Posted: August 31, 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:

'Then he woke up and the world was red-washed and the dream slowly began to fade.

But Naruto had enough time to stare at his ceiling and wish that Sasuke had said, "You were always worth it" before he fell asleep again, this time without dreams.'


Surface Flaws

Chapter V

"Lately I've been thinking
Maybe you're not ready for me
Maybe you think I need to learn maturity
They say watch what you ask for
Cause you might receive
But if you ask me tomorrow
I'll say the same thing

I am ready for love
Would you please lend me your ear?
I promise I won't complain
I just need you to acknowledge I am here."

-Ready For Love (India Arie)

Waking up to see a red world and knowing the reasoning for said wash of colour was a relief when the last few weeks had been spent in anxious oblivion.

Naruto had opened his eyes that morning and known almost instantaneously that he could do whatever he pleased and no one would be able to stop him let alone blame him. It was impossible to be held responsible for something when no one had any proof, after all.

Naturally, Naruto had decided that he would have to use this newfound power to generate chaos, disorder, and just stir shit in general, which brought him to his current location.

A grin broke through his transparent features as the blonde approached a walkway lined with thriving dragon snaps. The plants were explosive in their wide array of colours - like fireworks - and they set Naruto's mind onto a train of devilish thoughts.

If he was going to stir a pot, it had to be Sasuke's.

Naturally.

The invisible ninja continued around the side of the Uchiha's house - even he wasn't stupid enough to sneak in through a trained shinobi's front door - and found an open window. The curtains on the inside of the pane rustled in a cream swirl under the wind's influence.

Not bothering to contemplate the pure happenstance that Sasuke's window would be open, Naruto skillfully crawled through the deceivingly large space and found himself seated on a white counter. He stared at the pristine surface for a moment, wincing when he saw flecks of dirt where he previously sat.

As quietly as possible, Naruto swiped an invisible hand over the dust, brushing it to the floor where it scattered to a less noticeable mess.

"Sasuke really needs to get out more…" the boy muttered under his breath and silently jumped from the counter, landing with a tiny smack of sandals on hardwood. With any luck, Sasuke would still be fast asleep.

Naruto chuckled evilly under his breath and began to surreptitiously tiptoe through the kitchen, eyes and ears perked and alert for any trace of sound or movement. He stopped at the entryway to the kitchen, coming to a crossroad of sorts where two hallways intersected.

The boy's face scrunched up thoughtfully, his eyes narrowing and his lips pursing into what could only be described as a contemplative pout, as he considered his options. Each hall had a smattering of doors lining the walls, but only one carried the soft sound of strangled snores.

Lips peeling back into a predatory grin that screamed trouble, Naruto continued his furtive dance down the hall. The heels of his feet were raised from the floor and his shoulders were hunched forward to accommodate the way his hands flopped before his chest. This position, eerily similar to that of a hunchback kangaroo, was what the blonde ninja liked to call his 'sneaky stance'. He wanted to chuckle, but supposed that would be an unwise decision, should he suddenly lose his cover of invisibility.

So, it was with his tongue firmly clamped between his teeth to keep from making any sound that Naruto slid into Sasuke's room, a crazy glint in his eyes and a wild grin on his face. Soft pattering accompanied his steps as he tiptoed towards the sleeping boy.

Sasuke asleep was nearly endearing, Naruto observed as he shoved his hand into his pocket and began to dig around absently. Dark hair fell over the sleeping boy's cheeks and framed the slightly parted line of his lips. Quick, tiny breaths leaked from his limp body and the occasional light snore escaped his nose.

Naruto was perilously close to making cute cooing noises when his fingers wrapped around the item in his pocket, at which point his features smoothed into a conniving grin. Carefully, the boy pulled a thick black permanent marker from his pocket and removed the cap with a barely audible click.

If Sasuke were to wake up, he would see nothing but a floating black marker.

Naruto brought the writing device to his teammate's smooth cheeks and began vigilantly drawing out the designs he had decided upon that morning at breakfast.

If Sasuke were to wake up, he would no doubt recognize the scent of Naruto's soap.

The marker continued its trek across Sasuke's face as Naruto mentally scolded himself for showering that morning. Sure, it had been more than two days since his last shower, but body odor was a lot less distinguishable than the cheap bars of soap the blonde used. Then again, if he had shown up in a putrid haze of stink, the dark-haired Uchiha would probably already be awake.

Naruto pulled the marker away from Sasuke's face, recapping the lid. He was amazed that the normally light sleeper had not awoken at the sensation of marker upon his face. A moment passed as Naruto took one last glance over of the designs upon his teammates face, before his eyes widened triumphantly and he once again adopted his 'sneaky stance'.

The next destination for Naruto in the Uchiha household was the washroom, which was where he currently was - contentedly fiddling with the toothpaste ingredients - when he heard the distinct shuffling of blankets coming from Sasuke's bedroom.

Pulling a strained face, Naruto quickly screwed the lid on the toothpaste bottle he was holding and replaced the white tube on the immaculate counter before dashing out of the room as quietly as possible. He slid around the corner that led to the kitchen and all but dive-rolled out the open window, managing to take one cream curtain with him.

He stared down at the now grass stained material that was caught on his sandal and mentally went through every swear word he knew.

Well, shit.

