Misery Loves Company

Author: Ladelle

Rating: M, for future stuffs

Comments: Thank you so much for the reviews! I didn't get a chance to respond to many of them but I do appreciate everyone who reads my work and takes the time to give me feedback. I'll be better with responding in the future, I promise, and I really am grateful to have so many readers who enjoy this sequel.

On another note...

Okay, ridiculously long wait, I know. But please, a moment to explain!

I finally got onto my summer break for school and had to work crazy over time because we were understaffed at work, and all my out of state friends popped back in for spring break...and I was distracted, lol. But I went ahead an re-updated my update schedule on my profile page, along with adding my link to Ygal.

Oh! Cause I wrote a few lemons and stuck them on there, too. I made my page public, too which might make it easier for other people to view it. It only 'seems' like I've been inactive, lol. :waves hands mystically:

Eh, I'll chat more at the bottom. Read away!

Chapter 4:

Naruto's eyes fastened themselves to a splintering piece of wood on the ceiling as it gently bobbed back and forth. It was distracting to him, but not nearly as much as the harsh noise that was causing it to jostle in place.

Pound.

Naruto grimaced. His icon read six thirty in the morning, a time too early for any sort of homely redecorating, even for the future. But he had experienced his share of awful neighbors in Boulder, Colorado; ones that made noises much more disturbing than a sharp banging during redecorating. Redecorating.

After a somewhat perverted notion was shook free from his head regarding the noise he sat up, wondering why the sound was growing louder and louder, and seemingly coming closer to the outside of his apartment door.

Pound!

Naruto jumped as his door jerked, affirming his belief that someone truly was wandering around making the noises. Another pound sounded and he stood up, feeling nervous.

Had someone broken in? That was his first thought. But after thinking about the ten minute long segment of time the noise had been occurring, and the fact he was in a police dormitory, he decided to use a more intelligent judgment. He crept forward and ran a hand through his tousled morning hair, jumping slightly when another bang sounded, this time much harsher than the others.

Turning the latch on the door and twisting the knob to the left, Naruto pulled it open, a completely bewildered look overcoming his face when he glanced out to get a good view of the culprit.

"I was beginning to think someone lied about you being in this building," the figure said, and in the darkness, Naruto could only make out the contours of a very large man. He has bulky and barely dressed, long tweed shorts riding too low for the fading white wife-beater doing a poor job of concealing taut abs.

Naruto realized he was staring in something of a dazed stupor before he veered his attention upward, frowning. "Um, yeah. Can I help you?"

He secretly hoped he couldn't, only because the lingering figure of a body-builder outside of his door hardly made him feel capable of doing anything considered remotely helpful. There was something of a short-winded chuckle from the stranger and he backed up, tone becoming more direct.

"Basics start in a half hour. Meet in the lobby, kiddo."

And with that said the figure stalked away. Naruto stared for a minute, wondering if it was routine for him to knock on everyone's door that way in order to ensure no tardiness. And who knew, maybe the alarm clock had become obsolete in place of it.

Naruto shut his door and shuffled to his bathroom, taking a quick shower and dressing in some clothes from his pack which Neji had brought the previous night. He hadn't brought any clothes from the past that were extremely athletic, so he hoped that basketball shorts and a cotton pullover would be fine.

He washed his face and felt awkward, knowing that the first few weeks of this new job were going to be emotionally taxing on him. He wondered if the bullying from the shooting range would follow to this 'training', but shook away the thoughts. He wanted to work hard—he wanted to prove that this was where he belonged. He needed to do it for himself, and for Sasuke as well.

Naruto grinned. Just thinking about telling Sasuke he was here for good made his small fears turn into something similar to overconfidence. Turning towards his door he grabbed his key card, stashing it into a long pocket in the front of his shorts.

As the door slid shut behind him he vowed to clean up his apartment later—put some clothes away and make it something more his. He loved the future already, but the idea of being able to get out into town and find some décor was actually somewhat invigorating.

