Year of the Fox

Disclaimer: Blahbla...don't own...blablah.

Author's note:
These chapters are getting DIFFICULT to write! X__x
I'm doing my best, really, but I don't think I need to tell you how slow I am and how I won't upload a new chappie every week anymore, do I? xD

This chapter was actually done a while ago, but I had to edit it and send it to Nic, edit again and then I went to Stockholm to see An Cafe (which was AMAZING btw)...but anyway, here I am! :D
I hope you'll all enjoy this chapter!
*******

Kugatsu:
Part 2

Naruto peeked over at the raven haired boy at his side.
Sai hadn't said a word since they drove out of Konoha, and what little he had said didn't make Naruto any wiser.
The brother he had mentioned wasn't brought up any more either. Naruto refrained from asking about him. He was curious, but at the same time his head was filled with thoughts.
He wondered why Sai wanted to help all of a sudden; why he had offered to take him to Sasuke. It bothered him.
Sai acting nice made him feel like the world was going to end or something.

The raven had spent the past few years trying to make Naruto's life a living hell, so why would he change his mind like this? And how did he know about him and Sasuke?
Did he know at all? He could just be assuming. That or it was just another of his sarcastic remarks.
Or did he know? If he did, then how?

The blonde teen sighed, resting his elbow against the car door.
Sai turned his head, looking at him expressionlessly.
Naruto returned his gaze for a moment, then looked back out the window, quietly regarding the landscape.
They'd been driving for over an hour, uncomfortable silence ruling in the car.
The only real break they'd had from the stuffy hot air and quiet of the car had been when they had dropped by a fast food restaurant a while back. Naruto'd been too tense to be hungry, but Sai had picked up a hamburger with fries and slush, though not for himself it seemed.

"Almost there," Sai's voice cut through the silence.
"Huh?" Naruto snapped out of his thoughts.
The other didn't bother repeating the statement.

Naruto spotted a yellow sign in the window as they passed it; "Otogakure, 15.5km."
They didn't continue straight ahead though; Sai took to the left at the next exit, and after another twenty minutes or so, they drove up the graveled path to the gates of the hospital.

Naruto didn't say anything, his eyes remaining fixated on the gates as they opened before the car, letting them in. A sign to his left told him the name of the hospital, but he didn't focus enough to read it. He could feel the nerves awakening in him, without making any effort to acknowledge them.
What would Sasuke say?
Something told him that the Uchiha wouldn't be thrilled at the thought of someone seeing him in a place like this. Even if it was him.
Or maybe, especially because it was him.
Sasuke probably didn't feel on top of the world right now, and Naruto himself knew that had he been in Sasuke's stead then he wouldn't want anyone to see him either.
Yet, here he was. And there was no turning back now.
He wanted to see Sasuke. To talk to him. Just to get to know how he was doing.
"That's the main building," Sai said, turning into the parking lot.
Naruto nodded.
His fists clenched in his lap.

The car came to a stop, the engine shutting down. Sai reached for the paper bag, the scent of junk food once again filling the car.
"What are you waiting for," he asked, sounding a little annoyed, "Get out."
Naruto fumbled with his seatbelt, a low 'click' finally sounding, freeing him from the belt.

Gravel crunched underneath his shoes as he made his way up towards the main building.
Sai was keeping a steady pace, walking a few feet ahead of him. The other teen seemed well accustomed to the scenery, and not nervous at all.
Naruto watched his back, chewing on his lip.
He wanted to ask Sai about his brother. And he wondered what they'd do when they reached the main building. Something told him he probably wouldn't be allowed to see Sasuke.
Why would he, when Sasuke wasn't allowed to have any contact with the world outside?
And what if he was allowed to see him? What would he say? And what would the Uchiha think about him coming here with Sai?
He looked around.
It didn't look like a mental hospital at all. Not that he'd expected crazies to be running around... But he hadn't thought it would be this normal either. Everything was peaceful and quiet, without having that typical sterile, lonely feel of a regular hospital. More than anything else, it felt like some sort of boarding school.
Maybe Sasuke had felt the same way, which was why he'd called it a school?
Naruto shrugged to himself, increasing his pace, to catch up with Sai as they reached the main entrance.
Two grand doors opened before them, letting them into a tiled hall with several chairs standing around, brochures sitting in little shelves on the walls and plants decorating the otherwise naked rooms. Large staircases were located at both sides of the reception desk Sai was hading for.

A slightly obese woman with round glasses looked up from the computer in front of her, smiling at Sai. She reached for the pen behind her ear, scribbling something on a notepad laying on the desk.
"You're back again," the woman stated, as if that wasn't obvious.
Sai didn't reply, but offered a nod.
"He's out back," she said, continuing to scribble, "And he'll be thrilled to see that you brought him food."
A soft giggle escaped from her lips, "He's always complaining about the food here, you know."
Sai still didn't say anything.
Naruto looked around the hall, nervously fidgeting with a loose thread in Sasuke's sweater.
Suddenly he felt stupid for wearing it.

"And you?" the woman at the desk peered at him, "Are you with Sai?"
He winced slightly at the statement; not wanting to have anything to do with the other teen.
Naruto shook his head, opening and closing his mouth multiple times before finally pulling himself together enough to mention Sasuke's name.
"Uchiha Sasuke," he said, "I'm here to see Sasuke..."
He caught Sai's eye, and looked away.
It didn't matter what impression Sai had, not really. But even so, Naruto didn't like the thought of Sai having an opinion on him and Sasuke. He didn't want to deal with his smug attitude when he found out he was right.

