Hi once again!!! Here is the 4th chapter. I hope you'll find it nice and enjoyable! Also I hope you didn't give up on it yet, I'm not going to abandon this story (I don't do that kind of things) 'cause I like my stories too much despite the fact that they are not very good and the fact that my grammar is so poor…

Chapter 4-Lost For Words

.o.O.O.o.

There was still something exciting about not going to school even if he was already a high-school student. Like an elementary school kid he still felt some sort of happiness whenever he didn't have to go to school and this day was no different. However, the sun shone bright above his head and he somehow thought that it wasn't right. This day, the sun should be hiding behind heavy grey clouds. But, of course, the weather was not for him to decide and so he made his way up the road, walking slowly, not rushing anywhere, and letting the sun shine as it pleased. Whatever, he thought, having the sun warm me is quite nice. The road he was taking was narrow, only wide enough for two men, and nice. On each side of it flowers bloomed and the grass wavered in the light breeze. His footsteps were steady, measured, as if he didn't want to stray away from the gravel road. His unbuttoned shirt let the nice breeze penetrate inside and cool his body and he kicked a nearby rock absent mindedly. After several minutes he finally reached his destination and a heavy sigh escaped his lips. As he walked, he paid no mind to the dozens of gravestones that surrounded him and slowly reached the ones he was looking for. Some sort of serenity flooded him and he managed a small smile. These people… he sat down on the ground, in front of the two gravestones that lay side by side, and looked at the names engraved on them.

Uchiha Fugaku- Was a great father and husband. Rest in Peace.

Uchiha Mikoto- Was a wonderful mother and wife. Rest in Peace.

I hope you rest in peace, he thought and his finger brushed the cold stone of his mother's grave. Mother… mothers are amazing creatures. They give birth to their children; they take care of them and take care of their husbands. They take care of the entire family and do all the chores and you can even talk to them and they would give you wise advices and never fail you. But the most important thing is that they love you no matter what. He smiled again at the memory of his mother. She really loved him and he loved her so dearly. His brother always teased him about how he was such 'mommy's little baby'. How angry he was whenever his brother called him that! He used to shout and yell and then burst out in tears for being called 'mommy's little baby'. But as he sat there, in front of his parents' graves, he had to admit to himself that he was indeed 'mommy's little baby'. He loved his mother and spent all his time with her. He followed her wherever she went and wished to be with her all the time. He loved it when she held him and hugged him and told him stories of ancient warriors and horrible monsters. He loved it when she washed his body after a long day of playing outside and loved it when she cuddled with him and kissed his forehead and called him her little baby. It was different from when his brother called him that because whenever his mother called him 'my little baby' he could hear and feel that she loved him and cared for him. Whenever he felt sad or angry he always went to his mother and she always comforted him with kind words and hugs. His brother called him 'cry baby' but he didn't mind too much as long as he got hugs and kisses from his mother. But all that was long gone. How many years has it been since then? Five years… He could still remember his shock, his disbelief and then the painful realization that there was no more 'mommy's little baby' because there was no more 'mommy', and no more dad… They were taken away from him by the storm, by the highroad, by the rain… taken away by the truck that crossed in red light. It was an awful night and he remembered how he screamed and how he wanted to go look for them, in the rain, in the storm… and if his brother hadn't stopped him he probably would have gone out and done that. He didn't want to believe it but reality penetrated through the fingers that covered his face and he knew that they were gone, forever.

After that night came long, empty days and lonely, scary nights. So many times he dreamed that his mother was standing next to his bed only to wake up and find out that no one was in the room beside himself. So many days he spent crying and mourning over his dead parents only to feel lonelier than ever. He sank into a deep depression and he lost all will to live. Also, because of the trauma, he suffered from some sort of amnesia, which made him forget random things and occurrences from his past. Fortunately, his brother was always there for him, surprisingly caring and supportive. Thanks to him he was able to get over the tragedy and move on with his life. Though, it wasn't as easy as it may seem. He remembered how reluctant and unwilling he was to cooperate with his brother's tries to help him. He shut himself from the world and let despair overtake him. But his brother kept trying and finally he broke down and gave up. He decided to live again. The process of becoming alive again was painful and burning, like a blinding sunray that entered a dark room and blinded the man inside, who was in the darkness for too long that his eyes found it difficult to adjust to the light. But he adjusted to the light nevertheless and he was alive again.

