Author Uozumi
Genre General
Rating PG
Disclaimer I do not own nor claim to own this. The characters, ect...contained within are not my property. This is an act of fandom and I do not make a profit from this endeavor.
Summary It was a rare occurrence, but each time it happened it was terrifying. Spoilers.
It was a rare occurrence, but each time it happened it was terrifying. They can still remember the first time he woke them in the middle of the night, screaming and thrashing. He never did wake from whatever was tormenting him. The first time it happened, Kakashi had gone off to scout ahead and left them at camp. The three were sleeping in a circle around the campfire, Sasuke taking the second watch. Sakura had only been asleep for a few moments when he saw Naruto stir. This wasn’t odd in itself, Naruto usually moved about in his sleep and once every so often some ridiculous phrase would come out of his mouth like “Ramen…? Oh yes? Twenty-thirds…? Mmmmm…”
However, Sasuke froze slightly when the youngest of their team screamed. Sakura was up instantly, reflexively screaming as well, but soon Sasuke’s hand was over her mouth. “Shut up,” he instructed in her ear and the girl automatically quieted.
However, Naruto wasn’t quieting. He wasn’t thrashing either, just on his side with his hands over his head screaming.
Sakura was afraid. What were they supposed to do? Kakashi said that he would be gone for one night, so he was nowhere near. She supposed she should do something since she was the oldest present, but what could she do?
Sasuke was scared but he kept it from showing. From where he was crouched behind Sakura, he could feel her trembling. He was the man, so he had to do something.
Naruto was curled up in a ball and his screaming was getting quieter, but more frantic. He was shaking as if from cold, but not as though he were having a fit. Yet, the night was pleasant. It wasn’t warm, but it wasn’t cold enough for the jacket Naruto always wore either.
Sakura took in a breath and reached out to touch his shoulder. “Naruto,” she spoke as calmly as she could, but her voice was strained. “Wake up,” she nudged him slightly and then pulled her hand back quickly as Naruto swung out, screaming something that sounded like gibberish.
If he wasn’t screaming bloody murder, she would have clobbered him. Here she was trying to help the blonde, but he almost decked her! Inner Sakura went on a rampage, but outer Sakura only knitted her brows.
Sasuke watched from where he was still crouched behind Sakura. He had almost moved when Naruto lashed out, but he stayed put when it looked like no damage was going to be done. The swing had been powerful and if Sakura hadn’t reacted, she probably would be bleeding. Sasuke didn’t know what he was supposed to do. It was a natural response for Sakura to reach out and use touch as an answer, but Sasuke was not keen on touching anyone in any circumstance. The idea of possibly smacking Naruto and watching him wake up crossed his mind, but it was soon chased away.
“Now what?” Sasuke asked, more to herself than Sasuke.
Naruto was still shouting something in the gibberish he screamed at Sakura when she touched him. He wasn’t thrashing but every so often he might snarl or lash out. His teammates watched and then Sakura said, “He’s going to hurt himself.”
Sasuke didn’t say anything, his brown eyes transfixed on the boy in front of them.
“Grab his hand,” Sakura suddenly said and started to move forward to get on the other side of Naruto.
Sasuke stared. “Don’t get too – “
“Just do it,” Sakura cut him off as she knelt by Naruto. It was corny, she knew and probably in some fairy tale somewhere, but it was the only thing she could think of at the moment.
Sasuke watched as the pre-teen girl grasped Naruto’s left hand tightly. Before the blonde could bat her away, Sasuke had Naruto’s right hand. “Now what?” he asked. He wasn’t comfortable with holding a guy’s hand tightly in both of his.
“Well, don’t hold it so tight,” Sakura replied. “Hold it gently, we have to calm him down, not make him worse.”
Sasuke mumbled something that Sakura couldn’t make out, but she watched his hands relax around Naruto’s.
“Naruto, we’re here,” she said the first thing she could think of. It sounded so insincere to her. This was what people said in movies and books. What was she supposed to say? What did people say in real life when someone was like this?”
“Wake up, dobe,” Sasuke said in a normal tone.
Sakura stared. She went to tell him to speak in a gentler tone, but stopped. It seemed to be getting somewhere. Naruto at least had stopped trying to kick them away.
“Yeah, Sasuke-kun’s right!” Sakura said in her “Naruto you’re such a dork” voice. “Wake up!”
