I
Naruto looked up from the hole in the ground in which he, Sai, Yamato, and Sakura had found themselves, surrounded by debris from the explosion. Sheer walls rose up from the stone-tiled floor, crowned by the blue of the mid-day sky. He felt the cool wind blow against him and make the stifling heat of the underground tunnels slowly fade away, but he did not enjoy the feeling for long because of who stood upon the rim above. It was Sasuke, but not the same one that he remembered from three years ago. He was taller. He was totally indifferent in his facial expressions to those below, and a sword hung behind him, hidden behind the loose clothing he war. Naruto clenched his fists and grimaced at the indifference in the cold, almost blak eyes above, because he could not believe his friend would not even show surprise.
Sasuke disappeared, or at least to Naruto's eyes, and he now stood directly in front of him, placing his arm on Naruto's shoulder then leaning forward to whisper. Naruto's eyes widened and his heartbeat picked up as he realized how fast Sasuke had become over the past three years. Thinking of how strong he might be almost frightened Naruto.
Sasuke said, "You want to be the hokage, so you should've spent all of this time training. Isn't that right, Naruto?"
"Someone who can't even save one friend will never be the hokage. Isn't that right, Sasuke?" Naruto said, staring straight ahead.
"Then die," Sasuke said.
He drew out the sword sheathed behind him and held it forward to stab Naruto, but he froze with the sword prepared and let his head droop down a little farther, almost resting on Naruto's shoulder. Confronted with this new Sasuke, Naruto could not move and just closed his eyes in anticipation of the blow. He waited for the attack that he could not dodge, but it seemed like forever was passing. He turned his head and opened his mouth as if to speak and ask why Sasuke was hesitating. The words he heard stopped any vocalization.
"I…I…can't…" Sasuke said as Naruto saw Sakura's hand appear, glowing green, and touch Sasuke's neck, making him go completely limp.
He fell into Naruto's arms and dropped his sword, leaving Naruto stunned while Sakura yelled at him.
She said, "Move, Naruto! We have to get him out of here!"
"Yeah, Naruto, we'll hold those two off and rendezvous back at the fire nation border!" Yamato said.
Sai nodded to Yamato and pulled out one of his scrolls to use choju giga, causing the ink drawings to come to life, while Yamato made the signs to summon three of his wood clones to hold off Orochimaru and Kabuto, whose chakra Naruto could feel approaching. Naruto did not need any more of a hint, as he and Sakura jumped out of the pit to the dry plain above. He had thrown Sasuke over his shoulder, trying to be gentle as he ran for the edge of the forest with Sakura's footsteps close behind him, focusing chakra in his legs to move faster across the plain. He looked to his left and saw Sakura with tears streaming down her face. He realized he was crying too from the cool stream which fell down his cheek, and he did not bother wiping away any of his tears. He finally had gotten Sasuke back.
"I promised, Sakura, and I meant it! We have Sasuke back," he said.
"Thank you so much, Naruto," Sakura said.
She wiped away her tears and looked ahead. Naruto noticed they had reached the edge of the tree line, so he laid Sasuke down for just a moment as he made nine kage bunshin. He had to distract Orochimaru when he drew closer. He had them put on henge of him and Sakura carrying Sasuke, and they immediately sped off into the woods. Sakura smiled.
"You really have gotten smarter, Naruto, since so long ago," she said and laughed a little.
"You have too, Sakura. We've all come along way," Naruto said, "even Sasuke."
She turned to him, looking at Sasuke then looking away suddenly and not speaking. Naruto realized that he had touched a nerve, so he tried to say something else. Sakura still did not handle conversation about Sasuke well.
"Sa – Sakura, I…" Naruto said.
Before he could get anything more out, Sakura spoke quietly.
"He has changed, so much, but we found him. Still, we shouldn't talk now, let's get out of here," she said.
Naruto almost spoke again, but he realized her urgency was right. He threw Sasuke back onto his shoulder and jumped into the trees ahead with Sakura close behind. Naruto looked back and saw Sai and Yamato running across the open ground with explosions hiding the events farther back, and he did not worry.
"Naruto, we slowed them down, go on a head. We'll hold up the rear!" Yamato said.
Naruto said, "We'll see you at the border, Yamato."
He did not worry about them, because they could handle themselves. Now it was his priority to take Sasuke home.
"Sakura, how long will he be asleep?" he said.
"I temporarily put him into a coma. He won't wake for at least a week," Sakura said.
Naruto could see Sasuke's face bobbing in and out of his view as he leaped from branch to branch. He did not want it to take so long, but he could wait. He had missed his best friend more than anything since Sasuke left him and Sakura behind. He had made good on his promise. He had not let his bond with Sasuke break. He smiled slightly then focused on what was ahead, barely dodging a low hanging branch, tears still streaming.
