I want to let you guys in on a little secret. There's this guy named Sasuke Uchiha who turned out to be one of my biggest fans. He was supposedly inspired by the way I perform in front of millions of people without ever getting nervous or overtly excited. He thought I was cool. Tch! Yeah, whatever. That guy isn't in this flashback. The Sasuke Uchiha I remembered was a cold-hearted bastard first before he became my fan. I don't even think he was my fan in the beginning of my career, but that's getting too far ahead into the story.

Oh! I'm Naruto Uzumaki, by the way. If you remember correctly, or even bothered to pay attention, I ran away from an argument my dad was giving me because it was my fault that I started this huge fight. Don't worry about the guys I fucked up. They'll come up soon, trust me. We're more concerned with this "fan" of mine, and how he got the game fucked up. I think I'll start with his first set of mistakes...

Name: Uchiha Sasuke

Age: 13

Gender: Male

Occupation: middle school student

Sasuke attends Rozen Maiden Academy, and he hates it there just as much as the next person. He graduates this year and he thanks the gods above for every day he is able to countdown until graduation. Why is he so anxious to leave? Ever since the fourth grade, the school faculty appointed him as some lame detective for any missing object or person or animal that just so happens to leave the sights of the elderly. He has had it up to here with cases dealing with some whacko student or puppy getting stuck in a sewage hole! The one privilege he is thankful for with his duties is having private shower time and eating time because if it weren't for that he'd raise hell, the devil and his wife!

Aside from that, it was Tuesday and that means it's his private showering time. And he is gonna enjoy every moment of it even if it kills him. He slips out of his uniform and cautiously walks under the showerhead. The feeling of the warm water massaging his tense muscles was exhilirating for him. What could possibly stop this lovely feeling? Well, this...

"Hey, Sasuke!" Kiba shouts.

"AH!" Sasuke yelps, attacking Kiba with a bar of soap.

"Ah, quit it! It's just me, Kiba!" he screams, trying not to get into another fight.

"Get the fuck outta here! Are you mad, dude!" Sasuke argues, shoving Kiba out of the shower.

"Listen," Kiba says, pushing away the shower curtain. "I need your help!"

"Do you have a phone on you?" Sasuke asks, folding his arms.

Kiba raised his eyebrow at the question, obviously confused. He pulled out a red Nokia and gave it to Sasuke then waited to see what he was going to do with it. Sasuke quickly dialed his number in his phone, walked to his duffel bag, pulled out his own cellphone, and answered his phone. He walked back to the shower and turned to Kiba as he stared at his Nokia.

"Answer it," Sasuke ordered.

He obeyed and spoke, "Hello?"

"What's your name again?"

"Inuzuka Kiba?" he responded, furrowing his eyebrows.

"Well, Kiba, DO YOU NOT SEE ME ASSED OUT IN THIS SHOWER! HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO HELP YOU IN MY FUCKING BIRTHDAY SUIT!"

"YOU DON'T HAVE TO SHOUT!" Kiba snaps back, hanging up his phone. "I know you have it rough, but I'm literally begging here! My friend might be out to oft himself!"

"Who the hell is your suicidal friend?" Sasuke asks, hanging his phone up.

"His name's Naruto Uzumaki."

Kiba turned around and immediately smiled at Shikamaru who just slowly walked in. Chouji, the one smart person of the group, was behind him covering his eyes.

"Shikamaru! Chouji!" Kiba called.

"Nice job, Kibs," Shikamaru congratulated, shoving his hands in his pocket. "I thought it'd take forever to find him."

"Who are you people?" Sasuke asked, bluntly and angered.

Sasuke was in a mix of rage and confusion. Normally, no one is allowed to enter the locker room while he was inside because he had that privilege. Though he understood it wasn't a right, the janitors gave him their word that no one would enter the room. It was a payment for locating the janitors lost keys to the school, and that meant every nook and cranny of it. This is what resulted in his anger. As for his confusion, he was oddly fascinated by the scars and bruises each boy was adorned with. Though, he was mostly attracted to Shikamaru's because it left him with his hair hanging and his earring shining more. Was Sasuke into the bad boy look? Maybe. Was he into Shikamaru's look? Not sure, which is why he's confused.

