Hey guys! I've been a tad bit busy with my marching band, since I'm a nerd, but I really cannot apologize enough for what you're going to read. I don't know why this chapter is so crappy, but it kind of needs to just happen.

Disclaimer:I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING! NOT NARUTO, NOT THE CHARACTERS, NADA!

I apologize in advance, but please give me your excellent feedback and as always, ENJOY!

I woke up face-first on the floor, the cold wood covered in my thick drool. I groaned, sitting up and yawning as I scratched the back of my head from habit. I blinked a few times, wiping the sleep from my eyes and took a moment to look around me and take in my surroundings. There were three cans of beer on the end table next to the couch, something I frowned at, and I remembered that I was shirtless and that I had company.

Yay me.

I yawned once more as I got up, grabbed the empty articles of trash and dropping them in the recycling bin. I took a glass out of the dishwasher and poured water from my fridge into it. Taking a sip, I grinned at the pleasing cold liquid and chugged the rest down. After setting the glass down I did my morning routine in my bathroom; showering, brushing my teeth, doing my business, etc. When I walked out, already fully dressed, I paused in front of my bedroom door.

I had completely forgotten that Sasuke was here, the only thing reminding me was the sound of his voice on the other side. I waited a few seconds before I grew impatient and curious, and I gently put my ear against the thin wood to get a clearer understanding or his words.

"...Naruto desu." I didn't understand any of it, all of it being in Japanese, but I did know my own name, which I might say, was mentioned quite a bit. After a few more seconds I grew tired and slammed the door open, stopping when he turned to face me. Without any words, he hung up and shoved his phone into his pockets quickly.

Oh my god...

I could feel my heartbeat in my shoulder, the pain slow and not as strong as I looked him up and down. He was wearing straight grey jeans that almost looked skinny because of his slim frame, a simple white T-shirt hanging loosely around his torso. He was barefoot, probably due to customs in Japan, and I could feel his eyes digesting me as I did to him. I was in black, baggy sweats and a long-sleeved orange shirt due to the soft chill from the weather.

Of course my self-consciousness didn't affect my outfit either, psh. No way.

When I was finished with my stare-down our eyes collided, both of us wincing as our Marks burned in unison; something that would never cease to exist. He coughed awkwardly, the noise pulling our eyes away from each others'. "Good morning."

I replied with the same words, asking if he was hungry and not waiting for an answer before I walked over to the kitchen. He had followed, sitting on one of the stools of the bar-counter and waiting for his food.

It took me about twenty minutes to finish two plates of bacon and scrambled eggs with cheese. I set his breakfast in front of him, and then my plate next to his, and hopped onto the counter to eat my meal. He looked at me for a while before digging into his own food, even his way of eating an elegant action.

"Are you leaving today?" I asked in between bites. He waited until he completely finished his meal, setting his fork in the center of his plate before crossing his hands and resting them on the counter.

"No." I rolled my eyes at the broad answer, scoffing and giving him enough of a hint to further explain himself. "I moved here." I choked on the juice I was drinking at his statement, setting my plate down so hard it almost broke.

"Excuse me?"

He exhaled softly through his nose, his eyes closed and his face calm. "I moved to the States. I haven't found a home yet, but my job has already been transferred over and I already have a temporary stay." It took me a second to fully understand his words, my heart tightening and my hands ready to pull my hair out.

"Oh no, no no no no NO! You are NOT staying here with me! This is my house, for crying out loud! You can't just show up and stay here as you please! You don't even have anything with you!" I hopped off of the counter, shaking my head as I grabbed our dishes and put them in the sink to be rinsed later.

"My bags are in your room; how else would I have changed this morning?"

I laughed very sarcastically and loud, my eyes looking up at the roof and my bottom lip between my teeth. "Sasuke, you...no, just no."

"Do you have a guest room?"