The hallway was quiet as he jogged down the main staircase, hearing a mumbling commotion from below. He took a deep breath and went downstairs to the lobby where people were already beginning to gather. He was happy when their reaction wasn't normal, and no one stared at him. A few people gave him awkward glances, and from the small crowd a man emerged—or at least Naruto assumed.

Squinting his eyes, he let his mouth fall open a little, wondering how a man could look so much like a woman. Not even Sasuke was as pretty as this person, and as Naruto realized he was probably an officer, he straightened back up in an effort not to be rude.

"You're Uzumaki, right?" even his voice was soft. He was shorter than Naruto by a few inches and had his hair tied back, a long strand of bangs hanging restlessly over his face. He had doe eyes and pursed lips, seemingly too pink to be naturally colored. He smiled, and Naruto forgot almost all together his manners.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Yes, I am Naruto Uzumaki," he said quickly, and he extended a hand in formality. The man looked down at his with a queer expression and then returned his big brown eyes to gaze at Naruto. He smiled and took Naruto's hand, shaking gently.

"It's been a long time since anyone offered to shake hands with me," he laughed pleasantly, and Naruto couldn't remember if it was a gesture lost in translation. "But it is good to finally meet you, since I have heard so much about you already."

Naruto raised an eyebrow and brought his hand back to his side, putting it casually into his pocket. "I didn't realize I was already so popular," he commented, and the other man laughed.

"Just with me, for now," he smiled, and followed it with, "my name is Haku. I'm going to be your training partner until you get used to the drills."

Naruto nodded in a large motion, feeling the knowledge settle in. He frowned a little. "Are they really difficult?"

Haku laughed bubbly and tucked the loose strand of hair behind his ear, shaking his head. "Not really, but when you're new you always end up with a baby-sitter. It's my job to keep you out of trouble," he added, and he smiled widely before poking Naruto in the side. "So don't get me into any trouble, okay?"

Naruto nodded and chuckled a little, surprised when a new cluster of officers came his way. They all seemed older, and their demeanors were somewhat intimidating, although Naruto didn't let it show.

"So you're the traveler," one said, and from beside Naruto, Haku added, "Naruto Uzumaki."

The man leaned forward and eyed Naruto up and down before grinning wildly and running a fist through Naruto's hair, ruffling it. "Haha, I like him," he commented, and Haku once again led an introduction.

"Naruto, this is Kotetsu. He's in the infiltration division so if you ever have any problems with weaponry or equipment, he'll be your go-to person." Naruto ran a hand through his hair in an effort to tame it before nodding to the lean man.

"Nice to meet you," he said politely, and the man named Kotetsu raised an eyebrow.

"Ah, and how polite," he added, waggling an eyebrow. Naruto couldn't help but gaze at the figure forebodingly, taking in his muscular body type and wild hair. Hair more wild than Kiba's, if Naruto had ever thought it possible.

From beside Kotetsu a more personable man came forward, one whose expression was very much like Haku's. He smiled, but when he spoke, his voice was garishly deep.

"I am Izumo and this is my partner—" he began to turn to his side, somewhat eager to introduce someone behind him.

"The name is Raidou. I'm not one for travelers so it would be best if you stay outta my way." Naruto watched as Izumo frowned and he felt a little taken aback himself. He didn't let the feeling linger though as Haku tugged him towards the front doors, most likely because it was time for them all to get started.

As they emerged into the just-peaking sun, Naruto's eyes narrowed at two figures already standing outside, looking as if they had been waiting a long while. Naruto frowned as he realized he recognized them both.

"It's good to see you're still alive, Uzumaki," one man said, and Naruto remembered his face. He was the doctor Neji had called when he had been injured on an event that seemed too long ago. He couldn't place his name, but it wasn't a problem since the man stepped forward and re-introduced himself.

"Genma," he said, and he extended his hand. Naruto took it readily and nodded, thinking that since Neji and he had seemed close, maybe he knew a little bit more about how to deal with travelers.

