Finally edited… Enjoy. Please Review.
Disclaimer // I do, nor will I ever I suspect, own Naruto. It would be a gigantic yaoifest if I did.
It was finally done. Their mission, one many had considered impossible on many levels, was complete. They had accomplished their goal, somehow. Most everyone was shocked when one Uzumaki Naruto limped into town, a limp body draped over his shoulder. When greeted by the town's screams and cheers, he fell to his knees.
Both of the boys looked beaten and broken. Bruises and cuts littered their bodies, and blood stained their clothes. The blond had his arms wrapped tight around Sasuke's body, so when villagers attempted to pull them apart, they found the task hard. He simply would not let go.
Eventually, they got a stretcher to the area and had them carried to the hospital. When Tsunade saw the two of them, everything in the hospital halted. They were taken to a room, where a bit of force finally got them separated. However, when Naruto's arms were pulled from around Sasuke's body, it got a little crazy. The blond woke very suddenly, grabbing and reaching for the other boy. It took three of the hospital staff to finally pull the boy away from Sasuke. They eventually had to throw him out of the room, since he was causing such a fuss. Tsunade followed him out, looking extremely irritated.
"If you're well enough to be fighting my staff, then you can leave right now, brat! I don't need you in my hair, causing such a mess! Go home and rest up, so that you can start missions again soon." The woman was turning around to go back into the hospital room when she felt a tug on her shirt. She turned around to see Naruto grabbing her, looking up at her in desperation.
"Will he be okay? Is Sasuke going to live? Please tell me he'll be alright, Tsunade. Please." Naruto's blue eyes were brimmed with tears. Tsunade felt a tug on her heart at the look of pure anxiety that crossed the blonde's face. She pulled her shirt out of his grip and placed a reassuring hand on his head. Leaning over so she was eye level, she spoke gently.
"Sasuke will be fine, brat. I'll make sure he pulls through. So just go home and rest. I won't let anything happen." After a moment of staring into her eyes, Naruto nodded slowly. Looking exhausted, he turned and headed down the hallway. Tsunade watched him leave. "I've never see him so worried before… What happened to them?"
Shaking her head lightly, she turned back and headed into the room again.
It was chaos.
Sasuke had evidently woken up, and all of the staff in the room were attempting to restrain him. He appeared to be only half awake, as he didn't recognize Tsunade when she entered. An IV holder flew in her direction, which she caught with ease and placed next to her. Sighing heavily, she moved further into the room. This was going to be a long night. Too bad she wasn't allowed any sake in the hospital.
The raven-haired boy was throwing anything he could get his hands on, and anyone that got too close to him ended up across the room. He was perched atop the hospital bed, a lamp held threateningly in his hand.
"Where?" Sasuke's voice was hoarse, but it wasn't quiet. He was nearing a scream when he spoke again. "Where have you taken him?! Let me go, I have to go! I need to see him! He saved me, I have to find him! I have to go back with him! I promised I'd go with him! I… pro… mised…"
The boy suddenly sank back down onto his bed, and the staff looked around, confused. Tsunade sighed again, lowering the blow gun she had retrieved from her cupboard. A dart stuck out of the Uchiha's neck, presumably a tranquilizer.
"Alright, now we can get to work."
Naruto woke the next morning feeling as if he hadn't slept at all. The entire night he had been tossing and turning, mind full of disturbing dreams. Throwing off his bed covers, he silently dressed and left the room.
Not feeling in the mood to make his own food, he simply sat at the kitchen table, staring at the wall across from him. His eyes flickered over to peer at the clock, which read that it was already after one. Had he really slept in so late? Stifling a yawn, Naruto stood and headed for the door.
Feeling tired and worried, he trudged through the streets of Konoha. Call it muscle memory or subconscious thought or whatever, but Naruto soon found himself in front of the Ichiraku Ramen stand. He sighed heavily before entering. Maybe a cup or two of ramen would make him feel better.
The shop owner greeted him enthusiastically, congratulating him on his success in the mission. Naruto nodded slowly and sat down. He ordered a bowl of miso ramen and sat waiting for it, drawing swirls on the counter with his finger.
When his ramen was ready, the owner placed it in front of him. He looked at the blond boy with concern. Never before had he seen the boy so down, and being that Naruto was his best customer, he figured he ought to do something for him. He was worried.
"Hey, kid." Naruto poked at the noodles with his hashi, eyes downcast. "Kid?" More noodle swirling. He didn't appear to be listening. "Oi, kid. You listening?" The shop owner reached over the counter and put his hand on Naruto's shoulder, shaking him a little. The boy lifted up his head, shaking it. "Hey, you okay kid?"