"Sorry," the receptionist said, "Sasuke's not allowed to see anyone yet."
"But," Naruto protested, "I only need to talk to him for a few minutes. I won't stress him or anything."
He knew that was a lie.
With all the frustration he'd been penting up over how Sasuke hadn't told him anything, and how he'd felt the past few weeks, chances were he'd get agitated when coming face to face with the Uchiha. And knowing Sasuke, the raven wouldn't be much different. He'd probably be furious to see Naruto here.
So why had he gone in the first place?
Naruto's shoulders sank.
Because he couldn't bear not to.
He just had to try.
"Sorry," the woman said again, "I can't allow it."
"Then," Sai said before Naruto had time to think of an answer, "He's with me. No harm in that, right?"
Thoughtfully, the receptionist shook her head. "I can't say that it is, no..." she admitted, hesitantly.
"Thanks," Sai smiled at her, taking the 'visitor' badges she was reaching towards him. Then turned on his heel, leading a confused Naruto towards the exit.

Naruto wasn't sure if he'd assumed that Sai would leave him to himself if he wasn't allowed to see Sasuke, but in any case, it surprised him that the raven was willing to let him tag along.
Still, it felt more than a little uncomfortable to follow him back through the hall and out to the backside of the building.

The whole place seemed to be shrouded in false security, Naruto noted, walking next to Sai across the lawn on the back side of the main building.
He could see some kids and teens playing basket ball on the court on the other side of the lawn; their laughter and screams mixing with the birds singing in the trees around them, and the sound of wind chimes coming from a window somewhere.
He wondered if the people who stayed here felt secure, if they liked it here.
It seemed so artificial in the way, but still so peaceful, so quiet.
He thought that perhaps this sense of security was just what some people needed. Being shielded from the real world might not be so bad after all.

The wind chimes sounded again.
The blonde teen looked around, trying to establish where the sound came from. The melancholic melody reminded him of something; a flash of long red hair and the scent of mild perfume coming to mind.
His mother had loved wind chimes. He was sure of it. He could vaguely remember one hanging in the window of his room when he was a kid and still living with his father.

Sai had started heading for the group of benches and tables on the other side of the lawn.
It seemed fairly abandoned apart from a boy sitting at the farthest bench.
A faint smile crossed Sai's face, his hand gripping tighter around the paper bag.

As they approached, Naruto noticed how the white haired boy on the bench lit up at the sight of them, springing to his feet and waving.
"Sai!" the boy grinned, throwing his arms around the raven's neck as soon as he came close enough.
"Get off," Sai muttered, trying to shake off the other.
The boy was still grinning, snatching the paper bag from Sai.
"So," he said, plopping back down on the bench, "What did you bring me?"
"Your fave as always," Sai started, "Burger, fries, nuggets and the largest apple and strawberry slush I could find."
"Just as I expected from you," the white haired boy reached out to ruffle Sai's hair, "little brother."
Sai dodged gracefully, glaring at him.
"So, that's your brother?" Naruto finally spoke.
"Yeah, Suigetsu."
Suigetsu looked up, speaking through a mouthful of fries; "Who's this guy?"
The blonde grinned at him, reaching out his hand.
"Sorry, I'm Naruto."
"Naruto...?" Suigetsu swallowed thoughtfully, his eyes darting over towards his brother; "Uzumaki Naruto?"
"That's the one," Sai said dryly.
Naruto felt the embarrassment creep up, his neck flushing.
Even this guy knew? What had Sai been saying about him?
A dark shadow flashed over Suigetsu's face, but only briefly, seconds later he was smiling again; his snaggletooth showing.
"So," he said, patting the wood on the bench next to himself, "What are you doing here? It's not exactly customary for Sai to bring people when he visits."
Naruto dropped down on the bench.
"I'm here to see someone."
"Mm?" Suigetsu swallowed, looking curiously at the blonde teen.
"Uchiha," Sai said, unable to hold back his smirk.
"Uchiha?" Suigetsu repeated, his lips curving upwards.
Naruto looked from Sai to Suigetsu; albeit being brothers, they didn't look much alike, but seeing them both smirking the way they did removed all doubts of them being related.
Suigetsu tilted his head slightly, "So, you're his..?"
Teasingly the white haired boy lifted his pinky, wiggling it.
"Friend," Naruto said quickly, "We're friends!"
"Sure, " Sai snorted, earning a glare from the blonde. He turned his attention to his brother; "Say, you don't know where to find him do you?"
Suigetsu grinned, "The missus at the desk wasn't helpful was she?"
"He's not allowed to have visitors," Naruto said.
Suigetsu slurped up the last of his slush.
"Don't worry," he said, "I'll help ya out."
Putting down the empty cup, he looked over towards the soccer field.
"Hey!" he called out, "Guys!"
A girl and a tall, muscular man with spiked hair, turned around and looked at them.
The girl stood up first, beginning to walk towards them.
As she came closer, Naruto noticed that her hair was cut short only on the left side. On the right side her hair reached down to her chest. He tried not to stare, but the shorter side was chapped and messy, like she'd cut it herself.
The guy had made it over as well. Naruto guessed he was about 20, maybe 21.
"What do you want?" the girl demanded. She sounded annoyed.
"Sasuke," Suigetsu said, slapping her hand away from his chicken nuggets, "Have you seen him today?"
The girl looked away, as if embarrassed.
"Karin was chasing him around this morning," the tall guy said, "So he went underground."
"Meaning?" Naruto asked carefully.
"He's in his room," replied the other gruffly.
"Well, there's something new," Suigetsu was still smirking, "Not that he's allowed to go anywhere."
"He's not?" Naruto heard himself asking.
There was no response. The girl, who Naruto assumed was Karin had already started walking away from them. The guy remained.
"That's all?" he asked.
"That's all." Suigetsu shrugged.
The big guy grabbed the last of the fries and turned, sparing Sai half a glance and ignoring Naruto completely.