"Dammit Sasuke!" I snapped, huffing with angry eyes as I leant onto the granite with all my weight. "You can't just pretend I don't exist one day and then try to live with me the next! I'm so tired, Sasuke. So fucking tired! I wish I never even met you, ya know that? Because all you've brought me is emotional turmoil and confusion. Congratulations, Mr. Uchiha; you've successfully fucked-up Uzumaki Naruto more than he already is! Is that what you want, huh? To just fuck with me and purposely mess me up so you could watch me fall to your every will and use me?!" I was ranting with no proper goal, a few tears managing to escape as my very ironic words just kept spewing out of my mouth. "I don't even want a goddamn 'Soulmate' or 'lover'; all I want is to dance and be left alone." My words came down a few levels, a softer tone revealing itself. "And the worse part is that staying away from you is mentally screwing me up again. I can't deal with this; I don't know how to. I'm sorry."

I ran out of the small space, down the hall and onto the balcony where I locked the door behind me.

You fucking suck, Naruto. All you ever do is pity yourself and make false allegations against others. You're a liar! A big fat liar to everyone; including yourself. How pathetic.

"I know...I know..." I whimpered as I sunk down and hugged my knees, my oceans' dams breaking and letting my heart reap in private. "I already know I'm pathetic."

I groaned, rubbing my eyes as I woke up on the cold concrete of my patio. I stood, looking at the range of colors that the sun's setting brought.

'You slept basically all day Naruto; Kakashi is going to have your head.'

I went to my sliding glass door, unlocking it before closing it and heading into my room. When I walked in, Kakashi was smiling at Sasuke, who held a deep grimace. They looked at me, Kakashi greeting me as he did so. "What are you doing here?"

"I just thought that I'd stop by to see my little Naru since he wasn't at work today." I mentally cursed myself for forgetting my job, rolling my eyes at his little nickname for me. "But you didn't tell me you had company." His eyes took a peek at the raven next to him.

I groaned, putting my hands on my neck as I tried to wake-up even further. "He was hiding in my room when I walked in last night. I didn't even know he was here when we talked."

"Oh?" He looked at Sasuke, his questions directing at him now. "What could you be doing here, Mr. Uchiha?"

'Am I the only one who feels like Kakashi is using a fake tone?'

"I was transferred here from work, and-"

"Listen Sasuke, I'm going to tell you this once and once only, got it?" I gulped, backing against the doorframe as I waited for my guardian to continue. "Whether or not you knew it I am a legal doctor, so I have a right to butt into your business as it concerns the very well-being of my son. You and him are supposed to be Soulmates, correct?" He hesitated, and I opened my mouth speak but he never even gave me the chance to. "Right. So stop being such a child and own up to what you need to. I realize that it may be a bit of a publicity issue, especially regarding your brother, but even if it's in private this has to be resolved." The masked man stood, walking over to me and pushing me forward by neck.

"My little Naru doesn't want this either, so it's not all on you. However, this stupid charade of ignorance and repulsion is only decreasing both of your healths as we speak! I will not let you hurt my one and only son." My elder released his hold on me, pushing me forward before smiling to us both. "Now if you excuse me, I will be on my way. Naruto, remember that you do have a job you need to attend to tomorrow. Bye bye now!"

We both looked at his back as he went, waiting until we heard the click of the front door before turning to each other. I felt my heart beat a little heavier than normal, my vision swaying as I tried to contain myself and thoughts. The pale man stood, brushing past me and storming off somewhere.

'What the hell just happened?'

"Naruto Uzumaki, Mr. Uchiha and Mr. Sarutobi would like to see you," A bleach blonde with glasses and light blue eyes called out to me from the sides of the stage, he ponytail neat and her clothing professional yet exposing. I groaned, grabbing the towel from Neji to dry my neck and face of the salty discharge of my body.

I went to the meeting room, leaning against the now closed mahogany door. "You wanted to see me?" Sasuke was standing to the right of Asuma, who was sitting down. Sasuke had somehow managed to become secondary CEO, which was the CEO of the stage setups, decorations, routines and specifics. Asuma was the CEO of the Western district and it's personnel, which included Sasuke.

"Yes. Firstly, I just want to know how your practices have been ever since you have been officially oathed into UDA as a third-star* performer." He was leaning back in his chair with his hands behind his head; he was never fully professional.

I scratched the back of my head awkwardly and shrugged. "Normal, I guess. I mean, you guys see everything anyhow. Am I doing something wrong or...?"

"No no no, we just wanted to make sure it wasn't something you couldn't handle." He grinned, waving his hands as a 'no' as he told me so.

