Took a bit longer than I promised but it wasn't a month.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NICK!! I told you I'd have one out for your actual birthday... even though technically it was an hour ago... but who's counting minutes?

IMPORTANT MESSAGE!! PLEASE READ!! This may be my last chapter for a while. I am moving to a whole other province and starting university so my life is going to be hectic and busy for a while. Though I do have a VERY LONG drive to said university so perhaps I'll get to write a whole chapter... it's just finding time to get on my laptop and post it once I'm at university. Hopefully it won't take too long but I'll give you this warning just in case.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Concrete Naruto.

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Chapter Twenty Three:

Brriiiing. Brriiiing.

The telephone rang for the fourth time since Sasuke had slumped down in his brother's doorway. But he didn't register it. It felt so distant, as though in a whole other world. However, Sasuke was in a different world. He had left reality and was stuck in a place filled with misery and despair. Where his past was playing on all four walls like a surrounding theatre and he was the only one in the audience.

Sasuke swayed between consciousness and unconsciousness. That was his realm, for what seemed like days, which consumed him.

A beep followed by a message came shortly after the ringing.

"Uchiha pick up this damn phone. In want you here early to speak with you before you take him. I know you're there you piece of shit! If you aren't here by four o'clock I'll leave the Uzumaki in the lobby!" Beeep.

Sasuke blinked. Technically he had heard the message but he didn't listen or remember it. All he could recall from just seconds before was a strict, pissed off, serious voice of a superior woman. He knew she had issued a threat of some sort as well. But nothing could faze him. The only threat that could affect him as of now would have to come from his brother's lips. Even then, in his current state of mind he might not even care and just let his brother take his life as he sat there. Pathetic tear stains down his cheeks and throat, miserable eyes, and nearly no energy to be found in his poor excuse for a human carcass.

"Uchiha!"

The noise was first thought of by Sasuke as yet another answering machine message from the one in the hall. But he actually realized that there was no beeping, or ringing for that matter. And it 

wasn't the same person who had called earlier because this voice was male, young, and concerned with a hint of anger.

His head flopped over to the left, tilted in the direction of the stairs. Not like he could see them, the only thing he could see was the interior of his elder's bedroom.

Footsteps, fast ones, could be heard all around his downstairs. Whoever it was was frantically looking for him in every possible dark corner that hid in his home.

It most certainly wasn't him. He was silent and direct, never noisy or concerned.

Up the stairs, that was the next area those feet came wandering. And then all the way down the long hallway straight to Sasuke's bedroom, which was directly across from the stairs. Obviously this person was determined to find Sasuke because they skipped the few small rooms and closets on the way to Sasuke's room.

Back out the doorway. Sasuke was slowly coming back to reality after following the sounds of his uninvited guest. He had become curious, which was an obvious sign he was no longer trapped in his own little terrifying world of pain and past.

The intruder's feet paused, and a gasp followed the silence.

"Sasuke?" The voice gasped once again, before their feet carried them all the way down the left hall to halt right behind Sasuke's limp body.

"Hey, Sasuke!" The person kneeled behind him and placed a hand on the raven's shoulder, causing him to tense. This action caused the other to grip his shoulder more firmly.

"Sasuke, are you alright?"

Sasuke blinked slowly, and then took in a deep, long breath as though trying to suck life back into his hollow body.

"Kiba?" His head tilted gradually, trying to look behind him but it didn't work. His neck was too stiff from remaining as he was for so long... however long it had been.

Kiba instead decided to shift into the space of the doorway that Sasuke was not occupying to look him straight in the eyes.

Obviously what the Inuzuka saw shocked him because he looked taken aback and frightened.

"What happened?" He pried, trying harder to coax a word or two from the near lifeless boy.

"Four o'clock..." The raven muttered randomly. In his mind he was only now starting to register things from his past four messages. But to Kiba, it was as though he was trying to explain to him what had happened.