"Freaks," Suigetsu muttered under his breath, watching them walk off.
The tone was awfully familiar.
Naruto stared at the teen, wondering if he was judgmental or if that was just how they spoke to each other here. Suigetsu shouldn't be the one to throw rocks, when he was locked up here himself.
"Juugo and Karin," Suigetsu said, pointing after them, "They're both nuts."
"So are you," Sai remarked.
"Yeah, not like that though," Suigetsu said, running a hand through white hair, "She's just a pissed off bitch with an attitude problem. You'd think that someone with self-esteem as low as hers, and who hurts herself would act a little nicer around people."
"And Juugo?" Sai seemed amused.
Naruto wondered if he'd met these people before. He probably had, if he visited frequently.
Suigetsu snorted.
"Yeah him, even for a schizo I think he's got too much of a temper."
Naruto regarded him as he spoke. Suigetsu's words were so hard, but he didn't seem like he was being spiteful. Not like the way Sai was.
They were probably friends. His own group talked amongst themselves like that.
Maybe it was the same, even if Karin was suicidal and Juugo was a schizophrenic.
"What about you," he heard himself saying, "What are you in for?"
"Me?" Suigetsu pointed to himself, "Manic Depression."
He grinned.
"He doesn't seem very depressed..." Naruto thought to himself.
"He's heavily medicated." Sai said dryly.
"Very." Suigetsu nodded. Then he stood, throwing the paper bag and trash into the bin next to them.
"Come on," he said, "I'll take you to Sasuke."
"You can do that?" the hope in Naruto's voice was badly hidden.
"I really shouldn't, but I can," Suigetsu laughed, "It's not like he's in the closed ward anymore. We're on the same floor, so no one will mind that we're up there."
Naruto's hands fisted in his pockets. He had no idea what he was gonna say to Sasuke. But it didn't matter. Silently, he followed Sai and his brother inside the building and up the stairs.

***

The door before him was the scariest thing in the world at that moment.
Here he was, without any real purpose, with a guy he couldn't stand, ready to surprise Sasuke, who hated surprises. He was crazy.
Naruto smiled slightly, trying to calm himself.
He probably wouldn't get much time with Sasuke, and there was absolutely no time to be planning what to say or do once he met him. He should just go ahead and do it, and yet he was reluctant. This had been a bad idea from the start, fueled by his impulsive mind.

"Are you gonna knock or what?" Suigetsu crossed his arms over his chest.
Sai snickered under his breath.
"There's a reason I call him dickless."
Naruto glared, "Shut up Sai."

He swallowed, and knocked.

It was silent.
He knocked again, without any response.

"Maybe he went out?" Sai shrugged.
"Where do you think he'd go?" Suigetsu rolled his eyes, "He's not exactly the adventurous type."
"Try again," Sai urged, "Three's the charm, right?"

Biting down on his lip, Naruto knocked a third time, gently pushing the door open.
"I'm coming, jeez! All this noise to check if I took my-"
Sasuke's voice startled Naruto.
And Sasuke himself seemed startled, as he came out of a door inside the room and froze, staring at the doorway.
"Naruto?"

"Good luck," Suigetsu mumbled in the background, pulling the door shut.

Naruto grinned sheepishly.
"Hi."
"What the hell are you doing here?!" Sasuke was still standing in the same spot, staring at him, eyes wide like saucers.
"I thought I'd come visit..."
"You thought you'd-" Sasuke ran a hand through his hair, "You idiot! You're not...I'm not supposed to...What..."
Naruto smiled. Sasuke seemed to have been thrown completely off balance, understandably enough.
"I surprised him alright..." he mumbled.
Sasuke was still sort of gaping at him, in a way Naruto hadn't thought possible for the usually emotionless Uchiha.
"Sasuke? Are you okay?"
"I just...I can't believe you came here."
"I couldn't reach you so...I wanted to see you," it sounded stupid. Stupid and whiny and clingy.
"Can I sit down?" he asked, jerking his head at the bed.
"Go ahead," Sasuke nodded, throwing aside some clothes that were scattered over the bed.
Naruto sat down, Sasuke sitting next to him without saying a word.

The blonde looked around.
"So," he said, realizing how flat and artificial it sounded, "This is where they keep you, eh?"
"Yeah," Sasuke nodded again, "This is it."
Sasuke's room wasn't as bad as he'd imagined it to be; in addition to the bed, there was a small table, a desk, dresser and a chair. The floor was carpeted, and all corners and edges were rounded, Naruto noticed. To prevent patients from hurting themselves?
But no padded walls. He smiled to himself, feeling stupid for even having thought that there would be padded walls in here.

"What are you smiling about, dobe?"
"Nothing," Naruto pursed his lips, "Bastard."
It felt good to say those words again.
Sasuke smiled faintly.

They looked at each other.
Why was this so awkward?

"So...uh..." Naruto started, being the icebreaker once again, "How are they treating you here?"
"Same as always," Sasuke replied coolly.
Of course, what a stupid question. This wasn't Sasuke's first time here.
"And how's that?" the blonde continued to probe curiously, trying to take advantage of his own stupid question and turn it into an actual conversation.
"They patronize me, boss me around and order me to take medication and go to my sessions, so I guess...I'm doing pretty good," Sasuke's lip quirked.
Naruto was uncertain whether Sasuke meant to be sarcastic or not.
"Are you feeling better?" he asked quietly.
Sasuke bit down on his lip, leaning back against the wall.
"All things considered..." he said, "Yeah."
"Yeah?" Naruto lit up.
"They've got me back on Seroquel," he explained, "So the side effects are gone...Well...those caused by the Xanax anyway."
He smiled bitterly.

Worry crept up in Naruto. That meant Sasuke still suffered from side effects. But how severe was it? Was he still seeing things?

"They're considering trying different meds," Sasuke continued, "But I don't know...I'd rather be without. Still, anything is better than that other crap they had me on."
"Yeah," Naruto said again, nodding.
He shifted on the bed, moistening his lips with his tongue before asking;
"Do you know when you can come home?"
"Depends," the Uchiha replied, "Maybe I'll get time off for good behavior?"
The joke fell through somewhat, but brought Naruto's smile back nonetheless.
"Unless they decide I'm a complete nutcase, I'll probably be back before school starts up again," Sasuke nodded to himself, "But I guess you can never be sure. If it was up to me..."
He moved closer, placing his hand over Naruto's on the duvet.
"I'd be out of here yesterday."

