Hello! This is the first chapter of my second fan fiction story … I had the idea when I was on the coach home from Alton Towers on my Year 11 Trip. I then mixed it in with a dream I had a few nights I had after my fist Anime Expo trip. If my friends read this, they'll probably know what I mean. Anyway, enjoy the first chapter and I hope you like it!

Chapter 1

"Look I'm getting sick of you two! I'm getting fed up of having to cover for you! Do what you want, I don't care but in your own time and not on a MISSION! YOU IDIOTS!" The pink haired beauty, narrowing her jade green eyes, was shouting at the two messy looking sixteen year old boys in front of her. One of them was taller with ebony black spiky hair – all tousled – with an ashen complexion who looked uncaring at what the girl was saying. The other was shorter; more tanned with shorter blonde soft hair – also tousled – yet, however, was blushing and looking kind of embarrassed.

"Sorry Sakura", he mumbled.

"Sorry doesn't cut it! This is the third time this week I've repeated this lecture!" Sakura smacked both of them round the side of the head, which hurt quite a lot considering that Sakura was the strongest girl they knew. "Sasuke, stop leading Naruto astray! And I know it's you who is up to this now STOP IT! Or Kakashi-sensei will have our heads!" the pink haired girl put her hands on her hips and looked from one boy to the other and then sighed, crossing her arms.

"Talk about sexually frustrated", she mumbled under her breath before she turned to head back to the village. Team 7 had just completed a mission with out Kakashi-sensei as he was on a highly important mission for Tsunade; much too difficult for the younger team members he was raising to handle.

On Team 7 was the pretty, level-headed and highly intelligent Sakura who was good for her strategies and quick thinking. Sasuke who was a powerful, also intelligent, member who had a thirst for action and a good nature though he tries to hide it. The final member was Naruto, although not very smart, can think up very good plans in the middle of battle and radiated a power which didn't seem to connect with his nature. He has a very good heart and would risk his lives immediately for the sake of others. Kakashi who led the team was an enigma to the other members. They knew of his skills as a very efficient user of all the three techniques of the art of the ninja and that he had somehow managed to acquire the legendary Sharingan eye, even though this was a kekkai genkai passed down through the Uchiha clan, one of the most powerful from the Village Hidden in the Leaves, that Kakashi was not a part of. Sasuke, however, is a member and the last living survivor after a mass murder long ago that wiped out the Uchiha clan. However, there are still many a clan left that also hold exceptional powers.

Sakura turned to see Naruto and Sasuke talking together, Naruto almost blushing. It was a while before she had found out about their secret relationship that they had managed to hide so long. Now I was out in the open to everyone, Sasuke in particular, and Naruto didn't seem to mind flaunting their relationship. Naruto blushed at something Sasuke had said and Sakura turned back around, disgusted. They were acting like a newly married couple.

She walked several paces ahead of them, to keep a look out for specific activity or to check if they were about to be ambushed. She also couldn't stand the pair of them acting the way they were; especially since she had not gotten over Sasuke very well. She had a huge crush on him, she tried to smother her love on him and he kept on rejecting her. At first she thought he was being spiteful but when he finally snapped and said he had already found someone, she was heartbroken. She cried hard and looked out of her window for days on end trying to figure out who he had found. It was that one night that she had fallen asleep at the window and woke up in time to see Naruto and Sasuke go past; although she was quite high up, she could see the look in his eye when he spoke and looked at Naruto and realised it straight away. Naruto didn't seem to notice so she thought she still had some luck – fuelling the fire of them arguing until they completely hated each other. It backfired on her because it was this that made Sasuke pluck up the courage in the end to ask him out, though Sakura didn't know until Sasuke thanked her for it when she found out about their relationship. It was as that point that she saw Sasuke truly happy and she couldn't believe she had been so selfish – only thinking about her own feelings and not his.

She cried a lot but it was then she found her own love; Lee. He had been so kind to her and sweet. Although he wasn't a Sasuke, he was still a lovely person who she grew to love and cherish. She was thankful in the end that she had done what she did; everyone was happy now. She had a few tears in her eyes and wiped them quickly before the others noticed. As soon as she had wiped them, Naruto jumped on her yelling, "Sakura-chan!" he was very happy and pretending to be scared. Sasuke it appeared had fallen over due to Naruto and was now going to 'get him'. Although Naruto acted like he didn't want it, he was happy to have Sasuke near him. He loved him, though he hadn't said yet. Sasuke, who was generally faster than Naruto managed to catch up and grab him.

"Be a good boy, Naruto and apologise to Sasuke for what you did!" he mock-growled.

Naruto shook his head, "Nope!"

"I'll make you".

"Go on then! If you dare".

