Heyyyy~ What up people? I know I said this come out earlier, but I had a oneshot I wanted to get out first (The Painter and The Poet). It's SasuNaru so you should check it out. Note the shameless soliciting that has just occured ;)

So lots of plot in this chapter. No seriously. You shall be impressed.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any affiliated characters, settings, etc. This story and all elements of the plot are property of EverPlotting

CHAPTER TWELVE

Chaos

Naruto was late. Sasuke checked his watch again for what seemed to be the millionth time. Still, there was no Naruto hurdling himself haphazardly through the door sputtering an apology for his lateness. Naruto was never late. Well, Sasuke hadn't actually known Naruto that long, but the blond had never been late for school before.

Sasuke checked his watch again. Twenty minutes late. Naruto hadn't mentioned missing class, and Sasuke was sure if he was sick he would have at least called Sasuke. They were best friends after all.

At twenty-six minutes after the hour, a soft knock resonated through the classroom. Naruto stepped in casually, not at all like the entrance Sasuke had pictured. The blond boy looked exhausted, as if he hadn't sleep all weekend. His skin was pale and his usually bright blue eyes were resting dull and tired on deep purple pillows.

Naruto slid into his seat next to Sasuke and sighed. Their professor had already resumed the lesson, but Sasuke wasn't hearing a word. He opened his mouth to speak, but Naruto cut him off.

"I'm fine Sasuke." Even his voice sounded tired.

"You don't look fine," Sasuke replied, concerned.

"Just drop it Sasuke," Naruto hissed. "I am fine."

Sasuke really wanted to press Naruto for more information, but refrained. Instead, he observed the blond throughout the class. Naruto's eyes didn't sit still for a moment, jumping everywhere from the clock to the window to the blackboard – anywhere but to Sasuke.

When the bell rang, Sasuke expected Naruto to leap out of his seat and flee Sasuke's side. Instead, Naruto stood up casually and walked out of the classroom without sparing Sasuke a second glance. Sasuke on the other hand, couldn't seem to find the courage to move from his seat. Eventually his mind caught up with his legs and he moved swiftly out of the classroom; he had to make up for lost time so he wouldn't be late to his next class.

As he sped toward his locker, Sasuke racked his brain for an answer as to why Naruto seemed angry at him. He hadn't seen Naruto since Friday night. Naruto did seem a little less...jubilant, by the close of the evening, but other than that... Sasuke just couldn't figure it out.

"Ugh!" Sasuke shouted to no on in particular, slamming his locker closed. He glared at the offense metal enclosure and kicked just for good measure.

"Lover's quarrel with your locker Sasuke?"

"Shut up Shikamaru," Sasuke grumbled.

"You know, you could be arrested for domestic violence if you keep this up," Shikamaru joked. Sasuke just glared. Shikamaru sighed. "Okay fine, Uchiha. I'll bite. What's wrong with you? And I swear, if you say you have a bad case of the Mondays I'll strangle you."

Sasuke didn't respond immediately. He and Shikamaru just kept walking toward their math class.

"Shikamaru, why are you in my math class?" Sasuke finally said.

"Luck of the scheduling draw?" Shikamaru responded.

"I mean, why aren't you taking a more advanced math class. You're certainly smart enough. Naruto is a grade ahead of us in math."

"So Naruto is upsetting you?"

Sasuke looked at him incredulously. "How did you glean that from a question about math?"

"You're not that hard to read Uchiha." Shikamaru smirked. "And by your reaction I'm just going to assume I'm correct."

"Yeah," Sasuke sighed. "When he came into class this morning he looked so damn tired and then he wouldn't look at me and when I asked him what was wrong... I've never seen him behave this way."

"You two haven't really known each other a long time--"

"I thought about that but--"

"Let me finish," Shikamaru said, cutting Sasuke off. "I was going to say that, I know you two haven't known each other that long, but I would trust your instincts if you thing there's something going on with Naruto. You two are in tune in a weird sort of way."

"Why do you say that?"

"Naruto's rubbed off on you Sasuke. A few months ago we wouldn't be having a conversation this extensive. You basically communicated through grunts and strange eyebrow gestures." Sasuke chuckled. "But in all seriousness, I think that if you say there's something wrong with Naruto, I believe you."

"Alright," Sasuke said, a sense of resolve in his tone of voice. "I'll talk to Naruto at lunch."

