Posted: June 28, 2006

Disclaimer: Do not own.

Warnings: Shounen ai, spoilers for anyone not keeping up with the manga, & AUish. Anything involving Akatsuki and bijuus after the timeskip is completely irrelevant to this story, and as such, never happened. Actually, this applies to everything after the timeskip except the part where Naruto, Sakura, and Sai meet up with Sasuke.

General: Takes place after chapter 308 for those of you thatare keeping up with the manga.

Thank yous: peachie-x and Nox (betas) as well as everyone who has reviewed SF. Much love!

Summary: The invisibility started with one silly wish upon a star. Good thing Sasuke's doormat personality, Sai's attempts at matchmaking, and a mission gone wrong were all quite normal in the life of Naruto Uzumaki... Wait. What? SasuNaru


Previously:

"A flicker skirted along the edge of Naruto's vision and he felt the same tugging sensation on his eyelids as he had the previous night.

"Shit…" He managed to whisper before he lost consciousness and slumped against the door with the image of a red-washed world."


Surface Flaws

Chapter III

"We build a tree house
I keep it from shaking
Little more glue every time that it breaks
Perfectly balanced
And then I start making
Conscious, deliberate mistakes"

-Nobody Needs to Know (The Last Five Years)

It was to the strange sensation of prickling deep within his stomach that Naruto awoke the next morning, with no recollection of how he had ended up in his bed, or when he had even arrived home. All he could remember was red, pain, and a disorienting feeling of dizziness; a feeling that had probably led to him eventually falling unconscious, which seemed to be happening quite frequently as of late. He let out a soft sigh and refused to open his eyes -refused to face the world.

As Naruto avoided completely waking, the rough pads of his fingers stroked his stomach inattentively, as if the touch would be enough to ease Kyuubi's restlessness. They felt warm upon the delicate skin, and almost seemed to tickle. It was a relaxing sensation, one that made opening his eyes that much more difficult.

When Naruto finally did manage to overcome this trivial barrier, he had to blink several times before his eyes came into focus. The stucco texture of his ceiling, which seemed to be tainted a soft, almost pinkish red, threw him off guard and he found himself squinting suspiciously; that was odd.

The hand on his stomach found its way to his face, and the boy wearily rubbed at his eyes, removing all traces of sleep that had formed during the night. Then he carefully glanced back at the ceiling, only to discover that it was still a faint crimson colour.

After finding that trying to rid his vision of the tint was useless, Naruto sat up and threw his legs over the side of the bed, holding back a surprised yelp at the sting of cold wood upon his feet. His expression grew sullen and the weary boy let out a string of groggy curses regarding his unreliable heater and the sudden hunger that was assailing him.

Figuring that a good solid meal was in order, he made his way to the kitchen in nothing but a pair of low pajama bottoms that were far too long and dragged on the floor behind him. As he rounded into the kitchen, Naruto spared a quick glance at the calendar and paused, his eyebrows drawing together in concentration.

Sakura's Birthday

The notice was in thick black marker, and surrounded with stars and spirals for emphasis, which was fortunate for -knowing his memory- he would have missed it had it been marked in any other fashion.

Eyebrows rising in surprise at the reminder, Naruto smiled and continued on his trek to the kitchen. Today was not only Ino's not-so-surprise-party, but it was also the ideal day for buying Sakura's present. The gift had to be perfect, Naruto concluded as he went through the automatic motions of preparing cereal. It had to be the kind of present that only a best friend could give.

Naruto sat, waiting for his cheerios to become soggy -an odd preference of his- and contemplated his gift for Sakura. Whatever he chose, itwould be perfect.

But first, he would indulge in the wonders of semi-homemade cereal.

-----

The market was average for a late Sunday morning. There were people milling in small groups and pairs, but for the most part the street was empty. Shopkeepers stood talking to neighbors and customers alike, with bright grins. They seemed completely unaware of the world around them as they indulged in the life they took for granted. Few noticed Naruto's presence as he shuffled by, his head hung in an attempt to appear inconspicuous.

After a few blocks, Naruto began to feel concerned. He was receiving no cheerful greetings from the people he knew, and no nasty glares from the people he didn't. Not to mention the sun was giving off a red tint. It seemed that no one else had noticed this fact, however. Or perhaps he was the only person walking through this strange red hazed world, in which case the sun that had not changed over night, but rather Naruto had.

It was just as he was about to turn into Sakura's favorite shop, that Naruto felt his stomach rumble in warning. He winced and grabbed the offending body part, glancing over his shoulder to make sure no one had heard the sound. When he was positive that he wasn't going to receive any disgusted looks, Naruto booted it to the nearest public washroom and all but leaped into the stall, falling onto the seat with a pleased sigh.

Really, as vulgar as it was, Naruto enjoyed the feeling of relieving himself and, as he sat there on the cold seat of the toilet, he awaited the reduction of the stomachache to which he had become so accustomed.

However, this time the feeling of relief was warped by a strange tugging sensation at his navel. It almost felt as if something were pulling him inside out, and through a hole in the world so fast his eyes couldn't register the movement. He could feel his cheeks and hairline pulling back, stretching his eyes until they were slitted so tightly they were almost shut.

It was suffocating, and Naruto began to heave in gasps of air that were difficult to take in. His ribcage began to collapse inward, crushing Kyuubi, who had suddenly decided to give off an unexpected burst of chakra in warning.

The blonde coughed, a spattering of blood spraying from his mouth, which stopped while airborne, before disappearing into oblivion. The world around him shifted and his stomach seemed to tear away from his body, creating the most painful experience of his life.

Then it stopped.

His eyes opened, his ribcage expanded, his stomach fell back into place, and his cheeks returned to their normal fullness. He was no longer short of breath; the only symptom that remained was the nervous buzzing in his head, and Kyuubi's feeling of foreboding.

He stared at his hands, expecting them to be shaking, but they were still. His body was strong and solid, just like it had been before the experience.

Trying to forget what had just happened, Naruto flushed the toilet with a frown and made his way from the stall where he reached the sink and rinsed his hands. A jittery man watched with beady eyes as Naruto went about his business, trying to hide his panic behind a bright smile.

"Hello," Naruto greeted cheerfully, wiping his hands on his pants, and grinning from ear to ear.

