Author: Talais
"blah" = talking
//blah// = thinking
~~Blah~~ = voice in Naruto's head
* change of perspective
Sasuke wasn't sure if he could make it in time, forcing the last of his charka into his foot he flew between Haku and Naruto's unconscious body. He had made it, Naruto was safe. "Why do you always get in the way?" Sasuke said looking at the blonde; blood flowing down his chest and pooling on the ground. //Why do you always make me want to help you?//
"Sasuke you did it!" Naruto exclaimed, but his joy was cut short as he looked at Sasuke, blood dripping from his rival. //Sasuke why? Why for me?// Naruto thought.
Sasuke turned to see what had caused the boy's excitement to be cut off; Naruto's eyes were focused on him, and Sasuke saw pity in them. "What's...with that face? You total moron." //Don't pity me, don't ever pity me!// Sasuke yelled in his mind, //I do what I do without regret, so don't pity me!//
Naruto's heart seemed to be beating to come out of his chest, "Why did you save me?!" He couldn't have kept the question to himself if he had wanted to, it seemed torn from his lips. //Why would anyone save me?//
"How should I know...?" Sasuke said, his voice weaker than Naruto had ever heard it. The fog seemed to disappear for Sasuke, and images flashed before his eyes, images of his life, but mostly images of the brightly dressed ninja at his feet. His days in the academy with the foolish ninja, their graduation, faster and faster the images came, but the ones of Naruto came more often and seemed clearer, Sasuke's first kiss, watching Naruto stab his own hand swearing to become stronger. The pictures of Sasuke's childhood came no more and his mind swirled with memories of the last few months and days, climbing trees and wolfing down food, all aspects seemed to focus around Naruto. //Why has he become important to me? Why him, when I haven't let anyone else near?// The pictures seemed to be fading Sasuke felt a coldness seep into him, //I'm all alone, so alone.// The darkness was surrounding him now, but he could here that voice, Naruto's voice calling his name in those memories. "Sasuke!" //I'll miss that most of all, my name on his lips.// "Ha, I hated you..." Sasuke thought out loud.
"But why? Why me!" Naruto stood up fists clenched at his sides, //Why do I care that he's hurt! Why does it hurt so much!?// Naruto felt as though someone were tearing out his heart, it hurt to see his rival, his archenemy dying. "I NEVER ASKED FOR YOUR HELP!!" Naruto yelled, he had to yell it was the only way to release the pain he felt.
"I don't know, my body just moved on its own." Sasuke wanted to scream, //Why can't I tell him that he's my friend?// "Baka!" Sasuke said to himself. It was so cold now, his vision was almost gone, the cold in his body was less though and he could feel arms tenderly wrapped around him, //Mother?// No Naruto was holding him, he could make out those cobalt blue eyes and the permanent scars on the boy's cheeks. Why was it so hard to see, why was it so cold? //Am I dying?// The thought ran through Sasuke and he knew it was true. He was dying, leaving his brother alive.
"SASUKE!" Naruto yelled, agony making his voice crack.
It jarred Sasuke to wakefulness shortly, "That man... My Brother... I told my self I wouldn't die until I killed him." Sasuke's vision was fading he couldn't see Naruto's face anymore only those two Blue eyes, //I want to touch him, touch his face as a friend might, at least once.// "Naruto.... Don't die too." Sasuke's hand fell to his chest, Naruto watched it fall as though it were in slow motion, then he watched as Sasuke's eyes, those black gems seemed to lose their luster and his lids closed. Tears welled up in his eyes. Hot and pain filled they trickled down the blonde's face.
Naruto brought the body of his rival close and hugged it. //Sasuke, I wanted you to be my friend.// Naruto hugged the boy and wished that he could have done so while he had still been alive.
"To protect a precious person, knowing it was a trap, he still jumped in front of you. He was a shinobi that deserves respect." Haku's voice broke through Naruto's thoughts, "Is this the first time you have seen a friend die? This is the way of shinobi."
Naruto looked up, the tears blurring his sight, but he saw the masked boy melt back into those accursed mirrors. //You killed my FRIEND, MY FIRST LIVING FRIEND!// Naruto yelled in his head at the boy. ~~Naruto, I will help you.~~ Anger coursed through the blonde shinobi and a recognition of the voice inside his head, //Aniki, are you there?// The voice of his first friend, a presence that he had found in his dreams as a small boy, the only friend he had ever known. ~~Let me help you.~~
Naruto wasn't sure what he did, but it seemed like he just let go of something he had never known he held. Suddenly a flood of chakra welled up in Naruto; it seemed to toss him on the waves of a river of fire. He felt as though he would burst from the power that coursed through him.
Naruto laid Sasuke's body on the ground, releasing the chakra in a slow twisting spiral around him and Sasuke. "I won't forgive you..." The words were spoken calmly almost to low for Haku to hear, but he felt the change in the boy's chakra.
"Impossible, no one can change their chakra like that." Haku felt the heat and watched as a spiral of flaming chakra surrounded the two boys trapped in his jutsu. The cement of the bridge was ripped up by the powerful chakra.
"I'll rip you apart for killing Sasuke!" Rage burned at Naruto, he wanted to channel everything he could at the masked boy, to watch him writhe in pain as his flesh was melted by the flames of his chakra, the chakra that his Aniki gave him. ~~Heal first, then kill Naruto~~ Naruto could sense his Aniki weaving the chakra into his body, the needles seemed to fly from him, as though repelled by an opposite magnet, his cuts and wounds seemed to vanish like water evaporating from a hot stove. //I wish I could heal Sasuke.// The thought was a small twig in the torrent of fire and death that now tore through him. "I'LL KILL YOU!!!"
