Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ I think I better leave right now ❯ I'm here, so please explain ( Chapter 11 )

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Only the storyline is mine ^^
Title: I think I better leave right now - chapter 11
Author: Purrfectly679 - e-mail purrfectly679@hotmail.com for comments and suggestions. Feedback highly appreciated.
Rating: PG-13, angst, bad language. SakuSasu, SasuNaru, HinaNaru
Notes: No spoilers. This is a revised repost. Hehe thanks for all the comments...

Previously: Sasuke makes his angry presence known to both Hinata and the blonde.

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"You go… But he stays…"

"Huh?" Hinata asked immediately, a little bewildered. Did she just hear right? He wanted Naruto to stay? But didn't he hate Naruto? Because he definitely acted like he hated Naruto… Just what was going on?

"You. Go. And. He. Stays." Each word was spat out slowly and menacingly, as if daring the dark-haired girl to challenge him again. He didn't seem in the slightest bit fazed that he was scaring a smaller girl senseless.

Hinata trembled as she gazed at the unfocussed Naruto in her arms. God she was scared, but she couldn't just leave him here! What did Sasuke want with him? Was he going to punish the blonde for whatever they had done? Just what had they done anyway!? Or did they have another dispute?

Sure it was common in the past for the two to argue, but for god's sake! They were men now! And one of them was about to get married! Surely they couldn't still be bickering!!

But for the first time ever, Naruto seemed afraid of him too… He seemed so rigid, so tense… And if Naruto was afraid, then something was up…

Hinata realised, rather sullenly, that maybe this wasn't a fickle fight after all…

This was now something serious…

Something very serious…

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As sleep prevailed her once again, Sakura sighed, wide-awake upon the bed that she and Sasuke shared… Well, theoretically - the bed they were supposed to share… It wasn't as if he was a very adequate bed partner… In fact, she could count the number of times that he had actually slept next to her on one hand…

She tossed and turned onto her other side to get more comfortable. God what had happened to her weariness? It was only a moment ago that she had almost collapsed from exhaustion… Then again, maybe that had something to do with a certain obnoxious jounin, and the visit from his more than irritating friend…

Sasuke, Sasuke, Sasuke…

She smiled ruefully. After all this time, and still all she could think about was the abnormally cold stoic boy… He invaded her mind, her waking life and even her dreams… He was the air she breathed.

He was her everything.

'How long is it going to be this time?' she asked herself silently. It wasn't the first time that the raven-haired boy had just left, just disappeared without saying a word… Sometimes he came back after a few hours… Sometimes the next morning… And on rare occasions, he didn't come back for a couple of days…

But he'd be back. He always came back.

She wasn't stupid. She knew that things weren't normal… Well, to be fair, things had never been normal… But since coming back to Konoha, Sasuke had been acting a little less normal than usual…

But what had changed? Did he really hate the village so much? Maybe he had bad experiences here that no one was aware of? Bad experiences and painful memories… Is that why he was never at home? Maybe he hated the house as well…

Maybe he hated everything…

'You know I'd follow you wherever you go… Just say the word and I'd leave everything behind for you again… I would give up everything I've ever had a thousand times over if it meant that I could stay with you…'

The pink haired girl sighed and shifted upon the sheets restlessly, as the frequent thoughts invaded her mind once again. Where was he now? Was he out somewhere training? Or was he sleeping in the forest again? Was he hurt?

No, he couldn't be hurt…

She knew she was being irrational… After all, the Uchiha heir was the last person on earth she should be worried about… He could take care of himself just fine… As he had already proved on numerous occasions…

But still…It was hard not to worry over someone you loved…

Sasuke, Sasuke, Sasuke…

Sakura smiled bitterly. The boy was so damn unreadable… And that was probably one of the reasons that made him so damn attractive… Still, she couldn't complain. She had expected that from the great Uchiha Sasuke. And now… Now she had everything she wanted…

She had him... Even if he did treat her a little weirdly… Even if he wasn't the typical 'nice' type of husband material… Or even the 'agreeable' type to be honest…

But she had him. And that's all that mattered…

'I'll wait for you… I'll wait for you till the end of time…'

He had to trust her sooner or later… He just needed a little time, that's all… Just a little more time…

After all, love conquered all… Right?

Right…?

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Blue eyes snapped open rigidly, as Naruto began to focus on his surroundings.

What the-

How the- SASUKE?!

Fuck…!

