When Naruto and Sasuke returned to their quest, the sun was high, indicating it was noon.
Haha, Itachi laughed mentally. The sun is high. Haha...heroin...
Itachi! Sasuke chastised. Heroin's too expensive. Crack, man. The sun doesn't get a good enough paycheck because the Sun Union is way too cheap.
Dudes, this is totally teaching the readers bad morals. And what the hell is the Sun Union? Also, their self-esteem might lower itself as well.
Any lower they might think they're as bad as Vietnamese hairstylists...
Jeffrey sniffled, No need to be mean...why do bad things always happen to good people?
Because people like me exist.
Good point.
Naruto continued to sprint ahead, even farther than Sasuke was able to keep up.
Man, Sasuke thought. Naruto cares so much about Gaara, his running even sped up. But me...I don't feel that strongly for Gaara...maybe I'm not a good friend...
"Wait up, Naruto," Sasuke cried out, trying to catch up to Naruto, who was shifting crazily through the main road's crowds, heading back to the mansion he earlier fled.
"No, you hurry up, Sasuke," he called back, surprisingly happy-sounding. "Or I'll be better than you!" With that, he flashed a rare heart-stopping smile.
Sasuke nearly planted his head face-first into the dirt road. He wobbled, trying to keep up his pace while the image of Naruto's amazing smile burned itself within his mind.
Burned itself into his mind? I don't want to be burned! I'll burn you back!
Only it'll be black fire!
I'm so scared.
You better be, or I'll tell Naruto you used to wet the bed when dreaming of Ursula from The Little Mermaid.
She was a total bitch! Besides, she had freakin' black octopus legs!
How the hell are you gonna beat Killer Bee, then?
Who?
No one...
Finally, Sasuke and Naruto arrived back at the mansion to find it abandoned this time. The windows looked completely dark, and peering through, it was obvious a hasty retreat back to the Land of Wind had been made of the Sand ninja.
Naruto stared through the windows a few feet away, head bowed. Sasuke was about to ask if he'd given up when he saw his fists clench.
Sasuke thought he'd be his rowdy old self before the fist quivered. Sasuke sighed, "Naruto, it's ok."
"No, it's not! And it's all my fault that we didn't see him before he left!" Tears were in his eyes again. So not Naruto-like.
Sasuke shook his head at Naruto's idiocy. "Look down."
Naruto's eyebrows knit together as he looked down. Below him, there were tracks made from the wheels of carriages, which had pulled the carts carrying the Kazekage's belongings away. "So?"
"They're fresh," Sasuke said, raising his eyebrows as if this should be obvious.
Naruto stared at them, but didn't see how Sasuke could possibly know they were fresh. But it didn't matter. He trusted Sasuke.
"Yeah? You're sure?" he asked, just to be sure.
"Of course. Why would I raise your hopes for nothing?"
Naruto just stared at Sasuke.
"Oh, right," Sasuke said sarcastically, hitting his forehead. "Silly me, I forgot I was a jerk-off. Never mind."
Yeah, you did. And you forgot your place as well. Now get back in line, slave!
Ha, you're so blind, you can't even draw a straight line!
Yep. It would turn out completely wiggly. I'd label it, "Sasuke is as straight as this line."
Again, Sasuke and Naruto set out, following the tracks. Soon it became obvious they were leading straight to the village's gates, and they soon became intensely worried that they'd missed Gaara.
They started to sprint even faster than earlier, shoving innocent civilians in their quest to catch their little friend before he left their lives forever.
Eh, you'll probably meet him during the Chunin exams in a couple years, Itachi said with a mental shrug.
The hell? Chunin exams? What are those?
It's where they pit young children against each other to watch them kill one another for their own perverted pleasure.
Who's 'they'?
Our government.
Sounds like a bundle of fun.
It is!
Just as Sasuke felt his hopes start to elude him he caught sight of the carriages up ahead--almost out of sight, with the gigantic village doors starting to close behind them.
"Wait!" Naruto cried, breaking free of the relentless crowds and running with the last of his strength for the caravan.
Sasuke joined, and as they shouted for their attention, the door closed with a massive clunk, and just like that, their first and only friend was gone from their lives forever.
Finally.
Good riddance.
Naruto's legs could no longer support him, and he collapsed to the ground on his hands and knees, quivering and starting to sob.
This is your chance, Itachi advised. Kneel down, wrap your arms around his shoulders...