"Huh? Oh… yeah, I guess I'm fine…" He said slowly before going back to swirling around his noodles. He hadn't even taken one bite yet. "Just a little tired, I guess… I didn't sleep so well last night. And I guess I'm still recovering from the… mission…"
Seeing Naruto this depressed was disturbing. "Well, you would be tired, after your huge mission, right? But I know ramen always gets your spirits back up, so get eating! This one's on me, for doing such a great job, yeah?" The owner smiled. That should get the boy going. Free ramen was something Naruto could never turn down. It was a surefire way to get him in better spirits.
"You know, old man…" Naruto paused, looking up from his ramen. "I don't think I'm really in the mood for ramen right now… I think I'll just get going now. Here's some yen for it, since you went to the trouble of making it for me… Have a good day." With that, Naruto dropped some yen on the counter and exited the shop.
The owner stared at the money before looking up at the empty doorway. Naruto, not in the mood for ramen? What was the world coming to?
Naruto continued his depressing walk down the street, not paying much attention to his surroundings. He barely noticed when people waved to him as he passed, or when they congratulated him on his mission success. None of it really mattered to him.
During his walk, he was encountered by Sakura. She seemed to have the intent to stop and talk with him, but he simply kept walking when she approached him. So she fell in step beside him, and they walked in silence for a while. When she eventually figured out that he wasn't going to start a conversation with her, she cleared her throat. He didn't even glance at her.
"Naruto… I just wanted to come and thank you myself for keeping your promise. Thank you for saving Sasuke, and for keeping your promise to me. You're the best." She smiled at him, but he was still staring at the ground. It irritated her slightly, but she guessed he was tired and tried to forgive him for it. To show she was truly thankful, she stepped in front of him, stopping his walk. Quickly, she gave him a peck on the cheek.
"Yeah… you're welcome." Naruto mumbled the words quietly before stepping around Sakura and heading on his way. Sakura stood rooted to the spot, staring dumbfounded ahead of her. Naruto had just essentially ignored her after she had finally shown him some semblance of affection. Had something happened to his brain on that mission? How could Naruto just keep walking after that?
And so his walk continued. The greetings continued, with both friends and complete strangers stopping to tell him how well he had done. Irritation swelled inside him, and he decided he couldn't just wander aimlessly anymore. Having everyone always speaking to him was annoying, even though he normally loved being the centre of attention. Something just made him want to be alone.
So he turned off the main road and headed down a path that led to a place he had been many times. The training grounds opened up before him. It was here that he had truly become a ninja. Here, he had fought and trained with his teammates, always trying to become stronger. All of them had always been growing and changing, running toward their own goals, both known and unknown. Naruto's had started out to be the Hokage. But it had morphed into something new, as well.
Sasuke had become his goal. To become stronger than him, to defeat him. But more than anything, probably, to be acknowledged by him. No matter how strong he got, if Sasuke didn't say it was so, it wasn't so. Sasuke was his rival, his opinion was the only one that mattered.
Naruto seated himself underneath one of the trees at the edge of the field. He stared out across the flat ground, a slight smile blooming on his face as he began to just think. It was an odd thing for him, as he was more of the doing type, but it felt good at that moment to just sit and think.
It didn't take long for his mind to become immersed in memories, considering the place he was. And not just memories of that place. Memories of everywhere, of everything. For the most part, memories of them. Team Seven as a whole, yes, but even more so memories of him and Sasuke.
Always fighting. They had always been arguing, or competing. To what end? To show everyone he was better than Sasuke? Because he was jealous of Sasuke? To win Sakura's heart? It all seemed silly now. Always trying to one up Sasuke, even if he'd known at the time that it would be impossible. Sasuke was just too good. But he never gave up. That was just who he was. It was his way of being a ninja.
They had gotten along too, sometimes. Sort of. He remembered their first real mission. A deception had led them into a dangerous situation. It was a surprise that they had made it back alive. They were all lucky. Especially him. Not because he survived, but because he'd had Sasuke to protect him. The idea had pissed him off at first. That he had to be defended. He wasn't weak. As Sasuke had recovered, he'd sulked. Why did he need protection? Why wasn't he strong? It all had angered him. But now, he was glad he had someone that would risk their life for his. Over time, he'd sworn he would repay the debt he owed.