1 month earlier
Naruto ran as fast as he could to the Ichiriku ramen stand. It was a sunny day outside with few clouds, and he could feel sweat beginning to drip down his body despite using chakra to minimize the physical was angry for being thirty minutes late after Kakashi holding him to train for extra time. He saw the stand right up ahead and turned the corner sprinting, only to run into someone who was just walking out of the place. They both fell in the opposite directions and sat dazed before the brown-haired man with a scar on the bridge of his nose he had crashed into looked at Naruto and broke into a smile, laughing a little.
"Naruto, I know you're late, but you don't have to try to kill me getting here!" Iruka said.
"Iruka sensei! Sorry about that, Kakashi kept me later than I wanted to so I tried to get here as fast as I could," Naruto said, rubbing his head and grinning.
Naruto shook a little from something more than physical exertion. He had been talking aloud to his mirror for hours that morning to get what he wanted to say just right, and his nerves had not gotten any better despite him knowing that Iruka would be understanding to him. He had always looked out for Naruto since he was just a kid. Naruto took a deep breath to calm his nerves as he watched Iruka begin to speak.
He said, "I was just about to go looking for you. Just relax. Three years you're gone, but you're still the same crazy kid I had to teach,"
Naruto also stood up, grinning widely and putting up his usual, jubilant exterior to mask his inner turbulence.
He said, "Oh come on, I'm not exactly the same, sensei! Now let's get some ramen. I haven't eaten since yesterday, and nothing makes me feel better than a bowl of Ichiraku ramen. I can't get enough since I've gotten back home."
Iruka shook his head.
"You're still as hungry as you always were, too," he said.
"You try living without this stuff for two and a half years and tell me you don't want to eat it every day," Naruto said.
Iruka leaned forward and looked at Naruto, squinting a little bit. Naruto began to worry that Iruka was onto him, but he kept his smile in place. After a few awkward seconds Iruka leaned back and laughed. Naruto smiled more sincerely.
Iruka said, "Ok, ok. Let's get some ramen."
They both stepped into the ramen stand, brushing aside the streamers that hung in front of the stand. A grey haired older man and his brown haired daughter stood in the back over a stove and some pots and pans. The older man turned to the new comers and smiled, lifting up a large wooden spoon as an aroma of cooking meat and boiling noodles spilled over the two customers. Naruto's stomach growled audibly, and his hunger almost took precedent over what he came to talk about.
"Naruto! Already back for more after yesterday, are you? It's always nice to have you back," the older man said.
Naruto smiled back and said, "Yeah, I'm back, and I'm so hungry. Give me a bowl of miso with pork slices. My friend right here will get the bill."
He elbowed Iruka, and he turned and looked at Naruto, sighing and making the boy scratch his head nervously. Naruto knew he would not refuse to foot the bill.
"You know, Naruto, that's not very nice to do when you're seeing your old teacher for the first time in awhile," he said, "I'll have the same."
"We'll have it right out!" the brunette daughter said,
Naruto watched them go to the back and start to get the noodles ready in the little, wooden stand. He thought he would drool over the counter if they would not cook quickly. Kakashi had not let him eat anything, keeping him training all day, and Naruto had his infamously endless appetite. However, he was not here for that. He had to talk to Iruka while the employees cooked.
"Iruka sensei…" Naruto said, saying it not very loudly and scooting a little towards Iruka.
He turned to him and cut him off, but Naruto kept looking away at some invisible point in space.
"Naruto, there's a new restaurant in town you just have to try! Next time we eat we should meet there with the whole group. They have everything from ramen to bar-b-q," Iruka said.
Naruto forced a smile and said, "That does sounds really good, sensei. I'm sure Chouji's team would love to eat there with us too…
"Oh!" Iruka said, "We've also renovated the Academy. I want you to come by and see how much it's changed, for nostalgia's sake. There's so much you still haven't seen since you've been busy with training and missions your whole time home, Naruto."
"I'll have to go take a look at it, Iruka sensei, but…" he took in a breath and let it out slowly, "I need to talk to you about something."
Naruto had a harder time getting his thoughts together than he had predicted. Iruka narrowed his eyes, making him feel pressured.
He said, "What is it, Naruto?"
"I need to talk to you. I need to talk about…Sasuke," he said.
"What about Sasuke, Naruto?" Iruka said.
Naruto took in a deep breath and tensed his jaw. He tried to speak, but he could not. He closed his eyes and shook his head to make himself focus. Then he stuttered out the beginning of what he had been mulling over for a years.
He said, "I-I don't know how to say it right, really, sensei. I've just been thinking about Sasuke and how we were…such good friends. I feel like I miss our times together more than anything. My point is, I think I felt…more for him than just friendship. D-do you know what I mean?"
Naruto paused and scratched his head while thinking of what else to say. Iruka did not notice the bowl of ramen placed in front of him and was just staring at Naruto, and Naruto was visibly shaking.
