Oh my God, this chapter killed me. I rewrote it FOUR times before I got it right. I hope everyone likes it, because this took me an eternity to get done.

Also thank you to everyone who took the time to read this, and review it, too. I also want to thank the persons who took the time to email me and asked me if I planned on continuing this. Believe it or not, that motivated me to get this down faster(Though it still took me forever to finish…).

"Choke choke again
I thought my demons were my friends
Getting me in the end
They're out to get me
Since I was young
I've tasted sorrow on my tongue
And this sweet sugar gun
Does not protect me

That's right
Trigger between my eyes
Please strike
Make it quick now

Wait
I'm coming undone
Irate
I'm coming undone
Too late
I'm coming undone
One looks so strong
So delicate
Wait
I'm starting to suffocate
And soon I anticipate
I'm coming undone
One looks so strong
So delicate"

---Coming Undone, Korn

The Sound of Silence

Chapter Four: A Confession

He didn't want to go back. Naruto was man enough to admit he was nervous about seeing Sasuke again. The silent teen made Naruto nervous and almost afraid. And after the dream Naruto'd had three days ago-had it really been that long?-there'd been a constant feeling of dread sitting in his stomach like a rock.

Sakura wasn't helping matters. She'd been asking Naruto everyday if he'd visited Sasuke. She seemed obsessed, almost, with Naruto's assignment, and had taken to carrying a small black notebook with her, which she whipped out with frightening speed, whenever Naruto so much as mentioned Sasuke.

Her questions, while infuriating, forced Naruto to think about his assignment and the responsibility that lay with it. He had accepted the work because he needed to pass Psychology. And why had he wanted the extra work? It was simple; if Naruto didn't pass the class than there was the very real possibility he would fail his senior year and need to repeat the year. If Naruto had to repeat the year than he wouldn't be able to visit his Grandfather.

"I'm avoiding Sasuke," Naruto said, slamming his lunch-tray onto the wooden table. Naruto's eye twitched when the little black notebook appeared, like magic, in Sakura's hands. He exhaled sharply as he sat beside his best friend, feeling his anger melt away under his pink haired friend's excitement.

"And why do you think that?" Sakura asked, brushing a strand of her pink hair behind her ear. She sounded so serious, her gaze so intense that Naruto felt as if he were talking to the Principal, or a doctor.

"Well, ever since I practically broke down and cried on Sasuke's shoulder, and had that dream, I've been reluctant to visit again. I know I have to, Sakura," Naruto said quickly when his friend glared, "But I'm…"

"Embarrassed?" Sakura interjected, stifling a giggle when Naruto groaned. Why was Sakura making him confess everything when it was so horribly embarrassing?

"Fine, Sakura, yes, I am embarrassed. It's mortifying to loose control in front of someone you don't know, and aren't particularly comfortable around. He probably thinks I'm a big loser!"

Sakura rolled her eyes but didn't comment for which Naruto was eternally grateful. They ate their lunch in companionable silence, each teen lost in his or her own thoughts. The churning in his stomach increased when Naruto realized he had to visit Sasuke today. He had allowed too much time to pass; he'd wasted moments he could have used to analyze Sasuke's behavior and moods and instead hid like a small child.

The bell rang signaling the end of lunch. Naruto followed Sakura into the crowded hallway. "I'm going back today." Naruto told Sakura as they found their seats at the back of the classroom. The subject was health and Naruto usually slept through the period and copied down homework assignments and notes from Sakura, who was actually interested in the material.

"Hopefully your absence will have made the heart grown fonder!" Sakura chirped. Naruto doubted it.

))&)&)&))))

It was with a heavy heart and sweaty palms that Naruto pushed the door open to Mercer Medical Facilities and smiled when he caught sight of Kristen. The young woman's face brightened and she practically jumped to her feet and skipped over to Naruto.

"I was wondering if you were going to come back!" Kristen said, glaring at Naruto, who flushed under the weight of her disapproval.

"Sorry," he said, face red and eyes downcast. "I wasn't sure if I was coming back. My friend helped me come to my senses."