If he was lucky, the two earlier pranks would keep Sasuke distracted long enough for him to fix the curtain. Looking around with suspicious caution, Naruto once again crawled through Sasuke's window, this time with the cream curtain in hand.

Through the kitchen, around the corner, down the hall, and in the bedroom, the sound of bare feet on hardwood echoed through the home, smacking ominously in the silence, ticking away the seconds of Naruto's happy life as he knew it. He blanched. Sasuke was going to kill him if he found out that Naruto had been the mastermind behind these absolutely devious pranks.

The boy swallowed nervously and focused his undivided attention on the curtain at hand, staring at the metal rod above the windowpane and the grass-stained piece of cloth before him.

Trying to be quiet, he pulled the metal cylinder down as methodically as possible and placed it on his lap.

Now, if he could only find away to string the curtain onto the rod…

That was when Naruto realized the parts of the drape that were supposed to be threaded onto the bar were completely torn. He resisted the urge to slam his head against the wall and instead stared helplessly at the curtain.

The footsteps were now entering the washroom and a soft murmur, presumably Sasuke's thoughts, was filling the silence. The blue-eyed shinobi glanced up in horror, seeing his life flash before his eyes in a haze of particularly boring events.

Naruto pulled a dry expression and let out a soft growl. Trust him to replay all the dull parts of his life such as doing laundry and picking his nose rather than the cool ones like the Chuunin exam or the day Sasuke came back, just before he died.

The ghostly noise of Sasuke's thoughts mumbled incoherently. "-fucking thinks I'm jealous? …can't even find…paper bag…fucking…if I care-"

The shower started and drowned out the sound of Sasuke's thoughts and Naruto could do nothing more than stare at the entryway in a daze, unable to process anything more than the absence of Sasuke's furious expression in the doorway to the kitchen.

He was alive.

Who knew? Sasuke showered first thing in the morning without doing anything else.

Which meant Sasuke hadn't seen his reflection in the mirror yet, and he hadn't touched his toothpaste. He had simply walked straight into the shower - Naruto coloured, trying not to think about what Sasuke looked like in the shower - and occupied himself, giving the blonde at least another five minutes to do something with the curtain.

Invigorated by this obvious hint from God, or the realistic equivalent to, Naruto was suddenly assaulted by a plague of ideas, the best of which he settled upon with a sinister chuckle.

The black marker was once again withdrawn from his pocket and the boy immediately set to work, his tongue poking through his lips as he toiled away at his masterpiece. He completed the gift for Sasuke with a triumphant "Ha!" and bolted for the front door, grinning manically as he observed the piece of work.

Just as he reached the entrance to the home, the shower stopped and Sasuke's thoughts once again rang through the home.

"-needed that cold shower. He thinks I'm jealous… does that mean that he's suspicious?"

Naruto stopped, his face drawing into a horrified expression as he realized what Sasuke was thinking.

"No, there's no way he can know. And even if he does, I'll be sure to keep from giving him any more hints, ungrateful bastard. I came back just for him and he throws himself at Sai…No, I'm not…"

Naruto shook his head, trying to pretend he was not hearing what Sasuke was saying as he tied the curtain around the doorknob. A black face with its tongue sticking out stared at him as he swallowed nervously. He was i not /i going to think about Sasuke and his thoughts. If they weren't addressed then they didn't exist…

"Now where the hell did I put that towel…"

The telltale tug at Naruto's navel sent blood rushing to his ears and his teammate's thoughts were suddenly drowned out by the wave of noise. Naruto gasped, feeling his head compress and stumbled towards the kitchen.

He saw a flicker from the corner of his eye and fell against the wall to stop his progression. Nervous blue eyes surveyed the living room he had tumbled into and fell upon a pair of crimson eyes in the shadows of the room.

Suddenly the sick feeling wasn't just due to his impromptu jolt back to the real world; but more the result of a deep-seeded terror.

"Sasuke!" the boy tried to call loudly, but his voice caught in his throat then filtered through his mouth, which had grown sticky with dry saliva, and came out as a gurgle. "Sasuke! Get the fuck out here!" Naruto yelled again, his eyes wide with terror as he stared at the crimson eyes that were barely visible through the shadows. His stomach lurched and expanded within his body. The boy called Sasuke's name again around the pain.

There was no response.

Apparently, he was still invisible.

Naruto stepped forward - staggered actually - and felt his voice whisper, "Itachi?"

The sound was raspy and dry, which could be credited to his sudden cottonmouth. A soft breath and another flicker were the only response Naruto received. He took another step forward - positive that Itachi could probably hear the contracting of his tense muscles accompanied by his heartbeat - and nearly died of relief.

"A photo," he laughed nervously as his stomach pressed outward, pushing through his skin and pulling his ribcage with it, expanding like a balloon.

He gasped and doubled over, though he kept staring through squinted eyes. Right before him, on a shadowed shelf, sat a photo of Itachi's solemn face. The man's eyes glowed ruby and the gaunt pale curves of his features all seemed to exist solely to frame the strange lines under his eyes.

Naruto flinched away from the image, his mind caught between terror and amusement as his body struggled through the numbing pain that engulfed it. Then he heard a strangled yell from the bathroom and was jolted back to reality.

"Oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck," he whispered repeatedly under his breath in a terrified mantra. He had heard Sasuke's yell, which meant he was no longer invisible. In his terror, Naruto had failed to acknowledge the cessation in expanding and contracting that his body was jerking through.

He backed up towards the doorway that lead to the kitchen, gathered his chakra in his feet, careful to keep the amount low, and pushed away from the floor. The boy flew across the room and barely managed to slide through the open window.

When he hit the ground, Naruto immediately rolled into a standing position and ran down the street, away from Sasuke's house as fast as he could without looking back. If his day turned out as he was expecting it to, he would see Sasuke at his doorstep covered in black smudges, seething, and aching for a fight in a matter of minutes.

-----

As it had turned out, Sasuke had shown up at his door, his face smudged in black, and a sour expression on his face.

Naruto smiled at the seething boy before him and began, "Do you want to come in? I have some ramen starte-"

"Why the fuck were you in my home?" Sasuke cut him off in a hoarse growl and stood where he was, refusing to enter. Had the Uchiha not looked so incredibly lethal, Naruto would have laughed at the ridiculous attempt the boy had made at removing the 'seal designs' from his face.

As it were, Naruto could do nothing but stare in horror a moment before quickly saying, "What the hell happened to you?" The shock on his face had to be believable, Naruto thought as Sasuke's eyes widened in rage then slitted. Somehow, the quiet, closed-off fuming was more intimidating than the brash 'I need to kill something' fuming.

"Don't lie to me, Naruto," Sasuke all but yelled, livid. "How did you find it?"

"Find what?" Naruto cowered as Sasuke loomed over him, pushing him further into the house. It was moments like these that the blonde was acutely aware of the difference in their height.

The world beyond them was still, watching and waiting for Sasuke to snap and do something horribly violent like punch Naruto or toss half a dozen kunai at him, killing him in an excessive display of fury.

"I know it was you! You're the only person stupid enough to pull a prank like that that knows what the seal looks like!" Sasuke's voice was frenzied and his eyes were darting about tensely. His hands opened and closed around nothing, and he swallowed anxiously.

Looking closer, Naruto realized the veins in the boy's eyes as well as traces of scratches at the edge of his scalp were visible…

"You need to calm down…" Naruto attempted in a placating tone. Sasuke scowled and drew in a ragged breath, his eyes flashing about the home as he pushed his way passed Naruto, closing the door behind him - closing off the world.

Naruto stepped aside and waited as Sasuke stood there, his chakra flaring then falling in uneven bursts that matched his labored breathing. His eyes stared at Naruto - terrified - the color of angry, bloody red. The blonde swallowed nervously and tried to place a hand on Sasuke's shoulder to calm him down - but as he had expected, it was batted away without a thought.

Sasuke clenched his jaw resolutely, his eyes going unnervingly blank, as he slowly stopped shaking. "How did you know where that photo was?" he demanded. His voice was quiet, eerily so, and Naruto couldn't help but fear that if he said the wrong thing Sasuke's careful control on his temper would break and he would dispose of words, and opt for attacking Naruto.

He bit his lip and stared back at Sasuke. The man looked so i scared /i , which made no sense because Naruto hadn't done anything horrible. He thought of the photo and felt his eyebrows furrow in hesitant confusion.

"The photo…?" Naruto took a step away from Sasuke as he tried to think of what could upset his friend so devastatingly. "I'll admit I was there, Sasuke. But I didn't do anything with a photo, I just drew the seals on you…" he trailed away, unsure of whether Sasuke had seen the drawing of a face sticking its tongue out crudely on the curtain or tasted the 'toothpaste' concocted with soap and shaving cream.

"And fucked with my toothpaste and ruined my drape," Sasuke finished, his voice rising again, "But how the fuck did you find that photo of Itachi and why the hell did you put it there, on that desk. Are you that fucking stupid? Did you not see the-" The boy's voice caught in his throat and he stopped, his eyes falling to the ground stubbornly.

Naruto stared at his friend, concerned, and took a wary step forward. He was completely at a loss on what to do. However, when Sasuke raised his eyes, meeting Naruto's gaze with a sturdy glare that could only be described as heart-wrenchingly betrayed, he stopped. Naruto's hand clenched at his side in helpless frustration and he had no idea what to say.

This feeling of unwanted dependence was the same one he had felt when Sasuke had left.

"I didn't put the photo up, Sasuke. I saw it and I thought…"

What had he thought when he had finally realized Itachi wasn't hiding in Sasuke's home waiting to finish off his younger brother? Naruto shook his head and avoided the heated glare rather than enduring it.

He had thought that Sasuke had put it there as a reminder that he had to kill Itachi. He had thought it was a way for Sasuke to indulge in his masochistic tendencies without physically hurting himself.

"I guess I didn't really think. You had woken up just when I saw it, so I left." Naruto refused to look up, he could just feel the disbelief rolling off Sasuke in waves of disapproval and shocked hurt.

"How did it get there then?" Sasuke insisted. He looked like he was going to strangle something or pass out from emotional shock, but he continued speaking anyway. "How did it get there, on the desk that I've set up with a memorial for my parents?"

Naruto felt his breath hitch and let his weight fall to the wall. Sasuke couldn't really think that he would do that, could he? That was way below his level. That was sadistic and cruel. As much as he hated Sasuke at times and wanted to strangle him, he would never stoop that low.

