Hello all! I had a lot of time on my hands this weekend and I finished another chapter. But there is a bad side... The "end of the year" test are coming soon, and not that I need to study, but I think it would be nest if I do take time to look certain subjects over.

I do not own any characters from Naruto.

Warnings for this chapter: Violence, Language, and other stuff

Naruto just looked at Sasuke, dumbfounded at the fact that the other teen had yelled at him. He could feel his head spinning; all his life he had been yelled at, cussed out, beaten, and more. Hearing the threatening tone in Sasuke's voice made him shiver. His heart pounded wildly in hest chest as he began to find it hard to breath. His mind was spinning and twisting, slowly converting back to times where similar voices taunted and mocked him…
"Let me go…" he pleaded as his scratches became more desperate and he was actually starting to cut the man. He could feel his eyes starting to sting, as he wanted to cry in fear. He froze as the man leaned over some and gave a sickening lick to his ear. "Please…let me go…" Naruto's body was now giving violent tremors as he heard dark chuckles from behind him.

"Why should I let you down hmm?" The man hissed as he loosened his grip some, but still had the child pressed tightly to his body.

"Just let me go!" Naruto shouted as he kicked his legs wildly. He fiercely rammed his heel into the man's knee, and he was dropped suddenly. After he figured out that he was released, he quickly got to his feet and ran as fast as he could. He only ran faster when yells of anger from the man reached his ears like crashing waves.

'Left, then right. Take another left…' Naruto tried to calculate his way through the brick labyrinth. 'This is wrong!' he shouted in his mind as he came to a dead end. He stood there for a few minutes, before turning around again. But before he could turn at the corner, he was shoved to the ground. His shoulders nearly shattered from the impact, as he lay dazed on the cold earth. Things only got worse when a tremendous weight was forced on to his stomach. He began punching out wildly before his hands were griped tightly and lifted above his head.

"Shut the fuck up brat!" The man hissed. Naruto's eyes widened as the man gave a vicious smirk. "And let me…help you." Naruto hated the way the word 'help' slid of the other's tongue like poison.

"Naruto?" Sasuke beckoned to the blond in a low, gentle voice. Unfortunately his calls were in vain as Naruto just sat there; blue eyes blank and zoned out. 'Damnit Sasuke!' he yelled at himself. 'He did nothing to you, and you just yell at him?' Sasuke was basically beating himself up. Sasuke looked at the boy with sadness in his eyes. He saw the look on Naruto's face when he yelled; how the other's eyes widened in fear, and how that petite body of his tensed.

"I am so sorry Naruto…" Sasuke began as he moved closer to the younger. He reached his hand out towards him, moving slowly as not to startle the other.

Naruto made no intentions to stop Sasuke from coming close to him. He couldn't; his mind was elsewhere. Sasuke took a deep breath as his hand finally descended onto Naruto's fragile shoulder. That was when all hell broke loose.

"Don't touch me!" Naruto screeched as he quickly shoved the offending hand of him. "Don't come near me!" the blond yelled again in a voice filled with madness.

"Naruto! Calm down it is alright!" Sasuke called to him as he stood from the couch with the delicate plate of pancakes in his hands. He had to get off the couch to avoid Naruto's wild kicks. Sasuke watched in horror as he saw the poor boy thrash around. Repeating phrases like "Get off!" and "Stop it! Let go!"

This torn Sasuke's heart in two. His chest ached to see such a site. 'Why… why must this poor… beautiful boy suffer?' Sasuke thought as Naruto continued his pleas of help. Sasuke didn't even care if he called Naruto 'beautiful' at the moment. After all, the blond was rather cute looking.

Sasuke swallowed hard as placed the plates of food on the floor, for now, and he took a few steps towards Naruto; his arms were in a position so that, if he had to, he could hold the smaller down to stop his violent attacks. All Sasuke truly knew was that if he did not stop Naruto, he could hurt himself and reopen that nasty wound on his hip. "Naruto!" Sasuke shouted as he finally made his move. He quickly gathered up Naruto in his arms, giving him a tight, calming hug. Sure, Naruto hit him while he was coming close and there was a high possibility he would have bruises, but it was all worth it.