"I don't go down that easily," Naruto said in return and after a sidelong glance behind the doctor, he felt his eyes narrow slightly. Haku had moved from beside him to the last person left to introduce and was smiling brightly.

"This is Zabuza, my partner and the captain of our regiment."

The man was everything Naruto would imagine some hardcore marine commander to be, with narrowed eyes and a 'work hard or die trying' type of demeanor. He was also the man who Naruto had met at the shooting range, the one who had told him that he needed to hold his own. Naruto swallowed.

"We've met," Zabuza said suddenly, and Naruto nodded lightly.

"And I have to prove myself to you," he replied, and Zabuza only snorted. Without replying he clapped his hands together and pointed towards the horizon, now illuminating a large track and field.

"Laps. Get on it," he said, and turned away from the group. From behind him, Naruto heard Kotetsu grumble.

"Honestly. When have we ever chased a perp by foot?" but even so, the small group meandered out, picking up a light jog towards the rubber-tar track.

"This is probably what we'll do this morning," Haku began to explain, and he pulled Naruto forward in a light jog.

"We'll run, do some basics for weight lifting, an obstacle course, and then I'm supposed to take you to the shooting range later on. It's not that bad once you get used to it," he tried to console, but Naruto's muscles already hurt at the thought.

He took one last backward glance at Zabuza who was making a conscious effort to pay him no attention. He frowned.

"All I have to do is keep up with everyone, right?" he asked, and Haku nodded slowly. Naruto sped up and began to pace his breathing in preparation for a long day.

When Naruto finally managed to make it back to his room, he was exhausted. His lungs felt small in his chest and his muscles all wobbled like rubber, and it was a miracle that he managed to clamber into his shower and stand long enough to soak himself in the steaming water. It felt good against his aching joints and he wondered how out of shape he had become since playing lacrosse in high school.

But he had kept up. And that was a good thing. He hadn't been a burden on anyone, even though he was positive he hadn't been fully able to hide how overworked he felt.

Genma had kept giving him curious glances and Raidou had glared at him on more than one occasion. Izumo seemed to be neutral about the whole thing and Kotetsu had slugged him on the back a couple of times for motivation, an action that made Naruto more out of breath than inspired.

Haku had managed to stick by him like glue, and had even managed to show him a trick or two during shooting practice that seemed to help. Although the gun was lighter than the first he had used, and the throw-back wasn't nearly as powerful. All in all, Naruto surmised he had a decent day, and as he ejected himself from the shower and pulled on a pair of sweatpants for leisure, a knock sounded at his door.

"Coming," he said softly, and he made his way towards the living area in order to see who it was. Surprised to see Zabuza when he opened the door, he stepped aside to let the captain inside.

He wasn't sure what to say, so he quietly closed the door and watched as Zabuza wandered into his living area and glanced back at him, frowning coolly.

"Aren't you going to say hello?" he asked, and Naruto couldn't tell by his tone if it was a joke or not. Naruto grinned anyway.

"I was thinking about offering something to drink," he said, and Zabuza raised an eyebrow before shaking his head, a small smile curving his lips.

"Come and sit down," he said and Naruto ventured over, taking a seat on a comfortable side chair while his commander took the couch. He felt a little nervous and unsure of himself, not knowing why the visit was owed to him He felt a little more ridiculous when he remembered that he hadn't put a shirt on, and wondered what kind of manners that looked like in the future.

"Morino has only told me a little about what's going on, and I figured that since you'll be working under me, it may be a good idea for you and I to get on the same page."

Naruto nodded and stood up, holding up his finger in a momentary position. "Excuse me a minute," he said and he disappeared into his room to retrieve a hoodie. If they were going to have a serious discussion there was no way he was going to do it half naked. Once he slid it on he ventured back out, laughing and shaking his head.

"I don't seem to be good at first impressions," he noted, and Zabuza quirked an eyebrow.

