A Broken Promise
Summary: Sasuke wakes up from a two year coma to find that much has changed in Konoha. Nothing is as he remembered. Naruto has vanished, leaving behind only inexplicable traces and bloody memories. He returns in the wake of Sasuke's sentencing, as part of a darker scheme, and as something no one else had expected. SLASH. Takes place after the Kakashi Gaiden.
WARNING: Contains slash of various characters, dark themes, angst, and anything else my depraved mind can come up with. Also SPOILERS. Takes place after the Battle at the End and the Kakashi Gaiden, so anything up to that, and a bit after, is free for me to debase. I am ignoring the current Akatsuki based arc. Though some points and characters may arise, such as Sai and Yamato. This is based on the manga. If you don't read manga, or are not up to date, don't bother with reading this if you care about spoilers. I plan on thoroughly screwing around with the Naruto universe as I see fit, although I will try to keep the characters as IN-CHARACTER as possible. They may be a bit darker, but it should be expected with what will be going on. Further explaination will be posted at the end of this chapter. Please, for the love of everything, read my inane author's note. It's stupid, but I will only be posting such a long one once, and for good reason.
I will take no responsibility for scarring little innocent eyes if they continue to read this after I have covered my ass with these warnings. If anything bad happens to you, it's your own fault. So there.
Chapter One: Exiled and Awakening
Naruto swung his feet absentmindedly as he perched on the railing of a bridge. It overlooked an icy bubbling river that was deceptively deep. Though it seemed like one could see the smooth river stones of the bottom, it was actually an illusion cast by the unique way the river flowed and the sunlight reflecting off the surface. He was tempted, so very tempted, to just allow his body to slip, fall into that deceivingly calm, chill water. He wouldn't even fight it. His body would relax, and he would fade away, disappearing into its clear depths.
So easy. He marveled at how easy it was to die. But to keep living, ah, now that was the challenge. Living was the hardest part of life, to keep going, day after day. Life was a constant battle against death. Compared to that, giving up was child's play.
He sighed, turning his face upward. A light breeze ruffled his spiky, unruly, hair. Lazily, he stared at he passing clouds. They moved so slowly, at the whim of the wind. They reminded him of just a few years ago, laying in an open field with his close friends, just watching the clouds. Back then, they had so few cares, and their worries were petty. Back then, they could have innocent crushes, trivial arguments, and their fights were insignificant, meaningless, harmless.
It was all fun and games… Even if they didn't think so, even if they were dead serious about their battles, just how serious could they be…they were young, just kids.
They had suffered, some more than others. Many had much to cry about, others didn't understand, and some were misunderstood. They fought together and against each other. They made memories with each other.
It made Naruto so happy. He had a family with which to make memories, his small family in Konoha. It was a modest wish, but it would grow as much as his family did. He just wanted to be acknowledged, he wasn't even looking for love anymore. He knew, somehow, even as a tiny, lonely child, he knew he would never receive 'love' from the villagers he lived with. He decided he would settle for less. He set his sights on acknowledgment and decided he would work hard to be the best ninja Konohagakure had ever seen. He would win their respect if it was the last thing he did.
He sighed again, this time it was a sigh of long suffering. It seemed like he would have to put his dreams on the back burner for now. He was scheduled for exile.
-:- -:- -:-
Sasuke was staring at a ceiling. It had taken him many minutes to determine that he was staring at the ceiling of Konoha's hospital. His vision had been blurry, and his eyes were sluggish, reluctant to focus after a long time of disuse. His throat was dry and parched. His limbs were hesitant to move as he bid. He had been here for quite some time he deduced. But for how long? A month? Two months? A year?
Memories returned to him slowly. At first only in flashes, quickly knitting together seamlessly. There was blood and pain...and for some reason, memories of rain and the clearest blue he could remember.
His eyes shifted to the machines which were quietly beeping beside him. One of them, which he assumed was his heart monitor, had steadily increased in rate. He would be receiving visitors very soon, he concluded.
-:- -:- -:-
"Have you heard? That Uchiha boy is awake. They say the Hokage will be interrogating him soon."
"Poor boy. He was only doing what should have been done."
"I heard that he just about killed the beastie."
"It was that demon. He poisoned the minds of those young ninjas. You heard about them, all of the ninja's in it's class made 'friends' with him."
A mocking chuckle.
"As if it even knows or cares about friendship. It's a murderer, a monster."
Sakura's hands slammed down on the counter with thundering force. Smiling sweetly, she placed a bouquet of brightly colored flowers on the counter for Ino to ring up, completely ignoring the gaggle of startled flower-shoppers she had just interrupted.
