One morning during breakfast when Kakashi asked Sasuke how he was feeling the Uchiha grumpily replied "I'm fine. All cured". He made no eye contact with anyone, finished eating and announced he would go into the forests to train. That was when they all knew he'd returned to normal.

Naruto, after scarfing down two more serves of food, followed him.

He found the Uchiha training rigorously, his kunai flashing in the sunlight as he marked a tree. Naruto stopped to watch him.

'Have you ever…….loved someone?'

"Dobe! Quit staring" Sasuke said glaring at him from the top of a tree branch. "If you're going to train then get going"

Naruto blinked. As reality crashed into him he huffed, and glancing reproachfully at Sasuke, went to train.

Sasuke, determined to focus on his training, tried to ignore Naruto. But he'd seen the look in the Uzumaki's eyes. Those azure eyes, gazing into him…..as if……

He shook his head. 'Focus' he told himself.

Then he ran at the tree in front of him, bracing his chakra, putting all other thoughts away from his mind.

——————————

Amara was sitting on the pier looking at the sun glimmering across the ocean. Swinging her feet she tilted her head up towards the sun letting the playful sea breeze ruffle her silver locks.

She turned around and saw Kakashi approaching. "Sensei" she said, nodding respectfully.

"I was wondering if we could discuss about what kind of jutsus you can perform and how you fight" the jonin said. "It would be helpful to know for the battle ahead."

Amara's dark eyes studied him carefully. With a slight flick of her wrists two wicked looking knives slipped into her hands. Kakashi had noticed them, but the way she held it her hands told him how skilled she was in using them.

"I'm more of a stealthy kind of fighter so I don't like heading straight into combat. I can use wind style with these" she said lifting the knives.

"Wind style……long range or short?" Kakashi asked.

"Both" Amara replied. "I can use a little lightning style although it's not perfect and it takes up too much time"

"How's your Taijutsu?"

"Pretty standard. My genjutsu is much better" the girl said.

Kakashi pondered over this. "Alright, anything else?"

Amara glanced at the tattoos on her neck.

All of a sudden Kakashi spotted movement. He raised his eye when he realised the tattoos has morphed into two snakes, one black and one white.

"My little friends Yin and Yang" she said with a faint smile. "I would've introduced you to them but I didn't want to scare anyone". As she spoke the snakes curled around her body each one camouflaging in the respective black no and white part of her kimono.

"How skilled are you with poison?" Kakashi asked, as the black snake regarded him with its beady eyes.

Amara rattled off some facts which Kakashi seemed satisfied with.

"Although knowing Zabuza he likely has a good tolerance for most poisons" she said at last.

Kakashi crossed his arms, deep in thought.

"Well let's see your genjutsu then" he said.

Something about amara's calm expression changed and once again Kakashi wondered.

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The summer sun was relentless and despite their proximity to the sea, both Naruto and Sasuke were soaked through.

After shouting at a tree several times trying to climb it, Naruto had exhausted himself. Now he was lying flat on the grass watching Sasuke and trying to gather his thoughts.

Watching him now Naruto recalled the same hands in his hair and lying gently on his chest. Those lips which at that moment Sasuke was swiping with his tongue………Naruto had almost felt them.

His heart skipped a beat. It was odd. 'Why am I thinking about this over and over?' he asked himself.

His mind recalled the conversation he'd had with Iruka.

A boy liking a boy.

'But what does that even- Don't I like Sakura?' his brain had argued.

He had then pondered over exactly what he liked about the kunoichi and besides the fact she was reasonably beautiful there was…….nothing.

But with Sasuke he didn't need to think. His mind automatically filled itself with thoughts memories and fleeting emotions

Thoughts of running his finger through those dark locks, of his sly little smiles and small helpful gestures.

Memories of being held in his embrace and gazing into his onyx eyes.

Emotions of giddy happiness, nervousness, of hope, safety and—

It was too much. Too much for the little blonde's heart and mind. He could not comprehend why every breath he took seemed to fuel the things he thought about.

"Oi usuratonkachi!" Sasuke called out angrily. "Quit staring at me it's annoying"

The tone of his voice pulled Naruto out of his thoughts. Self conscious, he blushed. "Guh- I was thinking! Who said I was staring at you?!" he retorted.

"Tch" Sasuke turned away muttering to himself.

Naruto stood up hastily and called out to him "Hey!"

Sasuke faced him "What?".

Naruto opened his mouth to speak but quickly closed it. The words seem stuck in his tongue.

He gulped and spoke slowly "Yesterday when you— when you said—I mean you asked—"

Naruto's eyes failed to meet Sasuke's intense gaze as he mumbled.

Sasuke clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Speak louder"

"If I've ever loved someone"

When those words reached Sasuke's ears, his chest tightened. All at once a cold vice-like grip seemed to clutch his heart. His mind immediately panicked. He couldn't remember much from the time he'd been intoxicated But one particular memory had been haunting him, sharp in detail.

"I never said that" Sasuke blurted out. His eyes were shifty and his posture had gone stiff.

"You don't remember that?" Naruto questioned, his eyes studying the boy.

"I don't know what you're taking about" Sasuke said and faced the tree he'd been climbing.