Kristen's eyes softened and she patted Naruto's shoulder. "I'm sorry I was such a jerk. Sometimes this place makes me angry. It's not fair that these people have been abandoned by their friends and family. I'm glad you're not like them."

Naruto remained silent and followed Kristen. His eyes widened as Kristen led him past Sasuke's room and into a large sitting area. The furniture wasn't new, but the chairs and couches looked inviting if a little threadbare. The walls were a calming soft blue and a large screen TV was right in the middle of the room, volume obnoxiously loud.

At least half a dozen patients were scattered across the room, the most Naruto had seen the whole time he'd been visiting. Two orderlies observed the patients and wore matching bored expressions on their faces. Kristen swore under her breath at their indifference.

Naruto flushed when he felt Sasuke's eyes on his. Kristen led him over to where Sasuke was playing chess with a red haired patient, dressed all in black. The patient's red hair and pale skin drew attention to the Japanese kanji, love, carved onto his forehead. Naruto started when he realized the man was muttering to himself, his gaze focused over Sasuke's shoulder. A large gourd leaned against the red haired patient's chair.

"Don't touch his gourd," Kristen whispered. She smiled cheerfully. "Good afternoon Sasuke and Gaara."

Sasuke inclined his head and otherwise ignored Kristen. Sasuke moved a chess piece. Gaara's eyes flickered at the board and he hesitantly moved a piece across the surface. Sasuke smirked and knocked Gaara's piece away. Gaara's eye twitched.

Naruto sat down beside Sasuke in the only available chair and watched Sasuke and the mumbling teenager, Gaara, play chess. The game had just started, Naruto could tell by the number of pieces still present, but it was obvious even this early Sasuke was going to win. Gaara didn't seem interested in the game, spending the majority of Sasuke's turn peering over the dark haired teen's shoulder, or touching the gourd at his feet. And when it was Gaara's turn, he moved whichever piece was closest to him.

Sasuke eventually grew frustrated(or Naruto thought he did; it was hard to tell when Sasuke didn't speak. His twitching eye seemed a good indicator of the teen's annoyance)and stood up and slammed his chair against the table. Gaara watched, fascinated, as the wooden pieces wobbled and fell off the table and onto the floor with a soft 'ping'.

Naruto sighed. It was going to be a long afternoon.

))&))))

Sasuke didn't go back to his room. Naruto rested his head against the couch cushion, trying to ignore the musty smell tickling his nose, wincing as his head throbbed viciously. Sasuke reclined next to him, his eyes glued to the TV screen, absorbed in a rerun of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.

Watching television with Sasuke was an interesting experience. It was almost creepy sitting beside the mute teen and hearing nothing from Sasuke except his soft inhales and exhales. Since Sasuke didn't fidget Naruto almost forgot Sasuke was beside him until the teen shifted or coughed and than Naruto practically jumped out of his skin. In fact, the most noise Sasuke made was when he flipped through the TV channels, eventually settling on Comedy Central.

Half way through the program Gaara joined them. Gaara was distracting in a way Sasuke wasn't; the red haired teen muttered to himself and refused to sit still for more than a minute; and, most distracting of all was Gaara's eyes which, for whatever reason, focused on Naruto with unsettling intensity.

About half way through the show, Naruto started dozing off; Jon Stewart's voice a pleasant hum in his ears. Sasuke was a warm weight to his left. Naruto fell asleep with a grin on his face.

&(())

"….Strange one, Gaara!" A loud, manic cackle had Naruto jumping off the couch, his heart racing. Naruto rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. He glanced curiously at the girl standing in front of Gaara. She was pretty, with blond hair pulled into a sloppy ponytail, piercing blue eyes and pale skin.

"Ignore her Mother," Gaara mumbled, rocking back and forth in distress. The girl cackled again. Gaara flinched. Naruto saw Sasuke out of the corner of his eye, watching Gaara and the female with wide, unblinking eyes.

"Aw is Gaara talking to his Mom again? Doesn't he realize she isn't there?" Gaara wailed and hunched in on himself, his nails digging into his forearms. It reminded Naruto of a frightened child trying to hide from something upsetting.