The blonde looked at her friend sympathetically. "Hey, Sakura, don't let them get to you." She comforted. "They're just ignorant fools who don't know what they're talking about."
Sakura shook her head. "No, I already know that. It's just…" Her fingers curled on the counter. "I'm so stupid, Ino. It wasn't until after he left that I could hear it like I do now, the words that he heard every day. The insults, everything." She threw her hands up. "I was so cruel."
Ino frowned. She looked at the cash register. "You weren't the only one." She said softly. "None of us were exactly nice to him. We had other things on our minds. But, hey," she looked up and flashed her best friend a grin, "we were just kids then. It's not like we knew better."
Shooting the blonde a side-ways glance, Sakura's frown deepened. Her mind flashed to those who hadn't cared about what Naruto represented, but who he was. People like Iruka-sensei, Hinata, and even Shikamaru, Chouji and Kiba. They all had the ability to look past things, not caring about what others said, but truly caring about other people regardless. It was something she could never be, and it saddened her. She was a shallow person, and a person like that wasn't worth very much to anyone.
She sighed and slid the money for the flowers over to Ino. Her friend merely shook her head, smiling. "It's on the house. You look like you have enough on your mind. Enough with the guilt-trip, okay? It's no one's fault. You can't keep blaming yourself." She wrapped yellow paper about the long stems of the flowers. Pulling out a thick, light blue ribbon, she tied it deftly about the bundle and presented it to her friend. "A nice selection you made, Sakura. I'm sure it'll brighten his day."
Sakura stared at the flowers. Actually, she had chosen the flowers at random, but seeing at how Ino had wrapped them, she was about ready to chuck the flowers away and maybe bring him a bundle of asparagus or something. It wouldn't do to be bringing up old, painful memories now. Sunflowers wrapped in yellow paper and a blue ribbon…what was she thinking?
As if reading her thoughts, Ino laid a gentle hand on Sakura's arm. The pink-haired shinobi looked up, slightly startled. Ino smiled. "Say 'hi' to him for me, will you?"
Sakura nodded almost dumbly, her mind elsewhere. Orange, yellow, and blue…
-:- -:- -:-
Quite a collection of people gathered in the small hospital room. The Hokage had come, flanked by the jounin, Kakashi and former classmates of the patient. Other jounins and chuunins waited outside the door. Some ANBU were present, and even a few genin. The nurses and doctors were going wild in panic. Too many people! They didn't want to over stimulate the patient. He might go into shock or something.
Tsunade didn't care. At this point she was beyond caring. She wanted answers, and unfortunately, she could only get them from said patient. Besides, being a medic-nin herself, she was well aware of what the 'patient' could and could not handle at the moment. However, the moment coal black eyes had focused upon her, she found herself being questioned.
"Where is Naruto?" His question was more of a croak, his vocal chords dry and hoarse.
Frowning, Tsunade ignored his question, suddenly realizing that a hospital room filled with friends, acquaintances, medical staff and other miscellaneous ninja was not the optimum location for an interrogation.
"Uchicha-san, you were found within the premises of Konoha, badly injured. Your chakra was almost completely drained, leaving you in a state of diminished and slow repair. We took you in and have had you hospitalized during the duration of your recovery. Once you have fully recovered, you will be submitted to Konoha's High Council for questioning and judgment for charges of crimes against Konohagakure. Do you understand these terms?"
Her mouth moved robotically, reciting the orders written in Konoha's law scrolls. Unknown to them, she had perused them almost obsessively the moment Sasuke had reappeared. She knew she would have to be aware of every loophole possible in Konoha's law to be able to get what she wanted from the missing-nin.
Sasuke nodded his head slowly once the Hokage had finished.
Satisfied, Tsunade nodded back. "It is expected that you will need three more months stay in the hospital before you can be moved to temporary incarceration." I can cut that time to less than a month if that stupid council would simply put the boy in my hands instead of the hospitals. "In that time, your chakra will be bound. At it's current level, you have about enough to stay alive. Once the regeneration of your chakra has superceded the minimal requirement for your survival, it will be bound.
"Further more, when you regain use of your limbs, you will be limited to this floor of the hospital, and this alone. You will also be under constant guard, as well as two ANBU who will be with you, always. You may have guests, but they will be limited to one at a time, and only three per day. You will have no access to anything outside the walls of this hospital unless searched by appointed ANBU. Do you understand these terms?"
Another mute nod from the Uchiha.
"Good. I will be coming once a month to check on you until your appointed judgment date. I'll see you in thirty days." With that, Tsunade released an inaudible sigh. The easy part was over. Now for the hard part; leaving the boy without shaking the answers she wanted out of his limp form. She managed to steel herself away from pummeling the invalid into a nice bloody guilty pulp, and turned to leave the room.