"It is something you can handle, yes?" This was a certain bastard, his voice sharp and condescending. It was like he was mocking me and my very placement in UDA.

"Well of course it is. Ya know, I could take more than just this; it's not really any different from the first show I did and I could definitely blow your minds if you would let me drive a bigger show." I looked dead at Sasuke as I said this, the corners of my mouth perking up in a sly smirk as I secretly pushed and challenged him.

"Oh?" His right eyebrow rose, a cold and challenge-accepted glare crashing into my own.

"That's actually what I wanted to speak with you about, Naruto. You see, after your first performance we've been getting some calls from a few venues and they like how you represent yourself. Now, they aren't big places, but they are something. If you're willing to step your game up just a bit I'll get Mr. Uchiha to work on the show effects for your new and improved routine." I smiled, jumping up and down in my mind.

"I'd be glad to accept this."

"Great! Now Sasuke, I must be heading off; I have to visit Suna. I can't wait for your show!" He smiled gently before standing and walking out. I walked slowly to the raven, our eyes never ceasing to give up our silent stare-down.

"Do a good job, Sasuke; this will be a show you won't want to miss."

"I'm still your boss, Naruto; I can fire you at any time."

I backed away slowly, chuckling as I did so. "When I'm done with this show, even you won't be able to let me go!" I opened the door, letting my smile fall for a second before jogging out of the room. "And just remember; your opinion is not as big of a deal anymore now that you're in my town."

I went back onto the stage, shouting to Neji to play track eight on my playlist as I prepared my show in my head. "But sir! We were working on-"

"Move it everyone! I've decided to change things and this show is going to be at a second-stage level without the popularity!" The pale-haired boss called out to everyone as he walked back to his office, every person running to go do something.

But of course everyone hustles at his commands.

The music started, and I began my movements.

I'll show you what Naruto Uzumaki is really about!

For the next two and a half weeks I practiced everyday from six in the morning until nine at night with a lunch and a few breaks. Kakashi encouraged me to increase my difficulty and complexity of my stunts, something that required a lot of work. So I put in the extra effort and pulled off the show with brilliance.

Sasuke Uchiha was still staying at my house, still sleeping in my bed, and still eating my food. He only grew colder to me the more I seemed to succeed, and when Asuma had announced that I had moved up a level to second-stage I could practically feel the fire that was fuming from him.

I did another three shows after that, each of the two weeks apart. This actually seemed to improve my dancing and really take it up a level. I was beginning to create moves I had never thought about before and my confidence just kept rising as the more public I became. I kept at my schedule, Sasuke still giving me a cold shoulder and not even once congratulating me on a show or improvement.

Why am I still not good enough for him?

Kakashi barely got the chance to see me, as I was now coming home and passing out on the couch due to the fact that I stopped eating about half of my lunch. I worked harder and pushed myself even further, checking my scale and noticing the drop in my weight.

I had lost thirty pounds in six weeks.

I began to tone my body in between major practices, timing myself and giving me enough time to thoroughly work through my entire show in two days. I heard my music stop, my body halting and turning to find the cause to it. "Naruto,"

"K-Kakashi?" I was breathing heavily, shaking my head slightly before trying to catch my breath. "What are you doing here?"

"I just wanted to check up on my son, you know, that one I haven't seen in a week and a half?" He crossed his arms, his suit perfectly ironed and fitted.

I sighed, walking over to him to give him a big hug. "How are you, Kaka?"

"All is well. What about you? I've been, ah, what do they say? Ah, yes; worried." He put his doctor-face on, taking a step back to look me up and down.

"I'm fine, I promise."

"You do realize that I'm still your agent and know when you practice and when you perform, right? I think you need to slow it down a bit." I scoffed, stuffing my hands in my pockets as I looked at the ceiling.

"I've been doing this type of practice for weeks now and it's been fine,"

"How are you and Sasuke?" That caught me off guard, my eyes slowly snapping to face him.

"What?"

"You know what I mean. Have you been communicating?"

I quickly swallowed the lump in my throat, acting fast to avoid suspicion. "Yeah; living together has made us interact a lot more."

"Uh huh, okay. That's great! I was just worried for my little fox is all; you know how bad you can get when you try to avoid it for this long." I laughed with him, waving and hugging him goodbye as I went back to my routine.