Naruto didn't think; he just reacted. He was in front of Gaara and shoving the female back before he could tell himself getting involved was a bad idea. "Leave Gaara alone!"

Where are the orderlies? They're supposed to be watching everyone and making sure no one gets into trouble.

"Who are you? Oh well, it doesn't matter!" The girl cried, another high pitched, shrill laugh escaping her lips. Naruto winced but didn't back down. Gaara was still whimpering behind Naruto, but he had at least stopped rocking. The teen was thankful for small miracles.

"I'm here because…" Naruto began, but he fell silent under the female's intense eyes. Coupled with Sasuke, who was staring at him again, Naruto fell mute. What had he been thinking, anyway? What was he hoping to accomplish? This was an insane asylum, to be blunt, and he could be fighting with a serial killer or an extremely unstable person. He could get himself killed.

"I guess it doesn't matter who you are," the girl was saying, her hands on her hips. She was hoping from foot to foot, and Naruto had to fight back a wince every time she got close to him. "You're sticking up for Mr. Crazy over there, and that makes you a fool!"

Naruto stared. Her nickname for Gaara was weird and completely out of the blue. It made Naruto even more certain he was in over his head. The girl was scaring him but he didn't want to show it. Her smile was so wide it looked like it was going to shatter her face.

"You know that Gaara thinks that gourd is his Mother, right? He talks to it all the time! He feels responsible because his Mother died right in front of him and he did nothing. He went crazy!"

"No!" Gaara said.

Naruto turned and saw Gaara was shaking, his face pale and his eyes wide and dilated. Naruto reached towards the distraught teen, wanting to offer comfort, but Gaara recoiled from his hand as if it were something poisonous.

"Ino!" Kristen cried, sweeping into the room, Doctor Forster close behind. "Leave Gaara alone." Kristen sighed and massaged her neck when she saw how distressed Gaara was. "Oh no, Doctor, we're going to have to sedate Gaara. He's all wound up."

Sasuke moved to Naruto's side and pressed close, their arms touching. He watched as Gaara was led from the room, Kristen hunched under the weight of the gourd. The teen turned and waved at Sasuke and Naruto, which shocked the blond haired teen; he hadn't realized Gaara had noticed him. Sasuke didn't wave back, but his lips twitched as if he were fighting off a smile.

Doctor Forster was struggling to get Ino to cooperate. The girl wasn't assisting; she seemed to delight in frustrating the doctor. "I don't want to go back to my dull, boring room Mr. Piggy! It's dark and uninteresting!"

Naruto snorted. The pug nose Doctor glared but otherwise remained silent. Sasuke was a silent shadow at his side, his arm still touching his, and all of a sudden Naruto felt out of place. He opened his mouth to say something, anything to Sasuke, but Doctor Forster interrupted, insisting it was time for Naruto to leave.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed but he followed the Doctor and Ino out of the living area. And just like Gaara, Sasuke paused and looked back at Naruto. His eyes were dark and inscrutable, but Naruto felt, all the same, as if Sasuke was saying goodbye.

Naruto waved.

&()))

Sakura was ecstatic the next day during lunch. Naruto had been running late and had barely made it to homeroom in time, so he hadn't had an opportunity to speak with his pink haired friend.

"So let me get this straight," Sakura began, taking a sip of her chocolate milk. The small black notebook that Naruto secretly loathed was open, Sakura's neat letters spilling across the page in blue ink. "You went back and not only did you meet Sasuke, you also met another patient, Gaara, and a girl, Ino?"

Naruto nodded. "Gaara was the polar opposite of Sasuke. He talked constantly, and when he did speak it was almost always to a gourd at his feet. Ino said he thought the gourd was his mother, and I think also that Gaara felt he was responsible for her death?"

Sakura added what he'd said to the notebook. "How did Sasuke react to Gaara? Did he seem comfortable with him? What were they doing?"

Naruto thought back to when he'd entered the sitting area. "They were playing chess. I wouldn't say they were buddy-buddy, but Sasuke wasn't tense and angry with Gaara like he is with the Doctor or silent and focused like he is around me. I would say he was almost blasé."