I am alive again mother, he smiled at the gravestones and touched them. Ever since he got over their deaths he would come to visit their graves every year. And today was the day they died. He sighed again, feeling that it was time to leave. "See you next year…" he whispered to the cold gravestones with a last smile and then left. There were a lot of things he had to do, and the fact that he didn't go to school didn't mean that he didn't have school work to do. As student council president he had a lot of matters to take care of. And so, with that thought on his mind, he got into his car and drove off.

XXXXXX

Sakura stared at the big house in front of her and gulped. Of course, there was no need to worry, but still, she was going to meet her idol, the person whom she wanted to be alike. A palm was put on her shoulder and she turned to face the smiling face of Naruto. "Don't worry," He tried to calm her down. "She won't bite you! I hope…" At the sight of Sakura's horrified expression Ten-Ten burst out in laughter and even Gaara's lips twitched slightly. "I'm kidding," Naruto said. "She really won't bite you. She's not very scary as people think." If that was supposed to relax her, well it didn't. "C'mon," Naruto said and they all entered through the large wooden doors.

Sakura stared around her in awe. It wasn't because the house was fancy-she was used to fancy after all-or because everything seemed so big. Being the daughter of two rich parents she was used to rich and expensiveness. But Naruto's house was decorated and designed so differently from the other fabulous houses around in Konoha. Everything about it was calmer, simple and modest and yet it held such beauty and grace that she could only stare, speechless. Also, it had a different aura surrounding it, the aura of people who weren't born in Konoha or in the Fire country.

"Your house is beautiful," she commented, looking around her.

"Temari designed the interior," Naruto explained, "She wanted it to resemble the houses in Wave."

"Temari?"

"Oh, I forgot. She's our older sister." Sakura nodded to this and let Naruto lead her to the living room. It was large and bright and the nice breeze from outside entered through two open, large glass doors. Someone was asleep on one of the large cream-colored sofas. Ten-Ten smiled mischievously and silently stepped closer to that person. She winked at Sakura and then yelled into the guy's ear: "Wake up Kankuro!!!" Kankuro jumped as if he's been struck by a lightning and his head spun around, searching for the one who disturbed him. Meanwhile Ten-Ten was quick to disappear from the crime scene but apparently Kankuro knew all too well who disturbed his sleep. "Where is she?" he asked furiously and glared at Naruto and Sakura with red eyes. Sakura swallowed but Naruto only shrugged. "Upstairs, I guess," he said. Kankuro shot up and went to hunt his prey.

"Would you like to drink something?" Naruto asked, putting down his schoolbag. "Yes please," Sakura answered. Naruto went to bring her some cold juice and when he came back Sakura asked: "Are they always like that?" he was confused at first of whom she was talking about but then she gestured upstairs with her head and he smiled. "Not always," he said, "Ten-Ten is just too hyper and sometimes she runs out of ideas on what to spend all that energy she's got," he laughed a little. "And Kankuro, well I guess he's a bit moody. Not as moody as his brother is, but still."

Five minutes later they could hear music playing in full volume and Ten-Ten rushed down the stairs. She got rid of her school uniform and was dressed in a bright mini-skirt and a baggy white T shirt. "I'm going out!" she announced and before anyone could even say something she was gone. The music kept on playing and Sakura wondered: "Who's listening to hard rock?" Naruto rolled his eyes. "Gaara," he said. "Mom will be back soon," he said. Sakura nodded and Naruto turned on the TV. There was a show about celebrities and celebrity wannabes and he was about to turn it off again when Sakura stopped him. "Wait!" she called and he froze. Sakura narrowed her eyes, examining the small figures on the screen and then suddenly gasped. Naruto, wanting to know what she saw, looked at the screen but still didn't see anything special. Only a bunch of teenagers, probably rock stars wannabes. "I can't believe it…" he heard Sakura mumble and he frowned. "What is it?" Sakura pointed at some guy and Naruto leaned forward to get a better look. And then he gasped and looked surprised. Looked being the keyword. "I have no idea who the guy is," he told her dryly. Sakura sighed and pointed at some words behind the guy he thought she was pointing at. There was a large dark signboard behind the guy and on it, in big white letters, these words were written: ROCK N' ROLL DAY. Naruto stared, still not getting it. "So…?" Sakura gave another sigh. "So it's my chance!" she cried enthusiastically. "Huh?!" Naruto backed away a few steps. "Sakura I thought you wanted to become a doctor!" he said, feeling utterly confused. Sakura smirked. "I do," she said with a low voice, "But it doesn't mean I can't become a rock star doctor!" and with that she threw her fist to the air and laughed triumphantly. Naruto stared at her, not quite sure if he was supposed to believe her or not. Sakura laughed again and punched his arm lightly. "I was kidding!" she assured him and Naruto couldn't stop the sigh of relief that escaped his mouth. Sakura had a horrible sense of humor.

