Well, here I am again, with an update, finally. And it only took me a little over eight months. Sorry everyone! I had this chapter planned out for awhile, but when I sat down to try and write, I didn't like what I had, so I scrapped what I'd written, and changed the outline. Again.

And as always: all feedback, positive and negative, is welcome. I'd appreciate it if you tell me what you think, but it's not necessary.

Enjoy!

That's just like me when every thing's gone wrong
To latch onto something even less stable, less good
I needed an anchor for my sinking ship
It's just like me to attach it to my heart instead

I think this was a test
To see how long I could hold my breath
I understand, but I gotta remind myself
That even at my worst I can keep my head
Alone I stand
United we fall apart
One union under God
But not for long, thankfully

That's just like me when everything else fails
To go for the gold, the unattainable goals
Enoughs not enough when you're beat to the floor
As if heartache's not heartache enough anymore

I think this was a test
To see how long I could hold my breath
I understand, but I gotta remind myself
That even at my worst I can keep my head
Alone I stand
United we fall apart
One union under God
But not for long, thankfully

When we were young we never cared
And now we're scared of jumping in
Like we've forgotten how to swim
But if we try and if we tread
then we can teach ourselves again
'Cause it's worth the chance we take
When we were young we never cared
But now we're scared of jumping in
Like we've forgotten how to swim
But I think that we should try and we should tread
'Cause if we never take another dip again
We'll never know the joy that failure brings

----Thankfully, Bayside

The Sound of Silence

Chapter Six: 'Tis The Truth I'm Seeking

The paper shook in Naruto's hand, and really, holding the truth in a shaking fist was not how Naruto had imagined he would discover Sasuke's secret. When Naruto had allowed himself to think about how he would find out Sasuke's secret, he'd imagined Sasuke suddenly finding his voice and telling him everything.

But really, that fantasy was ridiculous. Sasuke had not said a word in three years, so as much as Naruto might hope and pray for Sasuke to find words, that would probably never happen. At least not now, and certainly not in this moment of time with Naruto holding a newspaper article in his hand.

"Are you going to read it?" Shino asked, sounding almost bored. Naruto started; he'd forgotten the other teen was there. In fact, if Shino had not spoken, Naruto doubted he would have even noticed the three teens around him, so absorbed was he in his thoughts.

Naruto swallowed, his throat suddenly dry, and steeled himself for the truth, as his eyes scanned the crumbled, yellowed paper.

Sasuke Uchiha: Mentally Unstable?!

Fifteen year old Sasuke Uchiha, son of Fugaku and Mikoto Uchiha, shocked his parents and subsequently the whole town, with accusations of molestation. The young Uchiha accused his teacher, Mr. Ubiki, of propositioning him and touching him inappropriately.

Mr. Ubiki, aged 54, is a respected teacher, loved by the town and his students, is shocked and hurt by Mr. Uchiha's claims. "I just don't understand where Sasuke got these ideas. I would never raise my hand to a student, let alone touch one in a sexual manner." Mr. Ubiki toold "The Rising Sun".

Fugaku Uchiha, who became mayor after his wife died from pneumonia when Sasuke was three, became mayor shortly after. He's led the town through two economic crises, and helped raise money to rebuild the town after an earthquake devastated the neighborhood.

When asked by "Rising Sun" what he thought of his son's alleged abuse at the hands of Mr. Ubiki, Fugaku said, "Sasuke is out of his mind. He's never recovered from his Mother's death. He is mentally unstable. I plan to send him to a mental facility where he can get the help he needs."

Sasuke was unavailable for questioning. Mr. Uchiha has plans to run for reelection, and it remains to be seen how this scandal will affect his running in the election.

)*)*)*)*()*)*

Naruto, shocked and appalled, could only stare at Sasuke. He was sure the horror and disgust must be visible on his face, but Naruto was powerless to hide it. What kind of sick freak would claim his son mentally unstable rather than believe his son's claims? Was being mayor that important to Sasuke's father?

Sasuke, who'd sat down in the grass while Naruto read, looked away. He seemed to fold in on himself, like a roof caving in under a heavy weight, and he refused to meet Naruto's eyes when the blond haired teen kneeled in front of him.

"Sasuke," Naruto whispered, trying to catch Sasuke's attention. The mute teen refused to look at him. "Why won't you look at me?" Sasuke shuddered as if cold and shut his eyes stubbornly.

Naruto was at a loss as to what he should do, and his hands clenched convulsively. "Sasuke..." Naruto whispered forlornly. Sasuke remained motionless beside Naruto and his eyes remained closed.

