Disclaimer: None of this belongs to me! Feel sorry for me, damn it! Btw, the song lyrics in the last chapter were from the song "leave" by Matchbox 20. Lyrics in this chapter are "Bed of Lies" also by Matchbox 20

Warnings: Shounen ai yumminess, angst- the usual. And some possible swearing.. I can't remember, I wrote this awhile ago. oh, and some spelling mistakes. I'm the only one who edits these, and i must confees, my editing skills aren't that great (as you can probably tell for yourself!)

To make up for the shortness of the last chapter- this one will be a lot longer. Enjoy! ;)

Part Six- Disaster in the Making

No I would not sleep in this bed of lies

So toss me out and turn in

And there'll be no rest for these tired eyes

I'm marking it down to learning

I am

He lay in bed feeling awful; it was four thirty in the morning and he couldn't sleep properly. Ever since he'd gone to bed, he'd dozed fitfully, switching between bouts of painful awareness and exhausting dozing which only made him feel his exhaustion more keenly.

After Sasuke had left him alone in the stable, he'd returned to the brightly lit yard. Shikamaru had led Yamamaka Ino's grey mare out and was walking her around the yard to loosen her stiff muscles up. She was a pretty thing, with large dark eyes, a small muzzle arched neck and an elegant tail which was carried high- a classic, pure bred Arabian. Her coat was a pure white, and her mane and tail were long and flowing. She stood smaller than the two geldings and was more fine boned and petite.

Hyuuga Neji's horse was a bay- larger than the mare but taller than Sasuke's horse (which wasn't surprising, considering how large he was).

They were the most beautiful horses that Naruto had ever seen, and anyone could see that they were of the finest breeding. Undoubtedly, they were very, very expensive

So Naruto had helped to unload all the equipment that had accompanied the horses (all of it spotlessly clean and well cared for) before he had slipped away unnoticed to his room. All the while, his stomach cramps had worsened until in little less than an hour later, he was vomiting up his dinner in the toilet. He was sure that the others in the rooms closest to him could hear him, but he couldn't work up the energy to be embarrassed. Instead, he had flushed the toilet and rinsed his mouth out before staggering off to his room , shedding his clothes and falling into his bed.

But sleep had not come to him, and it was now 4:30 in the morning.

Naruto rolled onto his side and stared out the window at the lightening sky.

He could still see Sasuke's distasteful gaze as he looked at him, and he shivered unconsciously, pulling his blankets tighter around himself, as if trying to block out the memory.

'No one can make you feel small unless you let them…'

Naruto couldn't bring himself to change how things were. God knew that he deserved to be looked down upon.

If he ever forgot what had happened, that little voice in his mind whispered to him, reminding him and making him feel ashamed because he had forgotten.

For once, he let the memories come creeping back…

"Naruto? Naruto where are you?" A deep voice called as heave footsteps echoed in the quiet barn.

A giggle erupted from behind the feed bins and Naruto clapped a hand over his mouth as he tried to stifle his laughter.

"I wonder now. Where could that little tyke be?" The long legged man stopped, with one hand on his hip and a long slender finger tapping his chin as he looked around. Warm mirth was radiating from crystalline blue eyes.

"I'm here, daddy!" Naruto cried, launching himself at his father and latching onto his legs.

Arashi laughed and picked him up.

"What are you doing here, demon-child?"

Naruto pouted. "I'm bored, daddy. Play with me?"

Arashi laughed at the hopeful tone. "I thought nana was looking after you?"

"She fell asleep again." Naruto told him, pouting once more. "That baa-chan in no fun, dad. I want to play with you!"

"I have to work, Naru-chan" Arashi smiled at his son as Naruto swung off his neck. "I'll tell you what. How about I show you something special before I take you back to Nana?"

"But dad…"

"I promise to play with you before dinner if you promise not to run off again. How's that?"

Naruto beamed. "Okay! What're you going to show me? What is it?"

Arashi laughed at his enthusiasm. "You'll just have to wait, won't you?"

"Show me now, show me now! Puhleeaasse?" Naruto begged.

"Okay, okay. Come on. I'm not going to carry you."

Naruto slide out of his fathers arms and skipped to the door. "C'mon dad!"

"I'll race you."

"Where to?" He asked as Arashi joined him at the door.

"To the end of this aisle. Ready…steady…" Arashi started, before taking off running.

