A Fox And A Raven – Chapter 1 – Obsessions
AN: Hello and welcome to the brand new instalment of 'A Fox And A Raven' for the year of 2018. This story has been with you since 2012 if you're returning, and brand new if you're just finding it now. Hope you enjoy, please Follow, Favourite, or Review. All questions are welcomed and constructive criticism is nice too. I only wish to improve my writing so any ideas are also welcomed. This story is a focus on a Fem!Sasuke and her illnesses along with a smarter Naruto that holds a photographic memory in his grasp; along with some slight or heavy laziness that he upholds. Enjoy the story, faithful reader. Cheers! Also a side note, Naruto and Sasuke are teenagers in this story so about age 15 just so their relationship is less 'weird', hope that clarifies things.
Warning(s): Mention of mental illnesses, small triggers, anxiety attack mentions/episodes, small romantic fluff, slight self harm, and more. Rated 'M' for a reason! Viewer discretion is advised!
Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto or any references in this story and make no money off of this. I only own my OC's and ideas.
Everyone has obsessions in life. May it be food, music, a hobby, or in this case: a person. Obsessions are powerful, they drive you do to many good or bad things depending on what you wish to accomplish in life and whether you want that obsession to take you over or not. Letting go of them is easier said than done.
That leaves an ultimatum; do you let your obsession control you or do you work hard to let it go? You can't have everything you want in life, but for the case of Sasuke Uchiha, her obsession was her whole life. An obsession to a peculiar blond boy named Naruto Uzumaki.
They had met several years ago in a park near the swing-sets, it was a calm day, no clouds, only sunshine. In contrast to the massacre later on in Sasuke's life that happened on a very cloudy and rainy day; it was hell for the young girl and made her condition worse due to the Genjutsu used on her by her older sister, Itachi. The only survivors to the fateful night were Sasuke, her mother Mikoto and Itachi; with Itachi doing all of the killing, save for knocking out the older woman and slaying their father and clansmen.
Today, Sasuke was all alone in her small apartment... she was adamant that she move out on her own as soon as she made the rank of Genin, leaving her mother to look after the compound and once she had asked her faithful boyfriend move in with her, to which he said no to, as he knew how much the young girl enjoyed her privacy.
The young girl sighed to herself, singing a small tune to calm her nerves as she had woken up in a cold sweat around dawn, it hadn't been a good dream at all. She woke up crying and lost, scared... alone... she hastily ate breakfast and showered for at least an hour to think. The bathroom was her escape, she was happy she wasn't claustrophobic. Taking several showers a day allowed her to think and calm down.
She pranced across the kitchen and bounded to the windowsill to care for her tomato plants. They had been an early birthday gift once upon a time from Naruto. She was ecstatic and demanded that the boy teach her how to care for them. She was a quick learner and quite the thinker. She didn't earn 'Rookie of the Year' for nothing.
Sasuke stopped her tune, she looked down and clutched her balled up fist to her heart. She had an idea! Go get the best ramen in town and share it with her loved one. She hoped he would be home today, then again... he always slept in. Naruto could be smart too, when he wanted to be. Sasuke giggled at that; her boyfriend always had some sort of photographic memory when it was important to, but he said he was lazy half the time.
Sasuke watered her plants and went to her bedroom to change for the day, as she was still in her pyjamas. Team placements would be tomorrow so she opted to wear a plain white T-shirt and some black baggy pants, she put on her shinobi combat boots and went out the front door, locking it after she closed it again and headed into the bustling busy streets of Konohagakure.
She eyed the birds as she walked and smiled, today would be a good day, hopefully... besides, nothing could hurt her, right? Naruto would fix the horrible bad dream and a hug from him is all she needed. Sasuke grinned and stretched as she walked closer to Ichiraku's. She saw the two cooks, she never bothered to remember their names out of aloofness and she had a hard time with names as is, but that didn't stop her from being kind to the people that made sure Naruto ate properly in his younger years.
Sasuke ordered two bowls of ramen to go. One beef, just how Naruto liked it and one miso for herself with extra tomato's. The warm bowls soothed her hands and the smell was to die for, she hoped that her boyfriend liked the gesture.
She went past shop after shop, stopping briefly to buy some dango for dessert. She grinned and said 'hello' to everyone she walked by. To the outsider, Sasuke had the perfect life. She was in a clan, she was an aspiring shinobi, she had people to care for her and love her. She had it all. But on the inside, to Sasuke, there was a lot missing and she wasn't as perfect as everyone thought she was.
She clutched the food in her arms and stepped up the stairs to Naruto's apartment door. She set the items down to the side and grabbed the key under the welcome mat. She jiggled the key into the lock and opened the door, taking the key back and placing it back under the mat. She grabbed the food, went inside and shut the door with her foot. She marched over to the small table and set the food down. Lastly she went to the door and locked it.
She bounded her way to the couch and sat down, sighing and then getting back up to go check on Naruto. She heard his loud snores as she got closer to his room, she creaked the door open slightly and peered inside. She smiled... giggled for a moment as she saw the bit of drool on his mouth, he could be such a heavy sleeper most days. She opened the door fully and walked up to his sleeping form.
The boy rustled slightly and let out a yawn. He opened one of his eyes and looked Sasuke up and down for a brief moment before grunting, he shakily pressed his hand into his pillow and propped himself up slightly, he turned... resting his head in his hand, eyes still half asleep.
"Mm, Sasuke... uh... what time is it?" Naruto mumbled out.