"From my vantage, you don't seem to be good at very much," he replied, and after he noticed Naruto's expression become somewhat livid, he said, "But we'll fix that."

Naruto sat down in the chair again, feeling bemused. He waited a moment before speaking.

"What do you want to know?" he asked, assuming that Zabuza was curious about his past. He was surprised with how the older man answered.

"I don't really care about your past or how you ended up in this situation. But if there is anything I should know about—any problems that may arise in the future, now is the time to tell me."

Naruto frowned, trying to place what he was asking for. "I was involved with the Sabaku siblings, if that's what you're asking about," he offered, still confused. "And it will be another three months until I get my papers."

The captain raised an eyebrow at the mention of Sabaku, but other than that his expression hardly changed. After a minute, he spoke.

"I'm going to be straight with you, Uzumaki," he began, and his voice was deep and grueling. "The only reason you're in this position is because Neji and Morino seem to owe you some kind of favor. I don't' consider you an asset to my team, nor do I intend to make you one. You're just a placeholder."

Naruto felt his eyes narrow and he became unusually angry. It was ironic that this same man had told him to prove himself a day before and now was telling him to simply go with the motions because he wasn't meant for it anyway.

"Even though you say that," Naruto said, trying not to sound as irritated as he felt, "I owe them just as much. If you want to consider me a placeholder, then fine. But I'll be the best damn placeholder you'll ever have."

His comment seemed to catch Zabuza off guard because his eyes got wide. The captain frowned quickly afterwards. "Those are some tough words to keep."

Naruto frowned. "I won't lie to you. In all the time I've been here I've always been catered to. But now it's different. Now I have to make a name for myself, and now I have to prove myself. You don't know me and I don't know you," he emphasized, "but I want to be of value, and I'll work hard for it even if it takes me the entire three months for you to recognize it."

Zabuza was quiet before he stood up, walking nonchalantly towards the front door. Naruto watched him with curiosity, wondering if he had pissed him off. When the man turned around, he flicked something at Naruto, and when Naruto caught it he realized it was a coin of some kind.

"Go to the corner store on the east end. Buy some tea—it will help with your muscles."

Naruto continued to glare, wondering if his comment had just been ignored. After a minute, before the door managed to close at all, Zabuza almost smirked. "You're different from the rest," he said, and he clicked his tongue. "Don't make me regret trusting you," he added, and the door slid shut behind him.

Naruto glanced down to the coin in his hand and examined it, feeling it's weight and wondering who the man on the front was. There was an obscure picture of a spaceship on the back, and it made Naruto laugh a little, visuals from Independence Day roaming his mind.

He set the coin onto the door-side table with his key card and drifted into his room, anxious to get some rest. The tea would have to wait until morning, and he was a little excited to see what plans Neji had for the day.

It wasn't until Naruto stepped out onto the main street sidewalk that he began to wonder if going out into public was the best idea. Even though he was wearing dark denims, a white pull-over and a baseball cap, he wondered if that was enough to disguise himself from potential past acquaintances.

But as he spotted Neji's car drifting through the lot he picked up his pace, ignoring the oddly persistent feeling gnawing at him from inside. His legs gave a few sore goads of revolt as he jogged out, not wanting to keep Neji in the passenger pick up lane for too long.

The police station parking lot seemed to fill to the brim with vehicles, and was even more clustered with officers, detainees, and random passer-bys. As Naruto sat down and closed the door Neji pulled forward, frowning.

"I hate this parking lot," he said, and Naruto nodded in agreeance. Even the best driver would be prone to hitting someone. As Naruto fastened his seat belt Neji pulled out onto a main street and took off towards a highway.

"So how was your first day?" he asked, his voice sounding hopeful. Naruto didn't want to lie, but he didn't want to worry Neji either.

"It was tough. I haven't worked out that hard for… six years?" he attempted to do the math in his head and after a moment gave up. Neji laughed a little.

"But everyone was helpful, right?"

Naruto paused a minute, unsure of what to say. The only people who seemed to care about him were Haku and Genma, and most likely because he was Haku's assigned project and Genma was the medic of the small building.