"Where is Naruto?" The question was repeated, no less hoarse or strained than before.
Tsunade had fully expected the Uchiha's attitude and inquiries when he regained consciousness, but she could not, in sound mind, answer him truthfully. If she had spoken to him in the manner that she wished to...well, she would have been acting in a most unHokage-like manner. So instead, she ignored the boy, and left the room as if he had never voiced his query.
Watching the Hokage leave, Sasuke turned his gaze upon the others in the room. He recognized many of them easily, but the one he was looking for, even if it was just a patch of blonde hair or a flash of bright blue he spotted, was missing. "Where is Naruto?" He questioned in that same even tone.
For a moment, no one moved. Then, Sakura pushed her way to the front, her bouquet of flowers hidden behind her back. "It's...been a long time, ne, Sasuke-kun?" She greeted nervously, a hint of amicability brushing her voice. A weak smile crossed her face. She was grasping thinly at familiarity with her former teammate, who was currently staring at her wordlessly. Her attempts did not go unnoticed.
Surprisingly, it was Shikamaru who stepped forward. He regarded the other boy lazily.
"Oi, Sasuke." The chuunin genius did not continue until he was sure that those flat coal eyes were focused on himself, and not the pink-haired kunoichi fiddling with flowers behind her back. "You've been gone a long time, and a lot of people have a lot questions. Some of them will probably want to hang you up by your feet, regardless of injury." Shikamaru turned his head, but to look at what, Sasuke couldn't see. "But, we're glad to have you back." Shikamaru finished succinctly. Then, with hands in his pockets, he retreated to the back of the room. Others swiftly filled in the spot by Sasuke's bed he had just vacated.
For a moment, dark eyes lingered on the spot the chuunin had previously occupied. He didn't allow himself to be fooled. The genius had tried to tell him something, allay something to him, but whatever it had been was far too subtle for him to have picked up upon in his sedated and exhausted state. Instead he decided to focus on his main point. "Where is Naruto." He asked pointedly to those in the room.
His visitors shifted nervously. Finally, Sakura sighed. Wordlessly, she picked up an empty vase that sat neglected and collecting dust in the corner of the room. Her green eyes trained on only what her hands did and on no one else in the room, she filled the vase with water from the sink in the adjoining bathroom. She arranged her wrapped sunflowers in the vase as neatly as she could and left the room.
Sasuke's dark eyes narrowed on the flowers. When the unsuspecting flora did not wilt beneath his gaze, he tore his eyes away from the brightly colored gift and scanned over the crowd. A flash of irritation crossed his face. Nameless faces littered his room. Those that he had been acquainted with were scattered about, but the bulk of his visitors were mostly people who would have known him by reputation only. They were worthless people. He closed his eyes, allowing himself to succumb to his fatigue. Perhaps when he awoke again, there would be fewer, or better yet, no people there at all. After all, there was only one person he truly wanted to see.
-:- -:- -:-
Blood.
It was everywhere. Red dripped from the ceilings, slithered down the walls in crimson rivulets. It was spattered across the doors, even spreading out from the hallway into the rooms.
He had to cover his nose, the scent was so strong. Worse yet was the cold. There was a lack in the whole apartment, akin to a vacuum. The chill was as oppressive as the lack of feeling. He didn't like it.
He was still tracking down the source of the blood. The longer it took, the more agitated he became. The sheer amount of blood was shocking. Fear crept in steadily as realization set in, a normal person would be dead. But hewasn't a normalperson. Clinging to that belief, he steadily made his way deeper into the apartment.
White eyes blinked unseeingly. Neji stared at his ceiling. He lay on his back on his bed, sheets twisted and draping to the floor uncharacteristically of the usually neat Hyuuga. He did not feel like visiting the Uchiha. He had felt the other's chakra levels rise steadily and had been expecting the boy's awakening anytime. However, since then, crimson dreams had stained his sleep. He simply could not forgive the other for his many crimes, mostly affecting only one person in particular. He rolled over listlessly. Still…someone would have to tell the Uchiha about him.
Neji wondered, would the Uchiha even feel guilt? After staying with that serpent, could he even feel pain? If only the boy had not tried to leave Konoha, it never would have happened. But the Uchiha had, and one blonde had undeservingly paid the price. His mouth tightened. He hoped that the Uchiha could still feel pain. He had much to deliver to him.
-:- -:- -:-
Sakura shivered. Absently, she wrapped her arms around her bare shoulders. She wondered if she had done the right thing. She had left those terribly familiarly colored flowers by his bedside, then left. Of course she would return soon, it was just a matter of time. At the moment however, there were just too many people gathered to look at the Uchiha, well-wishers all of them.