"I think I like and liked him, like Sakura does, and I think Sasuke liked me too," he paused for a moment, "I don't know if he does now. I've never really thought of it this way, but it's just been something I thought about a lot lately. That's why I miss him so much and won't give up on him, because he's my most important person and bond. He's like a brother in a way but more than that. Is it ok to feel that for another guy, Iruka sensei? Is it ok to lo-,"
Iruka cut off the beginning of the ramble, and put his hand on Naruto's shoulder to pull him around, making him look into his eyes as he spoke and leaned in to emphasize his point. Naruto could not stand to look into those brown eyes and looked down at the ground.
"Naruto," Iruka said, "I'm not angry with you, but I don't want that talk to keep going on in public. I'm glad you brought this to me first, so I want you to listen very carefully. Being together with someone who is the same gender is…well, it's not a law, but people believe that it's wrong and will treat you awfully for it, especially because you're after someone who betrayed our village. You may have gotten into good graces with everyone despite how you were treated when you were younger, but I don't know if your friends, mentors, and I would be enough to protect you from the people who would see another kind of monster after knowing this. I don't know if you like girls, but I want you to know that you should never try to act on how you feel for Sasuke, even if he is my former student and your former friend. I don't want you to get hurt, even if he does come back, so I'm telling you – "
Now Naruto cut Iruka off by slamming his clenched fist on the counter and standing up. He had gotten over his shame and burned more and more with anger at what his sensei was saying.
"That's it? No hope, nothing? I didn't expect this from you, Iruka sensei. I will not give it up and I won't stop until I bring Sasuke back. I don't care how people feel and want me to feel, because I know exactly how I feel," he said.
"Naruto, please just calm down", Iruka said, putting his hand back on Naruto's shoulder, "what's the use if Sasuke doesn't even want to come back? I'm just trying to help you."
"No," Naruto said, "I can't take it, Iruka sensei, I can't accept your pessimism, because he's still my friend no matter what you say. There is a way to bring him back, and I'll find it, even if it means just having him as a friend or him leaving us again. I don't know if we'll have anything more, but I won't give up on him. That's my ninja way."
Naruto pushed Iruka away ran out of the Ichiriku stand as fast as he could, pushing the headed towards home, and letting his orange, unzipped jacket flap in the wind. He knew everyone was staring at him as he ran through the streets and occasionally bumped into someone, but he didn't care. When he ran up the stairs of his old apartment building and finally got to the door his shaking hands could barely manage to pull his keys out of his pockets and unlock it. He slammed the door behind him as soon as he got in and ran to plant facedown on his bed with his fists clenched tight. The apartment was small and clean, with a wooden floor, white walls, and a hallway separating the kitchen and the bedroom. On the small bed Naruto remembered the promise he had made to bring Sasuke back, three years ago in the rain. He did not know if Sasuke wanted to see him, but he had to bring him back. He could give him a better life. He could be his friend. Maybe he could be something more. His mind meandered on, repeating that theme, and he lay there for an hour.
Someone knocked on his door loudly.
"Naruto, I brought your miso to go," Iruka said, "I'm sorry, come talk to me more when you feel better, I'll leave it at your door."
His footsteps went off into the distance and Naruto's stomach growled even more remembered how hungry he was after training all day. He tried to stand up and was a little fuzzy from the blood shifting in his body, but he managed to stumble to his door and open it, peeking out to look at the hallway. Knowing he was alone, he reached down and picked up his miso Iruka had put into a Tupperware bowl with chopsticks on top, then shut the door before he walked to his bed and started to eat.
He smiled a little as he took the first bite. It was as tasty as always.
"We'll get you back, Sasuke. Sakura and I will get you back, and I'll finally be able to tell you…" Naruto said, picking up another bite.
Present Day
Sasuke could not feel his body, and only had a slight sensation of hearing and smelling what was around him.
What happened? Where am I?
He opened his eyes and could only see white light flooding his vision. He tried to move, but he gave up trying due to the fatigue that overwhelmed him; now the light began to define itself into objects and colors, and he could see light streaming from his left and an open door on the right. A breeze blew across Sasuke's face and he felt that he was lying on something soft.
Am I dreaming? This is Konoha Hospital.
He remembered last that he was in the bottom of a chasm, holding his sword ready to kill Naruto. Then there was nothing.
Naruto. I resolved to kill you there, because you would never leave me alone as long as you could live. You didn't even try to stop me, but I couldn't ever have known that even trying to kill you now would still make me feel that way, like confronting and having to kill a half of myself. I couldn't do it, when the moment came.
The bed in which he was lying came into focus, and he saw someone's arm out of the corner of his right eye. He barely managed to shift his head, and saw the back of someone's blond hair tucked into their folded arms on the edge of the bed, breathing softly and not moving.
Naruto? How are you still so devoted after all of this time? I betrayed you and buried how much I cared about you and this village. I betrayed and buried myself. I only want revenge, and you must have known that I wouldn't be here for long if you brought me back. You're as stupid as always, Naruto, that hasn't changed.
A sinking feeling overtook Sasuke and brought him to the edge of sleep. He moved his hand over Naruto's.
Naruto.
The darkness enveloped his vision.
Naruto…