It must be hard for Sasuke, Naruto thought, his mind racing. He's not used to being scrutinized, and it must scare him now that I know everything. So he was molested by a teacher. It didn't even occur to Naruto to consider Sasuke was lying. From what he'd seen of Sasuke, the teen was honorable, and there was no way he'd make up something so awful about a respected man just for fun or out of malicious intent. There was no "ifs ands or buts". Sasuke was telling the truth.

And then it was as if the proverbial light bulb lit up above Naruto's head, and with sudden clarity, Naruto realized why Sasuke was acting so withdrawn. Sasuke thought Naruto was disgusted by what he'd read. And, trying to protect himself, he put his walls back up, walls that Naruto had worked so hard to scale, in a desperate attempt to distance himself from the rejection Sasuke was sure Naruto was going to give him.

That couldn't have been further from the truth. It was going to take a lot more than perverted old men and a greedy father to make Naruto leave. Now that Sasuke was finally beginning to trust him, Naruto had every intention of sticking around until he had enough information for his essay, and maybe, just maybe, Naruto would continue to visit after his project was done, and there wasn't an excuse that had long ago stopped being a real excuse for Naruto to visit.

Naruto's mind closed off before he could think about continuing to see Sasuke after his essay was completed. Those were thoughts for another day, when he was alone, and Sasuke wasn't right next to him looking like a kicked puppy. Right now, Naruto needed to make Sasuke realize how stupid he was being.

"Sasuke," Naruto whispered, framing the teen's face in his hands and forcing him to look up. Sasuke's eyes were a deep tar black, and they were shining with tears. Sasuke's pale face flushed as his eyes met Naruto's. Naruto's heart clenched painfully at the hurt and embarrassment plain to see on Sasuke's face.

"There's no reason to be afraid," Naruto rushed on when Sasuke gritted his teeth and his body tensed as if he were going to pull away; "I don't blame you, nor do I think you were lying. I'm appalled your Dad either didn't believe you, or refused to see the truth because he was more concerned about his political career."

Sasuke inhaled and his eyes that once again met Naruto's were positively burning. Sasuke's face was open and vulnerable, his eyes wide and so very wounded. The vulnerability, clear to see, tugged at Naruto's heart, and all he wanted to do was pull Sasuke into his arms and never let him go. The world was a cruel place and it seemed everyone and everything was determined to break Sasuke down one piece at a time. Naruto refused to become a minority. He wanted nothing more than to protect Sasuke and keep his secrets safe.

Sasuke moaned low in his throat and burrowed into Naruto's arms, his own arms winding around Naruto's body, tight as steel bands. The heat from Sasuke's body seeped into Naruto's, warming skin and limbs Naruto hadn't even realized were cold. Sasuke's black hair brushed Naruto's face with every breath he took.

Time seemed to slow down and Naruto felt so comfortable he never wanted to move again. Sasuke seemed to feel the same way, if the noises he made were any indication. Naruto realized their hug, and the way Sasuke almost seemed to be trying to get as close to Naruto as possible, could be classified as a lover's embrace. It was almost disturbing how okay with that impression he was.

Maybe with time they would become something more.

*_)*(_(_(_(_(

Sakura nearly screamed in his ear when Naruto told her what'd happened. It was five in the afternoon, and after about ten minutes Kristen had come, along with Doctor Forster, to take Sasuke, Shino and Gaara off to therapy. Naruto had been unable to decipher the look the Doctor had gave him, but what he did know was the glance had made his skin crawl.

"So you finally know, huh?" Sakura asked. "But I still don't understand why he stopped speaking."

Naruto took a bite out of an apple and chewed. He could hear Sakura flipping through a book, turning the pages too quickly to be reading the text. The silence between them was comfortable and not the least bit strained. Sakura knew, from years of friendship, Naruto was eating the apple in order to give him time to think.

"I don't know if it's because everything in my Psychology class is coming together, or if I know Sasuke better than I thought, but...I believe Sasuke stopped talking because he felt as if no one believed what he said, so he feels speaking is useless. And the reason why he still isn't speaking today is because he forgot how."

Sakura said nothing, obviously too stunned to speak. After a couple of minutes of uncomfortable silence, she finally found her tongue. "M-maybe you're going to help Sasuke talk again, Naruto."

Naruto had to cough a couple of times before his throat cleared enough to speak. "I was thinking the same thing." Neither Sakura nor Naruto could think of anything to say after that.