Then there had been the second part of the Chuunin exam in the Forest of Death. That had been touch and go for a bit. First and foremost, they had all nearly died. Again. It had given Naruto a chance to repay his debt, though he hardly felt it had been paid in full. He'd been able to protect Sasuke, and forced him to snap back into his usual self. He'd gotten him to fight back. But it wasn't enough.
But underlying all that was the understanding of Naruto that Sasuke had, which had shown through during the exam. He'd known the blond well enough to know he would never remember such a long and stupid password. That alone showed how close they were. However, Naruto could hardly say he had known much about Sasuke back then. Not really.
It all brought him to the very near past. In fact, his thoughts shifted to what had occurred only yesterday. It was still so fresh in his mind, like a wound that hadn't even scabbed over yet. It was still open to the air and stung. He was still slightly in shock after all that had happened.
The mission had been going pretty well, actually. There were a lot of strong opponents, but there were also a lot of them, and they could hardly be called weak. So one by one, they peeled off to fight individual battles. Until it should have just been him and Sasuke. He almost had the barrel, and then that guy had shown up. He couldn't even remember his name now. Thank God for Rock Lee showing up when he did, especially when Sasuke wasn't… co-operating.
He'd chased him with everything he had. He'd run after the raven-haired boy, following that blue shirt through trees and bushes. Til the trees had opened up to reveal sky and water and rock. The Valley of End. He'd chased him straight out onto the water, out into the area that could very well have been their final battle place. He'd prayed it wouldn't be.
The fight had ensued. Angry words were exchanged, and they went at each other with all they had. Punching, kicking, jutsus, it all flowed into something so familiar. And yet it was foreign, in a way as well. They always fought, but never like this. They'd never fought with such anger before. The intense fury, and they each wanted to hurt the other. But although Naruto fought hard, it had been looking bad for him.
A foot connected with his stomach and he was sent flying back. He cried out as he made contact with the stone behind him. His body hit the wall hard, and then he was falling towards the water. Chakra applied at exactly the right time allowed him to stay above the water, suspended on his hands and knees just on the surface.
Blood erupted from his mouth when he coughed, and he wiped at it with one of his hands. Slowly, shakily, he rose. Sasuke stood a good thirty feet away from him, standing arrogantly atop the water's surface. A glare adorned his face, directed towards the shaky blond. Naruto shivered. But he stood straight and stared right back at his friend, the one he was determined to rescue.
"Sasuke!" His voice rang out louder than he'd expected. He sounded a lot more confident than he felt. It gave him the courage to continue, even when Sasuke's scowl deepened. "Sasuke, I won't let you do this! I won't let you leave the village! Everyone wants you to come back, and I'll make sure you come back with me!"
The laugh that sounded out after he'd finished made him shiver again. It sounded cold and cruel. Hearing it swiped away all that confidence he'd gotten earlier, and made the task at hand seem impossible. How could he convince Sasuke to come back with him? Even by the look on his face, Naruto could tell that he wouldn't go willingly. Was it hopeless?
"I won't go back, Naruto. One cannot become strong by hanging around others. You can't get stronger when you're surrounded by love and caring. Friends will only slow you down further. They make you weak! I will become strong, and I'll do it without your pathetic village!" Sasuke's voice was angry and full of hate. He glared viciously at Naruto.
"But Sasuke," Naruto protested, sounding desperate. His voice was no longer as strong. It cracked as he struggled to make his friend understand. "You can't leave! Everyone wants you to come back! We can make you strong too, Sasuke! We can become strong together! Just come back! Everyone is waiting for you!"
"Do you want me back, Naruto?" The simple question surprised Naruto. He paused, mouth hanging open. "Do you wish for me to return? Or are you just acting on the behalf of your precious village? Admit it, you hate me. You want me gone, despite what the village wishes! You've always hated me!"
"No!" Naruto's voice broke through Sasuke's angry ranting, sounding desperate and scared. "No…" It was quieter this time, like he was about to cry. "I want you back Sasuke. I want you to back more than anyone."
"LIAR!" And suddenly Sasuke was moving forward, rushing to Naruto. The blond had barely any time before a fist made contact with his stomach, and he was flying back again, this time into a much closer cliff. He hit the rock, causing it to crack and shatter under the force he hit it with. After a moment his body was falling again, but Sasuke wouldn't let it touch the ground. He came at him, feet and fists flying, hitting the boy again and again until the body fell limp into the water.
Naruto sank. He could feel the last bit of breath in his chest, begging to escape. But he held it, because anything else would mean his death. Not that he expected much more. He was sinking further and further into the dark depths, and he couldn't summon to strength to pull himself back up. He felt battered and broken, and so tired. Was it worth it anymore? He couldn't bring Sasuke back, and was it worth the effort to go back home when all he would receive was pitiful glances and angry tears? It would be better to die than go back empty-handed.