Sasuke smirked... would she joke or be truthful? Nah... jokes would be later.
"It's almost noon, my dearest, sleepy-head. Get up, I brought food and yes... ramen with dango. Get dressed. I love you." Sasuke smirked and gave Naruto a quick peck on his whiskered cheek.
The boy smiled and rolled out of bed... literally... he got up on his two feet next. He put on some blue pants and a black T-shirt. He hugged Sasuke and held her hand briefly before letting go. Naruto scratched the back of his head and left his room.
Sasuke sat there perplexed and gave a small smile to herself, Naruto had always been so enthusiastic about her coming over, despite him being tired but holding her hand meant more to her than anything, and with food when he was hungry. She left his room and sat down on the couch, watching him vigorously devour his noodles.
Sasuke was now content, she had her loved one eating the food she bought him and just being near him was more than enough for her heart soar and her thoughts to calm down.
Sasuke laid back into a more comfortable position on the couch, she eyed the TV and gaming console. Naruto had picked up the habit of playing video games one birthday and he was quite proficient playing them. She had watched him play game after game, she loved it when he got angry at a tough enemy or got lost somewhere and couldn't find his was back. Sasuke cheered when he defeated bosses and beat game after game. She wanted to co-op with him one day, she just wanted to be closer to the young teen and share his hobbies.
Breaking out of her thoughts, Sasuke got up and moved to where Naruto was sitting, she heard him sigh and heard the clink of the bowl being put down. Sasuke rubbed the young boy's shoulders and kissed him on the back of his head.
"Was it good? I hope you liked it, it's not my home-made stuff but it's from Ichiraku's. And make sure to have some dango too." Sasuke pressed her face into the back of Naruto's neck. The boy brought a hand to rub Sasuke's cheek, however awkward it was.
"Thank you. I'm still a bit tired so I am gonna grab some tea with sugar, would you like some?" Naruto spoke enthusiastically and gently got up out of his seat.
Sasuke smirked. "Yes, please. But I just want it without anything in it."
"Got it, I love you, thanks for the food." Naruto made his way to the small kitchen and started to put water in the kettle.
"So... we get team placements tomorrow... uhm... I'm sorry you didn't pass. Maybe talk to the Hokage? I know how badly you wanted to join the Leaf ranks and-" Sasuke was interrupted.
"Yeah... I know, I'll ask today, there has to be something I can do. Too late to be put on your team, but, hopefully with enough hard work I can do something. Any suggestions?" Naruto clicked his tongue and set the kettle on the burning stove.
Sasuke stared at the blue eyes of her boyfriend and wore a thoughtful look on her face. "Maybe dazzle the Third with your stealth tactics or photographic memory? Heh... no way in hell are you the 'Dead Last', everyone knows that, you lazy bugger." Sasuke giggled and went up to the boy, putting a hand on his shoulder.
Naruto sent a stern look towards Sasuke. "Hey now, don't test me, love. I don't really wanna compete with Shikamaru at all." Naruto then laughed, scratched his head with his free hand, and held Sasuke's own hand with his. He brought it up to his mouth and kissed her knuckles.
Sasuke blushed a bit, giggled again and shyly looked away. "Y-yeah, w-we don't want you ending up like that lazy-ass... and thanks for the kiss..." Sasuke stuttered out.
The kettle whistled loudly, signalling that the water had boiled. Naruto moved with both hands – having let go of Sasuke's own – and brought the kettle down on the counter-top, shut off the stove, grabbed two cups and two tea bags, put sugar in his own cup, plopped the tea bags into the cups and let the water flow into them.
Lastly, Naruto sipped his own tea and sighed, he grabbed Sasuke's and gently gave it to her. She smiled and sipped on her own for a moment.
Sasuke put the mug down and put a hand on her hip, arching slightly. "So, Mr. 'I'm way out of luck', what you gonna do first today?"
Naruto grinned and chuckled. "Well, first I'm gonna finish my tea, then play some games, maybe read and then go talk to the Third. And have you stay for a long while, cause I missed you and I barely got to see you the last couple of days since you were with your mother... well, other than class, but you know what I mean."
Sasuke made a hmp noise and inched closer to her boyfriend. She bit her lip and touched her nose with his, she gently kissed him and broke it off after a good second. "Smart boy, I'm happy you're at least gonna try today. Now let's play some games!" Sasuke grinned and bounded towards the couch and sat down cross-legged and turned her head into an odd curious motion.
Sasuke patted the couch and Naruto came over with both tea cups and set them down on the coffee table. He grabbed his controller and turned on his gaming console and TV. He set the controller down and put an arm around Sasuke and hugged her close.
"I love you, Sasuke, don't forget that." Naruto pressed his nose into the girls hair and inhaled her scent.
Sasuke gripped Naruto's shirt and buried her face into his chest, however awkward the position was. "Thank you, and I won't forget, I love you too, Naruto."
The couple sat for a few hours with the background music of a game playing. They cuddled and held hands, they gave quick pecks on each other's cheeks and were in bliss.
It was around three o'clock in the afternoon when they decided to leave the comfort of Naruto's home. They wanted more food and something to drink to pass the time, Sasuke had urged Naruto to at least go to the Hokage Tower soon, so he could get a head start on what he needed to do to become a shinobi.
They walked hand in hand down the still busy streets of Konoha. People smiled at them, some glared, some said kind things, some said bad things... but they didn't care that much about the attention, it was just them in their own little world.