"Hey! You cheated!" Naruto yelled, pelting after him as fast as his little legs could carry him.

His father stopped at the last stall in the aisle, them held his finger to his lips. Naruto slowed to a walk and tiptoed closer. Arashi lifted Naruto up so he could see over the edge of the stall.

Inside, a black mare was eating from her feed bucket quietly. A new born foal was sniffing around the stall at her side. It was fuzzy and dark brown, with long spindly legs way out of proportion to its tiny body and bushy tail.

"Ohhhh…" Naruto's eyes were huge as he stared at the tiny creature.

"He was only born last night." Arashi told him in hushed tones. "He's only a baby."

"Can I touch him?" Naruto asked in awe.

"I think so. Be very gentle with him though, okay?"

Naruto nodded as Arashi set him down and opened the stall door. Naruto stepped in with his father right behind him.

The young foal curiously came closer. Naruto held out a hand to it, and it sniffed him, it's tiny nostrils flaring. Suddenly, it nudged his fingers roughly, and Naruto jumped back in surprise before laughing.

The foal came close enough to touch and Naruto buried his fingers in its warm, soft coat…

Naruto blinked back the tears in his eyes as he clutched at his aching chest. His memories of his father and his childhood were still so vivid in his mind. He'd only been seven when he'd seen that foal- it was the first he'd ever seen and he remembered his father staying up the previous night to supervise the birth.

He wiped the tears from his cheeks and sat up. Remembering only made things harder for him.

His fault…it was all his fault.

There was blood on his hands and it wasn't just his own.

By 5:40 he had given up on lying in bed waiting for sleep, so he had gotten up and dressed in a black turtleneck sweater and old dark blur cargo pants.

As he pulled on his boots, he glanced into the mirror. His face was uncommonly pale, his eyes dull and tired and outlined in dark circles. A loud growl from his stomach reminded him that he had thrown up last night's meal and he groaned. How much worse could things get?

Outside his window, a heavy fog hung over the fields. The weather was getting colder and no doubt the rains would begin any day now. He closed his door behind him and headed noiselessly to the lounge room. All the bedrooms were connected to the lounge by small corridors. Large comfortable couches and beanbags all faced towards the Tv. Off to one side was a pool table and a cabinet where board games, a play station, spare blankets and pillow cases were stored. On top of this was a large stereo system and dozens of cd's scattered around it. The opposite side of the room was a small kitchenette with a fridge, a microwave, a stove top and a kitchen table.

They usually had lunch and breakfast here and dinner up at the house.

The place was never tidy, but that only seemed to add to the warm and safe atmosphere. Genma's magazines were always everywhere, and the girls had makeup and books kicked under chairs or cushions. Dirty plates and coffee cups were strewn here and there, waiting for someone to collect them up. A calendar was pinned up on one wall with events scrawled messily in various boxes. Next to it was a message board, with reminders and lists of things to be done written on it. Raidou and Kiba had written a series of rude insults to each other down one side (if it wasn't them, it was usually someone else).

As untidy as the place was, someone always made sure that the place was cleaned regularly. It still wasn't light outside, so Naruto opted to take his turn to tidy up.

He began to collect the dirty crockery and take it to the sink. As he washed and dried, he thought about what he needed to do. Because everyone was still asleep he had closed the doors which separated the lounge from the bedrooms, so as not to wake them.

It was funny how they spent most of their time together and yet they still liked each other and got along really well. Too often than not, you heard of how friends began living together and months later they were mortal enemies.

They had been living together for years now, and nothing of the sort had happened. This was probably helped by the fact that Kakashi had laid down some ground rules which they all agreed to and followed. Naruto was extremely grateful for these particular rules. No one was allowed in another person's room unless they were invited or if there was an emergency. Privacy and personal space was very important if people were to live together peacefully, Kakashi had told them.

If fights broke out, then each party (or parties if that was the case) were sent to different areas to have a 'cooling off' period. Later, they would talk things out calmly, with a neutral party to mediate (usually Kakashi or Genma, seeing as they were the most even tempered of the group). Shopping was also rotated around, as were the cleaning chores. Noise levels were to be kept to a minimum when people were asleep.

They didn't have many rules, but the ones they did have were important.

Naruto packed away all the things he had washed before wiping down the bench counters and washing the sink. After that, he collected his housemate's belongings and sorted them into piles before putting them quietly to one side of their doors. He straightened the furniture and wiped down the coffee table (which was sticky with some unrecognisable substance). He couldn't vacuums the floor, because it was too noisy, but he knew someone else would later.