"Come on Hinata, lets go home," he muttered, after a few moments of hesitation, loud enough for both his companions to hear. He was secretly relieved that he had sounded so bold - quite remarkable really, since his insides were quivering with apprehension…

Not to mention that his heart had just decided to run a 10-mile marathon…

He still couldn't truly comprehend it all. First he had to face all those painful flashbacks - the ones that he had wanted to erase from his memory… And then, the origin of his anguish had just decided to make an appearance…

Could his day get any worse?

He felt lost. Completely and utterly lost. Without even a glimmer of light to lead the way... Just where was he? What was he supposed to do? How was he meant to react?

Should he even react?

A surge of inexplicable emotions ran through the blonde…

Just how was he supposed to feel?

Naruto trembled slightly - as his body threatened to break down again… Compared to confronting the one Uchiha Sasuke, unconsciousness had seemed like a rather pleasant option… The easy option… After all, who in their right mind would want to confront the Uchiha when he was looking so damn angry?

But he had to force himself to stay alert… He couldn't lose his pretence! Not in front of him… Not in front of Sasuke… He couldn't afford to collapse… Appear weak… Appear vulnerable… After all, Sasuke didn't care… Sasuke didn't care when he left 5 years ago, when he left without a mark… Without a sign…

Without a word.

'So why should I care?' Naruto's asked himself silently.

The blonde felt strangely calm, surreal… As if everything finally fitted… As if everything finally made sense… He realised that he didn't care… He didn't care at all…

He didn't care as to what, how or why the raven-haired boy was doing there in the first place… He didn't care about what Sasuke wanted to say… He didn't even care about how he felt, what he did or what he planned to do…

After all… Why should he care? Why the fuck should he care…?

And more importantly, there was Hinata to worry about… He couldn't leave her there to face the wrath of the unpredictable Uchiha alone. She had done so much for him… Stood by him, looked after him, took him home when he was drunk…

She was there for him… The only one who was ever there for him… Maybe the only one who's ever cared…

He couldn't let her down...

He would never let her down!

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Click, click…

It was universal knowledge that Gai sensei was not a sensible man.

Currently, his larger than life eyebrows were knotted in concentration.

Click…click…

"Oh crap!" he muttered softly under his breath, as he undid the last couple of stitches that he had just knitted.

He now held the beginnings of a knitted green scarf, about 10cm long and 15cm wide, which was already scattered generously with holes.

"Lee-kun will love this!" he murmured happily to himself, as tears of joy threatened to drown him for the 5th time since he had started the project.

Sniff… Sniff…

Gai unravelled more green yarn as his hands gripped the knitting needles securely…

Sniff…

Slowly and steadily, the black haired jounin attempted to add more stitches to the ever-growing length of fabric…

Sniff… Sniff, whimper…

Gai threw his work onto the floor grumpily, and sulked. He could not work in such an environment! How was he supposed to achieve maximum concentration and efficiency with such a racket going on outside?

No one with such amiable talent should have to endure such disrespect!

Who was sniffing so loudly anyway? It couldn't be a person, could it…? After all, who would be crying outside his house at nearly one in the morning?!

"Oh no, it might be a poor, defenceless animal!" the jounin sensei gasped loudly. Maybe it was a dog! Or maybe a cute little cat! Or maybe… Maybe it was a fish!!! A green fish!

"I'll save you my precious little fish!" he declared loudly, unconcerned with the fact that he waking up all his slumbering neighbours in the process. He really liked fishes… He liked them almost as much as he liked turtles… They were just so calming, so soothing… The way they swam with their elegant fins… The way they could convey so much without making a sound…

They were simply beautiful…

Especially the green ones…

The Jounin Leaf-nin broke down his own front door in haste. His eyes darted around nervously…

'Come on fishy! Don't die on me!' he pleaded, as his gaze frantically searched the surrounding area. His vision rested on a hunched shadowy figure near his ground-floor window.

Yes that was it! That had to be it! That had to be the tank where the poor, vulnerable and helpless fish (now affectionately named fishy), was held captive and imprisoned in the cold, icy and unforgiving conditions outside! He must save him and liberate him! Maybe give him a place to live inside… Inside with the light and the warmth…

That's if he wanted to of course - he would never try and force fishy to do something against his will…

He must save him before he became hungrier! Before he caught pneumonia! Before he cried anymore…

'I'll save you, fishy!' the dark haired jounin promised vehemently, as he dashed closer and closer towards the weird shaped fish tank… 'Just hold on… There's no need to cry anymore…'

But nothing prepared Gai for what he was about to see…

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"We need to talk." The reply from Sasuke was curt and straight to the point. The oh so evident anger had somewhat calmed itself, although an underlying sense of danger still possessed the aura of the Uchiha boy.