They pair quieted and watched Naruto. His screams were slowing and the intensity was dropping. Sakura adjusted her grip on his hand and said, “If you don’t get up now, I…” she tried to think of some ultimatum. Inner Sakura was only supplying risqué ones and was not being a help.
“He’s calming,” Sasuke stated.
Sakura looked down and then nodded. Naruto’s face was relaxing, an occasional grimace passing over his now pale features. Her face softened into relief. They watched their teammate calm further until he seemed to be normal again. Carefully she pried Naruto’s hand out of hers, Sasuke following suit.
Neither of them could sleep after that.
The second time it happened was in Tazuna’s house, although this time it was only Sasuke and Naruto in the room. Sasuke had been between sleep and consciousness like a good shinobi when he tensed. Narrowing his eyes, he surveyed the boy sleeping on the other side of the room. He was stirring again, but it was disquieting.
Sasuke sat up, his hair sticking up more so than usual and frowned. He had a bad feeling about this. Standing up, he stood over Naruto watching the blonde grimace. The younger Genin’s knuckles were white where he was gripping his blanket and he was whimpering. Sasuke went to kick him awake, but just as his foot went to connect with Naruto’s side, the twelve-year-old opened his mouth letter out a very loud scream.
Instantly, Sasuke put the pillow over Naruto’s face, possible suffocation not on his mind. They couldn’t wake up the whole damn house. And if this was like that one time in the winter, this could go on for a long time.
Hearing a knock at the door, the Uchiha blinked and looked over his shoulder then back at Naruto. Leaving the pillow over the blonde’s head, Sasuke walked over to the door and cracked it open so no one could see Naruto.
Sakura’s hand was still poised to knock again and then she blinked before her features changed. “Is everything okay?”
Sasuke debated this answer. Certainly he could take care of this without her help. It was only Naruto after all. Before he could say, “Yeah,” and get rid of her, Naruto’s muffled screams grew louder.
Sakura rose up on her tiptoes to look around Sasuke. She thought she had heard Naruto! “Sasuke-kun, what – “
“I’ve got it taken care of,” Sasuke said.
Sakura’s eyes widened slightly and then she said, “A pillow over his head isn’t taking care of it!”
“Shut up,” Sasuke whispered. The last thing they needed was to wake up everyone else. He stepped back when she let herself into the room and watched when she closed the door.
“Naruto,” Sakura said as she knelt by the blonde. She looked at the pillow over his head and considered how much of a possibility suffocation was at this point. With it just lying there, it seemed to be okay, but if they pressed down on it, certainly they would kill their teammate. She reached out for a hand like last time, but they were both clutching his blanket in death grips. His screams were also getting louder, but the pillow kept them confined to the room.
Sakura sat by Naruto with her hands in her lap to keep her night dress from creeping up. If they couldn’t grab his hands, what could they do to help him? Sasuke was standing over Naruto on his other side. Naruto was curled up on his side now, eyes shut tightly his back to Sasuke. His knees were bent up towards his chest, but not too close.
“What do you think he’s dreaming about?” Sakura asked after a time. She couldn’t think of what she could do.
Sasuke shrugged making one of his replies from in his throat.
“I wonder…” Sakura’s voice trailed and she put one of her hands cautiously over one of Naruto’s hands. She felt Sasuke’s eyes on her. She wasn’t sure how to phrase it without it coming off as out of a book or television show. “I wonder if he does this when we’re not around.”
Sasuke looked down at the screaming boy who was shaking not from cold but not from a fit either. “What do we do?” Sakura had come up with the solution last time. He had no idea what to do and he knew he wasn’t keen on the holding hands bit.
“I don’t know,” Sakura replied. She hated this helplessness. She liked Sasuke more, but she didn’t want Naruto to be like this as much as she didn’t like him. He was annoying, but he was her teammate, and his behavior was just as terrifying as the first time she encountered it.
Sakura quickly scooted back when Naruto lashed out. He was screaming in gibberish again. Sasuke moved quickly to adjust the pillow so Naruto wouldn’t wake everyone.
“Don’t hold it there!” Sakura exclaimed after she realized that Sasuke wasn’t going to move his hands. “You’ll suffocate him!”
Sasuke gave her a “But it’s stopping him from screaming too loud” look. Sakura merely batted Sasuke’s hands away and dodged another kick.
“There’s got to be a better solution,” she said as she stood a bit away from Naruto. With the pillow’s new position, the screams were muffled again. Her arms were folded and her eyes didn’t move from Naruto.