Sakura bit her lip thoughtfully. "What about Ino? How does she fit into everything? Is she Gaara's friend?"

Naruto snored and nearly choked on his sandwich. "Oh, no, Sakura; anything but. She was taunting Gaara. He was almost afraid of her, and I don't blame him, either; she was scary."

"What did Sasuke do? Did he react in any way?"

"No; I intervened. I tried to touch Gaara's shoulder and he flinched and moved away from me. Kristen had to take him out of the room."

Sakura's pen flew across the notebook's page. "What was Sasuke doing while you were sticking up for Gaara?"

"Um," Naruto closed his eyes and tried to recall where everyone had been. Gaara had been cowering on the couch; he'd been in front of Ino, blocking the girl from the frightened teen, and Sasuke had been…

"Sasuke was staring at me. And when Kristen and the Doctor came into the room, Sasuke moved over to my side. Our arms were touching."

Sakura laughed at Naruto's embarrassment. "I think, Naruto, you have piqued his interest. Hopefully, with a little more work, you'll be able to break Sasuke out of his protective bubble and find out what makes him tick."

(&(&(&(&

"I'm sorry about yesterday," Kristen said after Naruto shut the front door; "Ino isn't supposed to interact with Gaara. She upsets him."

"It's okay." Naruto said, shrugging out of his jacket and hanging it up.

Kristen wrung her hands. "I don't know where the orderlies were; they're supposed to make sure stuff like that doesn't happen. Ino's a manic depressive. Her moods swing everywhere; and with Gaara, who is schizophrenic, they clash horribly."

Ino was manic depressive. That explained both her creepy smile and insanely good mood. And of course, Gaara's muttering and rocking fit what he knew of schizophrenia.

"You're going to have to wait here, Naruto; Sasuke's in his therapy session with Doctor Orochimaru. He should be done in a couple of minutes."

"Who's Doctor Orochimaru? I've never seen him."

Kristen looked up from a thick textbook(The World of History-Volume Two)and blinked. "Who? Oh, Orochimaru. He is Sasuke's therapist. He evaluates Sasuke's mental health twice a week. He's a creepy man; I don't like him. I think it's because of his snake tattoos."

"Snake tattoos," Naruto mumbled. "Why not?"

&)))))

'A few minutes' turned out to be forty-eight minutes. They dragged. Kristen was too busy reading for her Western Civilizations class to talk; Gaara was no where to be seen, though given his mental state yesterday when Naruto had left, the teen could understand why Gaara wasn't around.

Mercer Medical Facilities was eerily silent; the only noise was the sound of the ticking clock and Kristen turning the pages of her textbook. Every now and then there was the sound of a patient shuffling around or a car rumbling past. God, he was bored. If he had known Sasuke was in therapy he would have stayed home and done homework. Instead he was wasting time here, twiddling his thumbs.

The telephone's loud ring had both Kristen and Naruto jumping to their feet. "Oh!" Kristen cried and picked the phone up. Naruto nodded when Kristen waved him over. He waited patiently as Kristen finished and hung up.

"Sasuke's back in his room. Doctor Orochimaru said I could bring you over, but only if the visit is brief."

"Why? Does Sasuke have another meeting?" Naruto asked. He watched Kristen unlock Sasuke's door. Her eyes were sad.

"No he's angry. He always gets like that after his sessions."

Naruto didn't know what to say. He shut the door behind him.

&))))

Sasuke was curled up on the floor, two small, golden trophies in his lap. His hair hid his face from Naruto's curious eyes. Naruto noticed the way Sasuke tensed and than relaxed when he realized Naruto was the one in his room.

"What are those?" he asked, sitting down Indian-style, his knees touching Sasuke's. He was pleasantly surprised Sasuke tolerated the touch. He almost seemed to lean closer.

Naruto didn't reach for the trophies, though he wanted to. Curiosity was gnawing at his insides, but a patience Naruto didn't know he possessed had him staying still. This time he was the one staring at Sasuke, his gaze intense.

The silence stretched between the two teens. Sasuke finally looked up, his head moving slowly. His eyes searched Naruto's. Sasuke tensed again, his hands almost clenching convulsively around the trophies before he relaxed and leaned back against the bed behind him. His eyes still held Naruto's captive.