Sasuke was just about to when Sakura yelled.

"Alright, you horny little boys, I'm splitting you apart!"

A few complaints and arguments later led to the three walking in a line, with Sakura in the middle and the two boys on each side. They walked in silence as the two boys were mad at Sakura for ruining their fun.

Naruto looked around, not being with Sasuke gave him the chance to taken in the breathtakingly beautiful scenery; it had been raining and Naruto loved the aftermath of the rain. Crystal rain drops collected on some of the leaves surrounding them and a small drop would fall every now and again, so delicate it wouldn't make a sound. The flowers were in wonderful bloom on the road leading to the midst of trees of the main forest. The trees on the sides of the path were all different shades of green and with dark browns of their bark contrasted picturesquely. It was a wonderful place in the spring/summer time. Naruto breathed in the cool air that still had a lingering chill of cold from the rain, and smiled. He would have to come down with his sketchbook to draw this when he had the time. He turned to see if he could see Sasuke – another piece of scenery in his mind. He could feel Sasuke's sharingan eye on him for some reason, and noticed that the raven was copying his every move to annoy him. Sakura also seemed to notice this and she smacked Sasuke swiftly around the head.

"Don't make me start lecturing again. I'm enjoying the peace and quiet of the forest", she answered to Sasuke's look of disgust, "And there is no need to pull a face I didn't hit you that hard".

"Still bloody hurt though", he muttered. Naruto smirked. Sasuke saw and pulled a face back.

"God, you two are so childish! Get a life!" she strolled off ahead.

"Sakura-chan I'm sorry for messing around. It was his fault; I was trying to imagine paint- I mean imagine me kicking the crap in to some bad people. It was his fault!" Naruto gulped. Nobody knew of his secret hobby – even Sasuke didn't know that much about the sketchbook that he kept locked and hidden away in the back of his cupboard. Sasuke burst in on him as he was putting away all his paints and artwork. He had unfortunately left one piece on the table, not one of his best pieces but Sasuke praised it anyway. It was one of Tsunade when she was asleep at her desk, when she thought no one was watching. He secretly liked that one because it was a useful blackmailing tool as well as something to cheer him up when he felt down when she insulted him. His collection had grown a little since he was with Sasuke; many pictures of Sasuke asleep with Naruto playing with his hair, or Sasuke doing something with Naruto. Those ones he kept especially hidden.

Naruto looked around again for an inspiration he could find to paint later; he was not doing anything else as Sasuke already had plans to meet up with Shino. Naruto was gazing around the area dreamily when he spotted something; the extraordinary power that lay within him had its benefits that his senses were much better than anyone else that he knew of. He saw footprints leading to a small opening in the wall of the mountain they had just passed. He stopped and looked at it. He noticed something was wrong there; he could hear muffled cries – they sounded so poignant; heart-rending and helpless. Naruto was drawn to the opening – he wanted to help whoever was in there.

"Naruto!"

Naruto turned around to see Sasuke and Sakura waiting for him quizzically several metres ahead.

"Come on, we need to get back before it gets dark".

"Coming". He looked back at the opening one last time before he skipped off ahead to meet up with the other two, who both called him an idiot.

A few hours later, they reached the village and visited Tsunade. She was waiting; an impatient air to her attitude.

"You were supposed to be back an hour ago, what happened? I don't care", she disregarded, "You completed the mission just outside the alleged time so you have to come back tomorrow to see me about any other mission openings". They nodded – even Naruto. She looked at him puzzled. By now, Naruto would have thrown some form of tantrum against what she said but he just shrugged it off, looking almost distracted.

"Okay, Naruto, what the hell is wrong with you?" Tsunade asked ten minutes later when she ordered the other two away in order to speak with him alone.

"Nothing's wrong", he answered offhandedly. He just wanted to get home. "I just want to go home".

"Well, come report to me tomorrow a little earlier, I need to discuss something important with you. Jiraiya asked me to pass along in a message but it can wait until tomorrow". She paused, waiting for the tantrum to begin. I want the message now old lady Tsunade! Come on I've been waiting to hear from that pervert for ages now!

"Fine, what time?"

Tsunade's mouth drooped open slightly in shock. "Well, come here for around about noon. Tell your friends to come just a bit after, I know they're waiting for you. They're nosy. Just like you", she added. She still waited for some type of reaction from him – even a glare would suffice her anxiety that something was wrong.

Naruto smiled slightly to bid her goodbye and left with out another word.

Sakura and Sasuke were waiting for him to come out.

"What did she want with you?"

"Well, she just said I need to come a little earlier than you as the pervert wants to pass a message on to me. I need to go about noon so you should come in around five or ten minutes after me". Naruto waved and set off walking.