"So why do you think it's your chance?" he asked after calming down. Sakura nodded and sat down on the floor, folding her legs beneath her. "The Rock N' Roll Day is something like tradition in Konoha. It's a contest that is held once a year and in which you can show your talents in singing, playing instruments and stuff like that. And there are prizes," she paused for a moment and then continued, "But the prize that is most important is that you get a chance to meet any celebrity you'd like! Well, most important to me at least."

"Why is it so important? Who do you want to meet?" Naruto was curious. At first he thought Sakura was a nerd (a very beautiful one) that school and getting smarter was all she cared about. But he was proven wrong when he listened to her babbling about some celebrity she wanted to meet. But, he thought, isn't it quite expected? She was rich, she was beautiful and she was always surrounded by people like her. Of course she would share some similarities to them. And she is a girl, he added to himself, and girls always find some weirdo to love and idolize.

"I want to meet…the Akatsuki!!!" she said and grinned. Naruto blinked. Sakura was definitely full of surprises. Akatsuki wasn't a band he would've expected her to love. Well, he thought she would name some pop girls' band but not Akatsuki. Really, Akatsuki was hard rock, Gaara loved Akatsuki. And Sakura… well with her clothing style and personality he never imagined. "You don't look like someone who listens to Akatsuki," he commented and she laughed a little. "Yeah, I know," she said. "I get that a lot. But I'm actually a huge fan of them."

"You can be Gaara's friend," he said with a smile. They talked for the next fifteen minutes and then Temari came back home. Her hair was left loose on her back and she held some large bags in her hands. "Hey Naruto," she said when she entered through the front doors. "Will you help me with these?" in an instant, Naruto was by her side helping her carry her bags. "What are these?" he asked, peeping inside one of the bags. "Fabrics," she answered shortly and told him to put the bags in her room. They came back down after a few minutes and Naruto introduced Sakura to Temari.

"Temari, meet Haruno Sakura. She's my friend."

"Haruno? Are you related to Haruno Kaede?" Temari sounded excited.

"Yes, she is my aunt."

Temari was utterly happy hearing that. Naruto could swear he saw sparkles in her eyes when she shook Sakura's hand and introduced herself. "Your aunt is the best boss I could ever ask for!" she said and her smile was so wide Naruto wondered how it didn't reach her ears.

"You work for my aunt?" Sakura was surprised. "That's surprising. You must be very good and creative if she let you 'cause I know she's damn picky when it comes to her 'art'." Temari blushed a little at the hidden complement and said: "Well she should. She's amazing and her designs are magnificent!" Temari sat down beside Sakura and the two sank into a deep conversation about clothes and fabrics and other things Naruto didn't understand so he told Sakura he'd be up in his room and that when she wanted to she could come. She nodded and turned back to resume her conversation with Temari. Girls…he thought while climbing the stairs, they always find interest in such uninteresting things. He opened the door to his room and quickly went to lie on his bed. It was so nice to take a break from everything after a long tiring day. He smiled softly to himself and took a deep breath. He glanced to the side and saw that that the sun was already setting, painting the sky with fiery crimson and gold and soft violet. A bird crossed the sky and made him want to fly too. Wouldn't it be great if he could fly? He'd spread his wings and soar high, cross through clouds and chase hawks. Sasuke told him once that if he could he would chase hawks. Because, he said, hawks were the fastest of all birds and they could surprise you by suddenly diving down from the sky, meaning they were the best opponents. Sasuke…he was absent today, I wonder why…Naruto shook his head when he realized he was thinking about Sasuke again. But I can't stop my thoughts! They come and go on their own accord! And Sasuke was absent today and I can't help wondering why! He knew exactly what Gaara would've said to that: "You're doing it again Naruto…!" well, he couldn't help it so there was no point fighting it. But I must if I don't want to get hurt again. And why doesn't Sasuke remember me? It was odd indeed. Surely, that summer they shared together so long ago meant something to him, even if a little, right? It can't be that he simply forgot everything, right? After kissing him like that, on that summer, Naruto thought that Sasuke would at least show some recognition. I'm sure he's got a reason…he thought, Even back then Sasuke always had reasons…he's just that type of a guy. And after thinking a little more Naruto came to a decision: he will know Sasuke's reasons. He will find out why Sasuke forgot him (and if he truly did or was just pretending). He knew all too well that Gaara would be furious if he heard of this but he just had to. That uneasy feeling inside of him was too hard to ignore. He will have his answers. He will.