Sasuke stared at him, his face unnervingly blank. He was completely still - waiting.

"I would never…" Naruto whispered, trying to remember what had happened. He had seen a flicker, just like all the other times, and he wanted to tell that to Sasuke because it could be a hint, but…

But if he did, Sasuke would think that the incident was an isolated event when it really wasn't. Naruto swallowed and cautiously raised his gaze, meeting the stare of the boy across from him.

Sasuke didn't say anything for a moment, but eventually muttered, "I know, but…" His voice was relieved if anything; as if he'd been hoping the whole time to be proven wrong. "Who did it then?"

The dark-haired shinobi sighed, deflated, and looked past Naruto at the empty kitchen table. His expression was one of fatigue and a troubled glint clouded his eyes. For some strange reason, Naruto seemed to be completely focused on Sasuke. The way his breathing was still off from his earlier distress and the way he couldn't seem to tear his blank but somehow still troubled gaze away from the table was unsettling.

Naruto shrugged helplessly and shoved his hands in his pockets to keep from reaching out for the other boy. Sasuke hated contact, no matter what the situation. It would be wise to respect that about the other boy at a time like this.

"I was just about to head over to see the hag. She called us in today," Naruto said, breaking the silence that had consumed them. He shifted his weight uncomfortably and waited for a response, but it seemed that Sasuke had not heard.

"Hey, Sasuke. Did you hear me?" He tugged his hand from his pocket irritably and snapped his fingers in front of the other boy's face, trying to grab his attention. He felt a harsh smack on his arm and smirked at the annoyed expression on Sasuke's face.

"Yeah, I heard you. We might as well head over now," Sasuke grumbled with a sour expression and turned away, heading down the street alone. His footsteps were loud upon the gravel road and they seemed to mirror the desolate hunch of isolation that his shoulders had adopted.

Naruto held back a moment and watched Sasuke's retreating back tentatively, before scrambling after the boy with a shouted, "Hey, wait up jackass!"

-----

Naruto let out a long, exaggerated sigh and tapped his foot on the ground in disinterest. The fly right beside Tsunade's head that just kept circling inanely was becoming increasingly fascinating. Short and concise didn't seem to be one of the hag's numerous abilities, so Naruto was forced to endure the deadly boredom of her pre-mission speech by watching a fly of all things.

"Naruto, would you pay attention!" A sharp elbow wedged itself between the boy's ribs and he let out a hiss of pain, glaring at his attacker, Sakura, indignantly. She met his gaze with narrowed eyes then turned away with an aggravated shake of her head, muttering, "Men," under her breath.

"I'm about to brief you on your mission, brat, so you'd better start listening." Tsunade's voice, though authoritative and loud as ever, was nothing more than a drone and Naruto struggled to let his attention somehow wander back to the woman. She was so damn boring.

"Yeah yeah," he dismissed with a dry eyeroll. The fly's circles were getting smaller and the buzzing sound was getting louder, judging by Tsunade's disgruntled expression.

"Naruto!" she suddenly yelled, and he had to wonder if the disgruntled expression was really a result of the fly. "Would you pay attention?"

"Iam," he retorted, unruffled by the fury of the strongest ninja in Konoha.

"Good. Now, as I was saying earlier-"

Naruto groaned and smacked his forehead with the palm of his hand. "One time is enough; you don't have to repeat it, hag."

"Do you know what I'm about to say, brat?" Tsunade demanded. She leaned forward threateningly and pegged Naruto with an intimidating stare.

"If I ignored you the first time you said it, I'm not gonna care much more the second time," he retorted. Beside him, Sakura let out an exasperated sigh and stared heavenward, muttering under her breath about stupid, relentless, teammates. On his other side, Sasuke was being about as expressive as a wall.

"Would you rather I not give you this mission and put you on guard duty again for the next year?"

Naruto felt his stomach clench and for a brief moment, he felt nothing but burning hate for the woman before him. "I thought you were already planning on doing that," he said in a steady, almost bored tone that masked his growing unease. He was grasped with a paralyzing fear as he tried to pretend he had no clue as to where this conversation was headed.

As such, he was unable to curb Tsunade's inevitable reply of, "To think I was stupid enough to assume you could handle an actual mission after what happened."

Suddenly, Sasuke's interest was perked and he came to life like a cat waking from a nap, slowly and languorously, yet vividly alert. Naruto didn't have to look at the boy to see this. He could feel the prying gaze on him, feel the sudden excited tension in the other boy's body, feel the hunger for information that was absolutely, under no circumstances, allowed to reach his ears. Naruto wanted to puke.

"I can handle a mission," he exclaimed, eyes darting nervously in Sasuke's direction. There was still that suffocating aura of curiosity surrounding him. "I'm just sick of listening to you talk about-"

"Would you shut up and let her speak, Naruto." Sakura cut in. Her eyes were not on the subject of her sentence, but rather the boy past him, Sasuke. It seemed that she had noticed Naruto's sudden panic and decided to help him. The boy turned to her with wide eyes, silently thanking her for the out.

He grumbled, "Whatever," in an attempt to retain a sense of normalcy and turned back to Tsunade, still shaken by the sudden realization that Sasuke could very well find out, especially now that he knew for sure there was a reason Naruto had been assigned to guard duty.