"Um, why do you have your phone out?" Chouji asks, looking away from Sasuke. "You weren't calling the fuzz in for harassment, were you?"

"I would have liked to and CAN I CHANGE INTO MY CLOTHES!" Sasuke shouts, yanking the curtain to cover his body.

He failed to cover his entire body since the curtain was simply stiff plastic and only meant to block any rear views. Kiba chuckled some at Sasuke's bashfulness. Hey, if it were him and Naruto, he'd drag him around by headlock. The thought of losing Naruto suddenly hit Kiba and his chuckle went to a look of remorse. Shikamaru looked at Sasuke from the tip of his head to ends of his toes then to his unimpressive penis. He got bored by the image then shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't see what's the big fuss," he dryly said.

"Excuse me?" Sasuke asked, raising an eyebrow.

"To hell with it just put a fucking towel on and hurry the hell up!" Shikamaru said, scratching the back of his neck.

Iruka was searching everywhere for his boy. Sarutobi had taken notice to his student's reactions and decided to calm him down at least a little bit.

"Mr. Umino?"

Iruka turned to see Mr. Sarutobi, Naruto's principal, smoking his pipe outside. They were on the sidewalk on the school campus about to head towards the fourth grade building where his grandson might be.

"Oh, yes, Mr. Sarutobi?"

"If Naruto wasn't here with Konohamaru, where do you think he would be?"

"...Possibly somewhere with an instrument...Naruto sometimes plays with a keyboard. Even though an unsuspecting person would hear a nursery lullaby like 'The Wheels on the Bus' or 'Mary Had a Little Lamb', he can compose his own lyrics just by hearing the melody in his head. But when I checked the Music Room, he...wasn't there...and that's...when I figured...he might be out to commit...suicide..."

"There are chances that he found an old room in the next building from here with a piano. Many of the children find abandoned places to sneak in because of remodeling."

"Please sir! Can you take me there? I have to see my son!"

"Calm down, " Sarutobi patted my head like he would a child and gently smiled. "Little lad."

"I wish I could..."

"Okay," Sasuke started, adjusting his glasses. "This is how we'll work this out. Each of us will split up to search for Naruto based on all of his favorite spots. If no one is able to find his blonde ass in at least an hour, come back to this exact stairwell. Don't get lost, don't get distracted, and don't leave this building until you get back here. Am I clear?"

"Yeah we got it, Lieutenant Colonel!" Kiba shouted, getting annoyed by Sasuke's attitude. "Can we just go?"

Chouji, Kiba, Sasuke and Shikamaru were standing by the first floor stairwell, leading to the back entrance of the library. Kiba and Sasuke were standing above Shikamaru, who watched them argue, and Chouji, who was seated at the bottom stair.

"Hold on, Kiba," Shikamaru ordered. He came to eye-level with Sasuke then asked, "Do you want something in return for this, Uchiha?"

"I'll think on something other than a foot massage from every last one of you bastards including what's his face," Sasuke growled.

"His name is Naruto. You know. The Japanese term for 'fish paste'?" Chouji hints.

"Leave it to Chouji to describe someone as a food product," Kiba huffed out.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Chouji defended.

"Look, let's just go over what happened when he ran out of the Nurse's Office!" Sasuke argued, trying to maintain order.

Shikamaru looked on the ground for a writing utensil and discovered a green marker beneath a long table near the stairs. He kneeled down to get it, approached a window and began drawing small figures of himself, his friends and Iruka.

"In the middle of Iruka's lecture," Shikamaru starts, doodling chibies while speaking, "Naruto jetted out of the room and went to the left. I think he went down a stairwell but I don't know where he ran to afterwards."

"Name some places that he would normally be off the back," Sasuke directed.

"Cafeteria," Chouji guessed. "He uses the phone to order ramen from Ichiraku's."

"Teacher's lounge," Kiba thought. "He usually chills with Principal Sarutobi or that crazy art teacher lady."

"Iruka's already at the fourth grade building, I think. So that would leave the big old Weight Room and the library," Shikamaru dual-thought.

"What! He reads!" Kiba shouted.

