Naruto burst into the hokage's office with a bright smile. "Hey, baa-chan! Have you got any missions for me today?" He said loudly. She shook her head while Sakura took a stack of books from her desk and walked over to the other side of the room to place them on the bookshelf. As Tsunade's assistant, it was her job to keep the office as tidy as possible when she wasn't working on practical tasks. Naruto shrugged, smiling wider still. "Its fine, I'll just spar with Sasuke again." Sakura dropped all the books she was holding and turned to face Tsunade. "How much longer can we let him go on like this? Its not right!" She said, her eyes full of sadness. "The book with the blue spine. Page three hundred and two, chapter thirty." Sakura picked up the book Tsunade had indicated and opened it. Finding the right page, she read the small section out loud. "Chapter thirty, denial. Where someone denies that something has happened or is happening although he/she really knows it is true. Usually this happens because admitting it would cause a lot of pain." Tsunade nodded as Sakura closed the book and placed it on the shelf in the right place. Naruto frowned. "Whats wrong with everyone?" he asked.
"So that's it…can we help him?" Sakura asked hopefully.
"Well, there is a chance he could come to terms with the…loss. It could get worse though." Tsunade said.
"It already is worse. Yesterday he was…" Sakura struggled to hold back tears as she finished her sentence. "…sat at the ramen stand angry, because he said Sasuke told him he would be meeting him there." She finished sadly. "That's nothing…earlier this week I saw him talking…to himself. When I asked him why he was doing it…Tsuande-sama, he's losing it! He was talking to himslef, insistant Sasuke was there!"
"He's… hallucinating?" Tsuande asked, her voice filled with concern. Sakura nodded.
"Sakura, what are you talking about?" Naruto asked.
"We have to make him understand. He has to deal with this, not surpress it. Naruto, listen to me! Sasuke is gone, he betrayed Kohona. He is with Orochimaru!" Naruto stepped away from Tsunade. "Why are you saying this? Sasuke would never leave!" He said. "No, Naruto! he did leave and you have to accept that! Remember, you fought him and he left you to die! He is a traitor-" Naruto interrupted her.
"shut up! Sasuke is here, with me!" he screamed madly. Naruto ran out of the room, slamming the door behind him. "Sakura, bring him back tomorrow. He needs to understand. Its going to be painfull for him, but he can't stay in denial forever." The hokage said. "he wont-"
"tell him… I have a mission for him. anything to get him here." She said grimly. Sakura nodded.
"really?" Naruto shouted. Sakura faked a smile and nodded. "great, we haven't had a mission for a while. Does Sasuke know yet?" the smile on Sakura's face wavered slightly. "yes…Sasuke is…Sasuke is waiting for us with Tsunade." She muttered quietly. Sakura lead the grinning Naruto straight to Tsunade's office where, when they entered, were shut in the room. Kakashi stood infront of the door, stopping Naruto from leaving. "what's going on? Where's Sasuke?" the blonde said. Tsunade walked over to him and grabbed his wrists in a firm grip. "forgive me, Naruto. this is for your own good." She said.
"what are you doing?" he asked slightly worried, as her hands glowed with chakra. She pressed her hand across Naruto's forehead, removing the mental block he had on the memories of Sasuke leaving. "n-no! stop it!" he shook his head violently, trying to forget what was flashing infront of him. "Sasuke is gone! You have to remember that and deal with it!" Tsunade said. Naruto jumped away from her, only to fall backwards onto the floor. Naruto screwed his eyes shut, trying to block out the memories. The moment Sasuke left played back to him.
Naruto grabbed onto Sasuke, trying everything to stop him leaving. 'get off me dobe.' Sasuke snapped pushing the blonde off him. Naruto was covered in his own blood as he swayed on the spot, trying to keep his balance. 'don't leave me Sasuke! Please, I love you!' Sasuke looked at Naruto.
'what?' Naruto stumbled forward onto Sasuke and grabbed the other boys shoulders, trying to stand upright. 'I mean it, Sasuke! I love you more than anything in this world.' Naruto clumsily pressed his lips against Sasuke's and stared at him with blue eyes, filled with lust for the other boy. Sasuke looked at him. 'the truth is I l- I hate you.' Sasuke said. The words were painful for him to say, but he had to kill his brother. He couldn't stay in kohona when his dream was within reach. 'Sasuke, you don't mean that.' Naruto said. Sasuke's heart gave a sharp squeeze; he had to do this. Naruto could find someone better than him, but if he admitted his feelings for Naruto it would make it harder for the blonde to get over him. 'I mean it.'
'look me in the eye and say it Sasuke.' Sasuke looked deep into Naruto's cerulean eyes, then looked away quickly. He turned away from Naruto. 'see! You can't say it! You don't hate me.' Naruto said. Sasuke walked away from Naruto; he couldn't take much more of this. 'no! Sasuke please don't go! Please!' Naruto coughed up some blood roughly and slipped to the floor. Wiping some blood from his mouth he crawled up to Sasuke. 'I can't live without you Sasuke!' Sasuke ignored him and walked away. 'please don't go Sasuke! I'll do anything, just don't leave me!' he screamed desperatly. Sasuke carried on slowly walking away, tears falling silently as he heard the desperation in his dobe's voice. 'please Sasuke! I love you, don't!' Naruto carried on screaming after Sasuke even when he had gone. When he couldn't shout anymore, he cried instead. He cried until everything started fading black. 'this can't be happening…' he murmered.
Naruto rolled on the floor whimpering. "please Sasuke, I love you! Don't go… I need you…please…I love you so much…please, don't leave me…" he said through his tears. Naruto opened his eyes and covered his face as he simply cried. Tsunade, Kakashi and Sakura watched as Naruto curled up on the floor crying hysterically. When Naruto had calmed down, he pushed past Kakashi and ran out. Kakashi went to stop him, but Tsunade shook her head. "let him go. Did you know he…had feelings for Sasuke?" she said.
"I suspected it." He said quietly.
"Sakura, I want you to check on Naruto in the morning. For the moment, I suggest we leave him alone." Sakura nodded. When she had gone Tsunade thought for a moment. "Kakashi…would you be will to accept an S rank mission?" he nodded, knowing already what he had to do. "good. Bring him back, Kakashi."
"he's strong though. I don't know how strong because he has been training under orochimaru. What if he-" Tsunade cut in.
"he will come back. You were watching my justu on Naruto with your sharingan, weren't you?" the silver haired jounin shrugged.
"it might come in handy knowing that jutsu." She nodded, handing Kakashi a scroll. It was concealing a jutsu. "you didn't replace your headband over your sharingan eye when Naruto was… upset. Sasuke has the sharingan abilitly too." Kakashi read the inscription on the scroll. "I see." He put the scroll in his pocket and walked out of the office.
A/n: That's chapter one! The next chapter will be coming soon. Please review, I love reading all your comments!