Naruto looked down on their hands.
"I've been thinking a lot..." he said.
"About?" Sasuke's voice was low.
"You," Naruto said truthfully, "Me. Us...This whole thing..."
Sasuke said nothing.
"Why is it that you're not allowed to have contact with anyone?" Naruto blurted out, "How is that for the best?"
"Not that you cared," Sasuke pointed out, smirking.
"No, well...I probably wouldn't have come here if I could've called you or something," he admitted.
"Why did you come here then?"
"Because, I..." Naruto had to stop himself.
Why had he come here?
It was obvious that he wanted to know how Sasuke was doing, that he wanted to hear from him that he was fine. He'd missed him, that was true.
Still, it was Sai's initiative that had made him go in the first place.

"Did you miss me?"
Naruto scowled.
That smug tone! As always, the Uchiha acted far more superior than anyone gave him credit for. The way he smirked so confidently.
It pissed Naruto off, just as much as it made him happy.
A smug, cocky Sasuke was a normal Sasuke.
"Maybe," Naruto said, "A little."
"That's okay," Sasuke continued, just as cocky, moving closer to Naruto on the bed.
His lips ghosted over the blonde's ear; "I've missed you too."
Chills ran down Naruto's spine. Automatically, his hand flew up to clutch at the back of Sasuke's shirt, as if wanting to make sure that he was real.

Sasuke allowed it.
He returned the gesture, wrapping his arm around Naruto, gripping at the sweater he was wearing; Sasuke's own sweater.
He pressed his forehead against Naruto's, pulled the other boy close, buried his nose in sun-kissed hair. At that moment he was certain he'd never felt more vulnerable in his entire life.
This desperation that welled up in him; the notion that this moment would be brief, that Naruto would go home without him. It was strong. Strong enough to make Sasuke think he couldn't take it. And more than enough to make him feel like a complete idiot for overdramatizing in this way, so he didn't say anything. Didn't want to bring Naruto down as well.
He wanted to leave it at this; let Naruto believe that he was fine and that he'd come back home soon.
But if there was something he'd learned about this place, it was that nothing was ever certain.

He didn't want to think about it.
Right now, everything was fine. This was perfect.
At least he wanted to think so.

Soft, blonde strands brushed against his lips.
It tickled.
Sasuke parted his lips, catching a few of the strands in-between them, tasting them briefly, before burying his nose in Naruto's hair again, inhaling the blonde's scent.
"You smell nice..." he mumbled.
"What?" there was laughter in Naruto's voice.
Sasuke blinked.
"Did I say that out loud?"
Naruto nodded. "Mhm."
The Uchiha pulled back, touching a hand to his forehead.
"Crap."
Naruto laughed.
"This place has made you soft," he said.
"You wish," Sasuke snorted.
"I'm glad you're fine."
"What about you? How are things?"
"You know..." Naruto driveled, "Same as always..."
It wasn't necessary for Sasuke to know that things had sucked. He didn't need to know how apathetic Naruto had been after he left.
"Sakura and Ino keep asking about you... Kakashi's pretty much living with Iruka full time now... and summer school sucks."
He forced a smile.
"What have you told them?" Sasuke asked, his tone suggesting he was ashamed that he'd ended up here.
"They think you're on vacation," Naruto replied, "Like you told me at first."
Sasuke gave a wordless nod.
He still hadn't let go of the blonde's hand.

"Does anyone know that you're here?"
"No," Naruto shook his head, "You think I could just walk up to them and say 'hey, I'm gonna break into the hospital to see Sasuke'? Besides, Kakashi threw me out of the house. Said I had to get some fresh air."
"About that," Sasuke looked at him, "How did you get here?"
"Heh," Naruto grew fidgety, letting go of Sasuke's hand, his own reaching up to rub his neck.
"Sai took me."
Sasuke's brow furrowed.
"Sai?"
"Yeah...He knew that you were here."
"How the-"
"His brother. Suigetsu."
Sasuke stared blankly.
"Sai's...." he started, cutting himself off.
Naruto nodded. "Yeah, Suigetsu got me in. The lady at the reception wouldn't let me see you."

It didn't seem like Sasuke was interested in hearing about that.
He was preoccupied with how Naruto had gotten here.

"Since when's Sai a friend of yours?" he asked suspiciously.
"He's not!" Naruto blurted, "I mean...We met in town and..."
"He offered you a ride?" Sasuke's tone was different now.
"Pretty much..."
"And you just jumped in his car?" Sasuke glared at him, "Are you stupid?"
"What?"
"Sai has done nothing but torment you, and all of a sudden he wants to help you? Come on Naruto, that makes no sense!"
"That's what I thought too.." Naruto admitted, "But maybe..."
"No." Sasuke cut him off, "There aren't any maybes with a guy like him. You can't seriously be trusting him?!"
"Who said I trusted him?" Naruto snapped, "Besides, he brought me here, didn't he?"
"So what? He'd might as well drop you off at the side of the road. At least if he's half the nutcase his brother is. And by the way you're describing him right now, he sounds pretty bipolar to me!"
"You're fucking paranoid!" Naruto regretted the words as soon as he'd spoken them, and still he wasn't able to stop himself; "Has it occurred to you that maybe Sai's such a jerkwad because he's lonely? That he took me here because we have something in common?"
Sasuke arched an eyebrow in question.
"We both have someone here we care about!" Naruto spat, "But you don't know what that means, do you?! To care? It's not like you cared to tell me that you were going away! You waited until the last minute. Because you don't know what trust is either!"
Sasuke looked taken aback.
"Do you know how much that hurts, Sasuke?! It fucking hurts!"
How had this happened?
Naruto was amazed himself at how pissed off he really was. He was spewing oaths and curses at Sasuke; the same person that had made him feel safe. And he didn't know why. But he was scared.

The Uchiha glared back at Naruto with defiance. His eyes were pitch black.
"Is that what you think?" he hissed, "It didn't occur to you that I might've been searching for a way to tell you, and that I couldn't find one because I was afraid of your reaction? Did you ever stop to think that I was afraid of losing you?!"
His words died out.
Vulnerability shot through him again. Having said those words made him feel horrified.


