Yay! Another chapter before final exams! Whoot for putting off on doing research for a paper and reading manga all day and writing a chapter all evening! Hurrah! Hehe, now I suggest everyone read the manga: Time Lag, and Makeinu no Nandemoya, and Fake Season Two. YES THERE IS A SECOND SERIES OF FAKE FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T KNOW (me, I just found out today! SO HAPPY! Though the art style is slightly different... but Ryo, Dee, and Bikky are still lovably impossible hehe).

Ooookay, whelp, here is the next chapter. Not too too late. Hope you all enjoy~!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or "Concrete Angel"

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Chapter Thirty One:

Naruto swallowed his pill with half a glass of cold water. His eyes narrowed as the pill had a little trouble going down but the mass amount of water made it pass more easily. A long exhale followed and he set the glass down on the counter, breathing huskily.

The blonde sighed as he leaned back against the counter and looked around the empty kitchen. When Sasuke's watch, set to beep every six hours, went off just a little while ago, Naruto left him asleep on his bed and ventured down to the kitchen himself. Sasuke didn't need to be awake right now after what he'd been through.

Luckily it hadn't taken him much coaxing to get the raven out of the closet and onto his own bed. They cuddled together, Naruto stroking the other's hair and Sasuke drawing circles with his fingers on Naruto's back, until they both fell asleep.

From the little time that he'd spent with Sasuke, he didn't perceive him to be a light sleeper. But this time he thankfully slept through the rather loud watch alarm which Naruto turned off as fast as he could manage. Watches were strange things and, due to his past, Naruto wasn't very experienced with technology of any kind.

For now it was best to let the raven sleep. He needed an escape from his returning memories, even though he couldn't be one hundred percent sure that the dreamland he was currently in was free of said memories.

Naruto sighed once again as he ran his hand through his hair. This situation was so confusing. Who knew these two could be wrapped up in such tragic lives and end up together? Furthermore, what was most confusing was the phone call. If Sasuke was currently on edge and haunted because of the past events with his brother, why would a phone call spook him so much? Who was he expected to be on the other end? Was someone who knew about his past harassing him? Or maybe Sasuke thought... it was his brother?

He had said that he was paranoid that the elder Uchiha would return but... that was highly unlikely... wasn't it? Why would his brother leave him to live after killing everyone else, and return so many years later to kill him? That didn't make any sense to the blonde. Unless, his brother was just doing this to torment the raven like how he was behaving now. But that also seemed useless.

There had to be more to that story. It wasn't as though Naruto didn't trust the information Sasuke was giving him... but it seemed odd that Itachi had merely killed his entire family, except one, for the sake of testing his skills. He didn't even know what that meant, but maybe Sasuke did. Though Naruto didn't have any evidence that Sasuke knew more than what he was being told, but if a phone call would freak him out that much, then there must be something else. Maybe some police had tipped him off about where his brother was? But that didn't seem plausible when the incident had been so thoroughly covered up and denied by the very police officers themselves.

The blonde tapped his fingers on the counter, attempting to figure out some sort of solution in his head, but nothing came of it. The only possible way to get down to the truth was to ask Sasuke. However, he didn't want to bombard him with question that made him seem like he doubted the one he loved just after he'd been confessed to.

"Arg... why are things so difficult?" Naruto muttered to himself, clenching his fists on the edges of the countertop.

"What things?"

The unexpected voice startled the blonde and he swung around to face the doorway as he jumped. There Sasuke stood with questioning eyes, which appeared to know what Naruto had been thinking so intently about for the past few minutes. Usually Naruto would be instantly distracted by the gorgeous body of his unofficial boyfriend, as he wore nothing but boxers, but he was far to rattled to at the moment.

"I... uh... was just thinking about..." Naruto tried desperately to come up with an excuse but nothing was coming to his mind.

"About my past?" Sasuke hit the mark and his presumption was correct when Naruto looked like a deer caught in the headlight.

The raven gave a short smile as he snorted lightly. "It's no problem, Naruto. It's only expected of you that you'd question over what you just heard. Hell, I was in the same situation as you when I had found out about what Emi did to you..."

Naruto's eyes lowered, he felt ashamed for thinking that perhaps Sasuke wasn't telling him everything, particularly after that comment which showed he was nothing but concerned. Sasuke never doubted once the abuse Naruto had been put through. Though it wasn't as though Naruto was doubting that the elder of the Uchiha brothers hadn't done that to Sasuke and his family. It was just that... he got the feeling something was missing.

"I... I know... but I was thinking... Why would your brother do that? Testing his skills... that doesn't seem... right." One question at a time, Naruto figured. He'd get to the phone calls later.

