For me, this was the chapter most fun to write. I just had to make Kushina that way... i just HAD to.

Um, this is when they're 13 (hence the title...)

WARNING: um.. yaoi

Disclaimer: dont.

THIRTEEN YEARS – Time of Knowing

Sasuke stood out in the hall leaning against a wall, bouncing a tennis ball against the wall of the only class that was still in right now; detention.

Naruto had gotten himself into trouble yet again with his other friends Kiba and Shikamaru.

Sasuke didn't like the idea of the blonde having friends other than him, but dealt with it by telling himself he and Naruto had a far stronger bond than any of those other boys, but Naruto was a natural ball of sunshine and prone to making friends wherever he went.

Sasuke bounced the ball off the wall again and caught it, thinking about how his life had changed the last few years.

Firstly, Itachi had been kicked out of the house when his father finally figured out he was gay. Mikoto tried to convince him to let Itachi stay – she had guessed he was that way since he was five – but in the end it was all in vain.

Itachi now lived with the other homeless members of Akatsuki – which was basically all of them – all the way on the other side of town. They still saw each other all the time, as Mikoto refused to lose contact with one of her children but things weren't the same. All of the pressure that had been placed on Itachi had now been shifted onto Sasuke's shoulders and it was near unbearable to have his father expect so much all the time when he knew it wasn't possible to deliver.

Oh and there was the small fact that Sasuke was almost one hundred percent sure that he was in love with his best friend. Naruto, a boy, a straight boy – if his un-requited love for that annoying pink girl Sakura was any indication.

He supposed maybe it was a genetic thing, since Itachi had it as well. He had gone as far as to ask his brother for advice on the subject – he remembered that day clearly since it had taken place in the Akatsuki house and they were a bunch of lunatics – but received nothing helpful. He had asked the rest of the Akatsuki for help, as he'd become acquainted with them over the years but many of the things they said were too disturbing for his ears and he had been eventually ushered out by Itachi who soon caught on to his conversations.

It felt hopeless and the only person he really wanted to talk to about it, could never, ever find out about this. His pride wasn't the only thing riding on this, because he knew that if he were rejected, every fiber of his being would be shattered beyond repair.

"It's about time dobe," he kept his voice calm and cool as Naruto finally walked out of the class. They had taken to calling each other by nicknames as they grew up, something that convinced Sasuke of their bond.

"Shut-up Teme, it's not my fault I got held back for detention!"

"I think it is," Sasuke said, "because unless I'm mistaken, you and Kiba replaced the classwork with a personal quiz about the teacher using questions and information sourced by Shikamaru."

"Eh, quit it with your conspiracy-theories, it makes you sound crazy!"

Sasuke shrugged, "maybe I am," he mused, already walking to the door.

Naruto chased after him quickly, "Teme what's up, are you feeling sick?"

"No, why?"

"It's not like you to just carelessly agree with something I say."

"Well maybe you were right."

Naruto gasped and grabbed his friend by the shoulders, looking into his onyx eyes he said, "Sasuke, I think you've been possessed."

The Uchiha pushed him off and growled, "Is it so weird for me to be nice?"

"Yes!" Naruto exclaimed, "You're never nice! You're the prince of not nice! You're evil; you treat everyone like crap and act like you own the world and like you were born better than everyone else! The Sasuke Uchiha I know isn't nice. Not even to me."

"Tch. That's an exaggeration if I ever heard one."

"You would think so, but it's really not."

"Whatever dobe, forget I even said anything. Let's just go."

Naruto followed his friend, oblivious to the fact that his words had had any impact at all. They had been partnered together for a history assignment that was due on Monday, so they'd be spending the entire weekend at Naruto's house – locked up in his room trying to finish. Sasuke knew he'd be doing the majority of the work while Naruto lay around babbling on about any old useless thing. Sasuke didn't mind though, mainly because he knew if he got Naruto to help in any tiny way at all, they'd fail.

For the first hour, they stayed in the room but soon heard Kushina calling them down for dinner.

It was always the same thing when Sasuke ate at Naruto's house; his parents seemed so interested in him. He would walk out into the kitchen, Naruto in tow and Kushina would beam and say, "Sasuke you're getting so tall. I remember when you were like," and she would put her hand somewhere near the ground, "but now you're almost as tall as me!"

Then she'd catch Naruto eating before he'd even sat down and snap at him, "Naruto put that down!" she'd yell.