"What is this?" Naruto whispered, feeling exhausted all of a sudden. "This fight? What is this we have?"
Sasuke took a deep breath, regaining his senses.
"All we do is fight! Every time we have some sort of moment, it ends in a fight! And you're always pushing me away!"
"You started this you know," Sasuke said.
"I don't care who started it! I let Sai take me here because I was worried about you! And I know that you probably don't want me to see you here, in this state, but I came anyway, because I was worried about you! Not to get yelled at!"
Sasuke didn't say anything. Naruto had yelled first, and they both knew it, but if he said that it'd only trigger another explosion. Sasuke wasn't stupid.
"I don't mean to push you away," Sasuke muttered, "I don't."
"Then why?" Naruto demanded, "It's like you don't remember anything...And like you can't make up your mind at all! What am I to you?"
"You..." Sasuke turned his head, emitting something like a chuckle, "You want to know? Fine!"
Dark eyes dug into Naruto's.
"I don't think I would've survived back then if it wasn't for you, ok?! You were positive, you were cheerful. And it made me strong, because I wanted to protect you!"
"Well, I don't need to be protected anymore!"
"Listen to me!" Sasuke raised his voice again. "What I'm trying to say is that I don't care. I don't care what we're fighting about! But if you want to know what you are to me, then I'll show you."

In the next second, Naruto found himself pinned down on the bed, with Sasuke on top of him. The raven's hands were holding his in a firm grip, his knee forcing Naruto's legs apart.
Warm, chapped lips found Naruto's, pressing down on them, forcing them to part so his tongue could slip inside Naruto's mouth, persisting until the blonde kissed him back.

A jolt went through Naruto as soon as their lips met. Like he'd forgotten all about how Sasuke's mouth felt on his. Only, that would be a lie.
As much as he'd hated Sasuke over the last few weeks; for leaving him, for not telling him and just because he worried so much about him, he'd wanted more than anything to see him, to make sure he was alright. He'd dreamt about him, without having wanted to.

His hand went up to run over Sasuke's neck, fisting in his hair, pulling the Uchiha closer to himself, pressing against him as the raven's tongue plunged back into his mouth, earning him a quiet growl from the blonde.

They broke apart, their bodies still pressed tightly together. Sasuke swallowed, looking down at Naruto, his dark eyes questioning.
"Sasuke..."
"Sorry," the word tasted bitterly in Sasuke's mouth; like he'd been using it all too much lately, "If you think we're moving too fast..."
"No. That's not it..."
Relief crossed Sasuke's face.
"It's just that... I wanted to talk to you... that's what I came for, although.. I said it all..."
"Then don't say anymore..." Sasuke whispered, kissing the corner of Naruto's lips, grinding carefully against him.
"No," Naruto pushed him back, "I really need to know, how are you?"
"I told you already."
Naruto's hand fell from Sasuke's hair to his back, resting there.
"Yeah, you told me a bunch of crap...but how are you feeling?"
Sasuke snorted, "You sound like my therapist."
Naruto grinned faintly. "Idiot."
"So you wanna know how I'm doing, huh?" Sasuke asked, running his hand through his bangs, pulling his hair back, "I hate this place. I hate being back here, with people watching me all the time, making my decisions for me. I can't stand all their psycho babble crap. But I'm okay."
The blonde smiled a little. "Really?"
Sasuke nodded.
"I guess... I didn't want you to keep everything bottled up..." Naruto started, "We can talk."
"We didn't have to talk before," Sasuke reminded him.
"No, but we trusted each other then. You were less of a bastard then," he smiled wryly.
"I know you, Sasuke," Naruto sobered, "That's why we're in this relationship right? Because we used to depend on each other enough to make this feel less crazy? Moving this fast?"
"You think so," Sasuke chewed on his lip, leaning down, closer to Naruto's face, "Then, I'll let you depend on me."
"This isn't only about me," Naruto pushed Sasuke away, but only a little, he was still close enough for Naruto to feel his breathing on his scarred cheeks.
"Fine," Sasuke coaxed against whiskered cheeks, "I'll depend on you too..."
His voice was rawer, needier.
His lips were hard and soft at the same time, moving down to Naruto's own, locking with them.

The door opened.
Naruto tilted his head back, to the upside down view of a woman with glasses, fuming in the doorway, with Sai and Suigetsu standing partially hidden in the corridor behind her.
He swallowed, and forced a tentative, sheepish grin.
"For the record," he laughed nervously, "This is making him feel really good!"
Sasuke frowned, sitting up.
"Let me guess," he started, "This is against regulations, isn't it?"
The woman in the doorway, who Naruto had assumed was Sasuke's therapist, was still gaping at them.
"I know how this looks," the Uchiha continued, "Me and him... alone in my room like this? But seriously, I would have taken him somewhere else, if I'd been allowed to go anywhere else."
Naruto bit his lip, not to let the woman see his smile.
Even here, with doctors and psychologists all around him, Sasuke was the same cocky bastard he'd always been.

The therapists' icy appearance didn't crumble for as much as an instant.
Suigetsu coughed behind her.
"So..." he said nervously, scratching himself on the upper arm, "That's where your friend went, Sai..."
Sai said nothing. His eyes were fixated on the two boys on the bed.
He smirked.
Naruto scowled back at him.
"Don't even try to act like you're innocent." said the woman, turning to Suigetsu for a brief moment.
The white haired boy shrugged, grinning.
"It's worth a shot?"

Naruto scrambled off the bed, still rubbing his neck nervously.
"I'm sorry," he said, "I shouldn't have snuck up here. It wasn't Suigetsu's idea, I swear. I just really needed to talk to Sasuke."

