So I have no clue where this little baby came from but I like it and I thought that I haven't done something like this before. I won't explain here why I was so late on all of my updates since it's explained on my deviantart (name: fanofdaravenandfox) with my last two status posts. I'm still not quite 100% but I'm making it through and getting back on track.

This story can either be taken as SasuNaru friendship or a budding relationship...personally I don't know which one it is but I like the budding romance. Before anybody asks; no, nothing more will be happening with this so don't ask for a sequel or any sort of continuation. It's meant to be a one-shot and it's going to stay that way. Some info about the story: Team 7 is only a few months old so they're all 12-13 in age and Sasuke hasn't left the village yet, but he and Naruto are becoming pretty close as friends. The villagers still hate Naruto and Naruto still has a lot of developing to do as a shinobi and person.

"Title" is the nightmare

"Title" is the dream/inner thoughts of the boys

"Title" is regular dialogue

I own nothing but the plot, everything else belongs to Masashi Kishimoto since he owns Naruto.

I've watched you in the late hours of the night; stalked you when you closed your eyes as you expected peace to overtake you.

I allow you no such luxury, for you do not deserve the reprieve that dreams give. I am your fear, the whisper of a nameless shadow that haunts your waking thoughts. Your mind is my play thing, and I will continue to follow you wherever you go and for however long you live.

Horrors consisting of blood and darkness torture your mind and cause your body to twist and bend in painful ways; and I must admit…I enjoy seeing your soul being shaken to its core. It is the height of my pleasure.

A silent torment of faceless glares filled with the heat of their hatred for you serves as a reminder of what those people truly wish. More than your suffering, more than your anguish…they wish for your death. I laugh as you pick yourself up once more to try and brave my torment. But you know that like every night before now, you will fail. Your failure fuels me, drives me to do worse, and fills me with a desire to see you break.

The screams you let out make me quiver in pleasure, giving me the delight of knowing that I've once again conquered the unconquerable. I am a nightmare; my form knows not its original shape but my victims always scream. They cry and plead and beg and moan but I show no mercy when I decide to strike. It gives me such a feeling…euphoria that no drug could bestow upon a living being…and I've become addicted.

You, fox child, have been my favorite target for years. I take so many forms inside of your mind and all of them are worse than the last. A gruesome mixture of heated glares, raining blood and turned backs all come together for a grand terror. This time I will end you…but wait, what is happening?

This was not supposed to be how the night played out! There should be no gentle voice calling your name, no soft touch of a hand to your shoulder! Your vision should be drowned in blood, not bathed in white and blue! I was so close this time! You're lucky tonight fox child, because next time we meet I will have such a devastating horror ready for you. I will break you…I will haunt you…I will end you.

Naruto was brought out of a nearly frantic, panicked sleep to look into the eyes of his best friend Sasuke Uchiha. It took him a minute to take in his surroundings but he slightly relaxed as he realized he was in his tent on a mission just outside of the village. Naruto calmed down slightly but looked at Sasuke again. The raven still had a hand on his shoulder and his expression was that of slight confusion. To a normal person though he looked stone-faced and downright bored but Naruto could tell he was concerned.

"You were shaking and muttering something in your sleep. I couldn't sleep because of all the noise" What the hell happened? I've never seen you like that and it scared me. Sasuke's expressions gave away what he was really feeling and thinking to the blonde.

Naruto let out a shuddering breath and bent down a little to hide his face from the raven. "Sorry, I can't just choose what I dream about." I'm sorry you had to see that but thank you for stopping it.

"Can you still get to sleep? You have second watch after Kakashi-sensei." Do you want to talk about it? We have time right now and I can take the watch for you.

"You'll just laugh and say I'm stupid." I don't want you to worry but I'm afraid you'll think I'm pathetic and weak.

"I think I already know, but try me dobe." I'll understand and try to help you. Just tell me. Sasuke crossed his arms across his chest and gave a look that just screamed 'try me' to the other.

"Fine I…I had…a nightmare. Okay, are you happy? Naruto Uzumaki gets nightmares, let's all make fun of him now since he's so damn pathetic right?"