This just made Naruto angrier. Talk? What the hell did he want to talk about? Why didn't they talk before then? All those days that Sasuke could've acknowledged him, could've said hello… But had ignored him instead, making him feel small, insignificant…

And now he wanted to talk?

"I have nothing to say to you!" he spat out angrily, not caring that he was displaying his emotions visibly and honestly. Where was his calm and composed nature? Where was the Naruto that didn't give a damn bout the Uchiha? The one that wasn't the slightest bit fazed? The one who didn't care…

Didn't care at all…

Out of all the scenarios that the blonde had dreamt up in those 5 years, he had never expected this… He was supposed to walk away… Show that he didn't give a shit… That he had grown up, matured… That he had changed…

He wasn't the naïve little boy he was 5 years ago.

"We need to talk," Sasuke repeated, his voice becoming more and more like a growl, as he folded his arms in impatience. His eyes were focussed intently upon Naruto, like a predator hunting it's prey… They burned with a scorching heat… Still burned with a hidden rage…

He wasn't going to let Naruto get away this time…

"Oh right, so we have to talk when you want to? When it's convenient for you? Well I'm sorry Mr Uchiha, but I don't want to talk right now!" Naruto shouted, his temper getting the better of him.

Sasuke flinched. Naruto had never referred to him as Uchiha before… It had sounded so empty... So hostile, distant…

As if their friendship never existed…

The blonde tensed visibly - he had never felt so angry in his life… All the years of confusion, of hate, of envy - all these suppressed emotions had all seemed to accumulated into this one single burst of confused fury…

He didn't even appear to notice that his missing mask laid shattered beside him…

Sasuke seemed to hesitate.

"Come on Hinata, lets get going…" Naruto murmured, a little more confidently. Someone had to inform Sasuke that the planet didn't revolve around him! The boy was too arrogant for his own good… Just because everyone else loved him, respected him, wanted to be him or be with him, it didn't give him the right to act like he was better than everyone else…

It didn't give him the right to be so damn ignorant of other people's feelings…

Hinata trembled, and gazed up at the blonde uncertainly.

"I'll walk you home ok?" Naruto smiled gently, completely ignoring the presence of the raven-haired boy.

The smaller girl nodded mutely, a little confused at the blonde's sudden surge of self-assurance. Wasn't he like, 'out of it' only a few moments ago?

"Fine," the Uchiha muttered, interrupting the interaction between the two people before him. His features resumed its trademark blank expression - as the fire within his eyes seemed to die down.

Such a contrast to how he was before…

A huge feeling of relief washed over Naruto. He was beginning to think that the Uchiha wouldn't let them leave… He had been acting a little strange after all… Then again, he had always acted weird around lakes… Maybe he had some persevere reaction to large quantities of water?

Naruto sighed wearily. He was worried that his façade might've begun to waver… And that somehow the raven-haired boy had noticed… Noticed that he was scared, uncomfortable… Noticed that he was weak, vulnerable…

That he was hiding behind nothing but a mask of hate… Nothing but a façade of anger…

Because in all truthfulness, he was affected… The raven-haired boy's disappearance had affected him more than he wanted to let on… Sasuke had hurt him… It was the first time that Naruto discovered that emotional pain was much worse than physical pain…

And it looked like the pain might repeat itself all over again…

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"Lee-kun?" Gai's eyes widened in surprise. What was Lee doing outside his house? And at such ungodly hours? Shouldn't he be in bed? After all, even at 21 he was still growing! And growing children should go to bed early!

Ack, the imprudence of today's youth!

Sniff, sniff…

"Come on, let's get you inside before you catch a chill…" the older man murmured softly, as he guided his snivelling student into the warmth of his home. It was no time to get angry at the boy's peculiar behaviour. Lee was hunched up in a small ball, his body language betraying his state of distress. Gai sighed sympathetically - poor guy must still be mourning over the loss of Sakura…

He settled Lee onto his green couch, and propped up the broken front door behind him. Two broken doors in one day… Quite an achievement! He quickly snatched up his knitting project from the floor, and hastily deposited it into the nearest draw. He didn't want to ruin the surprise later on!

