"Great, just great…"
Naruto grumbled. Gritting his teeth as he shifted the unconscious body slumped on his back. He was nearing the village, thank god.
Just a few more miles…
"Stubborn son of a bitch…" he muttered angrily, glaring behind him.
Sasuke was one pain in the ass. After 3 years of searching for the Uchiha with many failed attempts and 2 more years of tracking the man all over. Naruto was finally able to catch up to him again.
Only Naruto found that convincing Sasuke to return to the village was an even more difficult task than ever.
The stubborn Uchiha prodigy put up one hell of a fight.
It took all of Naruto's strength plus the fox demons chakra to finally take the Sharingan user out without killing him in the process.
To make matters worse, Orochimaru saw the entire fight and now he had the snake bastard after him as well. He could feel the bastards unmistakable chakra signature only a few miles away.
If he had known how much trouble it would cause he wouldn't have even gone through with any of this, but he swore to Sakura that he would bring Sasuke back to her.
…Sakura…
Blue eyes narrowed…his glare deepening as he realized what was going to happen now that Sasuke was back. Things would go back to exactly the way they were before.
Sakura chasing after the cold ignorant bastard, worshipping the ground he walked on while he hurled insults at her and made her cry.
Completely ignoring the one who has been in love with her for so long, even though the revelation didn't hit him fully until he returned from his training with Jiraiya nearly 5 years ago. He has been one hundred percent head over heels in love with her since the second he laid eyes on her when he was 6 years old.
This emotion has made him do some extremely stupid things.
Like risk getting beaten to a pulp by the pink haired beauty just to be close to her. Jump head first into life threatening situations without thinking just to protect her. Of course when it came to her he always found himself doing the most out of character things. As if he wasn't in control of his own body or mind. She consumed his thoughts, controlled his actions.
He's been close to death so many times for her and now he has risked his life again to bring Sasuke back to her.
Naruto bit back a growl of pure frustration.
Frustration for loving her so damn much, for being so weak when it came to her.
Funny that he could take on a whole league of nin and then some without a bit of hesitation or fear, but when it comes to a certain 5'5, 101 pound pink haired, green eyed medic nin…he couldn't even raise a fist.
He always crumbled when he was around her. Just pudding in her hands. He couldn't think, he couldn't even function, but being away from her was much worse. He found this out the hard way…
When he had been training with the toad sanin he could remember getting scolded many times in the beginning for lack of concentration…because he would be thinking about her, worrying about her, missing her…missing her so much at times that it almost hurt…scalded.
He never told Jiraiya, the old pervert never suspected a thing.
The village gates were within site and Naruto had a selfish urge to leave Sasuke where that snake bastard could find him. But he couldn't, if he had to see that heart wrenching look on Sakura's face one more time. He wouldn't be able to handle it. When she cried…he wanted to cut out his own heart.
It would be less painful then having to watch her look so upset, so heartbroken. If Sasuke made her happy…if "he" made her smile, then Naruto would give "him" to her. Even if it slowly kills him inside. At least she'd be happy. He'd do anything for her.
Some leaf Anubi must have seen him coming because as he approached the gates he was greeted by the Hokage herself.
"Naruto, are you alright?"
He looked into her liquid brown eyes and tried to muster a smile, shifting Sasuke on his back with a grunt.
"Of course, why…"
In a flash the older woman crushed him in a bear hug.
"Where the hell have you been, we haven't seen or heard from you in two years you brat!!"
Tsunade cried out, nearly squeezing him to death. So happy to see him that she hadn't even noticed the body hanging over his back.
"Umm…grandma Tsunade…I kinda need to breath here…" Naruto chuckled.
She laughed, tears rolling down her face "sorry."
Slowly she pulled away, whipping at her teary eyes.
It was only then that she noticed the motionless body sprawled out on his back.
"Who is this Naruto?"
The smile he had forced disappeared instantly. The pain, knowing that she was going to completely ignore him after today, like he was invisible…
…It hurt so much…
Tsunade saw his smile fade, watched as his features hardened, his dark blue eyes full of so much pain. It scared her, making her wonder what had happened to him. This wasn't the boy who left two years earlier.
"Don't you recognize him?
Naruto questioned, his voice uncharacteristically rough.
When Tsunade simply stared he slid the body off his back and onto the ground.
"It's Sasuke,"
Tsunade gasped, completely stunned as she took in the bodies appearance.
"How…how did you…" she couldn't even get out the question she was so stunned.
"It took me forever to find him, he put up one hell of a fight the stubborn jerk, finally I got close enough to take him down without killing him."
Tsunade knelt beside the Uchiha, checking his vitals while two medic nin prepared a stretcher. They lifted him onto the bed and rushed him inside the gate.
Tsunade turned her eyes back on the boy who she thought of like a son.
The boy was no longer a boy at all, he had diffidently changed. He now stood even taller than he had before he left. Her head coming to just below his broad shoulders.
His blond hair fell down to just above his shoulders. She was stunned by just how much he'd changed in two years. The blue eyes that had once sparkled with innocence were hard and spoke volumes of the many hardships he had seen.
This pained her and she felt a part of her cry out. The paternal part of her wishing she could have shielded him from the world.
She looped an arm around his, dragging the 19 year old forward.
"Come on, we can talk more in my office."
Naruto stood uneasily in the hokages office. Blue eyes wandering over the familiar pictures and old maps that covered the paint chipped walls, the mountain of papers and old books that littered the desk and shelves. Tsunade had tons of questions about his two year absence and he tried to answer them as best he could without giving away how anxious he was.