Tsunade settled a stern gaze on the boy before her and continued without any pretence, "The three of you were requested for this mission, which is why I am sending you. Because you are all very capable of looking after yourselves, and the mission seems simple enough. I am going to send you three alone. Kakashi is still not stable enough to travel, let alone complete a mission, and you know why his temporary replacement is unable to accompany you…"

Her voice trailed away and Naruto felt his stomach knot. If Yamato were alive, he would be accompanying them, Tsunade had just said as much. A rush of anger flooded his veins and Naruto glared at Sasuke, who was still staring. He could stare all he wanted for all Naruto cared.

"Yeah, we know why Yamato-sensei isn't able to come." Naruto stared back, his gaze furiously intense. A slight wince was the only indication given that Sasuke recognized the name. "Don't you know who I'm talking about?" the blonde demanded, taking a threatening step forward.

"Yes," Sasuke hissed, his eyes narrowing. Naruto, still shaken by his earlier panic, felt a building need to hurt something.

"Would you two save this for later?" Tsunade interrupted. Though she appeared bored, Naruto knew that behind that misleading expression was a watchful gaze trying to sort through the screwed up relationship of two teenage boys.

"Of course," Naruto said, turning back to the hag with a calm shrug and not another glance at Sasuke.

"Wonderful. You will be leaving tomorrow morning for a small village on the outskirts of Leaf. The village is concerned with the increasing number of mysterious murders. The rest of the details are in the folder I gave Sakura before you two showed up."

Naruto nodded, refusing to look at Sasuke and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Sasuke and Sakura, you may leave. Naruto, could you please stay behind a moment."

-----

Naruto watched as the door closed soundly behind Sakura and turned back to the Hokage, his arms uncrossing. "What do you want?"

"I take it Sasuke is unaware of your condition?" she asked, ignoring Naruto's silent fury. Her hands were folded on her desk in a show of calmness. Naruto wanted to smack her for being so casual.

"Why the hell does everyone keep calling it a condition?" The sentence crawled through his throat in an exasperated hiss that swelled into a spiteful growl.

Tsunade rolled her eyes and chose to ignore him. "If you're not careful he will find out during this mission."

This caught Naruto's attention and he moved to her desk in three strides, stopping before the woman and slamming his palms down. Sasuke would not find out during this mission. He wouldn't care if he knew and…

Naruto swallowed, trying to keep his glare steady. Sasuke wouldn't care if he knew and that would kill him. It would kill him as much as it had killed him when Sasuke had said everything was worth it, maybe more. And that in itself was a pain in the ass.

He shouldn't care this much. Naruto wanted to run forward rather than backward, leave behind this stupid obsession with a Sasuke he could never reclaim - save. He wanted to stop wishing that he had stopped Orochimaru. And most of all he wanted to stop believing that Sasuke's decision had been made as a personal vendetta, a way to hurt Naruto - push him away.

Then again, as Sasuke would say if he ever heard these thoughts, "Don't flatter yourself, you don't mean that much to me." And it was the truth.

He would never mean as much to Sasuke as the boy meant to him. He swallowed around the lump in his throat and cursed Sasuke in his mind over and over again. No matter how much they fought, he just couldn't let the other boy leave again, and if he found out he would.

And where would that leave Naruto? Following after an illusion even more persistently than he already was?

A shuffle of movement from the corner of his eye drew Naruto to the present, barely. "He can't find out," Naruto found himself saying as memories of Sasuke flashed through his mind. Tsunade began to speak, something about how Sakura was going to cover for him, but he didn't listen with more than half an ear - he was too busy reliving his past tragedies.

Sasuke almost dying at the hands of Haku.

Sasuke saving him countless times.

Sasuke leading him to the hospital roof where they engaged in a fight that Naruto could hardly understand.

Sasuke's eyes burning with a hate so alive they left burns worse than any jutsu ever could.

Sasuke's Chidori connecting with his Rasengan and then a sudden realization that he was gone…

Naruto shuddered, remembering the consuming emptiness of loss. If Sasuke found out, he would leave again and, even if he wasn't the old Sasuke, he was still here. And, in the end, that was more than enough.

-----

Three sharp raps were all that were needed to bring Sakura to the door with a smile so big it almost hurt to look at on her face.

"Come on in!" she urged and ushered the slightly taller boy into her home. Naruto felt his own lips pulling upward and heaved a relieved sigh. Sakura seemed to inspire rejuvenation within those around her.

The boy allowed himself to be dragged into the living room where he was then forcefully seated on a loveseat alongside his closest friend. "You spoke to Tsunade then?" she asked expectantly. Her hands fiddled with the hem of her skirt, an outlet for the nervous energy that seemed to be overwhelming her.

"Yeah, I thought I'd stop by and confirm the plans with you," Naruto replied carefully. It sounded the like right thing to say considering he had no clue as to what Tsunade had said. He'd been far too caught up in himself to care about the woman's words, wise or not.

"Good. I was really hoping to speak with you alone before the mission," Sakura indulged, her fingers suddenly tapping on her legs in a quick offbeat rhythm. "I figure the best excuse would be to say that in the mornings you're going scouting ahead because there are lots of thieves."