Lee didn't move from his spot. His head was still hidden in between his trembling hands, his hair bowl shaped hair covering the top of his eyes…

"I'll go get us some tea…" Gai murmured, as he entered the kitchen to boil some water. Poor Lee looked as if he needed some to warm him up! Just what was he doing out there anyway? If he had wanted to come in, he could've just knocked…

'I wouldn't have minded some company…' he added silently.

After all - Lee was all he had…

And so he'd always be there for him…

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Naruto guided Hinata away from the lake, as the two began their unsteady journey back towards the centre of the village. His arm was casually slung around the smaller girl, to offer both support and warmth to the shivering girl.

Naruto didn't bother to look behind him as he left… Leaving Sasuke all alone beside the lake that was wrought with so many memories… He smiled ironically to himself. It was finally the other way round… It was now him departing the raven-haired boy…

It was now him walking away.

'He's probably just looking bored anyway…' the blonde sighed. It wasn't as if the other boy cared… Hell - did he ever care? About anything?

Sometimes Sasuke was too unfeeling for his own good…

Not before long, unmistakable sounds of deliberate footsteps were following the two. Naruto continued walking, half dragging Hinata along with him, ignoring the indication that someone - most probably Sasuke - was about 10 feet behind them.

Was he following them?

But why was he intentionally being noisy? The Uchiha was an expert of stealth… If he had really wanted to hide, Naruto doubted that even a jounin would be able to find or detect him…

Unless… Unless he wasn't trying to hide…

Maybe he wasn't trying to hide at all…

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"Lee-kun?" Gai enquired softly, as he entered the room with a tray of tea balanced in one hand. He settled it upon the table, and swiftly sat himself upon a chair nearby. He didn't want to appear as if he was suffocating his favourite student, and so had decided to give him more space.

"Go-Gomen ne," the smaller boy shook, as he wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. He appeared somewhat calmer, although he was still obviously distressed from one thing or another.

"I thought you went home?" the older man asked gently. After watching the ninja tactical video, Lee had declared that he was tired, and hence had left the premises of his sensei's house. So what was he doing outside? Crying nonetheless?

Did something happen on the way back?

"Gomen… I…I-" Lee hiccupped through his tears. No matter how he tried, he just couldn't seem to stop the tears from falling.

"It's ok…" Gai soothed, and handed the smaller boy a cup of green tea. "Drink this… It'll help…" he instructed kindly, successfully hiding his mounting concern. Maybe this wasn't about Sakura… Maybe the boy hurt! Did someone attack him on his way home?

"I feel so stupid…" Lee murmured, as the warmth from the liquid seeped through his body, somewhat calming his erratic breathing and his frazzled nerves. He had never been good at hiding his feelings, especially from the teacher he trusted so much. One way or another, the jounin shinobi always managed to pry him apart, making him reveal his deepest fears, voice his innermost insecurities and concerns…

And somehow Gai always managed to do it without even trying…

"About Sakura?" the older ninja speculated, although his uncertainty was not lost on his pupil.

Lee nodded in confirmation, as the thicker eye-browed man exhaled visibly. Well, at least that meant all his initial fears about the boy being attacked on his way home were invalid…

"It's nothing to feel stupid about…" Gai murmured, as he sipped the cup of warm tea in his hands. It was strangely comforting - relaxing yet refreshing him at the same time. He was expecting this talk sooner or later. He knew that Lee was upset over the pink-haired girl's engagement, and rightfully so... But they hadn't properly talked about it yet… Which was the one thing that Gai dreaded…

He wasn't good with matters of the heart… What was he supposed to say?

"It is!" Lee burst out, unexpectedly. "It is stupid! She deserves happiness, and she looks so contented… So why can't I be happy for her? Why?" The genin's eyes were wide open with sheer desperation… And utmost pain…

It broke Gai's heart.

"You just need more time… All these sudden events have probably just confused you… It'll get better-"

"But I know it won't…" Lee sobbed fervently, his exterior breaking down once again. "It won't… I know it won't…" he repeated, his voice cracking from complete despair.

How could things get better?

How could things possibly get better when the one person you loved was promised to someone else?

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"Just what do you want?" Naruto exclaimed intolerantly, as he spun around angrily and fixed his gaze upon the raven-haired boy. Sasuke had been following them for a good five minutes now, and no matter how hard the blonde tried to ignore his presence, the fact that the Uchiha was behind him kept gnawing at the edge of his consciousness… Aggravated him until he had to react…

"If you won't talk to me, then I'll just follow you around until you will…" Sasuke stated, his voice smooth and even, as if what he just said was perfectly natural and acceptable in a normal society.