*
The cold blackness had surrounded him now, he seemed to float in it, //Alone, am I always doomed to be alone?// Sasuke seemed to drift in the blackness. //Am I not supposed to see my parents, my clan? Were they not supposed to greet me on the other side?// A funny thought hit Sasuke, //I only want to see him one more time, to see Naruto's eyes.//
//Naruto you were stronger than me, you faced your devils head on, while I ran from them.// It burned Sasuke that Naruto could have been stronger. //Everyone hated you, they loved me, but while you tried to gain their acceptance I pushed them all away. You loved any of them that would even tolerate you, and tried harder because of it. I wish I could be more like that.// What was this hell that Sasuke was in, surrounded by a blackness that seemed to stretch forever, and a cold that made him shiver to his core. //NARUTO!// Sasuke wanted to yell the boys name, but he had no voice here in this endless dark.
Suddenly the darkness seemed to twist, Sasuke stared as bands of fire rent the curtain of night twining through it, Sasuke wanted to flee, but something about the flames seemed familiar. The flames were warm, like an embrace. The coldness seemed to melt from him; distantly he heard something, a voice, Naruto's voice. "I'LL KILL YOU!!" Then quiet, from the flames that were coursing around him another voice spoke, this one seemed to carry great age and power, like that of a mountain sliding down upon a village. ~~Stay with him, he needs you.~~ Sasuke fought then, he pulled at the flames that roared around him, he pulled them into his body, and tried to obliterate the darkness. The flames came willingly and filled his body to brimming, warmth like he thought he would never feel again.
Sasuke could here what sounded like air being whipped into a tornado, The blackness pushed back, and his eyes flickered open, he saw a misty Naruto, but he was different, crouched above his body his eyes were the colour of freshly spilt blood, narrowly slit like a cat's eyes.
His eyes closed and the darkness fought back, trying to swallow him. Sasuke heard what sounded like a hundred thousand shards of glass crashing to the ground, and then the blackness surrounded him.
Sasuke realized though that this was just the darkness of unconsciousness, there was no cold bleakness here, and he could feel his skin touching the cement of the bridge. The next sensation he felt was a weight on his chest, and the distant sound of weeping. //Naruto is crying for me? Don't cry I'm alive.// Sasuke opened his eyes wanting to see the startling look on the blonde's face when he said that he was fine, pain shot through him as Naruto shifted on Sasuke. //Baka, that hurts!// opening his eyes he was about to yell at Naruto for forcing some of the needles deeper into his body.
Sasuke's eyes flickered open, it was Sakura weeping on his chest not Naruto, //Where's Naruto?// Sasuke was just going to close his eyes again, he wasn't sure he could deal with Sakura right then. A sharp pain in his side, from yet another needle shoved further in by the pink haired girl, changed his mind. "Sakura! You're heavy, get off me!" He had meant to shout at the emotional girl but it came out as a weak whisper.
"Sasuke-kun?" Sakura sat up to look, not believing her ears. He was looking at her, //And is that love in his eyes?// Sakura thought to herself. "Sasuke-kun!" The pink haired girl flung her arms around the needle-ridden boy hugging him to her chest.
"Sakura, That hurts!" Why couldn't he put even a little vehemnance into his voice, //Naruto where are you? Get this wailing onna away from me!// Sakura let Sasuke go, //Well if Naruto isn't here, then, No! He didn't die!? Did he?//
Sasuke sat up. "Sasuke don't move." She went quiet as he just stared at her. "Sakura, where's Naruto? Is he alright?" There finally some power was back in his voice. "And that masked kid, where are..."
"Naruto is fine the kid, Haku, was killed." Sakura said. //Why do you want to know about that baka.// Inner Sakura wailed.
"Dead! Naruto killed him!?" Sasuke felt jealousy for an instant, Naruto had done what he couldn't, then another emotion, sorrow. //Naruto killed for me, he soiled his hands to avenge me.//
"I don't know, but Haku protected Zabuza." Sakura shook her head, and looked over to where the beautiful Haku lay. Turning back to her crush she spoke in that oh so annoying voice. "Sasuke-kun I had faith in you, your so impressive, Sasuke-kun. You prevented attacks on all your critical areas! Sasuke-kun is so cool." //I could really start to hate my name if this stupid girl says it anymore!// and then he saw the person he had been looking for, //Naruto.// Sakura got to her feet, Sasuke grumbled names under his breath as he had to get to his feet unaided. //Not that I would want her help anyway.//
"NARUTO!" Sakura yelled, "Sasuke is alright! Sasuke is alive." Naruto had turned reluctantly, //Sakura-chan,// when he heard her say Sasuke was alive though, his eyes locked onto Sasuke, wandering up and down the form of his rival. Sasuke was standing there, needles sticking out of him like a porcupine.
Sasuke looked away a little, //Why can't I look him in the eyes? Are they his eyes, or are they the eyes of blood?// Slowly he lifted his hand, it was almost more effort than it was worth, until he saw Naruto's face split into a grin. Sakura had put her arm around his waist, he wasn't sure he needed the support. Who ever that voice had been in the fire he had healed the vital organs that Sasuke hadn't been able to protect. He wished she would just back off, he could feel the needles being pressed into his side.
