Inside the Sketchpad & Notebook

Chapter 23: The Power of Sickness

Shizuka: Sorry for the long wait here's the new chapter. As promised, I'll start updating every wednesday/thursday. In all honesty both Aki and I are already losing all the stored plot bunnies we have for ISP&NB...why? cause of our new story called "Web of Lies"...and school...but we'll try our best to satisfy you and to finish this story.

ILL GET IT STRAIGHT: In this chapter AKI and ME absolutely dont have any Inspiration at all...so dont expect anything good in this chapter.

Warnings: Blah

PLEASE COMMENT/REVIEW.......PLEASE...Im starting to get bored AND discouraged.

I dont own anything except the plot.

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Naruko grumbled incoherently under her breath as she stared...no glared at the modern styled house in front of her, hesitating if she should ring the bell or just leave Sasuke's homework in the mailbox...

................*sigh*~'I'll just leave it in his mailbox...' she finally decided after moments of thinking. She dropped it inside and prepared to leave when

"Naru-chan?" 'Oh damn. Lord Fate why do you hate me so...' Naruko thought knowing who owned that familiar gentle voice. Naruko reluctantly turned around and faced the familiar Older Uchiha with a crooked smile.

"H-hello...Itachi-nii........-san." Naruko said shyly avoiding to meet the gaze of the older Uchiha, looking anywhere except him.

The older Uchiha smiled "Naru-chan! It's been so long!" Itachi said giving Naruko a very sweet smile.

"Ye-yes...I-It's been awhile I-Itachi-nii-san...." Naruko said suddenly finding the ground very interesting.

"I remember you used to always wear big baggy shirts and would tie your hair in pigtails...but look at you now..." Itachi said eyeing her from head to toe making her feel even more nervous, now wishing the earth would just swallow her up.

Itachi smirked "But...you still look the same...though your style changed and hair got longer~" Naruko's attention snapped back up to Itachi all her nervousness had gone away by what Itachi just said.

"Hey! I got taller!" Naruko retorted "Well~ I got taller to~" Itachi said playfully.

Naruko pouted "Humph! Anyway I heard you moved away? so why are you here now?" Naruko asked

"I did. I just came back here to have a short vacation, and I heard my little brother's sick. So may I ask for what reason you came? Not that you're not welcome." Itachi said opening the front door.

"The teacher asked me to give Sasuke his homework...kicking me out of class...saying I don't need to listen knowing I already know the whole subject...not like I'm denying it..." Naruko grumbled but whispered the last part which Itachi still heard making him chuckle a bit.

"I see...Well please come in then." Itachi said as he motioned to the open door.

"No thanks Itachi-nii-san...I don't want to be a bother so if you would kindly hand Sasuke his homework for me and I will now be going on my way as I still have a place to go to...after..." She said nervously, wishing to every deity that he would buy her lie...

But sadly...not one heard or even bothered to answer her wishes...

"Oh but I Insist! After all you came all the way here from school just to give Sasuke his homework and...You know I know that you're not good at lying Naruko.." Itachi said with a rather creepy yet at the same time very sweet smile that clearly said 'you-can't-say-no'. Naruko sweated bullets but after a few moments let out a sigh of defeat. Taking the homework from the mailbox she grudgingly entered the house.

When she entered she noticed that the change of the house was very minimal, only the new black sofa that resided in the living room and their pictures (Itachi, Sasuke & Naruko) were hanged on the wall were what changed it. Naruko was too busy travelling down the memory lane to notice Itachi crept up behind her.

"I trust you still remember your way around" He said suddenly appearing behind Naruko and put a hand on her shoulder, snapping her out of her thought making her jump a bit in fright.

"Huh!? Oh...yeah..." She said following Itachi to the kitchen.

"I think

"Sasuke's in his room, why don't you give his homework while I make tea." Itachi said while taking out a kettle. Naruko let out another sigh and grumbled making her way up the stairs.

Naruko took a deep breath before knocking on Sasuke's door. She heard a muffled 'come in.' and heaved her remaining courage to open the door and step inside. She entered silently and saw Sasuke lying on his bed, blanket sprawled on the floor showing his body, his pajama shirt was halfway open and showed his well toned torso. Naruko couldn't help but blush slightly at the sights turning away, she heard Sasuke cough making her look back just in time to see him shiver. She huffed and turned back, putting her things down on the floor and grabbed the blanket; and draped it back to Sasuke carefully tucking him.

'He's still my best friend no matter what....' She thought and felt bitterness when she thought of the word best friend...she didn't know why so she just shrugged it off.

卍 Henge: Sasuke! 卍

Sasuke felt someone drape his blankets over him, and he struggled to open his eyes to see who it is while praying to all the gods and deities that it isn't Sakura who broke in his house, but if it is her then she should've broken his ear drums already...so it must be someone else...Itachi? ...the hands are too small for it to be him...then...

"Naruko?" He unconsciously whispered his sight a bit blurred but he swears he saw familiar blonde locks. But then he turned away closing his eyes "no...I must be dreaming...she wouldn't come here....after what happened..." he thought not knowing he said it out loud earning him a soft hit on the head form dream Naruko.

"Sasuke! Open your eyes will you." Naruko said again hitting him on the head softly. But he didn't respond, Naruko 'tch-ed'

"Don't you dare sleep on a woman especially when one had been so kind to come all the way here to give your homework" Naruko said crossing her arms over her chest, as Sasuke grumbled awake rubbing his sleepy eyes to clear his slightly blurry vision and his head that was hit by Naruko.

"What kind of woman hits a man while he's down." Sasuke countered

"Me." Naruko answered as she unconsciously grinned playfully.

"Hn." Was all Sasuke answered giving Naruko his signature smirk, irking her to the core. Naruko froze when she remembered what happened to their last encounter; Naruko looked away not noticing her fingers twitch. Making Sasuke frown. She quickly handed him the papers

"Here. Kakashi-sensei asked me to give you these since we just live next to each other." She said. Handing him the papers, avoiding eye contact.

"Thanks." Sasuke replied, receiving the papers making sure their hands brushed to each other sending tiny bolts of electricity through their bodies...but then there was coughing heard from the door.

"ehem...I hate to disturb your...moment but Tea's ready" Itachi said with a knowing grin earning a glare and scowl from Sasuke and glare from Naruko. Naruko huffed and shuffled out of the room...hearing Itachi say before she is completely out of hearing range...

"Go back to sleep...if you want to make up with her soon..."

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Done!!! What do you think? though its quite boring cause as you know .....were losing all the plot bunnies we've securely locked in our brains for ISP&NB.....but anyway we'll still try our best to finish this story.

CIAO~