Chapter 19
Sakura and Sasuke walked quietly after their sensei. Both were desperately aware of the looming silence that had settled on the group. Ever since they buried Zabuza and Haku and left the Land of Seas, Naruto had become oddly silent. His usually quiet and smiling eyes, had turned introspective and sullen. The more they walked the heavier the atmosphere became. Suddenly, Sakura snapped and turned to face the blond.
“Alright, spit it the hell out. What has you so down for?” She hissed in annoyance. He fixed an empty stare at her, a stare the stole all of the fight from her body.
“Naruto. Please tell us.” She whispered quietly. He stared a little bit longer, before looking away.
“No.”
“What? Why not?!” Sakura said sadly and tried to touch his shoulder comfortingly. He saw the gesture and flinched backwards. This time, even Sasuke turned to watch the blond.
“Are you ok?” Naruto closed his eyes in response.
“I just want to get back to the village.” His voice flat and completely empty. Sasuke watched him carefully, almost studiously, before nodding and turning back to start walking again. Naruto followed his lead, and Sakura gave them both a curious glance before sighing and giving in.
Emotions, torturous and cruel, danced back and slashed at him at every given moment. Guilt splayed across him every time he looked into Sakura’s eyes, deep shards of pain every time he glanced at the Uchiha, and the small studying glances from the silver haired Jonin. He strained his control keeping everything locked up inside of himself. His outer shell was paper thin countenance of nothingness, while inside he was a massive whirlwind of uncontrollable emotion. He breathed in deeply, allowing the crisp air to clear his mind. Shivering slightly, he stepped out of the tree’s shade to see the grandeur of Konohagakure rising up into sight.
“Ahh, Home sweet home.” Kakashi chanted. Sakura lit up at the familiar sight, and began to chatter happily. Naruto didn’t allow his facade to falter, even as his heart wilted a little, as he stepped back into the forbidding walls, of his prison. He was about to take another step when he felt a gentle pressure stop him.
“Naruto...” Sasuke’s voice, full of concern, caused the blond to bite his lip. He jerked out of the raven’s grip.
“Sasuke. Go home. I’m sure that your family is worried about you.” He bit his lip again, as he realized how cold his voice was. Shame burning in his veins, Naruto turned aside and began to walk away, tears burning in his eyes. He just walked forwards, not looking back, lest the tears truly fall.
Sasuke glared at the retreating blond.
“Sasuke. Are you going to chase him?” Sakura asked quietly from behind him.
“Hmph. If he wants to be silent and refuse to talk to me, not my problem.” He said icily and spun towards the main path. A single pained sigh, slipped from the pinkette’s lips, before she turned to their master.
“Sorry, Kaka-” She froze and glared at the empty space before her. Then, angrily she began to stomp down the road. She was about halfway home before, a loud voice called to her.
“Hey, Billboard brow!” Sakura’s head snapped to the side.
“Oh, whats up Ino-pig.”
“DON’T CALL ME THAT!”
“Well, waddya want?”
“Just wanted to know how you’re mission went is all.” Sakura sighed, and slipped into the seat next to her blond friend.
“Ugh. Honestly, I’m going to end up killing one of those two.” She replied and rubbed her temples.
“Huh? Is this about Sasuke-kun?”
“Yes. And Naruto as well. They are having a fight, and I think that Naruto is avoiding us. Well, he’s just keeping a lot to himself.”
“Hmm? Who cares about that stupid idiot? Why would anyone fight with Sasuke-kun?” Sakura glared at Ino.
“Naruto isn’t an idiot. He’s actually a pretty skilled Ninja. He’s just an emotional retard. Actually, both of them are!” Sakura snorted, and Ino laughed.
“Aww, Sakura. It’s alright. All boys are. Just look at my teammates for instance!” Ino commented, drawing a laugh from the pinkette.
“Maybe, but these two are complete idiots. Stubborn stupid idiots. Not a good combo. It’s like the Academy all over again.” Sakura groaned and smacked her head into the table. Ino rubbed her back comfortingly.
“It’s ok. It has to get worse before it’ll get better! You’ll see!” Sakura gave her friend a smile, but felt a queasy sense of foreshadowing inside.
“I hope so...”
Sasuke kicked the ground as he walked home.
“Stupid, blond. I’m only worried cause I care.” He spat almostly silently. He turned with the road and stopped suddenly. The practice pond glittered peacefully on the side of the road. The serene waters remained still and reflected the dropping sun.
“Whats up Otouto?” Sasuke jumped at the sound.
“Itachi. You scared me.” Placing a hand over his beating heart, sasuke took a deep breath to attemtp to slow his quickened breathing. The older raven, smiling slid an arm around his shoulders.
