Just a one-shot...but please review all the same. ;)
The air was clear, blue skies, fluffy white clouds, and Naruto swung higher, cried harder.
"Why did they hate him?Did they think he was too small to notice the hostile stares and whispers? Why him?"
Naruto let the wind rush against his face, he wanted to jump off the swing and fly into the air, tumble through the skies and fly off, up, up to mum and dad.
To the place 'ji-san called 'heaven'.
Immersed in his thoughts it was a while before Naruto heard the tiny sobs, he cocked his head and sure enough, he could hear little muffled cries.
He scanned the view trying to determine the source, then stopped as he caught a tiny flash of dark blue.
He recognized the dark, chicken butt hair that was bowed in submission and skinny pale arms wrapped around his knees.
Sasuke and he was crying? A fresh burst of cries erupted from Sasuke.
Yup, he was definitely crying. Naruto quickly wiped his own tear stained face across his sleeve and jumped off the swing. He swaggered over to where Sasuke was sitting, hunched up
against the academy wall.
"Hey, Teme, What are you up to then?" He began, trying to act as careless and cool as possible.
"None of your buisness...go away, Dobe!" Came the muffled reply.
Naruto frowned, Sasuke had been acting weird these past few days and before that, he hadn't come to the academy for a whole week! He crouched down so he was eye level with Sasuke then tried to peer in between his arms.
"Are you crying?"
"..."
Naruto felt happy, it looked like Sasuke wasn't as perfect as everyone thought, he couldn't wait to tell the guys about this and Sakura-chan...
"Dobe......don't tell..." Sasukes voice was quiet and Naruto grimaced, unsure if he'd heard right,"Huh?"
"Nothing...its okay...just go, you...you wouldn't understand."
Naruto stared hard at Sasuke, something was seriously wrong and he wasn't going to rest until he found out what it was.
"Hey, I'm not as stupid as everyone thinks, you'd be suprised..."
"Oh yeah?" Muttered Sasuke in typical emo-mode.
"Yeah,"answered Naruto, "what's upset the great stoic Uchiha then?"
"..."
"Fine, don't answer," Naruto huffed.
"...."
Naruto scuffed his feet against the dusty ground, they were dirty and mud-caked, he's shoes had been stolen...again. He wondered why things like that didn't happen to the Uchiha... or anyone else, now that he thought about it.
"Dobe, arent you going to go home?" Asked the Uchiha quietly, keeping his head down.
Naruto turned to stare at him, then collapsed beside Sasuke and tilted his face towards the blue sky. Home? The word caused his heart to thump and he fought to keep his voice under control.
"I don't have a home, heck I don't even know what a home is!
Is home a empty torn down apartment, every damn night?
Is home spending every night listening to drunks blasting heavy rock outside?
Is home coming through alleyways and secret passages to escape the hateful stares and beatings only to find your apartment trashed and them waiting outside the door?
Is home waking up to expired milk and Pot ramen?
Sasuke, tell me what home is."
Naruto's voice broke into a sob and he turned to look at Sasuke.
Sasuke gave no indication he'd heard.
"But Iruka's nice, he lets me stay at his, if I'm really hurt, if there's anything you need to say or do, then go to Iruka, he'll never betray you."
Sasuke burrowed his head deeper into his knees. Betrayal.
"At first I thought there was no-one y'know, I thought there was no-one looking after me, no-one caring for me, even 'ji-san didn't have time for me and others hated me.
I thought there was no purpose to life, in those days I didn't have a purpose.
It felt like I was just exisisting and that even if I died, no-one would remember, the world would just carry on moving like I'd never been born. It hurt alot to think about.
But then I went to this awesome place and it was the first resturant that actually let me in.
I met Ayame and Teuchi-san and I like them, cuz they're really nice. We're really close now, they give me free ramen when I'm out of cash and they never say a bad word to me.
I decided to become a ninja so I could protect 'em. I met Iruka and he helps me out alot.
My purpose in life is to become Hokage and get everone to acknowledge me, just like Iruka! That way, even when I'm gone I'll know I made a difference."
Sasuke lifted his head slightly,"I don't have a purpose." He muttered quietly.
Naruto laughed,"thats okay, I know you'll find one, you've just got to believe. 'Cuz I'm going to be Hokage and you better believe that too!"
"Whatever"
Sasuke heard Naruto get up, "It's getting dark, its going to rain, cya Teme."
Naruto scampered off, his small feet kicking up dust as he ran. "Oh, yeah, just because I talked to you doesn't mean we're friends okay? I don't know who'd want to be friends with an arrogant prick like you!" he shouted back, with no real malice in his words.
"Hmph"
And Naruto left.
Sasuke sighed, a purpose eh? And in that split-second just as the skies switched from blue to grey and rain started to patter against the parched ground, Sasuke made a desicion, his purpose was going to be to find Itachi and kill him, to avenge his family, for the ones he was meant to protect.
The rain started to fall harder, big fat droplets that penetrated Sasukes clothes and soaked him through to his skin.
But Sasuke couldn't feel the cold, he was numb, he'd finally discovered a purpose for living, that he would go to the ends of the worlds to fulfill.
Sasuke got up and frowned,"Wait!" How had he known it was going to rain?
For those of you that read the manga - (and know Itachi is innocent) I feel kinda sorry for Sasuke cuz he's been misled all his life and then as soon as he kills his brother he finds out it was all for nothing...
But anywayz please review....