"Yeah, everyone was great." He rested his head against the headrest and closed his eyes, wondering why he felt like ha had forgotten something. After a minute, he cursed, digging out the coin.

"Zabuza told me to go get some tea or something with this," he said, and he glanced to Neji. "Because my muscles are killing me."

Neji peered at the coin and veered upward, merging into a higher traffic lane. "When we get to Montebello we can stop at a convenience store. Our mission today is to do some interrogating about a few travelers who have abandoned their work visas."

Naruto nodded, the project not sounding too invigorating. He was happy that both he and Neji were able to dress casually for their jobs though, and was surprised to note that Neji was wearing a leather jacket.

"Is Montebello still a rough part of town?" Naruto asked suddenly, wondering what, if anything, had changed about it. He had never been there himself but he had heard rumors that had discouraged him from ever going there.

"Not too bad," Neji said as he took an exit, and he added, "It's where a lot of witness protection people end up, so it needs to be a little more policed than other areas."

Naruto nodded as the car drifted into a parking area near what seemed to be an apartment complex, and he was grateful he had remembered to take his motion sickness medicines before traveling. It made the rides much more enjoyable.

Naruto pulled himself out of the car and Neji did the same, and they met up at the hood. Neji grabbed Naruto's wrist and fiddled with his icon, and Naruto frowned.

"What are you doing to it?"

"The convenience store is right up that way," Neji said, and he pointed north a little ways, "and I'm going to head up a few blocks to this apartment to get some information."

Naruto still didn't know how that had anything to do with his icon, but he let out a deep breath. "Shouldn't I go with you?"

Neji glanced up suddenly and laughed. "We have three places to go today. Missing one won't hurt you," he continued fiddling until it beeped.

"Ah, okay, now it's like a pager. If you need me, press this button," he pointed to one and Naruto nodded. "Alright."

"Okay, this one will be fast. We can meet back here in… let's say, ten minutes?"

Naruto nodded and watched as Neji stalked off, curious as to why Neji had so readily let him be on his own. Not that he minded, but with all of the to-do about him not being recognized, it seemed slightly strange.

He shrugged it off and figured it had something to do with whoever he was going to see—maybe someone dangerous that he didn't want him getting involved with or something like that. After all, it wasn't as if he had remembered to bring a gun.

Naruto set off on his own, heading in the direction Neji had pointed. The streets were quiet as it was early morning, and the wind still bit a little through his thick cotton sweater. He fiddled with the coin inside his pocket, turning it in between his fingers, wondering just how much it was worth. He hadn't remembered to ask that.

A highway whispered from overhead and in the distance Naruto could hear kids playing outside, and after crossing a few inner-neighborhood cross walks he was more than delighted to see the store Neji had been talking about. It would have looked like a 7-11 if it weren't outrageously tall and bricked, but the outer tapered covering was bright with striped colors and letters that read, 'Your Stop'.

He drifted towards it, a sort of nervous and unknowing feeling brewing inside of him. It reminded him of the way he had first felt calling Pizza Hut when he was 14, unsure of how to order and what to say. He hoped customer service was still an active motto in the future as he entered, seeking out anything that looked like tea, or even a cashier that looked content to help.

After a few minutes of hopeless wandering, he paused in a snack aisle, his eyes squinting as he took in some of the products. They looked like chips, but were odd colors—and little packages that Naruto assumed would be equivalent to donuts in his time now looked like squished Little Debbie cakes.

As he managed to find the coolers with beverages, he heard a few voices from what seemed to be a manager's office. Not intending to eavesdrop he couldn't help it as he drifted further down, searching for something labeled 'tea'.

"It's not just that—if you don't know anything you're as good as dead, too."

Naruto glanced to the side, wondering what on earth the employees were talking about. The conversation continued, and Naruto realized that it had to have been taking place over a phone or some device, because the conversation was one sided.