"Ynh," the man muttered, and hurried from the room, leaving Naruto alone - not that he was surprised. It had only been a matter of time before the looks came back, and the sun ceased to glow red, instead returning to its normal hue.

That was good. At least now he wasn't seeing things.

Naruto retraced his steps, leaving the washroom and making his way back to his previous destination with growing resolve to find Sakura the perfect gift. Absently, he noted that the street was filled with more people than it had been before he had gone to the washroom and as he walked, he passed an old couple discussing the purchase of a new birdbath.

When he grew old, Naruto hoped to have a birdbath, and hopefully, someone to help him buy it. A small smile found its way to his face at the pleasant thoughts, and he let his feet take him down the familiar path until he was nearly at the store.

Only, he never made it into the store because Sasuke was across the street, immersed in a book with a thick black cover. Naruto paused, staring at the vision of the dark-haired youth. Ultimately, he was all soft lines and harsh contrasts in colours. Perhaps that was what made him so beautiful. Hesitantly, the blonde made his way across the street, unsure of what he was going to say to his teammate.

"Oi, Sasuke!" Naruto called, and rushed the rest of the way to settle at Sasuke's side. "How are you?"

The dark-haired boy raised an eyebrow and stared at Naruto with a dull expression, saying nothing. His eyes slid back to the book as if he was trying to appear casual and Naruto bristled at the obvious brush off. He was not going to let Sasuke run away from him any more - he couldn't.

"That's great," Naruto responded to the silence, and moved around to stare over Sasuke's shoulder at the text. It was long, detailed, and way above his head. The dark-haired boy's shoulders tensed as his friend scanned the book, and he shifted so that the pages were hidden from Naruto's view.

Undeterred, the blonde moved to the side. "Are you sure this isn't a little too simple for you, Sasuke?" he asked and pointed at a random word on the page, "I swear, I've known that one since I was five."

The brunette scoffed and shut the book on Naruto's finger, his head swinging around so that the boys were staring at each other; one with an indignant pout and the other an uneasy glare. "What do you want?"

Three years ago, Sasuke would have called Naruto a dobe to annoy the blonde and, though he would never admit it, he would have enjoyed the insult. Three years ago, Sasuke wouldn't have been perusing strange texts with thick black covers that he didn't want Naruto to see. The boy drew in a breath through his nose, ignoring the tightness in his stomach. Three years ago was in the past and it was about time he came to terms with that.

Naruto pulled his finger from between the pages with a pout and pushed all thoughts of the past from his mind. The weight of the book had actually hurt, but he hid the pain with a smile, as his vision became speckled in a sudden rush of vertigo.

"I just wanted to say hi." The world pulsed, and Kyuubi began to stir, uncomfortable. "And, I thought maybe we could go shopping for Sakura's birthday present together."

Naruto stumbled and grabbed his head, drawing in a deep breath and trying to focus on Sasuke's face. The spots of white slowly faded and he was able to stare at his teammate's clueless, yet concerned face with a weak grin. Apparently, Sasuke had no idea that it was Sakura's birthday.

"You are coming to Ino's party tonight, right?" he confirmed with a meaningful look, not missing a beat. Sasuke raised an eyebrow, staring at Naruto suspiciously. The look gave away his thought process and Naruto tensed, praying that the brunette would decide Naruto's abnormal behaviour was just a result of his incurable clumsiness and would continue with the conversation.

Sasuke opened his mouth then closed it, his eyes narrowing in on Naruto, and shrugged. "I hadn't really thought about it," he lied smoothly and shoved his hands in his pockets, his shoulders slumping casually. The blonde let out a relieved sigh and relaxed.

It had always surprised him how someone with so much poise could contort his back into such an awkward position. Sasuke's shoulders hunched forward, making him look like a decrepit old man.

"Oi, why do you always slouch so much?" Naruto demanded, grabbing Sasuke's arm and leading him across the street to the store he had been on the verge of entering, when he had suddenly seen his antisocial comrade.

"I don't slouch," Sasuke replied in monotone with a disgruntled expression, though he did straighten his posture at the comment, even if the action was subconscious.

"Yeah, yeah." Naruto pulled Sasuke into the store and stopped, his eyes trailing over the shelves of items, one of which would be perfect for Sakura. The room had the light scent of pine and dim lighting that seemed to cast the room into an orange glow.

"What time did you say Ino's party was?" Sasuke asked casually, as he ran his fingers over a snow globe delicately. His eyes were locked on the item, which possessed a small family of four standing in front of a house, smiling. The blonde could only imagine the memories such an item would awake within his friend and felt a pang of sympathy. He stepped past Sasuke, allowing the other boy a moment to collect his thoughts.

"She wants us to be there at 7:00," Naruto eventually replied as he scanned the walls. Trying to focus on finding the perfect gift, and attempting to cheer up a melancholy Sasuke at the same time, were two objectives that seemed to take up all of the blonde's attention.

He caught sight of a yoyo and grinned. "What do you think of this?" he joked, pointing to the toy.

Sasuke grimaced and turned away. There was no sparkle in his eyes that hinted towards amusement, only disgust.

The lack of response was frustrating -so much so that Naruto's fists clenched tightly at his sides while his eyes fought to focus on the trinkets before him.

"Do you think we'll be going on another mission soon?" he asked as a way of making conversation, though he wasn't surprised when his question was met with silence. Sasuke, as Sakura had said, was a jerk, and that was indisputable. Withholding the urge to let out an aggravated sigh, Naruto continued scanning the wall for gifts.

"Oh!" He gasped, picking up the item that had caught his eye, and holding it before his face with an entranced expression. "Sasuke, this is perfect for Sakura, just look at it! It's beautiful, a work of art, a masterpiece, a…"

"Banana with legs?" Sasuke finished incredulously, coming over to stare at the item that had Naruto so transfixed. "I thought you would be able to manage the task of picking out gifts after doing it without me all these years. It seems that I've overestimated your competence, dobe."

It was a struggle to keep his jaw from dropping. It really was. Naruto stared at Sasuke, dumbstruck. The word that he had been longing to hear for six months, and Sasuke had finally said it. The urge to throw his arms around his dark-haired friend and hug him was overwhelming, but somehow Naruto managed to curb the desire.