(_(_(_(_(_(_(

Hinata smiled shyly the next afternoon as she caught sight of Naruto. Naruto followed Hinata to Sasuke's room and shut the door behind him. Sasuke sat up immediately when he caught sight of Naruto. His eyes were still as intense as yesterday, though there was a weariness in them Naruto didn't like.

"I brought something for you," Naruto said as he dropped his backpack to the ground. "I hope you like it." Sasuke's eyebrow rose inquisitively. Naruto grinned and reached into his backpack and pulled out a battered book.

Sasuke reached for the book and sat back, clutching it to his chest. The book read The Works of William Shakespeare. His eyes were bright and happy, whatever weariness present before melted away by unadulterated joy.

Naruto went crimson under Sasuke's happy gaze. "It's nothing much," he said, embarrassed. "But I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I do. I love William Shakespeare. He's my favorite author. King Lear is my absolute favorite play. I had a fantastic English teacher who explained everything so well, that the whole play was an absolute treat."

Sasuke grinned and motioned for Naruto to sit beside him, which he was only too happy to do. As Naruto settled beside the teen, Sasuke handed the book over, and settled into Naruto's side, his head resting on Naruto's shoulder. It took Naruto a moment to understand: Sasuke wanted Naruto to read to him, just as he had read Lord of the Flies a few days ago.

He turned to the correct page and began to read:

GLOUCESTER:

It did always seem so to us: but now, in the
division of the kingdom, it appears not which of
the dukes he values most; for equalities are so
weighed, that curiosity in neither can make choice
of either's moiety.

*_)(_(_(_(

A warm weight pressed on Naruto's body from head to toe, and warm breath alternated between heating and cooling his neck. Naruto yawned and stretched aching limbs, the cotton sheets sticking to his sweaty skin. Lips pressed against his neck, and Naruto moaned and arched into the touch.

Footsteps walking past the door snapped Naruto back to himself, and he glared at Sasuke. The teens grin was unrepentant as he sat back. Naruto already missed Sasuke's possessive weight resting on top of his. Sasuke seemed to read his thoughts, and he made a 'tsking' sound. Naruto moaned as Sasuke's lips once again touched his for an all too brief, chaste kiss. The kiss seemed like a brand.

A faint beeping reached Naruto's ears and he blanched as he caught sight of the time. It was after seven, and he had to leave now if he wanted to be awake enough to do homework. Naruto still needed to catch a bus and walk a mile back to his house.

"I need to go now." Naruto said, regretfully. Sasuke visibly deflated, but he nodded his agreement, the book once again clutched to his chest. Naruto flushed; he'd gotten through the third part of Act I before he'd become too drowsy to read, and he'd laid back down, Sasuke curled almost protectively around him and promptly fell asleep.

Naruto practically fled the room, afraid he'd be tempted to stay longer. Maybe staying wasn't such a bad thing, but Naruto needed to remember: School came before anyone, even his Grandfather.

*)*)**_(_(

He almost made it outside of Mercer Medical Facilities, having already said his goodbyes to the blushing Hinata when he was stopped. Doctor Forster appeared out of nowhere and blocked Naruto's path. The pig nosed doctor had glared and ordered Naruto into his office. He'd considered refusing; he didn't like the man. Only the thought of not being able to see Sasuke again had kept his mouth shut.

Doctor Forster's office was lavish and expensive, which didn't surprise Naruto all that much. The desk, made out of expensive wood, was polished and gleaming; huge bay windows opened to a fragrant garden Naruto hadn't noticed in all of his visits. Rows and rows of folders were stored in a giant filing cabinet, the door of which was opened, papers spilling across the floor. The blatant disrespect towards his patients made Naruto's teeth clench in anger.

"So Mr. Uzumaki, I've heard a lot about you." Doctor Forster said. While his voice was casual, his eyes were piercing and cold. Naruto felt chilled to the bone.

"So?" Naruto said curtly, clenching his hands into fists. He fought the urge to fidget under the Doctor's disdainful eyes.

The doctor seemed to be mocking him. "Doctor Orochimaru and I have both noticed some alarming changes in Mr. Uchiha's behavior since you've began visiting." He continued before Naruto could ask him what he was talking about; "Mr. Uchiha has become most...unruly and violent. As a result, both the Doctor Orochimaru and I have agreed the best course of action is if you stopped visiting."

"What?!"

Doctor Forster smiled politely. The smile did not reach his ice cold eyes. Naruto wished the doctor would stop looking at him. "I do not think this request is difficult. It seems you care for Mr. Uchiha," The words 'though God knows why' while unspoken, hung in the air all the same. "I would think you'd want to do what is best for him."

