late, but there was this poor little squirrel…"

"LIAR!" Sakura, Tenten and Kiba yelled.

Kakashi shrugged. "Right. Moving on, I have news."

"We figured that out. Tell us already!" Kiba wriggled impatiently.

Clearing his throat, Kakashi seated himself on an upended bucket.

"Uchiha Itachi came today to inform us that his younger brother Uchiha Sasuke, is coming home for awhile and he's bringing with him several friends."
"Uchiha Sasuke, huh? Haven't seen him around for a few years." Genma mused thoughtfully, pushing his hair from his face.

"Yeah, how long has it been, Gen?" Raidou asked. "Three, four years?"

"I don't remember him." Kiba stated.

"Well you wouldn't. He hasn't been home since before you lot began to work here." Genma replied.

"So…how does this involve us?" Tenten asked, obviously confused and curious at the same time.

"They're bringing their horses."

"Surprise surprise." Shikamaru muttered with a roll of his eyes as he lay back in the sweet hay.

Tenten threw a food scoop at him, and he grunted as it made contact.

"When are they coming?" Sakura asked as this exchange took plae.

"This evening." Kakashi replied, apparently disinterested in the subject.

"What! Tonight? But that's…" Kiba began helplessly.

"Short notice, I know, but there's nothing we can do about it. Now, Itachi has asked me to assign one of you to each of their horses. You will be responsible for grooming, saddling, feeding and cleaning its stall. If they ask you to exercise their horse for them, then you'll do that too. It'll be your first priority, so the rest of your duties will be divided between those of us who don't have a horse. Is that clear enough?"

There was a chorus of grunts and muttered comments, but no protests were made. Kakashi quieted the noise with a wave of his hand.

"Now, lets see." He murmured as he thought. "Shikamaru, you'll take Yamanaka Ino's horse. Genma, you'll have Hyuuga Neji."

"Hyuuga, you said? Isn't he…" Genma asked, looking displease.

Kakashi nodded, and appeared to be sympathetic. "He is. You'll have fun. Trust me."

This last part was accompanied by a wicked grin, and a sly wink. Genma groaned.

"And…Naruto, you'll have Sasuke's horse."

Naruto's eyes widened in shock and he sat up straighter, unsure if what he heard was correct.

"What! I'm not sure that's a good idea," Raidou protested immediately.

"I agree. I mean, if it was one of the others it might be okay, but an Uchiha?" Genma added doubtfully.

"It's okay. I'll do it." Naruto spoke up in a small voice.

Despite his words, he was nervous and agitated on the inside. Uchiha Sasuke? Although he'd never met him before, Naruto knew he'd be uncomfortable in his presence, and shy. It had potential for disaster.

Kakashi sighed.

"If I could change it, I would. But Itachi-san requested that Naruto be the one to look after Sasuke's horse. I can't change it." This stopped any protests his friends had, and they looked rather put out and upset.

"Anyway Naruto, you'll be fine. You can handle it." Kakashi said, reassuringly.

Naruto nodded, but said nothing more as a strange silence descended over the group for a moment before Kakashi cleared his throat again.

"Now, there's some things I want done before they arrive…"

Hope you all understood that! Anyways, here's some explanations!

1)Grading means smoothing over. Usually done with a machine or a car?

2)Winter in Japan is supposed to be mild, except in the north (ie Hokkaido) so just imagine that we're in Hokkaidou. I saw some pretty pictures of it on the net, so if you wanna know, look it up.

3)Sasukes Father is Uchiha Fugaku, and his mother is Uchiha Mikoto for thos who didn't know. I also looked this up on the net. You can correct me if I'm wrong.

So, the end of another chapter. It took awhile I know, and I apology. But I'm graduating on Friday! How cool! So anyway, I hope you all enjoyed, and I hope to update soon! Cya!