Friends, You Need Them
One-Shot
XOX
So there he was, carrying his best friend limp body on his back, struggling just to get back to the village. The look of pure hatred and rage Sasuke gave him still stung fresh in his mind, making his heart ache. He knew right after the raven woke up, we would be screaming and kicking to leave Konoha for Orochimaru again. And Naruto would have to stop him; again.
His dull blue eyes brightened ever so slightly as he finally saw the village gates. There, a crowd was gathered, waiting for their arrival. Or rather Sasuke's arrival. He spotted his pink haired crush and teammate running towards them, worry etched on her face. He stretched a tired fake smile on his face, sheer will power keeping him from collapsing. "I did it, Sakura-chan." The name burned his throat like sake when you swallowed it too fast. Why did he have to pretend? Who was it all for? "I brought Sasuke–" Before he could finish, a fist buried itself in his already burning stomach. He hunched forward, dry heaving slightly. He felt the weight of Sasuke body lifted off him as he fell to his knees.
"You." It was barely above a whisper but he could still hear it loud in clear in the silence, the anger at him. It always was directed at him wasn't it? Problems that weren't his fault; what did he do? "I told you to bring him back, not kill him!" Naruto's head snapped up quickly, anger and hurt making his eyes flash red.
"He is alive! What are you talking about, Sakura?" He was slapped across the face by the girl.
"Just barely! Look at him! Look at all the blood! What did he do?" What did he do? What did he do? What did Naruto do other try to be nice only to be pushed away in the end? He fought, he bled, he cried, he almost died all for this one girl. And she had the nerve to ask what the Uchiha traitor did? Naruto felt a growl bubble in his throat like he did most times he was scolded for something he didn't do. But this time, he let it out. He pushed himself up from the ground, his wounds not the most important thing on his mind at the time.
"He tried to kill me. That's what he did. The blood, it's mine. All of it! MINE!" He suddenly ripped his jacket open, revealing his tattered under shirt and the two gaping holes in his chest. "I HAVE DONE NOTHING, NOTHING, BUT TRY AND FIGHT HIM FOR YOU! I'M DYING RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW BECAUSE I WANTED TO MAKE YOU HAPPY! I did this all for you and all I get it the cold shoulder!" Sakura stepped away, almost guiltily, before stepping forward again. Naruto didn't let her start. "Don't you DARE try to put the blame on me! If you wanted him back in village so bad, why didn't you go after him?" Sakura opened her mouth to reply but the blond beat her to it. "Oh, that's right. You're too weak and pathetic to do so." Realization stung the pinkette like a slap to the face. Tears build up in the corners of her tears, a few making trails down her cheeks. He felt it, the sick satisfaction in making the girl cry. He grinned lopsidedly, amusement shining in his eyes. "All you ever do is whine and yell. The Chunin Exams, the time we had to get that treasure from those bandits, the time when Orochimaru was testing Sasuke strength through that guy before the Exams; every time, you have done nothing but get in the way." The girl sunk to her knees as she remembered her multiple moments of weakness. Yes, he would make her feel weak. "What are you going to do if Sasuke had gone away and I couldn't stop him? Hm?" She couldn't answer him. And it made him feel delighted. "That's right, you would be the first one dead you pathetic little–"
"Naruto, that's enough." He looked up from his teammate to his sensei, whose one eye was narrowed in anger. "I'm disappointed in you. This is worst than scum, this is–"
"Don't give me your crap about teammates and trust! You haven't helped me once through the entire time you've been my sensei except tree walking. Instead you choose to teach Sasuke, you even helped Sakura with her genjutsu skills. What did you do to me? Left me with a man who you know hates me. So Hatake, who's worst? Me, for putting down the girl who has beat me for no reason or you, the hypocritical sensei who favors his other students because he can't get out the past?" For once, Kakashi had nothing to say to that. "I thought so." The blond pushed he was through the crowd and marched towards his house.
XOX
When he woke, all he saw was white. Bright white that stung his dark eyes. Orbs drifted around the room, looking for something, anything to give him an idea on his whereabouts. Sitting up slightly and looking down, he saw pink, resting on his arm. Then his hearing started to come to him. A beeping noise. From the… He turned to the right to see a heart monitor, projecting the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. 'Konoha. I'm in Konoha.' Anger flooded over him at the thought, his defeat to the dobe of his graduating year. But then worry completely overcame anger and he found himself trying to get out the bed. He stood, albeit shakily, and slowly made his way to the door, his body stiff from days of sleeping. Before he could open the door, he heard a voice.
"Sasuke-kun?" It was a surprised whisper. He cringed as he recognized the voice, reluctantly turning to face the girl. "Sasuke-kun!" She launched herself into his arms. He winced in slight pain, his wounds not completely healed. He tried to speak but his throat was too dry.
"W-water." he croaked. Sakura backed away and walked over to the pitcher of water, pouring him a cup and trekking back over to him. She seemed intent in helping him drink but he took the cup from her grasp, downing the liquid in one go. "Where's Naruto?" At the blond's name, her features darkened.
"Who cares?" Onyx eyes narrowed at the girl.
"I do now tell me."
"Probably at his stupid apartment." Sasuke walked over to the side stand next to the bed and grabbed his new pair of clothing from there. He removed the IV from his wrist, the heart monitor starting to beat. Slipping into the bathroom, he quickly changed before exited. "Where are you going?"
"To find dobe." Before she could protest, he was out his hospital room, off to the streets of Konoha.
XOX
Naruto stared blankly at the cracked ceiling of his apartment. The things said days before still echoed in his head. And every time he did, he would smirk cruel, proud of himself. He showed them, he finally showed them, that he was no push over. 'That'll teach them to mess with me.' He was broken from his thoughts by the sound of his door opening, not that he kept it locked. What did he have that was valuable? Oh yeah, nothing.
"Dobe, you there?" He froze, a since of fear and forbidding bubbling in the pit of his stomach. He felt wrong about calling the Uchiha a traitor. The boy was hurting like him. There was no reason to hate him. Soon enough, Sasuke stood in his doorway, letting out a relieved sighed.
"I'm sorry." they both said after a tense moment of silence. Sasuke smirked slightly, sitting on the edge of the blond's bed.
"You can go first." he said. Naruto gave him a grateful look as he sat up, staring at his hands in his lap.
"I'm sorry, for… you know… stopping you from getting your revenge. I should have never butted in." he muttered.
"It's okay." Again they sat in silence before Sasuke spoke up. "I'm sorry, for taunting you… and almost killing you. It was out of line. You were only trying to help." The silence between the two was killing them again. Around times like these, the two would be bickering about one thing or another. The quiet was defiantly a change. Slowly a grin started to spread across Naruto face, tears of relief and happiness gathering in his eyes and running down his cheeks in rivulets as he laughed. Sasuke looked worriedly over at him, thinking the blond lost it. "You okay?" Naruto put his arm over his eyes, whipping the tears away.
"Look at me, getting all emotional. I feel so stupid." he scolded himself.
"It's okay to cry sometimes, dobe."
"You should take your own advice, teme." Sasuke smirked at the old teasing nickname. He held his fist out to the other on the bed. "Friends?" The blond's eyes widened before he bumped fist with his raven haired teammate, grinning widely.
"Friends."
XOX
Twinkle: Don't ask what this is for. It was a bet between me and T.A. Aberforth. Review!