"No!" Naruto cried. The intensity of his anger and fear at the doctor's words surprised him. Naruto had become so used to Sasuke's presence in his life that not seeing him again filled Naruto with a sense of dread. No, he needed to keep seeing Sasuke. The teen was too important.

Doctor Forster seemed surprised by Naruto's outburst. "No?" His eyebrow arched with his surprise. "I would reconsider, Mr. Uzumaki. Should you continue to impede Mr. Uchiha's treatment, things may become...difficult for you."

Naruto sat back as if he'd been slapped. "Are you threatening me?"

The doctor smiled nastily, though his words were courteous. "I will leave you to decide. Now, it is getting late. I think you should leave."

Naruto didn't need to be told twice.

(_(+()+)+)+)+)

Naruto was reeling from his talk with Doctor Forster. Dear God, had the Doctor really threatened him? What was going to happen to him should he continue to visit Sasuke? Was Doctor Forster going to have him eliminated, like in the movies?

"Excuse me," A female voice with a deep southern accent startled Naruto from his thoughts. He looked up. A woman with curly blond hair and emerald eyes smiled apologetically. "I'm looking for my brother Gaara. There was no one at the front desk, so I thought I'd try and find him myself."

"I think they'd be in the sitting area. He's probably with Sasuke. I'll show you where the room is."

"Thank you. My name is Temari. I'm Gaara's older sister." Naruto shook her hand. "Naruto. I'm an acquaintance of Gaara's."

Just like Naruto thought, Gaara was in the sitting area, watching Sasuke and Shino play cards. His eyes widened as he caught sight of his sister. Shino and Sasuke turned to see what Gaara was looking at; a smile spread across Sasuke's face as his eyes met Naruto's.

Naruto's phone vibrated. He answered, and was given some of the worst news of his life.

_(_(_+()+)+)+)

Sasuke couldn't wait for Naruto to return. Though Naruto had been only gone for a little over an hour, he'd been counting down the minutes until Naruto returned. Today had been nothing short of fantastic. Naruto reading to him had been a pleasant experience, more so than the last time the dobe had read to him.

He loved resting his head against Naruto's shoulder and just breathing in his scent. And sleeping on top of Naruto had been unbelievably comfortable. Naruto was loud and infuriating, and often seemed to rub Sasuke the wrong way, but there was something about the teen that drew Sasuke to him. Sasuke thought he was becoming almost...fond of him.

Shino was taking forever to put a card down. The way Shino was peering at his cards, one would think Uno was a difficult game that required serious contemplation, and not the fast paced kids' game it was. Sasuke rolled his eyes.

Gaara's cry had both Sasuke and Shino turning around to see what was bothering the schizophrenic teen. Sasuke froze in disbelief as he realized Naruto was back. How could that be? Hadn't Naruto left a little more than a hour ago? Why was he still here?

Sasuke lept to his feet. Gaara led the way over to the blond haired woman and Sasuke's dobe. He waited impatiently for Naruto to finish talking on the phone. A soft, broken sound left Naruto's lips. Sasuke was alarmed as Naruto's cellphone fell from suddenly nerveless fingers and clattered to the ground.

What's wrong? Sasuke thought. He wished he could say the words. Naruto looked devastated, his eyes staring at a point over Sasuke's shoulder. Sasuke's hand only shook a small bit as he rested it on the teens shoulder. Naruto flinched, but seemed to accept the touch.

Tears dripped down Naruto's cheeks. "He's dead, Sasuke. My Grandfather's dead. I'm all alone now." Naruto began to cry in earnest, great, hiccuping cries that shook his body. Sasuke drew Naruto into his arms. He kissed away Naruto's tears, his own eyes filling with tears.

Sasuke wished he could kiss away Naruto's pain.

End of Chapter

Okay, a couple of author's notes:

-I thought the chapter ending from Sasuke's PoV was best. It made Naruto's pain all the more tangible, and fit perfectly.

-The whole King Lear talk came from my own experience with with my college professor Mr. Krozel. He made Shakespeare understandable, and I was actually excited to come to class every morning.

-Temari has a southern accent. As weird as that sounds, it makes perfect sense if you've ever watched the Naruto spoof called "True Naruto Style". In the video she says, I swear to God, "What in Texas hell fire is that boy doing up there?" I just had to add it. If you'd like to see the clip for yourself, than the link is available in my profile.

-And finally: I was originally going to have the rest of Gaara's brother's show up as well, but I got lazy. Oh well.

Next update...I dunno when. Check my profile for status on the update. That's where I'll post the progress of my writing.