The couple had finally made their way to the Hokage Tower and it was just as astonishing as ever, the way it was built was like a large guardian protecting the whole village. Sasuke knew how much Naruto wanted to become Hokage one day and she hoped she could help him achieve that goal in due time.
They walked in, signed into the reception area and awaited for someone to come get them.
It wasn't that long for them to be beckoned into the Third's office. The Old Man smiled at the two when the door opened. Two ANBU were beside Hiruzen, making sure that it wasn't some assassination attempt.
Hiruzen eyed the couple and the couple eyed Hiruzen. A puff of smoke escaped the man's mouth and he motioned for Sasuke and Naruto to sit down.
"To what do I owe the pleasure of seeing you two today?" Hiruzen already knew the answer as he had spied on the two with his crystal ball, but he did love an explanation.
Naruto coughed into his hand and spoke. "Well, I was hoping I could become a Genin, is there anything I can do to achieve that?"
Sasuke nodded and spoke up too. "Yeah! There has to be something Naruto can do, right?"
Hiruzen slowly nodded his head and puffed on his pipe again. "Hm, well, it seems there may be one thing that you could do, Naruto. But seeing as you failed your graduation test... I'm not entirely too sure of what qualifies as passing... perhaps... you could do this one thing after all."
The two young teens sat upright in their chairs, awaiting an answer.
Hiruzen chuckled. "Well, he should be here any moment to brief you, Naruto. That is, if he will allow it."
"Allow what, Lord Hokage?" A low but youthful voice spoke up from out of the shadows.
Naruto, Sasuke and Hiruzen all turned to an all black-clad ANBU with an interesting black and red ANBU mask of a fox. The man waved at the two young teens and stepped inside from the window he was perched on.
Hiruzen sighed and puffed on his pipe once more and set it down on his desk. "Well, Fox, that mission you wanna go on to catch that traitor, this young boy here, Naruto, would like to become a Genin and needs to pass a test... so maybe you can bring him with you and assess the situation?"
Fox snapped his head towards Naruto and extended a hand. "I'm Fox, nice to meet you, kid. So, a Genin, huh? Should be simple, can you follow rules? What are your talents?"
"Uh... uh... I am good at staying undetected and I guess I have a really good memory..." Naruto stuttered out and let out a breath he was holding in from nervousness.
Sasuke sat quietly, watching the interaction unfold.
Fox clicked his tongue. "Wait... undetected? Really... hm, I may need that after all. Oh! That's right, you're the kid that would always pull those pranks, haha, nice!"
Naruto nodded and stood up from his chair and hesitantly took Fox's extended hand into his own, they shook and Fox sighed, he turned back to look at Hiruzen.
"So, uh, what now, Lord Hokage? This kinda, sorta, puts a dent in my plans, you know... so what now?" Fox scratched the back of his head and looked at everyone in the room...
Fox sighed a bit louder this time. "Fuck, really? Leaving it to me to fucking make a move now, huh? Like always? Fine... Kid, come on, let's get this done, you won't need anything other than the clothes on your back."
With that, Fox leapt out the window and dropped down into the streets of the village, awaiting for Naruto to follow.
Sasuke turned to Naruto and smirked. "Good luck, my love. You're gonna need it, that guy seems like fun. Just be safe."
Naruto turned to Sasuke and smiled. "Thanks, you be safe too. Love ya, gotta go!" The young teen jumped out of the window and followed his new leader with interest.
That left Hiruzen and Sasuke alone in the office; save for the other two un-named ANBU watching the both of them.
Hiruzen chuckled and brought out a book to read quietly, stopping for brief moments to ask Sasuke questions.
The two stayed there until it was time for Sasuke to go home. For Sasuke, it was nice to talk to other people besides her mother and Naruto. It was nice knowing that despite her flaws and issues, that other people cared enough to at least make sure she was okay in the end.
Sasuke had a rough start to the day, but in the end it was made better by peace of mind through the many questions she answered. It would be a dreadful thing for her to relapse one day or soon, she could feel it coming.
Her walk home was quiet but lonely without Naruto by her side. No matter, she would be sure to see him tomorrow as soon as possible. She hoped her anxiety wouldn't act up around her new squad mates, she could only hope.
Naruto was out of breath. Fox had made him run all the way to where this 'forbidden scroll' was and on top of that, made him hold his breath the whole time to acquire said scroll... and then more running, and then more holding his breath as he hid in the bushes by some trees, waiting to strike the traitor when Fox gave the go-to to do so.
Fox had told the young teen that it was good to follow rules, and on top of that, good to be quick on your feet under somewhat stressful situations. It sure was hell though for the boy. He never trained that hard in his life unless he was sparring with Sasuke. It was... different to say the least. Quite stressful is a more accurate tone.
Naruto heard an odd chirp from the older man, Fox had signalled for Naruto to come out of his hiding place, to which he did so. And in front of Naruto was Mizuki; his old academy teacher. Both men stood in front of Naruto in the clearing, with the Forbidden Scroll attached to Naruto's back.
Naruto slowly walked up to the two. Fox gave a nod and Naruto looked at Mizuki, the older man having a look of disgust on his face.
"You're bringing that... that thing along with us?" Mizuki stammered.
"Yes, I'm bringing him in order to take him away from the village that hates him. I'm sure your leader wouldn't mind having him with us due to his special condition, no?" Fox interjected.
Naruto kept quiet, not understanding all that was going on, he opted to just be aloof for now.
Naruto un-wrapped the scroll from his back and handed it to Fox. Naruto gulped at all of the tension in the air. He could feel other people gathering around the clearing but didn't say anything as of yet.
