Warning:This is M-rated but the lemons wouldn't be that graphic or detailed but just in case, I don't want to kill anyone just cause I said this is a T- rated. I don't want to be sued because of things like that, I'm not that rich to hire my own lawyer, damn it.

Unbeta'd.

Disclaimer:NOOOO!

Italicized – Past

Normal – Present

NOTE:The past scenes are not in order, its written based on what's happening in the written present. If you have any questions or whatever, I'm just a button away, yeah?

V. The Other Side

Naruto was thankful for having a lot of friends. It meant distraction for whatever problem he has in his mind and he would gladly welcome any form of it. So when the next day found Shikamaru, Ino and Kiba outside his doorstep, he grinningly let them in and offered them whatever they wanted even if it meant going out to buy at the convenience store.

"Here you go." Naruto chuckled when Kiba's eyes sparkle with mirth. "You're still obsessed with fucking Capri Sun, dude?"

"Yep, and you're still obsessed with Ramen, I see." He pointed at the empty ramen cups at the sink before sipping from his juice pouch.

"There's not enough ramen in Australia, I'm telling you." They both laughed and Ino rolled her eyes at them, her tea cup cradled carefully in her hands.

"You are both idiots." She just shook her head when the two said idiot just grinned at her, though she can't help but to laugh at how stupidly in sync Naruto and Kiba are even after six years of separation.

"So, what are you guys doing here? Not that I don't like having you guys as my guest." Naruto sat at the end of the sofa and placed his legs on Shikamaru's lap. He just mumbled troublesome then proceeded to massage the blond's feet. Ino slapped him on his shoulders.

"How come you massage Naruto's and not mine?" She whined.

"You're ticklish, aren't you?" Shikamaru drawled out.

"You can at least offer your services, you useless boyfriend of mine." She slapped him again for good measure.

They continued to bicker for awhile, Naruto feeling better before they came at his apartment. He found out that Ino and Shikamaru has been dating for three years and the one year of that time, Ino didn't know that they're already going out. She got surprised when Shikamaru suddenly greeted her Happy Anniversary and after that, the rest was history. Kiba, though already going out with the Hyuuga heiress, still thinks that he's not suitable for the shy girl even after having a kind of "Self-esteem" seminar with Chouji but instead of being down about it, Kiba enrolled for a PhD in veterinary which thrilled and made the girl proud of him.

Naruto thought that Kiba did an amazing job with his life and laughed at the fact that he can actually become mature. A thing that all of their friends didn't think would happen.

He also learned that their old sensei, Kakashi is now dating his favorite teacher and person in the world Iruka and mentally reminded himself to give Kakashi a piece of his mind if he ever does anything to hurt Iruka, never mind that they're going out for almost five years. It's better late than never, Naruto thought.

He also can't stop laughing every now and then about the story of Sai getting arrested for insulting a police officer. Though Sai said he didn't know that he was insulting the police man with a funny looking bald spot that he noticed when he took off his hat but instead he was just stating a fact that even anyone other than him can see.

He was locked up for five hours for that.

"I didn't know that being honest will put me in jail. Then goodbye for now Mr. Policeman, please continue to take care of your beautiful black locks."

Sai muttered after being let out by the same police man and it took a lot of convincing from Ino and Shikamaru not to put Sai back in.

His friends were really something. They're all a bunch of weirdos in their own right way.

He was having the time of his life, laughing and hearing stories that he didn't know yet while they were surrounded by foods when suddenly, out of the blue, Ino told Naruto to 'Spill. All of it.' and Naruto being as oblivious as ever, stared at Ino then spilled the contents of the bag of Skittles he was holding on the carpeted floor without taking his eyes off the female blonde who looked like she wanted to scream and rip her hair out.

"What the fuck Naruto?!" Kiba exclaimed then started gathering the Skittles with his hands.

"What? Ino said spill."

"She meant about that thing between you and Sasuke, dumbass." Kiba threw a red moisty skittle at Naruto and it left a pattern of red circle on his forehead.

If it was just a normal day with his friends while having a normal conversation with them, Naruto would've retaliated but since it wasn't, he can only stare and gape at them.

And this was god's way of giving him distractions? Wow.

"Uh…" He started dumbly.

"Uh-oh, the skittle must've hit his head hard." Kiba muttered sarcastically.

"Give him time, you startled him. What happened to letting him open up willingly?" Shikamaru stated glancing lazily at his girl friend.

"Well, I got impatient so sue me." She huffed.

Naruto bit his lip then contemplated whether or not he's going to 'spill'. Kiba was looking at him expectantly while still gathering the skittles from the carpet. Ino, although a bit pushy, Naruto knows that she was just concerned about him and well, Shikamaru is a very trustworthy guy since it'll be too troublesome for him to gossip about things that he finds out and hears involuntarily.

And they are his close friends so why the hell not tell them now?

"So yeah, we did go out…secretly…"

Shouts of joy and excitement filled the whole auditorium when the principal announced the end of the graduation ceremony. Hats were thrown upwards and cries from some students thanking whatever god up there to have them survive the jungle called high school echoed until outside.

Parents congratulating their sons or daughters and friends hugging their friends for emotional support, their smile plastered almost permanently on their faces.

Naruto have seen all these, experienced all these and felt all of it. His parents and grandparents were so proud of him, his own friends congratulated him as he did so to them and through all this, a smile was also fixed on his lips.

But that smile didn't quite reach his eyes; though he's thankful no one noticed it.

He bid his friends goodbye, barely nodding to the promises of hanging out on summer. He ushered his family away and told them that he will follow shortly after he speak with his professor.