Naruto considered this a moment, trying to figure out what exactly they were talking about when it clicked. She was going to help him in his quest to keep Sasuke from knowing. He smiled to himself and found his gaze drawn to the movement of Sakura's hands.

"It doesn't just happen in the morning though." Naruto watched her hands with rapt fascination; they continued their stream of movement as he spoke, and then paused.

Sakura's eyebrows furrowed in concern and she asked, "Can you tell me before it happens when we're on the mission?"

"No, it's pretty sudden." Naruto snorted at the idea of warning Sakura. In all likelihood, he'd be gone before a word could escape his lips, save for a pained groan perhaps.

"Is it too sudden for you to at least dive out of sight?" she asked after a brief pause. Her fingers had started moving again and she was leaning forward, her eyes intense and dancing.

"I could probably do that…" Naruto said reluctantly. He'd probably fall to the ground in pain then roll to the side clenching his stomach: the epitome of grace…

Sakura beamed again, the same smile that made Naruto wince, and exclaimed, "Good! We can just make up something about Kyuubi's senses then to explain why you keep going ahead!"

"Like what? They've been amplified for no apparent reason?" Naruto snorted and grinned at Sakura, finding the idea offhandedly hilarious.

"Oh don't start," she chided with a light smack that ended up sending Naruto into the arm of the loveseat with a loud thump. She still didn't realize how strong she was. Naruto groaned into the smooth fabric as the burst of pain passed.

"Sakura-chaaaaaaaaaaaan!" he whined as he sat up, rubbing his forehead and drawing his face into a hideous pout. "That was mean."

"Shut up, I'm thinking," she snapped, though the slight upturn of her lips undermined her serious tone.

"But it huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuurts!" Naruto moaned, falling so that his head was on her shoulder and he was staring up at her with sparkling blue eyes. She paused to give him a dry look of amusement before rolling her eyes and waving her hand to hush him.

"You're going to say that at various points in the day you will be scouting ahead." Sakura gave Naruto her 'no interruptions' look and continued, "Sasuke needs to stay behind because I am less able to hold my own in a battle than you-"

"That's not true anymore though," Naruto interjected, sitting up from his pathetic position on Sakura and giving her a confused look. She was perfectly capable, and had been ever since Sasuke had left.

"Sasuke doesn't know that," she pointed out. "Besides, if he thinks he has to look after me he'll be less inclined to spend all his time obsessing over you…" Sakura trailed away, her tone i almost /i bitter.

The jealousy in her voice certainly didn't cause Naruto to cough awkwardly and chuckle under his breath. She ignored him and stared at her hands with a frown.

Naruto noticed the troubled look on her face and elbowed her with a grin. "Great idea Sakura-chan," he said, trying to fill the sudden silence.

The girl smiled and elbowed him back with a laugh. "Yeah, I thought so." She hardly missed a beat. There was no moment where she shook her head and broke herself from her reverie, just an instant smile and a sudden flair of that nervous energy.

"Naruto, do you feel like going out for dinner? I think Sai said there were a few people getting together tonight to try out that new restaurant…" She grinned and stood up, pulling Naruto with her. He opened his mouth to protest but Sakura was quicker. "I knew you'd love the idea!" she exclaimed and with that, both Sakura and her blonde teammate were out the door.

-----

A few people was an understatement. It seemed that every genin of Naruto's year and then some had gathered at the restaurant, enveloping the place with their raucous noise and chaotic mannerisms.

As Sakura and Naruto entered, there were various calls of both teens' names coming from all ends of the long table that spanned through the center of the room. Smiling, Naruto excused himself from Sakura, which was really unneeded seeing as she was already being pulled away by Ino, and sat himself down in the nearest chair.

Which, ironically enough, was between Hinata and Sai…

…and directly across from Sasuke.

Naruto smiled at his teammate, a slight flush dusting his cheeks.

This could be interesting.

"So, you ready for the mission tomorrow, Sasuke?" Naruto asked as Sai ordered him a drink and casually slung his arm around the blonde's shoulders.

Naruto smiled awkwardly at Sai and turned his attention back to Sasuke, who was absolutely fuming. It was one thing to i know /i that Sasuke was jealous but to see that emotion in action was a whole new experience.

"Yes." He growled and took a sip of his water, slamming the glass back down on the table far harder than was necessary. A few people cast the boy scolding looks and continued on with their conversations.

"Careful now Sasuke, you wouldn't want to cause a scene would you?" Sai's grip on Naruto tightened and he pulled the boy closer, challenging Sasuke to do something.

"No, that's your department, Sai," Sasuke hissed, his eyes narrowing dangerously. His hands tightened on the glass and he leaned forward intensely.

"I suppose," Sai mused, "But at least I'm grateful enough to show appreciation from time to time." He side-glanced at Naruto, who was lost in a general feeling of 'what the hell' as did Sasuke. Both boys were staring at him expectantly, waiting for him to pick a side. The blonde raised his hands in a show of objectivity and shook his head, refusing to get involved.

Sasuke scowled at him and turned back to Sai, his lip curling into a frustrated sneer. "I don't need to flaunt myself to show that I care. I just prefer subtlety to-"

"More like you prefer to not show anything at all. You're chicken shit Sasuke and it's not just hurting-" Sai's voice rose in irritation and his arm all but fell from Naruto's shoulders as he became completely immersed in his argument with Sasuke.