Naruto's blue eyes widened in surprise. What?! Could he do that? Wasn't it against the law to follow someone like that? Wouldn't that count as stalking?!

"I said I. Won't. Talk. To. You! What part of that don't you understand?" the blonde hollered in frustration. Why was Sasuke being so damn persistent? Didn't he know when to give up?

"Look, Naruto, you can't avoid me forever!"

"I'm not avoiding you!"

"You can't hide forever…"

The blonde froze in his tracks, his outburst momentarily forgotten.

"Who mentioned anything about hiding?" Naruto murmured softly. Did Sasuke know? Did Sasuke somehow find out? Did he somehow discover that he had been living a lie? Lying behind a mask?

But he hadn't been around… He couldn't know… He couldn't have found out…

Could he?

Naruto trembled uncertainly. It was harder than he had anticipated… To act confident, to act bold… To act as if he wasn't scared… To act as if he didn't care…

But he had to act… To pretend… Cos without his mask, he was nothing…

Nothing at all…

"Look, we need to get some things sorted…" Sasuke's voice trailed off.

"I need to take Hinata home…" Naruto answered curtly.

"Why are you being so impossible?" the raven-haired boy growled, the raging anger once again reclaiming his ebony eyes.

"Look, Hinata is cold, so I'm going to take her home. Alright?" the blonde snapped tersely, undaunted by the sudden fire that seemed to ignite from the other boy.

"She can go home by herself!"

"I want to take care of my friends! Not that you'd know about things as frivolous and mundane as friendships…"

"Fine!" Sasuke shouted, as rage finally consumed his being. "You go take your girlfriend home! And just keep on hiding behind that stupid mask of yours! And maybe one day you'll finally manage to fool yourself, just like you've fooled every single fucking idiot in this whole goddamn village!"

"She's not my girlfriend!" Naruto yelled, pathetically, as he furiously tried to change the topic of conversation. God, Sasuke knew…! Sasuke knew about his mask! How did he find out? How the fuck did he find out?

"Not your girlfriend?" the raven-haired boy sneered, his features becoming twisted from a mixture of rage and jealousy. "Then why were you almost making out back there?"

"We were not making out!" Naruto declared, indignantly. What the hell was the Uchiha on about? Why the hell would he be making out with Hinata? She was his friend… Maybe his only friend…

And even if he was attracted to her, there was no way in hell that he'd risk losing her friendship by acting on it…

He learnt that that the hard way…

And he wasn't that stupid to repeat his past mistakes…

"Oh, not your girlfriend?… Just a bit on the side? Or do you just make out with all your friends?" Sasuke sneered maliciously.

"Shut up Uchiha…" Naruto's voice became low and dangerously calm, like the calmness before a raging storm. Just what was Sasuke trying to imply here? That he was a whore? That he was loose?

Suddenly, Naruto felt fire ignite within him, burning at his insides… Scorching at his skin…

How dare he…

How fucking dare he…

"I suggest you shut up and listen, Uzumaki…" Sasuke spat vehemently, emphasising the frosty and oh too formal name that he had just designated for his former rival. "And I suggest that your girlfriend leaves now… Before she gets hurt… If you know what I mean…"

"You touch her and you'll die, Uchiha!" the blonde snarled, as he clenched his fists so tightly that it began to hurt. It took all his effort to prevent himself from throwing himself at the boy standing only a few feet away from him… To wipe that smug smirk off his face…

"Getting protective are we?"

"Shut the fuck up! She stays with me, so fuck you!"

"Are you sure you want her to find out about everything, Uzumaki?" Sasuke scorned spitefully. "About us? About our history?" The taller boy's dark eyes glinted darkly, tauntingly, jeeringly…

Naruto had never seen so much emotion within those depths before…

And it filled him with trepidation…

"N-Naruto-kun… I-I can get home by myself…" Hinata offered weakly, capturing the blonde's attention for the first time since encountering the raven-haired boy. Her voice was strained - evidently from fear of the Uchiha heir.