The woman with the glasses crossed her arms over her chest.
She sighed.
"I'll give you a few more minutes then. But please, Sasuke, take your...friend down to the TV room or something."
Sasuke nodded, mumbling a brief 'thank you'. He stood from the bed, leading Naruto past her and through the door. He didn't look at Suigetsu, or Sai.
Naruto exchanged a brief glance with the other raven, but didn't say anything to him. Sai was quiet as well.
Sasuke's therapist called after them down the hall; "I expect to see you at my office in forty minutes!"

After that the conversation sort of froze. In the presence of other patients and doctors, Sasuke withdrew, and Naruto himself couldn't find much to talk about either. Whenever he tried, Sasuke would act dismissive and uninterested.
Naruto was certain however, that the raven appreciated having him there.

After thirty minutes of near-silence, Sasuke stood.
Naruto looked up at him.
"I'll walk you out," the Uchiha said.
Naruto nodded, following him out of the room, into the hallway.
"So, you've got a session now?"
Sasuke nodded.
"How does that make you feel?" Naruto flashed a cheeky grin.
"Shut up dobe," Sasuke pushed him gently.
"Listen..." Naruto grabbed the Uchiha's hand, "I'm sorry I just appeared here all of a sudden...I know it must be weird for you and-"
"It's okay," Sasuke broke him off, "I'm glad you came."
Naruto's lips curved upwards in relief.
"Of course, I'd preferred that you didn't have to see me here...like this.." Sasuke ran his thumb absentmindedly along Naruto's hand, smiling slightly, "But I'm glad you came. It was good to see you."
"Yeah, you too."
That odd silence came down over them again.
"I have to go," Sasuke's grip on Naruto's hand tightened.
"I know," there was a reluctance in Naruto's voice, he squeezed back.
"Come here," Sasuke said so quietly, almost just mouthing the words, pulling Naruto closer to him. He let go of the blonde's hand, sliding his arms around his waist instead; hands moving up to brush over scarred cheeks and up to run through blonde locks.

Their lips touched briefly.
Naruto's eyes wandered to see if anyone was watching them, but they were alone in the hallway. He kissed Sasuke back harder, gripping his shirt, not wanting to let go.
There'd been too many goodbyes lately.

They broke apart, staring at each other. Sasuke was smiling.
"I appreciate you coming here," he said, looking away slightly embarrassed, "But don't do it again, okay?"
"I won't," Naruto promised, "As long as you get out of here soon."
The Uchiha allowed himself to chuckle quietly. "I promise."
"Good," Naruto grinned, "Because you know... I have needs."
"What?" Sasuke cocked an eyebrow.
The blonde stuck his tongue out. "Nevermind."
"Idiot."
"I'll see you, 'kay?" Naruto gripped Sasuke's hand briefly again, squeezing it.
"Okay," Sasuke returned the squeeze.

"Bye."

Their hands let go of one another.
Naruto begun walking down the hall, towards the reception, feeling Sasuke's eyes on his back, but not daring to turn around. If he did then he'd probably be unable to leave. He felt so bad for Sasuke, being left here. Like he was abandoning him all over again.

"Naruto!"
He turned around, seeing Sasuke standing in that same place, with a wry smile on his lips.
"What?"
"You look good in my sweater."
"Heh," Naruto's lip curved upwards, he smiled and waved, "So do you!"

****

Twenty minutes later, Naruto found himself back in Sai's car.

"I'm sorry," he said.
"For what?" Sai replied dryly, keeping his eyes focused at the rear-view mirror as he backed out of the parking lot.
"For making you leave early... You probably wanted to stay longer..."
"Nah," Sai brushed him off, "We're brothers after all. There's a limit to how long we can hang around each other without the both of us going nuts."
Naruto smiled faintly.
"So how was it? Seeing Prince Charming again?"
"Listen," Naruto said, "Sasuke and I..."
"Whatever," Sai shrugged, "I'm not gonna tell anyone."
Naruto looked out the window.
"But if you think that no one's catching on, you're stupider than you look, Uzumaki."
"Get bent."
Sai smirked.

"Thanks." the word fell from Naruto's lips without him being aware of it.
"Don't mention it," Sai said, "And I won't either."
He went quiet, before adding; "As long as you don't."
"What? Tell anyone that you took me here, or about-"
"My brother being in the crazyhouse? Yeah that," Sai's voice was slightly bitter, "That's not why though."
The blonde looked quizzically back at the raven.
Sai's lip quirked upwards, his eyes focusing on the road again. "As far as anyone knows, Suigetsu's dead."

Sai didn't elaborate, and Naruto didn't feel comfortable about asking what that meant.
The only words exchanged between them after that was whether or not they should stop at the same fast food restaurant and catch a bite before reaching Konoha. However, the oppressive silence in the car made them decide against it.
***

The sun was just about to set in Konoha when the two of them got back.

Climbing out of the passenger seat, Naruto was once again uncertain. His mind was clouded with thoughts of what had happened that day, but he was definitely calmer he decided. Having seen Sasuke made him feel better. He was pretty sure that the Uchiha would be alright.

"Thanks again," he said to Sai, a tad awkwardly.
"Seriously, don't mention it." Sai slammed the door shut, turning the key in the lock.
Naruto offered a half-smile.
"I mean it though. Regardless of what you think of me, I appreciate it."
"Whatever," Sai shrugged, seemingly impatient and eager to get away.
"You're not that bad actually," the blonde smiled, "Turns out you have a heart after all."
Sai rolled his eyes.
"And it turns out you don't have a dick," he leered off, "Cut the crap Uzumaki. Seriously."
Naruto failed to hold back his amusement, chuckling slightly.
"I'll see you around."
"I hope not." Sai said dryly, but he was smiling.