She frowned. Naruto…when ever he was ever hospitalized, often with injuries far more severe and fatal than those that Sasuke had arrived with, not even a tenth of that number ever came to visit him. Naruto was reviled as a beast and monster, looked down upon and hated. He was alone for most of his memorable life, living a life nobody would have wanted, yet living anyways.
Sasuke was regarded as a hero. Sasuke was a traitor to Konoha, yet none of the dense villagers would ever see that. They saw Uchiha heir and prodigy as only a product of tragedy. His family slaughtered, his only other living relative was classified as an S-ranked missing-nin. To top it off, he was 'contaminated' by the foul creature, the demon.
It wasn't fair. Naruto was none of those things! He never would be! Naruto had worked so hard. He had done everything in his power to earn the recognition of his peers and that of others. He never lost heart. He remained faithful to his own beliefs. His way of the ninja was one of the most heartfelt there ever would be. He was loyal to a fault and found it hard to see the bad in others. But instead of compassion for a boy who had nothing, but had given his everything to help others, his own village betrayed him.
She covered her face with her hands. She was so useless. She couldn't even help the people she loved. Stifling a sob, she made up her mind to visit Sasuke tomorrow in the morning. He certainly didn't deserve the chances he was given. They were all for Naruto's sake. For that reasoning, and the hope that Sasuke would finally understand the repercussions of his actions, she decided to tell him tomorrow. She would answer his question.
-:- -:- -:-
Tsunade angrily marched her way into the bar. She needed a drink. Damned if she was the Hokage! Damned if it was the middle of the day! She needed a drink, and she would get it if she had to crush the barley herself! The door flew off the hinges as she kicked it open, storming inside. She was startled to find Iruka, slumped over at a table. Half of his upper body lay on the table. He grasped a sake glass in one hand and loosely held the bottle in the other.
For a moment, the Hokage just gaped. Then coming to herself, she walked purposefully over to the inebriated chuunin.
"Iruka! What are you doing? DRUNK at THIS hour?" She demanded loudly.
Blearily, the chuunin just tilted his head to look at her. "'Okage-sama? What're you doing here? Too early to drink…" He slurred, blinking.
"Speak for yourself!" She snatched away his cup as the academy teacher drunkenly tried to bring the drink to his lips. She was appalled by the chuunin's actions. She never would have expected the normally responsible young man to act to rashly. "I'm getting you out of here and sobered up!"
She wrenched the liquor from the ninja's limp grasp and slung the man ungracefully over her shoulder. Quickly downing the contents of Iruka's bottle, she smacked her lips, enjoying the burn down her throat. She grinned at the barkeep. "Just put whatever he bought on my tab, and don't tell anyone that he was here, alright? It wouldn't look good of an instructor of Konoha's Ninja School to be caught totally plastered at this hour."
At the barkeep's understanding nod, Tsunade marched out, her burden already in a blissful, unconscious, drunken stupor. She sighed. Iruka…she knew he must be in pain. She suffered too, but she had her responsibilities as Hokage.
If only the younger man had told her that he had planned on drowning in a delightful sea of pain-numbing sake, she would have too happily joined him in the bar. Too bad that today had been the day that Sasuke had decided to regain consciousness. Too bad that today had marked the beginning of his sentencing and repentance for his crimes. Too bad that today people would celebrate…
"Iruka, you set a bad example for your students." She said quietly and without feeling to the unconscious man. "And, you're going to have a killer hang-over in the morning…" She added sympathetically.
Today was the anniversary of Naruto's exile.
-:- -:- -:-
Kakashi had watched the transpirings in silence. Somehow, he couldn't find anything to say, even to joke about. Listlessly, he had meandered across Konoha, his hands tucked absently away into his pockets. Purely by coincidence he had managed a peek at the slow, quiet suffering of the former genins so familiar to him.
Sakura had been struggling with a dilemma which she had grimly made a decision for. Shikamaru and Chouji had left the hospital for the soft-sloping hill they would so often be found resting upon. Though they both were laying on their backs staring at the clouds overhead, as was the genius's favorite pastime, neither seemed to be paying attention to the clouds. Rather, they were inwardly contemplating some other problem. Ino had been rather solemnly working the cashier's desk at her family's flower shop, lacking the bright smile she normally greeted the customer's with. Kiba sat alone near a river bank, Akamaru laying by his feet. He would absently mindedly stroke the dog's head, staring blankly at the passing water. Neither of the Hyuugas were to be seen. Rock Lee was quietly training under Gai's supervision. For the past two years, neither would really be seen without the other. Tenten had stayed at home that day. Her teammates had been more distracted than usual, and she found no real reason to go out.