“He’ll shut up eventually,” Sasuke noted. Nothing could go on forever.
Sakura frowned. At this rate, Naruto could lose his voice! Although, she hated to admit that she wouldn’t mind that at all. “Whne will he stop?”
“Whenever.”
Sakura debated if she could live with that. Sasuke was right, they really couldn’t do anything, and Naruto would eventually stop screaming. She looked over at Sasuke. “If he gets worse, tell me, okay?”
Sasuke glanced at her but didn’t give a yes or no.
“And,” she paused at the door, “don’t suffocate him.” Then she waved, “Goodnight, Sasuke-kun!” before disappearing and closing the door behind her.
Sasuke looked down at the blonde Genin and sighed. He still had no idea what he was supposed to do and the damn pillow was slipping again.
Just as before, Naruto woke the next morning with extra big grins and more energy than was necessary. Sasuke for once was not being a morning person and Sakura was her normal morning self. Kakashi watched his team questioningly, but said nothing. They had been like this on a trip months ago, only Sakura had been more grouchy and groggy than usual. Deciding he didn’t want to know, Kakashi simply continued thinking on the problem of Zabuza.
The third time that Naruto woke them was in the Forest of Death. The boy had taken the first watch of the night and had traded off with Sakura. They had to recover from their encounter of Orochimaru and as much as that could hold them back, it was necessary if they wanted to come out of the forest in time.
Sakura was daydreaming at her post, but her senses were keen. She was the only one uninjured from the attack, so she had fought Naruto’s offer to take first watch, but he had been adamant and she had eventually given in. Sitting under the tree, she was between her teammates who were each sleeping on either side of her.
Her green eyes looked down at Sasuke. He was still warm and fighting off the curse seal on his neck. She wanted to go and get some cold water to put on his forehead, but she had to stand guard. She felt Naruto turn his back to her. He was sleeping fitfully, but he had been each night since the exam started. She tried to talk to Sasuke about it, but their teammate had only ignored her.
Jumping slightly, Sakura’s pointer fingers instinctively plugged her ears. She felt Sasuke snap into a sitting position as she looked down at Naruto. He was on his stomach, hitting the ground, screaming that gibberish again. His body was trembling and his fingers clawed at the ground.
“Dammit,” she heard Sasuke murmur as he moved from her side to Naruto’s other side. He looked down at Naruto from his crouched position, Sakura’s eyes worriedly on the dark haired boy. With a swift movement, Sasuke hit Naruto square on a pressure point.
Sakura’s first impulse was to demand to know what the hell Sasuke thought he was doing, but Naruto wasn’t quieting. He wasn’t getting louder, though.
“If we don’t shut him up, everyone will know where we are,” Sasuke explained. Of course Sakura knew this, but there was something about Sasuke trying to incapacitate Naruto that didn’t sit well with her. There had to be a better way than knocking him unconscious.
That’s when Naruto began screaming in Japanese. His teammates froze. His screams were panicky, desperate, and high-pitched. He kept repeating the word ‘no’ and ‘no more’ repeatedly. Sakura looked over at Sasuke. She wanted him to come up with something, although Inner Sakura scolded her. Sasuke was the one who almost suffocated Naruto that one time after all.
Sakura reached for one of Naruto’s hands but drew her hand back swiftly when he clawed at it, drawing a bit of blood. “Naruto!” she huffed, wondering if talking to him normally might help draw him out again. Somehow she doubted that the same thing could work twice.
Sasuke was for using force, although the pressure point thing had gone nowhere fast. Looking down at Naruto, he frowned. What the hell could they do to shut him up? He didn’t feel like listening to Sakura screech at him, so he refrained from hitting Naruto again or using that stupid orange jacket to muffle the screams.
Sakura was seriously considering taking a Sasuke approach now. Naruto wasn’t one to respond well to mothering and she wasn’t really sure how to give it without him taking it in the opposite context. So they could use force. She listened as he started screaming in that gibberish again.
“I wonder how his landlord quiets him,” she said loudly so Sasuke could hear her.
Sasuke gave her a “and I should know this how?” look. He was sure if Naruto did this somewhere in Konoha, they would certainly have heard him by now. There was no way someone could scream this loudly in their village and no one notice. “What if…” Sasuke was better at doing than explaining so he merely grabbed one of Naruto’s wrists. “Pull him up.”