Having tidied the place satisfactorily, he slipped out into the cold and headed for the stables.

It was only 6:15, and it wasn't his turn to feed today (he would have been quite happy to do so regardless, but the others would get mad at him) so he had some time to kill before he needed to start work. He'd need to groom Sasuke's horse and have him saddled soon. It bothered him that he didn't know the horses name yet, but hopefully he would find out today.

Naruto made a point to know each horse and its habits personally; it made things easier when you were working with them. He loved all the horses but he had fallen in love with Annie. The colt was a delight to spend time with – he seemed to genuinely like people, and he loved getting attention. He seemed to really like Naruto now, and this filled him with warm fuzzy feelings.

Naruto approached his stall, deliberately making noise so the colt wouldn't get startled by his sudden appearance.

Annie was lying down in the fresh sawdust, his legs tucked neatly around himself. Naruto smiled at the sweetness of the scene, and he slipped into the stall.

Seating himself by the colt, he rubbed the warm silky neck. Annie snuffled at his leg sleepily and made no move to get up. It spoke of the levels of trust that existed between them; the fact that he was completely relaxed while Naruto was around him told Naruto that all his work had been worthwhile. As he scratched and rubbed Annie's face, he allowed himself to think.

That day was coming up again this week and he dreaded it. The one day he allowed himself to mourn for his father was the worst of the year. Iruka knew everything about Naruto. His never-ending kindness and warmth had made Naruto break down within months of his arrival and confess everything. Kakashi, too, knew a little about what his life, although Naruto hadn't told him any specific details. He was sure that Iruka had said nothing to him, for he had promised not to. Iruka and Kakshi were close, and Naruto had his suspicions that they were closer than friends, but he wasn't one to pry into other's business, so he let it be.

No doubt one of them would bring that topic up again within the next few days. One of them made it a point to take him to his parent's graves every year. They had done so for the last four years, and he appreciated their efforts and their concern. He just hated the moment they asked him quietly, the moment that he had to be reminded.

Annie snorted, startling him, and he chuckled slightly.

"You should be grateful that you're not human, Annie." He murmured. "At least you don't have to worry as I do. You're the lucky one."

He felt ashamed of what had happened the other day with Itachi; he was still burning with humiliation. Worse yet, Genma had seen how much it had affected him. And he'd seen how weak he was. Naruto didn't think he could look Genma in the eye again. He knew Genma was disgusted at his weakness. Surely his friends had all experienced some sort of tragedy and pain in their lives, and here he was, letting it affect him so. His own worst enemy was himself, and he was fighting a losing battle against the very demons he had created in his mind.

Naruto knew that he had to find some way to pick himself up again, but he had no clue where to start. It was pathetic, and he was ashamed. Ashamed to face the world, ashamed to face his friends and ashamed to face himself..

He sighed, and Annie rubbed his head against his arm, as if to reassure him.

"You're right. I need to stop thinking."

Reluctantly, he stood up and left the warmth of Annie and his stall, listening as the colt heaved himself to his feet as he left.

Outside Sasuke's stable, he found all the gear he would need to start set out already for him. The geldings bridle and saddle were black leather, and of the finest quality (like everything else). On the grooming kit box was a metal plate with a name inscribed on it.

'Taira'

So that was his name…

Naruto picked up the halter and opened the door. Taira loomed over him, sniffing him curiously before letting out a piercing whinny.

Naruto winced and then reached up to get the halter on. After Naruto tied him up, Taira began to shift restlessly, and would hardly stand still; he had a difficult time getting his stable rug off, but eventually, he managed to undo the fastenings and slip it off his back.

As he began to groom him, all the while murmuring softly, Taira continued to test him. He tried to bite him (all attempts failed), he refused to stand in one spot while he brushed his dark coat, and he only lifted his hooves grudgingly to be picked out after several moments. Naruto patiently put up with this behaviour, because he knew that if he let him win, then Taira would always behave in such a manner. So he kept giving the necessary signals until Taira eventually complied.

Once he was clean and ready, he began to saddle the horse. By now, Taira had forgotten about testing him, because the other horses were getting restless for their morning feed. Naruto could hear the others beginning to emerge and start their work, so he hurried to finish Taira.

He had no problem with the saddle, and after a brief fight with the bridle, he managed to slip the bit into his mouth and fasten the straps.

