This first chapter was written years ago, but it never went anywhere and I deemed it a one-shot. Cue three years later. (Luckily, this is the revised edition.)
ABOUT THE CONTINUITY: I've watched Shippuden. I'm caught up. But this story takes place in a divergent timeline after the battle between Sasuke and Naruto at the Valley of the End. In this story, they both passed out after performing their final moves. Kakashi made it to them, brought them home, and Sasuke decided (of his own volition) to stop being a dick after seeing how much everyone went through for him. If wishes were fishes, eh?
"Your new assignment is…" Kakashi leaned forward, and his students unconsciously copied his action.
"Teamwork." Kakashi inwardly chuckled at his student's groans, Sakura's in particular. She obviously remembered how the last teamwork exercise had gone.
However, Naruto was the first to complain.
"Sensei, we already did that one! Our teamwork is fine…"
Kakashi silenced Naruto with his typical stare.
"Sure, sure, you passed that exercise…barely…but I've never seen all three of you really work together. Besides, this is on the Hokage's orders: Apparently our team's abilities aren't nearly as suited for each other as all the other team's are."
Kakashi reveled in their glares of hate for a moment before continuing.
"Your mission is pretty simple, actually. Just spend a little time together. Outside of our regular practice times." Sasuke frowned and crossed his arms. "Learn each other's weaknesses and strengths, likes and dislikes. At the end of two weeks, I want a report from each of you detailing the general lives and details of your other team-mates, excluding myself. Another week will be allotted if your reports are not detailed enough. All other missions are denied to you until you have completed this, so I suggest you take it seriously. No goofing off, Naruto."
Kakashi chuckled, not unkindly, at Naruto's scowl.
He surreptitiously reached into his ninja pouch, surely anticipating a goodly amount of quality time with his infamous book.
"I suppose I'll leave you all to it, then. Dismissed."
The team, sans Kakashi, met the very next day at Ichiraku's with writing utensils in hand, mostly because no one was in the mood to argue with Naruto. Besides, it was close enough to each of their homes to make sense as a meeting spot.
Though as Sakura and Sasuke watched Naruto scarf down another bowl of ramen, they both separately and firmly decided they would be meeting elsewhere from now on.
It was very awkward. The three of them were used to dealing with each other of course: On missions. Between boring walks to the intended destination, frustrating times guarding an important charge, silent work on whatever goal they needed to meet, or even during crisis situations, they had come to know one another. But at this moment, they each discovered that they had never really brought themselves fully to the table, so to speak. They had very little to say to one another.
Finally, it was Sakura to break the silence. "I guess…I'll go first then. What about…likes?" She squeaked slightly, and was glad that they had decided to use practice battles to determine individual strength and weakness. If this subject was hard to talk about, that one would be nigh-impossible to discuss.
Naruto and Sasuke nodded dumbly at her courageous attempt to break the silence and get some work done.
"I like…flowers, I guess." Sakura breathed as her team-mates began writing. "Fish, too…but I can't stand sushi. Never have. I like to read books on medicine…" Although it was becoming easier to talk, the situation was no less awkward. Sakura felt like she was rambling. "My favorite color is red." She cocked her head to the side, trying to think of anything else to say. "Oh! My birthday is March 28th."
Naruto nodded as he bent over his paper. Sakura suspected he was doodling. "How do you spend your free time?"
This was easier. "I help Ino at the flower shop…train…go swimming. Just that sort of thing."
"And your dislikes?" Sasuke asked aloofly.
Sakura blushed. "Oh, um…I said sushi, didn't I? Um…I don't like watching movies much. I hate peppers, and I really can't stand 'loud' music."
"Okay," Naruto said, nodding. "That should be good for now. It's the bastard's turn!"
He pointedly ignored his peers frowns with a bright grin.
Sasuke sighed. "Fine. My birthday is July 23rd. I like traditional foods and the color blue. I hate sweets and this stupid assignment. I train and study during my free time. Your turn, Dobe."
Naruto and Sakura blinked. "That was short."
Sasuke just shrugged and returned to his food, glaring at it slightly. It was obvious he was done for the day.
Naruto huffed. "Fine. I like spicy food, and the color orange. I train and visit people in my spare time."
He hopped of his stool, leaving some money beside his empty bowls.
"Speaking of short!" Sakura protested. Sasuke nodded, agreeing for once. "That's not enough."
"Please, you guys know the rest almost better than I do."
Sakura almost couldn't help but think, 'Almost' being the key word here'.
Naruto turned to walk away.
"When's your birthday?"
Naruto turned half-way around, his face uncharacteristically serious, eyes squinted.
"What was that?"
"I said, 'when's your birthday.'"
Naruto blinked, looking as if he were honestly thinking about the question, then grinned.
"I don't know."
Naruto took off, waving enthusiastically behind him.
He left two very confused team-mates behind.