The Uchiha felt a sudden tug on his shirt and yelped as Naruto pulled him around, face to face.

Briefly their eyes met and in that moment Naruto saw the panic in Sasuke's eyes. He knew right there and then that he was lying.

So before Sasuke could protest, Naruto grabbed his shoulders. "I need to know" he said with determination.

The icy feeling in Sasuke's chest spread until it consumed his mind and he could no longer think straight.

Sasuke shoved Naruto and words spilled out in anger "Will you stop it?"

Naruto tumbled down hard, landing on the grass.

"Stop being weird. I don't want anything to do with you. I was sick yesterday, do you think I actually meant anything I said?!" Sasuke shouted all at once.

Naruto watched him in shock.

Then in defiance he spoke firmly "The things you said yesterday are some things you've been saying for along time. So I wanna know if it's real!"

"If what's real Naruto?!" Sasuke shouted back at him.

Suddenly there was silence.

Sasuke's eyes widened and he clamped his mouth with his hand.

In that moment the two held each other's gaze. Sasuke felt his chest squeezing itself so tight he could almost feel the pain.

And Naruto. Naruto's baby blue eyes studied Sasuke and he tried to speak but again he was lost for words. He had no words to speak. No words to describe the emotions that brought the fluttering feeling into his chest, rendering him speechless.

Neither of them could say it. There was an invisible barrier that separated them from confronting the truth. A wall made by unspoken words, the boundary that they both feared to cross, not knowing what the consequences could be.

It was a truth that Sasuke did not want to confront and one that Naruto could not name nor realise.

Naruto once again recalled his conversation with Iruka. But the look in Sasuke's eyes caught his attention.

Sasuke took a sharp, shaky breath. "Stay away from me"

"But I—"

"No!" Sasuke cut off Naruto. "I—I cant stand it anymore. Don't come back to me to talk about your feelings. I don't need it"

Naruto's eyes betrayed pain. His face changed as Sasuke's harsh words reached his mind. "So you were lying this whole time?" his voice quavered.

Sasuke looked the blonde, the anguish in his eyes. Those eyes that had lost their glimmer and that stared at him in shock and disbelief.

But without remorse he spoke.

"It's gross. Having this attachment that I shouldn't have made in the first place" he spat.

With those words he turned, picked up his kunai and stride deeper into the forest.

Naruto sat, watching him leave unspoken words left on his tongue.

Strangely his senses picked up on certain details bringing them sharply into focus.

The Uchiha symbol on Sasuke's back, a pair of butterflies flitting nearby, the rough grass beneath him, the bright sun warming his back and the salty smell of the ocean breeze.

The forest itself seemed out of focus and his head swam.

'Oh' he thought. He recognised what he was feeling. He knew it too well.

As the realisation crashed into him his resolve shattered.

When the pain finally reached his heart, the tears began to fall.

——————————

Naruto did not show up for lunch.

When Sakura went to bring him, she stormed into the house minutes later, fuming. "He says he's not hungry and we can just eat his share" she said. "I don't know what's wrong with him, he shouted at me"

"That poor boy, he'll just exhaust himself" said Ms. Tsunami, shaking her head. "I'll pack something for him"

"Well" a quiet voice said. "I don't mean sound like I was spying but it was kind of hard not to notice him crying and screaming at a random tree"

Everyone's attention turned to Amara who was calmly picking her food apart. She looked back at several pairs of curious eyes and shrugged.

Kakashi raised an eye and briefly glanced at Sasuke. He had noticed the boy was brooding more than usual, playing with his food.

"Sasuke was around" Amara said casually. "Maybe he knows" she said slyly.

"I don't" Sasuke said quickly. He stared down at his food and continued to stab it with his chopsticks.

Kakashi sighed wearily 'If I'm still sane by the time I'm done with these two boys it'll be a miracle'

Somehow Sasuke finished his food and wandered into the back room where he intended to change his clothes. Briefly he glanced at Naruto's messy untucked futon. Belongings were piled carelessly in a spot next to his pillow.

Something caught his eyes. It hadn't been there before. A flash of colour. Sasuke bent down to examine it.

It was a flower. Small shriveled up, it had probably been purple. The stem had a knot in it and a part of it looked like it had snapped. Despite the mess it had been placed carefully on top of a pile of blankets.

The memory came to him sharply. Tying a flower around Naruto's finger, watching his blue eyes shine.

Sasuke's eyes glazed over as his fingertips brushed the petals. His heart gave a sudden lurch remembering Naruto's flushed cheeks and sly smile.

Naruto refused to show up for dinner despite Kakashi's insistence and the jonin finally had to resign himself by sending Sakura along with a basket.

When she returned she explained his condition. "Amara's right. He's been crying so much his eyes are red and his face is swollen." She said this quietly, registering the fact that Naruto too had feelings and a heart.

On the other side of the room Sasuke feigned ignorance but his body language was uncomfortable. Stubbornly he faced out the window.

He failed to notice that Kakashi and the silver haired girl across the room had been watching him.

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A/N: NEXT CHAPTER COMING SOON! STAY TUNED FOR THE LIFE AND DEATH ROMANCE OF NARUTO AND SASUKE! Sorry for the heartbreak my lovelies but it's part of the plot 3. Love yall.