The familiar stare of eyes hadn't surprised him as he headed home. Accusing pupils with hate mixed in the heart that allowed them to see through such body parts. Sometimes, Naruto just wanted to run into the darkest alley and hide from the villagers. Other times, he wanted to gorge their eyes out with his own kunai knife. The reason their gazes where so cold was more bitter to him then any of the villagers anyways. How would they like to have the 'great demon fox power' bursting through their veins and yet, not be able to bring back a dear friend? Naruto's sun kissed hands balled into fists as he thought of the raven whom had left all those years ago. They had been no older then thirteen when it had happened and the blonde was already turning eighteen. For years, the blonde had struggled with this loss as a part of his hard life. Countless times he would go see the ex-leaf nin on a mission and beg him to come back. Countless times, he had been left, almost without his heart still intact as well. Every time, as the boy laid there bleeding, his ex-best friend would lean over him and whisper the same words, "If you can't understand, then I'll have to make you through force."

Naruto's eyes swelled up with ever constant tears. There had never been a day when he'd cry for the raven; always blaming it on Sasuke for leaving. It was his fault for going down the wrong path. It was his fault he was obsessed with his brother. It was his fault he hadn't trained enough. Though now as he thought about it, perhaps it was his own fault? For pushing the raven to far? For not seeing he was in pain and needed a hand? Could Naruto have been there more?

His walk home was a silent one. He didn't acknowledge Sakura whom stood at his front door with a smile on her gentle features. She had grown up to be quite lovely, keeping her pink locks short, her dark green eyes narrowing and her voice becoming gentle and soft like Tsunade's when she was comforting someone. The kunoichi had been going out with Rock Lee for quite some time. He too, turned out to be quite a handsome young man. Wearing the same attire as Kakashi had instead of the crazy jump suit; he'd grown out his hair into a braid and had thinned his eyebrows. The two we're very cute together and he couldn't help but smile and feel a pain of loss at the bottom of his already broken heart. Hell, everyone in the village was starting to pair up. Hinata had found Shino to be attractive and they had gone out a few years back and were now a steady couple. Shikamaru had Temari from the Sand village and they were to be married soon; in three weeks now that Naruto thought about it. Ino paired up with Chouji a few years ago. Chouji had thinned out a lot, looking muscular and buff like a weight lifter on T.V. while still having his love for food. Kiba had ended up with Gaara of the sand, which Naruto and only a few select people knew about. It was quite the shock to find out Kiba was gay; not to mention the powerful Gaara of the Sand. It secretly comforted Naruto to know that he wasn't the only one whom had feelings for the same gender. Neji finally noticed Ten-Ten's secret love for him and soon their love had bloomed as well. Love was in the air in the village, as long as your name wasn't Uzumaki Naruto.

"Naruto, me and Lee are thinking about getting married! Here's your inv-a-t- Naruto?! What's wrong?" The pink hair kunoichi asked, spinning the blond around to face her as he turned away.

She had seen his tears, even with his best efforts to hide them. "Nothing's wrong….that's great…" Naruto said as though he had been a robot, programmed to do so.

"Oh Naruto. If this is about you not having a girlfriend-" Sakura started, crossing her arms again; he'd given her that as an excuse last time she had found him crying.

"I don't want a girlfriend." Naruto insisted suddenly, his eyes narrowing as he spun back around; having forgotten how hurting the girl's words could be sometimes, even if she didn't intentionally mean them to be.

"Well, what's the matter then?" She provoked, grabbing his shoulder.

"None of your damn business! Leave me alone!" Naruto snapped, pushing Sakura's hand away and slamming the door in her face.

A sting of guilt washed up his stomach as he laid on the bed; he hadn't meant to snap at Sakura so harshly, especially since she was about to get married. "I'm starting to lose myself over you huh?" Naruto asked a picture that hung right above his pillow each night.

His eyes swelled up with more tears and he pushed his head into the soft middle of the pillow when he heard hollow footsteps echo outside the room. The creak of the door opening and shutting hadn't alarmed Naruto. In fact, he could almost guess who was coming in for a visit.

Kakashi sighed as he sat on the bed, running his hand along the boy's back. "You want him back. I know. We all do." He said in a fatherly voice.