After checking that the chest plate and the saddle were siting securely, he led the gelding out of his stall towards the courtyard. Taira strained forward wanting to get moving, but Naruto dug his elbow backwards into his neck and slowed him down.

"Ease up, boy." He muttered.

They only had to wait for a few minutes.

While they did, Taira sidestepped and tossed his head impatiently as he looked around, his eyes bright with enthusiasm and energy. Naruto could tell that he'd be a handful to ride, and that only an experienced rider should ride him.

Taira still as he focused on something behind Naruto. He turned and saw that Sasuke was approaching.

Naruto's heart was pounding painful and his breath was coming short as he was stunned yet again by the mere sight of Sasuke.

Today he looked particularly…sophisticated in black riding pants, black knee high riding boots and a black and grey knitted jumper. His black hair was tied back in a short pony tail, but his bangs had escaped and framed his face. Naruto distractedly wondered what his hair would look like loose, and what it would be like to touch.

Sasuke wore the same leather gloves he had worn last night.

He found that he couldn't say anything as Sasuke joined him. Without a word, Sasuke checked the girth and all the buckles. And Naruto wordlessly held Taira's head as Sasuke swung himself up and settled in the saddle.

F or a moment, their gazes met, and held. Naruto found he couldn't look away. Those eyes which he had thought were a bottomless black were actually a dark, steely grey. Like storm clouds…

Sasuke's eyes were different from last night. Still cold but there was a hint of something lurking behind the chill in his eyes. Naruto couldn't put a name to it, but seeing whatever it was there had surprised him, and he quickly retreated back a few steps, tearing his gaze away and bowing his head.

The next thing he heard were Taira's hooves on the pavers as Sasuke rode away.

Naruto waited until they disappeared out of sight down the road before he allowed the tension to drain from his body.

With his first job of the day completed, he slowly moved off to complete the second as he tried to ignore the thrill of fire that was burning through his veins.

Midday came and went and there was no sign of Sasuke returning. Naruto had cleaned Taira's stall thoroughly as well as four others. He'd given five others a good grooming and had helped saddle three others.

During all of this, he had discreetly avoided any contact whatsoever with Genma. When he had glimpsed the man, he had caught the confused and worried looks before he'd left as quietly as he could.

It wasn't that he didn't like him any more. Naruto was ashamed and afraid of what Genma thought of him.

After lunch, he was just deciding if he had enough time to fit in Annie's workout before Sasuke came back, when Kakashi found him.

"Naruto. Any sign of Sasuke?"

He shook his head silently in reply.

"You may as well start working Annie then. If he has a problem with that he can come and tell me so."

"Okay."

"I don't know what happened with Itachi yesterday, but if that's what's been bothering you then you need to let it go. Itachi can be a tricky bastard, but don't let him scare you. He'll only use it to his advantage. The same goes for Sasuke."

Naruto hated the way that Kakashi could see right through him like that. It made him feel very vulnerable, and he hated feeling like that. He had avoided that sharp gaze while this was being said, but then he looked at him and managed to smile.

"I'll try Kakashi-san."

"Good enough." Kakashi paused and seemed slightly reluctant to continue. "There's another thing I wish to talk to you about."

Naruto squeezed his eyes shut.

Oh God…not now…

"You know what I'm going to ask, I think."

He nodded and hid his trembling hands. He didn't need to be reminded of this now. Not now of all times. If only he could put it off…

As soon as he thought that, he hated himself. How could he think such selfish thoughts? He wouldn't be in such a position now if he wasn't so stupid.

It was all his fault...

"Daddy?" Naruto asked timidly as his father tucked him into bed for the night.

"Yeah?"

"Where's mommy?"

Arashi sat back to look at his son and Naruto wondered if he'd said anything wrong.

"Why d'you ask, Naru-chan?"

Naruto looked down to trace the pattern on his comforter. "Cause today at school Mamoru was telling me about his mommy and the cookies she made for his birthday. And I started wondering why I don't have a mommy too."

Naruto looked up into his fathers sad blue eyes. "Did I say something wrong, Daddy?" he asked in a small voice.

"No. Of course not." Arashi considered him for a long moment, before moving a little closer.

"Your mommy's in heaven, Naru-chan."

"Where's heaven?" Naruto asked blankly.

"Heaven is a place we go after we finish what we need to do in this world. After we die." Arashi explained gently.