Not wanting to make too big of a deal over Sasuke's sudden warmth, Naruto decided to play it cool.

"I think it's beautiful, bastard!" He growled and pulled the banana close to his chest. His fondness for the object, however fabricated, was worth the smirk on Sasuke's face and the glimmer of amusement in his eyes.

"I'm sure you also think a dog with no legs is beautiful."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You have no taste," Sasuke retorted dryly.

"Wait…" Naruto paused and glared at Sasuke as his mind caught up with the conversation. "A…a dog with no legs?" he sputtered in outrage, his body tense with the familiarity of the argument. Sasuke rolled his eyes, bracing himself against the imminent outburst. Both boys seemed to be acting out of memory rather than instinct or impulse; it was comforting.

Naruto drew in a deep breath, hiding his smirk. "Of course I'd love a dog with no legs! If I didn't who would?" he demanded, and noticed the way Sasuke suddenly closed off. His heart sank. Sasuke was supposed to mock him and call him names that only served to further infuriate Naruto, not tense up and become about as lively as a rock.

"Nobody, I suppose," Sasuke murmured and picked up a silver chain, his expression almost depressed. On the end of the chain was a small lighthouse that reflected the orange light of the store. It was pretty, yet somewhat disheartening.

For some strange reason, Naruto couldn't shake the feeling that he had just missed something very vital. Perhaps Sasuke had been speaking on a metaphorical level when he had made the comment about a dog with no legs.

"I bet it wouldn't make a difference if you had no legs, Sasuke," Naruto said in a desperate attempt at comforting his friend and coaxing him out of his sudden shell. "I mean, Ino and Sakura would probably just love you even more."

All right, so perhaps that had been the wrong thing to say. Sasuke's jaw clenched and ground together irritably.

"Probably," the brunette forced out, and took the chain in his hand to the clerk. The Uchiha fan on his back stared at Naruto as the owner of the shirt walked away. The image was unnervingly familiar. How many times had he watched Sasuke walk away? He couldn't remember. However, he could remember the one time Sasuke had never came back. He never wanted that to happen again.

It had definitely been the wrong thing to say.

Naruto followed Sasuke -after picking up the nearest item he saw for Sakura- with the banana still in hand as a reminder of how delicate his situation was -a reminder of how easily he could ruin everything with just one wrong word.

Naruto and Sasuke left the store a few minutes later, each with a bag.

The banana, shortly after, found itself on Naruto's nightstand next to a picture of himself, Sakura, Kakashi, and Sasuke years before power had corrupted the team, who's faces glowed with innocence, naiveté and, if one looked close enough, perhaps a trace of hope.

-----

It was late in the evening, more than a half hour past seven, when Naruto arrived at Ino's house. In his hands, he held a small parcel wrapped in pink paper, and a card with Sakura's name upon it in a messy scrawl. He was dressed in what some children referred to as their Sunday best, though it was hardly a Sunday. The outfit consisted of a pair of khaki pants with no tears and a blue top -Naruto had decided to forgo his usual orange in favour of something a little more ambiguous.

He had barely knocked on Ino's door, which had a cute wooden sign that read 'Home Sweet Home' upon it, when the entrance was thrown open by a beaming Sakura. Her eyes brightened when she realized who it was, and she pulled Naruto into a hug with an excited squeal. The boy allowed himself to be dragged around by the girl, led into the main room, and plopped down on a couch between Shikamaru and Shino.

Just as she was walking away, the pink-haired genin stopped, her eyes slitting and her nose twitching as if she were trying to identify a scent.

"Naruto," she began, with a small smile blooming upon her lips.

The boy in question shifted awkwardly. "Yes?" he asked, his eyes flickering about the crowded room nervously.

"Are you wearing…cologne?" Sakura's voice rose and a bright grin broke through her curiosity, bringing her face to life.

Everyone in the room went silent, their gazes singling in on Naruto, who was blushing furiously. He tried to think of something somber as a way of fighting the blush, but it was useless.

"Aw, Sakura," he mumbled, playing with the sleeve of his shirt awkwardly.

"You are!" The room broke out into laughter, and Naruto felt a smile force its way to his lips. He liked being the center of attention he informed himself as a stray pillow came flying towards him with a ninja's accuracy.

"Planning on getting laid tonight or something?" Kiba called from across the room. There was a chorus of laughter as everyone awaited the anticipated response.

Naruto bristled. "No!" he shouted back, crossing his arms and glaring sullenly at the faces around him. Even Shino was watching Naruto with amusement, or at least, that's what Naruto assumed from the slight shake in the boy's shoulders.

"Well, if Naruto's getting some tonight, we'd best help him along!"

Naruto looked up, the colour in his face draining in horror as Ino came sweeping into the room, one hand moving outward in a dramatic flourish to accentuate her entrance. In her other hand she held a glass bottle - a glass bottle that read sake.

"Oh, no way in hell," Naruto mumbled and put up his hands to stop Ino's advance upon him. This was brilliant. He winced and tried to hide his horror. They were going to attempt at getting him drunk.

"Why would I be getting laid tonight?" he called out in his anxiousness.

Ino plopped down on his lap, pushing his hands aside and laughed, her voice carrying over the rising voices of the crowd. "I had the same thought in mind when I heard you were getting laid, I mean, who in their right mind would want you, huh? But I suppose with enough alcohol, even you could be pretty," she cooed sarcastically, her hand coming to pat his head. Naruto tensed and tried to push Ino away, but the girl was firmly seated on his lap. Apparently, she hadn't matured as much as he had thought.

"Oi!" A scowl made its way onto Naruto's face, and he tore the sake bottle from Ino's grip.

"Looks like Naruto's getting started early, so he'll be passed out when it comes time to get it on with Ino," someone yelled from across the room, evoking another outburst of laughter. Naruto thought it sounded like Kiba again and, all things considered, it probably was. He smirked at Ino who looked as if she were ready to kill, quite enjoying the force of karma.

Whatever furious retort the girl had on her tongue died, however, as the sound of a door suddenly slamming - hard enough to rock the photos on the wall - echoed through the home.

The room went silent, aside from a few stray whispers, and all eyes turned to the entryway where Sai was standing with an abashed grin.