XXXXXX

Naruto stared at the numbers in front of him and bit his lower lip, a habit he had when thinking or concentrating. The given problem wasn't that difficult to solve but still, he wanted to go over it so he won't have problems in it in the future. Of course, everyone else already left for lunch and Gaara and Ten-Ten were probably waiting for him to arrive too. Well, maybe not Ten-Ten because she will surely sit with her new friends. He had no idea why she preferred to befriend boys instead of girls but he didn't ponder over it too much. If she felt more comfortable with guys then there was nothing he could do nor did he want to. Besides, she was a tom-boy after all. Really, what kind of girl beat a guy?

"You need help?" someone at his side said and Naruto, too lost in thought to wonder who, shook his head. "No, I just need to-what?" he looked up and almost fell off of his chair. Sasuke offered him an amused smirk and took the liberty to sit in front of Naruto's desk. Naruto swallowed. Sasuke leaned on the back of the chair and examined Naruto's notebook. "Analytical Geometry hm? You're pretty good at this, aren't you?" he asked and looked up to meet Naruto's eyes. Naruto nodded but didn't answer. What did Sasuke want? He wished he would leave soon although… he had a wonderful opportunity! Maybe he should act now…

"What an honor, student council President," he said and Sasuke raised one delicate brow. "I came to pick you up," he informed the blonde who looked confused. "You said you'd sit with me and my friends," Sasuke reminded him and Naruto got up. He began packing his things without a word. Sasuke frowned and got up too.

"Fine," Naruto said after a moment of silence. Sasuke smiled. "Good," he said. "Come on."

Naruto felt awkward walking into the cafeteria hall accompanied by Sasuke. He could tell that almost everyone in the hall stared at them and he lowered his gaze. He saw Gaara staring at him impassively and Ten-Ten with an open mouth. He walked toward Gaara and received a questioning look from Sasuke. "He's my brother," Naruto explained. Gaara said nothing and just ate his food without a word.

"Gaara," Naruto called his name. He didn't look up. "I want you to come sit with me and Sasuke."

"With you and Sasuke?" Gaara sneered, still not looking at his brother. "Oh please, I think I'll pass the embarrassing lovey-dovey scene." Naruto blushed furiously and mentally cursed Gaara for saying those words in front of Sasuke.

"It's ok," Sasuke suddenly said and Naruto thought he was referring to Gaara's words. "We can sit here if you want." Naruto sighed in relief and glared at his brother before leaving to take a tray. When he came back the table was already half full with Sasuke's close friends and Naruto had to fight a smile when he saw Gaara's displeased look. Gaara anti-social, sure, but those who surrounded him at the moment were somehow related to the bastard and he didn't like it at all. Naruto wasn't too surprised to see Sakura sitting next to Sasuke and talking to him. There was also a pale eyed boy with long brunette hair who sat at Sasuke's right and for some unknown reason stared at Gaara as if he was hypnotized. Next to the pale eyed boy sat a girl, who looked like a feminine version of him but with shorter and darker hair. Her cheeks were dusted with red and she kept fidgeting uncomfortably. Naruto took a seat next to Gaara and gave them all a nervous smile. Sakura smiled back at him and said: "Naruto there will be club activity tomorrow after school, so don't miss it ok?" Naruto nodded and she gave him another smile before diving down to her food.

"What, you know each other?" Sasuke asked, confused. Sakura growled something and Naruto confirmed. "Yeah, she's my senpai. I joined the art-club." Sasuke nodded and proceeded to the introductions.

"Naruto, Gaara-kun, these are my friends: Hyuuga Neji and Hyuuga Hinata."

"Pleased to meet you Naruto-kun, Gaara-kun," the two Hyuugas said politely and Naruto wondered if they were from some very rich family. Well sure they are baka! This damn school is for rich kids, duh… he told himself. The minutes that followed after were awkwardly silent. Naruto ate his food and tried to ignore Gaara's deadly aura and Sasuke's curious gaze on him at the same time. He knew that Gaara was worried for him but he really had to stop with that. Naruto sometimes felt like a kid who couldn't take care of himself. You're exaggerating; he scolded himself, Gaara's worried for a good reason. You can't be angry at him for caring about you and wanting you to be happy. Naruto swallowed.