Sasuke opened his mouth, about to speak, but he shortly closed it and averted his eyes. After biting his lower lip and considering his words, Sasuke once again started to speak. "I wasn't entirely sure at first either... Of course I was so shaken after what had happened that it took me a while to behave somewhat normally again. But, after all the rehabilitation crap and therapy that never really helped, I thought about what Itachi had said to me. Testing his skills... it pissed me off that I didn't understand what that meant, especially when there was no possible justification of it.

"For a good while, I focused my mind on the past events that happened before then... I remember that gradually, within several months beforehand, that my brother was going out at different hours. My father was constantly yelling at him for coming home late and for not telling him and my mother where he'd been or who he was with. Itachi was never like that before, he'd always leave word, was back on time, never late. And that behaviour increased. He'd fight back with dad, tell him he wasn't a slave under his command, and there were times when I wouldn't see Itachi for a few days. Dad and mom would talk, discussing how he had been changing his friends, hanging out with a shady crowd. Dad told him several times that he didn't trust them and that he shouldn't continue to be around them, considering his future in the police academy.

"Though Itachi didn't really change. His personality around home was still the same. Mostly he was always silent around us at meal time or in his room studying. He was kind to mom, teased me and was blunt with father but... none the less nothing changed other than his frequent absence and occasional fights with father outside. Soon after though, Itachi's best friend strangely died... It was solved as an accident, but there was mystery and people were skeptical about it. Itachi apparently acted differently after that, the death didn't faze him as many people said, and Itachi's old friends, who he'd neglected over the past few months, told my father that Itachi was skipping classes. One night I heard father arguing with my brother about his 'little gang', as my dad put it. He said that they were up to no good, not a good crowd for him and that he'd stop paying his tuition if he continued to be involved with them and skip class to run off with them. Apparently, many people my brother was hanging out were juvenile delinquents and Dad was worried Itachi was going to become one of them."

Naruto listened intently from his spot by the counter, watching Sasuke tell this story as he stood, eyes focused on the floor. As Sasuke talked about this gang, flashes of the Sabaku's and what happened the night that he encountered those strangers raced through his mind.

"I thought... I thought things were changing then, after that night I overheard their argument. Sure Itachi sounded angry with father but the next couple of weeks he was attending classes again and he was at home more. He was more quiet than usual, and he never spoke to father other than the occasional word or when they fought in what they thought was privacy. But from my perspective, as a little kid at the time who admired my older brother and aspired to be like him... I never really registered anything as serious. Mom had often told me it was because he was a teenager, all teenagers acted that way, rebelled.

"Looking back on it though, I realize that Itachi was most likely involved with a real gang... and probably still is. I hate to think it... but I suspect it was Itachi who killed his best friend. I've done research about gangs, since my house computers still have access to police records thanks to my dad being the chief, and they say that murdering someone closest, dearest to you is a good way to be accepted into the murdering community. It shows... well... shows that you have no remorse basically and that you won't chicken out when the gang hands you an assignment."

Naruto shuddered at this thought, it reminded him so much of his mother. How she had no remorse... how she had killed so many in the past and attempted to murder her husband and son. People... why were people like this? Finding pleasure or... anything acceptable in killing another human being?

"Which is probably what Itachi meant by 'testing his skills'. Most likely Itachi wanted to display his 'power' to his gang by killing everyone who was dear to him... by killing the entire clan he could prove to his fellow murderers how malicious he was. Earning him a lot of respect and fear, no doubt."

Sasuke wore a scowl as he spoke this last paragraph. Naruto didn't blame him. It would only be natural to hate someone for killing everyone that was close to Sasuke to merely prove some sort of sick, horrible ability.

"For a while, I researched several gangs in the database that Itachi might have been involved with... but I couldn't find anything definite. It could have been some sort of international gang... like a weird, mock mafia or something. I'm not really sure but... whatever he was involved with at the time..." He trailed off angrily, gritting his teeth in hatred towards his brother.

Naruto could see the rage in the raven's eyes, it was a terrifying look and he had no choice but to look away, even though the anger wasn't directed towards him.

"I'm sorry Naruto..." Sasuke spoke, the ferocity in his voice slowly diminishing.

"It's okay, like tears and sadness... anger needs to be let out as well. You can't have so many emotions locked up inside you. I don't mind, I just want to help you," Naruto offered a comforting smile and Sasuke gave a weak, strained smile in return.

Sasuke's eyes, which had finally connected with Naruto's after what seemed like such a long time, shifted to the pill bottle on the countertop next to the empty glass. "Oh, you took your pill, good. It isn't like me to sleep through an alarm..." The raven said, a little ashamed that he'd slept through his responsibilities.

Naruto knew he didn't need Sasuke to monitor his every move and sit with him as he ate his pill like a mother would a child, but he decided against mentioning that for now. "That's okay, I heard the alarm and came down on my own. You were emotionally exhausted, I wasn't about to wake you for such a trivial thing."