"Sorry we're late." He stepped out of his shoes and entered the home, winking at Naruto. Barely a second later, Sasuke also appeared. Naruto was unhappy to note that he appeared to be livid.

Dark obsidian eyes roved over the crowd of people assembled in Ino's living room, and finally landed on Naruto. The blonde stared back defiantly, though he felt a shudder run down his spine. Something had happened between Sai and Sasuke. Anyone with half a brain could see that. And Naruto, who knew the two ninja best, recognized that thissomething had to do with him.

He cast a quick warning glare at Sai when Sasuke's eyes turned to Ino, who was still seated snugly on Naruto's lap. When Naruto's gaze returned to Sasuke, the boy's glare had deepened into an outright scowl that was very unfitting of him, seeing as everyone had come to accept him as apathetic.

Ino let out a light chuckle and stood. "Sasuke, I'm so happy you could come!"

A murmur of agreement ran through the room, and Naruto swallowed down as much sake as he could in one breath. Sasuke was coming towards them, his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides in a silent fury. The blonde groaned; the evening was looking up already.

Without giving the alcohol time to settle, Naruto stood beside Ino and bellowed, "Hey, I don't hear any music!"

There was a chorus of tentative agreements, and moments later, the stereo system was blaring away the unease that had grasped the party as everyone stood, their bodies melting into a fluid, solitary moving mass.

As he made his way through the crowd toward Sai, Naruto watched Sasuke from the corner of his eye. The boy was moving towards the couch. Well, he was, until he caught the eye of someone behind Naruto, at which point he stopped cold and tensed.

Naruto glanced over his shoulder, catching a glimpse of the dark look Sai was giving Sasuke. The look seemed to be a warning, a look that Naruto was sure the former Roots member wouldn't be making, had he known Naruto was watching.

Just as the blonde had guessed, Sai remained that way, tense and authoritative, until he saw Naruto. Then his face smoothed into a predatory smile, and he stopped staring at Sasuke.

"Hey." He closed the distanced between them and placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder, effectively maneuvering the boy across the room - away from Sasuke who had suddenly been swallowed in the crunch of moving bodies. "How are you?"

Naruto shrugged and craned his neck in an attempt to relocate his comrade while replying, "I'm fine."

Sasuke was nowhere to be seen. The blonde released an irritated huff and turned back to Sai with a strained smile. "And you?"

"I'm excellent," Sai indulged, his eyes becoming suddenly intense as he pulled Naruto close. His hands found the indent of the other boy's hips rather quickly and he began to sway back and forth. "Dance with me!"

It was unnerving how as Sai said this, his eyes seemed to scan the crowd, preoccupied.

"Um…okay." Naruto awkwardly began to rock back and forth, positive that someone would crack a lame joke about he and Sai, or that Sasuke would see. A lump somehow found its way into the boy's throat and he felt his eyes frantically scanning the people around him. If Sasuke saw…

In front of him, Sai grinned, his gaze locked on a single point as he wrapped his arms around Naruto's waist, watching the person across the room. The smile on his face was cold and challenging.

For some strange unfathomable reason, Naruto just couldn't help butknow that the person Sai was staring at was Sasuke.

He cursed under his breath, and prayed that his intuition was off as he shifted uncomfortably within Sai's grip. But the boy held him tight, and Naruto realized that nothing in his life could ever be simple or easy.

It always had to be complicated, frustrating, and painful. And it always had to be a struggle to fix. He could never lie down at the end of the day and think of all the things he had because he knew that with one wrong move he would lose it, and that thought terrified him.

Perhaps, this constant feeling of pessimism was one of the results of growing up. If that were the case, Naruto wanted to stop growing up immediately. He couldn't take this constant sense of dread. He had been fine until Sasuke had left, and then his world had just sort of caved in on him, and left him for the dogs. It had abandoned him just as everyone else had.

He tried to ignore his growing fury, and focused on the boy he was dancing with.

"Sai, who are you looking at?" Naruto asked, unnerved by the way Sai's eyes strayed to his face, and suddenly became extremely impersonal. The brunette ninja smiled, and Naruto just wanted to scream the word fake, and let all his growing anger out in that one word. But he somehow managed to channel his anger into a shaky breath.

Sai seemed not to sense Naruto's frustration because he spoke casually. "Sasuke. He seems to be rather upset by our interactions." His brow creased thoughtfully. "Perhaps you should go talk with him?" And just as Sai said this, Shikamaru bumped into him, pushing him deep into the crowd and out of Naruto's reach.

"…Okay," the blonde mumbled to no one in particular, a frown on his features as his anger seemed to alleviate.

Sometimes Sai was just too weird.

-----

"Hey." Naruto drew in a steep breath and stared at his feet, unable to face Sasuke's betrayed gaze. Wrongly accused was the best word to describe how he was feeling. It could hardly be considered his fault that Sai had decided to ask him to dance.

The boy before him glared and said nothing.

Naruto chuckled. "This is a pretty good party, huh?"

"Sure."

There was an awkward moment of silence as he stared at Sasuke, his embarrassment ebbing away to frustration until eventually Naruto let out an aggravated huff of breath and grabbed Sasuke's hand, pulling him to the center of the crowd.

"Dance," he ordered and began lightly nodding his head to the music.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, but didn't resist. He instead swayed to the music, extremely awkwardly in Naruto's opinion. It was actually kind of endearing how offbeat his movements were.

"You have no sense of rhythm," Naruto informed his teammate with an amused smirk.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed and he let out a disbelieving sound, drawing close to Naruto as he hissed, "It's because I don't make a point of grinding up against anything that moves."

The blonde's eyes widened, and he felt his cheeks flush in outraged embarrassment. Judging by that comment, Sasuke thought he was a slut. He tried to regulate the quick breaths that were pulsing through his body, and glared at the brunette. One stupid dance with Sai, and Sasuke felt he had the right to insinuate that Naruto was a slut. Naruto stepped back -away from what had just been said- and into a sweat-soaked body that shoved him back towards the very person he was trying to escape.

Around them, everything kept on going and Naruto wished they would stop and disappear, because he did not want this to be happening, and their presence just made this experience even more real.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He questioned, his eyes narrowing into two suspicious slits.

Sasuke shrugged and took a step closer so that he was so near Naruto it was painful. His hand was on the other boy's hip and his mouth was millimeters away from his ear.