Naruto reached for the trophies, moving slowly, giving Sasuke every opportunity to move away or block Naruto. The teen didn't. He continued to watch Naruto, his eyes deep and black, and Naruto felt as if he were drowning in their bottomless depths.

His hand curled around the first trophie; Sasuke's left hand settled on top of Naruto's. His eyes burned into Naruto's. The teen felt as if Sasuke was searching for something in his gaze, or as if Sasuke were reading his very soul, learning his every secret.

Sasuke smiled, and Naruto blinked, dazzled. It was as if he were looking into the sun. The trophy was a heavy weight in his hand. Startled, Naruto looked down, the writing worn but legible.

Uchiha, Sasuke

Most Valuable Player

Konoha Middle School Soccer Team

"Wow Sasuke!" Naruto said. He was impressed. He would never have guessed Sasuke was the athletic type. "These must bring back some good memories!"

Sasuke nodded. He handed the other trophy over to Naruto and leaned over, his forehead touching Naruto's. They both looked down at the trophy. Naruto could feel Sasuke's breath against his cheek, the warm air causing his face to flush.

Uchiha, Sasuke

1st place

Javelin Throw

Konoha Middle Track Team

"The track team too? You're something else." Sasuke blinked and shook his head fiercely. "What do you mean, 'no'? You have two trophies. Those aren't easy to come by!"

Sasuke's glare was dark and frightening, and yet, Naruto couldn't help but feel his heart clench painfully at the pain evident in his eyes. Not for the first time Naruto wondered what had made Sasuke mute, and what was preventing him from recovering.

"What happened to you?" Naruto wondered, his voice cracking. The teen flinched and stood up, backing into a corner. Naruto stood as well, sighing heavily. He had just been getting Sasuke to open up, and there he went, ruining the moment. Sasuke had thrown up another proverbial wall for Naruto to have to try and scale.

The rest of his visit was spent in silence. Sasuke stayed in the corner and stared at Naruto with his burning eyes. He looked away only once to grab a pen and a book, and scribbled something down.

As Naruto left Sasuke's room with Kristen, Sasuke stopped him with a hand on his shoulder, and shoved a piece of paper into his hands. The door closed and Kristen locked it before Naruto could ask a question.

&&)&)S(&(&(&

That night, Naruto held the paper with trembling hands, and read over and over:

I think I'm beginning to trust you…

End of Chapter

Sorry for the long delay. I have to admit; adding Gaara, Ino and Orochimaru to the mix was a lot of fun. I confess a couple more Naruto characters will make an appearance.

All feedback is welcome. I will try, once again, to get the next chapter up ASAP!

For your information(courtesy of Wikipedia)

Manic Depressive:Mania is generally characterized by a distinct period of an elevated, expansive or irritable mood state. People commonly experience an increase in energy and a decreased need for sleep. A person's speech may be pressured, with thoughts experienced as racing. Attention span is low and a person in a manic state may be easily distracted. Judgment may become impaired, the sufferer may go on spending sprees or engage in behavior that is quite abnormal for them. They may indulge in substance abuse, particularly alcohol or other depressants, cocaine or other stimulants, or sleeping pills. Their behavior may become aggressive or intrusive. People may feel they have been "chosen", or are "on a special mission", which are considered grandiose or delusional ideas. Sexual drive may increase. At more extreme phases, a person in a manic state can begin to experience psychosis, or a break with reality, where thinking is affected along with mood.[16 Many people in a manic state experience severe anxiety and are very irritable (to the point of rage), while others areeuphoric and grandiose.

Schizophrenia: A psychiatric diagnosis that describes a mental illness characterized by impairments in the perception or expression of reality, most commonly manifesting as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions or disorganized speech and thinking in the context of significant social or occupational dysfunction. A person experiencing schizophrenia may demonstrate symptoms such as disorganized thinking, auditory hallucinations, and delusions. In severe cases, the person may be largely mute, remain motionless in bizarre postures, or exhibit purposeless agitation; these are signs of catatonia