Fox let out another whistle and several other ANBU appeared around the three of them.
Mizuki looked all around him and collapsed to his knees. "A trick? What?! I... I can't believe this, I should have been smarter. There's only one way out of here, eh, Fox?"
Fox nodded and chuckled. "It was rigged from the start, old friend. You can put up a fight and die, or you can come in for questioning. Your choice really."
Several ANBU surrounded Mizuki and bounded his hands, one placed a seal on his back. He was brought away swiftly after the necessary precautions were complete.
That left Fox and Naruto to be alone in the clearing. Fox looked Naruto up and down and sighed. The man handed the scroll to the teen and Naruto wore a dumbfounded look on his face.
"Uh, what do I do with this?" Naruto questioned.
Fox laughed and reeled his head back in joy. He pointed a finger to Naruto and then the scroll. "Read something called the 'Shadow Clone Jutsu', I hear you failed your class by not passing the standard Clone Jutsu. Mizuki told me all I needed to know about you since I asked him about you a long time ago, he wasn't too happy that I brought you up in conversation."
"Ah, okay... well, thanks for helping me, but how does this jutsu help me become a Genin?" Naruto spoke with confusion.
Fox laughed again and rubbed Naruto's hair affectionately. "Alright, kid, just read it, do the hand seals and we'll see if it works."
Naruto complied and searched the scroll for the technique, he found it after several minutes and memorized the hand seals. He used the jutsu next and over one-hundred clones appeared in the clearing. Naruto was in awe, he actually made real clones for once? He was ecstatic, he needed to show Sasuke for sure!
Naruto was brought out of his thoughts from a loud clapping noise in front of him. Fox stopped his clapping and gave the boy a thumbs up.
"Good work, kid, now... let's see... where is it?" Fox searched his pouch frantically for something, throwing out random kunai and other objects before he smirked to himself as the fabric he was looking for filled his hands.
Fox brought out his hand slowly, he gently opened his hand and pushed it towards Naruto. "Take it, it's yours now, kid. Welcome to the ranks of the Hidden Leaf!"
Naruto looked at the headband in disbelief, he carefully took it and tied it around his forehead.
"Really? This is mine now? I'm a shinobi?" Naruto gawked.
Fox nodded and started to walk away from the boy, making a motion for Naruto to follow. "Yup, come on, kiddo. Let's get some food to celebrate, it'll be great. And we have more to talk about too, just so you know."
Naruto followed the odd man and his smile never faltered from his face. What would Sasuke think about all of this? No doubt she would be quite happy for him, he was one step closer to his goals, he'd become Hokage in no time.
Naruto marched all the way to a food stand not too far away from where he and Fox were originally were, as they had just gotten past the gates of Konoha.
Naruto's stomach rumbled and he let out a sigh, he eyed his new leader closely and watched him move around the many people on the evening street. Almost like a gentle wave of nostalgia. If that made sense.
Naruto stopped abruptly for a moment as his leader turned around and beckoned him into the small restaurant that they had found themselves at.
Naruto sat down in a booth, sighing and ordered a glass of water to start. Whereas Fox ordered a few bottles of sake.
"Ah, so, kid, what does it mean to be a shinobi?" Fox asked with an odd tone of voice.
Naruto blinked. "Uh, to protect the village at all costs and the people inside of it, to give my life for the greater good."
Fox nodded and quickly took a sip of his beverage. "I see... so you did learn something in class. Good. Now... it's out of my jurisdiction but... how would you like to join the ANBU? We could use someone who follows rules, has a good memory and is efficient in stealth. What do you say?"
Naruto choked on his water for a moment and gasped for air. Join the ANBU?! What? How? Why?
The boy rubbed the back of his head and stuttered. "M-me... w-why, m-me, F-fox?"
Fox chuckled and raised his glass high in the air! "I have faith in you, kid, that's why. You've displayed quite remarkable feats and I like your aura, you have a good heart. I shall try to acquire the paperwork so right now it's only going to be temporary but you get the gist. What do you say?"
Naruto nodded and sipped on his water. He waited for a brief second before answering the older man. "Yeah... sure, I'll do it. Thanks!"
Fox clapped his hands again and gave a nod of approval. "Good, then with that, I must leave. I'll buy you whatever you want for food but I have to go, I only wanted a drink anyway. See you soon, kid. Have a good rest. Cheers!"
With that, the older man left the establishment and bid Naruto a farewell with a wave of the hand.
Naruto's walk home though, wasn't pleasant as he really wanted to see Sasuke, although, he only needed to check on his plants... but it was late than usual. So he decided to go home, get dressed and then see his girlfriend to see how she was feeling.
The sake bottles at the restaurant were left un-touched until next morning, as Fox had returned for them at some point. The food Naruto had gotten had also been paid for the next day as the older man had forgotten to pay as he bounded off to file the paperwork.
Naruto slowly opened up Sasuke's main apartment door with caution, hoping to not disturb her if she was asleep. He heard the TV buzzing of static and eyed her on the small couch, curled up in some blankets, laying on a pillow. He smiled and stepped inside, closing the door quietly as he entered.
Naruto saw Sasuke rustle slightly and stir from her slumber. Their eyes caught each others and they smiled briefly. The young teen moved closer to his girlfriend and sat beside her, grabbing one of her hands, kissing her knuckles again for the second time that day. Her soft blushing soothing him slightly, their love was like none other.