Watching the car disappear around a corner, Naruto started walking up the road. He could've told Sai to drop him off at Iruka's, rather than driving him back home, but the uncomfortable silence in the car had made him think twice about it - and he wasn't so sure he wanted to go back to Iruka's house just yet anyway, God knew what he could've walked in on.
And he felt bad for not having been around to help at the orphanage lately; Chiyo was getting old and it wasn't fair to leave Gaara with all the chores just because he was feeling depressed, even if Neji was there to help out.
Actually, that made him feel even worse. But he plastered his usual grin on his face when he opened the door and kicked off his shoes;
"I'm home!"
The kids came to greet him, but no one else.
"Why are you still up? Where's Chiyo-baa?" he asked, hoisting a little girl into his arms.
"Downstairs, doing laundry."
"Why's she doing that? Where's Gaara?"
"Gaara-nii's been out all day," said the girl chewing on her hair, "And Neji's not here. So she has to."
"Tch," the blonde teen bit his lip.
"You," Konohamaru was tugging on his sweater, "You owe me a chocolate bar. Do you have it?"
"Sorry," Naruto frowned, "I forgot... I'll make you some ramen though. Okay?"
"I'm not you." the boy strode off.
Naruto laughed quietly, making his way into the kitchen.
*****

Sasuke's therapist was eyeing him curiously, tapping at her clipboard with newly painted red nails.
"If you say a word, I'm outta here," Sasuke warned her.
She smirked slightly, pursing her glossed lips.
"Are you happy?" she asked.
"What?" the Uchiha snorted in disbelief, "I'm locked up, how happy do you think I can get?"
"I mean, are you happy he came here?"
Sasuke shrugged. "He shouldn't have."
"So you're confused," she stated, noting down her own words.
"I didn't say that," Sasuke leaned back in his chair, "I didn't want him to come here because it's none of his business."
"So he makes you feel weak."
"Are you even listening to me?" the annoyed teen glared at her, carrying his wounded pride on his sleeve.
"Having feelings for someone else brings out the weirdest things in us, Sasuke."
Sasuke looked away, focusing on the doorknob to his left. He wanted to let her know that his feelings for her brought forth murderous things in him, but refrained from it. Like he'd been calmed by Naruto's visit.
"Hn," he crossed his arms over his chest.
"Is he the reason you want your phone back so badly?"
"I'm a teen," Sasuke said sarcastically, "I can't live without it, okay?"
She corrected her glasses, offering him a sympathizing smile.
"This is precisely why; the instant he came here you changed. We didn't want you to have contact with the outside world because we were afraid it'd make it hard to distinguish changes in your personality due to sideeffects from those caused by outside influences."
"That's lame." Sasuke announced.
"You may think so, but believe me, it works quite well."
"Good for you," the Uchiha glanced impatiently at the clock.
"But you've accepted it?"
"Huh?" he wasn't following.
"I mean, that you're not really into girls?"
"Does it seem like I'm not accepting it?" he bit her off, "And can we please stop talking about him? It's a waste of time, and none of your business anyway."
The woman sighed, "Alright. As long as it's clear that this is the last time you sneak someone up to your room."
"I didn't-"
"I know. But I need to be sure you understand the rules."
"I get it," Sasuke assured her.
"Good," she corrected her glasses again.
Sasuke caught the gesture in the corner of his eye, and wondered silently why she didn't just switch to contacts. Glasses obviously didn't agree with the shape of her nose.
"Let's talk about your brother."
"What?" the raven's entire body stiffened.
"You've been here for weeks, and we still haven't talked about him."
"Let's not," he replied sourly, shifting uncomfortably in his seat.
She ignored him.
"You saw him on several occasions, did you not?"
"I told you that already."
"You and your brother, you were close, weren't you?"

Sasuke clenched his fists. He pictured the photo from his brother's old room; of the two of them, taken back when everything was so simple, when all he wanted was to be like his older brother. He didn't want to think about it.

"You looked up to Itachi, wanted to be like him, didn't you say so?"
"Stop it," he hissed, like she was performing some sort of torture on him.
"You're still in pain," she stated, "Which is understandable. It must've been quite traumatizing to lose him like that, you were still so young and-"
"He's not dead."
"Excuse me?"
"He's not dead," Sasuke repeated, clenching his fists so intensely he could draw blood with his nails. It felt good, and it worried him.
"Why do you think he still lives?"
"Because," Sasuke muttered, "They haven't found him yet. He was too smart. Without a body there is no evidence. He's not dead."
The look she was giving him was one of fascination.
'Breakthrough?' she scribbled.
"You seem certain?"
Sasuke looked out the window, his eyes darting nervously around.
"He told me," he mumbled.
She sighed.
'Denial. Further medication required.'
"You don't believe me," Sasuke stated, "But I'm sure of it..."
She didn't move, but continued to stare at him, pen in hand, ready to note down anything he said.
"I'm not crazy," his voice fell, his nails digging deep into his wrists, soothing the chaos in his mind against his will, calming those disturbing thoughts, "He's out there somewhere."
"Sasuke," her voice was pained.
"Leave me alone," he stood, heading for the door, "Our time's up."

Suigetsu was leaning against the wall in the corridor outside, waiting for him.
Sasuke didn't spare him as much as a glace; striding by him.
One single drop of blood trickled down his hand, warm and reassuring.
He hated it.
******

Gaara walked hastily down the street. For a small town, Konoha was way too crowded. During summer it was always like this; twice as many people out, because of summer vacation, not to mention all the people who were here to visit relatives.
It made him uncomfortable.
Trying his best not to crash into anyone, he made his way across the road.

He could see the apartment building where his siblings lived now, and sighed thankfully; it was hot, even though it was getting late, and he'd just about had it with all these strangers keeping an eye on him wherever he went.
Stuffing his hands in his pockets, he tried his best to ignore them all, letting his gaze wander, while still keeping an eye on the building where he was headed.

In the crowd, he spotted someone familiar heading towards him; a boy with spiky hair pulled back in a pony tail.
Naruto's friend, Shikamaru was it?

They passed each other, exchanging glances.
Shikamaru nodded at him, Gaara nodded back, and then the other was lost in the buzzing crowd again.

His sister was in the living room, painting her toe nails when he came in. Kankurou was nowhere to be seen.
"Gaara!" she smiled, "What are you doing here?"
"Crashing," said the red, plopping down in the couch beside her, "Can I spend the night?"
"Sure. Do they know you're here?"
He shook his head.
"Alright, I'll give them a call then," she stood, wobbling over to the phone, trying not to ruin her toes.