"Oh, no, no, I know. But what are you going to do? Just give them what they want and hope that the Industry doesn't come asking questions about it…"

Naruto strained to hear more, wondering if the 'Industry' was in any way Uchiha Industries. Everything seemed to make him think of Sasuke, regardless of how many dots he had to connect in between. He stumbled forward over a small rack of what appeared to be peanuts, and from in the room, he heard the man rush to hang up. Cursing silently, Naruto attempted to relocate all of the packages.

"What on earth—" a small and wiry man emerged from the office, straightening what little hair he had left from his receding hairline. He knelt down to help Naruto and Naruto let out an impulsive sigh.

"I'm really sorry," he said, and the man tsk-ed.

"Do you need any help finding anything?" he asked, although Naruto heard impatience in his tone. When Naruto finally glanced up at him the man seemed to be surprised, and Naruto inwardly fizzled, knowing it was his eyes that had caused the reaction.

"Um, I was recommended to get some tea that works as sort of a muscle relaxant?" he offered, hoping that was explanation enough. The man cleared his throat and stood up, looking appeased at the newly strewn bin of nut packages. He waddled off to the check out counter and Naruto followed, jogging behind to catch up.

From below the counter the old man pulled out a few small packages; ones that reminded Naruto of hot chocolate pouches. They were green and red striped and came in little sets of three, and the man at the counter gave Naruto a weary look.

"Do you know how to use these?" he asked, and Naruto raised an eyebrow. He assumed like normal tea, but now that the old man had asked, he dropped his lips in thought.

"You put them in water and shake them up," the man said, eyebrow raised. He pulled a bottle of water from beneath the counter, assuming Naruto would want it as well. "You got a card?" he asked, and Naruto pulled the coin from his pocket.

"I have this," he said, and the man swiped it form his hand, digging through a tote drawer for change. Naruto frowned. Maybe the man was used to travelers because he was positive no new-age person looked as new at this purchasing thing as he did. From behind him he heard the door open and he struggled to put the change into his pocket, all while helping himself to a paper bag for his new collection of teas.

From in front of him he saw the man look irritated, and he was about to glance back when the person who had entered spoke.

"I take it you haven't heard anything new?"

Naruto froze.

There was no way. No possible way.

He clenched the bag in his hand and felt his breath stall in his chest, his stomach turning knots.

Sasuke?

But he couldn't turn, and already the man at the counter had moved to the side, ushering the newcomer to the counter to help him. Naruto turned his head to the side, hoping his hat would shelter the recognizable portions of his face, all while trying to discover if the person beside him was really who he thought it was.

"I told you I'd let you know if there was," the older man retorted, and Naruto waited to hear that voice again. And when it came, a pale hand also found it's way to the countertop, and Naruto was positive.

"Somehow I doubt you'd tell me first," the figure said again and Naruto felt like he couldn't breathe. Why was Sasuke here—why in Montebello? Why was he asking someone for information… and what kind of information did he want?

And although those questions rushed through his mind, the only thing running through Naruto's head was the fact that after years and years of not seeing this person, here he was, in all ways ready to turn and say, 'I'm back, and I love you, and I'm sorry I ever left'.

But he couldn't.

Because if he did, he would put Sasuke in danger… and he would ruin his own chances for staying. If there was one thing Naruto was horrible at, it was being patient. He stood silent for a minute, feeling that if he stayed there any longer he would give himself away.

BANG.

Naruto jumped and spun to the side, subconsciously turning away from Sasuke in order to not be seen. He had heard a gunshot, and from his wrist his icon bellowed.

"Get down—!"

"What the hell…!" The Uchiha's tone was low and uncomfortable, and asked, "Are you an officer?"

Naruto grabbed his bag and wrapped a hand around his wrist, praying he could make it out of the store before Neji said his name. He ignored the question and pulled his hat to the opposite side as he made his way towards the door. There was mumbling coming from beneath his grip on his icon and he zipped out of the store, clenching his eyes closed as he resisted the urge to look back.