Ever since Sasuke had left, Naruto had never been the same. His laugh, smile, and 'I'm-Going-To-Be-Hokage' mood had left and had replaced itself with a broken doll that was known as his pupil. Kakashi gripped Naruto's shoulders as he threw himself at and hugged Kakashi tightly. The boy had been such an emotional wreck, that Kakashi and even Iruka would wake up in the middle of the night with the blonde clinging to their arm's, whimpering un-decipherable words. At first, the teachers had tried to do something about it. It gotten to the point where they understood however, that there was nothing they could do for him. Only when Sasuke came home, if he ever did; Naruto would return to his former laughing self. The thought burned the older ninja as he heard Naruto sniff a bit, trying to calm his quivering lips and running tears. "You can't keep doing this Naruto. I know this will sound harsh but isn't it time you let him go? Does he mean that much if he is going to break your heart all of the time?" Kakashi asked, not looking down at the glare he knew he was getting from the blond.

"So….that's what you think huh? You think he's doing this just to break my heart? Your wrong! He wants to avenge his clan! You would too!" Naruto hissed in a darker voice.

No one ever made a comment about how low Sasuke was. Sure he had left them all and gone to Orochimaru, but Naruto could hardly even blame him at times. His clan was slaughtered by the one person Sasuke had tried to hold on to. The one person Sasuke had grown up loving with all his heart and putting his trust into. It was like Iruka suddenly killing all of Naruto's beloved friends or Jiraya suddenly reducing the village to dust. Kakashi pinched the bridge of his nose, not knowing what to say really. He understood Sasuke's pain, yet at the same time he could understand the blonde's mourning of loss.

Kakashi's head turned slightly as he heard Naruto leave the room. He opened his mouth to say something, but with nothing but pity words, he knew it would serve no purpose as the blonde left his apartment. Kakashi reached a hand up to his partially hidden face, covering his eye; a habit when he was worried and something he could be seen doing often now-a-days. Naruto descended his steps and headed back for the gate, his eyes looking down the whole way as he felt the haunting stares once more on his back. The more he thought about it, the more he began to worry and become angry. Why couldn't he answer his simple question? Kakashi spied him from the window before he sighed and walked back into the eighteen year old's bedroom and picking up the picture that had hung over his resting place for years. "Sasuke, you look so content in here; yet you suffered a great deal. I wish you were here, still smiling like in the photo." He whispered to himself before chuckling and setting it back.

What was he saying? These words were being preached to the choir.(1) There was nothing he could say now or hope for. He couldn't rewind time and he certainly couldn't stop it. Perhaps it was one of those naïve wishes that all people have once in a while. Especially when they want it so bad, they'd give their life for it. With a reluctant sigh, the Jounin left the house, wondering if it would ever be occupied again by the happy, bouncing, kind hearted Naruto that the teachers knew.

Naruto walked out of the village and into the woods that surrounded his homeland. Reaching a certain point, almost twenty miles away from home and it being dark and moonless; the blonde decided to camp there for the night. He made a fire out of a few twigs and branches lying about him and soon, he laid by a warm fire as he listened to the sounds of the night. He could hear the guitar song Sasuke had played one night while they were heading back from a mission. Out of spite, they decided to camp in the area. Kakashi had brought along a guitar from the mission; the older woman giving it to them as payment instead of money. They had accepted, because she needed the money for her youngest grandchild. Kakashi had taken it out and tried to play a few songs; but they were horrible and off key. Sasuke, fed up of listening to the crappy tunes, snatched the guitar away and played a soothing melody that had nearly put Naruto to sleep. When he stopped and rested it near him, Naruto was overcome by disappointment. Later that night, as Sakura and Kakashi had drifted off to sleep, Naruto scurried over to his raven haired friend and poked him in his side; even though Sasuke wasn't even asleep.

"What do you want loser? I thought you were snoring hours ago." He mumbled, obviously just starting to drift himself.

Naruto winced at the harshness in his voice but forced himself to stay friendly about the subject. "I was wondering…if you'd play that song again?"

Sasuke's head jerked up as the question was thrown out. In all honesty, he thought Naruto had hated it and was trying to sleep so he didn't have to listen to it. "Why?" The raven questioned, narrowing his eyes.

It wasn't like Naruto to ask anything from anyone and it was this reason that Sasuke had been so puzzled. "Just do it Teme!" the blonde hissed at him.