Sakura smiled at Naruto, her inner self dancing //I am touching Sasuke!//
Naruto's chest seemed to lighten, the knot that had twisted around his heart seemed to just evaporate, Naruto could feel tears starting to fill his eyes, and looked away. //I can't let him see me cry, he'll think I am a baby.// Naruto looked at the dead body of Haku, the boy he had met in the woods. Haku had shown feelings to Zabuza, even though the older ninja treated Haku as a tool, //Sasuke won't treat me like a tool. Can I be as brave as Haku? Can I tell Sasuke I don't want to fight any more?//
*
"OI, OI, OI, OI!" One of the toughs shouted, "You guys are two relaxed, you still have us to fight!" That's when they heard it, shouting and yelling coming from behind them, turning Sasuke saw Inari at the head of a mob of villagers. "If you come any farther we the villagers will throw you out!" The men raised hammers and axes pitchforks and chains, tools of their livelihood, the Hired toughs stopped dead in their tracks. Naruto smiled.
"Inari! Yosh! I will help too! Kage Bushin no Jutsu!" He shouted, and ten Narutos stood where only one had. Kakashi laughed and replicated himself too, now it looked like a force to be dealt with.
This was one fight the hired toughs didn't want to fight, they turned and ran, diving into the ocean and jumping on the boats that had bought them. Sasuke watched, a little jealous that Naruto would still have enough chakra to create shadow clones, //And what's with him saying Hi to Inari!// while he the top student felt like a wet rag, he was almost glad for Sakura's support. //Almost, it wouldn't be so bad if it didn't feel like she was trying to feel him up.//
As Sasuke watched Kakashi bring Zabuza over to lie beside Haku, it started to snow. A coldness fell with it, and Sasuke shivered, it seemed to close to the coldness of death that had surrounded him. He had walked away from Sakura as the snow started to fall. He heard Naruto tell Kakashi that the masked boy, Haku, had been born in a snowy village. //Naruto cared for that boy.// Again Sasuke felt jealous, //Could Naruto ever care for me like that?// Warmth came flooding back to him, and Sasuke gave a start when he noticed that Naruto was standing beside him, his arm wrapped around his waist. //Can I let myself have a friend?// Sasuke shook his head, //Do I have any choice? No not really.// "Thanks." He wanted to say more, Sasuke wanted to do more, //What would a normal person do?// Sasuke tried to think of what a normal person might have done but his thought was interrupted by Kakashi.
Naruto held onto Sasuke as the teacher walked over, Sasuke was surprised really, Naruto's touch was gentler than Sakura's and amazingly the blonde shinobi didn't even touch one of the needles that made the raven haired boy look like a pin-cushion. "We need to get those needles out of you Sasuke, Naruto give me a hand, hold him still this is going to hurt." Kakashi's sharingan was covered again, but his face was tight with concentration. Sasuke prepared himself, //I will not flinch, I will not show weakness!// Sasuke let Naruto lay him on the ground, holding him so that none of the needles pushed into his back. Sasuke blurred his eyes, waiting for the pain to start. He was glad that it was Naruto holding him and not Sakura, the girl was already yelling at Naruto, and telling Kakashi to be gentle. It wasn't because he wanted to be close to Naruto, Was it?
*
Naruto held Sasuke carefully, trying to keep him comfortable. He started to hum a lullaby that he had learned in his dreams, Aniki had taught it to him when he had tossed and turned in his sleep. //Aniki are you there?// Naruto called in his mind. //He hasn't ever spoken to me outside of my dreams.// Lately Naruto had a feeling that he knew who his Aniki was, ever since he had learned that the Nine Tails Fox demon was sealed in his body. //Are you the Kyuubi?// Naruto called, he hummed the wordless song to Sasuke as Kakashi pulled out the needles.
Naruto was pulled out of calling for his Aniki when he noticed Sasuke's eyes staring at him, //What does he want?// Naruto thought. "Where did you learn that lullaby?" Sasuke asked "Aniki taught it to me, he used to hum it to me in my dreams, it relaxes me, I just thought it would help." Naruto could have kicked himself, he had never told anyone about Aniki before, about his dreams where an aura of something spoke to him and comforted him.
Sasuke flinched and let out a low hiss as Kakashi pulled another needle out. //Why am I being so nice to Sasuke, aren't we rivals, shouldn't I be laughing that I am on my feet while Sasuke is all beat up? Didn't we hate each other?// Naruto's mind whirled as he tried to make sense of his feelings. ~~If you hated him would you hum so that he feels no pain? Would you care if he was hurt?~~ The voice echoed in Naruto's mind, and again he started to hum, because he did care about Sasuke's pain, and to hell with what that made him, maybe it wouldn't be so bad to have a friend.
*
Sasuke relaxed as Naruto started to hum again, his eyes drifted closed, surrounded by a warm embrace, with the sound of the lullaby his mother use to sing to him. Sasuke smiled.
The empty hole in his heart, where his family had been torn out by his brother, was dark and filled with ghosts, nothing was there that Sasuke wanted to see, it only hurt to look at, to know he would never have that love again. Sasuke had refused to allow anyone to enter his heart, keeping it dark and hidden. But now when he looked, he didn't see those ghosts from the past; instead he caught a glimpse of an orange jump suit and blonde hair. Naruto's face stared back at him, his eyes the colour of the brightest sky. The boy smiled and it pulled at the three scars on either side of his cheeks, making them seem to be whiskers.