"Naruto..." It was slowly coming back to him. All the realities from before his life had been intruded by his terrible past. Naruto at the hospital... Tsunade-sama... She was the one who was calling him! Sasuke suddenly realized. Naruto was to stay with him as he'd promised and today was when he promised the head doctor that he would take Naruto with him.

Sasuke realized all of this within a fraction of a second. This was time enough for Kiba to exclaim in rage and confusion.

"Uzumaki? He did this to you?" The Inuzuka snarled as he grabbed both Sasuke's shoulders and shook him. He wasn't angry with the Uchiha that was not why he shook him. He was just trying to grasp the concept and to bring the truth out of his friend. "That bastard! What did he do? Was it the Sabakus too? I'll kill them! I'll-"

"Kiba!" The raving bow was cut off by Sasuke's loud, commanding voice. He had pretty well returned to normal now that his beloved was being sworn to death by his best friend. It wasn't a very comforting feeling or thought and it knocked the misery connected to his past right out of him... for the moment at least.

"No, he did nothing. Calm down."

"Then explain why you said his name." Kiba growled, not convinced by Sasuke's short explanation that left everything to the imaginable.

Sasuke sighed. What fun he'd have trying to explain this whilst attempting not to draw unwanted public attention to Naruto. He did not want anything between them to become exposed. That would not only cause the blonde more trouble in his troublesome life. He was already labelled as an outcast and a murderer-to-be. He didn't need "gay" to be associated with his name... or harsher terms of that association which would surely be thrown at him.

"He... I found him abandoned. Most likely by the Sabakus and brought him to the hospital." Sasuke hoped that would suffice but as he looked into the Inuzuka's eyes he knew he had to supply a more sufficient explanation. "It... well... the state he was in... reminded me of... my family..."

The rage in Kiba's eyes instantly subsided and was replaced immediately by concern and understanding.

"Sasuke..."

Though it was obvious he didn't know what to say exactly, Kiba still attempted comfort by rubbing Sasuke's shoulders. And Sasuke feigned that it was indeed comforting... but in truth... it really was. It wasn't the whole truth that he'd told Kiba, but he did summarize why he was depressed while leaving out a few key details.

Plus, Kiba's concern helped. It was sincere and not false in the least. He was one of the few who knew what had really happened in Sasuke's past, or at least the details of his family's massacre. Save for 

the fact that it was Sasuke's older brother who murdered the family. That was kept out of many records and though Sasuke had told Kiba he saw most of his family killed before his eyes, he never told him that he saw his brother as the killer.

Sasuke leaned his forehead against his friend's shoulder, breathing deeply to calm himself and regain his sanity. He'd cried long enough. Now he had to prepare for a guest.

--

"So... are you sure you'll be okay?" Kiba asked. He was still worried, like a dog who wanted to protect his wounded master even as he was being sent away.

"Yes Kiba. I'll be fine." Sasuke reassured him from his front door. "I just need some rest. So I think I'll take the day off school tomorrow as well."

"You want me to swing by?" Kiba persisted.

"No, some time alone should do me good." Yes he was lying but he couldn't have Kiba discovering he had a guest... and that it was Naruto.

"Goodbye Kiba."

"All... alright... See ya. Call if you need to."

To this Sasuke smiled and nodded, waving his friend off as he got into his parent's car and drove off.

Sasuke sighed once the car was out of sight and leaned against the door frame. He looked down at his watch. Three pm. No wonder Tsunade-sama had called so persistently... but that also meant that Sasuke had either been in his out-of-reality miserable state since early morning, or he had slept in later than he had in his life.

But time had not existed where Sasuke had been whilst in his brother's doorway.

But now... time did exist. And he had an hour to get dressed and get to the hospital, so he could bring his love him...

Sasuke laughed at this. It sounded to cheesy in his head. Technically, as of the time being, Naruto was not his, and this was certainly not Naruto's home... but for the next week... perhaps it could become it.

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Sorry it's a little shorter than usual but I wanted to get what I had up so I could focus on packing and moving. Hope you enjoyed it .