"Wow, its hot in here, don't you think, Hinata?" Naruto suddenly exclaimed, worming his way out from under Sai's loosened grip.

"Uh…y-yes," Hinata stuttered, her eyes falling to the table under Naruto's boisterous confidence. Glad to be out of the conversation between Sasuke and Sai, who were both caught up in a silent glaring match, Naruto turned his complete attention to Hinata and those around her: Kiba, Shikamaru, and Chouji.

"How have you been anyway? It's been so long since we've talked." A glass was placed in front of Naruto, and he took a sip of the tea Sai had ordered him as he waited for Hinata's reply. He had to lean in very close to hear her answer above the noise around them. This only caused the usually anxious girl to become even more agitated.

"G-good." Hinata's eventual answer was short and the result of many stuttered syllables that could not be strung together to form any sort of phrase or word.

"That's good. I've been pretty bored lately. Doing guard duty and training's been the only things on my schedule," he indulged with a bright grin. Out of the corner of his eye, Naruto could see Sasuke watching him, face glinting possessively.

"You were on guard duty?" Kiba asked with an amused snort from his seat beside Hinata. "It's been years since I've had to do something that boring. You must be slipping Uzumaki," he taunted.

"Just wait until I'm your Hokage and you have to do everything I say," Naruto retorted, smarting from the insult. He glared at the dark-haired boy a moment before trying to find someone more civil to speak with.

Sai was a definite no because he would only egg Sasuke on. Sasuke was acting like a three-year-old, and as such was not an option. Chouji was eating. And Shikamaru…was staring off into space with his chin in his hand and a bored expression on his face…

"Oi, Shikamaru!" Naruto snapped his fingers as close to other boy's face as he could from across the table, and grinned when he had his attention. "You have any new leads on the other night?"

"Nah, nobody knows anything. You were the only person near the area from what I've been able to gather and you didn't feel the weird chakra." Shikamaru sighed and shrugged. "This case is way too troublesome for my liking."

"Yeah well, that weird chakra could be important," Naruto said, realizing just how imperative Shikamaru uncovering this case was. "So you'd better figure it out."

Shikamaru waved a hand dismissively, muttering, "Yeah yeah," and turned his attention to Sasuke, who had suddenly joined the conversation.

"What's this about weird chakra?" he asked, completely ignoring Naruto.

The blonde tensed and tried to keep the displeased scowl from his face. As if it was his fault that Sai was being all touchy feely and confrontational.

"The other night there was a burst near the West Wall. I'm surprised no one told you," Shikamaru told Sasuke, his eyes flicking to Naruto pointedly.

Sasuke glanced at Naruto as well, though his gaze didn't stray back to Shikamaru. "Hm, there was an odd chakra in my house this morning. One that was unidentifiable…"

Naruto tensed. He'd thought Sasuke was over that. Well, not over it, what had happened was unbelievably cruel, but Naruto didn't have a part in that. He knew about as much as Sasuke and that was it.

"Must be your imagination," Sai suddenly put in, his cheeks flushed and a hazy grin on his face as he turned to the blonde beside him. He fell onto Naruto and wrapped both arms around the boy in a sloppy hug. "You're so cuddly!" he cooed and nuzzled Naruto.

"Um…thanks." Naruto said as he looked to Shikamaru for help. The lazy ninja, as his nickname would suggest, merely snorted in amusement and shook his head, leaning back to watch with a smirk.

"Even without a penis I think you're cute," Sai continued, as if he were trying to make Naruto feel better about something that was wrong with him…

"Hey!" Naruto growled, trying to push Sai off. "Would you quit with the penis jokes. They stopped being funny before they started." Even with his focus on Sai, Naruto still managed to see the sudden smugness on Sasuke's face, which only caused him to roll his eyes.

"It's all right to admit to having a small penis, Naruto. Some people have ants and some people have elephants. But we're all special deep down." Sai grinned and pulled Naruto towards him, planting a warm peck on his cheek.

Naruto's eyes widened and he found himself scrabbling out of Sai's grasp. "What the hell?" he demanded as he fell onto Hinata.

The sound of a chair falling to the floor drew Naruto's attention. He looked just in time to see Sasuke's withering glare before the Uchiha stormed angrily out of the restaurant.

A sudden puff of breath had Naruto leaning even further into Hinata. "Sai!" he snapped and tried to push the boy away, but there was no moving him.

"Don't let anyone walk away from you the way they let you walk away from them," Sai whispered, and suddenly he was on the table, dancing over to sit next to Shikamaru, in Sasuke's empty spot.

He didn't look at Naruto until the blonde was standing from his seat and heading to the door. He dipped his head approvingly and then turned back to Shikamaru, his grin blooming deviously.

-----

The chill in the air caught Naruto by surprise and he found himself wrapping his arms tight around his body as he looked around quickly, trying to find Sasuke.

It wasn't that hard to do, seeing as the boy was standing against the wall a few steps away his head thrown back against the wall and a furious scowl on his face. He was breathing heavily and his hands were clenching and unclenching at his side.

"Sasuke, there you are." Naruto walked over to the other boy, smiling almost sadly as he caught the fear in the other boy's eyes. He stopped beside his friend and leaned against the wall as well. The ground was wet from an earlier rainfall and the smell of freshness was thick in the air. It was relieving.