There was still darkness there, and ghosts, but they did not dominate his heart any more, now Naruto was there too, that smiling, hyper boy had found a way into his heart. Sasuke's heart. He had thought that it would never be filled again. //This is alright, I can let myself have Naruto live here. Where I'll always see him//
*
Kakashi wiped the sweat from his brow as the last of the needles came free. These needles had been barbed, cruelly so. They should have caused a lot of damage to Sasuke's muscles and tissue, but they hadn't. Well none of them had except the one Kakashi had pulled out as Naruto had stopped humming. Sasuke's muscles had tensed then and he had had to pull to remove the needle, tearing the muscle and causing Sasuke to flinch and hiss.
What ever that song had been, it had caused the muscles to become like fluid, and the needles had come out as easily as drawing them out of water. Sasuke would recover in a few days, and Naruto never looked better. Sakura was hovering behind Naruto yelling that he was smothering Sasuke but Naruto just ignored her and kept humming, rocking Sasuke gently in his arms. Kakashi smiled, his team was good. "Naruto lets go, we need to get Sasuke back to the house to rest, we all need some rest if we are going to the wave country."
"The Wave country? Why are we going there?" Sakura asked as her inner self fumed at Kakashi for telling Naruto to help her Sasuke.
"Naruto wanted to take Haku and Zabuza home, they deserve a honourable burial." Kakashi explained as He helped a sore Sasuke to his feet. Sakura tried to take Sasuke's arm to let him lean on her but he stepped back and walked, stumbled on his own.
Once Sasuke was on his feet Naruto seemed to vanish, Sasuke looked around for the brightly dressed boy, trying not to make it obvious what he was doing. It wasn't surprising to see Naruto, or rather here him is only a few minutes. The object of Sasuke's surveillance came in sight a few seconds after everyone around them heard him coming. Anger flooded up in Sasuke, //Why is he carrying that cry baby Inari?// Sasuke stopped dead in his tracks, //Why do I care this much? He is just a friend right, so he can have other friends.// Naruto was piggy backing Inari chasing after some of the people from the town. Naruto came bounding over to Sasuke and let the younger boy slip from his back. "Sasuke isn't Inari brave! He brought all the town people together!" Naruto mussed the little boy's hair, "You're really brave Inari!"
"Nii-chan is braver!" Inari's cheeks coloured lightly, "He saved my mom and beat up two bad guys by himself!" Inari told Sasuke about how his mother and he were caught and were going to be held for ransom or killed. Sasuke nodded at the boy as his story unfolded. //Naruto, you care to much I think.//
"Inari sure is brave isn't he Sasuke?" Naruto's eyes were focused on him, they seemed to make him want to answer. //Why are Naruto's eyes so compelling?// Sasuke thought.
"No braver than you." Sasuke said his voice a little sarcastic. //What the hell kind of compliment is THAT!?// Sasuke shouted at himself, //I want to ask him to be my friend, not piss him off.// Watching Naruto out of the corner of his eye Sasuke thought that he might have to clarify that he really did think Naruto was brave, but the boy's expression of thought cleared and a smile graced his lips. "Thanks Sasuke!" Naruto said thumping Sasuke on the shoulder. It was to much for the weakened shinobi, and Sasuke went down in a heap on the ground.
"Naruto no BAKA!" Sakura yelled and dashed over to help Sasuke to his feet, but she was too slow. Naruto was there in a blink of an eye and had picked Sasuke up piggyback style.
"Naruto, put me down!" Sasuke shouted. //No, let me stay close to you, don't listen to me.// Sasuke was terrified that this would be the first time that Naruto would actually do what he asked him to do. Instead of setting him down though Naruto just shrugged Sasuke into a more comfortable position on his back and kept walking.
"BA~~KA!" Naruto drawled, "Sasuke is to weak to walk. So I, the next Hokage of Konoha village will carry his weakened team mate!" //Shut up you moron, why can't you just shut up every now and then?// Naruto bit his lip to stop from saying any more, worried that Sasuke might try to get off his back. In a lower voice Naruto whispered. "You saved me Sasuke, let me help you, let me be close..." //To you// Naruto finished in his head. Sasuke stopped squirming and settled against Naruto's back.
Sasuke put his arms around Naruto's neck to hold on better, "Alright." Sasuke said in Naruto's ear. //It's so warm here, close to him, I can feel his heart beating.// Sasuke let his head fall against Naruto's shoulder. "Naruto?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks." Sasuke let his eyes close, he wasn't sure how to explain it, but here, right here on Naruto's back; he felt safe.
Naruto's steps faltered at the unexpected thanks but he carried on smoothly, feeling Sasuke's breath evening out, to long deep breathing of sleep.
//How long since I have had a piggy back ride?// Sasuke thought to himself. A memory flashed through his mind of a smaller, younger, more innocent version of him on the broad back of his older brother. Sasuke forced it roughly out of his mind, //He killed everyone that I loved.// Sasuke settled again. ~~He didn't kill himself, he didn't kill Naruto.~~ The voice from the flames echoed in Sasuke's mind, power and age, fire and death were wrapped in that voice, but there was a calmness to it to. //I don't love Naruto!// Sasuke said, not really thinking about the oddness of having the voice of flames in his head. ~~You don't? Are you sure?~~ Silence seemed to hang in the air; Sasuke wasn't able to answer.