"No, Hinata, I'll take you home…" the blonde replied firmly, his voice resuming its normal level of intensity. He wasn't going to let her down! Not for some jerk like Sasuke…

Especially not for a jerk like Sasuke…

"N-no, seriously… I c-can get back myself…" the smaller girl insisted. It was obvious that the two boys needed to sort some things out… And she didn't want to get in the way… If there was one thing she hated, it was complicating things…

"Smart choice," Sasuke remarked coldly.

Naruto glared at him.

"You're freezing Hinata… You might catch something… I'll take you home ok?" Naruto responded gently, deliberately ignoring the stoic boy's comments.

"It's ok, really…" Hinata offered the blonde one of her most confident smiles. "I'm a ninja after all… I'm really not that weak…"

"I know you're not weak, Hinata…" Naruto murmured softly, as he inched closer and closer towards the girl. "It's just… I…" the blonde faltered. What he could he say? That he was scared? Frightened?

Scared that something might happen to her on her way home?

How could he tell her…? Tell her that he didn't want anyone else to suffer because of him…? That he didn't want anyone else to get hurt because of him? Didn't want anyone else to feel pain because of his stupid curse…

Cos that's what he was… A curse…

A curse that brought other people nothing but misery and bad luck…

Didn't she see? The only way that he'd feel comfortable and at ease was if he personally took her home himself… To make sure she was safe… To confirm that he hadn't hurt her…

He never wanted to hurt her...

"It's ok, Naruto-kun…" she murmured gently, and smiled brightly at the blonde. "My house isn't far from here! Just… Just take care of yourself ok?" her brave smile faltered for a split second, before she recomposed herself.

Naruto hesitated. He couldn't leave her alone! She was ice cold! Almost frozen! But then there was Sasuke to contend with… And that stubborn bastard didn't appear to accept 'backing down' as an option…

Then there was the ominous threat…

It had always been an unspoken rule between the two boys that they would keep the details of that one night to themselves… The one night that they had become more than just friends…

And ironically, the same night that their friendship ended…

And Sasuke had just mentioned something about letting Hinata know…? Was he crazy?! They couldn't let anybody know…! Everyone would just hate him more… They'd think he's repulsive… Disgusting… Nauseating…

Naruto trembled. Could he face more hate from the villagers? Could he really face having another reason for them to hate him?

But the stoic boy wouldn't seriously consider carrying out his threat would he? He had a reputation to protect, right? He had the respect, the power, the fame… He would lose it all if the villagers ever found out about his unnatural fling with the devil… With the cursed one…

Then again… Sasuke could always say that he was tricked… After all, weren't all devils masters of manipulation…?

"I'm taking you home," Naruto made up his mind, as stubborn as ever. To hell with his reputation, or lack of one. Why should he change his plans for Sasuke? Why should they talk when it was convenient for him? It was about time that the raven-haired boy woke up and removed his head from out of his ass…

He had to see that not everyone followed his every whim… That not everything was based solely on him…

That not everyone regarded him as their most important person…

"Naruto-kun… I…I really think you should talk to him…" Hinata whispered, a little anxiously, making sure that her words only reached the ears of the blonde.

The kitsune opened his mouth to protest, but the smaller girl interrupted him.

"Please Naruto…" she murmured quietly, her trembling hands betraying her calm exterior. "I don't know what happened between you two, but I know its hurting you too… There's no use in prolonging it… You're going to have to speak to him sooner or later…"

"But-"

"After all, you are going to be their best man…" Hinata rushed her words, cutting the blonde short. "Better to sort things out sooner rather than later, ne? Before things can develop for the worse…"

Naruto wavered on the spot, as he stubbornly stared back at the smaller girl.

"Please Naruto…"she pleaded again, her eyes threateningly moist. "You'll feel better about it afterwards, I promise…"

Naruto nodded mutely in agreement. He had to admit that what she said did make some sense… Even if confronting the Uchiha boy was the last thing on his wish list…

Running away had seemed like the more pleasant option… Simple, painless, stress-free…

But Hinata was right - he couldn't run forever… He had to face Sasuke sooner or later… After all, there was still that whole 'best man' thing to sort out…

"Take this…" Naruto muttered quietly, as he removed his dark orange jacket, and thrust it towards the dark-haired girl. He suddenly felt an overwhelming need to protect her… Even if he couldn't take her home, he could still protect her… Even if it wasn't much…

"N-no… Naruto-kun, y-you need it more! I-I'll be just fine…" Hinata stammered in embarrassment. She hated to cause a fuss!