"Are you ok?" he looked up to meet Sasuke's concerned look. He nodded and smiled faintly. "You were absent yesterday," he noted. It seemed that time itself stopped moving. Sakura, Neji and Hinata stared at them wide-eyed and Naruto just knew that he had just said something bad. Sasuke's eyes seemed to darken and he said: "That's pretty much none of your business." His voice was calm and restrained but there was something he held back, maybe anger. Naruto could only stare at him, not knowing what to do or what to say. Something hurt inside of him but he ignored the feeling and he toyed with his fork awkwardly. That was when Gaara stood up, face as impassive as ever, and glared at Naruto. "I told you, idiot. What were you expecting to get by doing all this? Don't come to me crying like a baby because I won't be able to help you." His harsh words seemed to make everyone wonder what Gaara was talking about and made Sasuke realize that maybe he had hurt Naruto's feelings. He wished to apologize but then Gaara left the table and Naruto just sat there, looking completely lost with his gaze fixed somewhere on the floor. Sasuke had no idea what to say. He was lost for words and he cursed himself for that because a moment later Naruto also stood up and gave them an apologetic look, that clearly was trying to cover up his hurt, and said he had to leave. Sasuke wanted to follow but his pride glued his butt to the chair and his legs to the floor.

"What was that all about?" Came Neji's voice from his side.

"You just had to talk to him like that! Way to go Sasuke!" Sakura said sarcastically. "Geez, stop doing things you know you'll regret!" Sasuke said nothing after that. What could he say? He knew she was right and he could only blame himself for this. He had to apologize before it was too late. Why am I even bothering? Why do I even care? I don't even know him! He had no answer.

XXXXXX

"Gaara wait!" Naruto hurried after his brother into the long hallway and gripped Gaara's shoulder. Gaara turned around sharply. His eyes burned with anger and Naruto gulped. "Gaara, don't be like that," he requested softly. "Please don't be mad at me…"

"What do you want me to do then? I'm trying to help you! I told you not to get close to that damn Uchiha and you still did! If you get hurt that's your own fault. I told you not to come back to me for help. I'm tired of this." Gaara almost growled. He was so angry! All those years and Naruto still had hope! How could he? How could he still hope for Sasuke's love after what the boy did to him? Gaara didn't want to even try to understand Sasuke's reasons because he was too mad at him. But that was exactly the difference between him and Naruto; Naruto was always forgiving and he wasn't. Damn all the reasons!

"I know, I know!" Naruto said, almost desperate. "But I want answers Gaara! I want to know why! I want to know why he completely forgot about me! I don't want to go on living my life knowing that I had the chance to know why but I never took it! I can't live on like this, with this unbearable feeling inside me! And he can hurt me as much as he wants, he can curse me and wish for me to die but I will have my answers! I am ready to let him hurt me again, break me again as long as I get to understand. I want to take the risk, why don't you?"

"Why don't I?" Gaara repeated, as if not believing his own ears. "You ask why I don't want you to take the risk?! How can you be so stupid? So…innocent? You want answers? Fine I'll give you your answers: there's nothing to hope for. He doesn't even remember you how can you expect him to love you? He doesn't remember you, he doesn't mind hurting you, you heard how he talked to you, and he doesn't love you. There, happy? You got your answers!" Gaara immediately regretted his words when Naruto asked him, barely audible: "Is that what you really think…?" his voice… although he was trying very hard not to show it, it was so hurtful, painful to listen to. It was obvious Naruto was fighting back the tears that threatened to fall down and Gaara had to admit he was doing a god job. But somehow, Naruto's tough expression did little to make him feel better. I'm so stupid! He cursed himself. He reached out to his brother and pulled him into a hug. He was so sorry for what he said that all words left his mouth. He was unable to express himself with mere words so he held his brother tight and buried his face in the space between his neck and shoulder. Slowly, Naruto hugged him back, gentle and loving as always.

"S'alright…" he whispered, "I forgive you."

XXXXXX

Sasuke held his breath. If they heard him it would be very difficult to explain himself. His mind was storming and he didn't know how to react to what he had just heard. Did he even hear right? It was all too unreal, too weird. He had so many questions but he had no idea which he should ask first. What was he to do? What should he say? He wanted to do something, maybe run and run forever but he couldn't, because aside from everything else he was curious and in a way, one could say that he wanted some answers too. Like the answer to why he was feeling so happy upon seeing Naruto or being near him, or to why he had the need to be with him and know more about him. Yes, confusing, but he could bear with it. He was patient and he knew that eventually he'll get his answers whether he wanted them or not because Naruto seemed determined about having his own answers.

.o.O.O.o.

Chapter 4 is finally done! Sorry for the long delay. I hope you enjoyed it and haven't given up yet!!!