Disclaimers: Naruto is someone else's, this is purely a fanfic using someone else's characters.

Warnings: This story includes strong language, graphic adult themes, violence, angst, a good friend, and eventually yaoi love.

Hard to Read:

Chapter 11

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Sasuke slowly leaned in, eyes never leaving Naruto's face, as he softly pressed his lips against his own. He was so careful with him, his kiss barely a touch, that at first Naruto didn't react. He was just frozen as he struggled to process what was happening.

Sasuke. His best friend, his rival.. and someone he had quietly loved so fiercely for so many years.

The rogue shinobi who had become so hell-bent on revenge, so obsessed with power and vengeance, so twisted by fate's merciless hand.

But now- now he was just.. Sasuke.

The boy who made him feel seen and accepted, the comrade who challenged him to be better, the man he had often dreamt of..

Kissing him.

Naruto had never known love like this. That it could be so gentle, tender.. safe. And so, he froze.

But it didn't take long for reality to catch up with him. He couldn't get the feel of Itachi out of his mind- and it tainted anything that could have been good and pure. Naruto still felt something for Sasuke- something that was deeply moved by all of this. But, the two Uchihas had so many similarities.. it was hard to see past them.

He put his palms flat against Sasuke lean chest and pushed him back. "I can't.." he whispered, his voice catching in his throat.

Sasuke gently lifted Naruto's chin. He gazed longingly into deep blue eyes, then forced himself to harden them. "Naruto."

The blonde stared back at him.

"I am not Itachi."

Naruto's eyes widened, but before he could respond Sasuke stood and left.

"Naruto is gone."

"What do you mean gone?" Kakashi's one visible eye widened, staring at an unreadable Sai.

"Absent from the village."

Kakashi sighed, already exasperated with Sai. He rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I meant- where is he? Did he leave on some kind of mission or is he actually missing?"

"Missing. No one knows where he went or what happened to him." Sai replied. "I am.." he paused, trying to find the right words for how he was feeling. "-worried about him. I do not think he is ok."

Kakashi tilted his head as he regarded the brunette. "And what makes you say that, Sai?"

"I don't think I'm supposed to tell you, but it might be a mistake if I don't."

Kakashi's eyebrow twitched. "Care to explain..?"

Sai looked up at him. "From what I have read, when a friend is going through something they will share that with a peer. And that should be kept private. I do not think I am supposed to tell his superior. I do not want to betray Naruto's trust."

The silver-haired jonin clapped a hand on the brunette's shoulder. "Sai, you are a good friend to Naruto. And sometimes being a good friend means seeking help for them when they don't do it for themselves. Do you believe that Naruto needs our help?"

Sai nodded.

"Then you should probably tell me."

Dark eyes locked onto Kakashi. "Naruto had a mission a few weeks ago. It should have been a one, maybe two day mission at most. He was gone for nearly a week."

Kakashi nodded. "I remember that. He had gotten hung up with some sort of issue in a neighboring village."

"That is what Naruto said.." Sai stated, "but I don't think he was telling the truth. I think something happened to Naruto. Something he has been keeping secret from everyone. And I don't think he is handling it well."

"And why do you think that?" Kakashi asked simply.

"I have been studying Naruto, and he is exhibiting all of the signs of someone who has experienced a great trauma. It is clear that he is not sleeping, he has lost weight, and his emotions and reactions are not the same."

Kakashi felt a heaviness settle deep in his gut. Sai noticed all of these things happening to Naruto, and I didn't see any of it.

He looked carefully at the brunette. And Sai is still figuring out how all of this works.

I should've seen it.

"What kind of reactions did you notice, Sai?"

"He shows behaviors that indicate fear and unease," Sai recited, his research clearly coming in handy. "He flinches when he is touched, even when someone brushes past him. He avoids being alone with others and shows signs of discomfort when his well-being is mentioned. And.."

Sai paused.

"And?"

"Naruto was very upset with me when I asked him directly if something had happened to him on his last mission. He.. cried after he told me to leave."

Sai looked away, ashamed of how he had handled that interaction. "I should not have left him alone like that." He clenched his jaw. "I know that now."

Kakashi placed a comforting hand on Sai's shoulder. "You're trying, Sai. Naruto knows that."

"But.. Naruto is gone now. What if the same thing that happened before is happening now?" Dark eyes were filled with concern as they stared up at the silver-haired jonin. "Naruto is my first friend. I do not want to lose him."

Kakashi smiled down at him. "We will find him Sai. Thanks to you." He clapped his hands together. "Right. I'll go tell Lady Tsunade about this, and we will get a group together to search for him. Sai- use your ninja art to see if you can find a path to send us on."

The brunette nodded, knelt down, and with a long inky brush sketched out several small mice onto a long roll of parchment. He gave a quick hand sign, and the two watched as the paper mice pulled away from the scroll and, chittering amongst themselves, ran off in different directions. Sai looked up. "I will report anything that I find."

Kakashi nodded. He turned to leave, but stopped and looked back over at the artist still on the ground, pale face etched with worry.

"Sai."

He glanced up.

"Naruto is going to be ok."

Sai studied him carefully, trying see if he truly believed that. Kakashi, like Naruto, was quite difficult to read. Sai had learned that one's facial expressions often change the significance of words, but with most of Kakashi's face hidden it was like trying to read a scroll that had ink spilled across it. You might get some of the message, but too much was obscured to be sure you got the right one.

Sai nodded, because that is what was expected, and Kakashi left. And for a while, as his art searched for any sign of his friend, Sai knelt before a blank scroll, wondering what he would find in the next chapter of Naruto Uzumaki's story.

Author Note:

I missed Sai.

Welcome back Sai.

I hope the ending sounded ok- I was trying to do something clever with the whole "hard to read" deal, but it kept sounding like lame overkill. So if it worked- awesome. And if it was just lame overkill- my bad. That's on me.

Ok~ let's see what happens next, shall we..