"Hey, you're the sleepy-head now, eh. Haha." Naruto chuckled and kissed Sasuke's forehead.
Sasuke tiredly stuck out her tongue and gripped Naruto's hand harder.
"I missed you." The young girl let out a small yawn.
Naruto grinned. "I know. How was the rest of your day.?"
Sasuke sighed. "Boring. I wished you were here, I don't like being alone anymore."
Naruto nodded and smiled at his girlfriend before getting up and walking into Sasuke's kitchen. He grabbed two tomato's from her plants and walked back over to her. He put one into Sasuke's hand and took a bite out of his own. The juices dripped down his face and he stuck out his tongue after he swallowed the food.
Sasuke motioned for the teen to sit down beside her, the girl propped herself up against the boy. They both sighed and ate their fruits in silence.
Sasuke yawned slightly and nestled her nose into Naruto's neck. She kiss him briefly then grabbed his hand to comfort her slowly encroaching anxiety session.
Sasuke heaved heavily for a moment, Naruto shot her a concerned look and kissed her nose gently.
"Hey, now, you have me, what are you so worried about?" Naruto whispered softly.
Sasuke heaved again. "My... my team placements tomorrow. I'm scared, what if they don't like me?"
Naruto laughed for a second and then shut his mouth, he eyed his girlfriend for a moment and clicked his tongue. "Well, you're very likeable, you just got to open up a bit instead of always hiding, you know, if you want me to come with you tomorrow I can... it's up to you."
Sasuke smiled and gripped Naruto's hand tighter. "Thank you, but I'll try on my own... but if you wanna get lunch tomorrow we can. Are you busy?"
Naruto sighed. "Uh, I don't know really. I finished that mission, I made Genin... but, that guy in the fox mask, he offered me a temporary position in the ANBU... at least I think it's temporary as he didn't fully explain at all, from what I remember anyway. It's a little fuzzy."
Sasuke grinned. "Oh yeah? ANBU, huh? Nice, I'm sure you'll do just fine, Naruto. I still want lunch with you tomorrow. And can you stay the night, I wanna make you breakfast too. I just missed you, you were gone for a long time."
Naruto smiled and kissed Sasuke's nose again. "Yeah, sure. Whatever you say, my love. I'll sleep over, can't be too bad, can it?"
Sasuke giggled at the boy's remark and playfully bopped him on the nose with her own.
The two sat there, watching movie after movie and show after show. It was peaceful and quiet, the only sound that could be heard was the ticking of the nearby clock and the soft winds outside. The two went to bed, cuddling up to one another and keeping their distance as it still was an awkward thing to do for the both of them. Hopefully one day they could sleep beside each other as husband and wife. That day would be many years from now but not too far off.
Their light snores echoed throughout the small apartment. Morning couldn't come fast enough.
Sasuke let out a small sigh of relief as all the knots in her back disappeared from existence. Naruto had offered to massage her when the two youths had woken up, as Sasuke complained about her back being sore. She was in bliss, the gentle yet firm touches of her companion were wonderful. All of her worries were gone in an instant. No panic attacks, no voices, and no feeling hopeless. Just her and her lovely, perfect, boyfriend.
As Naruto stopped his actions, Sasuke let out a small 'thank you', she got up from her bed and bounded her way towards the small kitchen with Naruto close behind.
"So, what are we having this morning?" Naruto's tired tone echoed into equally tired ears.
Sasuke began humming to herself and answered back in a sing-song mannerism. "Ah, rice and orange juice with maybe some eggs. If I have any, pork too."
Sasuke giggled as Naruto's stomach growled loudly at the statement.
The boy sat down in a chair by the kitchen table and watched Sasuke move swiftly from cupboard to cupboard, listening in on the song she was humming. He knew how badly Sasuke wanted to be a singer one day if and when she retired from the shinobi forces. It was a good hobby for her, it helped her think and relax; she was more proficient when he was around her.
Naruto shut his eyes for a mere moment and slowly took a deep breath. There had been plenty of times where Sasuke tried to teach the boy about baking and cooking meals, but for some reason he always burnt everything besides instant ramen. Then again, the girl had made sure to make the boy eat healthier over the course of a few years.
"Naruto? Would you like some tea?" Sasuke's gentle voice lulled the boy back to reality and he smirked slightly.
His eyes caught Sasuke's. He smiled and nodded tiredly. "Sugar in mine, please and thank you."
Sasuke nodded and grinned at her companion. She swiftly grabbed the kettle from a cupboard and set it on the stove, fire a-lit and providing a small heat source in the room. Although who needed fire when you had the early morning sun glare in through the window. It was more of a metaphor than anything.
Naruto eyed Sasuke as the girl stretched out what he assumed were more aching muscles from the previous back massage. Sasuke always got so tense after a long massage, she could really only calm down when he was touching her gently or whispering sweet nothings into her ears. Sure, she was a lot better with him around but her mind would play tricks on her, thus, she would revert back into her shell.
It would take several kisses and hand holding to coax her out of said shell, but that most days was harder said than done. But for Naruto, he would never give up on the girl.
Naruto got up from his chair and stretched slightly, posing for a brief moment and letting his shoulders drop, he cracked his neck a bit to ease the stiffness in his bones.
He looked at Sasuke, his eyes taking in every inch of her while she worked on dicing a few veggies by the counter-top. She had always been an inch taller than him but puberty would catch up to him soon enough. Besides, he loved the fact that their kisses were awkward as is. With him getting taller in the coming few years, he yearned for her to stand on tippy-toes to reach him, but Naruto had been a late bloomer so Sasuke was, for now, still taller than him. He laughed on the inside at that, a slight sweet irony, if any.