"C'mon, he goes through enough blonde jokes. Cut him a break," Chouji says.

"I saw him reading a book about poetry and jazz once. All that following him and I never asked why he read those books in particular," Shikamaru realized.

"He was probably trying to hit on some girl who likes that kind of stuff," Kiba snorted.

"If it's Sakura, he got the wrong idea," Shikamaru plainly remarked.

"Um, guys, Sasuke's gone," Chouji searches.

Kiba and Shikamaru look around but see no trace of Sasuke. Assuming he got bored from the useless information and followed instinct, Shikamaru formulated another plan that would help them find Naruto.

"Well, let him go. He has his leads, now we need ours. Other than the places we gave him, where else would he be?" Shikamaru reminds the two.

"Jazz is a genre of music, right? And poetry is a type of creative writing. If you put them both together, you can get the Art II class, the Music Room, Literature of Arts class, or even Gifted Choir," Chouji suggests.

"Chouji, you're a genius!" Shikamaru compliments.

"And you still have a D average for the year? What happened, dude?" Kiba questions.

Sasuke was running down hallways and stairwells in total anger and undetermined direction. All he could remember was that his older brother loved jazz and poetry and that was somehow a perfect lead. He mentioned something about being someone's music teacher a few years ago. But is the person that ran away this cute boy he meant?

I've always dreamed of a world

With peace and with love

And beautiful doves with wings of white

And feathers made of crystallite

That voice...where is it coming from...? Sasuke thought, looking around.

He listened to the more distinct sounds of someone singing and pinpointed the location down the hall. He ran in the direction, hoping it was his brother's student.

"All right, maggots! You're going to start painting a house by using only the shades on the color wheel, got it?"

"Haa, Anko-sensei!"

"Now, get to work!" Anko ordered.

The children scramble trying to get different paints on their palettes. A knock on the door and silhouette in the window caused the Art II teacher to burst open the door and immediately start screaming.

"I'm having class right now! What do you want?"

"Naruto actually stops by here?" Shikamaru asks, frightened.

"Hm?" Anko-sensei stops yelling, looking for Naruto. "Hey, where is my boytoy anyway?"

"Your what?" Shikamaru questions, twitching his eyebrow.

"Who are you, kid?" Anko asks, putting a hand on her hip. "His friend or something?"

"Um, yeah, that's right," Shikamaru answers, scratching the nape of his neck. "I was wondering if he was here."

But I'll second guess on you next time for sure, Shikamaru thought.

"Why? What happened to him?" Anko asked, raising an eyebrow.

"We think he's going to do something drastic, and if so, he could commit suici--"

"Stop the painting now, maggots!" Anko orders.

The students immediately drop their paints on the desk though clumsily toss paintbrushes around. Some are found trying to catch them, others just let them drop to the floor. Each student faces Anko, anticipating something dealing with them being "useless maggots."

"My plush toy has gone missing and I want every last one of you kids to help me find him!"

"But Anko-sensei, what does your teddy bear have to do with painting houses?" a student asks, bravely.

Good on ya, kid, Shikamaru thought, looking at the student covered in orange and pink paint.

"Either help me find him, or take and Art History test! Your choice."

"I don't know how you do it, I don't know what you do, but Naruto?" Shikamaru asks, mumbling to himself. "You are some kind of friend to be talking with this crazy woman."

Sasuke ran down his final hallway and stairwell until he heard piano playing. He burst into an old choir room where he saw him. His brother mentioned a cute, blonde boy with little whiskers on his cheeks and the most soulful blue eyes that seem to melt all the ice inside your heart from one glance. He had a radiant smile, he said. It was then that he produced a photograph of the boy holding a guitar bigger than his body and a smile brighter than the sun. Well, the cute boy he saw was a different person. The kid his brother mentioned was not the goofy-looking child that he saw but a miserable rebel. His voice sounded like a man's as he went on playing his blues on the piano. He stood quietly, watching this sorrowful person touching the keys ever so gently, ever so mournful.