He half-lied since he's going to talk to someone, though not his professor anyway, but they don't need to know that.

Finally reaching his destination, he saw Sasuke leaning on a tree just behind the school building. The same tree where Sasuke would always pin him hungrily or lovingly – whatever the mood they have – before the Tayuya incident. Sasuke's medals of awards hanging down his neck, graduating high school as their batch valedictorian.

Sasuke really is something, unlike him. He finally looked up when Naruto cleared his throat.

"Naruto, what do you want to talk about?" He asked cautiously.

"Sasuke, is this still possible? Are we still possible?" Naruto's voice sounded so small and unsure, Sasuke reached out to hug him.

Naruto shrugged him off.

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about us, Sasuke. Am I worth it for you to be disowned if we ever decided to come out to them? Will it be okay that we're together even when your family doesn't want anything to do with you? Am I worth it Sasuke?" He finally asked almost pleadingly, like he was begging Sasuke to say yes, even if it was just to make him feel better about everything that had happened.

Even if it was just a lie.

But the seconds became minutes and Naruto didn't know if he's willing to wait for hours, days, weeks, months and years just to hear Sasuke's answer. He doesn't know what to do but to accept the reality that he's not worth anything and he will always stay as Sasuke's dirty little secret. So he has no choice but to turn around and walk away from a dream that would soon turn into a nightmare if he wouldn't force himself to wake up faster.

That was the last time he saw Sasuke, tongue-tied and unable to accept who he is and know what he wants.

"Fuck, you forgave Sasuke even after what he was doing with that Tayuya?" Kiba almost shrieked that made Ino cover her ears, grimacing slightly.

For someone who kept on boasting about how manly he is Kiba sure shriek like a girl.

"I loved him Kiba. I can't deny myself especially when we still have a year together. But when graduation came and still nothing changed, I grabbed the chance of coming with the old perv and Hag the next day." Naruto slumped down on the couch dejectedly. Like all of it just happened the day before.

"Yeah, we're kind of mad at you about that just so you know." Ino patted his head.

"I'm sorry."

"But we forgive you now since we now know the reason why you just up and left us without even a proper goodbye."

"Yeah, and if I knew what happened back then, I would've punched that Uchiha on his pretty face." Kiba interjected. Ino rolled her eyes.

"Tch, as if you can do that."

" – Hey."

"Anyway, have you heard the side of Sasuke's story and what happened after you left?" Shikamaru sat up from his position and looked at me pointedly though he still looked like he rather sleep than have this discussion which probably was true.

Naruto though, looked at Shikamaru confusedly and sat up also from his place.

"What do you mean what happened?" Ino looked at Naruto then back at Shikamaru and Kiba. Naruto suddenly grew suspicious and curious but at the same time, he felt like something dreadful happened.

His heart ache just from the thought.

"You didn't know? Sasuke got kicked out of the mansion after graduation. He only meets with his brother every weekend. No one knows what happened, but now I think it has something to do with what happened between you two." Kiba explained then hissed when Ino hit him on his head for suddenly spouting something Naruto needs to know from Sasuke.

"He needed to know anyway." Kiba mumbled then pinched Ino back.

They continued to bicker but Naruto can't even hear them anymore. He can't breathe. His mind just stopped working the moment he heard the part where Sasuke got kicked out. Why? What happened? Did Sasuke really come out of his parents? Did he really think Naruto was worth it? Was it Naruto's fault and that did he really leave him without a choice?

After all these years of loathing and anger towards Sasuke, he suddenly wanted to see him. Badly.

"Guys." He whispered shakily after he composed himself. Kiba and Ino stopped bickering and Shikamaru peaked at him with one eye open. "I slept with Sasuke yesterday."

He waited for Ino to scold him or even shout at him and Kiba's punches to him but what happened wasn't what he was expecting. Ino walked up to him and hugged him while Kiba shook his head. Shikamaru just sighed.

"You still love him don't you?" She asked softly in his ear.

As much as Naruto wanted to deny it, he can't help but to still feel affected towards the older man no matter how much he tried to convince himself that he's just reacting like that because it's been a long time since they've seen each other.

And what they did yesterday wasn't just sex, they were making love.

And he still loves Sasuke. So Naruto nodded at Ino's question.

"Then what happened after?" she pulled back and looked him straight in the eye.

"He cried, like a lot after, you know. Then he fell asleep. I put back his clothes on him and brought him to the guest room. And then left him." He groaned frustratedly, he can't help it. After all these years of hating Sasuke, now he can't stop thinking that maybe it was his fault that all of this happened, that if it weren't for him being so pushy, would they still be together? "I shouldn't have left him in the first place. I shouldn't have…damn it."

He needed to see Sasuke. He needed to apologize. He doesn't know what would happen and how all of it would end, but what he needed to do and what he wanted to do was to go see Sasuke and for the second time, ask him the same question.

And this time, he wouldn't mind waiting for Sasuke's answer. He just needed to hear something from the Uchiha.

Especially if he still love him as much as Naruto loves him.

Author's note: Okay, so I know I kind of ditched you guise for a long time but I have reasons and even though I have, you wouldn't even care cause all you care about is the story and so am I so I posted it and you all should be happy and review or whatever or else I'll cry and just bury myself reading TFIOS again for the 13th time (Yes, thirteen, problem? XD)

I can't also believe that I made Sasuke and Naruto have sex in just the fourth chapter, I mean who does that? (Well, apparently me. Bah)

Thank you for those who Reviewed in the previous Chapters and I'm sorry if I wasn't able to answer some of you but I promise, if you review right now, I'll answer you one by one, that's how happy I am this week. YEAH!

I have to go anyway, tootles!

REVIEW!