"That should be obvious," he whispered, his breath light and warm. "Do you enjoy it when Sai does this to you?" His tongue flicked out and glanced over Naruto's earlobe. The heat stung his ear and he felt a throb of warmth rush through his body at the contact.

Without thinking, Naruto pushed Sasuke away with one hand, his other coming up to cup his ear, a furious expression on his face.

"W-what the hell, Sasuke?" he demanded, his voice catching in his throat as his comrade tumbled backwards, creating a gap in the group of people as they moved out of Sasuke's path. "What was that about, bastard?"

Thiscould not be happening.

The people nearest the duo stopped and watched them with hungry expressions as everyone else danced on. Their gazes were riveted with the two boys, unblinking and unmoving.

Naruto tried to pretend this wasn't happening and closed his eyes, blocking out everything but the fury and betrayal that seemed to be spreading through his body; numbing his senses until all he could feel were his thoughts.

Sasuke could not think he had enjoyed the attention from Sai, let alone endorsed it like some people with less morals would. They knew too much about each other to draw such untrue conclusions. Naruto would never give himself to someone he didn't love.

At the moment, that meant he wouldn't give himself to anyone because there was no one in his life that made his heart pound faster and held his gaze without noticing. There was no one in his life he would die to make happy. There couldn't be.

He would know if he were in love, and he would never betray his principles as Sasuke had just suggested.

Around him, the world seemed to spring back to life, and no matter how hard he tried, Naruto couldn't block out the sudden silence that engulfed the room, or the abrupt cessation in movement.

He let out a shuddering breath, and opened his eyes. Sasuke was watching him, his face a mix between apathy and anger as he appeared to make an attempt at deciphering the blonde's thoughts. Naruto ground his teeth, and let his eyes roam over the crowd.

They were watching him too. Everyone seemed to be watching him; it was suffocating and made him feel like some sort of caged animal. He just wanted to tell them to stop, to leave him be and let him deal with Sasuke his own way, by punching his face in. But this was Sakura's birthday party, and Naruto refused to ruin it, even if Sasuke didn't hold the same reservations.

His eyes wandered back to Sasuke and the two boys stared at each other, challenging the other to say something. The tension between them was tangible. From the corner of his eye, Naruto caught a stir of movement just before he heard a too bright voice.

"Who wants to play spin the bottle?" As if by magic, Ino was between Sasuke and Naruto, dispelling the fight by holding up a large bottle in her hand. She waggled her eyebrows suggestively at Naruto, begging him to save her party and drop his petty argument with Sasuke. He knew she thought it was petty; it was evident in the way she looked at him.

"I'd love to," Naruto murmured, still glaring at Sasuke. "Why would I give up a chance to whore myself around?" There was an unspoken 'right Sasuke?' at the end of his statement that only the other boy seemed to catch. The glower on his face darkened and he tensed.

Between them, Ino shifted uncomfortably. "That's wonderful Naruto," she remarked in a shrill voice.

"I suppose I'll play as well." Sasuke said in monotone, his gaze had become bored the minute all the attention in the room was upon him and Naruto. To the unaware observer, it looked as if Sasuke had done nothing, and Naruto had simply lashed out irrationally.

"Don't strain yourself," Naruto mumbled, and turned to make his way to the kitchen, fuming.

All those interested in playing made their way behind Naruto, not bothering to suggest a better location because Naruto was exuding 'don't talk to me' vibes that no one was willing to cut through.

He sat down in the nearest chair and stared at the table as everyone settled in around him. The warmth of a body beside him alerted the blonde that someone had seated themselves in the adjacent spot but he didn't glance up.

If Sasuke was playing, he didn't want to risk looking up to see the face of the other boy.

The little progress he thought they had made that afternoon was apparently not worth very much; Sasuke had proved that moments earlier. Naruto clenched his fists at his sides and drew in a deep breath. He would not think about this now. He would smile, play, and pretend he and Sasuke had just gotten into another petty dispute as everyone assumed.

There was a distinct sound as the bottle was placed upon the table.

"Okay, assuming everyone knows the rules, let's start!" Ino suggested from across the table. Naruto lifted his head, a forced smile on his face, and looked at those around him.

Shikamaru was seated beside Ino, though it looked as if the girl had conned him into participating. Chouji, Sakura, Sai, Hinata, Lee, Kiba and Sakura were also there.

Naruto glanced beside him and tensed.

"Better get ready to pucker up," he taunted with a smile that looked so real, he almost believed it was.

Sasuke smirked in response and snorted condescendingly, returning his attention to Ino, who was spinning the bottle and muttered, "Finally decided to throw yourself at me?"

Naruto punched him under the table and watched the bottle spin in a haze of glass and wood.

When it stopped on Shikamaru, there was a round of 'oohs' and 'awws'. The blonde female blushed slightly, and turned to look at the person she was to kiss. He stared back with a dry expression.

"Well, are you going to kiss me or what?" Ino demanded, her eyebrows rising expectantly.

"You were the one who spun the bottle. You can kiss me." Naruto smirked at Shikamaru's predictable response, and watched the coy twinkle that slowly bled into Ino's eyes.

"Fine!" She smirked and her arms were around her teammate's neck while her lips were latched onto his firmly barely a second later. She pulled away after a moment, a huge grin on her face.

"Lee, you can spin next," Ino said, a pleased and self-satisfied grin on her face. Shikamaru stared at her, dazed, and slowly allowed a smile to pass over his lips as Lee took the bottle.

When it landed on Hinata there was a shared murmur of amusement around the table by all but Naruto and Sasuke, who were preoccupied with kicking each other surreptitiously under the table while trying to maintain neutral facial expressions; Naruto with an amused grin and Sasuke with a blank face.

Their relationship had always been complicated, but lately that word just didn't seem to encompass the spectrum they related upon. One moment they were tearing away at each other's every insecurity, and the next they were playing a more violent, juvenile form of footsy under the table.

Chouji took a try at spinning the bottle and ended up locking lips with Sakura. Naruto found this quite amusing and couldn't contain his laugh. However, the outburst ended in a cry of pain as Sasuke delivered a particularly vicious attack to his ankle. He turned to glare at the dark-haired boy, unsure of why he'd suddenly gotten so aggressive.