With most of the promising young shinobi acting unlike their normal selves, Kakashi figured he probably should not have been all too surprised to see the Konoha Ninja Academy Sensei being hauled, completely senseless, out of a bar by the Hokage. He had never figured the young chuunin as one prone to alcohol, or even being able to hold his liquor. Understanding, and sympathizing though, he silently approached Tsunade.
"I'll take him." He murmured.
Tsunade turned to him with a grateful look. She already was stressed enough by Konoha politics and dealing with personal matters, as well as the awakening of Sasuke, and the general attitude of the people of Konoha, she truly didn't need the be beleaguered by one drunk ninja. She handed Iruka over with a nod. She understood that Kakashi probably already knew how to treat hangovers. Kakashi himself had traveled down that road a bit a few times.
The jounin had only once ever approved of a new genin team. Out of that single cell group, one was a hated monster and one had betrayed his home village. After all he had tried to instill in his team, he still could not build the trust and understanding required in a successful ninja group, and he had tried his very best.
He had learned his lessons the hard way. So had his team.
As he hefted Iruka over one shoulder, the chuunin let out one irate snore, then settled back into blissful unconsciousness.
Giving one assuring nod to the Hokage, Kakashi disappeared into a cloud of smoke. Tsunade sighed, running a hand through her bangs. She slowly walked away. Despite her responsibilities, her paperwork, she didn't feel like going anywhere or doing anything. Knowing that she could put off most of her work until tomorrow, she slowly wandered away to no place in particular.
-:- -:- -:
"What are you doing?"
Naruto didn't turn around. With his back to the speaker, he simply grinned, know that it was what the other had expected him to do. He continued to gaze at the rain-swollen river rushing beneath the bridge. He was perched on the railing, barely holding onto the rail, but bent far above the water. "Just thinking." He replied cheekily, knowing that it would irritate his audience, even if his audience had no personality to speak of.
Neji rested his forearms on the rail beside the blonde. "Nothing too deeply I hope. You wouldn't want to break anything upstairs." He retorted calmly, silently enjoying the shocked expression on Naruto's face.
"You…joke…WAH!" Naruto squealed and threw himself on top of the older nin in a sudden hug.
Taken completely by surprise, and also by the fact that Naruto had launched himself from the ledge that they were both leaning on, Neji was slammed onto the floor of the bridge, a sniffling blonde crying on him.
"I'm so happy that you finally gained a personality, Neji-chan! You have no idea how much I've waited for this day!" Naruto wailed, faux tears streaming down his face.
Neji grunted, his face screwed up into a combination of discomfort and embarrassment. Awkward….it was awkward… "Get off."
"No!" Naruto giggled, his voice muffled by Neji's shirt.
The older nin, stunned by the vehement response, laid still.
Naruto snuggled into him. "You smell nice." He murmured.
Curious, Neji laid a hand on top of the blonde's soft hair. What was wrong with Naruto? Normally, he wasn't so…affectionate. He was loud and affectionate, but now he was simply…it was like he was trying to stay with him as much as possible, not that Neji minded much. Still, he had to know what was going on in the blonde's head. Naruto was a genius in his own right, one that Neji respected highly. If something was bothering him, then Neji would find out what it was and correct it.
"Naruto," Neji began seriously, "what were you thinking about earlier?" He heard the younger ninja sigh. Naruto rolled off the other boy and laid on his stomach facing him, a hand propped up beneath his chin. His eyes curved into smiling crescents and his vulpine grin spread across his face in full force. "I'm leaving, Neji."
-:- -:- -:-
The kunai slid easily beneath his fingers, without effort, without thought, the razor-sharp metal glided in his hands. He idly played with the weapon, twirling it thoughtlessly between his fingers. One became two and multiplied until he had one kunai twirling about each finger on his left hand. When he reached the guarded ward, the kunai were slipped deftly back into the holster, and he proceeded as if he had not been entertaining the thought of murdering the patient in cold blood.
"It's not like you to be emitting such killing intent." A voice commented idly.
Neji ignored it. "I've heard you've been asking for Naruto, Uchiha." He replied, calmly.
His interest perked, Sasuke turned his eyes from the wall he had been staring at blankly, to his visitor.
Neji was silent for a moment. He remained standing in the shadows of the darkened room. He wasn't sure of what possessed him to visit the Uchiha in the dead of night except that he wanted to be the one to tell him.
"Stop asking. Naruto won't come." Neji said coldly.
"He will come." Sasuke responded confidently. He promised me that he would come. He would stay. The dobe isn't a liar.