Sasuke could be quite... emotional and clingy when the moment called for it. Naruto didn't mind that at all, just another quirk he had to put up with.
Naruto slowly took steps closer to the young teen and gently wrapped his arms around her stomach in a protective manner, his lips grazing her neck ever so slightly, he gave a small peck and released; Sasuke's small moan of protest made him giggle into the back of her head. The scent of vanilla invaded Naruto's senses, he loved that she always smelled sweet, despite her cold nature when it came to meeting new people. Or anxiety attacks... whatever came first depending on the day for her.
Naruto kissed Sasuke's neck again and held onto her a bit tighter. "I love you, you always make good food. You're beautiful, Sasuke." Naruto's compliments and praise made Sasuke relax in his arms. She stopped chopping and turned around slowly, never letting the boy's grip fade.
Sasuke slowly wrapped her arms around Naruto's neck, the boy's own hands falling to the small of the girl's back and hips. They stood there for a minute, taking in each other's gaze. Sasuke blushing and Naruto smirking. They inched closer and closer... then the kettle whistled. They groaned and gave each other small nose bumps and released one another.
Naruto watched as Sasuke made the tea, prep the food and cook everything. She didn't dare utter a word as she didn't want to stutter yet again. Naruto always knew what to say to cheer her up. It was as if he was made of magic that only worked for her and no one else.
He caught her onyx eyes yet again, the biggest smile on her face as she came over to the kitchen table with an arm-full of two plates and two mugs, she set them down and took a seat. They said their cheers and dug into the food.
They both sighed as they finished their meal. Naruto stood up and took the dishes to the sink, he washed them all and tensed up as Sasuke had tried to tickle him as he worked.
"Marry me one day... please?" Sasuke dug her face into Naruto's back and gripped him tighter.
Naruto chuckled and dried his hands with a rag. "Anything for you, my love."
The boy spun around, picking Sasuke up in his arms, spinning around gently and then set her back down. Sasuke blushed at the affection. Hand in hand they went over to the couch, they eyed the clock.
"Hm, we have to go soon. What should we do in the meantime?" Naruto cheekily mumbled out.
Sasuke brought a hand to her chin in thought. "Well, can we go visit my mother?"
Before Naruto could answer there came a loud knock from the main door of Sasuke's home.
They both watched as the door creaked open, in walked Mikoto and she had a small graceful aura around her including a very proud smirk on her face. A plate of cookies were in her hands.
"Well hello to you both, this is a lovely surprise, my two favourite people in the world. How are you Naruto? And Sasuke? I brought cookies to celebrate your graduation, my dearest daughter."
Mikoto set the plate of cookies down on the kitchen table and gently stepped over to the couch that the two teens were on. She bent down to Sasuke's face and ruffled the young girl's hair.
"Mom! Stop touching my hair, I'm not five anymore, do that to Naruto instead!" Sasuke blurted out in frustration.
"Hey, Sasuke, what the hell, not me! I only let you do that." Naruto laughed and sent a stern glare towards his girlfriend.
Mikoto stood upright and put her hands on her hips. "Well now, it seems my affection is lost on you both. But none the less, I am here to wish you a good day, Sasuke. I love you very much, sweetie. How was your night?"
Sasuke grinned at her mother and cheerfully spoke up. "It was... good when Naruto came and slept over, but yesterday morning I had a rough start but Naruto made it quite better. I had a small panic attack yesterday, but again, Naruto calmed me down. How was your day, mother?"
Mikoto smiled at the two teens and sighed. "Stressful but good, I'm glad to have caught you now, those cookies won't eat themselves, you know."
The two teens got up from the couch and went over to the cookie plate, they grabbed some, munched on as much as they could and thanked Mikoto for the treats.
All three of them talked for a few hours until the two had to leave. Sasuke to her team meeting and Naruto to go check in with the Hokage about something important. And that left Mikoto to stay at Sasuke's to tidy up and prepare for a small surprise party for the both of the kid's.
Naruto waited to be called into the Hokage's office. He twiddled his thumbs together in impatience as the minutes ticked by, no word at all of when he would be called in. Two things were on his mind: Sasuke and what would become of him if he did join the ANBU. He sighed quietly.
A lady walked up to the young teen, a smile on her face. "Hello, Naruto is it? The Hokage would like to see you now. Please proceed through the door."
Naruto smiled to himself, he got up out of his chair and walked over to the main door to the office. The door creaked open and a small wave of the hand was seen from the boy's view.
"Naruto, my boy, how are you today? Please, take a seat, why don't you?" Hiruzen chuckled and wore a proud smile on his face at seeing his pseudo-grandson.
Naruto took a seat and played with his headband for a moment before folding his hands together.
The boy clicked his tongue before answering politely. "Hello, Lord Hokage. I... uh... As you can see, I made Genin. Is that correct?"
The old man nodded and puffed on his pipe. He motioned for the boy to continue.
"I would like to also talk about Sasuke... my girlfriend... lately she's... uh... really clingy, how do I go about caring for her? I feel some days it's a bit too much to handle and I don't want to disappoint her at all."
Smoke flew out of Hiruzen's mouth and the man sighed. "Remember what I told you, Naruto. Sasuke is a delicate case and she needs all the love you can give her, you know this. It helps that she is so attached to you, she needs someone like you to care for her. I trust you can carry on and keep her interests for the best in the time being."