//Who are you?// Sasuke asked instead, nothing, //Are you there?// there was no way of shouting in his head but that's what it felt like. //Answer me!// ~~Ask Naruto who I am. He might know.~~ Sasuke slept on Naruto's back all the way to Inari's house, but his
dream of a voice seemed a little disturbing. //I can't love Naruto. Can I?// warmth and peace seemed to flow together when he thought of Naruto, but that couldn't be love. //Could it?//
"blah" = talking
//blah// = thinking
~~Blah~~ = voice in Naruto's head
* change of perspective
Sasuke wasn't sure if he could make it in time, forcing the last of his charka into his foot he flew between Haku and Naruto's unconscious body. He had made it, Naruto was safe. "Why do you always get in the way?" Sasuke said looking at the blonde; blood flowing down his chest and pooling on the ground. //Why do you always make me want to help you?//
"Sasuke you did it!" Naruto exclaimed, but his joy was cut short as he looked at Sasuke, blood dripping from his rival. //Sasuke why? Why for me?// Naruto thought.
Sasuke turned to see what had caused the boy's excitement to be cut off; Naruto's eyes were focused on him, and Sasuke saw pity in them. "What's...with that face? You total moron." //Don't pity me, don't ever pity me!// Sasuke yelled in his mind, //I do what I do without regret, so don't pity me!//
Naruto's heart seemed to be beating to come out of his chest, "Why did you save me?!" He couldn't have kept the question to himself if he had wanted to, it seemed torn from his lips. //Why would anyone save me?//
"How should I know...?" Sasuke said, his voice weaker than Naruto had ever heard it. The fog seemed to disappear for Sasuke, and images flashed before his eyes, images of his life, but mostly images of the brightly dressed ninja at his feet. His days in the academy with the foolish ninja, their graduation, faster and faster the images came, but the ones of Naruto came more often and seemed clearer, Sasuke's first kiss, watching Naruto stab his own hand swearing to become stronger. The pictures of Sasuke's childhood came no more and his mind swirled with memories of the last few months and days, climbing trees and wolfing down food, all aspects seemed to focus around Naruto. //Why has he become important to me? Why him, when I haven't let anyone else near?// The pictures seemed to be fading Sasuke felt a coldness seep into him, //I'm all alone, so alone.// The darkness was surrounding him now, but he could here that voice, Naruto's voice calling his name in those memories. "Sasuke!" //I'll miss that most of all, my name on his lips.// "Ha, I hated you..." Sasuke thought out loud.
"But why? Why me!" Naruto stood up fists clenched at his sides, //Why do I care that he's hurt! Why does it hurt so much!?// Naruto felt as though someone were tearing out his heart, it hurt to see his rival, his archenemy dying. "I NEVER ASKED FOR YOUR HELP!!" Naruto yelled, he had to yell it was the only way to release the pain he felt.
"I don't know, my body just moved on its own." Sasuke wanted to scream, //Why can't I tell him that he's my friend?// "Baka!" Sasuke said to himself. It was so cold now, his vision was almost gone, the cold in his body was less though and he could feel arms tenderly wrapped around him, //Mother?// No Naruto was holding him, he could make out those cobalt blue eyes and the permanent scars on the boy's cheeks. Why was it so hard to see, why was it so cold? //Am I dying?// The thought ran through Sasuke and he knew it was true. He was dying, leaving his brother alive.
"SASUKE!" Naruto yelled, agony making his voice crack.
It jarred Sasuke to wakefulness shortly, "That man... My Brother... I told my self I wouldn't die until I killed him." Sasuke's vision was fading he couldn't see Naruto's face anymore only those two Blue eyes, //I want to touch him, touch his face as a friend might, at least once.// "Naruto.... Don't die too." Sasuke's hand fell to his chest, Naruto watched it fall as though it were in slow motion, then he watched as Sasuke's eyes, those black gems seemed to lose their luster and his lids closed. Tears welled up in his eyes. Hot and pain filled they trickled down the blonde's face.
Naruto brought the body of his rival close and hugged it. //Sasuke, I wanted you to be my friend.// Naruto hugged the boy and wished that he could have done so while he had still been alive.
"To protect a precious person, knowing it was a trap, he still jumped in front of you. He was a shinobi that deserves respect." Haku's voice broke through Naruto's thoughts, "Is this the first time you have seen a friend die? This is the way of shinobi."
Naruto looked up, the tears blurring his sight, but he saw the masked boy melt back into those accursed mirrors. //You killed my FRIEND, MY FIRST LIVING FRIEND!// Naruto yelled in his head at the boy. ~~Naruto, I will help you.~~ Anger coursed through the blonde shinobi and a recognition of the voice inside his head, //Aniki, are you there?// The voice of his first friend, a presence that he had found in his dreams as a small boy, the only friend he had ever known. ~~Let me help you.~~
Naruto wasn't sure what he did, but it seemed like he just let go of something he had never known he held. Suddenly a flood of chakra welled up in Naruto; it seemed to toss him on the waves of a river of fire. He felt as though he would burst from the power that coursed through him.
Naruto laid Sasuke's body on the ground, releasing the chakra in a slow twisting spiral around him and Sasuke. "I won't forgive you..." The words were spoken calmly almost to low for Haku to hear, but he felt the change in the boy's chakra.
"Impossible, no one can change their chakra like that." Haku felt the heat and watched as a spiral of flaming chakra surrounded the two boys trapped in his jutsu. The cement of the bridge was ripped up by the powerful chakra.
"I'll rip you apart for killing Sasuke!" Rage burned at Naruto, he wanted to channel everything he could at the masked boy, to watch him writhe in pain as his flesh was melted by the flames of his chakra, the chakra that his Aniki gave him. ~~Heal first, then kill Naruto~~ Naruto could sense his Aniki weaving the chakra into his body, the needles seemed to fly from him, as though repelled by an opposite magnet, his cuts and wounds seemed to vanish like water evaporating from a hot stove. //I wish I could heal Sasuke.// The thought was a small twig in the torrent of fire and death that now tore through him. "I'LL KILL YOU!!!"