The Uchiha's eyes softened before he said, "Naruto…everyone gets nightmares. We all have fears and when a nightmare happens it just makes them seem more real. So what was it about?"

"I was in the village…the villagers were staring at me again but it was like their glares burned me. They all started throwing things at me like rocks or trash and I started bleeding and screaming for them to stop but they just got angry. The rocks turned into kunai and shuriken and it felt like…like they were really cutting me. All of a sudden I couldn't move and they all glared harder and started whispering things…."

"What kind of things?" Sasuke urged the other to continue.

"I was unwanted…that I'm not needed and I'm a burden. They said that they should kill me but some of the faces became clear to me. The third Hokage was there…and Sakura-chan…and Kakashi-sensei…and all the others from our class. They started coming at me with weapons and glass and rocks or anything else they could find to hurt me but then I…." Naruto paused to take a breath and Sasuke was now on the edge of his knees taking all of the information in. The blonde sniffed and Sasuke saw tears falling down from his eyes before Naruto lifted his head up a little to look the Uchiha in the eyes.

"Just when things went dark I heard you…you called my name and touched my shoulder before everything went white and then I woke up…."

Sasuke sat back and kept his face blank but after being on a team with the boy for a few months Naruto knew that he was relieved about something.

The raven sighed and gave a smirk. "At least I know that you don't hold a grudge against me or anything for always beating you at everything. It lets me know that you trust me, at the very least."

"But what does it mean? I'm so confused; I know I can trust the others to never say things like they did in the dream but why am I dreaming that they do?"

"I can't have the answers to everything, moron. If I had to guess then I would say that you're afraid they'll turn their backs on you and hurt you again. I may know that all the crap you pulled in the academy was harmless fun, but they're probably still being short-minded and bratty that they had to either do more work than they wanted or stayed longer for classes. It's not like all of the extra stuff helped them anyway," he grumbled as he recalled a mission earlier that month where Hinata kept fainting every time she glanced at the blonde and Kiba and Shino just plain refused to work along with the plan.

"But they…they wouldn't try to really hurt me…would they?" Naruto asked with pleading eyes. Sasuke backed away a little uncomfortable but not too far so that Naruto thought he was trying to escape.

"How should I know dobe? I'm not them."

Naruto instantly deflated and the raven instantly regretted his answer. His mouth was filling with a bad taste and the Uchiha didn't like how quickly his stomach dropped when the other boy shrunk back. Sasuke grabbed Naruto's hand and squeezed it reassuringly, making the blonde's head perk up to look him in the eyes.

"I may not be them, but I can tell you how to end a nightmare."

Naruto only tipped his head to the side and blinked twice. Sasuke felt heat rush to his cheeks and he didn't know why but he lightly shook his head so that he could continue.

"Laugh at the nightmare and make it a dream. It's your head, you control what you see when you sleep. It takes a lot of practice…and you can't really do it on your own at first…but with the right help, you can make people throw roses at you instead of rocks. And I can't believe that girly shit just came out of my mouth," Sasuke said as he looked like he was going to vomit a little. Naruto laughed a bit and gripped the Uchiha's hand back.

"Thanks a lot teme…it helps knowing that at least you don't hate me."

Sasuke blushed a bit and turned his head away, yanking his hand from the other boy and lying back down in his sleeping bag. "Just get back to sleep and don't make me wake you up again. You're noisy when you have nightmares," he grumbled.

Naruto smiled and lied down as well, thanking the boy and closing his eyes again.

I see you've come back. Your mind is calm…let's see if I can remedy that for you. Oh…how cute. You see that boy walking beside you as you trade insults back and forth. How would you feel if he were to glare at you with death in his eyes? No…that's not helping, you've just laughed. So what if I make him hit you?

Still nothing! Why are you laughing?! He's precious to you isn't he?! I'm making him hate you; I'm forcing him to make you feel as though death was a blessing for you! Fall on your knees, cry for him to stop, beg for him not to walk away! What are you doing just laughing there like an idiot?!

Your hold on the child is broken. I am here to replace it, and heal his mind from the evil you've implanted in him. The boy will no longer be plagued by you…for I am his dream. And as his dream…I am your worst nightmare.