"You don't need to be so jealous, you know," Naruto teased, elbowing Sasuke lightly. He chuckled and looked up to see Sasuke scowl at the joke.

"You're so fucking blind." Sasuke pushed away from the wall and began to walk away, his feet leading him to the alley just around the corner of the restaurant.

"That's what everyone keeps telling me," Naruto remarked with a smirk as he followed Sasuke, stopping just in front of him. "Only, I figured out you were jealous so I can't be that blind."

"It's not like I actually care." Sasuke said, suddenly apathetic - collected. It was amazing how little time it took for him to gather himself into that ball of blankness that nothing could get into.

"I think your jealousy is cute. Nobody's ever been that possessive of me before, except maybe Iruka." Naruto pretended the comment about not caring didn't hurt - didn't find its way into his biggest insecurity and take root, helping the blossom of doubt bloom into something so much more intimidating.

Sasuke stared at him blandly, not saying a word.

"You looked pretty possessive. Especially when Sai kissed me. I have to say, he's a better kisser than you were that one time we did kiss way back when," Naruto commented coolly, trying to hurt back. "And he only kissed me on the cheek." He hated hurting Sasuke but nothing else seemed to draw a reaction from the stoic boy.

Sasuke's breath hitched and his eyes twitched into thin black slits. "Good for him."

Naruto took a step forward, into Sasuke's personal space, and poked his chest. "That must make you even more jealous. Not only is he getting all my attention, but I like his kisses better."

It seemed that Sasuke wasn't impervious to everything because he drawled, "If he's getting all your attention, then why are you out here?"

That took Naruto off guard and he paused a moment to think. "Because, I figure someone has to give you attention when you're acting like an overgrown baby." He smirked, that sounded like something Sakura would have said to him had he done what Sasuke had just done.

"Can't you ever take anything seriously and not invalidate it?" Sasuke demanded, his words harsh, like tiny little knives.

"I don't do that-"

"Yes you do," Sasuke replied in his usual icy tone. "You can't take anything seriously. Everything has to be a big joke to you. If someone ever tried to tell you something important you'd just laugh it off."

"Well what do you expect? Do you want me to be all concerned about your jealousy? Do you want me to give you a hug? I'm sure that would go over well, you'd probably gut me or something. What am I supposed to do? " Naruto glared at Sasuke, trying to ignore the way he suddenly felt paranoid about whether or not Sasuke's words were backed by the truth.

"You're supposed to do this."

And before Naruto could blink and say, "What?" in a waspish tone as he had wanted to, he was pinned up against the wall by a very warm Sasuke, his mouth too caught up in other things to worry about voicing his scathing retort.

Caught completely off guard, Naruto found he had to shift - open his mouth wider - for the kiss to be anything special. Sasuke's hands were tangled in his hair and his mouth was urgent as it pressed into Naruto's. He bit the blonde's lower lip and gently tugged, his own lips curving up into a satisfied smirk.

Naruto could hear the smacking sounds and their frenzied breathing but he didn't seem to place the noises as coming from them. All he could think was that Sasuke was kissing him, in an alley no less and that…well… Sasuke was kissing him.

This certainly put a new spin on things, he thought as a tongue began to run along his lips, memorizing every bump and curve. Now Naruto doubted he would ever look at Sasuke the same way. Hell, he'd never looked at Sasuke like this to begin with. Ever.

But he could, he realized as his own hands slowly found their way from their surprised grip on the brunette's hips to his shoulder blades where they drew lazy little hearts and circles.

He smiled into the kiss and breathed out, his breath mingling with Sasuke's before he lunged forward again, pushing into the taller boy and desperately pulling him closer. This felt so nice. It was like waking up in the morning, refreshed and-

"Well this is interesting…" a lazy voice drawled from so far away.

And suddenly it wasn't so refreshing. Naruto pushed Sasuke away in synch with the other boy's surprised jump as they both turned to see Sai, Shikamaru, and Chouji staring at them with varying expressions.

Chouji looked utterly stunned, his eyes darting back and forth between the two boys, who were gasping for breath and trying to keep composed. Naruto felt his body jerk and tried to keep from doing something drastic, like running out of there as fast as he could. Why the hell had he just let Sasuke of all people kiss him?

Sai was smirking, his eyes drawn to Sasuke in approval and…smugness…as if he had been expecting this to happen…but… Naruto's eyes widened. Sai had been egging Sasuke on intentionally… He had known about Sasuke's feelings - providing that's what they were - and had decided to force the brunette into action. Naruto scowled at the boy and found that his self-satisfaction only increased.

He turned away from Sai's superiority and watched Shikamaru, who didn't look surprised. He instead looked thoughtful, like he was staring at a puzzle. His mouth was slightly opened in an unspoken 'oh' of comprehension.

He shifted, his head tilting slightly, and broke the suffocating silence by saying, "So Sasuke, I suppose this is why you came back?"


AN: So maybe this was kind of soon…only not really. And you will see why in the upcoming chapter, which hopefully won't take so long to write. Sorry team! I've spent the majority of my summer on tour, as I've mentioned numerous times, so writing just hasn't been an option. Anyways, you know the routine. Leave me some long constructive love because it completely validates what I'm doing and I will be sure to love back!