Naruto nodded and sighed. "I do love her, but sometimes it's hard when I don't know what to do."
Hiruzen smiled for a moment. "Ah, that's it. You love her. That's all there is to it, my dear boy. Now, onto another matter. I have received paperwork from Fox that you wish to temporary join the ANBU? More specifically... Fox's team?"
Naruto nodded slowly. "Yes... what does it entail? How temporary is it?"
Hiruzen sighed and puffed on his pipe before continuing. "Well... I will allow it for now, but nothing gets past the Elders, so I will approve of this. But there's no telling how long it will last for you. It is effective immediately, you'll do a good job, I have faith in you. It seems Fox has chosen you to be their new member, as you have displayed very good traits; as read in the paperwork I skimmed over last night. Good work, Naruto. Welcome to the ANBU; well... until we can find you another team placement but all are filled for now."
Naruto stood up, he bowed, and was about to leave when a voice called out to him.
"Not so fast, kid. Stay put, we got some things to discuss with our Lord Hokage before you go anywhere." A rough voiced called out of the shadows. The figure hanging from the ceiling dropped down. Fox had revealed himself yet again.
The man clapped his hands together and bowed towards the Hokage and towards Naruto next.
"It's time for me to take you under my wing, kid. You'll get a new name, you'll use cool weapons, you get the sexiest black ANBU garb ever... and... hmm... where was I? Oh, that' right! You're gonna be in my family of badasses!" Fox laughed at the last statement and propped himself up against one of the office's walls.
Naruto eyed the odd man curiously, looking him up and down before smirking. "So... this means you're my sensei now?"
Fox nodded and gave a thumbs-up. "Yup, so first thing is we ditch that awful jumpsuit of yours and get you proper ANBU clothing... and a tattoo... and a mask... and, ugh...well a lot of stuff."
Naruto, a little hurt by the jumpsuit comment could only stare softly at the red-head in front of him. Naruto sighed, thoughts ran from moment to moment in his brain. His new life. His life with Sasuke. His hard work had finally paid off. He internally sighed, he needed a break. Everything was just happening too fast for him. Sasuke 'proposing', his new leader and 'family' member, his thirst for knowledge, his thirst for love and support. He was out of luck it seemed but things were finally looking up for him.
Fox snapped his fingers in front of Naruto's face. The boy shook his head briefly and blinked.
"You okay, kid? What's got your tongue? Still your girlfriend troubles?" Fox spoke calmly and in a parental tone.
Naruto blushed... had the man also heard him talk about Sasuke? Most likely... maybe he would ask now.
"Uh... yeah... she's just so... obsessed with me still, and I don't know how to handle it anymore. I say, 'I love you', to her almost everyday but sometimes I feel like I am lying to her and myself. Sure, I do love her, very much. But, it gets difficult. You know what I mean?"
Hiruzen sat quietly as he watched his two favourite people have a heart to heart. Smoke gently seeped out of his mouth.
Fox grunted and sighed. "Yeah, kid, it happens. Trust me, I'm sweet on someone right now too and some days I feel like I'm letting her down. But, if you really love your girlfriend then you'll be okay in the end. It is hard and I don't fully know the situation your in, but just know to never give up. If you need some space then let her know, if she loves you then she will understand. Anyway, let's enjoy the day, no need to get caught up in melancholic things like relationships that are complicated. We need to stop by the ANBU HQ so we can get your gear and meet the rest of our family... er... I mean team, ha!"
Naruto blinked at the explanation that Fox had told him. Naruto sighed out loud and gently slapped his face. He was being stupid, Sasuke was never a problem, never ever. She could be just so... so... so demanding. And when she got into bad moods... bad... violent moods, well, it took a lot more than kisses to calm her down. But she only got like that twice in her whole life. But she was a ticking time-bomb in the making. It scared him. She was a cluster-fuck of emotions ranging from sadness to anger in a split second. He wanted to make sure it never hurt her again, as if something made her feel this way.
He didn't know the full story as she still had her secrets inside her head. But he knew she would tell him in due time. Usually when she had one of her episodes she would spill the beans but those were few and far between ever since they started 'dating', but in their childhood, she always seemed so... off whenever he wasn't around her to comfort her. All of these 'stories' came from her mother, the Hokage and once upon a time: her sister Itachi.
Snapping was heard from Naruto as he finished his own little monologue in his head. Fox had his arms crossed his chest and he was tapping his foot.
"Kid! Hey now, don't zone out on your leader like that. Makes me look like I'm boring you to death. Whatever you are thinking about, drop it and let's go already. We have a long day ahead of us. Farewell til next time, Lord Hokage!" Fox walked out of the office and motioned for Naruto to follow, the boy complied.
The day was only going to either go up or down from here. Naruto hoped there would be only good things to come, yet the universe had a way of denying happiness.
Sasuke sat alone in the classroom. Well, other than the two other girl's around her: Sakura Haruno and an odd girl named Sai. Sasuke wasn't too fond of either of them and just being around them made her anxiety and paranoia even worse without Naruto by her side. She was all alone and feared for her life. It was just another day, wasn't it? No harm could come to her, right? Wrong.
"Worthless scum." One voice would call out.
"They'll kill you." Another spoke up.
"Kill yourself, you pathetic trash." The last one rang in her ear like venom.
Sasuke clutched her head in pain and seethed quietly to herself to not disturb the other two in the room waiting with her for their sensei.