The phonecall was a quick one, and she returned to the couch shortly.
"Naruto says hi," she said, "It sounded like he was almost relieved to hear that you're here."
Gaara shrugged.
"You're not fighting, are you?"
"No," he shrugged again, picking up the bottle of nailpolish, studying it without any particular interest.
"I didn't know you liked younger guys?" he suddenly said, eyeing her.
"What?" she croaked, the brush sliding; pink color trailing down her toe.
"I saw Shikamaru on the street," he informed.
"So? It's a small town," she shrugged.
"Yeah right," Gaara didn't sound convinced.
"You know what, it's none of your business. I'm a grown woman, I can do whatever I want."
"Yeah, but he's just a boy," the red teased, smirking faintly.
"Shut up!" she glared, "He just came by to pick up something he forgot here, okay?"
"What?" Kankurou came through the door, "His underwear?"
The brunette grinned, gracefully dodging the flying pillow that came at him.
"It's not that serious!" Temari shrilled.
"Yet." her younger brother snorted, "I'm going to bed. See you."

Coming into the guestroom, he let himself down on the bed, staring straight into the wall.
Before coming here, he'd ran into Hinata, and he couldn't quite shake off their meeting:

"G-Gaara! Wait!" the dark haired girl had caught up to him outside a small bakery, as he was heading here.
He turned around, his expression questioning.
"D-do you have time?" she panted, trying to catch her breath after having chased after him.
"I guess," he shrugged, a little reluctantly.
"Then, we can talk?"
He nodded.
"Okay, how about we just go in here?" she nodded at the bakery.
Gaara sighed. He hated places like this, but it seemed abandoned enough, and Hinata didn't seem like the type to force anyone to hang around longer than they felt like anyway, so he tagged along.

"Listen," he said, watching as she ordered ice tea, "If you're here to warn me about Neji-"
She shook her head.
"You sure?" he searched her with his eyes, "Because I know that you're probably on Naruto's side and..."
"No," she shook her head again, "I mean, N-Naruto-kun is just looking out for you and-"
"I know," Gaara broke her off, "He worries enough for everybody, trust me."

A waitress with pigtails came up to their table, handing Hinata her ice tea. She smiled and thanked her, before turning back to the red.

"I can understand that you're tired of it..." she said shyly, "But he's just looking out for you...He means well."
"I thought this wasn't about that?" Gaara continued to stare provocatively at her.
"It's not... I mean..." she stuttered, sipping at her cold drink, "Neji does a lot of stupid things, and trust me, he probably has his reasons...Not that I think he's dealing with things in the best way..."
This was more than Gaara'd heard the meek girl speak ever.
"But...I think you can probably deal with him..." she blushed deeply, but smiled at him, "I like you, you're a good guy, so I don't want you to get hurt...but I'm not getting involved."
"Really?" Gaara pursed his lips, it didn't really sound like that.
"We get along badly enough as it is," she laughed shyly.
"Heh," Gaara's lip quirked, "Then why are we here?"
She took a deep breath, pale eyes wandering before catching his green ones.
"I don't know why I'm saying this; maybe you won't really care...I just think you should know."
Gaara waited, eyeing her across the table.
"There's something I need to tell you..."

****TBC***
[Yesyes, I want some adorable GaaHina friendship going on xD]

Thanks for all the reivews! Here are the replies! :3

SneakyFox: Hahaha xD I know right? I'm so glad I finally got to put some more depth into his character, because I love him so much! Hope this new chappie was to your liking as well! :3

Ramen_Lover_Forever: Man, your assumptions are good! XD I hope the chapter lived up to your expectations! And if you really really want to draw me something then I'd be very flattered! *___*
I'm glad you love YOtF so much!

Halskr:
Thank you! :3 I hope you enjoyed the latest chapter!

Reyn: Yeah! It's a collab between Marco and me really. The outlines are clear, I just need to find the time to dot it down!
Well, you know me... I'm too much of a sucker for NejiGaa to let their moment pass xD I NEEDED that moment xD
Hahah xD I know. Sai has some real issues, he just... prefers to appear an asshole ^^;;

Ari: Aww thanks love! I'm sorry this one was a little short, but I hope you enjoyed it anyway!
Mmh, Gaara and Neji... It looks casual, but it's complicated. I can't say more than that right now. *whistles* Same goes for Sai and his dad, the ice berg is huge xD But this chappy has at least a teeeny pointer :3
Things will start sorting out soon! And thank you once again for another fantastic review!

lokivsanubis: Firstly, I like your name. :3 I've always liked Anubis xD
Secondly; thank you very much! I'm so glad you think so! Please keep reading, enjoying and reviewing! :D I hope you liked the chapter!

FT-Sama: Once again; Thank you SO much for the long and wonderful review. It truly made me happy! And I'm so sorry I cost you your sleep xD I hope I'm not doing it again! XD
I'm really glad you enjoy my take on the characters this much! Especially what you said about Sai moves me, because that's how I felt too; I hated him at first but then he grew on me (well...cos I realized how wonderfully gay he was) and I love him so much now! That's what I want to do with YotF as well; I want people to see the different sides of the characters, that there is more than meets the eye, you know?
As for Itachi...Mwhahaahah xD Time will tell!
I'm sorry it took so long for me to update, but I hope you liked the chapter! From here I think things will start unravelling alot more, and secrets will be uncovered! Yay!
Again, thank you so much for the review!

Dysia: Thank you SO much! You read it ALL?! In ONE sitting! Woah, you deserve an award of some kind! *___*
I hope the new chapter was to your liking! Please let me know what you thought of it! :3

Nickles: Wow, your favorite? *___* That makes me feel so flattered and happy! THANKS! Personally, I think their first kiss was sort of cheezy...xD But that's just me. I'm glad you liked it!
Here's a new chapter! Hope you enjoyed this one as well!!