His heart was now pounding restlessly and he took off running, disappearing from sight of the store. When he rounded the corner to where Neji had parked, he ran into someone with a big impact.

He tumbled backwards onto his back and the other person collapsed on top of him, groaning. "What the—"

"I'm sorry—" Naruto attempted and he peeked open his eyes at the figure on top of him, surprised to see someone only a little older than him with thick glasses and silver-dyed hair swept back into a ponytail.

"Ugh, fuck," the man said and he pulled himself off of Naruto, and another gunshot ran in the air. Naruto watched as the figure picked up a gun from beside Naruto and glanced down at him, giving a questionable look. After a minute he took off running again and from in front of him, Naruto heard a familiar voice.

"Naruto, are you alright?" Neji rushed up to him and Naruto pulled himself up off the ground, his head aching a little form the fall. He noticed that Neji's gun was drawn and the barrel looked hot, which meant he had been doing the shooting.

"What's going on?" Naruto asked, and he grabbed his bag as he stood up. Neji grabbed his wrist and they both jogged to his vehicle, strapping themselves inside. Neji revved the engine and took off.

"That guy who ran into you knows where Itachi is," Neji said suddenly, and Naruto glanced over to him.

"He what?"

Neji swerved off the street and scanned the grounds, searching for the running man. Naruto continued to stare before searching himself, knowing how big of a lead that was. But then, "I thought you were interrogating about abandoned work visas or something?"

And Neji grunted as he wheeled the car down another neighborhood street. "I am—I mean, I was. This was a coincidence," he hovered a little higher and after a minute slammed his fist against the steering wheel. "Shit."

Naruto still felt riled up and he unclenched the bag in his hand, somewhat angry he hadn't grabbed the guy when he had the chance. Finding Itachi meant less danger to Sasuke. Damnit.

"I'm sorry," Neji said and shook his head, "I hate it when they come out of nowhere like that."

Naruto nodded, feeling less alarmed. After a minute, Neji leaned back. "There's no use in calling out a squad. I'm sure anyone we'd need is cleaned from here," he shook his head. "How was the store? Did you find everything okay?"

Naruto glanced over to him and debated on admitting that Sasuke had been there, deciding that it was something he would rather keep to himself. He was positive he hadn't been recognized, but if he told Neji, his days of being able to leave the police compound would be numbered.

"Yeah. Yeah, the cashier helped me find the tea."

Naruto held up the bag and dug out his bottle of water, pouring a small bag into it. He shook it and took a drink, relishing the taste of smooth raspberry against his parched throat.

There was a short pause before Neji drifted forward, searching for a main street. "You ready for interrogation number two?" he asked somewhat playfully, and Naruto smirked.

"Only if it's as exciting as number one." He joked.

As Neji merged to a nearby road Naruto glanced out the window, his thoughts returning to Sasuke. He tried to pretend like the weight in his chest wasn't loneliness, and vaguely wondered why Sasuke had been there.

It seemed like everyone had their secrets these days. And since he had decided not to tell Neji, so did he.

A/N. Beta'd by the one and only Allys!

Sad times. Poor Naruto--always having to make the most difficult decisions. Too bad he's never been one to be patient, heh heh.

REAL NARUTO SPOILERS

Man, I finally caught up with the real series' manga. I was like two months behind for a long time. I'm really happy we're out of the ItaSasu battle, and I'm really curious as to what Tobi's about to tell Sasuke...and even more worried about NAruto's mental health. He;s losing it...He's going to snap, I know it. And then get captured. Waaah it makes me want to cry.

END SPOILER

But to distract my aching heart I have discovered a new anime, which I'm sure to none of you will be new. One Piece! OMG I'm addicted. That and Oofuri, which is an adorable little shonen ai if anyone wants to Veoh it. Please do, it's really alluring.

Other than that I've just been a little busy, but I've really got a momentum to finish up some of my fics. So keep an eye out because I sense a storm of updating coming your way, no joke.