Sasuke really wished Naruto could come to her rescue right now, but no amount of praying would soothe her. She needed the one she craved and loved. She needed her boyfriend so badly.
Sasuke clutched her head in pain, heavy breaths escaped her mumbled lips, she wouldn't show weakness in front of her new teammates. She could hear them talking to one another. Was it about her? No, that was her paranoia again, the voices grew louder and more angrier by the minute. She let out low sobs from her breath and tried to stay quiet the best she could. Tears rolled down her cheeks. All she wanted was her Naruto. Her love and life. Her light in the dark. All she needed was him. Maybe it was a bad idea to tell him to not go with her today? She knew that he always made her feel safe and sound.
"Loser. Killer. Worthless." The voice called out again.
"You should be dead." Another called out.
"Your sister hates you." More and more they seethed.
"He doesn't love you at all!" That last one made her weak.
Knees trembled slightly, Sasuke felt as if she was going to puke. She felt heavy and lifeless. She felt as if her skin was on fire. She needed a release and fast. Either self harm again or smash her head against a wall like all the other times when she was alone and afraid; without her Naruto, she was nothing.
She knew she was obsessed with the boy, but something about his smile drew her in. She loved the fact that he had always been so kind to her when she felt everyone else hated her. He was always there when she needed him the most.
But now, when she needed him the most, he wasn't there at all. She felt angry at that. Sure, the voices were egging her on, but she couldn't help the fact that maybe Naruto did this on purpose. No, that wasn't right... he would never hurt her. Would he?
She felt sick from all the thoughts swirling in her brain and she hated it. She hated being alone. She hated life. She hated her obsession and hated everything about her that made her feel weak and helpless.
She wanted to rise above it, but she could only rise beside the one she loved and cherished most. Naruto Uzumaki. The one and only person to save her from herself since she felt like she could never save herself at all. With him, all the bad was replaced with good and she felt her life would be better with him by her side for all eternity.
Sasuke looked up, breaking out of her trance. She was on top of the roof of the academy building. How many minutes or hours had passed by her? What did she do?
"Ah, hello there, Sasuke. Nice of you to finally join us from being in your day-dreaming. Now, what are your likes and dislikes? Tell us about yourself. I'm Kakashi Hatake, your sensei. Nice to meet you." The man gave a small smile towards the girl.
Sasuke could only reply with one thing. "Hn." She felt cold, distant. And very, very angry at the people around her.
"I hate everyone and everything. My only goal is to kill a certain someone and revive my clan." She felt better after that remark, even if it wasn't true. She really wanted to save her sister and marry Naruto, have kids with him one day too. But to the worthless people around her, she couldn't care less if she was lying. They didn't deserve to know her secrets just yet. They were strangers to her after all.
After that she got up and excused herself from the premises, not wanting to be around people who made her sick to her stomach. She needed to find Naruto and fast. There would be three places he could be: His home, the Hokage Tower or Ichiraku's. She opted to go to his house first, she just wished she could be lucky like all the other times.
As she walked she tried to hold back the bile that threatened to come up out of her stomach and from her mouth. She gripped her hip tightly, scratching slowly, hoping the pain would cease her mind. She hated hurting herself, but it was a necessary evil that had to happen when Naruto wasn't around.
She thought of... lewd thoughts. She thought of violent thoughts, happy thoughts, sad thoughts and many more. She wished that it would stop, she could never control what her mind did when she was like this, it was erratic and unwelcoming. As if she was a different person trapped inside of a different body that wasn't her own.
As if she was just a shell of her former self. It never ended well for her when she got like this. Other than... other than Naruto calming her down. But her panic attacks were different, they weren't that bad with her boyfriend around, yet it was still upsetting time and time again. But he... he eased the pain until it wasn't there at all anymore.
Sasuke sighed as she had finally got to Naruto's apartment door. She knocked on it vigorously, sobs escaping her lips.
The door opened, Sasuke flew herself around the boy in front of her and clutched his shirt tightly. Awkward hands wrapped around her back and rubbed gently. She looked up into the blue eyes and she finally felt safe.
Sasuke kissed Naruto hard, not letting him say a word. She gently pushed into him harder and relaxed as he kissed her back.
They broke apart, Naruto gently cupped Sasuke's chin and kissed her gently once more.
"Not a good day, I take it?" Naruto's whisper soothed Sasuke's ears.
Sasuke still sobbing, let out choked breaths. "Y... yes... I hate being... like this..."
Naruto hugged Sasuke closer to him, still rubbing her back gently. "I know, you'll be okay, you always are okay with me, Sasuke. I love you."
Sasuke calmed down a bit more after the comforting words. "I... I... I love you too, Naruto." Shaky breath left her lips, the pain slowly leaving as she caught her breath in her boyfriend's arms.
They both sighed, they looked at each other and shared one more kiss.
Naruto softly gripped Sasuke's hands with his own. "Should we go back to your place to see how your mother is?"
Sasuke could only nod in compliance. Not trusting anything to come out of her mouth, as she feared for the worst if she did speak.
The two teenagers left the apartment complex and headed towards Sasuke's home. With Naruto carrying Sasuke on his back, their hands awkwardly intertwined as Sasuke wrapped her hands around Naruto's neck and held on for dear life.
A/N: That's a wrap for new the chapter of the whole remaster, I should have something conjured up soon, sorry it's so short but I'm trying to go into a new direction this time and work out more for everything else. Hope it was good, enjoy your day everyone! And questions or concerns please leave a review or PM me.