“What’s wrong baby brother? What has you so tightly wound?” Sasuke considered lying, but decided against it.
“A lot of things... Just a lot on my mind.” He said quietly.
“Mmm? Is it Naruto trouble? Or is it girl trouble, otouto?” Itachi replied straightfaced, while Sasuke sputtered.
“Its definitely Naruto trouble!”
“Because that easier, or is it just less embarassing?”
“Ok, I’m done talking.”
“Hnn? But I’m not. So spill. Which is it.”
“....” Itachi continued holding his baby brother, who was busy turning a bright red.
“FINE! It’s both!” The smaller raven hissed.
“Ooh. Ok, we’ll talk Naruto. Then, when we get home, we’ll talk about your crush.” Feeling his cheeks burn suddenly, Sasuke stared at the ground.
“Aww! Don’t be like that Otouto! You know Mom would kill us both if we hid this from her.” He gave his little brother a small smile.
“Now, about Naruto?”
“I don’t know. After this mission, he.. he’s closed back up to me. He won’t talk to me, and can’t even look me in the eye.”
“Hmm.... What happened during this mission.” The question was an innocent one, but it stopped him cold.
“I almost died.”
“WHAT!” Itachi spun back to Saskue.
“It wasn’t just a simple c-rank badoy guard mission. I’m sure you heard of our complications.”
“There was nothing in the dossier that said you almost died.”
“There were two very skilled nin. One of them, pinned me and Naruto down. Then, when I activated my Sharingan, he attacked Naruto. I jumped in the way, and took the attack for him. However, the boy intensionally missed all of the vital points and I suffered a psuedo-death.” The young raven looked up, to see his eldest brother gritting his teeth.
“What?”
“I think I understand what Naruto was thinking. And I think I know why he’s not talking to you or anyone else. He thinks of you as a brother Sasuke! You are his most important person.” Itachi took a moment to breathe.
“Ok. Sasuke, when you jumped in and took the attack for Naruto, what were you thinking?” Itachi asked in a genuinely interested voice.
“I was thinking, I have to protect Naruto. Why?”
“Naruto, is probably trying to find a way to be strong on his own. To match up to the powerful name of the Uchiha, so that no one will dare question your friendship. And when you took that attack, you did two things, you broke his belief in himself, and you made him realize just how attatched he is to you.” Sasuke’s eyes widened in discovery.
“I made him feel weak? But he was the one who destroyed Zabuza..”
“What?! Momochi Zabuza?”
“Huh? Yeah.”
“Naruto... Naruto beat him?”
“When, he thought I was dead, he kinda freaked out. Sakura, saw it best, but I saw some of it. It was incredible he had a truly powerful aura of death. It was truly frightening.”
“Hmm...”
“What?”
“Its nothing. What probably shook him to his core, was the loss of you. And seeing Sakura’s reaction.” At that offhanded remark, Sasuke felt his cheeks flare. Itachi gave him a chance glance and saw the spreading rosy flare.
“Hmm... whats this? Is Otouto crushing hard on someone?”
“AM NOT!”
“Alright. You can make your argument in front of Mother.” Sasuke paled, already seeing his mother’s reaction.
“No! You can’t Itachi! Please!” Sasuke begged as they approached the door.
“Foolish little brother. Don’t you know? I’m in the doghouse right now! I’ll take any out!”
“Itachi don-”
“MY BOYS!” A shrill scream cut off all conversation. Sasuke turned to face his mother, with the best pokerface anyone had ever seen.
“Hello mother.” They replied.
“Sasu-kun!” Mikoto threw herself into a spine breaking her hug around youngest son. Sasuke saw a small glare pass from mother to eldest.
“Uh.. Mom... are you ok?”
“I’m fine! You’ve been out for three weeks! I missed you is all!” She huffed, and pulled him inside. Sasuke heard his heartbeat pump louder, and he sensed the brewing storm between mother and son. Nervously, he took his customary seat at the table.
“So... How is-”
“Sasuke, tell me about your crush.” Itachi said quietly. Those single words froze their mother in the kitchen.
“I-I have no idea what you’re talking about!” Inwardly cursing his single misstep. His mother turned almost immediately, and gently laid the meal at the table.
“What is this? Sasuke is crushing on a girl, which one?”
“Mother! I honestly don’t know what he’s talking abo-”
“I know. And I may be willing to speak.” Itachi spoke quietly, locking eyes with his mother, before breaking away to look elsewhere.
“I’m listening.” Mikoto said, clearly amused.
“I want this ridiculous farce of a punishment to end!” Itachi said fiercely. Mikoto’s eyebrow shot up. “And what punishment are you speaking of?” Her voice had tuned into an almost too perfect impression of innocence.