"It's ok… I never get cold…" The demon fox within him made sure of that…

"I-It's ok, really-"

"Look, it's the least I can do… And I'll come pick it up in the morning…" Naruto suggested, with a small smile.

"I… A-Arigato…" Hinata blushed as she slipped into the orangey garment, gasping as the warmth hit her… The flimsy looking jacket was much warmer than she had anticipated…

And the prospect of seeing Naruto again also warmed her heart…

"Be careful on your way home…" Naruto smiled affectionately, resisting the urge to ruffle the smaller girl's hair. Is this what having a younger sister felt like? Her presence was so comforting…

Then again, anything was comforting compared to facing Uchiha Sasuke…

"You be careful too…" Hinata whispered seriously. She gravely hoped that the blonde wouldn't do anything stupid… Such as getting into a fight with dark-haired boy…

Fighting Sasuke was bad enough… But fighting a pissed off Sasuke?

Wasn't that just imminent death?

A final wave and a small smile later, the smaller girl vanished reluctantly from sight, leaving the two boys finally alone in the presence of each other…

Blue eyes met black…

The battle had officially started…

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Hinata ran on until the two boys were out of earshot, before she slowed to a walk. She always believed in respecting other's privacy… And it seemed like the two boys needed a lot of privacy, judging by the tension that was sizzling in the air…

They definitely had a lot of talking to do… And a lot of understanding to accomplish…

She sighed wearily. Today had definitely been an eventful day…

'Be careful Naruto…' she thought silently, her thoughts straying back to the blonde wonder that had been in her arms only a few minutes ago… He had been so warm… So comforting…

So perfect…

She sighed. Although she knew that he was more than capable of taking care of himself, she still instinctively felt anxious for the blonde. Sasuke... Sasuke was different this time - different from all their past encounters… Sasuke had been more than a little angry…

In fact, he had been damn right scary…

But… But it was obvious that they needed to talk… And Naruto had appeared to recover from his initial shock… He was almost back to normal, judging by the way he was yelling at the Uchiha… So he'd be ok… Right?

The small girl smiled softly. She preferred it when Naruto wasn't sad… At least anger confirmed that he was still alive…

But... Just what was he so angry about anyway? Just what were they so angry about? Was it because of Sasuke's sudden departure? Maybe it concerned the reason for his disappearance… Something about the past… Something between them… Something that no one knew…

Something that Naruto didn't want her to know…

She walked a little faster, and wrapped the orange jacket tighter around her torso. Sure she was a little upset that Naruto didn't trust her… But then again, why should he? Its not as if he knew her all that well…

Yet… So much anger… From both of them…

Especially Sasuke… Sasuke was damn right pissed - his normally calm exterior and his cool expression thrown out of the window… Something bad must've happened between them for things to get so tense…

For even the great Uchiha to lose his cool…

Hinata shivered as she remembered the cold eyes that had glared at her… With so much venom… With so much hate…

Suddenly she felt very worried for Naruto… She had done the right thing leaving him there…

Hadn't she?

-----------------------------------------------

The two boys were finally alone.

"Nice girlfriend you got there…" Sasuke commented, his voice laced with sarcasm and spite. His eyes were dark and broody, glinting eerily under the moonlight…

"She's not my girlfriend…" Naruto sighed wearily. Is this what the Uchiha boy had in mind when he had asked him to talk?

"So who else have you gotten with since I've been gone huh?" the raven-haired boy spat angrily. "Or are they just friends?" he sneered maliciously.

"What's this got to do with anything?" Naruto felt the fire once again ignite within him. What the hell did Sasuke want? He had reluctantly abandoned walking Hinata home to talk to him, and now all his rival wanted to do was waste his time…?

He didn't appreciate it…

He didn't appreciate it one bit…

"Come answer me Uzumaki!" Sasuke growled, as anger flashed in his black eyes. "Or have you lost count huh? There been too many?"

"Fuck you Sasuke! It's none of your business any-"

"And I guess you've taken them all down to that lake huh? Special place that, huh?" Sasuke scorned, his features becoming twisted in uncontrollable rage.

And yet….

And yet he still looked so beautiful…

"WHAT ARE YOU ON ABOUT?" Naruto shouted furiously. The air sizzled and cracked visibly from the tension that the two former rivals were emitting. The blonde was seriously confused now… What the fuck was Sasuke talking about?

Why the hell would he take anyone down to the lake, when he had avoided it for 5 years straight?

"ANSWER ME DAMN IT!" Sasuke all but roared, his eyes dilating madly, revealing the full extent of his anger.