Sakura soon grasped Naruto’s other arm but in a way so she wasn’t in danger of breaking it. She watched Sasuke change his hand positions to mimic her. He would never admit it, but she seemed to instinctively know how to handle people so as not to hurt them. “Pull,” he repeated. Maybe if they sat Naruto up, he would stop screaming.
They managed to get his hands up from the ground and with arms around Naruto’s waist; they used their combined strength to pull him up into a sitting position. “If only this dobe was this strong during battle,” Sasuke muttered. As soon as they had Naruto up from the ground, he shook them off and curled up into a ball, his hands over his head, eyes shut tightly. His breathing was quick and shrill, but the screams were gone.
“Well, he’s not screaming,” Sakura noted worriedly. She wasn’t sure if she liked the screaming better than the way he was breathing right now. “Now what?”
Sasuke considered saying that it seemed to be over, but Naruto was turning rather blue. Sakura looked like she wasn’t sure what to do, so he went with his first impulse. He slapped Naruto’s back hard. Naruto did look like he was choking even if he didn’t sound like it. He saw Sakura begin to open her mouth to start telling him that whacking Naruto that hard couldn’t be back for the boy, but Naruto’s gasps for air were turning into coughs.
Sasuke debated whether he should hit Naruto again when Sakura intercepted the next whack. Sasuke dropped her hands quickly and looked at the blonde who was moving. Naruto turned his head and then shouted, “Sasuke-teme, what the hell was that for?!”
He received two stares and then two sideways glances. Neither was really sure how to answer that question. Somehow “you were screaming at the top of your lungs” just didn’t seem right.
“You were choking,” Sasuke said.
Naruto gauged him and then laughed uneasily. Looking over at Sakura, he blinked. “Is something wrong, Sakura-chan?” She was looking at him really funny.
“No,” Sakura replied. She had considered asking him what his dream about and how often they come when she and Sasuke aren’t around, but she decided against it. If he was aware of the night terrors, certainly he would tell them someday.
Naruto looked away from her and then asked, “Why are you sitting so close, Sasuke-teme?” which elicited an indignant reply.
Sakura leaned back against the tree as her teammates poked verbally at each other. She watched as it soon ended in weird expressions and pouting. Hoping that tomorrow they wouldn’t be in one of their “I don’t want to talk to you because I saved you” moods, Sakura said, “You both need to go back to sleep.”
Naruto looked quick to protest as Sasuke merely took the chance to slip back to where he once had been. Sakura watched as Sasuke dropped back off instantly, the curse still zapping his energy. Looking back at Naruto, she asked, “Can’t sleep?”
Naruto put a hand behind his head and laughed uneasily.
It’s been years since that time in the forest. Sometimes Sakura wakes up, only to find that she’s in her own room and Naruto isn’t screaming nearby. It doesn’t happen often – only twice since he left with Jiraiya, but she finds she can’t fall back asleep afterwards. Now, however, Naruto is back and they’ve gained an obnoxious new teammate and a temporary Jônin guide.
Tonight she just can’t sleep in the wooden house Yamato constructed for them. Slipping out into the night, she spies a figure sitting on a stump nearby. Her first reaction is to think it’s Sai because she knows he will be drawing on that stump in the morning, but even without a moon, she makes out blonde hair instead of black.
“Naruto…” she whispers and watches him turn around. He greets her with a large grin and beckons her over. It’s nice when it’s just the two of them, but at the same time they both wish that Sasuke and Kakashi were there too. “Can’t sleep?”
He puts a hand behind his head and gives her an uneasy laugh. “You could say that.”
Sakura glances at him and folds her arms looking out at the dark forest around them as she stands by him. She opens her mouth and then closes it. Naruto gives her a questioning look and she shakes her head.
“Do you mind if I stay up with you?” she asks after a while. It was better than her original question.
Naruto looks over at her and then he scoots over on the stump. “Sure.” He watches as she sits down and then he looks away. He doesn’t ask if she knows of the nights he screams. He’s learned to predict them now and plans to stay up all night just to avoid the terror.
They sit in silence until Sakura asks, “Do you remember the cat mission?”
Naruto looks over at her and then laughs quietly so he doesn’t wake Sai and Yamato. “Yeah.”
They spend the night remembering the stupid D-rank missions from their Genin days before sneaking back to their own rooms before their temporary Jônin guide and temporary teammate wake up and find them still awake.