Hours later, Sasuke was gritting his teeth in frustration inside Konoha's Hall of Records.
Here, among the dust and dim light of filtered windows, all of Konoha's run-of-the-mill missions were logged and maintained.
It also held basic standing records of all live personnel stationed in Konoha, including ninja. Those who reached Jonin rank and beyond had their records moved to a much more private hall that only the Hokage and his aides was privy to.
Sasuke was looking through the records marked 'Genin.'
He rubbed his temples then fingered through the 'U's.'. Strangely enough, there was no record of 'Uzumaki' after his 'Uchiha' name.
"Why is everything that involves that idiot so difficult?" He growled.
Sasuke was not particularly interested in Naruto, not beyond what was normal. All ninja had secrets, after all. Even loud, obnoxious ones. It was only that Naruto had annoyed him by withholding information when he was required to divulge it by a mission. He was being stupid.
Sasuke considered that someone might have taken the records out to look through, but cast off that thought. Only people from Konoha were allowed in this hall. The only people that were apparently interested in Naruto existed outside it's proud walls.
Sasuke opened a higher drawer, looking through the 'N's'. Here, at last, he hit gold.
He pulled out the file and found a clear table easily, as few people actually bothered with this place, and sat down to read. The more he found out here, the less he would have to talk to Naruto about in person. Glancing back at the cabinet, he decided he would also look up Sakura, for the same reason.
Naruto(Uzumaki?)
D.O.B.: CLASSIFIED
TEAM: Hatake, Kakashi; Haruno, Sakura; Uchiha, Sasuke
Father: CLASSIFIED; DECEASED
Mother: CLASSIFIED; DECEASED
The report went on to include Naruto's home address, which Sasuke had not known, along with a few other meaningless facts.
Sasuke was confused, and even more frustrated that before.
'Classified…classified…what iswithhim?'
Sasuke fumed a bit more, eventually coming up with an idea. Glancing at Naruto's address, he placed the file back in its cabinet.
If Naruto wouldn't talk, he knew someone that might.
"Why should I tell you? You're supposed to talk with your team-mate and find out on your own."
Kakashi crossed his arms, annoyed at being awoken from his nap.
Sasuke was stubborn.
"Naruto won't say anything, and all the important information in his file is classified."
Kakashi rubbed his chin. "So, you came to me." He sighed. He really wanted to get back to his nap. The Hokage had given him a tough mission to take care of the next day while his students were busy, and he wanted to be as rested as possible. However, mission on not, what Sasuke was asking really was Naruto's business.
Not that Kakashi really cared.
He fixed Sasuke was a penetrating one-eyed stare, as if sizing him up.
"…I can only give you a hint."
Sasuke shifted his weight to his other foot, impatient. "What?"
"See the picture there, next to the Team 7 one? Take a look."
Sasuke eyed his sensei, but did as he was told. The picture was of a young Kakashi and his team members. The Yondaime grinned at them all. Sasuke had never seen the picture, but he had heard of who Kakashi's master had been.
"Kakashi, I already know the Yondaime taught you-"
Kakashi cut him off. "Look, Sasuke. Really look."
Sasuke glared at him, irritated, but once again turned to the picture. As he searched the photo, it did not take him long to figure it out. That blonde hair, the grin…
"Do you mean that the Yondaime was Naruto's-"
Kakashi interrupted once again. "If that's what you think." Shrugging, he guided Sasuke out of his home.
"Only Naruto can tell you more."
Sasuke arrived at Naruto's apartment approximately 3 minutes, 24 seconds later.
He was going to get some answers.
But Naruto failed to answer the door. When Sasuke tried the handle, he found the door to be unlocked. Shrugging off a bad premonition – because what kind of ninja didn't lock his front door, really, Sasuke pushed it opened and entered.
He heard Naruto making some kind of sound in the direction of the back of the apartment as he came through the doorway. Whatever was going on, it sounded…painful.
"Naruto?"
Sasuke walked, at a brisk pace, searching the rooms. The sound only got louder. After the small living room, he discovered a kitchenette, then a bathroom, and finally the bedroom. Sasuke pushed the door open as he heard a low groan from the room.
Naruto had rolled himself into a ball, looking far smaller than usual. This wasn't what truly concerned Sasuke.
For Naruto was dimly glowing; an ominous, dark red color.
"…Naruto! What's wrong with you?" Sasuke approached cautiously. A large part of his mind was telling him to stay away in case this was a dangerous jutsu gone wrong.
"Sasuke?"
Naruto opened his eyes. Sasuke noticed that they were an even darker red, angry and slitted. Sasuke recognized this from their fight at the Valley of the End. Confronted with Naruto's strange chakra once again, Sasuke's gaze hardened.
"Naruto, what's happening to you?"
Naruto glared up at him and with a visible effort rolled himself over, so that he was facing the window and his back was to Sasuke.