"Where the hell is that--"

"Watch your language Sasuke," Shikamaru interrupted. Sasuke just grumbled.

Naruto was nowhere to be found at lunch. Usually he was the first one there, especially on a nice day like today.

"Maybe he found a place to get some rest," Shikamaru supplied.

"Yeah," Sasuke said doubtfully. "Maybe."

With nothing else to do Sasuke looked around the courtyard, observing the students. Sasuke couldn't help thinking about what Shikamaru had said to him earlier. Had Naruto really changed him into a more open person? Sasuke supposed that he probably had. The other students didn't seem so much like enemies anymore; they weren't people to be despised. Maybe the reason he had despised them in the first place because he wasn't happy with himself?

Sasuke cursed Naruto for making him be so introspective.

While in the midst of observing his fellow students, Sasuke's eyes met the steady gaze of Neji Hyuuga. Sasuke was actually tempted to check his limbs to make sure he wasn't in the process of spontaneously bursting into flames. Even knowing that Sasuke knew he was being stared at, Neji kept his heated gaze. Sasuke raised an eyebrow in a questioning and challenging manner. Neji shook his head and finally looked away.

"Hello," called a cheerful voice. It only took Sasuke's brain to match the sound to an image of Sai's face and sigh inwardly. Unsurprisingly, Sai asked where Naruto was.

Sasuke sighed. "I have no idea. He seems to have vanished."

"Hm." Sai seemed thoughtful for a moment. "Sasuke, I have something to show you. Would you mind..." Sai vaguely gestured for Sasuke to get up and follow him.

Sasuke looked at Shikamaru who simply shrugged, and then begrudgingly lifted himself from the ground. Sasuke followed Sai as they wound through picnic tables and a chaotic whiffle-ball game; Sasuke could have sworn he felt eyes on him again, but looked to find Neji was gone from where he had previously been perched. The green seemed so alive with life and with everyone bustling around it actually became difficult to keep track of Sai's steadily retreating back through the chaos.

So when Sasuke found the noise around him slowly fading into the background and keeping pace becoming easier, he started to get concerned.

"Sai? Where the hell are you taking me?"

Instead of a normal response Sasuke was shoved up against a tree. He probably would have fought back if he had seen it coming, but holy shit Sai's tongue was in his mouth!

Sasuke pushed Sai off with all the force he could muster in his state of shock and the other brunette actually stumbled back a few feet. Wiping his mouth on his sleeve in an angry fashion, Sasuke tried to sort out the emotions of confusion and anger.

"What the – Sai, you like Naruto!" Sasuke could barely form a proper sentence.

"What ever gave you that idea?" Sai asked it what was probably supposed to be a coy tone. It sounded strange since Sai had just had the wind knocked out of him. Sasuke's knuckles itched.

"Um, how about the fact that you constantly flirt with him?" Sasuke spat. Really, Sai was disgusting with the way he draped himself over the blond.

"Only to make you jealous," Sai replied. "And don't play dumb. I see the looks on your face whenever I flirt with Naruto. Every time I make eye contact your eyes might as well be green with envy."

It was official. Sai was an idiot.

"Look, Sai, I was not jealous of Naruto. In fact, I only tolerated you up until now because Naruto seemed to like you. However, if you'll excuse me, I now have to go throw up somewhere. So, later." Sasuke turned to walk back toward where most of the students were enjoying their lunch, but apparently Sai did not approve.

So Sasuke once again found tree bark digging into his back. Sasuke attempted to punch Sai in the face, but the later was holding on to Sasuke's wrists. Sai was a lot stronger than Sasuke gave him credit for.

"Do you know how long I've waited to be alone with you? Ever since we first met I wanted you. Do you think I'm really just going to let you walk away?"

Once again Sasuke found Sai's lips smothering his own. Sai was not a very good kisser; almost as bad as what apparently was his idea of romance. Sai must have studied martial arts or something though, because he had Sasuke very effectively pinned to the tree, and not for a lack of struggling on Sasuke's part. Sasuke vowed that before this whole ordeal was over, Sasuke's knee would be making very solid contact with Sai's groin.

Finally Sai came up for air.

"So Uchiha, what do you think?"

"Seriously Sai. Get off of me."

Sai grimaced, but it was sort of a haughty grimace. Sasuke wanted nothing more than for something to come flying out of the sky and plow Sai right into the ground.