"Hey, I'm walking you back Naruto. And I'm also walking Sakura back too so wait up!" Sasuke caught up pretty quick and noted something wrong by the expression on Naruto's face. He was dwelling on something. He had seemed pretty odd since he stopped and stared at nothing randomly for almost ten minutes. Sasuke turned to Sakura who shrugged. She seemed to be thinking along the same lines. Naruto walked along with his hands in his pockets, joining in with the conversation, even laughing a few times, but it sounded quite empty.

When they arrived at his apartment, Naruto said he was taking the scenic route; meaning he was going up the building and threw the window. Sasuke knew he liked to do that to get his mind off things.

"Fine, but I'm going to race you up. Bet I'll win".

"Probably, I'm gonna slip this way, it was raining earlier. Well, it's a challenge!" he grinned at Sasuke who was taken aback. Yet again, Naruto was acting out of character. He was actually admitting that Sasuke would win beforehand instead of saying how great he was and he was going to win. Sakura glanced at Sasuke.

"I'll wait here in the hall. Don't be too long okay?" she smiled at them both and walked through the door, along with Sasuke.

Naruto turned around and ran to the back to find the rung of the ladder. He climbed up on all the cracks on the walls, slipping and taking shortcuts he created. He was finding it more difficult than usual due to the heavy rain of the previous day. Nevertheless, it was helping him break his concentration on what happened earlier; which was exactly what he wanted.

In the meantime, Sasuke stood and talked to Sakura about whatever was wrong with Naruto. They talked for several minutes about possibilities before Sakura pointed out that Sasuke would lose if he didn't get moving soon. Sasuke noted and ran up the stairs, taking two at a time. He burst through the front door and saw everything how it was when he met up with Naruto to leave for the mission the previous day. He sighed and smiled. He had still won.

"Talking to Sakura distracted you too much Sasuke".

Sasuke turned to see Naruto coming out of the dark kitchen. They smiled at each other; Naruto had a bowl of instant ramen in his hand. He's learnt some new tricks about climbing that way up – I timed it perfectly last time to the exact second – he's done something. Sasuke dropped to the floor, on to his knees. The exhaustion of running quickly up several flights of stairs had finally started to show. He panted and looked up to see Naruto had put down his empty ramen bowl and came to offer him a hand. Sasuke took the hand and led it in to a passionate kiss that lasted several long minutes. After they had broken for air, Sasuke breathed, "Whatever is wrong with you, I'll get it out of you somehow Naruto". And with that he smiled and kissed him briefly on the lips, waved and opened the door to leave.

Naruto ran to the door and grabbed on to Sasuke's hand. He pulled him back and whispered, "You think that but I'm harder to crack than you think". He pushed him back, smiled and closed the door. Sasuke smiled to himself.

He ran back down the stairs to see an impatient Sakura waiting for him. "Ready?" she asked, sounding slightly annoyed not to Sasuke's surprise.

"Come, on. I'm sorry I took a while. I tried to pick Naruto's brain and find out what's wrong with him".

"Well, when he wants to, he doesn't share his secrets. I learned that from when we were younger".

"How?"

"Well, I won't go in to it now. I'll tell you some other time. But Naruto is a complicated person behind the simple exterior. Someone told me that a while ago".

"Who?"

"You don't need to know about it now Sasuke. Naruto should be the one to tell you". She smiled slightly and kissed Sasuke on the cheek. "Thanks for walking me home".

It took a while to register that they were already at Sakura's house. He remembered how short a journey it was between the two houses and they were walking pretty fast.

"Have fun out with Shino", she called just before she shut the door.

Sasuke stood bewildered in the street for a few minutes before making his way to meet Shino.

Meanwhile, Naruto sat with his back against the front door. He bit his lip and muttered insults about himself under his breath. He didn't want to show that he hid secrets from Sasuke when everything was going okay. It would have been easier to play along but he knew eventually he would have to release his secrets to someone; keeping them bottled up forever was not a healthy way to live he had once heard.

He went in to his drawers and the cupboard and pulled out his painting equipment and climbed on to the roof. Here was a beautiful view of a full moon from the roof and he wanted to capture it; the opportunity had never arisen due to his nights alone with Sasuke. He drew and painted for some hours when he saw a beautiful sunrise. He decided to capture that in his picture as well by incorporating a theme on sunrise and moonlight in to him and Sasuke by sketching light pictures over the paint he had already decorated on to the canvas. He decided to put away his paints and sit on the roof for a while. The sounds he heard in the forest would prevent him sleeping until he could avoid it no more. He sat and surveyed his hometown in the peace and quiet for the first time in a long while.

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Reviews please! I'd love to know what you think of my story!