And when they ate, Minato would always ask a question involving Itachi, usually the same old, "so how's your brother doing?"

Sasuke would consider telling him that Itachi was living with a group of psychopathic hobo's – though not all of them had no future prospects – but in the end he'd say, "He's getting by."

Minato would nod, "a bright boy like him, he'll be doing just fine out in the real world, right?" Sasuke would nod, "honestly though, I don't know what your father was thinking. If I tried to kick Naruto out for any reason at all, Kushina would kill me."

"Damn right I would," the redhead would chime, "no way he's leaving until he's at least twenty-five."

Naruto cleared his throat, "eighteen," he said, receiving a glare from his mother.

"I don't think my father was thinking," Sasuke would say quietly as he mashed his food up with his fork. He couldn't help but think about how he was heading down the same path as his brother and would no doubt be thrown out of home. That's why this decision, the one he was arguing with himself whether or not to make, could destroy his life.

He might lose his best friend, his family, his pride, his everything. So now it was just a question as to whether Naruto was worth it.

When the meal was over, Minato gave his wife a quick kiss before apologizing and saying he had to be back at the office in ten minutes. He was, after all, a very important man.

Kushina started to clear the table and Sasuke stood up to help her, figuring he might as well do something to clear his mind before he had to go back to that hot, stuffy room, trapped with a boy who couldn't possibly love him back.

"Naruto, go wash up!" Kushina hissed, looking at her son who had somehow gotten himself covered in food.

Naruto left the room quickly without responding.

"Honestly, I don't know how that boy manages to get food in his hair. You'd think he'd want to at least get some of it in his mouth," Kushina said.

Sasuke blushed at her choice of words and said, "Uh… yeah."

They washed dishes in relative silence the next few moments, the sound of the shower echoing from upstairs being the only thing either of them heard besides the banging together of plates in the sink and the slosh of water. But Kushina didn't like the silence, she felt it was too awkward and decided to break it with something much less so.

"So you like my son?" she asked, almost causing Sasuke to choke on air. She smirked and didn't raise her eyes, acting as though she were unaffected, "was that too forward?"

"Entirely," Sasuke coughed, struggling to regain his composure, "why would you even ask that?!"

"Oh come-on, it's obvious. The two of you are so close and your together all the time, you have been since the two of you were about four."

"We're just… we're just really close friends."

"Friends who wanna –"

"Please. Don't."

Kushina laughed, "I was gonna say talk about national affairs. What were you thinking?"

Sasuke blushed and looked down, trying to hide his bodies betrayal but he knew Kushina could tell he was embarrassed.

"You don't have to be ashamed, sweetie," she continued, "The two of you would be cute together."

"He doesn't like me like that," Sasuke said quietly.

"Nonsense. I bet if you asked him, you'd find he likes you more than you think."

"Are you crazy?! I'm not going to ask him!" Sasuke shouted, blushing an even darker shade of red, he lowered his voice, "he can never find out."

Kushina hummed in thought for a while before she said, "alright how about this; if you don't tell him before the weekend is over, I'll be forced to."

"What, you can't do that!"

"I can and I will. This is my last warning Sasuke, you should just tell him."

"Tell who what?"

Sasuke looked towards the door to the kitchen, to see Naruto standing there in a tank top and pajama bottoms.

"N-nothing," the Uchiha stuttered.

"Teme, are you sure you're not sick?" Naruto asked.

"He's lovesick," Kushina sang quietly.

"What was that mum?"

"She said nothing," a blushing Uchiha demanded, "and I'm fine dobe. Just wait upstairs, I'm almost done."

Sasuke glared at the redheaded woman as her son went upstairs. This was going to be a long night.

Heading upstairs when the dishes were done, Sasuke felt his heart pounding in his chest as he opened the door to Naruto's room. He could either tell the truth or run away, and the window was open now so running was looking like a good choice.

Sasuke closed the door and when he turned back towards the door he saw Naruto standing extremely close and backed up as far as he could.

"D-dobe, what are you doing?" he asked, swallowing nervously.

"Teme," Naruto whispered, "you really look unwell, maybe you should lie down?" all said while he placed his hands on the Uchiha's hips and placed a careful kiss at the corner of his mouth.

"Dobe?"

Naruto chuckled lightly, "just how dense do you think I am, Teme?" he asked.

"I thought you liked that pink girl."

"Yeah, when we were seven. You're the only one I want now."

Sasuke smirked and reversed their positions, leaning in so their lips were almost touching, he whispered, "good."