I'm tired of running

I'm tired of hiding

Feeling the mask slip away

I tried to hold you

I tried to keep you

Letting the mask slip away

Naruto Uzumaki had become a former shell of himself.

The seventeen-year-old ray of sunshine had seemed to lose himself in the dark storm clouds that appeared with his last encounter with Sasuke.

That unique laughter that used to echo throughout the hidden leaf became silent.

His voice was no longer heard.

His dreams no longer proclaimed from the highest tops of the village.

"Sasuke! I WILL bring you back! No matter what!"

Sasuke grimaced in annoyance. Naruto hadn't changed a bit.

"Sasuke! Say something dammit! Sasuk-!"

He was cut off mid-sentence.

Bright blue lightning screamed about as Sasuke held all the power in his hands as they were wrapped around Naruto's neck.

He could kill Naruto in a single move.

"That voice of yours...it's so annoying. Does this game of tag not get old for you, Naruto?" Sasuke growled. His grip around Naruto's neck growing tighter.

Single tears fell down Naruto's ocean blue eyes as he choked. Unable to speak.

"It's time to let me go, Naruto."

With that, the earth-shattering final blow was delivered.

Sasuke unleashed his full Chidori as he crushed Naruto's neck.

Naruto was thrown across the battlefield, barely conscious he could only look at his former comrade in shock.

A look of hurt that Sasuke hadn't seen since they were children. Sasuke felt his heart drop for a moment, regret flushing through his veins as he began to comprehend the consequences of his impulsive anger.

"Dobe..." was all he could manage before disappearing in smoke.

0oo0o0o0o0o0

"Kakashi, I need you to check on Naruto again..." Lady Tsunade stated softly. Trying to hide her growing worry about the young blonde.

Kakashi nodded silently behind his mask.

"I will, I was considering it anyways since I haven't seen him emerge from his apartment yet this week."

Tsunade nodded as she poured herself another glass of sake.

"Thank you, Kakashi..."

O0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Kakashi sighed to himself as he made his way to Naruto's apartment.

Ever since that last mission roughly six months ago, life for Naruto seemed to only go more downhill. The young boy seemed to resemble nothing more than a walking dead person.

Sasuke had nearly completely destroyed Naruto's vocal cords. If it hadn't been for Sakura's quick reaction to start the healing process, Kakashi was certain that by the time they returned to the village that Naruto's chances of every fully speaking again would be done for.

Despite Tsunade almost fully healing the more serious damage, Sasuke still had left Naruto with an extremely low and hoarse voice.

A voice Naruto no longer desired to use.

At first, it started with Naruto only speaking when he was being spoken to, or if he needed something.

But as the event began to sink in, Naruto quit speaking altogether.

Naruto appeared to have dipped his toe in the pool of depression and despair and ended up drowning in it.

No matter how many people in the village attempted to reach out to him, desperate to get the old Naruto back, all they would get in response is a blank stare.

Naruto no longer made his ridiculous expressions or reacted dramatically when something asinine occurred.

He was almost completely motionless.

Much like a rag doll.

Kakashi shook his head vigorously as he approached the door, hoping to keep a clear mind and positive attitude while in Naruto's presence.

Knocking softly on the door, he waited patiently for Naruto to answer.

Hopefully, he doesn't look any thinner than last time, Kakashi thought to himself as he heard some shuffling around the house before the door slowly creaked open.

Before him stood a hunched blonde figure, almost unrecognizable to the old Naruto. Dark bags almost like Gaara's were now present under his blue eyes. His face along with the rest of his body displayed signs of severe weight loss. Troublesome to Kakashi since the body didn't weigh that much to begin with either.

However, when Naruto saw it was his sensei he somehow managed to crack a small smile. He extended the opening of his door to allow the grey-haired shinobi inside his apartment.

Naruto quietly dashed to the kitchen and pulled out an old kettle from one of his wooden cabinets. Naruto lifted the kettle up to display what he had to Kakashi, shooting a look of question to his sensei in order to ask him if he would like tea.

"I would love some, Naruto. Thank you." Kakashi answered softly as he took a seat at one of the stools by the tiny island Naruto had in the middle of his kitchen.

Kakashi couldn't help but sigh once again as he took in just how small Naruto had gotten. Even with the simple baggy white t-shirt he wore and black sweatpants, one could still notice how bony he was underneath. His collarbone remained prominent from underneath his shirt and his cheekbones were sharp enough they looked like they could slice the very air he breathed.

Naruto smiled once again, presenting Kakashi with a piping hot cup of tea.

Kakashi nodded in thanks, "Naruto, you don't have to smile around me if you don't want to."

Sighing, Naruto dropped the fake smile. His shoulder blades dropping, physically revealing how much of a burden it was to create just a simple smile.

The blonde then shrugged as he sipped his own cup of tea.

"Have you eaten yet?" Kakashi then asked, knowing damn well he hadn't.

Again, Naruto only shrugged. Only this time he meant it to show he didn't care about eating.

Groaning, Kakashi nearly slammed his cup down.

Naruto flinched, worry spreading across his face like a wildfire.

"Naruto, this has got to stop. I've accepted I may never hear your voice again...I've even accepted you may never be that knuckle-headed ninja again...but, I need you to care about yourself...to at least eat,something."

Naruto stared at Kakashi blankly, cup still in hand. Suddenly he shook his head vigorously, signing with his hands almost too quick for Kakashi to understand what he was trying to say.

I-Don't-Deserve- It

Kakashi felt his fits clenching and unclenching in anger.

Sasuke completely had broken this boys spirit.

What a failure he knew himself to be, of all the years he neglected Naruto and utilized on Sasuke he could have at least given Naruto a chance.

Now with his student at seventeen years old, he could see the very results of his negligence right in front of him.

"Naruto..."

The blonde motioned towards his bedroom, inferring he was going back to sleep.

An activity he did all too often these days.

Sighing, Kakashi nodded in understanding,

"Thank you for the tea again, Naruto. Can I see you tomorrow?"

Naruto nodded, waving goodbye as he disappeared into his bedroom.

o0oo0o0oo

"The old sensei is right, Dobe. You need to eat something..." a voice stated flatly.

Rolling his eyes, Naruto simply tucked himself away in his blankets. Knowing perfectly well once he allowed himself to doze off, no one would disturb him.

Not even the Uchiha.

Sasuke silently watched over the blonde as he began to lose himself in sleep. He had managed to remain silently hidden in Naruto's room and was able to hide any trace of his sent while Kakashi had visited.

After the incident all those months ago, Sauske could simply not let it go. No matter how much he tried to forget it and tell himself Naruto meant nothing to him anymore. He simply could not put what he had done behind him.

Sasuke made it his mission to visit Naruto secretly as often as possible. Learning he had grown to love the blonde, and also knowing how much work it would take to have Naruto fully forgive him.

To possibly learn to love him back in return.

Until then, he would wait patiently, watching over the blonde as he slept. Yearning to do anything to turn back time.

Just to see Naruto smile again.

Author's Note: Well, this is certainly an interesting plot I had come into mind while I was watching Naruto again and also reading a different fanfiction. Please let me know if you liked! I am aiming to make this a short story (Around three chapters). If anyone has any ideas or suggestions, feel free to let me know!