But, what would dying accomplish? Everyone had so much faith in him, and for him to not return would only cause more heartbreak. Because believe or not, he'd made friends. He had people that cared for him. People he cared for in return. He couldn't die now.
But more than that, even, he came to a realization. What everyone else wanted didn't matter. That they wanted Sasuke back didn't matter as much as the fact that HE wanted Sasuke back. He wanted the boy to come back to the village, to become stronger with him. Sasuke meant more to him than anyone knew. Everyone else saw the friendly bickering, the brotherly bond. But it was more than that, wasn't it? More than anyone else, he wanted to be by Sasuke's side. He wanted to become stronger with Sasuke, spend his days bickering and fighting and smiling with the raven-haired boy. The same boy he'd despised for so long. That was the boy he wanted to be with forever. He didn't want Sasuke to leave.
Sasuke was the one who would stay with him until the sun went down, training and sharing his day. Sasuke treated him to ramen when he happened to misplace his money, or when villagers stole it. Sasuke made sure he never gave up, was always egging him on. Sasuke was the one would risk his now life to save Naruto's.
He kicked up, legs struggling to push him up and up, towards the surface .He had to get back up there, back to where Sasuke was. He had to make it in time to stop him. He had to bring Sasuke back.
The water exploded around him as he breached the surface.
"SASUKE!" Fiery rage sprung up inside him, spurring him to fight. The raven-haired boy spun around quickly, scowling when he saw Naruto. He looked about ready to say something, but Naruto began to shout again. He screamed out across the water, forcing Sasuke to halt his escape. "I won't let you leave, Sasuke! Whether you like it or not, you're coming back to the village with me. Even if I have to drag your unconscious ass back!"
Sasuke smirked. He didn't even say anything, but instead readied himself. Growling and roaring, Naruto rushed forward. Sasuke also sprung forth. The two collided in a fury of fists, two sets of eyes set with determination. Neither willing to give any ground.
But Naruto was renewed. He knew what was at stake. He knew exactly how much he had to lose. And he refused to lose Sasuke. He fought with vigor, throwing his anger at Sasuke. He would bring him back, even if he had to all but kill him to do so.
He began to win. Sasuke was taking more and more hits, and landing fewer. Suddenly, one of Naruto's stronger hits landed, and the boy was sent back. He hit the rock with a loud crack, and fell to the water. But he seemed to be well enough to control chakra still, because he didn't fall beneath. Naruto breathed in deeply before heading over.
Sasuke made no move to get up, and the blond approached cautiously. He wouldn't be tricked by a surprise attack. It shocked him that the boy could be taken out by just one punch, though they had been fighting intensely for quite a while. It had really taken it out of both of them.
"Why, Naruto?" Sasuke's quiet voice surprised Naruto. He moved in closer to the other boy, crouching beside him. "Why are you trying so hard? I don't understand why you're so intent on bringing me back. Because you said you never go back on your word? Did you promise someone you wouldn't let me go?"
An image of Sakura flashed in Naruto's mind, but he shook his head.
"This has nothing to do with the others." His voice was quiet, but it wasn't shaky like Sasuke's. He was sure of the words he was saying. He knew he had won at this point. Or at least it seemed that way. "This is about you and me, Sasuke. Yes, the others want you to come back. But I came after you because I want you to come back. More than anyone else in the village, I think. It would really surprise me if anyone else wanted you back as much as I do. I need you back with me, Sasuke."
"Why?" It was so quiet. Naruto thought at first he'd imagined it. But then it came again. "Why? Why do you need me back so much, Naruto? To prove something to yourself? You're stronger than me, good job. Is that all you needed? Some self assurance? Why do you want me back so much?"
"I thought maybe that was it at first. Or maybe that might have been the case a while ago. But not now. Yes, you're the only one I want to tell me I'm strong. But I'm not doing this just to prove I'm strong." Naruto paused, choosing his words carefully. How does one go about saying something like this? "I want you back, Sasuke, because the village wouldn't be the same with you. It wouldn't be my home without you there. I want to spend my life with you, in Konoha. Hell, I might even leave with you, as long as I can stay with you. You're my most precious person, I guess." Naruto laughed and scratched at the back of his head. "Sounds pretty cheesy, huh? I sound like some stupid girl." Another laugh, and this time it faded into silence. It was quiet between them for a while, with Naruto just smiling to himself. Then he spoke again.