Kakashi visited me at work the next day too, the same thing repeating itself. I smiled as I checked the date on my phone, my bowl of Coco Puffs in one hand as I did so.

Today was the day that I moved up a level and finally, finally got to shove it in the Uchiha's face.

It was twenty minutes until showtime, and I downed my cereal quickly before quietly rehearsing a few moves. I did my backflip twist, stumbling back when I landed and seeing spots in my vision. Neji was at my side, helping me up and giving me some water and reassuring that I was fine. I nodded, pushing it to the side as a wrong landing and worked to fix it mentally.

The lights went on and the background performers went out, the crowd cheering in anticipation.

They're here to see you, Naruto. This show will make you what you need to be. This will make you even with Sasuke; this will make you perfect.

I waited for my cue before jogging out, the chains on my vest and the spikes on my Converse catching the bright lights. I put my hands up and slowly raised them, the crowd's voice rising with me. The bass was rising, the drop coming soon.

Here we go!

I jumped and swung my leg over mid-air, twisting around fully before landing on my toes and crouching down in increments and tutting along with the beat. I did a few smaller moves, a drum line solo coming along into the song. The dancers in the back stopped in their positions, my arms out next to me and my legs kicking out one after another until the pace in the song picked back up. I sprinted, pushing back off of the stepping block in front of me and falling back into the open arms of my back-up dancers.

A pain ran through me, my vision spotting in some places for a few seconds before I blinked it off.

You will not mess this up. Just keep going; you've done it before, so you can do it now.

I continued with my show, the last minute marker voicing itself through the rhythm and letting me know when to do my backflip. Adrenaline pumped through my, a sudden fatigue floating about and trying to drag me down. I willed it away, getting up on the tallest stage block and letting my head fall forward as the lights fell, all of the dancers' clothes, including mine, lighting up as we prepared for our finish.

The crowd went wild, loving the show so far. I grinned to myself, mirroring the minor dancers' movements until it was time for me to pause and put my back to them, my arms flailing up and the spotlight shining solely on me. My heart was in my throat, my Mark was pulsing and biting at me with hunger, and the fatigue and spots came back to me. I shook my head a bit, trying to ignore the constant bother.

Let's do it, Naruto!

I forced myself up, my body in a beautiful arc as I traveled through the air. The black suddenly rushed to me in a way I couldn't stop, the pain overwhelming me and pushing me into the unknown.

I was at my desk, the annoying cheering and noise coming from the stage to my left irking me. I felt a pang in my wrist, something similar to a snapping of a rubber band on your arm, and flinched at the sudden act. I looked around me, not a blonde hair around me; so why was my Mark acting up? I sighed, dooming it pointless to explain before continuing to type away.

A few minutes later I felt that pang again, this time stronger, and I felt goosebumps travel up my spine and down my arms. I paused what I was doing, a second act certainly not just a side effect. I gazed to the window on my left, getting up to fully observe my Soulmate in action.

He was just a poor little kid trying to reach something almost nobody could.

I felt the pang once more as he stepped onto the tower, bile rising in my throat for a brief moment as my heart clenched.

He's going to do something idiotic, I can tell.

His arms went up as his back turned, my wrist throbbing and my gag reflex holding the acidic mixture down where it belonged.

And it's going to hurt him very badly.

My intuition has never failed me before, but I was pretty darn sure just about anyone could see how horrid the situation's turn-out would be. He pushed off, his form catching my eye.

It was beautiful.

I kept gazing at it, the throbbing of my Mark being forgotten as I waited for him to land. I expected for a grand boom to echo throughout the amphitheatre, but all that filled it was the crush of a body falling flat on the hard stage. The crowd went dead silent, a few seconds passing by before murmurs went about and the background people rushed out to the scene. They shook him to no avail, flipping him over and placing their hands on his chest.

Right when they pump down, I felt a snap in my body and my mind go blank.

Oh how right I was.

*= In big and more professional companies in the Arts they have a set of different stages or ensembles depending on their popularity, excellence and music or routine. Third-stage is basically like third place in a race, but it's the least known stage in UDA. That's all.

Thanks for reading! Sorry for such a lame chapter!