Sasuke sighed, knowing this to be true and initially shrugged it off. "It's well afternoon, what do you want for lunch?"

Right, Naruto thought, the two had slept right through noon. Naruto wasn't used to sleeping so late on a school day... wait a minute. It was almost two o'clock on a... Friday was it?

"Sasuke. Isn't today Friday?" Naruto inquired, completely forgetting about Sasuke proposal of food products.

The Uchiha glanced at the calendar on the wall to the left of the sink. He'd completely forgotten the days of the week after all the drama from the previous days. Hm... it had been Tuesday night when Sasuke had gone to the movies with Kiba and the guys, returning home to find Naruto on his doorstep. Wednesday they would have been in the hospital mostly, that talk solving so many things. Next would have been Thursday when his memories decided to become a nightmare and invite a worried Kiba over before he brought Naruto home from the hospital and shared a wonderful evening. Which meant today was indeed Friday.

"So it is." Was Sasuke's simple answering, not catching on to what Naruto was referring to.

Naruto tilted his head in confusion, "Shouldn't you be in school?"

Sasuke shrugged, "I'm taking care of you. Besides, I have plenty of people I can get notes from, it won't matter if I miss a few classes." He neglected to tell him that he'd skipped school after lunch on Wednesday and all day Thursday as well. He couldn't have the blonde worried about his education, not that there was anything to worry about. His grades were far to high to be effected by a few days of missed classes.

Naruto sighed in frustration, "Sasuke, I'm not a child. You don't have to be hear for every second of the day to make sure I don't pull a muscle or miss my pill. You should go to class, I think I can take care of myself for a measly seven hours."

After seeing how his slightly irritated outburst surprised the raven, who looked slightly hurt as well, Naruto sighed again, this time more gently. "I'm not trying to say I don't want to spend time with you... but you shouldn't skip school."

"I know that... I know that you can take care of yourself. But I'd be too worried in school to concentrate anyway. I wouldn't be able to focus knowing that I could very well be by your side in the privacy of my home."

Sasuke's honesty made Naruto blush a bright shade of red. His subtle yet suggestive words brought Naruto's memory back to that lovely morning wake-up to a rather lusty Sasuke.

"Don't worry about it, okay? Just think of it as a vacation. There is no school that neither of us need to worry about. But I'll make sure you get notes from the classes you've missed too."

Naruto laughed at that slightly. "You probably don't need to worry about that. My grades have dropped a lot lately. Mainly because..." He let his sentence trail off. It would be better not to mention Gaara around Sasuke, especially now of all times.

"You can bring them back up, I'll help." Sasuke assured him with a smile, and Naruto couldn't be sure if Sasuke hadn't noticed his near-slip-up or if he just ignored it. "Only after you recover, though. Tsunade doesn't want you going out."

The added sentence caused the blonde to sigh, "Stupid old hag, why did she put me on lock down? It's not like my arm is that badly injured and I'm certainly not going to wander into another similar situation."

Sasuke repressed a laugh when Naruto referred to Tsunade-sama as an old hag, odd for Naruto to be so disrespectful. "She's just looking out for you. And trust me, even if she hadn't instructed you not to go outside," the raven moved closer to the blonde as he spoke, "I'd still have kept you inside to have you all to myself for the week."

Naruto couldn't help but back away against the counter that prevented him from moving back any further, unless he could suddenly move through solids. Soon Sasuke's body was pressed firmly against his own, and with no where to go, Naruto could only blush more-so than he had been.

Sasuke laughed at the blonde's bright red cheeks and smirked mischievously as he leaned in, tilting his head at the right angle to get closer to those sweet lips he so enjoyed.

BRIIIING!~

Sasuke's smirk and the smile in his eye dropped instantly at the sound of his phone ringing and his body tensed automatically. Naruto, whose body was as close as one could get, felt this change immediately and, being careful not to cause their teasingly near lips to brush, looked up at the terrified raven.

Again the phone rang and the two stood, intimately close with an air of tension crushing down on them.

Naruto's eyes lowered, he was in such an awkward position... both metaphorically and physically. He desperately wanted to know why the thought of someone calling him scared the other so, it was obviously because of his brother and his past, there was no other explanation he could come to. But it wasn't as though he could force the raven to tell him, nor could he force him to answer it.

As the phone rang once more, Sasuke let out a long, exasperated sigh as he moved away from the perplexed blonde and towards the relentless phone.

His hand twitched as he reached out for the unsettling receiver and he almost unconsciously pulled his hand away. His mind not wanting his body to find out who was on the other line. Nonetheless, his hand continued to move forward in the air and grasp the receiver. His grip shook evidently but he held the phone firmly, perhaps too tightly, in his hand and brought the now silent phone to his ear.

"...Hello?"

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