Then he realized that Sai had been chosen as the next person to spin the bottle…and he had.

Naruto looked at the bottle and felt the blood drain from his face.

He could barely absorb the cruel irony of what was happening as he took in the narrow end of the bottle, which was aimed directly at him. Everything he gained he lost eventually, apparently. Naruto sourly cursed his life and tried to smile, though this time not even he could hide the distress from his face.

Sakura hid a horrendously amused laugh behind her hand, while Ino went into an outright burst of giggles. Their reactions only proved to irritate of the blonde further. In all actuality, Naruto didn't find the situation humorous at all. In fact, he found it to be disgustingly unjust. Particularly the way Sasuke was glaring daggers at Naruto then Sai, who was making his way around the table.

When he reached the blonde, Sai sat on his lap and planted a firm, moist kiss upon his lips. He used no tongue and the kiss was by far the shortest of that evening, but it was still enough to make Sasuke rise from the table and leave the room with a loud clattering of wood on linoleum.

It was still enough to break whatever progress he had made, and to make Sasuke think that Naruto enjoyed Sai's sudden interest in him. The next person spun but Naruto ignored it, his eyes focusing beyond the game and out the window. It was raining.

He cursed under his breath, and turned to look at the open doorway that led outdoors. A figure was walking away in stony silence, heading out of the shelter of the home and into the rain.

-----

Cornering Sai proved to be difficult, because the other boy had adopted the characteristics of a social butterfly almost immediately after Sasuke's departure. He always seemed to be speaking with someone in a chipper tone, no matter when Naruto tried to catch him. Annoying was the weakest word that could describe the boy's frustration with his brunette friend.

It was after a fair amount of time that Naruto finally decided to simply ask Sai if he could speak with him alone. When he did, the other boy smiled and excused himself from Shino's presence. The blonde didn't really think Shino noticed his companion's departure; he was too busy staring at the television across the room.

"This is a great party," Sai commented as he followed Naruto to the stairwell that led upstairs. They stopped there, and sat on the first flight of steps.

"Yeah, it's been awesome," Naruto replied insincerely. Honestly, this night could be charted as one of his worst. It was emotionally draining, and he found that he couldn't curb the paranoia that everyone was watching him and waiting for him to slip, to prove that he wasn't happy and that something was wrong with him, not only emotionally but physically as well.

This was just what he needed in his life right now; one more problem to add to his ever-growing list of dilemmas, which was headlined by Kyuubi's sudden outbursts.

Sai turned to Naruto expectantly. "So what did you want to ask me?" His face instantly became concerned, the same face Naruto had spoken to the day before, and he felt a growing hope that perhaps his concerns would be well received. The question he wanted to ask had sounded so right earlier in his mind. Naruto sighed, unsure of what to say and drew a pattern in the carpet between him and Sai. Perhaps Sai would stop being such an ass, and listen.

"I know you said something to Sasuke before you came here," he started, "What happened?" He looked up at Sai, hoping - no praying - that he wouldn't be rebuffed, only to see the same disarming smile that had fooled both him and Sakura so many times before. He felt his stomach clench, and he waited for the other boy to speak, to say something that would put his worries at ease.

"Oh, it's nothing to worry about, really," Sai assured him, "There was this bush, and it had leaves, and I tripped over a frog. It's actually kind of embarrassing." He blushed appropriately and stood. Naruto couldn't help but feel stung at the obvious dismissal. Why did Sai have to be so difficult? The boy stopped, standing beside Naruto and cleared his throat.

"Did you want anything else?" he asked, looking over his shoulder towards the party, notably distracted. It was clear he was trying to tell Naruto the conversation was over, without being rude.

"Um…no, thanks," Naruto said, watching as Sai took a step towards him. He let his eyes drop and fiddled with his fingers, trying not to think at all. He hated his thoughts.

"Naruto." Sai surveyed the blonde seriously, "Sasuke doesn't know what he has and I regret his ignorance for your sake. But I'm not going to stand on the sidelines and wait for him to suddenly have an epiphany, neither should you."

Then he was gone, and Naruto found himself watching as another person left him behind.

-----

After being left alone, Naruto had spent a good ten minutes sitting in the stairwell, watching as the world around him pulsed with energy and life. Bodies, slick with sweat, moved throughout the home, grinding together, taking each other into tight hugs, and bumping against one another.

Sitting and observing the world from an outsider's point of view brought with it not only an intense feeling of isolation, but also an understanding of those around that could not be perceived when one was at the center the action. Naruto began to realize the ways people interacted, and what these interactions meant.

For example, he kept noticing the way Ino's hand moved forward to brush Shikamaru's and stayed there a second longer than was necessary, and the way Shikamaru didn't back away from this invitation but rather stepped towards it, touching her hand back a moment later.

The growing chemistry between them was something Naruto had never before noticed, and he was surprised that he had had the insight to catch on in less than ten minutes. To the more observant people of their little community, the budding romance must have been obvious, but he had been oblivious up until this point.

His eyes were drawn from the potential couple when a girl in a form-fitting red dress extracted herself from the crowd, waving to him with a small smile. He grinned back at the pink-haired girl, and moved over so she could sit next to him.

Sakura spotted the offered spot and grinned. "Hey," she greeted and her body collapsed on the stairwell next to the blonde's as she let out a contented sigh.

"Having fun?" Naruto asked, leaning against the wall so his body angled towards Sakura, who was sprawled against the banister.

"Of course I am," she said, her eyes twinkling mischievously. "I noticed that you've been quiet, especially since Sasuke left…" She trailed away, her expression sobering.

The song changed and an upbeat one blared through the house; Naruto recognized it as Sakura's favorite. He expected her to leave, to go dance with someone - to enjoy herself - but the pink-haired female did no such thing. She opted to instead place a hand on Naruto's knee, and smile at him reassuringly.

"He's always been a drama queen, huh?"

Naruto let out a controlled laugh. "He's just being Sasuke."

"Yeah, he sure is," Sakura admitted, and moved her hand to Naruto's shoulder. "He'll come around eventually though." Her voice was soft and Naruto thought that's exactly how his mother would have sounded, had she been alive.

Then Sakura pulled him into a hug and he felt the waves of maternal love roll over him with a contented sigh. This is what he had never had, and really would never have.