Sasuke was about to bend down, obeying Itachi's commands, when a voice called out, "Sasuke! Naruto! You made it!"
Naruto's head snapped up at the sound of Gaara's scratchy voice, and Sasuke cursed the heavens with all he was worth, before realizing they'd caught Gaara.
Naruto picked himself up and launched himself to his left, where one measly carriage awaited, a scrawny horse coughing at its front. (Can horses cough?) Gaara escaped from the back of it and ran toward them.
Sasuke followed, and soon a small Gaara, completely calmed from the day before's "adventure", arrived before them.
"Gaara! Why are you still here?" Naruto asked, breathless.
"They were so ashamed of me, they told me I had to ride in the last carriage in disgrace," Gaara murmured, looking down.
Naruto's fists clenched, and Sasuke sighed.
Naru-chan's too excitable, Jeffrey complained.
That's what Sasuke likes about Naruto...he's excitable...hint, hint, wink, wink...
Don't confuse Naruto with Kisame, Itachi.
Oh, shut up, foolish little brother...
Naruto wiped an escaped tear and flung his arms around Gaara, clinging to him for dear life. "Remember us," he whimpered.
Sasuke gulped at Naruto's cute nature.
Gaara started to cry as well. "Never," he promised, hugging back. "Don't forget me either!"
"Of course not!" Naruto answered back, hugging harder. "And when I'm Hokage, and you're Kazekage, we'll be great allies, right?"
Gaara nodded roughly. "When I'm sad, I'll think of you!"
This is so cliche, I hate it, Itachi complained.
Shut the fuck up! Sasuke cried within his head, for once fed up with Itachi's horrible comments. Gaara's important to me, and you're gonna shut up about this, ok?!
"Sasuke," Gaara asked quietly, shaking Sasuke from his inner struggles. Sasuke nodded, indicating Gaara should go on.
"I won't forget you either," he murmured.
"Me too," Sasuke said.
Naruto stood to the side, and for a moment, Gaara and Sasuke looked at the ground, unable to think of what to do. Finally, Naruto shoved Sasuke forward and Gaara ended up in his arms, and they finally hugged.
After they'd broken up, Gaara took a deep breath, and said, "You made me really happy for a short time. Maybe we'll see each other when we're older, right?"
Naruto nodded violently as Sasuke smiled, which translated to a yes.
Before more tears could be shed, Gaara disappeared into the waiting carriage, and it sped away, through the waiting doors.
Gaara's head poked out the back, and he waved fiercely to his two fading friends.
"Bye!" he called. "See you!"
"Bye!" Naruto answered, waving, smiling as broadly as ever.
"And Sasuke," he hollered, his voice just barely audible, "I hope those voices in your head go away!"
Sasuke gaped at him, and before he could answer, the doors shuttered and jolted, shutting behind them as well.
"Well, that's that," Naruto sighed, smiling and turning to Sasuke.
Sasuke nodded, thinking, No, this is far from over, Naruto. This is just the beginning--for us.
Tentatively, Sasuke inched an arm around Naruto's thin shoulders, feeling a blush creep across his face that he fought to suppress.
As the dust cleared from the excursion, Naruto's head bowed. "Sasuke?" he said quietly.
"Y-yeah?" Sasuke stuttered.
"Will you still be my friend?" he asked.
Sasuke looked on for a moment. This was an important question. If he remained Naruto's friend, it would just be complicated, what with his crush and all. But, if he stayed, they could maybe become something more--or just stay friends. Staying friends or becoming something more--both, Sasuke realized, were just fine with him.
"Sure," he answered. "On one condition."
"What?" Naruto asked urgently.
"You never bring up a conversation about me having voices in my head."
Naruto smiled mischievously. "I can't make any promises."
--End--
--
Hey, readers. This is the end of my long tale of three lost boys. I hope you enjoyed this story that I pretty much made up as I went along. Also, I want you to know, there will be an epilogue, so check in soon!
I'd like to thank all my reviewers, though there weren't many compared to some bigger stories--pretty much, mostly Dark Hearted Shinobi and--I think it was Cody? No, totaltheTERRIER. Where did I get Cody? And wow, that sounds like you're totally yelling "TERRIER!" Anyway, you guys are awesome.
I loved this story when I was done, because it became funny and a good story! Great balance! I'm so proud of myself. I learned a lot about writing through this, which is good, because I hope to be a writer when I grow up.
See you in the epilogue!