When Sasuke Met Naruto (SasuNaru)

- Chapter 7 -

Sasuke left school that day as quickly as possible, stopping for only a moment at his locker to gather his books before rushing outside. He wanted to get away from Naruto as quickly as possible, knowing that he would not be able to handle any chance encounter with the blond.

What was that earlier? That look in his eyes... what was he thinking? And the way he blushed like that... could it really be?

Sasuke tried to shake these thoughts from his head; it was too dangerous to even consider that possibility. Indeed, by acknowledging the potential depth of Naruto's emotions, the Uchiha knew that he would be setting himself up for failure. He had to convince himself that this was all just his imagination playing tricks on him, that Naruto was just some annoying kid that he stop thinking about.

It was for this reason that Sasuke wandered over to the Konoha City Park, an expansive, verdant area littered with trees and picturesque hills. He arrived there by no mere accident, for he knew if he were to find O anywhere, it would be beneath one of the park's many trees with his lackeys. Sasuke was somewhat apprehensive about seeking him out, but he knew that he couldn't possibly talk this problem over with Shikamaru or Kakashi. No, they would both read into it, jump to conclusions, and ultimately make things worse for the Uchiha. With O, there was a chance for Sasuke to get the information he desired and escape this whole situation without another relationship to weigh him down.

Unfortunately, this all meant that Sasuke would have to share some personal information with a man he did not fully understand. He felt he could trust O, and had talked things over with him in the past, but the raven-haired boy was not sure how the man would respond to the problem with Naruto. It was a dilemma, for in order to seek O's aid in this matter, Sasuke would have to give up some of his control on the situation, which he was rather reluctant to do.

Thus, for a few minutes, Sasuke simply stood at the top of one of the park's hills, staring down at his confidant sitting beneath a nearby oak. O had not seen the Uchiha, yet, his attention apparently centered on tuning the guitar in his hands, which gave Sasuke some time to think things through.

It's not too late to turn back... I mean, what if he only confirms my fears? What would I do then? No! I have to face this thing head on. If I just ignore it, then it'll only be a matter of time before Naruto becomes a part of my life...

With a calming breath, Sasuke stepped towards his friend, who glanced up from his guitar with a sly smirk, his eerie, yellow eyes shining even in the shade of the tree. Beside him, a silver-haired teen adjusted his glasses and set down his own guitar to watch the Uchiha's approach.

"Ah, why if it isn't Sasuke," O said, running a hand through his long, black hair. "What brings you here, today?"

"I was hoping to talk to you, O," Sasuke replied, before glancing briefly at the bespectacled companion. "Alone."

"Of course," the man replied, his eyes fixed on the young Uchiha. "Kabuto, give us a minute, will you?"

"As you wish, Orochimaru."

Kabuto gave a brief nod to both O and Sasuke before starting off for another tree, where a red-haired girl sat, expertly playing her flute. Once he felt that Kabuto was out of earshot, Sasuke then took a seat beside Orochimaru, trying to figure out exactly what he should say. Seeing that the raven-haired teen had no intention of speaking, Orochimaru began to strum a simple tune on his guitar to ease the tension. Sasuke appreciated this, for it made it clear that there was no pressure for him to speak until he was ready.

It always surprised Sasuke how insightful Orochimaru could actually be. Kakashi had never liked the man; called him a bad influence. Not that it wasn't true – Orochimaru was a high school drop-out, had no job besides his band "Sound Village," and was widely believed to be an avid drug user- but Sasuke felt at least some sort of connection with the man. Maybe it was Orochimaru's complete lack of direction in life that made Sasuke found so admirable, in that it contrasted so wonderfully with his role as heir to the Uchiha business.