He hugged her back, burying his nose in her neck and taking a deep breath, relishing the moment of absolute safety he was experiencing.

When they eventually pulled apart, Sakura's face was pinched with worry, which she ineffectively hid behind a smile.

"Happy birthday," Naruto said and stood, taking Sakura's hand. "I hope you had a good one."

She stood with him, her eyes widening. "Let me walk you to the door?" she asked and pulled him to the entrance hall.

"I guess I don't have much of a choice," Naruto muttered and followed, snickering with Sakura, who was fast approaching the exit.

"Don't let anyone mug you on your way home, okay?" She hugged him again, and let him go.

Naruto laughed. "Only an idiot would mess with Uzumaki Naruto!" he exclaimed, and left the home, walking down the front steps and to the road.

The sky was black and a soft mist was falling from the sky, not hard enough to be a threat, but still present enough to weigh down his soft blonde hair. He sighed and let his feet take him home one step at a time.

It wasn't until he reached his residence, and the resulting light on his porch that Naruto realized the world had adopted its sudden red tint. He squinted, staring at the rose tainted colour of his door and felt Kyuubi stir within him.

The light flickered, and Naruto prepared himself for the imminent collapse that always seemed to follow these signs. When nothing happened, he relaxed and entered his home, calling out a greeting to the empty room and prepared for bed.

-----

"Tea?" Sakura held out a brightly designed ceramic teapot, and motioned towards the empty cup in front of Naruto.

The boy nodded, his voice coming out in a distracted murmur, "Yeah, that would be great."

When Naruto had shown up at Sakura's door earlier that morning with no explanation, the pink-haired ninja had been taken completely off-guard. She had received no notice from her teammate informing her of his intentions to visit. In fact, the last time she had seen him had been three days ago at her party.

When she saw him standing there, nervously twiddling his thumbs and smiling apprehensively, her face became a window to her thoughts. Naruto instantly read her surprise and simultaneous concern quite easily. It was evident in the crease between her brow, and the way she placed her hand on his shoulder, leading him to the kitchen. As she walked, she babbled on about tea, with which she was now filling his cup.

"So, how are you doing?" she asked with the same type of smile Naruto had always assumed a psychologist would have. It was unnerving the way she leaned forward, her delicate fingers wrapping around the pink cup in her hand with a small cloud of steam hovering above it.

Her light, steady breaths displaced the mist occasionally, and the constant curtain of white that kept shifting and swaying was nearly hypnotic. When he adjusted his eyes just so, Naruto found he could make the cloud split in two…

The fingers around the cup uncurled themselves from the presumably warm ceramic structure and tapped the table as Sakura quickly said, "Naruto?" Her voice was concerned - worried.

"Hm?" He tore his gaze from the cloud, his eyes refocusing. "Oh, sorry. Um…" Naruto paused, stumbling for some way to put words to his thoughts. He had no idea how to tell Sakura what was bothering him. She knew about Kyuubi, but whether or not the subject was open for conversation, the blonde had no idea.

"Actually, Sakura, I'm not really doing all that great right now," he said in a torrent of unstable words to which he had no idea what the reaction would be.

Sakura's eyes widened and Naruto felt like an oxymoron. His mind was anxiously relaxed and his stomach was carelessly tight. He had finally let out the worst of it, but in doing so, he had stepped off the cliff and was fast approaching the pool. He had no idea how dark, or deep, or cold the water was, and he had no clue how far he might fall. He was walking with wide, blind eyes into an unfamiliar situation.

Sakura still hadn't said anything. Naruto felt sick, and suddenly he thought that perhaps he should have tested the waters with a toe, rather than plunging himself in. Maybe he could grasp at something and still stop the fall; say 'just kidding' and laugh with Sakura at the absurdity of him not doing all that great. Naruto, not happy? What a joke.

What a joke indeed.

"What's wrong?" Sakura finally prompted, the soft weight of her hand settling upon his. He hadn't even known his hand was sitting on the table, but the gentle feel of her skin felt comforting, like the petals of a rose, silky and accompanied by this giant feeling of validation because no one buys roses for themselves, which meant they had been a gift. And no one buys roses for just anyone.

"Everything?" Naruto said awkwardly, phrasing the statement as a question. He squinted one eye, protecting his expression - keeping it from revealing too much. When she didn't respond, Naruto realized that Sakura was waiting for him to continue, afraid that anything she said would deter him from speaking.

He sighed and focused on the feel of her hand, letting his mouth move without thought or control. "I think there's something wrong with…" A small hesitation found its way into his will; the water was fast approaching his bare feet. "Kyuubi."

There, he had said it. Naruto did not look at Sakura. His sight was instead drawn inward, assessing the possible damage he had just done to the only relationship he had that had not been battered and defeated by time.

The soft blue curtains hanging over the open window rustled and still Sakura said nothing. The breeze did not make it far into the house, for Naruto felt nothing but hot stillness settling upon his cheeks, daring him to face the wreckage of his only true friendship.

He tried to raise his eyes, to face her and earn at least her respect if nothing else, but he couldn't. He was just like Sasuke.

He was too weak.

He wanted to stand and leave, to say 'I should go' and do just that, but his legs refused to move, and deep in the bottom of his heart, a part of him was praying that if he sat there long enough, Sakura would speak - put all his worries at ease - and methodically work through what was wrong.

But that was foolish. No one could accept the fox because it had destroyed far too much of Konoha's history - its legacy. And to everyone but a select few, Naruto was the fox. Whether or not Sakura was a member of this select few had yet to be seen.

The girl coughed, and her hand, which had been slack against Naruto's, tightened. "I-is it hurting you?" she asked, stroking the back of his hand absently.

Everything went warm as he finally hit the water.

"Yeah," he whispered and slowly brought his eyes to hers. They weren't veiled as he had expected, but instead they were open and curious, scared perhaps, but also caring and worried.

Naruto swallowed and licked lips anxiously. "He gets really high strung a lot. It just happened one day…" The blonde stopped, trying to remember when it had all started. "When we got back from the mission with Saki-san, I think. I usually feel really sick and dizzy." It was hard, gauging the fine line between too much information, and not enough.