…Sakura…
He missed her so damned much, he hadn't even realized just how much until he passed the gates.
The second he walked into the village the feeling slammed into him so violently that it took every ounce of strength in him to keep from running around the village like a man possessed looking for her.
"Naruto, next time you decide to skip an assigned mission to go off on your own I will come after you myself."
Tsunade mock threatened, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.
"You did a good job Naruto."
The teenage boy grinned awkwardly, running a hand through his sun kissed hair.
"I told you guys id bring him back, it took a long time but I never go back on my word."
…Sakura…
She probably heard the news by now. She's more than likely at the hospital, waiting at "his" bedside.
Blue eyes squeezed shut, teeth clenched together.
…It hurt so much…
"Naruto!"
The door behind him swung open hard, smacking against the wall of the office with a deafening whack. His eyes snapped open at the sound of that voice.
…Sakura…
No, it couldn't be her…she's at the hospital.
He sucked in a deep breath and turned just as something warm and soft collided into him.
His eyes flickered down; saw a head full of pink hair, her scent assaulting his nose.
…Sakura…
"Nar…Naruto…" she sobbed, his arms automatically wrapped around her small frame trembling against him, unable to suppress the groan that rumbled deep in his throat.
…It felt so good to hold her again…
He squeezed his eyes shut, burying his face in her silky pink locks, her scent surrounding him…overwhelming his senses. That intoxicating aroma that always left him aching for more.
…god he loved her…
"You're…your back…you're alright…" she sobbed, clutching onto him tighter.
"Shh…" he whispered, his heart splitting in two as her tears soaked through his black shirt.
'great you ass, you made her cry'
Fresh pain filled his chest, his arms tightened around her.
"I'm sorry I worried you…"
Her sobs reached his ears and the pain intensified.
"Please…" he rasped, unable to take it anymore, "don't cry Sakura…I'll do anything…"
'I can't stand it when you cry' he silently added.
"I finally got him Sakura, I brought him back home like I promised."
She rose her head and his heart shattered. Those gorgeous green eyes shimmered with tears, her face slightly flushed from crying…he realized she must have been crying before she barged into the office.
More tears slid down her face and he nearly buckled under the pain. He had to make her stop, it'll kill him…
"Sakura…" he croaked, raising shaky fingers to her soft skin, using his thumb to brush back the tears trailing down her face.
"You were…just gone…"
Sakura finally managed to choke out.
"Just…disappeared…without saying anything…and I thought…"
Her voice cracked, more tears streaming down her face.
Realization hit him like a blow to the stomach and he wanted to grab a kunai and stab himself over and over again.
She actually thought…she thought he…
Naruto pulled her roughly against his chest as more sobs racked her body.
"Never, do you hear me?"
He whispered, his voice strained…
He continued to hold her, nearly forgetting that he was standing in the middle of the hokages office…nothing else mattered except the women in his arms…nothing else existed. Her sobs slowly subsided yet he didn't release his hold on her. He didn't let go until she pulled away, untangling herself from him.
He reluctantly let her go, barely able to restrain himself from pulling her back in his arms when she hugged herself and slowly turned from him to the Hokage who had been quietly observing the scene in front of her.
She pulled a lock of slightly tousled pink hair behind her ear, sniffling, her vivid green eyes still puffy and red from crying. Looking so vulnerable and all he could think was that he had been the cause of her tears this time. She thought he had left her, had taken off like Sasuke and abandoned her.
The thought hadn't even crossed his mind the day he left. He had been so determined to keep his promise to her. So desperate to find Sasuke and bring him back to her. To stop her tears, to make her happy. That he left without even saying a word to her.
Naruto inwardly cursed himself for his stupidity, he could have at least said something to her that day before speeding off.
Then the pink haired beauty spoke the words that he had been dreading ever since he began dragging the Uchiha's ass back to the village.
"Lady Tsunade, I take it Sasuke's at the hospital?"
The older women nodded, "he has a couple broken ribs…nothing serious…"
Sakura lowered her head, taking several deep breaths before walking slowly towards the door.
She turned around and he found himself once again staring into vivid green eyes.
Her lips parted, as if she was going to say something…instead she turned and disappeared out the door.
He knew it was going to happen, the second he confronted Sasuke in Wave. He knew she would go running to "him"
…It still hurt like hell…
Tsunade watched the array of emotions flicker across his face. The most dominant one being pain. The same pain she saw earlier, she hadn't wanted to jump to any conclusions then but now she was almost certain. Certain that she recognized the look well, the love sick look that she herself has worn several times in her life. The tortured pain burning fiercely in his dark blue eyes. The pain that only came from unrequited love.
It made sense, the reason he took the Uchiha's betrayal so hard. The reason he always seemed to get this fierce look in his eyes when it came to her top pupil. How they softened when he looked upon the younger woman. Transforming from the tough guy who had stood up to her multiple times and proven his strength a hundred times over to a guy who could barely defend himself against the smaller woman's attacks.
Back when she had first met the blonde and caught her very first glimpse of this transformation she had been amused. Amused that even he had a soft spot, a weakness.
Now, as she watched him struggle to hold it together she felt another pang of sadness.
"Go home, get some rest…you look like your about to pass out on my floor."
She ordered, inwardly frowning when he barely reacted to her words.
"yeah, alright…" he answered after several long moments. His voice once again hard, devoid of emotion.
The 19yr old started to turn to the door when she once again pulled him down for a hug.
"It's good to have you home Naruto."
He just nodded slightly, a small puff of air escaping his lips as he stood and walked out the door.