"It took me a long time to figure out, you know? It was hard to pin down exactly what I was… feeling. I mean, I thought I hated you. Seriously, I hated your guts. You were everything I wanted to be. Smart, popular, talented. Next to me, the class clown who failed his exam twice… You were perfection. I wanted to be you. But then we were on a team together… things changed, you know? We sort of became closer. You became someone important to me. You accepted me. No one else had ever done that. Not the way you did.
"What I'm trying to say here, Sasuke, is that more than anyone else ever could, I love you."
The choking noise that came from Sasuke made Naruto laugh. Though it sort of seemed a sign that his love would be badly received, he found that Sasuke could make that sort of noise at all was hilarious. After a moment, his laughter quieted down and the two were left in an awkward silence.
"You… love me?" Naruto looked down at Sasuke to see the boy was looking up at him, the most confused expression he'd ever seen on his face. It made Naruto want to laugh again, but he restrained himself. He nodded slowly, a weak smile plastered on his face. Sasuke's head went down again, so Naruto couldn't see his face. It made the blond nervous, but he attempted to be patient. It was a lot to process, after all.
"Would it be… alright if… I came back… with you?" The words were slow and cautious. They were enough to make Naruto's heart burst with happiness. He kneeled forward and pulled Sasuke's body up into his arms. The boy protested only a little before returning the embrace.
"Of course it would. Please, come back with me. I don't want to lose you." Naruto's quiet words were whispered into Sasuke's ear, and he thought he could hear a sigh of relief.
"I thought… I was told I had to give up what was most precious to me to become strong. That I wouldn't be able to defeat Itachi unless I destroyed what I valued most." Naruto listened intently as Sasuke whispered the confession into his ear. He was just happy to have the boy in his arms. "It didn't take me long to realize what I would have to do. To destroy my most precious thing… it would mean I would have to leave you."
Naruto pulled Sasuke away from him, looking at the boy in shock. "Me?" The raven-haired boy nodded. "You value…" Tears welled up in his eyes. "I didn't realize… You really…" He couldn't find the words to say. Everything was smothered by the happiness he felt exploding inside him.
"I knew you were the person I was closest to. You were my closest friend, and…" The sentence trailed off, and he looked away from Naruto. After a moment, he glanced back up at the blond and smiled. "You look like an angel." Naruto felt his cheeks burn at the comment. "My guardian angel…" And with that, Sasuke drifted unconscious.
"Hey, dobe!"
Sasuke's voice shook Naruto from his memories, and he looked up with a smile on his face. There, standing across the training ground from him, stood the boy himself, hands resting in his pockets. He had that trademark smirk on his lips, and just stood, watching him.
"Teme!" Naruto sprung up immediately, feet carrying him swiftly across the field. He bounded straight into the older boy, knocking them both to the ground. A grin spread from ear to ear as he looked down at Sasuke. "Teme, what are you doing here? I thought you'd still be in the hospital!"
Sasuke grimaced from the pain of being tackled to the ground, and sighed. "I managed to escape when the staff were out, since I figured you'd be a mess without me. I guess I was right." Naruto scowled down at him. The boy lifted himself up on his elbows, leaning forward to whisper into Naruto's ear. "Did you miss me, angel?"
A blush exploded on Naruto's cheeks and he flew back, scurrying away from Sasuke. He glared indignantly at the other boy. Sasuke just smirked as he pushed himself into a sitting position.
"Bastard! Who'd miss an ass like you?" The words came angrily from Naruto's mouth, but there was no real hate in them. Sasuke smirked knowingly. He stood slowly, legs shaking a little. After all, he wasn't completely recovered.
"So, dobe, you want to go grab some ramen? The owner looked pretty distraught when I asked him you'd been by. Said you hadn't eaten a single bowl." A smile spread on Naruto's face and he rushed forward to pull Sasuke into a tight embrace. "Whoa, still… recovering…"
"Oh, sorry Sasuke…" Naruto laughed sheepishly as he released the boy. A small pout rested on his lips for a moment. Sasuke smirked.
In a matter of seconds, Naruto's lips were claimed by the raven-haired boy's. He pulled the blond in close, giving him a quick, passionate kiss before letting go and walking away. Naruto stood, staring awestruck at the boy's back.
"You coming dobe? It's my treat." The blond shook his head quickly, clearing it before running to catch up with the boy that had just kissed him. He smiled brightly at Sasuke. The raven smiled ever so slightly in return. Quietly, in companionable silence, they headed back into town together.