"He won't."
"Where is he?"
Neji slowly shook his head. A kunai appeared in his hand. He began to twirl it once more. He detested idleness. In his case, idle hands would end up with a dead Uchiha and an angry Hokage. He was aware that the Hokage was simply waiting for the right moment to extract the information from the Uchiha. At the moment, he believed that he would be a poor candidate for that job, since whether or not the Uchiha spoke mattered to him. He simply wanted the bastard to feel the pain.
"It's all your fault." He hissed lowly.
Sasuke nodded, thinking that the older ninja was referring to the current state of Konoha. He agreed with the other ninja. It had been his fault. He had been mistaken, and it had lead Konoha to ruin. But Konoha was a strong village. It could rebuild and prosper once more.
Pale eyes narrowed. Sasuke didn't understand. The fool that he was, he would never understand. "Naruto won't come." He repeated, his voice frosty. The kunai slid to his right hand, never once missing a twirl. The blade barely had brushed his right fingers when it went whizzing across the room, slicing off a single strand of Sasuke's hair. The Uchiha didn't even flinch, instead, his gaze hardened against the Hyuuga.
"Where is he?"
Another kunai twirled between the Hyuuga's fingers. His lips twisted cruelly. "Gone." He spat poisonously, leaning forward. The kunai froze in his grasp, millimeters away from the Uchiha's pale neck. "It's your fault, Uchiha." He hissed. Oh, how he wanted to draw the blade across that white flesh. He wanted to see that pale skin drenched in its own crimson blood. Stained red, like his dreams.
"Neji!"
The startled cry parted the boys.
Sakura stood in the hallway, her green eyes wide in shock.
"Haruno." Neji said stoically. He gave her a small nod before snatching up his blades and leaving the room.
She sighed as the pale-eyed genius left. She had been so worried for a moment. The Hyuuga had truly looked murderous. As much as she wasn't proud of her past actions, or that of her former teammate, she in no way wanted him dead. Quietly she made her way toward Sasuke's side, seating herself silently as the Uchiha's attention had returned to the wall he had been staring at before the Hyuuga's interruption.
"Naruto." Sasuke murmured absently. "Where is he?"
Sakura inhaled sharply, closing her eyes. Was that all Sasuke could think about? She understood fully why, but she couldn't help herself. She bit her lip, stifling her tears. It wasn't fair to Naruto. It just wasn't fair. And here she was, about to break her promise to the blonde ninja. I'm sorry, Naruto. But he has to know. It's only fair…
She drew a slow, tremulous breath. "He was always the first to run after you, you know." She began softly, knowing that she had his full attention. "Every mission, every lead, he was always the first out of the gates, whether or not any one followed him. He was willing to brave that serpent's den, just to get to you." She continued.
"But…" She hesitated. She inhaled again. "Naruto was one of our strongest ninja. He had become a powerful shinobi after…you left. He trained with Jiraiya-sama for two and a half-years. He learned things away from Konoha, things and hardships I could never comprehend."
Her lips curled into a half smile. "Jiraiya-sama said that he had been made for this kind of training, the harsh reality of certain it. He had been…conditioned for it by his time in Konoha." Her eyes closed, remembering how cruel the inhabitants of the Hidden Village of the Leaf had been. Only their cruelty had allowed Naruto to grow in such a tremendous way and so quickly. But, at the same time, Naruto had still retained his will to protect the villagers, regardless of what they had thought of him. And he had remained an innocent. He would have made an incredible Hokage, one day.
Sasuke sat still, unmoving, waiting for her to continue.
"However, his…recklessness in going after you, somewhat…weakened, Konoha. No one had realized what an asset Naruto had become until the attacks had started…" Her jaw clenched. Her eyes turned steely. "Tell me, will you chase after him, even now?"
Obsidian eyes hardened at her change in tone. She wouldn't talk about Naruto like that, not after all she had been through with him. She meant Itachi.
He shook his head. No. In the past year and a half, all thought of his brother had vanished from his mind. His time away from Konoha had redirected his thoughts. Memories of yellow and orange had replaced those of black and red. He almost shuddered as he recalled the Valley of the End. Naruto had bled that day. He had finally seen Naruto's strength, the power he kept hidden to protect himself. But Naruto had faltered, and in a battle he should have won, he lost, simply because he had been unwilling to harm, to hurt, to kill Sasuke.
The Uchiha had felt no small amount of guilt at that. As his 'training' with the madman of a serpent had intensified, he found himself becoming obsessive over the blonde. Naruto had been the only person who had ever become so close to him, closer than family. His thoughts of the blonde allowed him to keep going, while thoughts of vengeance had ate away at him until he was a soulless shell. If, on that day he had been abandoned in the forest by Orochimaru, he had not had his mind set on memories of warmer days, he would have died.