Suddenly, a foreign fist slammed right into Sai's jaw. Sasuke supposed that was close enough. Looking back to Sai's attacker, Sasuke was shocked to see his blond best friend with a look of complete and utter rage painted across his face. At first Sasuke was glad to see Naruto after having been so concerned for him earlier, but then looking at Sai – now unconscious – and Naruto's gleaming red eyes, Sasuke wasn't so sure how he felt about the whole situation.

"Naru--"

"What the hell did you think you were doing?" Naruto snarled. Sasuke reflexively took a step back. Some deeply buried instinct was shooting adrenaline through his body and he could almost feel his knees bending to initiate a speedy flight.

Apparently Naruto noticed this too, because Sasuke once again found himself securely against the tree. Naruto was far stronger than Sai and far more frightening. Sasuke had never been afraid of Naruto before, but with the blond's hot breath against his face, Sasuke found that the proximity he usually craved was too close for comfort.

The nerves in the junction of Sasuke's neck and shoulders reported a sharp pain and it took Sasuke a moment to realize what had happened. Naruto had bitten him and was currently wiping his tongue over the fresh wound. Naruto's tongue wound its way up the side of Sasuke's neck until it was caressing his cheek. Sasuke, was frozen in place. He literally had no idea what to do with himself.

As Naruto busied himself with licking and biting Sasuke's jaw – Sasuke suspected he'd have a handsome mark later – Sasuke's unusually slow brain finally caught up. Weighing the situation carefully, Sasuke's mind finally reached the conclusion that this was not Kosher; however when he attempted to push Naruto away, a deep growl rumbled through the other boy's chest.

"Naruto," a voice called from behind the blond. Sasuke looked over Naruto's shoulders to see Neji Hyuuga.

Naruto's mouth shot away from Sasuke's flushed flesh, but his eyes remained locked on Sasuke; he didn't even spare Neji a second glance.

"What?" the blond snapped.

"I think you should step away from Sasuke before you hurt him." Neji's voice sounded far less confident than Naruto was used to hearing. Neji was putting on a brave face, but if Sasuke could hear the undertone of fear, then he was sure Naruto could sense it too.

"Fuck of Hyuuga." Naruto was nothing if not tactful.

Sasuke barely had time to shout a warning as Neji tackled Naruto from the side; how he had changed position so quickly was a mystery to Sasuke, but his brain was too busy being impressed to be curious. Neji and Naruto were rolling on the ground – which if Naruto didn't look like he could murder Neji with his bare hands might have been a little more entertaining – and Sasuke was unsure of what to do with himself.

Luckily Neji supplied the answer. "Sasuke! Run!"

Quickly regaining control of his legs, Sasuke ran as fast as he could away from the fight. About halfway between where Sai had dragged him and where the majority of the student body was, Sasuke paused to catch his breath.

Turning to look back, he could see neither Neji nor Naruto in the distance. His gaze shifted to the other students who acted as if nothing had just transpired. Sasuke reminded himself that they would have no reason to react; none of them had any idea had just happened, what was happening right now. Sasuke felt as if he had been transported into a world apart, that he no longer belonged to the world in which the rest of the student body lived. It was if the leaves of the trees in the sparsely wooded area where Sasuke had stood only moments ago had formed a physical barrier between Sasuke and the rest of the world, one he found himself reluctant to cross.

To cross back into the real world would mean to forget what had happened, because it clearly wasn't an occurrence that the real world would condone. Sasuke wanted to say that something was wrong, but that didn't seem true. It was as if there was nothing wrong, but Sasuke was simply seeing the world from a different angle and all the colors had shifted ever so slightly so that they were sharper and more distinct. Red wasn't just red, there was plain red and then there was the intense rubies that colored Naruto's irises.

Naruto...

Going back to the real world would mean leaving Naruto behind. Though the encounter in the woods had been...unexpected to say the least, it seemed to be a step in right direction. So Naruto wasn't so great at expressing his feelings. So what? It came with the territory of testosterone right? Naruto would be fine.

But just to be sure, Sasuke reached into the pocket of his pants, and dialed a familiar seven numbers. After the dull ring there was a click and a familiar voice, slightly distorted by the phone line, greeted Sasuke's awaiting ear. Sasuke sighed in relief.

"Enzera? It's Sasuke. I think Naruto might be sick..."

A/N: As usual, keep an eye on my profile for YBHMI news and info as well as whatever randomness my brain churns out.

-EverPlotting-