“You know what I’m talking about!” Itachi was now pouting at his mother, trying to draw on her motherly instincts. Sasuke watched the exchange with more amazement than anythign else.
“Fine, Ita-kun. Tell me what you want to end.”
“The cold shoulder. If you promise to end this... distasteful situation, I’ll tell you Sasuke’s crush.” Mikoto smiled brilliantly.
“OH, ITA-KUN! IF IT BOTHERED YOU SO MUCH, YOU SHOULD HAVE TOLD ME!” She cried out suddenly, and pulled Itachi into another bone breaking hug. Sasuke sighed, taking solace in the fact that Itachi did not in fact know who his crush was.
“So whose the lucky girl?”
“Haruno Sakura.” Sasuke, who had been drinking some tea, performed a beautiful spit take. Itachi gave his little brother a feral grin.
“See, even little Otouto, supports what I say.”
“Haruno... wasn’t she that girl who was just under Sasuke?” His mother wondered aloud.
“Yes thats her. The pink haired little genius. It said that her memorization abilities rival even the Uchiha.” Itachi said conversationally, and Mikoto nodded and sipped her tea. Sasuke glared at both of them.
“How in the hell did you know who my .... uh... well you know!” He growled.
“I guessed.”
“What?!”
“Well, you didn’t make it difficult. When we were talking about you’re teammates on the way home, you blushed when you mentioned Sakura.” He shrugged as if that answered everything. Sasuke stared at the two of them, then stood up.
“I’m going to bed! G’nite!” He growled and stomped up to his room, slamming the door behind him. He go to his bed and fumed for a moment at his family, before his eyes flitted over the picture of Team Seven. Silently, he got up and picked up the picture. It was all four of them, Sakura smiling into the camera, with Kakashi holding both him and Naruto still for the picture. Just looking at it set a gentle smile on his face.
“Otouto... Just tell me that you will talk to him tommorow.” The younger raven remained silent for a moment.
“Will you come with me?”
“If you wish...”
“I think that it would be best if he heard it from all of us.” Sasuke said quietly, through his door.
“As you wish. Good nite, little brother.” Itachi whispered through the door. With that, sasuke slid under his covers, already trying to plan out what he would tell the dobe.
Naruto sat atop the Hokage Monument, staring into the black night sky. The millions of dancing stars drew his attention, and helped his mind to wander from his own pain.
“You are getting predictable Naruto.” A slow, gravelly voice called from behind him. Naruto didn’t spare the intruder a glance.
“Who cares. It’s not like anyone checks up on me. No one would notice if a no account like me just up and vanished.” A swishing sound indicated the other man had taken a seat next to him.
“I think you know you are wrong, Naruto. I, for one, would be greatly saddened if you decided to disappear.” The slow deep voice, caused more emotions to churn inside the blond.
“Look, gramps, I don’t need this right now. I’ve had enough of this whole human emotion thing to last me a lifetime, ok? I hate these feelings of mine.” The blond uttered as he placed his head on his knees.
“Why? What has made you bitter, Naruto?” The older man, whispered comfortingly.
“... I just realized, on this mission how much I’ve allowed that teme in. Can you believe that? I’ve practically let him know everything there is to possibly know me, and yet he still... Whatever... It’s just easier not to deal with this. Everyone would be better off, if I just stopped now.”
“How would Sasuke be better off? What about Sakura?”
“Sasuke would finally be able to make the friends he wanted to have in the Academy. Sakura might actually get some attention from Sasuke.”
“And how does Naruto win in all of this?”
“Me? I, get to forget all of these pathetic attachments and live my short solitary life out.”
“That doesn’t sound like a win, to me.” Naruto let out a soft harsh peal of laughter out.
“But I’m winning now? I don’t even know what the hell is going on anymore. The only thing I know is that I let someone in too close. That person got too far in, and look, all it did was hurt. I want to just forget it all.” Naruto ended with a sob.
“Was it all bad? Was life with Sasuke, and Sakura and Kakashi so bad?”
“No... But now that I have them.... I...” Naruto cut himself off, biting his lip.
“I have something to loose now. Even that dumb sensei, has managed to find a place in my life.” Naruto whispered fearfully.
“Living is hard, Naruto. But only living is worth it.”
“I... I honestly don’t know anymore. I want to believe you, but it hurts now. I. Failed. Them. Everytime I look at them, all it does is remind me of how weak, and utterly pathetic I am. I should just die, and make everyone happy.” The blond moaned in dispair.
“I think that you need to talk to your friends before doing anything too rash.” Naruto sniffled, and looked at the man.
“Thanks, jiji.”
“Thats Hokage-sama to you, boy.” Naruto gave him a small smile.
“Thank you, Sandaime Hokage-sama.”
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