"You're wasting my time…" the blonde growled, slightly fazed by such an explosion of emotion from the usually stoic boy. Sasuke had never looked so damn pissed in his life… Hell, Naruto couldn't recall ever seeing someone looking that pissed in his life…

He must've done something bad… Really bad… But just what was it? How could he infuriate the other boy so much without even realising it?

Unless the Uchiha was just in a bad mood… Yeh, that had to be it…

'Sasuke probably just had an argument with Sakura or something…' Naruto thought bitterly. Why else would he be so angry? It wasn't as if he cared about anything else…

Talking about Sakura…

"Look, basically I don't like you and it's obvious that you don't like me…" Naruto continued, a little apprehensively. "But for some strange reason, Sakura seems to think that I should be the best man, and I don't want to disappoint her…"

Naruto glanced up, confirming that the taller boy was listening, although it was still blatantly obvious that he was glowering from unsuppressed rage.

The blonde sighed. Talk about total lack of self control…

"So I'm going to make things simple for you… You do what you like, and I'll just pretend that I was there and helped ok? That way we'll both be happy…" Naruto finished, and folded his arms dubiously.

It was for the best after all… The less they saw of each other, the better things would turn out…

And the less it would hurt…

"I'll take your silence as a yes then…" Naruto stated, relieved that the confrontation had ensued so smoothly. He hadn't expected this… Hell, he didn't know what to expect… But whatever it was, it wasn't this…

After all, when did things start going right for him?

More silence greeted the two.

The blonde took it as his cue to leave. He didn't really anticipate being an anger outlet for the Uchiha boy, so he figured that it was best to leave before things got ugly… He turned his back on Sasuke as he prepared to walk away...

He felt strangely in control… Powerful…

But before he had a chance to ponder his thoughts, the blonde was suddenly tackled from behind. Naruto fell to the floor awkwardly, and was immediately flipped over, the stoic boy straddling his waist. Before his blue eyes could even widen in surprise, warm lips were crushed against his…

Then he was gone…

Naruto sat up in shock. What the- Did he just- How- Where did…-

The blonde glanced frantically around him, but there were no signs of his ex-rival…

Something trickled down his face, and the blonde reflexively touched his cheek… It was warm… The drop of liquid sliding down his face was warm…

Were they tears?

But… But he wasn't crying…

Naruto gazed around him in complete bafflement… Sasuke…?

Was Sasuke crying?

--------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------

End chapter 11

Nuii...Another evillll cliffy... Gee, I'm getting good at these huh? ^^

At Ichiraku's...
Naruto is eating ramen... As usual...
Kakashi: *poofs in* Yo!
Naruto: *splutters and coughs from shock* You trying to kill me?!
Kakashi: *smiling* Noo... I just thought I'd show you this...
Kakashi holds up a silver ring...
Naruto: *stares at his sensei dumbly* What about it?
Kakashi: *blinks, then blushes* Whoops... I mean this!
Kakashi holds up a 'ramen noodle' fridge magnet.
Naruto: *in horror* Where did you get that? That's mineee!
Kakashi: *grins* I know...
Naruto: *in tears* Don't hurt it! It's my favouritest thing in the whole wide world!

Suddenly Sasuke walks past, whistling nonchalantly...
Kakashi grins, and drops the magnet into the half eaten bowl of noodles.
Naruto: *mouth open in a silent scream and rendered immobile from shock* ...
Kakashi: *in a sing along voice* Yo Sasuke... Come 'ere for a second...
Sasuke walks over suspiciously.
Kakashi: *cheerily* How are you?
Sasuke: *bluntly* I hate you.
Kakashi smiles, and in one swift motion, he grabs the bowl of ramen, and dumps the contents into Sasuke's pants.

Sasuke stands there with ramen in his boxers, as a faint blush appears. Everyone stares. For ages. In total shock.

Kakashi: *whispers into Naruto's ears* ... .. .... ..... .. .. ...
Naruto: *shuffles nervously* Uhm...Sasuke... *licks lips* That's my... er... ramen there... *stomach rumbles*

Sasuke runs from the ramen stand screaming something about perverts, hygiene factors and 'I don't care how much you love ramen, it's still wrong to eat food off the body of another person... Especially food from 'down there'...'

Naruto runs after him... Screaming something 'please don't run from me! Its the most important thing in my life!'

Kakashi grins, takes out his camera, and follows the two...

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