The hard punches Naruto was applying to his chest, soon softened and then completely stopped. The blonde's body calmed and the tremors ceased. "I'm sorry Naruto… It's ok now, I'm here." Sasuke murmured as Naruto just rested his head on a welcoming, broad shoulder.

There was a long moment of silence as Naruto said nothing, and Sasuke mindlessly drew circles on the boy's back in a soothing way. He was glad that Naruto had calmed down, but he was also ashamed of himself for yelling at him. He probably awakened a painful memory… Sasuke let out a sigh as he just listened to the silence, the only noises in the house was the sound of the T.V. and their breathing.

"Sasuke…" Naruto said not over a whisper. Sasuke heard his name though and leaned forward some, so he could hear what the blond wanted to tell him.

"Yes Naruto?" He asked after there was a minute of silence. He could feel Naruto shift some as if to get in a comfortable position.

"You hurting my hip…" Naruto finally said out loud as he looked down. Sasuke looked down as well to see his own pale arm wrapped tightly around said hip.

"Oh, sorry," Sasuke apologized as he released his grip on Naruto and looked him directly in the eye. "Naruto…" He started. He wanted to ask so many questions, but he didn't know how to ask them. He didn't want to ask them so that he seemed so nosey, and then he didn't want to send Naruto into another panic. Finally he found the words he was looking for. "Are you alright? I did not mean to yell at you. It's just-"

"Don't worry about it," Naruto interrupted him before he could explain his actions. "It's ok… I just don't like people yelling at me," his head dropped shamefully as he could not bear to tell the entire truth to Sasuke.

Yes, Naruto trusted Sasuke, but he just couldn't trust himself. Besides…what if Sasuke is just using him? What if Sasuke is planning something against him? Naruto clamped his eyes closed, trying to send these negative thoughts away.

Sasuke saw this and he gave a soft smile. It was not that smug smirk he flashed around all the time. No, it was a down to earth, heartfelt smile. "It's ok Naruto… you don't have to speak about it if you don't want…" he said as he let his slender, bony fingers snake around to grip onto Naruto's tan hand. Sasuke's smile got a little bigger as he noticed the blond snuggle his head against his chest. 'So cute…' was all that Sasuke could think of.

But that wasn't the only thing that was entering his mind. He just couldn't believe how fast he had come attached to this boy. It had been about a week since he had almost killed the boy with his car. But then it should be ok to feel protective over him right? After all, Sasuke did spend every day with Naruto while he was in recovery.

Sasuke sighed loudly and looked back down at the blond, whose gaze was focused onto the brainwashing cartoon that had been on the entire time. He gave a soft laugh as he bent over and picked up the long forgotten plates.

"So Naruto, you still up for some pancakes?" he asked the other. Naruto chimed a 'thank you' in a happy tone before he began to devour the sweet, syrup covered food. Sasuke just left him alone, even though Naruto was eating with his fingers instead of the fork that basically started their whole fight. But Sasuke tried to ignore the fact that Naruto's fingers were getting covered with sticky goodness. As long as the younger was happy, so was he…

Somewhere in South Africa

Important notes were scattered all over an oak desk. Black ink pens were also lying about. All the while the owner of these notes and pens was currently sitting in his black leather, desk chair and facing away from the desk. His gaze was currently looking out the window and examining the lovely countryside that was about.

The door to his little "observing room" opened slightly as someone poked their head in. "Um… Excuse me Mr. Uchiha." The man, who is of no importance, stuttered out before the man in the chair spoke.

"Tell me…what is so important that you had to interrupt my studies?" this 'Mr. Uchiha' asked coldly with a threatening tone. He could basically hear the poor, pathetic man behind him shutter.

"Well you see… In three months your vacation time will start and-"

"And what?" The man snapped at the helpless victim. "I am very well aware that my vacation is coming soon. And I do have a place where I am going to spend in. So you can just fuck off you louse." With that, the man who had entered soon retreated and closed the door on the way out. The man in the chair, who appeared to be in his mid-twenties, rubbed the bridge of his nose as he let out a sigh. Soon, the look on his face was placed with a rather sinister one. 'Don't worry my little brother… I will be coming home soon,' he said to himself as he let out a bellowing chuckle.

-gasp- Oh no! another tiny cliffhanger! Who knows what could happen next!
R&R Please!

-Red (lots of writing love)