Naruto looked at his father with widened, confused eyes.

"So mommy died?"

"Yes. She died after you were born."

"Because of me?" he asked worriedly.

"No, no. She was sick for a long time before you came along Naruto."

"When can I see her?"

"One day, Naruto. One day you will."

And Naruto had cried after that. Because he knew, by looking into his father's face, that it would be a long time before he got to see her. He cried because he wanted to know a mother's love, and because he never would.

He remembered his father's strong arms pulling him close to hold him as he cried. Arashi's quiet voice talked to him and told him that it was okay and Naruto believed him. What he remembered the most though, was his father's silent tears as he soothed him to sleep…

Naruto wasn't sure if he still believed in heaven, or even god. After all, his father had been taken away from him when he had needed him the most. All because of one stupid accident, one mistake on his behalf. What god made something terrible like that happen to innocent people?

"Iruka and I and going into town tomorrow." Kakashi said quietly, making Naruto jump. He'd forgotten he was there.

"Do you want to come with us? I know it's not the exact day, but I don't think we'll be able to make it later."

"If it's okay with Sasuke, then I will," he replied thickly.

"If what's okay with me?" an unfamiliar voice asked.

Naruto jumped and whirled around, his eyes wide when he saw Sasuke standing there with Taira's reins in one hand and his leather gloves in the other.

Kakashi regarded him with bored looking eyes, while Naruto stood awkwardly beside him.

"Naruto needs to…" Kakashi began

"Whatever he needs, he can ask for himself." Sasuke interrupted him, his dark eyes staring straight at Naruto.

He swallowed, nervous.

Don't let him scare you…don't let him scare you…

'What would your father say if he saw you like this?' A different voice now and one which made him stiffen when he remembered it.

Feeling a rare surge of courage, he straightened and looked Sasuke in the eyes.

"I …would to take a half day off tomorrow." He said, relieved that his voice didn't quaver and show his nerves.

"What for?" Sasuke asked, that cool calculating look in his eyes as he studied him.

Naruto took another deep breath and braced himself for the inevitable pain which would accompany his next words.

"I wish to visit my parent's graves."

Sasuke's eyes widened minutely, but he showed no other signs of his surprise. Taira lowered his head to scratch his foreleg, and Sasuke tucked his gloves into a pocket, looking slightly thoughtful as he did.

"I want Taira lunged tomorrow morning." Sasuke said slowly, and Naruto's heart sank. "But if you have him saddled and lunged early tomorrow morning, I will give you four hours in the afternoon."

Four hours…still, it was better than he had expected, and it was more than enough time. Sasuke's eyes showed no compassions, nor any kindness, but that didn't matter so much to him at the moment. Now that he had gotten that over with, he felt a little more confident than before.

"Same time tomorrow. Understood?"

"Of course Sasuke-sama."

Sasuke addressed Kakashi. "My friends will also be riding with me tomorrow."

"I'll make sure their horses are ready in time."

Sasuke gave a curt nod before giving Taira's reins to Naruto and walking away.

Kakashi looked at him and smiled warmly. "Well done."

Phew! I hope that satisfied those of you who requested longer chapters! A few notes before I continue…

Taira- is a Japanese name, but I can't quite remember what it means. If anyone really wants to know, leave a note and I'll get back to you!

When Arashi calls Naruto "demon-child" in the first flash back, it has no relation whatsoever to the kyuubi. I only used it because a family friend of ours used to call me and my brothers the "demon children" or if one of us was alone "demon child" and I think it's cute. So…sorry for any confusion!

Naruto is about seven in those flashbacks. However, his dad doesn't die for a few years yet…and I'll explain all that later!

When I mentioned Taira's 'chest plate', it wasn't one of those medieval things of metal which cover their chest. These days, a 'chest plate' is a piece of equipment attached to a horses girth which runs between their front legs and then divides near the base of the neck and lies over the shoulders, attaching to the sides of the saddle. It's intended to stop the saddle from slipping back whilst they're being ridden. If that confused you, or if you want to know more, let me know and I'll try to come up with a better description!

Sigh Must be hard explaining death to a child, ne?

Anyways, hope you all enjoyed. It wasn't too corny was it? Too boring? Let me know!

Thanks again for all you reviews (16! I've never had that many for one chapter!) ME LOVES MY REVIEWERS! HUGS TO YOU ALL

Give me some more love peoples!

Ja Ne!