Itachi had faded from his mind. His past anger had disappeared. He couldn't change the past. Killing Itachi would not bring the Uchihas back, nor would it make him feel any better. He had known that for a long time, yet he had childishly persisted in thoughts and plans for revenge, only to see the ever widening gap between them.
If Itachi ever returned, he would fight, he would defend, but he would not chase after the bastard. It had cost him so much already. He wasn't willing to lose what little else he held precious to him.
At Sasuke's negative response, Sakura's shoulders drooped a bit. She felt as if she shouldn't be telling him it, that it wouldn't help matters. It might even make him feel worse, to know the truth. But, he had been Naruto's closest friend. He deserved to know.
"They were vicious, uncaring of who came in their way. Whether they were shinobi or civilian, they were slaughtered without mercy by the Akatsuki." She continued, defeated. "We didn't learn of what they wanted until it was too late." She hung her head.
"The Konohagakure High Council had deemed it too dangerous to keep Naruto within our walls. They associated the attacks with Naruto. Whenever Naruto entered the village, or when he was leaving, the Akatsuki attacked. They had thought that Naruto had been coordinating the attacks since he, and only he, had come away from battle unscathed. They thought it had been revenge for Kyuubi since Naruto had managed to bond with the demon during Jiraiya-sama's training. They compiled evidence against Naruto, all of it circumstantial, and most of it false. Someone planted the evidence against Naruto, someone with innate knowledge of how the Konohagakure's legal system worked!"
The Konoha Police Force. Sasuke realized. Itachi… His jaw clenched, eyes swirling crimson with chakra he couldn't afford to spare.
"So, Naruto was exiled."
"WHAT!" Crimson eyes blazed. He pinned Sakura with his sharp gaze. She seemed unfazed, staring at her hands tucked into her lap.
"For months, he lived in a small hut on the outer rim of the forest. Only a few of us knew where he lived. He still tried to protect Konoha, even as a renegade ninja." A wry smile crossed her lips. "We would visit him when we could, sneaking outside of Konoha's walls." Tears dribbled heedlessly down her cheeks. "But, even afterwards, the attacks didn't stop, didn't cease. If anything, they intensified. Then suddenly, it went quiet, but by that time, Konoha was near ruin. And everyone blamed Naruto. The villagers even made claims that they saw a blonde boy leading some of the attacks. But Naruto would never…he would never…"
Her voice choked with sobs. "They took him…he exchanged his life for ours, for yours." She wept bitterly. "The Akatsuki kept attacking because they knew he would give in. Even when Konoha had forsaken him. He still loved our village. You had been a tool to get to him. Orochimaru had never left the Akatsuki, he never could. Nobody could leave the Akatsuki. Even when you were with him, he was still under their command. Naruto worried for you, for us. So, he sacrificed himself for us. He bargained off himself to save Konoha, and you. As soon as the attacks stopped, you were dropped off within our walls." She futilely wiped at her face. "We haven't seen him since." She sniffed. "I didn't even get to say goodbye."
Sasuke looked murderous, his fiery eyes blazed, brinking on the edge of wrathful insanity. He had remembered that, the night he had been returned to Konoha. It had been painful. Orochimaru had put him through one of the most rigorous tests he had ever to face. He had almost died. He had been left for dead in the forest. But, he remembered warm arms, a soft familiar voice. He had been carried into Konoha, on the back of a painfully recognizable orange jumpsuit. Naruto had been with him that night. He could never forget that.
"And even through all that, he didn't blame you." She looked at him sadly. "He still blamed himself. Thinking himself too weak to save you. So he did the only thing he could. He left, with him, the one who had wanted him all along." She struggled getting the last part out. This was what Naruto had made her promise not to tell, if anything else, he had sworn her to secrecy, but Sasuke had to know. She drew a deep breath. "Naruto went willingly with Itachi, to become a member of the Akatsuki."
Even if she had been ready for Sasuke's unbridled anger at that confession, nothing could have prepared her for that raw, violent blast of chakra. Sasuke should have been fighting to stay awake, not attacking her with the very substance keeping him alive.
"SHIZUNE!" She screamed over the roar of the wildly whipping energy. Her hair streamed around her, but she had thankfully kept it short, so it only barely blocked her vision. ANBU were in the room in a moment, slapping seals on the boy, rendering him unconscious.
