Hey again…. Okay, so I know it's been forever since I've updated… I think someone said it's been three months… I'm sorry to keep everyone waiting… I've just been so busy, and the little time I have had to write I've been so lost as to what to write about… but here's the new chapter, and I'm working on the next one right now… If everything goes according to plan, I'll update it really soon… I hope no one's too mad at me… Enjoy!

Chapter Eight

"I really don't know what you're talking about, Kakashi." Iruka told the Jounin for the umpteenth time. "Naruto and Sasuke have hated each since the moment they both set foot in the academy. I don't know where you got this crazy idea that they used to be friends."

Kakashi frowned. "I got the idea from a man who used to be Naruto's foster father.

At that, a dark look passed over Iruka's face. "That man treated Naruto terribly. He was a drunk and a bastard, and you shouldn't believe a word he says."

Kakashi frowned. "What did he do to Naruto?"

"Why are you bugging ME about it!?! Why don't you just ask Naruto!"

Kakashi sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "I did. He wont tell me."

Iruka glared at the silver-haired man. "Then he obviously doesn't want to talk about it. And just so you know, it's kind of fucked up sneaking around behind his back to find out. For the record, I don't know what happened at the foster home. Naruto never talks about it."

Kakashi flinched at the harsh language coming from the normally pliant chunin. He knew he had made Iruka mad.

Damnit! That had been his last idea. Now he needed to get creative. He hated being creative.

Iruka watched Kakashi wonder off, once again lost in his own thoughts.

'Maybe I should tell Naruto that Kakashi is snooping around.' He thought. Then he shook his head. 'If Kakashi already asked him strait out, then Naruto probably already knows.'

Meanwhile, Kakashi had suddenly stopped dead and was mentally kicking himself. There were so many other questions he could have asked Iruka that might have given him some clue as to what was going on between Naruto and Sasuke.

He was also intrigued by Naruto's secrecy. Iruka was the person closest to Naruto. If there were secrets that even Iruka didn't know, they must have been some big secrets indeed.

'Damn you curiosity!!' Kakashi inwardly cursed. 'I'm already pushed to the limit without having to figure out another mystery.'

Sighing, Kakashi stuck his hands in his pocket and strolled down the road.

"What are we gonna do about Kakashi?" Sasuke asked quietly.

"Teach him to mind his own fucking business!" Naruto replied venomously.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "And exactly how are we supposed to do that? It's not like we can beat it into him."

The two boys were sitting at Sasuke's kitchen table. After Iruka had mentioned to Naruto that Kakashi was poking around, Naruto had taken it upon himself to seek out Sasuke so they could work together for a mutual benefit.

"We could blackmail him." Naruto halfheartedly suggested.

"With what?"

"I don't know. We'll make something up."

"That's a stupid idea, even for you."

"Well I don't see you coming up with anything better." Naruto crossed his arms. "There has to be something we could think of."

"What if we lied to him? Told him what he wanted to know, but not the real story?"

"And he wouldn't be at all suspicious that we suddenly broke down and told him what he's been trying to find out. Who has the stupid idea now?"

"It's better than blackmailing him with information we DON'T have." Sasuke spat back.

"So instead of lying about him, we'll lie about ourselves?"

"I don't know! But he's starting to find out a lot, and I want to know where he's finding it out! It's not like he could just ask my brother about me when I was little!"

Naruto looked down at the table. "I know."

"What?"

"I know how he's been finding out."

"What! And why haven't you mentioned this before! Who is he talking to? We could go to the source and stop it there!"

"Be my guest, but I'm not going anywhere near the man." Naruto glared. "He buddied up with my old foster father."

Sasuke didn't answer. He had only ever met that man a few times. Maybe four times, at the most. He didn't even know his name. He glanced at Naruto and noticed that the blonde was fidgeting with his sleeve. He looked somewhat nervous.

Naruto shifted uncomfortably under Sasuke's gaze, and jumped a little when he spoke.

"Okay. Then what else could we do?"

Naruto was so relieved that Sasuke had changed the subject that he actually smiled at him. "I still think we should blackmail him."

"That won't work!"

"Sure it would! We'll make up a crazy story about how that crazy looking guy in the green leotard is a lot more than Kakashi's 'friend'."

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard!"