"For the first few days I passed out. Now I just feel a sickening tugging at my belly and everything sort of gets…" His hands motioned ambiguously at the space around him. "I don't know, the world just looks red; like I'm staring at it through tinted glass or something."

Sakura's naturally pallid complexion was paler than usual, and Naruto fought down panic as he worried that he had said too much.

"Do you think it's the seal?" she inquired in a tentative voice. Her green eyes were glazed over in a sort of frightened contemplation.

Naruto immediately responded, "No." He was sure that it wasn't the seal. "It's an outside force. There's usually just something, like…I don't know how to describe it. It's like a…a flicker of a shadow…or something before it happens."

The descriptions he was giving were very lame. They had sounded fine in his head, but as he said them aloud, Naruto found himself trying to rephrase them in a way that made what he was saying more notable and less pathetic. This resulted in him using words like 'something' to paint the image he was trying to portray.

Sakura was silent as she digested his descriptions and symptoms; the medic-nin in her was trying to find a cure for whatever illness was plaguing her friend. Her hand slowly disengaged itself from Naruto's, letting the cool air wash over his warm skin, and she took a sip of her tea, a thoughtful frown on her face.

"I think you should talk to Tsunade-sama or Jiraiya-sama," the girl finally said, placing her cup back on the table with a small clink.

Naruto straightened, his body becoming rigid against his will. "No." His mind was informing him that he had known this was a bad idea, but he had impulsively decided to act upon it, against his own misgivings.

"Naruto, this could be serious," Sakura pleaded, her eyes trailing to Naruto's cup. "You need to relax and think this over rationally." She paused, her mouth still open, grasping for something to say. "You haven't touched your tea, yet." she finally commented in a strangled tone.

The statement didn't ease Naruto's worry, or lure him into thinking she was letting the subject drop. He was familiar with this tactic of hers. She would distract him from the matter at hand for a brief moment only to fire off questions rapidly and spontaneously, taking her dazed teammate off guard. The boy tensed himself against the impending rush of words and decided to have the first word.

"I'm not telling them, Sakura," he told her, his voice firm and unyielding, much like the resolve in his eyes.

She sighed. "Naruto, if you've been passing out and seeing red then something must be wrong," the girl insisted irritably. The concern she felt was fast becoming anger at his stubborn rashness. It was obvious in the thin line of her mouth.

"They'll get too worried, or something stupid like that!" Naruto countered, his voice rising with panic. All he needed was for Tsunade to find out and stop giving Team 7 missions, making Sasuke suspicious in the process.

He wasn't scared about Tsunade finding out, she wouldn't judge him or think of him as weak. She wouldn't draw the conclusion that Naruto's power wasn't his own.

But Sasuke... Sasuke would.

"Please…" Naruto pleaded. His jaw was tense, the muscles straining against the lock he had them in.

"I can't, Naruto." Sakura stood, leaning across the table to take Naruto's teacup as well as her own, and headed to the counter where she carefully set the two ceramic dishes in the sink. Her back was stiff and the muscles in her arms were taut.

"But…"

"If anything happened to you, I would never forgive myself," Sakura said. Her back was still to him, but the tone of her voice told Naruto what she hadn't said. She would rather he hate her than she hate herself.

It was useless arguing with her, Naruto realized with a resigned feeling of dread. He sighed and stood, trying to come to terms with the inevitable before it occurred - tried to prepare himself. Sasuke would have found out anyway.

"Well then, I guess I better go," he told her, though he supposed she already knew that the visit was over. "Thanks for listening," he murmured and left the house, trying to ignore the sound of her crying.

-----

Waking was a tiresome process, as ironic as that seemed. It required facing the world, and all its accompanying problems, which was why Naruto hated it. He always needed a moment to find his way back into his own skin, and to leave the person he had become so used to being in his dreams. He had to leave behind the smiles and comforts of people he had never known, and probably never would know.

Dreams were fictional, of course.

Of course.

On this particular morning, it was to the sound of concise knocking that Naruto awoke. The sharp rapping echoed through his tiny home, weaving its way into his dream and slowly knocking his mind from the comfortable shelf of his subconscious, to the dreaded reality of his conscious.

His eyes slowly pulled open like jammed curtains that needed considerable fiddling to work, and took in the red-hazed world before him.

"Not again…" He groaned and rolled over, throwing his pillow over his head, trying to block the world out.

Somehow, the knocking made it through his pillow and continued to assault his ears, like the steady thrum of a drum sounding off the beginning of a war. He had no idea how accurate his comparison was.

"Fine…I'm up," he managed to grumble, and peeled himself from the bed with a sour expression on his face. The pounding continued.

He shouted, "Didn't you hear me? I said I'm coming!" Still in his pajamas, Naruto made his way to the front door, his irritation evident in the stomping of his feet and the scowl on his face.

He threw the door open, growling and saying a short, "Hello" as he came face to face with Tsunade and Jiraiya.

"Where the hell is he?" Tsunade droned with an aggravated huff of breath through the closed line of her lips. She stared straight past Naruto and into the kitchen. Her glare was livid but the worry lines on her face were even more disconcerting.

She turned to Jiraiya, her mouth moving soundlessly, but the man ignored her and stared at Naruto's door, his eyes narrowing.

"Since when did Naruto have an automatic door?" he said suspiciously. Naruto raised an eyebrow and stared at the two. When had they been able to talk without moving their mouths?

At the moment, Tsunade appeared to be speaking, though the atmosphere remained eerily silent. From the look on Jiraiya's face, he was able to hear every word the Hokage was saying. Naruto swallowed uncomfortably and watched as the two Sannin tensed and became suddenly motionless, glaring at the doorway as if it were empty.

Then Tsunade's mouth opened but no sound came out, and Naruto felt a sinking feeling of dread race through his mind as he translated the soundless words escaping her lips.

'Naruto, get the hell out here.'


AN: Okay, so things are finally starting to move! I'm really sorry about the wait (and the cliffie except not really). This should be my new updating schedule: about every 1 1/2- 2 weeks depending on many shows and rehearsals I have. I will warn you that next week I'm gone on tour so Chapter 4 will be late. Thank you again for commenting/reviewing, I really appreciate it especially because people have been leaving me long comments with specifics so that I know what is working effectively and what can be improved upon.
-TJ