Shizune was by their side a second later, cursing under her breath. Her fingers flew in a flurry of hand seals Sakura couldn't recognize, but with a nod from the older medic nin, Sakura clasped her hands together in a series of familiar hand seals designed to hold chakra. As one the two females pressed their hands against Sasuke's now unconscious form, imbuing him with their combined chakra.
Sakura slumped onto the bedside exhausted as Shizune frowned. "Damn that reckless boy!" She cursed. "Tsunade-sama will have my head if he dies!" She glared at the sleeping form, calling for a nurse. "Keep him in a state of suspended rest." She barked.
Sakura's eyes widened, but before she could voice her concern, Shizune cut her off with a sharp look, which softened at her hurt expression. "It's not a punishment, Sakura. It's for his well-being. In all truthfulness, he shouldn't have been kept awake this whole time. He had been forcing his body into a state it wasn't ready for. He's not completely healed yet. We'll release the genjutsu when he's recovered enough of his chakra." She reassured the younger ninja.
She swallowed, nodding. She should have known better. It had still been too early to tell Sasuke. She was so stupid. I'm sorry Naruto. I have only made it worse.
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Outside Neji leaned against the outer wall of the hospital. He smirked. The fool Uchiha. Even after all this time, he still had no control over himself when it came down to that blonde. But it was his fault. He scowled. The damn Uchiha. It was all his fault. If it hadn't been for the Uchiha's utterly ridiculous notion of revenge, of his own selfishness, Naruto would still be with them today. It wasn't right, and it wasn't fair. Naruto deserved so much better.
End Chapter One
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Shrimp: HAPPY NEW YEAR! Shrimpy here. Call me Shrimpy, please. Experimenting with Naruto fanfics. I've read a lot of them, and have come across some absolutely wonderful fics. Though I was a bit disappointed to find out a lack of certain slash pairings I'm rather fond of. SasuNaru is absolutely rampant. In my mind, almost anyone is slashable in Naruto, though I will keep some het pairings. LeeSaku is too cute. As well as ShikaIno and ShikaTem. Also KibaHina. But, just about everyone else, minus Chouji and select others, is highly slashable, and at one point, has been defamed in my mind. Here I'm going to poke around and find out what works. At some point in this, Naruto will have some kind of fluff moment with every character I can think of, simply because I'm depraved like that. Sasuke will do much chasing of Naruto here, but I am still uncertain over a main pairing.
Fry: 'Tis I, the mighty Fry! Bow down before me as I am Shrimpy's beta and editor, and she should worship the ground I walk on.
Shrimp: Ahem! Anyways, please, as pointless as it is, read my author's notes. I have written fanfiction before, and it absolutely irks me when I write the answer to a question in my authors note, and am asked that question several times afterwards. I will explain things and clarify things which might seem confusing in my author's notes, and also answer quesions you may have if I have not answered them previously. I warn you though, if you ask a question I have already answered, I will ignore it unless it has been explained poorly.
Fry: Which will be almost always.
Shrimp: Quiet you. Furthermore, I'll bet some people have questions already. So here are a few answers to some questions I predict will be asked since the timeline is a tad confusing. This takes place after the Kakashi Gaiden. So, two and a half years have passed since the failed retrieval of Sasuke. Then, past that, there is a six month interim where Naruto has returned, and since then the Akatsuki attacks have been taking place, resulting in Naruto's exile and then his abduction. So, after three years of being gone, Sasuke returns and is comatose for two years. Sasuke still is unaware of how long he has been asleep, so his thoughts are based on the three years he is aware of, not the two years he has missed. At this point, the genins we all love are about seventeen years old, those of Team Gai would be eighteen. A perfect age for slashy romance!
Fry: As another note, we do share the same e-mail address, but never fear, one of us will always be monitoring it. If Shrimpy is away, I will post chapters and answer questions in her stead. So we should have a regular schedule. We are aiming for monthly chapters though. We aim low as to not disappoint expectations. But, we shall try to make the chapters long. This is a rather short chapter, but all beginnings are hard. The next chapter should hopefully be much longer. However, if it looks like we can beat a schedule, we might update faster. Oh! And we apologize for this lengthy AN. It won't happen again. We just decided to take the time to introduce ourselves and give you guys a bit of a hint about how this will work out. This is the first time we structuring something like this, and we hope it fares well. Any questions so far?
Shrimp: Please ask, we'd be so happy to answer.
Fry: Yeah, Shrimpy is deprived of human contact. Her only source is well, me and the computer. Please review. Shrimpy needs the ego boost.
Shrimp: See you in February. PS, we'll be taking suggestions for slash pairings, if there's a particular pair you want to see, or interaction between certain characters. This is an experiment for us, so there shall be much poking around. All suggestions are welcome.
Fry: REVIEW!