The boy's all alone

No one's there to wipe his red eyes

And save him from all of the lies

That he hears from the guys

Look at him now

He's choking he's begging he's crying

For someone to come find him

Here and now

I've confessed that I'm not the best

I just want to be me and nobody else

Tell me how

How

This is my great depression

Give me the strength

To fight off what I made

What I sat here and made

Naruto ends his song with a long note and his last few chords on the piano. He stopped playing, slowly dragged his hands to his lap then closed his eyes. Moments later, he placed his elbow on the piano keys, which created a tone cluster, and rested his hand in his palm. He took some deep breaths then opened his eyes once he heard the birds chirping outdoors.

"I guess that's it now, huh?" Naruto asked himself, standing proud now that he got his sadness off his chest. "Thanks, Paris."

The piano came from France, so one might notice on the brand. Naruto placed the cover back on the piano so it wouldn't get dusty at least. Walking away from it, he saw a keyboard he hadn't played since the fourth grade. That's when he heard a thump near the door. He knew someone was at the door and started playing Mary Had a Little Lamb, but he only played the song with one hand while the other held his thighs together. Looking near the door to reassure himself, he saw a raven-haired teen tilting his head with an eyebrow raised. He had seen him before. It was Sasuke from his science and his mentor's younger brother. Pretending not to notice, Naruto scratched the back of his head with a big grin as bright as his hair almost.

"What the hell are you doing? Play another song."

Naively, Naruto responds with a weird look on his face. "What? Like Old MacDonald or something?"

"No, ya dumbass! The song you were playing earlier, play another one like that."

His face grew saddened. Naruto drooped his head, walked towards Sasuke with only five steps separating them, and then looked into his eyes with grief.

"It's not as easy as it may seem...Sasuke."

"How do you know who I am?"

"I tried to talk to you in the beginning of the year before you became a 'detective', but you seemed so busy and had an unwelcome wall around you. Consequently, I decided to just give up on it."

"Why were you going to talk to me?"

He held a silence before lifting his head to respond, "Because no one else would. You have it in your eyes that no one wants to acknowledge you for what you are. And the level of your voice has run colder because of other's neglect towards you, so I just wanted to cheer you up. But, I suppose it's no longer needed."

Sasuke was speechless. How could he have ignored such an offer? How did Naruto find out about him? Did Itachi mention something?

"Itachi? You know him, right?"

"What about him? Do I know you're related?"

"Don't get too close to my brother, Naruto! Unlike you, I live with him. I know what he wants from you, he has that look in his face every time he talks about you."

"What does he say?" Naruto asks ghastly.

"More than you to succeed him in musical talents. I know you're better than him from hearing your voice, but he won't let that slide! He says all kinds of things about you like how attractive you are, how much your voice has power, how your eyes can show the fierceness of emotions, how strong of a fighter you are, everything that gets him hard is what he says about you!"

"Are you saying this to scare me?" Naruto blankly asks. Abruptly, he pins Sasuke to the wall as he continues. "Or are you afraid of losing Itachi?"

"Itachi's not someone to be with, I promise you! He'll take what he wants then leaves, I know!"

Naruto gives Sasuke his first kiss in a matter of seconds before Sasuke could even think of something more to argue. Flabbergasted, Sasuke allows Naruto to caress his lips then his cheek.

"My dear Sasuke..." Naruto hisses, kissing Sasuke's bottom lip. "It seems to me as if you've got the game all..." Naruto hisses, repeating his actions. "fucked...up..." Naruto releases Sasuke then walks out of the room.

Sasuke doesn't know what to do, say, or think. All he knows is his case...is closed.

"Naruto?" Iruka asks, trying not to hallucinate. He realizes that the person walking towards them is his son, "Naruto!"

"Iruka-sensei!" Naruto shouts with a smile as he runs to Iruka.

"Naruto!" the search group calls.

"Iruka-sensei!"

"Naruto!"

"Aw, Iruka!"

"This game of hide-and-seek is over, Naruto!"

"Uh-oh! AAAAAHHHHHH!" Naruto shouts as he is pummeled by Iruka-sensei.

"All's well that ends well, I guess," Kiba says with a sweat-drop inching down his head.

"A perfect adage," Principal Sarutobi huffs in relief.

"This may seem right and all, but who's gonna patch him up when Iruka's through?" Chouji questions.

"What a drag!" Shikamaru exclaims slapping his forehead.