*
The cold blackness had surrounded him now, he seemed to float in it, //Alone, am I always doomed to be alone?// Sasuke seemed to drift in the blackness. //Am I not supposed to see my parents, my clan? Were they not supposed to greet me on the other side?// A funny thought hit Sasuke, //I only want to see him one more time, to see Naruto's eyes.//
//Naruto you were stronger than me, you faced your devils head on, while I ran from them.// It burned Sasuke that Naruto could have been stronger. //Everyone hated you, they loved me, but while you tried to gain their acceptance I pushed them all away. You loved any of them that would even tolerate you, and tried harder because of it. I wish I could be more like that.// What was this hell that Sasuke was in, surrounded by a blackness that seemed to stretch forever, and a cold that made him shiver to his core. //NARUTO!// Sasuke wanted to yell the boys name, but he had no voice here in this endless dark.
Suddenly the darkness seemed to twist, Sasuke stared as bands of fire rent the curtain of night twining through it, Sasuke wanted to flee, but something about the flames seemed familiar. The flames were warm, like an embrace. The coldness seemed to melt from him; distantly he heard something, a voice, Naruto's voice. "I'LL KILL YOU!!" Then quiet, from the flames that were coursing around him another voice spoke, this one seemed to carry great age and power, like that of a mountain sliding down upon a village. ~~Stay with him, he needs you.~~ Sasuke fought then, he pulled at the flames that roared around him, he pulled them into his body, and tried to obliterate the darkness. The flames came willingly and filled his body to brimming, warmth like he thought he would never feel again.
Sasuke could here what sounded like air being whipped into a tornado, The blackness pushed back, and his eyes flickered open, he saw a misty Naruto, but he was different, crouched above his body his eyes were the colour of freshly spilt blood, narrowly slit like a cat's eyes.
His eyes closed and the darkness fought back, trying to swallow him. Sasuke heard what sounded like a hundred thousand shards of glass crashing to the ground, and then the blackness surrounded him.
Sasuke realized though that this was just the darkness of unconsciousness, there was no cold bleakness here, and he could feel his skin touching the cement of the bridge. The next sensation he felt was a weight on his chest, and the distant sound of weeping. //Naruto is crying for me? Don't cry I'm alive.// Sasuke opened his eyes wanting to see the startling look on the blonde's face when he said that he was fine, pain shot through him as Naruto shifted on Sasuke. //Baka, that hurts!// opening his eyes he was about to yell at Naruto for forcing some of the needles deeper into his body.
Sasuke's eyes flickered open, it was Sakura weeping on his chest not Naruto, //Where's Naruto?// Sasuke was just going to close his eyes again, he wasn't sure he could deal with Sakura right then. A sharp pain in his side, from yet another needle shoved further in by the pink haired girl, changed his mind. "Sakura! You're heavy, get off me!" He had meant to shout at the emotional girl but it came out as a weak whisper.
"Sasuke-kun?" Sakura sat up to look, not believing her ears. He was looking at her, //And is that love in his eyes?// Sakura thought to herself. "Sasuke-kun!" The pink haired girl flung her arms around the needle-ridden boy hugging him to her chest.
"Sakura, That hurts!" Why couldn't he put even a little vehemnance into his voice, //Naruto where are you? Get this wailing onna away from me!// Sakura let Sasuke go, //Well if Naruto isn't here, then, No! He didn't die!? Did he?//
Sasuke sat up. "Sasuke don't move." She went quiet as he just stared at her. "Sakura, where's Naruto? Is he alright?" There finally some power was back in his voice. "And that masked kid, where are..."
"Naruto is fine the kid, Haku, was killed." Sakura said. //Why do you want to know about that baka.// Inner Sakura wailed.
"Dead! Naruto killed him!?" Sasuke felt jealousy for an instant, Naruto had done what he couldn't, then another emotion, sorrow. //Naruto killed for me, he soiled his hands to avenge me.//
"I don't know, but Haku protected Zabuza." Sakura shook her head, and looked over to where the beautiful Haku lay. Turning back to her crush she spoke in that oh so annoying voice. "Sasuke-kun I had faith in you, your so impressive, Sasuke-kun. You prevented attacks on all your critical areas! Sasuke-kun is so cool." //I could really start to hate my name if this stupid girl says it anymore!// and then he saw the person he had been looking for, //Naruto.// Sakura got to her feet, Sasuke grumbled names under his breath as he had to get to his feet unaided. //Not that I would want her help anyway.//
"NARUTO!" Sakura yelled, "Sasuke is alright! Sasuke is alive." Naruto had turned reluctantly, //Sakura-chan,// when he heard her say Sasuke was alive though, his eyes locked onto Sasuke, wandering up and down the form of his rival. Sasuke was standing there, needles sticking out of him like a porcupine.
Sasuke looked away a little, //Why can't I look him in the eyes? Are they his eyes, or are they the eyes of blood?// Slowly he lifted his hand, it was almost more effort than it was worth, until he saw Naruto's face split into a grin. Sakura had put her arm around his waist, he wasn't sure he needed the support. Who ever that voice had been in the fire he had healed the vital organs that Sasuke hadn't been able to protect. He wished she would just back off, he could feel the needles being pressed into his side.