Sasuke sighed and took the guitar in his hands again as Naruto moved his sleeping bag over so that he could rest his head right by Sasuke's leg. As he played the soft melody again, Naruto smiled. Drifting off to sleep, he let a small sun kissed hand reach out and grab a piece of fabric from the raven's shirt. Sasuke had stopped when he was a hundred percent sure that Naruto was asleep before he placed the instrument on the ground and laid beside the angle-like body of Naruto. A small smile appeared on his features as he, himself began to fall into a light sleep again. 'Good night dobe.' He thought as his eyes closed slowly. Naruto could remember that that night was the best he had slept in for quite a while. When he had awoken, he remembered Sasuke also having an arm around him and nuzzling against his back. Obviously, the raven had peaceful dreams as well. Thankfully, no one was up to encounter their previous position and with the gentle prying of fingers; Naruto had released himself from Sasuke's grasp. Again, tears made there way into Naruto's eyes as he laid his head down on the pillow and stared into the fire. It wasn't until after he began to dose off that he heard a soft tune drifting on the winds. Fully alert now, he sat up from the sleeping bag and kicked it off of him. Something told him to run after the haunting echo, in which he did. He ran like the world would fall from under his feet if he didn't. He ran and ran; for five minutes straight until he reached a clearing with a single tree. His eyes narrowed as he looked up into it's branches and saw the source of the song.

A tiny gasp was held back in his throat as he looked at the back of a raven colored haired man; playing a simple wooden flute. He was up at least a good twelve feet; laying back on the branch as he played; his eyes closed and oblivious to the world around him. "Sasuke…." Naruto's voice hissed lowly and almost immediately the song ended.

Sasuke stood up, looking into the crystal eyes of his once-companion. He could see the deep longing and anger that had always been there when he encountered the sunny blonde boy. His face was fixed into a state of shock and fear, as though Sasuke were a rare and wild animal that was ready to bound away, having heard him. His eye's slanted when he saw another emotion in the boy, one he had only seen a few times. Jumping down from his spot and landing gracefully on a knee; he smirked at Naruto as the blonde resisted from throwing himself at the boy. Standing up slowly, Sasuke was like a magical being the way his eyes glistened in the dim light. He strolled forward, taking his time painfully slow until he was three feet from Naruto. "Dobe…it's past your bed time…you should be home and in bed." He whispered with a gentle yet malice filled tone that would scare the oldest of children.

"….I….heard something and decided to check it out." Naruto whispered, turning his head away from the fixed stare he was getting.

Naruto nearly cried out when he felt himself being held tightly against a warm chest. Immediately, he could tell something was wrong. Sasuke was taller then Naruto, but not that tall. Then again, they had grown for years now. It had to be Sasuke, since he could see the Sharigan staring at him. Only Sasuke had eye's like that. Another thing that Naruto noticed was that Sasuke was wearing a cloak instead of Orochimaru's symbol attire. It was to hard to see in the dark, so the boy didn't mind it. He was more focused on the pair of lips that were inches away from his own now, his orbs growing wide as the soft flesh touched his own. It was as though Naruto had been aloud a little taste of heaven itself as the strange sense of belonging suddenly latched itself onto him like a leech and he embraced it with arms wide open. "You're a naughty, needy boy aren't you Naruto?" His voice hissed in his ear and he groaned at how hard it was making him feel.

"H-hai.." Naruto groaned as Sasuke began to bite his earlobe and suck on it a bit. Naruto melted into the Uchiha's arms instantly. It felt wrong to be doing this for some reason, yet it felt good all at the same time. Sasuke pale hand reached low suddenly and began to stroke him causing a purr to come from deep inside his throat. "Sa-Sasuke!" Naruto whimpered, clutching onto his shoulders as the others hand moved against his private area; arousing him to no end.

"You know Naruto, we could still be together…just come with me. We'll kill my brother and be together…always…." He suddenly insisted, picking up Naruto and laying him on his back in the grass before he lowered himself so he was over the fox-boy's trembling body.

Naruto knew fully what Sasuke intended to do and though his body screamed yes, his brain disagreed. "Always…is a long time Sasuke." Naruto breathed as he ran his slender fingers up and down Naruto's hips before straddling him.

Naruto panicked and tried to make the raven get off of him, but when Sasuke began to move against the boy; Naruto's actions immediately ceased. "What's wrong? Are you afraid? Don't be…I won't cast you away…not like they do…" Sasuke whispered as he began to strip Naruto of his clothing before disregarding his own.

Naruto felt Sasuke manhood touch his own as he began to gently thrust against him and arouse the blonde again. "I won't leave you…like he did."

Naruto's eyes snapped opened as he felt a sudden fear rise in him. It was to late though. A moment later, he was flipped onto his back and was entered roughly. Naruto screamed though it was cut off as a pale hand reached around and covered his mouth. "I won't leave you…like Ni-chan(2) did." Itachi chuckled as he continued to take the innocence away from his prey.

//1. Means talking to someone out of spite, though they can't do anything.

2. To clearify that Ni-chan means 'little' brother and Ni-san means older brother.//