Sasuke would have none of that. Grabbing a shoulder, he rolled the boy back over and stared at him imperiously. "What is going on?"
Naruto gave him a defiant look. He would not be intimidated by Sasuke.
For a few minutes they engaged in a furious staring match, only broken when a particularly painful twinge from Naruto's stomach sent him face-first into his pillow, gasping for breath.
Sasuke frowned, fighting the urge to be worried. It wouldn't help with the situation. Forcing calm, he calm into his voice, he tried again. "Look. I can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong."
Naruto peeked his head up out of his pillow. "You can't help me with it anyway. Why should I tell you?" The roughened voice was familiar and unwelcome. He sounded like a big cat.
Sasuke sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Because if you won't tell me what's going on, I'll get Lady Tsunade." Naruto immediately knew from Sasuke's tone that the threat was not an idle one.
Sasuke knelt so that he could look Naruto directly in the eye. "She will make you talk." That wasn't an idle threat either.
Naruto sighed, and closed his eyes. After a moment he pointed at his wall, straight where the calendar was. As Sasuke turned to look, he whispered, "It's my birthday."
Sasuke looked at the calendar and he saw that this was true. Naruto had circled the date- October 10th- and marked it with tiny words. They read: 'Happy Birthday!'
"Does this happen every year?"
He turned in time to catch Naruto's nod.
Sasuke suddenly felt depressed. The words on Naruto's calendar were obviously meant to be ironic.
Naruto suddenly made a sound, and his entire body seemed to fold in on itself in pain. The red light intensified, and Naruto clinched limbs suddenly flew outward in a short series of spasms.
Reflexively Sasuke grabbed Naruto's wrist, trying to calm him down and keep him from hurting either of them.
Naruto's was up in a second, hissing, clawing at Sasuke's arm.
"Naruto!"
He stopped just as suddenly, and sniffed Sasuke's arm. It had become slick with blood. The red aura dimmed for a moment.
"Sasuke." Naruto gasped out, his free arm returning to clutch at his stomach. He seemed to be trying to hold the pain in. "Get the hell outta here. I'm not myself…"
Naruto grimaced, but held the pain at bay. Sasuke, grudgingly because his arm really did hurt now, respected the obvious effort it took Naruto to be still.
"I'm not leaving. Whatever the hell this is, you could hurt yourself and whose fault would it be?"
"I've been dealing with this for years, jerk, I can handle it-"
"I'm not leaving." Sasuke cut in. He refused to argue. Naruto stared at him, and then sullenly flipped over again. The pain seemed to have dimmed for the moment.
"Do what you want, you bastard."
The silence in Naruto's room became complete, minus a quiet mutter from Naruto ever so often. Sasuke occupied himself by inspecting the room, finding it grimy but fairly neat. He supposed that was to be expected; Ninja's didn't often stay in the home, choosing instead to be out and about when they didn't have a mission. Social as he was, Naruto was probably gone more than he was home.
Eventually, Sasuke grew bored with his inspection and left it.
For the first time since they had met, Sasuke found himself casting around for something to talk about. As he racked his brains for something appropriate, a thought struck him.
"Why do you keep your door unlocked?" He asked impulsively.
Naruto flinched, and Sasuke knew it had nothing to do with the pain.
"That's kind of involved."
"So am I, now." Sasuke pointed out bluntly.
Naruto's shoulders stiffened even more. Then they slumped.
Eventually he spoke. "Some of the villagers like to come around and wreck my home every once in a while. It doesn't really bother me," he said hurriedly, as though this needed to be made known. "It's just that they break down my door if I lock it. I can't afford to replace my door all the time."
Sasuke had gone unnaturally still. Naruto turned around to see his reaction.
Disgust was written all over fine Uchihan features; Naruto wondered if it was for the villagers or for him.
"And that doesn't bother you. Not at all. You just let them do it? You don't try to stop them? You're a ninja! Fight back!"
"It's not that simple."
Disdain. "The hell it's not!"
"If I fight back I'll be what they all expect, Sasuke."
"And just what do they expect?" Sasuke shot back. His voice was challenging.
"I can't tell you that. I won't." Even with Naruto's demonic appearance glaring him full in the face, Sasuke could not find it within himself to be afraid. Sasuke did feel that he might understand, however, what the villager's problem might be.
"It's always been this way."
"So, you just gave up?" His voice cut through the darkening room like a cold, cruel knife.
The room exploded with light, as though a fire-cracker had gone off, with the force of Naruto's aura. He had sat up, his entire face set with a truly demonic scowl. His eyes sparked like the bluest, darkest flames and Sasuke distractedly wondered when they had changed back from the red.
"I never gave up." His hands clenched into fists, the claws in them cutting into his palms. Tiny rivers of blood leaked from the wounds.
Staring at Naruto's furious expression, Sasuke almost had the decency to feel ashamed.
Almost.