Sakura smiled at Naruto, her inner self dancing //I am touching Sasuke!//
Naruto's chest seemed to lighten, the knot that had twisted around his heart seemed to just evaporate, Naruto could feel tears starting to fill his eyes, and looked away. //I can't let him see me cry, he'll think I am a baby.// Naruto looked at the dead body of Haku, the boy he had met in the woods. Haku had shown feelings to Zabuza, even though the older ninja treated Haku as a tool, //Sasuke won't treat me like a tool. Can I be as brave as Haku? Can I tell Sasuke I don't want to fight any more?//
*
"OI, OI, OI, OI!" One of the toughs shouted, "You guys are two relaxed, you still have us to fight!" That's when they heard it, shouting and yelling coming from behind them, turning Sasuke saw Inari at the head of a mob of villagers. "If you come any farther we the villagers will throw you out!" The men raised hammers and axes pitchforks and chains, tools of their livelihood, the Hired toughs stopped dead in their tracks. Naruto smiled.
"Inari! Yosh! I will help too! Kage Bushin no Jutsu!" He shouted, and ten Narutos stood where only one had. Kakashi laughed and replicated himself too, now it looked like a force to be dealt with.
This was one fight the hired toughs didn't want to fight, they turned and ran, diving into the ocean and jumping on the boats that had bought them. Sasuke watched, a little jealous that Naruto would still have enough chakra to create shadow clones, //And what's with him saying Hi to Inari!// while he the top student felt like a wet rag, he was almost glad for Sakura's support. //Almost, it wouldn't be so bad if it didn't feel like she was trying to feel him up.//
As Sasuke watched Kakashi bring Zabuza over to lie beside Haku, it started to snow. A coldness fell with it, and Sasuke shivered, it seemed to close to the coldness of death that had surrounded him. He had walked away from Sakura as the snow started to fall. He heard Naruto tell Kakashi that the masked boy, Haku, had been born in a snowy village. //Naruto cared for that boy.// Again Sasuke felt jealous, //Could Naruto ever care for me like that?// Warmth came flooding back to him, and Sasuke gave a start when he noticed that Naruto was standing beside him, his arm wrapped around his waist. //Can I let myself have a friend?// Sasuke shook his head, //Do I have any choice? No not really.// "Thanks." He wanted to say more, Sasuke wanted to do more, //What would a normal person do?// Sasuke tried to think of what a normal person might have done but his thought was interrupted by Kakashi.
Naruto held onto Sasuke as the teacher walked over, Sasuke was surprised really, Naruto's touch was gentler than Sakura's and amazingly the blonde shinobi didn't even touch one of the needles that made the raven haired boy look like a pin-cushion. "We need to get those needles out of you Sasuke, Naruto give me a hand, hold him still this is going to hurt." Kakashi's sharingan was covered again, but his face was tight with concentration. Sasuke prepared himself, //I will not flinch, I will not show weakness!// Sasuke let Naruto lay him on the ground, holding him so that none of the needles pushed into his back. Sasuke blurred his eyes, waiting for the pain to start. He was glad that it was Naruto holding him and not Sakura, the girl was already yelling at Naruto, and telling Kakashi to be gentle. It wasn't because he wanted to be close to Naruto, Was it?
*
Naruto held Sasuke carefully, trying to keep him comfortable. He started to hum a lullaby that he had learned in his dreams, Aniki had taught it to him when he had tossed and turned in his sleep. //Aniki are you there?// Naruto called in his mind. //He hasn't ever spoken to me outside of my dreams.// Lately Naruto had a feeling that he knew who his Aniki was, ever since he had learned that the Nine Tails Fox demon was sealed in his body. //Are you the Kyuubi?// Naruto called, he hummed the wordless song to Sasuke as Kakashi pulled out the needles.
Naruto was pulled out of calling for his Aniki when he noticed Sasuke's eyes staring at him, //What does he want?// Naruto thought. "Where did you learn that lullaby?" Sasuke asked "Aniki taught it to me, he used to hum it to me in my dreams, it relaxes me, I just thought it would help." Naruto could have kicked himself, he had never told anyone about Aniki before, about his dreams where an aura of something spoke to him and comforted him.
Sasuke flinched and let out a low hiss as Kakashi pulled another needle out. //Why am I being so nice to Sasuke, aren't we rivals, shouldn't I be laughing that I am on my feet while Sasuke is all beat up? Didn't we hate each other?// Naruto's mind whirled as he tried to make sense of his feelings. ~~If you hated him would you hum so that he feels no pain? Would you care if he was hurt?~~ The voice echoed in Naruto's mind, and again he started to hum, because he did care about Sasuke's pain, and to hell with what that made him, maybe it wouldn't be so bad to have a friend.
*
Sasuke relaxed as Naruto started to hum again, his eyes drifted closed, surrounded by a warm embrace, with the sound of the lullaby his mother use to sing to him. Sasuke smiled.
The empty hole in his heart, where his family had been torn out by his brother, was dark and filled with ghosts, nothing was there that Sasuke wanted to see, it only hurt to look at, to know he would never have that love again. Sasuke had refused to allow anyone to enter his heart, keeping it dark and hidden. But now when he looked, he didn't see those ghosts from the past; instead he caught a glimpse of an orange jump suit and blonde hair. Naruto's face stared back at him, his eyes the colour of the brightest sky. The boy smiled and it pulled at the three scars on either side of his cheeks, making them seem to be whiskers.