3 ½ Years Earlier

Naruto sat alone in the park. It had been Sasuke's first day at the ninja academy, and although Naruto was happy for him, he was also very lonely. It was late in the evening, and Naruto was pretty sure that Sasuke was probably home. But he knew he wouldn't be seeing him that day.

Sasuke wasn't allowed to see Itachi, which meant he wasn't allowed to see Naruto either. And Naruto didn't think Sasuke even knew that. He was also aware that something felt very wrong. His stomach kept fluttering, and he was very nervous for some reason.

Sir had been very curious as to why he had come home all dirty and beat up the previous day. Naruto hadn't told him, but the man had seemed very happy anyways.

Now, he was dreading going back to the foster home more than ever.

There were a lot of people out that day. Everywhere, people were gathering together, whispering to each other. Naruto also saw a lot of ninja's out. They kept passing by, as if they were looking for someone. He even saw some of the ANBU pass by.

He knew about the ANBU because of what Itachi had told him. They were the best of the best, and they were only put on very important missions.

So that meant that something really important was happening.

It was starting to get a little dark outside, so Naruto headed back to the foster home, feeling more down than he had felt since the day he had met Sasuke. He knew deep down in his bones that something was very wrong.

And he was proved right the moment he walked in the door.

Sir was there, and he was smiling. Naruto never liked Sir's smile. He always looked like a monster when he smiled.

"Well, look who just walked in like he owns the place."

Naruto didn't answer. Instead, he tried to turn around and run.

But Sir caught his arm and pulled him back inside the house.

"Not so tough without the crazy Uchiha to defend you, are you?" He slammed Naruto hard against the wall. "I knew he had to be crazy, to want anything to do with a beast like you, but now it's proved."

Naruto started crying. He was scared, and he was confused.

Sir laughed when the blond started crying. "Gotten used to the easy life, have you? Well, that's all over now!"

Naruto yelped when the man's fist crashed into his face, and he tried to push away from him.

"Going somewhere?" Sir laughed again and threw the blond down the hallway, sending him smashing into a bookshelf. Naruto tried to get up and run, but he was thrown down again. Sir started kicking him as hard as he could, and Naruto curled into a ball, covering his head with his arms. He was sobbing harder now.

Suddenly, he was pulled to his feet by his hair and punched in the stomach. Naruto dropped down to his knees. He could hear Sir laughing above him, and he latched onto the man's leg and bit him as hard as he could.

"You little fucker!!!" Sir kicked him hard in the head and knelt over him, grabbing his hair again and slamming his head on the floor. "Bite me again and see what happens!!"

"Stop!" A voice suddenly rang out. "You're going to kill him!"

Sir stopped and looked down at the unmoving blonde, then glared up at the kid who had just yelled at him. He dropped Naruto and stood up, carelessly stepping over him and slamming the other kid into the wall as he went down the hallway and into the kitchen.

The other kid rushed over to Naruto.

"Don't be dead." This kid was new to the foster home, and at that moment he was more scared than he had ever been.

Naruto yelled when the kid shook him and pushed himself to his feet. He was extremely dizzy and in more pain than he had ever been in.

"Don't move! There's a lot of blood!"

Naruto didn't respond. Instead, he felt his way back down the hall and stumbled out the front door. The kid watched helplessly as the blonde disappeared into the dusk.

It was like going back in time, as people ignored the pitiful bleeding blonde boy that went stumbling past. A few people noticed, simply wondering what had caused the severe beating after so long, but no one worried, and no one offered to help.

It was just like that day, over four years before, when Naruto had run to the park. But there was no dark haired teenager sitting on the bench, and there was no Sasuke to lend his 'Tachi.

Naruto crawled under the slide, trembling and still crying, trying to make sense of everything. But he couldn't.

"Naruto."

Suddenly, comfort filled the blonde, and he scrambled out from under the slide towards the familiar voice.

There was Itachi, but something was different about him. Naruto noticed immediately.

His eyes. They were different. There was no comforting half-smile, and he didn't reach out to comfort the beaten boy.

"T-Tachi?" Naruto asked quietly. Something was wrong. "What happened?"

Itachi remained silent. Naruto noticed then, he was covered in blood.

"Go to Sasuke." Itachi said quietly. "Nothing will get between you, and he needs you."

Then, he was gone, leaving Naruto alone, crying and terrified. Without a second thought, he took off at a run towards the Uchiha compound.