There was still darkness there, and ghosts, but they did not dominate his heart any more, now Naruto was there too, that smiling, hyper boy had found a way into his heart. Sasuke's heart. He had thought that it would never be filled again. //This is alright, I can let myself have Naruto live here. Where I'll always see him//
*
Kakashi wiped the sweat from his brow as the last of the needles came free. These needles had been barbed, cruelly so. They should have caused a lot of damage to Sasuke's muscles and tissue, but they hadn't. Well none of them had except the one Kakashi had pulled out as Naruto had stopped humming. Sasuke's muscles had tensed then and he had had to pull to remove the needle, tearing the muscle and causing Sasuke to flinch and hiss.
What ever that song had been, it had caused the muscles to become like fluid, and the needles had come out as easily as drawing them out of water. Sasuke would recover in a few days, and Naruto never looked better. Sakura was hovering behind Naruto yelling that he was smothering Sasuke but Naruto just ignored her and kept humming, rocking Sasuke gently in his arms. Kakashi smiled, his team was good. "Naruto lets go, we need to get Sasuke back to the house to rest, we all need some rest if we are going to the wave country."
"The Wave country? Why are we going there?" Sakura asked as her inner self fumed at Kakashi for telling Naruto to help her Sasuke.
"Naruto wanted to take Haku and Zabuza home, they deserve a honourable burial." Kakashi explained as He helped a sore Sasuke to his feet. Sakura tried to take Sasuke's arm to let him lean on her but he stepped back and walked, stumbled on his own.
Once Sasuke was on his feet Naruto seemed to vanish, Sasuke looked around for the brightly dressed boy, trying not to make it obvious what he was doing. It wasn't surprising to see Naruto, or rather here him is only a few minutes. The object of Sasuke's surveillance came in sight a few seconds after everyone around them heard him coming. Anger flooded up in Sasuke, //Why is he carrying that cry baby Inari?// Sasuke stopped dead in his tracks, //Why do I care this much? He is just a friend right, so he can have other friends.// Naruto was piggy backing Inari chasing after some of the people from the town. Naruto came bounding over to Sasuke and let the younger boy slip from his back. "Sasuke isn't Inari brave! He brought all the town people together!" Naruto mussed the little boy's hair, "You're really brave Inari!"
"Nii-chan is braver!" Inari's cheeks coloured lightly, "He saved my mom and beat up two bad guys by himself!" Inari told Sasuke about how his mother and he were caught and were going to be held for ransom or killed. Sasuke nodded at the boy as his story unfolded. //Naruto, you care to much I think.//
"Inari sure is brave isn't he Sasuke?" Naruto's eyes were focused on him, they seemed to make him want to answer. //Why are Naruto's eyes so compelling?// Sasuke thought.
"No braver than you." Sasuke said his voice a little sarcastic. //What the hell kind of compliment is THAT!?// Sasuke shouted at himself, //I want to ask him to be my friend, not piss him off.// Watching Naruto out of the corner of his eye Sasuke thought that he might have to clarify that he really did think Naruto was brave, but the boy's expression of thought cleared and a smile graced his lips. "Thanks Sasuke!" Naruto said thumping Sasuke on the shoulder. It was to much for the weakened shinobi, and Sasuke went down in a heap on the ground.
"Naruto no BAKA!" Sakura yelled and dashed over to help Sasuke to his feet, but she was too slow. Naruto was there in a blink of an eye and had picked Sasuke up piggyback style.
"Naruto, put me down!" Sasuke shouted. //No, let me stay close to you, don't listen to me.// Sasuke was terrified that this would be the first time that Naruto would actually do what he asked him to do. Instead of setting him down though Naruto just shrugged Sasuke into a more comfortable position on his back and kept walking.
"BA~~KA!" Naruto drawled, "Sasuke is to weak to walk. So I, the next Hokage of Konoha village will carry his weakened team mate!" //Shut up you moron, why can't you just shut up every now and then?// Naruto bit his lip to stop from saying any more, worried that Sasuke might try to get off his back. In a lower voice Naruto whispered. "You saved me Sasuke, let me help you, let me be close..." //To you// Naruto finished in his head. Sasuke stopped squirming and settled against Naruto's back.
Sasuke put his arms around Naruto's neck to hold on better, "Alright." Sasuke said in Naruto's ear. //It's so warm here, close to him, I can feel his heart beating.// Sasuke let his head fall against Naruto's shoulder. "Naruto?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks." Sasuke let his eyes close, he wasn't sure how to explain it, but here, right here on Naruto's back; he felt safe.
Naruto's steps faltered at the unexpected thanks but he carried on smoothly, feeling Sasuke's breath evening out, to long deep breathing of sleep.
//How long since I have had a piggy back ride?// Sasuke thought to himself. A memory flashed through his mind of a smaller, younger, more innocent version of him on the broad back of his older brother. Sasuke forced it roughly out of his mind, //He killed everyone that I loved.// Sasuke settled again. ~~He didn't kill himself, he didn't kill Naruto.~~ The voice from the flames echoed in Sasuke's mind, power and age, fire and death were wrapped in that voice, but there was a calmness to it to. //I don't love Naruto!// Sasuke said, not really thinking about the oddness of having the voice of flames in his head. ~~You don't? Are you sure?~~ Silence seemed to hang in the air; Sasuke wasn't able to answer.
//Who are you?// Sasuke asked instead, nothing, //Are you there?// there was no way of shouting in his head but that's what it felt like. //Answer me!// ~~Ask Naruto who I am. He might know.~~ Sasuke slept on Naruto's back all the way to Inari's house, but his
dream of a voice seemed a little disturbing. //I can't love Naruto. Can I?// warmth and peace seemed to flow together when he thought of Naruto, but that couldn't be love. //Could it?//